by Alice Ward
I leaned back against the sofa, dumbstruck by Kennedy’s news.
She lied about why she left her family. But she still could have had a good reason to run away.
Half of me felt compelled to contact Rachel’s parents and ask for their side of the story. But the other half was afraid of what I’d learn if I went digging for the truth. If someone in Rachel’s family had hurt or abused her, contacting them would only open new wounds. And we all had quite enough to deal with already. I cleared my throat and turned to Kennedy.
“Rachel grew up with money. I doubt she’d have chosen the foster system over her upper class LA home unless she had very good reason. Do you think…?” I let my voice trail off, unable to speak the words.
“I don’t know,” Kennedy whispered. “I’ve run background searches on the whole family. None of them have ever been accused of being a sex offender. That doesn’t mean none of them are, though. I stopped digging. I wanted to talk to you before we decide what to do next.”
“I think we should leave the family alone for now. Let’s focus on figuring out the lost years after they left LA.”
“That’s going to be a lot more difficult,” she warned. “But I’ll keep up the investigation. If I have to, I’ll fly to Vermont and poke around for a few days.”
“Thank you, Kennedy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Kennedy’s laptop chimed as a new email popped up on the screen.
“You’re about to have to settle for having me at a distance,” she announced, reading the message. “Austin’s guys traced the email to an apartment just outside of San Francisco. The internet account is owned by a woman named Tanya Shroud. She was in Rachel’s first group home. Austin is on his way there now to make the arrest, which means my work here is done.”
***
Tanya Stroud was arrested for trespassing, stalking, and blackmail, all of which she denied. She admitted to knowing Cynthia Goins, but denied having any knowledge of her new name or current whereabouts. The evidence spoke for itself and Tanya was released on bail to await trial. The hearing was closed, and the judge made it clear that if Rachel’s identity was exposed, bail would be revoked and more charges would be added.
After Tanya’s arrest, Rachel became a completely different person. She thanked me for not pitching a fit about her monopolizing Asher’s attention and apologized for accusing me of spilling their secret. I didn’t trust her sincerity, but I kept my doubts to myself.
Kennedy flew home to Boston Monday afternoon after the hearing. Rachel moved back to her condo and by Wednesday, I felt like I was settling back into my life. Asher and I had time alone again and I was even able to spend some time painting in Deacon’s studio. Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, Asher walked into my office with unexpected news.
“Baby, you won’t believe who I just got off the phone with,” he announced, smiling from ear to ear. It felt so good to see him relaxed and happy again, and I grinned back at him instinctively.
“Well whoever it is, you’re obviously excited. Who called?”
“John Livingston, the editor in chief of Arts, International.”
“The magazine?” I asked, my heart skipping a beat.
Arts, International employed some of the most well respected critics in the industry. Their editorials were known to make or break an artist’s career and I couldn’t fathom why the man in charge had called Asher.
“Yes, the magazine. Their annual honors banquet is next week, and they’d like to add you to the list of honorees.”
What? I must be hearing things. There’s no way he just said what I think he said.
I stared back at Asher, unable to speak. His eyes crinkled in amusement and he let out a soft laugh.
“I expected this reaction,” he teased. “John’s exact words were that you’ve created an entirely new way to experience art, and he expects it to revolutionize both the art and gaming industries. I went ahead and accepted the invitation on your behalf. We leave for London Sunday night.”
My body went from numb to electrified. I practically flew over my desk into Asher’s arms. He kissed me hard on the lips and then dropped his mouth to my ear.
“I’m so proud of you, baby,” he whispered.
“This wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t for you,” I insisted, burrowing my face into his neck. I felt his cock rise against my hip and went wet between my legs. I rocked against it, suddenly desperate to break our no sex at work rule.
“All I did was offer you the job,” he replied, seemingly oblivious to my intentions. “The rest was all you.”
I pushed my hips into him and arched my back, meeting his eyes. I shook my head and gave him my best lustful grin.
“I’m trying to give you credit so I have a reason to thank you.”
Realization flashed across his face and his eyes lit up with his broad, devilish smile. He kissed me again and then pulled away.
“I thought we made a rule that we were going to keep our professional and personal lives separate,” he teased, already unfastening his belt.
“Well, aren’t rules made to be broken?” I replied with a daring grin.
“Yes, Miss Matthews. I believe they are.”
Asher kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants before moving to my office door. He made sure it was locked and then moved back to me, planting his hands firmly on my shoulders. He walked me behind the desk and pushed me gently into my chair. Then, he dropped to his knees and slid his hands beneath the hem of my skirt. He teased me through my cotton panties before slipping them down my legs and stuffing them into his shirt pocket.
“We have to be quiet,” he reminded me, circling my clit with his fingers.
“I know,” I gasped, my words barely audible. I leaned back in the chair and pushed my hips to the edge of the seat. Asher pressed on my pubic bone with shockingly thrilling pressure as his finger circled inside me.
“You’re sure you can do that?” he asked, adding another finger.
“Yes,” I begged with a whisper. I mimicked his motions and put my hands on his shoulders, pushing him away from me. I sat up in the chair and reached down, taking his cock in one hand. It throbbed between my fingers and I longed to have it inside me.
“The question is can you be quiet,” I teased, sliding onto the floor. I sat in front of him and took as much of his shaft into my mouth as possible.
Asher let out a series of rapid, heavy breaths but he didn’t cry out. Instead, he rose to his feet, pulling me up with him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me into the air. I folded my legs around him, trying to angle myself over his throbbing member.
“We have to be quick. Someone could knock on the door any second,” he warned.
Knowing we could get caught just made me want him more. I wiggled and turned, trying to take him inside me.
“If we have to be quick, we should probably get started,” I whispered, half teasing, half pleading.
Asher sat me on the desk and pushed up my skirt. I stroked his cock as he stood before me.
“You just went to the doctor last week. Are there any condoms in this office?” he groaned.
“Yes,” I replied with a sigh. Asher and I hadn’t taken any chances since that first time. I knew the rubber was necessary, but I was counting the days until we wouldn’t need them anymore.
I opened my desk drawer, retrieved a condom, and carefully tore open the package. I rolled it down Asher’s beautiful cock in one fluid motion and laid back on the desk, not caring what might fall to the floor. Asher pushed my legs open and plunged inside me. I had to bite my tongue to keep from crying out in passion.
“Oh, Asher,” I groaned softly as he moved in and out.
“You like that, baby?” he whispered, moving faster and harder.
“Yes,” I cried. I opened my eyes and watched Asher slipped the middle and index fingers of his right hand into his mouth. He moved his hand from his lips to the place where we connected,
pinching my clit between his two slick fingers. I groaned louder, catching myself almost immediately and dropping my tone.
This was a horrible idea. Staying quiet is going to kill me.
I could hear talk and laughter coming from the workroom and knew there was a very good chance that our office tryst would be watercooler gossip by the end of the day. But I didn’t care. I could hardly even think about it. All I could concentrate on was the pleasure radiating through my body.
Asher rocked into me again and let out a growl; I knew he was close, but I wasn’t quite there yet. Slowly, I lifted my legs to his shoulders, clenching my pussy muscles at the same time.
“Holy shit, Lauren,” he gasped, slowing his pace.
“Don’t,” I growled back at him instinctively. “Don’t slow down. I’m so close.”
“Are you sure?” he asked through heavy breaths.
I clenched my muscles tighter in response and Asher let himself go. He thrust into me wildly, animalistic grunts escaping his throat. I felt my eyes roll back in my head as I gave myself over to release. With a final thrust, Asher let my legs fall and collapsed on top of me.
“Oh my God,” I sighed. “We should make love at work more often. That was amazing.”
Asher kissed my neck and smiled. “You know what, Miss Matthews? I like the way you think.”
***
“Well, the PI Kennedy recommended is good,” Claire announced. She dropped her purse onto the table and slid into the booth across from me. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was dressed in yoga pants and a baggy white t-shirt.
“I’m so sorry, Claire.”
She shrugged and her eyes glistened with tears. “Better I know now, right? Royce has been seeing a woman we met when we went to Lake Tahoe last year. She and her husband stayed at the same bed and breakfast as us.”
“He’s been seeing a married woman?” I asked with a cringe.
She nodded. “They’ve been meeting at one of those God awful pay by the hour places. I have videos of them going into the place and then leaving a few hours later. I’ve showered six times since I saw them.”
I reached across the table and took her hand. “Does Royce know that you know?”
“Not yet. I’m not sure I even want to say anything to him. I wish I could just disappear and let him wonder what happened to me for the rest of his stupid life,” she confessed.
“Well, I’m not sure I can help you disappear forever. But I can hide you for a while. Is he at home right now?”
Claire shook her head. “He’s at work, and he’s already warned me it would be a late night. Which I now assume means he’s meeting Gretchen when he leaves the office.”
“I don’t want to push you into making a decision. But if you want, we can go pack some of your stuff after we eat and you can stay with Asher and me for a few days. We’re going to London on Sunday, so you’d have the place to yourself. Even if Royce suspects you’re there, he’d never be able to get in. Once things calm down, you can move into the townhouse.”
“Are you sure Asher won’t mind having me around?”
“I’m positive,” I assured her. “Asher’s no stranger to looking out for a friend.”
A middle aged waitress approached our table with a pot of coffee in hand.
“Sorry for your wait, we’ve been slammed. My name is Susan. Are you ready to place your orders?”
“I’ll have coffee and a BLT,” Claire replied.
“Same for me,” I added.
She filled the empty mugs on our table and promised to have our food out shortly. I took a long sip while Claire added three packages of Sweet’N Low to her mug.
“I need to think about something else for just five minutes.” She twisted the empty paper packages in her hands and stared at me, hoping for some sort of distraction.
“You said you’re going to London. That sounds exciting. Is it for work?” she pressed.
“Kind of,” I answered with a smile. “I’m being honored at the annual Arts, International banquet.”
“Oh my God, Lauren. Congratulations.”
The fact that Claire could muster a smile for my news with everything she was going through warmed my heart. I felt horrible for neglecting her while things were upside down with Rachel, and I vowed to never take her for granted again.
“Thanks. I’m still having trouble believing that it’s happening. This doesn’t feel like real life.”
“You deserve every bit of it,” she insisted. “I’m so proud of you. Have you told your parents?”
I shook my head and blushed. “I haven’t been keeping in touch with Mom and Dad like I should. I talked to them when I left the museum, but they don’t know that I’m with Asher.”
“You haven’t told them?” she gasped. “For God’s sake, Lauren, why? They’d be thrilled to know you’re happy.”
“I guess I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop.” It was the first time I’d admitted it, even to myself.
“What are you talking about?”
I warmed my suddenly cold hand around my coffee mug, staring down into the dark liquid. “Everything’s happened so fast. And the ups and downs have been somewhat extreme…”
“Did you two have a fight I don’t know about?” she interrupted, cocking one eyebrow.
“No, it wasn’t exactly a fight. I learned some things I hadn’t expected, and it took me a little time to decide if I could deal with them. I’m sorry to be so vague, but there are some things about Asher’s life that I just can’t talk about.”
“No need to apologize,” she assured me. “I know Asher values his privacy. That giant concrete wall kind of speaks for itself.”
“Yeah, I know,” I agreed with a laugh.
Susan returned to the table and sat our plates in front of us, along with two glasses of ice water. She left as quickly as she arrived and Claire and I dug into our sandwiches. I was relieved to see my friend had an appetite after getting such terrible news. It told me that she’d made peace with her situation long before the PI showed her the videos. I tried to imagine Asher betraying me, but I couldn’t.
Asher definitely comes with his own unique baggage. But he’d never hurt me the way Royce hurt Claire. He doesn’t have it in him to do be anything but loyal and good to the people he loves. We may have to live our lives looking over our shoulders. But at least I know we’ll always be by each other’s sides.
***
“Lauren Matthews, when in the hell were you planning to call and tell me that you’re being recognized by one of the most influential art magazines in the world?”
I rolled my eyes and held my phone to my ear. “Hello to you too, Kennedy. I take it you’ve heard the news. Who called, Asher or Claire?”
“Asher called and invited us to join you at the banquet. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me yourself. What are you going to wear?”
“Asher bought me a lovely Valentino gown. You’d approve, I promise. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner; I’ve been dealing with Claire. She went to her parents for dinner and I’m taking advantage of the alone time to get some painting done,” I explained.
I studied my canvas under rays of sunshine let in by the massive skylights in Deacon’s studio. I brushed a streak of red across a sea of turquoise and then studied the canvas again.
“Asher told me about Royce. I can’t imagine how Claire must be feeling. They were together twice as long as Jackson and I have known each other.”
“She’s holding up better than you’d expect. We’ve already moved most of her stuff to the townhouse and she’s telling her parents everything tonight. Royce tried to deny the affair, but as soon as she confronted him with the videos he backed off. And that Gretchen bitch actually had the nerve to send Claire an email begging her not to tell her husband. I think she’s still going back and forth on that one.”
“Well, I think the poor bastard has the right to know,” Kennedy insisted. “But it’s none of my business. And Claire’s not why I’m ca
lling. The magazine honor isn’t either, but I am exceptionally proud of you.”
“Thanks, Kennedy. To be honest, I’m still in shock. So what’s going on?”
“I found out some more information about Rachel’s past.”
My heart gave an extra pulse. “Did you go to Vermont?”
“No, I went to lunch with my mother. I had a hunch she might have known Maude back in her California days. And I was right.”
I couldn’t believe the stroke of luck. The connection seemed obvious once it was right in front of my face. Kennedy’s mother, Gloria Nightingale, was an icon of the feminist movement. She was the head of the department of women’s studies at Harvard and had spent most of her life studying the plight of women all across the world. She’d lived in California around the same time Maude Goins became active in the movement.
“Did your mom know the family well?”
“She still does. It’s hard to believe what a small world it can be sometimes. Apparently, we all met Maude and David at Mom and Jack’s engagement party.”
“Holy shit… I can’t believe it. So did you find out the family’s side of the story? Please tell me that you didn’t tell Gloria where Rachel is.”
“Of course I didn’t. The names Rachel and Cynthia never crossed my lips. I casually brought up a psychological study I read about so called bad sheep in families. I asked her opinion and whether or not she knew of any real life examples. She brought up the Goins family immediately. Like we suspected, Rachel was a change-of-life surprise baby. Mom said Maude and David were overjoyed to find out they were having one last child. She also said that there was always something strange about Rachel. She had some sort of trouble forming attachments, even to her family. They took her to all sorts of doctors, but the attachment problem was an issue there too. No one was able to get her to cooperate with treatment.”
“She certainly hasn’t had a problem attaching to Asher,” I observed. The more I learned about Rachel, the more confused I became.
“That’s the first thing I thought too. But who knows? Maybe she found a way to deal with her issues. I couldn’t ask many questions without letting on that I know more than I should. Mom did mention that at one point, the family thought they’d found their answer at a therapy camp. Guess where it was located?”
