Amelia Storm opened the door to the large house and walked down the stairs, smiling. Jess, her heart hammering frantically, smoothed her dress down and smiled tentatively, looking to Theo to make the introduction. She needn’t have worried.
‘Jessica, dear, it’s wonderful to meet you at last.’ The older woman, stately and graceful, her gray hair swept up into a chignon, kissed Jess’s cheek and slid a friendly arm around her shoulders. ‘I told Theodore that he’s very bad, keeping you a secret all this time.’ She mock-scowled at her son, who grinned good-naturedly and rounded the car to hug her.
‘Don’t scare Jess off right away, mom. At least feed us first.’
Amelia looked at Jess and Jess saw she had the same wicked gleam in her eyes as her son. ‘Always thinking with his stomach. What about you, Jess? Shall I scare you first or are you hungry?’ Her smile was the same as Theo’s too and Jess relaxed, grinning back at her.
‘It’s a tough choice but…’
Amelia laughed. ‘Come on in then, both of you. Theo, leave the bags until we’ve had a drink.’
Theo dutifully followed the women into the house. ‘Where are the demon spawn?’
‘Down at the beach. I told them a pod of orcas was spotted in the bay.’
Jess grinned excitedly but Theo squinted at his mother suspiciously. ‘Were there?’
Amelia grinned wickedly. ‘Nope, the suckers. But it’s a good way to get rid of them for an hour.’
Jess and Theo laughed. Amelia, smirking, went to the refrigerator and pulled out a jug, waving it at them.
‘Iced tea?’
Theo leaned over to Jess, with a stage whisper of ‘Don’t trust it.’ He straightened up and fixed his mother with a stare. ‘Iced tea…? Regular or Long Island.’
His mom made a face at him. ‘It might have a couple of shots in it. Let’s take it out to the deck, shall we?’
An hour and a half later, Jess knew two things. One: she was very, very drunk and two: she had fallen madly in love with Theo’s mom.
‘I’m thinking of leaving you for your mom,’ she told a grinning Theo, who was clearly enjoying her drunken state.
‘Quite right too,’ Amelia toasted her with an empty glass. ‘I was thinking of experimenting with my sexuality and you, Jessie, are a very beautiful girl. What say we cuckold Theo here?’
Jess clanked her glass clumsily against Amelia’s. ‘Ho’s before bro’s.’
Theo chuckled, shaking his head. ‘The state of you both…’ Amelia smiled and raised her glass to him.
‘Yep, but at least, Jess isn’t scared anymore.’
Jess looked between the two of them. ‘Oh, so this was a scheme?’
Amelia nodded while Theo tried to look innocent. Jess mumbled to herself and giggled.
‘Dude!’ Two lanky and impossibly handsome boys appeared from nowhere and threw themselves onto Theo, who wrestled them to the ground easily enough but soon lost out to the puppy-dog strength of his brothers. Jess watched them, grinning while Amelia rolled her eyes.
WWF-session over, Theo extracted himself from the melee and the boys, who Jess could not tell apart, stood and smiled at her. Theo beamed as he introduced them and they stuck out their hands to shake hers.
‘I’m Seb,’ said one of them, ‘you can tell us apart by this mole just under my eye, see?’ He stuck his face close to hers and when she leaned in to look, planted a kiss full on her mouth. She burst out laughing as did Amelia, Theo pretended to be enraged and Seb and Tom high-fived each other.
Tom nodded at the now empty jug of alcohol. ‘You getting drunk again, mother?’
Amelia peered at him over her spectacles. ‘I gave you life, child, I can just as easily beat you senseless.’
The twins started to tease their mother and Jess sat back. This, this was a family, the teasing, the joking around, the lack of judgment, the absence of malice…suddenly she felt tears swept over her vision and realized she felt more at home with these three strangers than she ever had at home once her mother had married Eric. She could feel Theo watching and when his hand covered hers and squeezed it gently, she knew he understood. He bent his head towards hers, his lips at her ear.
‘Are you okay?’
Jess nodded, leaning her forehead against his. ‘You know what? I really think I am now. Truly.’
And in that moment, she felt like everything would be okay.
Amelia had cooked a wonderful roast chicken and over dinner she and Theo talked about the house, getting Jess even more excited about seeing it. Later that evening, she and Theo undressed slowly in his old room and made love slowly, quietly and tenderly. Laying wrapped in his arms, Jess was nearly asleep when she heard him whisper. ‘Mom really loves you, y’know.’
Jess turned her face up to his. ‘And I love her too. I love your brothers, your home, everything about this family. I love you most of all. Thank you for showing me what happiness is.’
She could tell from his expression that her words had gotten to him and it was a moment before he could speak again and when he did, his voice was thick with emotion.
‘I want to marry you, Jessica Wood. Soon. Very soon. I need to be your husband, yours and yours alone.’
Tears fell down her cheek and she smiled through them. ‘I’ll marry you as soon as we can make it happen.’
He kissed her. ‘Mom wants me to announce it to the press and tell all those assholes to go to hell. They want the real story, it’s there on your finger. It’s in that big brain of yours, that heart which holds so much love for everyone.’
It was Jess’s turn to be speechless and she kissed him fiercely. ‘You and me, forever.’
‘Forever,’ he agreed and pulled her into his arms.
Theo dug through his pockets to find the key and opened the door. Jess hopped from foot to foot beside him, like an excited puppy. As they had driven up to the house, she had gasped and covered her mouth. ‘God, it’s perfect.’
The lodge was painted a light blue with a porch surrounding the ground floor. Huge picture windows, thick wood walls surrounded by trees. Jess ‘s eyes were shining as Theo parked the car and she hopped out, running to the edge of the house to look down to the beach. Her eyes were shining as she grinned back at him and he knew she was already won over. A picture came into his mind; Jess, her belly rounded and ripe with pregnancy, holding the hand of a beautiful child with dark curls and her mother’s eyes walking along the sandy path to the beach, laughing and singing. The vision made his heart swell with love.
Now, as he led her into the house, she clutched his hand, trying not to get too overexcited. The lodge was big but homely, the living room cost with large fireplace, the kitchen big enough to fit couches as well as tables, a hub for the family. They moved from room to room and began to talk about their future in each room, how they’d redecorate, which rooms would be reserved for the guests, which for their children.
Theo led her into a large room at the back of the property, its large arched windows overlooking the blue waters of Puget Sound.
‘This is our room,’ Theo said and smiled as her face shone with pleasure.
‘It is perfect,’ she murmured and slid her arms around his waist. Theo kissed her.
‘So, I take it…’
‘Theo, it’s more than I could ever have hoped for. Yes, yes please,’ Jess laughed as he picked her up and swung her around. ‘Is anyone living here at the moment?’
Theo shook his head. ‘I have a confession. The last tenants moved out a couple of months ago and I’ve been fending off new inquiries ever since I met you because I just had this feeling. This is our place. Yours, mine, our children.’
‘Stan and Monty’s too,’ she reminded him, ‘Can’t forget our furry kids.’
Theo kissed her then, slowly, his tongue massaging hers. As they kissed, he drew her towards the king-sized bed and pulled her down on top of him. There were no sheets or pillows but they didn’t even notice, tearing at the other’s clothes. Theo’s cock was pulsing, r
igid with the need to be inside of her and he tugged her ankles over his shoulders. Jess grinned up at him, a sheen of sweat already sticking her hair to her forehead.
‘Nail me to the bed, soldier,’ she told him and cried out as he drove his cock so hard, so deep into her that the bed moved with the force of it.
‘I’m going fuck you so hard, so long, beautiful,’ Theo held her hands above head as he thrust, ’I’m going to fuck you for the rest of my life.’
Their lovemaking was almost savage, brutal, not caring if they hurt or were hurt by the other. The quiet of the big house was broken by their cries, their love, their laughter.
Shattered and sated, they lay together, their naked bodies tangled up, in a pool of sunlight that drenched the afternoon. Jess pressed her lips to his jaw. ‘Theo?’
He looked down at her lovely face and smiled. ‘Yes?’
‘I don’t want to leave here. Not ever again.’
They moved in the next week, hiring movers to take their stuff over to the island as soon as possible while Theo and Jess worked out the logistics of living and working between the island and the city. They decided that Jess should work from the lodge three days a week so she could look after the dogs and Theo would do the rest of the week – or more if he could get away with it. Jess grinned at that, as they were packing the last of their belongings at Theo’s apartment.
‘Afternoon delights don’t make for good work practice,’ she said, pretending to disapprove. Theo shrugged, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
‘I disagree. How else will I build my porn empire?’
Jess laughed and took his hand, pressing it against her warm sex. ‘Start building, Hef…’
The pizza they’d forgotten they’d ordered arrived ten minutes later and Jess shrieked with laughter as Theo, sporting a newspaper and only a newspaper, answered the door to a bemused and embarrassed delivery man.
Finally, surrounded by boxes, Theo locked the door to the lodge and, grabbing a bottle of champagne, went to join Jess in the living room. She was curled up on the couches and as he sat, she moved to tuck herself into his arms. He handed her a flute of champagne.
‘To our new home.’
She clinked her glass, took a sip and then kissed him. ‘To us.’
Theo smiled. ‘To us, baby. I love you.’
The engagement is announced between Miss Jessica Eleanor Wood of King County, Seattle, Washington, and Mr. Theodore Flynn Storm, also of King County, Seattle, Washington. The marriage is expected to take place within the next month and will be a private occasion.
Jules read the announcement. He’d never felt such anger. Rage. Rage.
Theo pressed his temples, trying to ease a headache that was building. The meeting had gone on too late and now he was desperate to get out of there. He glanced at Max who shrugged apologetically and mouthed ‘Sorry, boss.’
The investor was too important to the company to blow off so Theo smiled at him. ‘I’m so sorry, do you mind if I make a quick call?’
Alone in his office, he called Jess and the tension eased the second he heard her voice. He apologized for being so late.
‘I’m going to take the ‘copter out the island as soon as I can,’ he promised.
‘I’ll wait up for you and make it worth your while.’ He loved the soft tone in her voice. How had he ever existed without this woman?
‘I hate leaving you alone at night.’
Jess made a noise. ‘I’m not living on tenterhooks anymore, Theo. Besides, I have the dogs.’
‘And the gun.’
‘And that.’
Theo sighed. ‘Okay, well, I’ll be home soon.’
He returned to his meeting and with a jolt of annoyance found himself soon dragged back into the dull conversation. At the back of his mind, there was a constant chant, a constant pleading.
Just keep her safe until I get there. Just let her safe, please. Please.
At home, Jess let Stan and Monty outside to pee. The land behind the house, woodland lit by Theo’s floodlights, was an eerie green in the artificial light but she knew, just before midnight, the lights would snap off and the house, the wood, everything would descend into an inky black. Inside, she flitted around tidying, keeping busy, trying not to think about being alone this late. She loved being here, and to her surprise, loved doing the ordinary things a homemaker would do. The sisterhood will have my head, she grinned to herself. In the kitchen, she heard the dryer click off. Folding the clothes, she hugged the warm stack to her as she went upstairs. She put the clothes away and moved over to close the drapes.
She jerked back from the window in shock. A figure, silhouetted against the floodlights, was standing at the edge of the woods, watching the house. Jess edged to the window to see if she had been imagining it. No. There was someone there but she couldn’t see his – or her - features. As she gazed down, the person lifted their hand and gave a languid wave. Jolted, she went downstairs. She grabbed her phone and went to the front door, peering out, her heart thudding. The dogs started barking and she ran to get the gun Theo had made her practice with before he would leave her alone. Angry now as well as scared, she opened the back door and the dogs skittered in, their tails wagging. That made her feel better at least. She clicked the safety off and stepped onto the porch.
There was no one there. She scanned the trees. Nothing. She blew out her breath, relieved. The fog had started to roll in from the water and it seeped around the house, hanging like gossamer across the floodlit wood. The floodlights clicked off. Midnight.
Come home, Theo, she begged silently. She went back inside and turned to close the door just as Jules stepped into her eye line, less than a foot away.
Before she had time to react, he was on her, clamping a hand over her mouth, dragging her back into the kitchen, kicking the back door shut. His arm was across her throat, pressing down, making it hard to breathe. He slammed her into the wall, her ribs taking the force, knocking the breath from her body.
He threw her to the floor, pushing up her skirt grabbing, grasping hands, tearing at her underwear. She used all of her force to kick and punch and try to get free and he slapped her, hard enough to make her ears ring. She fought against him, shouting, ‘No, no, no!’ as he ripped the delicate fabric down her thighs. His hand came up to clamp over her mouth, but she bit him, hard, bucking with all of her energy to get him off of her.
His hands were around her throat, squeezing, unremitting. She jammed the heel of her hand up, trying to slam it into his nose – she made contact, not hard but enough to make him release his grip.
She scrambled away from him, trying to grab her gun which had clattered to the floor, but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back to him. Her body fell hard against the stone floor.
He grabbed her head between his hands and bounced it viciously off the stone. Dazed, she let her guard down for a split second – then he was in her, thrusting, grunting, tearing. He pinned her hands above her head. She was sobbing now, in anger, raging at him, at herself. She could feel the blood from the back of her head smearing across the floor, soaking her hair. He continued to force himself into her and she cried out with pain as he pushed her legs further apart. He pinned her arms to the floor, his breath heavy on her face. With effort, she brought her knee up and pushed with all her strength. With a frustrated yell, he pulled away, enough for her to kick him between the legs as hard as she could.
He jerked away, groaning in pain and she was up, scrambling away from him, clambering through the blood on the floor.
He rocked back, knees to chest, clasping his groin. ‘Bitch!’ She had darted into the hall, making for the front door but her feet, slick from the blood, slid out from beneath her. She skidded across the floor until her legs slammed into the base of the antique mirror. With a groan, it toppled forward.
She put her arm over her face as the glass smashed into her. The heavy frame made contact with her head with a sickening crunch and she slumped to the floor, unconscious.
Jules recovered himself and, limping, followed the sound of the shattering glass. She was so still, so vulnerable, lying there amongst the slivers of the mirror, some sticking into her skin, little pools of blood. A large gash along her hairline was spilling blood onto the floor beneath her. He bent over her, avoiding the shards around him, and placed two fingers against her throat, the delicate artery that pulsed against his fingertips. Alive. Good. He didn’t want her dead, not yet, at least. He’d wait until she woke up. He wanted her awake for the next part, the part where she would beg him for her life…
The fifth time Theo got her voicemail, he started to panic. He grabbed his jacket and strode out of the office, ignoring the surprised look of his secretary.
‘I’m going home,’ he barked back at her then he was at the elevator, punching the button up to the rooftop helipad.
He strapped himself into the little helicopter, thanking god he’d learned to pilot it a long time ago.. He cussed himself out of buying a house so remote and isolated now – what had he been thinking? Why had he thought to be away from the city, with the police and emergency services, would be safer? Fucking, fucking idiot. He prayed as he propelled the helicopter to its maximum speed.
Please, let her be okay, let her be safe…
The Midnight Club Page 72
