Lucas, Samantha - The Seduction of Anne Ruby [The Seduction 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Samantha Lucas

  “Anne, you already have your answer. I can see it in your eyes. You have to fight for this.”

  She blinked, bringing herself back to the present, back to the Grand’s home, a kind woman, and a friendly, little dog.

  “I’m not sure.” She drew a slow breath. “I don’t want to lose him, but I’m compliant. It’s who I am.”

  “So he says good-bye, you smile sweetly and tell him it’s okay, worried that you need to make his walking away from you easy on him.”

  She gasped, wondering how Cassidy had hit the nail so dead center on the head.

  “I know because that was me when Aiden left.”

  She reached out and took one of Anne’s hands and squeezed.

  “If you feel him in your soul, you can’t let him go. That doesn’t come along every day, and if you’re confused and scared and wondering how on earth you could be feeling so much for this man when no other man has made you feel that way, perhaps you are thinking backward.”

  Anne furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I’m guessing you’re trying to find some logical explanation for why this man makes you feel things no other man has, but if this man is the man who was created to fit with your soul, then why would you have felt any of this before now? You were only meant to feel it all with him.”

  “Cassidy.” Aiden’s imposing figure entered the room, hands on hips, looking stern. “You aren’t boring her with romantic tales, are you?”

  Cassidy put Harold on the sofa and went to Aiden, who instantly welcomed her into his arms.

  “Of course I am.” She smiled up at him, and he kissed her softly.

  Anne was so taken in by the raw love on each of their faces. She didn’t think she’d ever been in the presence of two people so obviously in love with each other.

  “Anne has love of her own.” She smiled at Anne then turned back to Aiden. “One who’s planning on walking away from her,” she scolded.

  Aiden cleared his throat. “I see.”

  He drew Cassidy close to his side, and the two walked toward her, taking a place on the opposite settee again. Harold instantly jumped down and ran to them, this time making himself comfortable in Aiden’s lap.

  “I do apologize for the day, Anne. I hadn’t expected to be so preoccupied.”

  “It really wasn’t a bother, and I have enjoyed talking to Cassidy.”

  Actually, this conversation had been the highlight of the day.

  “Before you turn things all work, Aiden, tell her.” Cassidy pushed against his leg.

  “Tell her what, my love?”

  She exhaled, seemingly frustrated, as if he should have read her mind.

  “Tell her love is worth fighting for.”

  His expression softened. He turned his gaze on Anne, and she felt instantly drawn in.

  “On that, my lovely wife is one hundred percent correct. As men, we get pulled in many different directions, and love isn’t necessarily one of them. We need you women to club us over the head and make us see how incredibly sweet it can be.” He took Cassidy’s hand and entwined their fingers. Bringing them to his mouth, he brushed a kiss over her knuckles.

  Anne inwardly sighed. She wondered if she had half a chance to find that. More, to find it with Grey.

  “I won’t get as sentimental as I’m sure Cassidy has with you, but leaving her that day was the biggest mistake of my life, and it took me some time to see past my own stubborn view of my world that that world wasn’t worth living in without her. If you can help your man see that before he walks away, you’ll be saving you both a great deal of pain and heartache, but I think in matters of love, they take the road they are meant to take, and we are but bound travelers forced to go along for the ride.”

  Cassidy leaned her body close to Aiden’s. “He’s gotten so wise in his old age.”

  He dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

  “The last thing I feel comfortable saying on this subject is don’t give up. If you even think for a second this man completes you, it’s worth whatever you have to go through to win him permanently, and if in the end it doesn’t end how you want, the pain of that is better than the pain of regret and always wondering ‘what if.’ It’s pain either way, so choose a pain you can live with.” Aiden straightened, and his demeanor shifted. “Now, if we can talk business.”

  Anne slowly tried to shift her mind into the questions Aiden started throwing at her about benefits, scheduling, and basic hotel policy, but what she had thought was going to be a strange way to kill an afternoon had turned into the most helpful counsel of her life. Though she agreed with everything they said, she still wasn’t certain she had what it would take to fight for him. She still didn’t even think she knew how. They had opened a door in her mind and a new path to venture down, and at the end of the day, in her heart, Grey was worth anything, but could he possibly feel the same way about her? She only knew for certain that she had a lot of thinking to do before she saw Grey next, but something very akin to hope had opened up in her soul, and she wasn’t ready to shut it down just yet.

  Chapter Twenty

  Anne was a basket full of nervous energy all night. She knew at some point Grey would walk in, and—as silly and romantic as it sounded—her world would go straight. She hadn’t heard from him, and she wasn’t sure what happened with Sophie, but something in her knew he was coming back tonight, just as he said.

  She’d given so much thought to all that Aiden and Cassidy had told her. She still wasn’t sure she knew how to fight for Grey, but she was sure she wanted to try. At the very least, she didn’t want to be forced to give him up in just a day or two.

  She stood from the desk. Rubbing her hands together, she moved to stare out the windows. The city lights sparkled across an otherwise black backdrop. She loved being up in the middle of the night while all the normal people slept. There was something comforting about it. She heard the elevator in the hall ding its arrival on the fourteenth floor. It was most likely Jordan coming back up, but her heart beat hard in her chest, hoping it would be Grey.

  A mix of aggravation with a splinter of fear hijacked all her other senses when it turned out to be Cole. She tried to convince herself the fear was ridiculous and she was just overly sensitive to annoying exes from her work at the women’s shelter. Cole had never hit her. He’d never even made her afraid of him, just made her feel worthless and stupid, but she wouldn’t allow him, or anyone else, to ever have that power over her again.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He produced a bouquet of gardenias from behind his back. It was really quite beautiful, and the heady, sweet scent made her forget for a moment that she was angry he was there.

  “I came to apologize.” He handed the bouquet to her. “I was an ass the last few times we spoke, and I realize now why you, of course, wouldn’t do anything kind for me when I had been so unfair to you.”

  Was that actually an apology or more of a justification of some sorts?

  She wasn’t sure. She released the bouquet, leaving it in his hands.

  “Cole, I don’t need flowers or your apologies. We aren’t together anymore. We aren’t friends, and though that was your decision originally, I now support it one hundred percent. We weren’t ever good together, and we both deserve better.”

  She nearly held her breath, hoping to see a grin on his face and to hear the words that implied he was accepting what she said, but he just stared at her as if he was looking right through her. She stepped away, moving to the buffet and starting to shut it down, but he followed her.

  “I disagree. You’ve changed, Annie.” She had her back to him, and when he picked up a strand of her hair and sniffed it, she tensed. “I like it.”

  She shimmied out from between his body and the buffet.

  “Go home, Cole.”

  She swallowed, knowing it was imperative that she not show him her nerves. She couldn’t give him any opening, so she pretended Grey was standing beside her, and she s
tiffened her spine, standing in her own power, refusing to give any of it away to him

  “Don’t tell me what to do, Annie. You know I hate it when you do that.”

  In truth, she’d never told him what to do before that moment, but she did remember he had a weird sensitivity to thinking she was telling him what to do.

  He tossed the flowers on the bar beside where he stood and stared at her as if he was seeing something he’d never seen before.

  “I liked it when you were weak, but…” He walked toward her. She wanted to move away but was worried about showing vulnerability, so she stood her ground.

  “This new strength you have speaks to me. Makes me want to fuck it out of you.”

  She shook her head and laughed.

  “So you’re saying that you’re attracted to the possibility of crushing my strength?”

  He touched her hair again, and she jerked away from him.

  “I think I could.”

  “God, Cole, what’s wrong with you?”

  There was a challenge in his eyes. He was still the exact same man he’d always been, but she was viewing him through clearer eyes than she ever had before. She walked away and picked up a phone hanging on the wall by the small kitchen.

  “I’m calling security. You may want to leave on your own and spare yourself the embarrassment.”

  She was so calm and so secure in her position. It was a high she’d never felt in her life before, and she wanted to remember this moment, because this truly was the woman she’d always known she could be, and she never wanted to go back to being that woman who let people like Cole fuck with her.

  She made one simple mistake, shifting her focus to the voice on the phone.

  Pain registered in her head, but it took her a minute to figure out what it was from. He ripped the phone from her hand so hard it had banged against her ear and strained the ligaments in her elbow. Before she could recover from the shock of that, he pulled the entire unit from the wall. He moved so suddenly she wasn’t able to keep up, and before she could entirely wrap her mind around the situation, he had her back against the wall, with his forearm across her throat, pressing just enough that breathing was difficult.

  She wasn’t feeling any fear exactly, more shock and surprise—and a heavy dose of just being pissed off.

  “Get off me, Cole!”

  She pushed against him, but he didn’t budge. If anything, the hold on her throat got stronger.

  “You’re hurting me.”

  She dug her fingers into his forearm, attempting to force him to loosen his grip if not release her altogether.

  “You’ve been such a bitch to me lately, Annie. I just don’t understand what’s gotten into you.”

  “Oh, like you mean, since you dumped me?” She was surprised at how snippy she sounded, even while being a bit breathless. She choked and shoved against him again.

  “You were behaving like a sullen brat, Annie, of course I dumped you. I am too young, and life is too short to be tied to a woman who makes you feel nothing more than sighing and napping all day long.”

  She gasped. His words had actually hit their mark and caused her a sharp pain deep in a crevice of her heart she thought had healed.

  “Well, I’m not the woman I was then, but sadly, you are still the same man. And though you completely broke my heart, that was probably the second best thing that ever happened to me.”

  His laugh was harsh, and Anne tried yet again to get his arm off her larynx as she choked and gasped for breath.

  “And fucking me was the best thing?”

  “Hardly. Cole, I can’t” —she inhaled hard, the air felt like razors slicing through her— “breathe.”

  Spots started appearing on the edges of her vision, and fear started to seep in beneath her anger. She was beginning to realize if he really meant to harm her, he very well could.

  “You damn well know I was the best thing that ever happened to you, and you should be on your knees with gratitude that I’m giving you a second chance, not pissing me off, Annie.”

  “You aren’t even close to the best thing, Cole.” She drew every ounce of strength she had and shoved against his chest hard with both hands. “Now get off me!”

  She found enough air to scream the last part, but he shoved back against her harder. His entire body was now plastered against hers, and it was official—she was scared.

  “If I wasn’t the best damn thing to happen to you, Annie, then what was?”

  “I was.” The tone was so dark and full of danger she almost didn’t recognize it, but her heart knew him regardless. Grey.

  Within a second, Cole’s body was removed from hers and blessed air started streaming into her burning lungs. She choked and coughed and rubbed her throat. Cole’s threats and yells filled the air, and though a part of her hated the violence, there was something about seeing Grey’s hands wrapped around his throat that caused her to feel incredibly vindicated.

  “You don’t ever treat a lady like that. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Fuck off.” Cole took a swing, but Grey easily sidestepped it.

  Grey had him completely immobilized. Cole’s fingers dug into Grey’s, trying to pry them off his throat almost exactly the way she’d just been forced to do. The irony was not lost on her.

  “Anne.” He used the tone that she could never resist, and it instantly snapped her attention to him though she said nothing, just waited for instruction.

  “Go to the other phone and call security.”

  She nodded and went to the desk. She told them the problem and heard them dispatch a guard before she hung up.

  “They’re coming.”

  “Good girl.” He winked at her, and it filled her soul with joy.

  His arm jerked, and she saw Cole gasp. She wanted to tell Grey to let him go, or at least to ease off, but looking out for Cole wasn’t her job anymore, and she honestly didn’t want to take on the job of Grey’s conscience. She stayed silent and let the two men make their own choices, trusting Grey would never lose control and do any real damage.

  “Annie, get this ass off me!” Cole snarled at her, but this time she didn’t even flinch.

  “Go to hell, Cole. It’s time you started being responsible for the choices you make. It’s not my job anymore—not that it ever was.”

  All her life, she’d taken on the job of caretaker. It was the position she historically felt the most comfortable in, but not anymore.

  She looked at Grey, internalizing everything he meant to her.

  “You okay, angel?”

  She nodded and smiled. “I really am. How’s Sophie?”

  “She’s perfect.”

  The elevator doors slid open, and in a moment, three security guards were standing in the lounge.

  “Okay, take your hands off his throat.”

  Grey immediately obeyed, releasing Cole and stepping away, his hands raised as a show of good faith.

  “He’s not the problem.” Anne jumped to his defense, but the guards were placing plastic ties around the hands of both men.

  “Get off me, fuckers!” Cole fought the guards while Grey submitted quietly. “That’s my girlfriend. Tell them, Annie!”

  “You’re delusional, Cole.”

  She couldn’t take her eyes off Grey. His strength and power rolled off him in waves, but at the same time, he stood in complete submission. She blinked up at him, wanting to ask him if that was how he saw her when she submitted. He was beautiful.

  “Look, Cole was here harassing me. Grey stopped him. He did nothing wrong. Please just remove Cole. Grey is a guest here, Cole isn’t.”

  “Guest or not, I have rights, and this ass was trying to choke me!”

  Anne wasn’t sure what action would help Grey the most, but she knew the security at the hotel was stellar. She had to trust they had brains. Certainly they could ascertain the truth in this situation. She hadn’t meant to cause trouble for Grey.

  “He was only trying to help me”—she ex
amined the name badge of the guard who seemed to be taking the lead—“Travis.”

  She noticed him staring at her neck and realized she might have a few scratches. She moved her hands to cover them, feeling awkward now.

  “Which one did that to you?” Travis asked her calmly.

  “Cole. Grey’s the one who got him to stop, and all he was doing was restraining him until you got here.”

  Travis seemed to consider her words for a moment then silently signaled at the guard holding Grey. He pulled a knife from his pocket and sliced through the restraint on Grey’s wrists.

  “Thank you.”

  Grey nodded a thanks also before moving to stand beside Anne. He cupped her cheeks in his palms. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m brilliant.” She beamed. Her throat hurt, and she had a headache, but she was so damned proud of herself nothing else mattered.

  He smiled down at her. “You damn sure are.”

  “Are you wanting to press charges?” Travis’s voice drew her attention. She looked to Grey, but he showed no emotion whatsoever. This was her decision, and he was clearly respecting that.

  She’d known Cole five years, and in all that time, he’d never gotten physical with her. At the same time, how many horror stories had she heard from the women at the shelter? What Cole had done was wrong, and she needed to admit that, at least to herself, but she just wasn’t sure about pressing charges.

  Travis touched her arm. “I’ll have him held on trespassing charges. You think about what you want to do. I’ll have an officer contact you in the next twenty-four hours.”

  She agreed even as she sent Cole a sideways glance. He was pissed, but at least he was quiet now.

  “I’ll also need statements from both of you for my report. Can you come to the security office when you get off your shift?”

  “Sure.”

  She watched them lead Cole out.

  “And you, Mr. Hendrix?”

  She’d all but forgotten Grey’s fame. Of course, the guards must have recognized him. She had a flash of word of this getting out and having it affect his custody case and felt awful. She never wanted to be a liability to the man who’d done so much for her.