by Breena Wilde
Zane locks the door behind us, and I walk over to the sliding glass doors. The view takes my breath away. It’s as though the house has been dropped in the center of a secluded jungle.
Everywhere I look is greenery. Trees line either side of my vision. Their lush greenery blocks out anything beyond the vision I’m seeing. At the base of the trees are moss, grass, and bushes covered in red flowers. Parrots in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, green, and red mingle amongst the trees. But most incredible, directly across from the window, is a mountain, and a waterfall is tumbling from the top. It rushes down the side and into a pool of water below.
“Where are we?” I whisper.
Zane chuckles. “California.”
I snort. “Yeah, but where?”
“A special place. Do you like it?”
I turn and look at him. A look of sadness quickly crosses his face and is gone. “It’s amazing,” I say, and mean it. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in real life.” And then I remember he’s in the movie business. “Is this like a set or something?” I can’t help but wonder if there are cameras hidden all over the house.
“I did use a little movie magic to create the view, but it’s real. We aren’t on a set.” He comes up behind me and kisses the base of my neck. “Want to go see it?”
I can’t help the giant smile that breaks across my face.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He unlocks the door and slides it open, then grabs my hand. I follow him out to a small rock patio.
The scent in the air is heady, sweet and luscious. The roar of the waterfall drowns out most of the parrot talk, but every once in a while one squawks extra loud.
“This is incredible,” I say, pulling out of his grasp and moving toward the rock path. I can tell it leads to the waterfall, and I’m anxious to get there. A part of me wonders if it’s just a mirage. I run my hands along the bushes, touch a flower.
Zane picks one and pulls me to him. He sticks it behind my left ear.
“You’re so beautiful, Cadence,” he says quietly.
I wink. “So are you.”
He bends down and presses his lips to mine. They’re immediately hungry. His tongue enters my mouth and swirls with mine. Zane groans and pulls me closer. I tangle my fingers in his hair, and he smiles against my lips.
“I love it when you do that.”
I open my eyes and notice he’s looking at me. “You do?” I ask, because I’m surprised.
“That’s why I haven’t cut it.”
“Oh,” I say, and smile.
“Come on.” He pulls me down the path to the water’s edge.
I immediately notice that the edges and bottom of the pool are manmade. “How?” is all I can think to ask.
“It wasn’t that hard.”
I shrug. “If you say so. It’s amazing though.”
“Thank you, sweet Cadence.” The melancholy is back in his voice. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought out here.”
I check his face, searching his features for a sign that he’s lying. He’s staring into the water, isn’t even looking at me, and he seems temporarily lost.
“You going to fuck me in this pool?” I ask, wanting to make the sadness or whatever’s bothering him go away.
It seems to work. He smirks. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He takes off his clothes and I remove the sweats I’m wearing. The air is cool with the spray from the water hitting my skin, but it feels good, makes my skin tighten and prickle... makes my nipples immediately hard.
Zane folds his pants and lays them on top of his shoes.
“There aren’t any fish or leeches or… other random bugs in there, right?”
Zane laughs. “I hope not.” He steps into the water. I follow him, surprised that the water is warm, like bath water. The bottom is bumpy and I’m guessing it’s the same stuff the path is made out of. I stay a step behind Zane as he makes his way over to the waterfall. When he reaches it, he puts his head underneath. His sandy hair is immediately soaked. After several seconds he whips his hair out of his eyes. Dozens of droplets of water hit me in the face and I can’t help but squeal.
“Cold?” he asks, splashing me with water.
I gasp, but recover quickly and splash him back.
He grabs me around the waist. “Time to get your hair wet, sweet Cadence.” He pushes me under the falling water.
I love it. The weight of the water, its warmth, the power that surrounds me, I love it. I lift my face into the water, allowing it to smack against my forehead, pushing my hair off my face. I hold my breath and go forward so all of me is surrounded by the water. It’s strong, and I have to use muscle to keep myself upright. I feel Zane wrap his arms around my waist. I step back into him, leaning my head against his chest. “You really do like it, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do.” I turn in his arms and find his lips. Kiss him tenderly. Rays from the sun peek through a fluffy cloud. They bathe our little nook of paradise in light. In my mind I see John Cruze. He’s smiling, flashing his dimple, and I can’t help but wish it was him and me here together. I quickly push that thought away.
I’m with Zane for the next few months. Body and soul. I have to be. Especially if I want to find out what happened to Travis.
Zane seems to sense the change in me because he stops kissing me. His eyes are open. He turns. “What are you looking at?” His voice is wistful.
“Nothing,” I say, and shake my head. He gives me a stern look. “Just looking at the way the sun is peeking through the clouds. It’s made this paradise almost glow.”
Zane follows my gaze and then looks around. “You’re right.”
Chapter 9
Zane
Now that I’ve shown her my secret place, I can’t help but wonder why I waited so long. It’s obvious she gets it, and I can tell she loves it as much as I do. Just watching the way she reacts to the place makes me hard, and I press my dick into her stomach.
She responds by kissing me harder.
I lift her and she wraps her legs around my hips. Slowly I slide her pussy onto my cock. The feel of her tightness surrounding my dick nearly makes me come undone. I hold back, lift her, and lower her several times.
She moans. Her eyes are closed. I love watching her face. There’s no question she loves to fuck, loves to get lost in the pleasure the way I do.
We’re near the edge of the pool and I push a button. The motor immediately turns on, causing the pool to bubble.
She opens her eyes a moment, surprised, then laughs. “Any other surprises, Zane?” The mischievous look on her face is one of my favorites.
“As a matter of fact,” I start, and push another button.
Another motor comes to life and a chaise rises from the center of the pool. The frame looks like wood, but it’s actually plastic. There are emerald green cushions on it. When it’s three quarters of the way out of the water, the motor stops. It looks like the chaise is floating on the water.
Cadence is in shock. Her eyebrows are raised and her mouth is making a perfect O.
“Really?” she asks, trying to play it cool, but I can tell she thinks it pretty fabulous.
“Hey, if you’re gonna fuck in a pool, ya might as well do it in style, right?”
She bursts out laughing. “Right.”
Her pussy still surrounds my cock. I walk with her connected to me over to the chaise. I lift her straight onto the chaise. It’s at the perfect height.
Cadence presses her ass to the edge and I lean over, picking up where I left off earlier today. I kiss her clit. Suckle it. She throws her head back and lets out a loud moan. Her reaction gets me so fucking hot. I cup her ass in my hands and press her pussy into my mouth. My tongue makes its way through her folds to the center. I slide my tongue inside.
“God, Zane.” She wraps her hands in my hair. Her head is still back, and she’s beautiful, sparkling water finding paths along her body, and I think I want to follow their lead and run my tongu
e over every inch of her body.
But that’ll be later. Right now I slide my tongue in and out of her wet pussy, pushing my nose against her clit, rubbing it just right.
“Fuck. Fuck.”
I can feel her body tensing and know she’s going to come soon. At the last minute I replace my tongue with three fingers and my tongue massages her clit.
Her orgasm rocks her body, rocks against my fingers and my tongue, but I want to feel her come undone against my dick.
I stand and press into her. She moves forward, almost sitting, and takes me all the way in. Using her hands to steady herself, she moves up and down on my cock. Water splashes against us, making a slight popping sound.
I move my thighs to her rhythm, ramming my cock deep inside and, in that moment, I think life can’t get better than this.
“Oh, God,” she screams, loud. And I love it. She isn’t worried about anything except the pleasure of this moment.
I feel another orgasm shudder around my cock, and that sends me over the edge. With one last thrust I come inside her, inside the only person who’s ever torn down my walls.
We move together, though more slowly, until we both stop. Our breathing is heavy. Cadence opens her eyes. I see she’s satisfied, at least momentarily.
And for a brief second I want to change my mind. Forget about Sokolov and just spend the rest of my life here, in this little paradise, with her.
Chapter 10
Cadence
After the incredible fuck in the pool, Zane and I climb out. The sun has gone and stars replace the sunbeams. Crickets and birds chirp and call into the night. My guess is they’re talking to each other, a symphony of sound.
I’m relaxed and ready for sleep. I still don’t have any answers, but I feel they’re close.
“Let’s go to sleep,” Zane says, picking up his clothes. I pick up mine, and follow him inside.
We climb into bed. Zane leans over me. His eyes are full of solemnity. “I hope you know that, no matter how we started out this adventure, I’ve come to truly…” he pauses and I watch several different emotions sail across his face before he continues, “care about you.”
“Yes,” I say, distracted by the way his fingers brushing against my hair sends tingles down my spine.
“Always remember that,” he whispers and kisses me on the forehead.
I’m in shock, really surprised. “Are you… okay?” I ask, knowing that isn’t the right word but unable to come up with a better one.
He rolls away from me. “Goodnight, sweet Cadence.”
“Night,” I reply and snuggle into the covers.
***
When I wake, the early glimmers of sunrise poke through the windows and doors. I stare out into the paradise and immediately want to be out there. I can’t see the chaise from the bed, but I’m guessing it’s gone and that the bubbles have been turned off.
I roll over to see if Zane is still sleeping. If he is, I intend to wake him so we can go back outside—but his side of the bed is empty. On his pillow is a large manila envelope.
A strange mixture of dread and fear fills my stomach. I scoot closer and see “PFA” written in large black marker across the front. I know what it stands for. Personal Fucking Assistant.
“Shit,” I whisper. Then call out, “Zane.” He doesn’t answer. I get up and walk to the bathroom. It’s empty. I walk to the closet. It’s empty too. I open the sliding glass door and walk down the path to see if he’s in the pool.
But he isn’t.
I walk back into the bedroom and open the door. Walk down to the kitchen. It’s empty. The anxiety in my stomach turns to full blown worry.
“Zane,” I call, walking from the kitchen into the dining room, through the arched doorway and into the hall. To the left I see the kitchen. I go right. There’s a bathroom, a laundry room, an empty bedroom, and an office. The desk is completely cleared off.
“Zane,” I shout, running now, back through the kitchen and into the entryway. I jiggle the front door, trying to pull it open, but it’s locked. “What the fuck?” I unlock it and open the door.
Birds chirp. A light wind blows, but the circular driveway is empty of cars. “Zane, where the fuck are you?” I scream, hoping my foul language will bring someone out of hiding. A flock of birds take flight from the trees near the left of the house. They scream back at me, but no people.
I rush back inside, slam the door... and notice a hallway opposite the direction of the kitchen. I walk down it. All the doors are closed. Methodically I open each one, glance inside. Check the en-suite bathroom in each one. When I find each empty, I close the door and go to the next one. By the fourth door, my heart has dropped to my toes.
He’s gone. He fucking left me God knows where without a car, a phone, or the whereabouts of my brother.
“Goddammit, Zane.” I open another door. It’s a bathroom. I glance at my reflection and realize I’m still naked. I don’t even fucking care. The end of the hall opens to a large living room. In the center sits a shiny black grand piano.
“Zane,” I whisper, and remember the envelope. Maybe it contains answers.
I slowly climb the stairs, walk into the bedroom, and sit on Zane’s side of the bed.
Chapter 11
Cadence
The envelope is heavy. I dump the contents onto the bed. The first thing to fall out is a phone, and then two sets of keys and a black velvet box. After that I pull out some formal looking papers and a sealed business-sized envelope. Across the front is my name. The writing is manly, and I guess Zane wrote it.
I don’t know why, but I reach for the velvet box first. It looks familiar. And it is. Inside are the pearls and the pearl clit ring Zane gave me. I’d left them at the hotel. He must’ve gone back and gotten them for me.
Next I turn on the phone. The lock screen is a photo of me sleeping in this bed, which means he just took the picture last night. I unlock the phone. The background screen is a picture of him and me. I don’t immediately recognize where we are, and then remember the restaurant where I first met Nigel and Scarlett. The night Zane gave me the pearls and the clit ring.
My heart lurches.
I don’t understand what’s happened. Why would he leave? Or is this some kind of test? Maybe he wants to see what I’ll do.
“Fucking Zane.”
I grab the envelope with my name on it and rip it open. The words are written in blue ink, and the same manly handwriting as my name on the front of the envelope. I quickly turn to the last page. It’s signed: Zane.
I swallow, for some reason terrified to read the words he’s written to me. I pick up the keys. There’s a Mercedes emblem on a rectangular black thing. Then I pick up a paper. It’s an official document. I read it over and realize it’s the deed to a car. My name is listed as the owner.
“What the hell?”
I pick back up the letter. My heart is pounding so hard and fast I can’t hear anything but the thump-thump of my heart. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, open my eyes, and read:
Cadence,
I’m sure you’re probably asking what the fuck is going on?
I nod. “Ya got that right, motherfucker. What is going on?”
I’m really sorry to leave you in such a rush. Trust me, it wasn’t planned. But something’s come up. Something I can’t avoid. If there was any way to get around it, to stay with you, I would. Just know, I’ve done what I think is best.
In this envelope is everything I promised you and a little more.
“What?” I whisper, my heart speeding up even more.
You’ll find a cashier’s check for a million dollars. I think that’ll be more than enough for college, if you decide to go.
“A million dollars?” Shocked, I fumble through the important documents until I locate the check, made out to me. “Holy fuck.” I flip back to the letter.
There’s also paperwork that says my production company is now yours. Yes, you read that right. It’s yours. Do with it wha
t you want. Finish the movie with John Cruze, or sell the fucking thing. Whatever you decide is fine.
You’ll also find the deed to a car, and the deed to this house. They’re now yours. I hope you’ll keep them. Enjoy them, especially our secret paradise. If you want to sell though, you’re more than welcome to. Like I said, they’re yours.
The phone is in your name. Paid in full for a year.
And the final bit of information: Your brother, Travis.
“Travis,” I whisper, overwhelmed.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news… The truth is I found him. He was strung out on heroin, living on the streets. I took him to a detox facility where he seemed to be doing well. But on the fourth day something went wrong. The doctors say it was his heart. Even with all the medicines they gave him to help him get off of heroin, his body couldn’t take it. They said he had a heart attack.
He died at two thirty six this morning. I’m so, so sorry. It pains me beyond what you can imagine to write these words. I swear I wanted to get him better. I wanted to reunite the two of you.
I may be the last person on the planet you care about right now, but please know I truly cared about you. And even though I made threats, it was only because your decisions hurt me. More than I would like to admit. But it’s true.
Not that it matters anymore.
What does matter is that you bury your brother, pay your respects. The funeral arrangements have been handled. You’ll find the paperwork. Call Kendall Mortuary and ask for Glen. He’s expecting your call.
Also, I hate to mention this, but I have a feeling the LAPD will show up at the house some time today. Show them everything. Tell them everything—that you were my personal assistant, that we were lovers. It might be uncomfortable, but the more honest you are, the sooner they’ll realize you don’t know anything. And it’s better that way.
Finally, I hope that despite everything or, better yet, in spite of me, you’ll find the happiness you’re seeking. I’ve never met a person who deserves it more than you.
