by Leigh James
“Hello, James,” she said. “Audrey.”
Audrey nodded at her and looked away, and I settled in for what was going to be an excruciatingly long multiple-course dinner.
* * *
“Have another drink,” I said to Audrey in a low voice, just before dessert was served. “You’re about to need it.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, motioning to the waiter. My parents had been civil during dinner, but little else. My mother had asked me to no avail about several business ventures. After finally giving up, she’d turned to my father to discuss their various upcoming social obligations.
After Audrey got her drink and we finished dessert, I stood abruptly. “Mother, we need to speak with you,” I said. “Follow me.” Both Audrey and my mother obediently followed me out to the almost empty lobby, where we grabbed a table near the fireplace.
“What’s this about?” Celia asked. She gave Audrey a quick look.
“James can speak for himself,” Audrey mumbled, still not looking at my mother. She’d barely said a word all through dinner, and now she looked tense and small against the enormous chair she was seated in.
I knocked back the rest of my bourbon and sat forward in my seat. “I wanted you to know something, Mother. Audrey told me last night about the conversation she’d had with you—about her brother and the fact that you called her mom. I want you to know that I’ll be handling those issues going forward.”
What looked like lasers shot out of Celia’s eyes at Audrey. “I thought I told you to keep that between us, dear. I’d love to say I’m surprised, but…” She turned back to me. “I want you to know I was trying to protect you. From this girl and her lies. What else do you have to say, James?”
I gripped my glass so hard I was surprised it didn’t shatter in my hand. “Audrey also told me about her… suspicions. About the death of Danielle, my high school girlfriend.”
My mother watched my face. As always, hers gave nothing away. “Audrey told me the same thing. She said she believed I was involved somehow.”
“That’s what she’s claiming.” I saw Audrey look at me briefly, confused. My head was pounding. “You know I have some serious issues with you, Mother. But I don’t believe you’re capable of something that horrific. And I don’t believe it. So I want you to know, Audrey and I are heading home tonight. And this will be the last time we see each other. I will take care of her and her family. I’ll make sure that nothing about our relationship or her accusations about Danielle’s death ever come out.”
I took a deep breath. “Because although I believed she had feelings for me, I know now the truth: that she’s a grifting, blackmailing whore. Just like her mother.”
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, dear,” my mother said, looking triumphant. “I’ve tried to tell you that a thousand times.”
* * *
Audrey didn’t say a word to me on the way back to the room. I didn’t say anything, either. We could be followed or overheard, and I wasn’t going to risk it.
Her face was still pale when we went back inside, her mouth set in a grim line. “I’m calling the valet to come and get us,” I said. “Pack your things. Pack mine, too, if you can stand to.”
She looked up at me, and I could see the wounded look on her face.
“Audrey,” I started. “Let’s wait to talk it through—let’s get out of here while that performance is still fresh in my mother’s mind. But you know.”
“Know what?” she asked, slamming though the house and grabbing our stuff.
“That I love you. And that I’m sorry about the ugly things I just said.” I went and wrapped my arms around her, pressing the full length of my body against hers. She wriggled against me, as if she were trying to get away. I leaned down and looked at her. “My mother isn’t easily fooled, Audrey. I had to make that seem real. She has to believe that we’re through and that you aren’t a threat to her. So even though I hurt you, I did it to keep you safe. That’s the only thing that matters to me.”
She looked up at me. “Tell me you didn’t mean it. Not a word.”
“I didn’t mean a word of it.” I smoothed the hair back from her forehead and kissed her gently. “You know I didn’t.”
“It still hurt. It made me feel sick to hear it,” she said.
“It made me feel sick to say it.”
I released her, and she took a step back from me.
“I had to do that, Audrey. I had to take control of the situation. My mother’s been running things for too long. We’re going to have both my mother and yours on a short leash after this. And we’re the walkers, babe. They’re the dogs.”
“I hope they don’t turn around and bite us,” Audrey said. “Those are some big fangs.”
* * *
I didn’t hold her hand until the plane had taken off. I didn’t want anyone to see us. Audrey was quiet, pretending to listen carefully while the flight attendant went through the safety presentation, inspecting her nails afterward and generally ignoring me.
“Can you please forgive me?” I asked. “I didn’t think we’d get out of there, intact, any other way.”
“I can forgive you. I already did,” she said under her breath. “But if you ever compare me to my mother again, you can say goodbye to this.” She motioned to her lower body.
“No,” I said. “I am not ever saying goodbye to that.”
She smiled at me a little, and I could tell it was reluctant. “You were just so mean,” she said.
“I know. It was ugly.”
“Do you think she believed it?” Audrey asked.
“I think so. I think my mother believes that the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. She thinks that underneath it all, I’m just like her. Ruthless. Only interested in myself. And she’s right,” I said, throwing my arm around her. “Except that she hadn’t counted on you. Now I’m ruthless, and I’m only interested in you. And I don’t think my mother believes I’m capable of that.”
“Of having a relationship?” Audrey asked.
“Of loving someone more than I love myself,” I said. “Even though she’s a parent, I don’t think she knows what that means.”
“Your mother and my mother deserve each other,” Audrey said. “They should be prison roommates.”
“I might work on arranging that,” I said.
* * *
I’d never been so relieved to be back in Boston. Audrey must have felt it, too; she relaxed next to me as soon as we landed. Kai was waiting for us at Logan. He smiled at me and, as per my previous instructions, averted his eyes from Audrey.
“Kai, it’s good to see you,” I said as we slid into the back of the SUV.
“You too, sir, ma’am. Did you enjoy your trip?”
“We did. We mixed business and pleasure. It was productive,” I said. “Did you miss us?”
“Of course,” Kai said. “You two are my favorite clients. Especially you, Mr. Preston. No offense, Miss Reynolds—but you know how he is about you.” He cracked a smile, and Audrey had a laugh at my expense.
“Ha ha. That’s nice, Kai,” I said, leaning back and pulling Audrey to me. “I’m not a favorite with a lot of people right now. It’s nice to know I’m still capable of being liked. But you can let Audrey be your favorite—you can even smile at her from now on. Everyone likes her better than me, anyway. For good reason.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“You’re not a total prick,” I said and grinned at her.
Audrey
“I still like you,” I whispered to James. “Barely.”
“Gee, thanks,” he said, kissing me on top of my head. “Do you need to go to your apartment? To get anything?”
“I’m going to have to. And I need to go to New Horizons, and also call Elena. There’s a lot I need to take care of. But I think I’d like some coffee first.” I blew out a shaky breath. “I have to go see my mother, too. To make sure she understands the financial incentive/blackmail package we’re
offering her.”
“It’s a day of reckoning,” James said, looking at his watch. “My parents are flying back tomorrow afternoon. Everything needs to be in place before that.”
I looked at him, still not completely understanding what he had planned. “What do we need to do?”
“I’ll call Danielle’s parents, to see what they’ve done in terms of contacting the police. I’ll probably have to follow up and give the detectives a statement. They’ll want to speak with you, too. You’ll have to tell them how my mother threatened you and exactly what she said with respect to Danielle. And then we’ll go from there. I need to speak with my brother, to tell him what’s happening. This is going to be very hard for him. And I have no idea if my father was involved or not.”
James ran his hand over his face. He suddenly looked tired. “I don’t know if they’ll have enough to arrest either of them. They need probable cause—I don’t know if the information we’re going to give them will amount to that.”
My head was spinning. “What if it doesn’t?” I asked. “What if it does?”
“I don’t know,” James said. “But we’ll be prepared either way.”
“You’re methodical. And smart,” I said. “I’m just pointing that out to you.”
He laced his fingers through mine. “That’s what you’re here for, babe.”
* * *
When we headed into the lobby of The Stratum, it felt as if we were coming home. I was so comfortable with James now, it was the opposite of the first time he’d brought me here. The attendants greeted us warmly, their faces open and familiar. When we got into the elevator, I started to laugh.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m just remembering the first time I was in here with you,” I said. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you—and your big hands.” James lifted his hands up and examined them, as if for the first time. “And I kept wondering what you had going on underneath your suit.”
“Well, you ought to know,” he said. He leaned down and kissed me. “You’re the expert in that department now.”
“I was so annoyed that I was attracted to you,” I said. “I thought it was inconvenient. Especially since you said you didn’t want to sleep with me.”
“Oh, I wanted to sleep with you,” he said and tucked my hair behind my ear. “As soon as I saw you, I wanted you.”
“It sort of took you a long time,” I said, pretending to pout.
“I’m pretty sure we’ve made up for lost time,” James said, his eyes darkening as he looked at me. I leaned up and kissed him, slowly, our tongues connecting. Heat shot through me, and I threw my arms around his neck.
“I’m ready for more now, though,” he said. “You didn’t come near me last night.” Now it was his turn to pretend pout.
“That’s because you said I was a grifting whore. Just like my mother. That’s not exactly my idea of foreplay,” I said.
“How about this instead,” he said. As the door opened, he grabbed my ass and hoisted me up on him; I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he carried me toward the door, kissing me deeply.
I could feel him against me, hot and hard, and it caused a familiar ache all through me. He punched in the code without looking.
I wanted him, but the hurt I’d felt last night bubbled up in me, mixed with the hot, heavy desire I was feeling. “Tell me you love me,” I said.
“I love you. You know I do,” he said, carrying me into the bedroom. He laid me carefully on the bed, then he looked around and smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy to be here before. I don’t even hate Boston anymore. What have you done to me, Audrey?”
“Taught you how to relax and eat onion rings in bed. Went to Fenway Park with you and drank beer. Oh—and I popped your swan-boat cherry,” I said and shrugged. “All the important things.”
He knelt on the floor before me and kissed me, gently at first. Then the kiss deepened, and I felt myself open up to him. I hadn’t realized it, but I’d been balled up inside myself, like a fist, after what he’d said last night. But now I clung to him, forgiving him, trusting him.
He pulled back from me for a second. “Tell me you’re mine,” he said. “Say it.”
“I’m yours,” I said. “I love you so much.”
“I want to see you naked with that tan,” he said, stripping my clothes off roughly. “It’s been too long.”
“It’s only been a day,” I said, laughing, but I felt it, too. The need. “James—I was hurt last night. It was stupid, because I understood what you were doing. But still.”
He’d already managed to take my clothes off, and I looked up at him, as naked and vulnerable as I could be. “It’s hard for me not to believe… the bad things about myself.”
“But you shouldn’t believe them,” he said, his eyes burning into mine. “You’re the best person I know, Audrey.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. I didn’t want to cry and ruin our sexy moment—I was aching to have him inside me. “I trust you, James. It’s real. And I… I trust you with all of me.” I ran my hand down my naked body as his eyes raked over me, making me flush with heat. As he watched, I started playing with my breasts, making my nipples hard and elongated. I opened my legs a little, offering myself to him.
“My turn,” James said and grabbed my hands, holding them above my head. He put his mouth on me, licking and sucking my breasts hungrily. He ran his hands down my body. He quickly found my clitoris and circled it slowly with his powerful fingers, making me moan as he got me wet.
“I want to bury myself in you,” he said, as I moved beneath his hand. “After I make you come first.” He continued to circle my clit, and I rocked against him, getting slick with wetness. I could already feel a tremendous orgasm building inside me. He bit at my nipples, and I cried out, arching my back. He increased the pressure on my sex as I writhed beneath him.
I was fighting my orgasm. I preferred to come when he was inside me, when we were totally connected. Like this, I was completely at his mercy. He was in charge of my body right now, and my body was out of control.
“I can’t,” I said. “I don’t want to… I need you inside me, babe.”
He stopped touching me and watched my face. “Do you trust me?” he asked. I nodded at him. “Then let me be in charge. I want to explore your sweet, tight body,” he said. He got on his knees and put his lips on me, and his tongue circled my swollen sex. He was in control, and I had to ride the waves of pleasure that were crashing through my body. I had no choice.
He pulled back for a second. “When I’m ready, I’m going to fuck you. Deep and hard.” He took my clitoris in between his teeth and bit it gently, and then continued to suck and nip at me. I threw my head back and cried out. He continued to lick me, and suck me, and play with my body until I shattered beneath him, an orgasm ripping through me. Completely out of control, I screamed his name as my body spasmed.
“James,” I panted as it started to subside.
“Are you ready for me now, baby?” he asked. He stood up and put his long, hard cock against me, rubbing it against my slit as I was still shaking from my orgasm.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Please.” I was desperate to feel him inside me. He didn’t make me wait; he was so hard he was about to burst. He stood at the side of the bed and entered me like that, almost immediately, all the way to his hilt. I moaned as he filled me, and I looked up at his glorious, tanned, and muscled body. His cock was enormous and hard inside me, and my body fit around his tightly, as if I’d been built for him.
He thrust into me once, twice, deep and sharp. I ran my hands down his muscled lower torso as pleasure ripped through me. He was in deep, like he promised, and it felt so good. I felt complete.
I wrapped my fingers around the base of his shaft as he continued to drive into me. I let my hand stroke his base with each thrust, wanting to increase his sensation and his pleasure. It worked. He threw his head back and was riding me hard, his hands gri
pping my hips. “Holy fuck, Audrey.”
He was in deeper than I’d ever felt him. I felt the familiar pleasure build inside of me, and I started to come, all of my senses overtaken by him. He buried himself into me, over and over, fucking me through my orgasm and finding his release. His powerful arms wrapped around me as our orgasms shook the bed.
Afterward, he collapsed next to me. “Damn,” he said and pulled me against him. I nestled there happily, feeling content and completely connected to him. I was waiting for him to say something more—then I watched as he promptly fell asleep with a smile on his face.
“I love you,” I whispered.
He opened one eye and looked at me, that happy smile still on his face. “I love you too, babe.”
* * *
I woke up a few hours later with sun streaming through the windows. James was up, wearing his Wharton T-shirt and some sweats. He was pacing around the room.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “I got you your coffee.” He motioned toward the nightstand.
“Thanks,” I said. I sat up and took a sip, eyeing him warily. “You’re pacing for a reason, James. I’d like to know what that is.”
“We’re back home from the trip. Our two weeks are up. You’ve fulfilled your contract.” He ran his hands through his hair.
My heart clenched, and I put the coffee down before I spilled it. “Is this the part where you fire me? Again?”
“Not if it’s the part where you quit. Again.” We just looked at each other for a beat. “No, Audrey—we’ve reached the end of our mutual agreement, is what I’m saying. There’s nothing but free will going on here.”
“Okay,” I said, a nervous pit forming in my stomach. “When you asked me to move to California with you… that was free will, right? So has something changed?” I asked nervously.
