by Tia Siren
“You coming in for a bath?” Bastian called out from the bathroom. “It’s nearly done in here.”
“Be there in a minute,” I managed to say in an even voice.
My phone vibrated. One more day. That’s all you have.
Twenty-four hours was all I had left to figure out what I wanted to do. I erased the message quickly before placing my phone back in my purse. For now, though, I had a few hours to just enjoy Bastian’s company after missing him desperately for the past few days.
Steam rushed out when I opened the bathroom door. After quickly closing it behind me, I found Bastian standing next to the tub shirtless and shoeless. I let my gaze settle on the strong muscles of his back while he leaned over the edge of the tub to twist the faucet off. He turned to face me then with an arched eyebrow.
“What were you doing out there?” he asked.
I gladly slid out of my shoes at the sight of a hot bubble bath once the steam cleared out a bit. Soaking in hot water sounded sinfully good at that moment. It was also clear that Bastian had every intention of doing the same thing when he reached for the button on his pants to loosen the band around his waist.
“Nothing,” I said quickly. I didn’t want to talk about Sid anymore. Not for the next few hours at least. “I’m just ready to get in the bath is all.”
Bastian extended a hand to the tub as he watched me with darkened eyes that promised more than just a bath.
“You first,” he said huskily.
I started to strip free of my clothes with Bastian’s eyes watching me intently. Unlike the first night when I had stripped for him tipsily, I felt confident in my movements this time. It felt much more natural and erotic than the first time I had tried to seduce Bastian into being intimate with me. The desire to have him touch me certainly hadn’t changed however.
He held out a hand to help me climb into the hot water that smelled of vanilla bean. The bubbly water immediately soothed my aching muscles when I slipped in with a relieved sigh. I rested my head against the edge of the tub with my eyes closed.
The sound of Bastian’s pants hitting the floor filled the bathroom. The water rippled a moment later as he slipped in with an equally relieved groan.
“It feels so good to be here right now,” I murmured, letting my legs float out in front of me. The tub was big enough for us both to stretch out fully if we wanted.
“No kidding.”
Bastian’s fingers gripped my ankles as he tugged me in his direction. I let the water and bubbles trail through my fingers lazily before Bastian coaxed my legs to wrap around his trim waist. He helped me straighten up water trailing down my back from my now drenched hair. I nestled against him comfortably while we both floated in the bathtub that felt more like a private swimming pool.
“I really did miss you,” Bastian said quietly. “Don’t ever run out like that on me again.”
I rested my forehead against his with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I just thought it would be easier to leave to avoid both of us getting hurt.”
“I’m not a fan of getting hurt, either,” he said. “Both of us have to realize that at some point we will hurt each other. Not on purpose, of course.”
“Does that mean you have plans of sticking with me for a while then?”
“Absolutely, my darling.” His arms tightened around my waist. “I have no intention of ever letting you go.”
It was a funny thing. I recalled Sid saying the same thing to me months ago and how it had struck fear in me. Hearing it come from Bastian’s lips evoked an entirely different emotion. It made my heart skip with love because I didn’t want to let him go. I didn’t want him to let me go either.
“I love you,” I said.
Bastian’s eyes fastened onto mine and searched my expression for something. I let every emotion I felt display itself to him. No more lying or guarding myself. I wanted him to see that I was taking a risk by letting my guard down to let him in.
“I love you, too,” he said. “I’m sorry for everything I did. I should’ve told you what was going on.”
I smiled up at him while I adjusted my arms around his strong shoulders. “I know you were trying to protect me now. It doesn’t matter. Let’s just be honest about what is coming around the corner, okay?”
“That’s fine with me,” Bastian replied, smoothing a hand along my spine with a smile. “I’m just glad that you came back with me tonight.”
“It really was no-brainer to come with you. I didn’t want to go home in the first place because I had a feeling that Sid had managed to convince my mother you were the bad guy, not him.”
Bastian chuckled humorlessly. “I guess that means meeting your parents is out of the question then, huh?”
“I think once I go forward with talking to someone, they’ll see that I’m serious about what I told them. Right now she thinks that Sid is trying to protect me from you.”
“What a sick, fucked-up game he’s playing,” Bastian spat out. “I swear, there needs to be a warning sticker on that prick’s head about being a narcissist and sociopath. It should warn others that he’ll automatically manipulate them into believing his version of the story.”
“You’re right,” I said and pressed a kiss against his wet forehead. “Don’t worry about all of it right now. Let’s just forget about it for a little bit at least.”
He sucked in a deep breath to calm the anger that was steadily rising inside him. We sat there together for a long time with my legs and arms wrapped around him. Our lips occasionally brushed against one another’s in feather-light kisses before they molted into something fiery. It was a slow burn of passion that built between the two of us while our hands swept down to brush each other intimately.
The feeling of Bastian’s fingers sweeping along to cup my breasts tenderly, followed by cupping me gently between my legs, nearly drove me over the edge right there and then. I needed this man more than ever. The realization flashed through my mind as I pulled back to look down at Bastian. He opened his eyes in confusion.
I loved him. It wasn’t that girlish type of love I had once thought I’d felt for Sid. This was the real type of love that you read about in books and saw in movies. It was passionate, intense, and it burned every inch of me. I couldn’t push him away even if I tried to, even if I knew it would spare him his life, his business, his livelihood.
“Don’t think about it,” Bastian whispered, reading my thoughts with precision. “I’d give it up in a heartbeat to be with you. Don’t you even worry about any of that.”
I nodded, and my eyes hooded when he leaned up to kiss me again. Bastian’s kisses grew deeper and more dominating by the minute as he cradled me firmly against his rock-hard erection that pushed up against my belly. He lifted me up to sheath himself inside me with a sigh while gently rocking my hips the way he knew would feel good to both of us.
I clutched his shoulders uncertainly. Being on top had never been an option before, and I could see why. It gave me the power to control the pleasure and pace. Bastian leaned back against the side of the tub while he let me have control. He was willing to give up a bit of power to let me be in charge of our lovemaking. My heart soared at that while I rolled my hips up and down and pleasure rippled through me.
I kept it slow and steady with Bastian’s fingers digging into my hips. Higher and higher grew the sensation between the two of us. Reaching beneath the water, Bastian rubbed at me in gentle circles until my peak shot up through my spine. I tipped over the edge with a cry while Bastian’s fingers gripped my hips with more force. He thrust up into me with a grunt. Water spilled over the edge of the bath while shudders went through me. I could barely hang on while Bastian continued to thrust up into me out of desperation for his own release. He sank back against the edge of the tub when he finally reached that pinnacle of pleasure.
Exhaustion tugged at me as I slipped back into the now lukewarm water. Wordlessly, Bastian rose from the tub to drain it. He dried himself off quickly before extending a to
wel to me. I climbed out of the tub weakly, and he rubbed me dry before guiding me in the direction of the bedroom.
I curled up underneath the sheets and blankets with a sleepy yawn. Bastian climbed into the bed alongside me to wrap an arm around my waist. I was on the cusp of falling asleep when I heard the distinct sound of my phone vibrating in the living room. I held my breath anxiously, but Bastian didn’t utter a word. He was already fast asleep next to me in the bed.
There was no doubt in my mind who was calling me. I trusted Bastian, though, when he said that his driver would look out for my mom. Nothing bad would happen to her. I fell asleep, snuggled up in the protective circle of Bastian’s arms.
Chapter 33
Bastian
It took all my strength the next morning to rise at the time my alarm clock went off on my phone to get in the shower. I was tempted to stay snuggled in bed alongside Joanna as she slept peacefully next to me, but I forced myself to climb out of bed as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her.
I settled in the warm shower while I mentally went over what needed to happen today. I needed to get ahold of Shelly right away to let her know that Joanna had indicated to me that my legal problems were undoubtedly caused by Sid. I needed to find out who Joanna could talk to about pressing charges against Sid, and how I could get this jackass stripped of his authority as a cop along with that gun he pointed at everyone. I had a feeling that the only reason Sid waved that gun around anymore was because he lacked the equipment to make himself feel better as a man. That much I suspected from how Joanna responded to our lovemaking every single time.
Drying off quickly, I dressed in the living room while I listened to Joanna’s phone vibrate like crazy in her purse. I reached for it but then pulled my hand away before I could take it out. I didn’t want to become Sid by monitoring Joanna’s every call and movement. I trusted her to do the right thing. I trusted her to keep herself safe now that she was here until I could figure something out with Shelly.
It was close to 7:50 a.m. when I called Shelly to arrange a meeting at my office in thirty minutes.
“I have a meeting at eight thirty with another client,” she said, exasperated. “Can you wait until then?”
“I suppose,” I said reluctantly. I didn’t like the idea of not jumpstarting an investigation into Sid’s involvement in this bullshit case against me—especially because Joanna had come back with me. It was only a matter of time before the guy found her all over again. “I’ll meet you at nine sharp in my office. It’s important.”
“How so?” she asked.
“I have Joanna here with me,” I said, and I heard Shelly sigh into the phone. “She told me that Sid has been threatening her to come back to him. If she goes back to him, then he’ll make all these legal problems go away.”
“While I see your point that he’s admitting to guilt, none of that will work without Joanna’s word to back it up. This will appear to be a love triangle, two men fighting over a woman. I’m just saying, Bastian. I told you it might be a good idea for you to cool it with Joanna until I can come talk to you.”
“It’s not going to happen,” I said flatly. “He’s threatening to kill her and to hurt her mother. I am not going to let that happen.”
“I understand, Bastian. You have to convince Joanna to think about filing a police report. That’s all I’m saying. It would open an investigation against Sid and blow this whole thing wide open.”
I smoothed a hand over my eyes because I knew that was futile at the moment. Joanna didn’t want to file a report yet, so it was up to me. I had to do it while we had a bit of time left before Sid tried to figure out where she had gone again.
“You’re right,” I said. “I’ll see you in my office at nine.”
I hung up before returning to the bedroom where Joanna slept peacefully, curled up against the pillow I had been sleeping on. My heart constricted in my chest as I leaned over her to press a soft kiss against her cheek. She stirred sleepily underneath me before rolling over onto her back to gaze up at me with dreams still clinging to her eyes.
“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice still thick with sleep. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” I said. “I just have to get into the office to handle a few things today. You going to be okay staying here today?”
“Of course I am. Can I order room service?”
I smiled down at her teasing question. The tips of her breasts popped out from beneath the sheets and blankets. It took all my restraint to pull away before I found my mouth nibbling at that tender flesh there.
“Order away,” I said. “My credit card is on file.”
I leaned down to peck a kiss to her lips before she rolled back over to curl up. I adjusted the blankets about her shoulders.
“I’ll call a bit later,” I whispered. “Make sure to only answer the door if you know who it is.”
I stopped by the front desk to leave instructions for a security guard to remain at the door at all times before I felt confident enough to leave. After defrosting the windows, I drove back to my office, which was over thirty minutes away, and met Shelly in the parking lot right as she closed her car door.
“Talk about timing,” she said, arching an eyebrow at me. “What’s going on that you needed to see me so badly?”
I grasped Shelly by the elbow to steer her in the direction of the private elevator. I didn’t trust the unusual number of cars with tinted windows sitting in the parking garage. I waited until the doors closed before I turned to look at Shelly.
“I know Sid is behind this ridiculous harassment case,” I said. “Joanna admitted it to me herself. He’s trying to extort everyone to get what he wants.”
Shelly sighed as she shook her head at me. “As sad as it is, Bastian, I can’t do anything about this without Joanna here to talk to me about it. Is she afraid to press charges against him?”
“He’s a cop, Shelly. You think she has any faith that the police department will do anything about this?” I shook my head in disgust. “It’s only going to piss him off even more. She admitted that to me, too.”
“There are a few things that we can do then,” Shelly said. “You said that he pulled a gun on you twice, correct?”
“Correct.”
The doors slid open. I led Shelly through the office, nodding to anyone who wished me good morning. I paused at Roger’s desk to leave word for him to have Ashton get to my office as soon as possible. Once in the privacy of my office, I shut the doors behind Shelly while she made herself at home in the chair across from my desk by pulling out a few documents from her briefcase. I sat down on the edge of my chair while I powered on my computer to check through a few emails before devoting my attention to Shelly.
“This balance is only going to get harder once you do what I’m about to suggest,” she said.
“What balance?”
Shelly nodded to my computer. “Your business and dealing with this cop. It’s only going to get worse if you follow my suggestion.”
“Will it protect Joanna?”
“There’s a good chance it could,” Shelly said, but she held up a finger. “However, I can tell you that domestic violence cases can turn deadly after the partner gets turned in. Keep that in mind. You might want to consider your options out here until this possibly goes to court if Joanna decides to pursue charges.”
“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen,” I said determinedly. “Even if I have to move Joanna out of this damn state, I will make sure that bastard has no way of catching her. Who do I need to call to report all of this to?”
She held out a card for me to take. I glanced down at the name and number on it. Marcus Flannagan. Head of Internal Affairs. I dimly remembered the name from an incident years ago that had gained the media’s attention. A crooked cop had been caught picking up a prostitute while on the clock. The officer had had a list of previous problems, and it was Marcus Flannagan who had taken the cop down.
“I remember this guy,” I said. “He took down a police officer here in Salt Lake.”
“He is very good at his job,” Shelly said in agreement. “Just know that Salt Lake also has their own internal affairs division here, too, so there will be two agencies putting on the heat.”
“Even better.” A grin spread across my face. “What do they do exactly?”
“They will take down reports, look at past behavior, talk to a few partners.” Shelly leveled a pointed glance at me. “This is where Joanna’s testimony would be beneficial. If she reports the incident, they look at that, too. He’s breaking the law in so many ways by doing what he’s doing.”
“Like a false sexual harassment suit?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “This said victim is stalling on their end, so I sense it has something to do with what Sid is waiting for.”
I knew without a doubt what Sid was waiting for. An answer. He wanted an answer from Joanna.
“Thank you, Shelly,” I said, setting the card down on my desk. “I’m going to call after this meeting I have. Keep me updated if you see any movement on their end.”
Shelly gathered her briefcase from the floor. “Keep me posted as well.”
I sat back in my seat with a relieved sigh. Internal Affairs. I had completely forgotten that they would be the ones investigating the situation with Sid. There was plenty of evidence on my side of things to have his gun and badge stripped. That would be it, though. I needed to find a way to convince Joanna to come forward if she was to be promised safety.
The doors to my office opened ten minutes before my next conference meeting with a few potential companies here in Salt Lake that needed funding. Ashton stepped in after closing the doors behind himself.
“How is Joanna?” he asked. “I’ve heard the heat has been growing around the office.”
I shook my head at that. “It’s going to be doused with ice-cold water. I’m taking this to Internal Affairs, whether Joanna is okay with it or not.”
“You’re going for the badge and gun, huh?” Ashton rubbed at his jaw with a worried look. “I’m all for you trying to protect Joanna, but you know this corrupt cop isn’t going to go down without a fight. Right?”
