The Private Serials Box Set

by Anie Michaels

  I didn’t have a chance to ask him what exactly I should hold on to in his tiny sports car before he gunned the gas pedal and tore off down the street in the middle of downtown Portland. It was Friday night in the city and people and cars were everywhere. My feet planted firmly on the floor of the car. One hand pressed against the door and the other hand had found its way to Preston’s bicep.

  He wove in and out of traffic, breaking a few laws, I was sure, and managed to avoid hitting any of the pedestrians I alerted him to with my screams. Either he was used to driving with a woman yelling at him in the passenger seat, or he was doing a bang-up job ignoring me. Regardless, my heart rate was through the roof and I was getting tired of being thrust from side to side as he flung his Lotus around corners and through parking lots, all in an effort to lose the person who was following him. Eventually, he managed to get the car turned so it was heading north and I started to relax as we made our way from the area of town full of bars and nightlife, entering the part that was more industrial.

  I turned and saw the car was still behind us, even after all that fancy driving, and I looked to Preston.

  “He’s still there. What are you going to do?” I‘d never been in a car chase before. In all the movies I’d seen, the car being followed either lost the other car, or it crashed. We hadn’t achieved the former and I hoped to avoid the latter.

  “Just hang on tight,” he said again, making my eyes roll. I resumed my hold on the door and his arm.

  He pulled into an empty warehouse parking lot, luring the other car into it behind him, then he gunned it, aiming his car for a small alley that ran along the back of the building. Even for such a small car as the Lotus, it was a tight squeeze, and I found myself closing my eyes in fear, my fingers gripping Preston’s arm. Surely, the car following us couldn’t make it through the same alley. I felt the car leave the ground, causing the same feeling in my stomach as when you hit the summit of a roller coaster and then quickly fall. Weightlessness. We were airborne. I let out a strangled cry, but was thrust back into silence when the car jolted back onto the pavement.

  My eyes popped open, and I was relieved to see we were, indeed, on the ground and in one piece. I looked to Preston and his eyes were focused as he was driving. I turned quickly to look behind us, but didn’t see the car any longer.

  “I think you lost him,” I whispered, the car silent aside from our heavy breaths.

  Preston didn’t respond immediately, but when he did, all he said was, “Hold on.” Suddenly, I flew forward and to the side, only to feel Preston’s arm swing out and press me back into my seat. Then we were still for just a second. His hand flew to the gear shift, putting the car in reverse. Preston placed his arm over the back of my seat and looked out the back windshield of the car, lurching backward down yet another alley. I closed my eyes tightly again, fearing we would crash.

  Then we were still. The car was off, as were the headlights.

  I opened my eyes and felt Preston’s hands on my face, turning it toward him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes roaming over my face, inspecting me.

  “Preston,” I breathed. My voice was gone and his name was just air.

  “Lena, baby,” he said, pulling me into him, guiding my face into his neck, his arms wrapping around my shoulders. “It’s okay. I’m sorry,” he whispered. I breathed into him, trying really hard not to cry, the adrenaline making my heart race and eyes well with tears.

  “I’m o-okay,” I stammered. Then the car lit up and he pulled away from me. Two headlights were beaming right into the car and I was frozen, aside from the trembling, not knowing what was going on. Preston grabbed my face again and looked at me, speaking clearly and quickly.

  “I’ll handle this, Lena. Don’t get out of the car, okay?”

  I nodded, his hands still on my cheeks. Then he pressed a very quick kiss to my lips and went to open his door. He was halfway out when I heard a man’s voice.

  “Not so fast, Reid. Get back in the car and roll the window down.” The headlights went off, shrouding us in darkness again. Preston folded himself inside the car and rolled the window down as asked.

  “Shit,” he mumbled under his breath. He reached over and gave my knee a quick squeeze. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise,” he said quietly.

  I heard footsteps coming closer to the car, and even though Preston no longer seemed threatened, I was still trembling and scared. Looking for the person who had chased us, my eyes darted through the darkness. Finally, the outline of a man appeared, coming closer to us with steady, unhurried steps. He was a tall, round man. Easily three hundred pounds, perhaps six-feet tall. He was lucky he’d chased us in his car, because Preston could effortlessly beat him in a foot race.

  “Reid, nice evening for a leisurely drive.” The man was just outside the driver’s side of the car now, looking in at Preston.

  “Edgar, I’d say it was a pleasure to see you, but I’d be lying.”

  I swallowed hard, freaking out a little bit that Preston was mouthing off to the man who had us trapped in an alley.

  “You know I like it when you call me Eddie,” the man said, placing one hand on the door and leaning down so his head was in view. His face matched his body, round and full.

  “What do you want, Eddie?” Preston’s voice was low and angry.

  “I’m just checking on my assets.” Eddie’s eyes fell on me. “Hello there, Lena, darling. I hope our little car chase didn’t frighten you too badly.”

  I saw a muscle in Preston’s jaw twitch and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

  “Again, what do you want?” His voice was even lower now, nearly a growl.

  “I just want to make sure you’ve thought through all your actions, Reid.” Eddie’s eyes traveled to me again. “Some of us are starting to doubt your decision-making capabilities.”

  “I don’t answer to you, Eddie, but even if I did, all I’d say is that I am just doing my job.”

  Eddie chuckled, then sighed. “You’ve got balls, Reid. I’ll give you that.” Eddie stood up and thumped his hand on the roof of the car. “This job doesn’t go right, you’re going to lose a lot more than just your balls, Reid. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With those parting words, Eddie walked back to his car. After a moment, his headlights came on, flooding the Lotus with light again, then he backed up and drove away.

  Chapter Two

  I exhaled heavily when his car was out of sight, then turned to Preston, who was still gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. “What the hell was that all about?” Preston’s hands finally loosened on the wheel, but instead of answering me, he just started the car again and put the gear shift in drive. He pulled out of the alley and started driving back into the city. “Preston, why did that guy chase you all over the city and then just walk away like that?”

  He let out an aggravated sigh. “Eddie is someone I work with. He was just trying to scare me. I don’t want you worried about it.”

  “How did he know my name?”

  “Like I said, I work with him.”

  “I thought you said you were in the business of secrets. I don’t understand why he needs to know my name.” Something was off about the way Eddie approached Preston. It made me nervous, as if somehow I was involved in something I didn’t want to be a part of and I’d gotten in over my head.

  “Listen, he doesn’t know why you hired me. He doesn’t even know the specifics of the case. Hell, he might not have even known I was working with you until he saw you—you’re not exactly unrecognizable.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means, anyone who’s anyone in this town would see your face and know your name. You’re Lena fucking Bellows, for Christ’s sake.” He was shouting now, his voice angry and agitated. His hand slammed down on the steering wheel as he yelled, “Fuck!” He took another hard right turn then pulled over on the side of the road. He threw the car in park and then turned i
n his seat to face me. “Listen, I never intended for you to get involved this way. When I took this job, I thought it would be a slam dunk. I’d be in and out in a matter of days and then move along, just like I always have.” His voice softened as he spoke, his eyes imploring me to listen and understand.

  “I wasn’t expecting to be this drawn to you, Lena. I couldn’t have prepared myself for the attraction I felt when we first met. I should have turned the job down, should have walked away, but I’m not that strong.” His voice had lost all its roughness and anger from earlier and was now like silk.

  Thinking about him walking away caused a sudden and unexpected panic in me. Surely, if on that first day he’d turned me down and left that bar without taking the job, I would have simply found someone else. But after the small amount of time we’d spent together, knowing the way he could make me feel, the power he had over my body, and the promise of something more to come, the thought of him ending whatever it was between us was terrifying. I didn’t want him walking away, but I also didn’t want to be a part of these strange and dramatic scenes, either. Sexual escapades in closets and car chases weren’t my idea of a good time. I wanted quiet movie nights cuddled up by a warm fire. I wanted inside jokes and silly notes left in obscure places. I wasn’t sure Preston Reid was the man to give me what I wanted.

  “Maybe you should take me home.”

  “Fuck that, Lena. I’m taking you to my place. You can’t spend the night alone in your house and I haven’t slept well in nearly a week. I’m not sleeping in my car again.” He put the car in gear and we jerked back onto the road. Soft Preston was gone again and I was in the car with pushy Preston.

  “Okay,” I sighed. The rest of the ride was quiet. Neither he nor I spoke. When the car slowed again it was to stop at a gated community. He stopped at a keypad, rolled his window down, and entered four digits.

  “Fourteen, ninety-two,” he said softly. “The year Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” He turned toward me slightly, a boyish grin on his face. “It was the only four-digit combination I knew I’d never forget.”

  “Makes sense,” I replied.

  “Remember that, you’ll need it.”

  He made his way to a building that had garages all along the first floor and I realized we were at his condo. It hadn’t occurred to me that there were anything but giant mansions in the West Hills.

  As we neared one of the garages, it began to open, timed perfectly so we didn’t even have to stop or slow down—he just pulled right in, effortlessly. Once the car was in, the garage door closed behind us and Preston folded himself out of the car. I followed, grabbing my duffle, trying not to let my nerves get the best of me. More excitement had occurred in the last three hours than I could remember in my whole life, and I was still trying to keep my wits about me. I had to remind myself why, in all reality, I’d come here. To be with him. To let the all-encompassing attraction I’d had to him since that first day take me wherever it led.

  Without words, he led me into his house and I took the quiet opportunity to admire his home. It was definitely a man’s place. Everything was either black, white, or gray. He led me past the living room and I took a second to look inside. The furniture was black leather, reminding me of the jacket he’d worn every time I’d seen him, apart from that night. There was a glass coffee table in the middle of the room and an enormous flat screen TV hanging on the wall.

  I continued to follow him down the hall, which I noticed had no pictures hanging on the walls. Everything was stark and empty. I tried not to think about how his house could be spruced up or what I could add to make it more homey and warm. When I followed him into the next room, I gasped at the most beautiful kitchen I’d ever seen. I had a nice kitchen at my home. It was functional and I used it often, but Preston’s was a work of art.

  Black granite countertops, a huge island with a six-burner stove built in, stainless steel appliances, and gorgeous dark cabinets. There were twin ovens built into the wall, stacked on top of one another, and a door slightly ajar that looked like a walk-in pantry.

  “You like to cook?”

  “Not really. I don’t have a lot of time to cook.”

  “Oh.” That surprised me. Why would he have such a state-of-the-art kitchen if he didn’t cook?

  “I bought the condo new, and it was already built this way,” he said, reading my mind. “Don’t get me wrong, I can cook. I just don’t find myself home a lot.” He walked to the far side of the island and then his eyes looked to me. “Can I make you a drink? Vodka martini?”

  I blushed at his remembrance of my drink of choice, my heart speeding up just a little at the thought of him paying attention to such details.

  “Can I just have straight vodka? On the rocks?” I needed something to take down quick, not something to savor. He didn’t answer me but I watched as he pulled out a tumbler and made my drink, also pouring himself a scotch.

  With both tumblers in hand, he walked around the island, heading straight for me. His eyes never left mine as he approached and when he made it near me he came to stand directly behind me, forcing me to turn to him. He placed both tumblers on the granite behind me, one on either side, leaning into me. I could feel the cool, hard edge of the granite biting into my back, coupled with the warm hardness of his chest pressing into my front.

  He reached down and took the duffle from my hands.

  “Anything breakable in here?”

  “No.” I quirked a smile at his strange question and then yelped as he tossed it over the island and into the sitting room beyond. Then his hand was in front of me again, holding my drink out for me. “Thank you,” I said as I took the tumbler from him. I pressed the glass to my lips, still looking him in the eyes, then tipped the glass back, taking the cold liquid down in one swallow. I winced just a little as it burned, but recovered quickly, enjoying the warmth it spread through my belly.

  He smiled down at me, but this was a new and different smile. This smile was nearly predatory, dangerous. My smile disappeared quickly, replaced by my heartbeat thrumming through my veins, both my hands gripping the glass in my hands as if it were the only thing keeping me upright. Leaning back just far enough to bring his glass to his lips, he took a small sip of his scotch, eyes glued to mine.

  “Can I try it?” I asked, before I knew the words were coming out of my mouth. I blushed a little, realizing it was a strange request. “I’ve never had scotch before.” His eyes were lidded and dark as they came closer to me, his face tilting slightly as he gently pressed his lips against mine. The kiss wasn’t insistent, wasn’t pushy; it was soft and cautious. His tongue teased the seam of my lips and when I opened to him, I tasted the scotch. Our tongues melded to one another and the kiss was nutty and peppery. I released a small moan and he pressed into me further.

  In the back of my mind, I registered my glass being taken from my hands, the sound of both our glasses being set on the counter, but I was too involved in our kiss to care. When his hands were free, they found my hair, pulling me into him, placing my head just exactly where he wanted it, angling me so he could get everything from the kiss he was searching for. His tongue danced with mine, flicked at the roof of my mouth, slid around the rim of my lips; it was the slowest and sexiest kiss I’d ever participated in.

  His face pulled back from mine, both of us breathing hard and fast.

  “Lena,” he whispered, before his mouth moved down my jaw and lapped at my neck. “Soon, I’m not going to be able to stop myself,” he said between nips at the sensitive skin behind my ear. My fingers moved to the soft part of his hair, where it was shaved close, urging him on, praying he never stopped making me feel as if I were about to combust.

  “I don’t want you to stop, Preston. Please…”

  His face pulled away from my neck, but we never lost contact as his forehead moved to press against mine.

  “Please, what? Lena, you have to tell me what you want. This has to be on your terms.” His voice was choppy and sounded a little
frantic.

  I pulled back and held his face between my hands. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  “I want you so badly, Lena,” he whispered, his eyes darting back and forth between mine. “But I also know what’s at stake for you. I won’t take anything from you, sweetheart.”

  My mouth gaped a little at his admission. He wanted me. I’d already known that, to some degree. But he wanted to protect me, too. That was something new to think about. Derrek had never really been protective of me and I didn’t realize I would appreciate it if he had. But watching Preston physically hold himself back, hearing the concern in his voice, it was moving. I wanted Derrek to pay for holding me hostage in a marriage for so long, a marriage he never intended to work on or make better. I wanted the money I thought I was entitled to, the money I’d helped him make. But being here with Preston felt more important than the money, more important than any other moment I’d spent with Derrek in the last five years. It felt right.

  “I want you, too, Preston,” I managed, even if it was just a whisper. It felt like the most important whisper to ever move over my lips. He swallowed hard, taking in my words, but still made no move for me. I could almost see his brain working, the thoughts evident across his face.

  “That’s not good enough.” He sighed, sounding sad. “I need to know exactly what you want.”

  My hands fell from his face, confused, but willing to give him whatever he needed in that moment. “I want you, Preston. I want you to take me into your bedroom.” I leaned closer to him, placing a small kiss on his chin. “Take my clothes off.” My mouth moved softly up his jawbone. “And I want to feel you inside of me,” I whispered in his ear.

  “You know what that would mean, right?” he asked against the skin of my neck, his stubble rubbing on me, causing me to shiver. My hands traveled to the back of his neck, pressing the front of my body against his, feeling his hardness pressed against my belly.

  “I know what it means to me, for me. I understand what I’m doing.”