Jeremy stands to a massive round of applause. He is a vision in his crisp, black suit, his perfect hair, his skin tanned from our time in the sun. He breathes in the attention given to him like a rock star.
This is his environment, I find myself thinking. This is where he excels.
He makes his way to the stage and shakes hands with the MC. He steps before the mic, and the applause continues.
He taps it twice. “Yes, yes,” he acknowledges. “I know you love me. But please, save the applause for when I do something really special.”
Laughter. He has made a joke. Jeremy Stonehart, starting his speech with a joke. I never thought I’d see the day.
From that point on, everything passes in a blur. Jeremy returns to me after he finishes his presentation. I gush at how powerful it was, how moving, at how the audience clung onto his every word.
He smirks, now full of hubris, and says, “Well, did you expect anything different?”
A live auction follows. It provides our entertainment during dinner. The grand item up for bid is a weekend retreat to the Alps, valued at just over $25,000. All proceeds to charity.
Jeremy bids half a million and wins.
It’s only after dinner is over, and we are free to mingle, that disaster strikes.
Jeremy and I are exploring the crowd. He is being congratulated on his speech, on the news of Stonehart Industries going public, on his supreme generosity at the auction. I’m but a shadow on his arm, invisible to all…
Or so I think.
Out of nowhere, I hear my name being called out.
“Lilly! Oh my gosh, Lilly, is that really you?”
I freeze. Terror fills me. Stonehart is too engaged in his current conversation to have noticed. I start to turn, but before I get even halfway around a pair of long, elegant arms throw themselves around my neck.
I’m let go. A woman, maybe a decade older than Jeremy, stands beaming before me.
Her dark skin contrasts with her white dress and makes her shine with radiant beauty. Her hair is different from the last time I saw her. It’s now blonde.
That doesn’t stop me from recognizing her right away.
It’s Thalia. Fey’s mom.
But what is she doing here—
Of course. Fey has rich parents. It makes sense that they’d have connections required to attend events like this one.
Yet what are the odds of her running into me here?
Jeremy, by now, is aware of the disturbance. He turns to Thalia. His eyes flash at me, demanding an explanation.
I want nothing more than to turn away and pretend I don’t know her. But it’s too late for that now.
“Lilly, it’s so good to see you!” Thalia exclaims. “I can’t believe I found you here. And you’re with—”
She looks at Jeremy. Her eyes widen in perceptible shock.
“Jeremy Stonehart,” he says smoothly, offering her his hand. As she shakes it, her eyes go back to me, full of disbelief.
“Jeremy Stonehart,” she repeats under her breath. “I saw you on stage. You were spectacular. My husband speaks of your company all the time.”
“Does he?” Jeremy murmurs. “Would I happen to know the man?”
“Oh no.” Thalia shakes her head. “No, no. He’s just a simple—a banker.”
“Lilly,” Jeremy says to me. “I think it’s customary for you to introduce me to your friend.”
“Oh!” I come to myself with a little jump. I didn’t even notice that Thalia had forgotten to give her name. Her shock at finding me with Jeremy Stonehart must really be something.
“This is Thalia Rosene. She’s the mother of one of my old college roommates at Yale.”
Mention of the university sparks Thalia.
“Fey told me you had disappeared. After you went to work in California, you never called, or emailed, or texted. We all assumed you just got so busy working, but clearly…” she sneaks a sidelong look at Jeremy, full of hidden meaning, “…you’ve managed to integrate yourself into the world you’ve always dreamed of very well.”
I hate the accusation in her words. The silent insinuation. The suggestion that I forsook my closest friends just to be close to Stonehart. That I am nothing more than a gold digger.
“Lilly’s done much more than that, Thalia,” Stonehart says. “She’s been an absolute star at Corfu Consulting. Already, her work is the stuff of legends.”
I stiffen at the easy way the lies spill from his lips.
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t expect anything less of our Lilly,” Thalia says smartly. “We all know how driven she is.”
She turns to me. “Fey is going to be so excited when I tell her that you’re here.”
My stomach, which I thought couldn’t go any lower, sinks all the way to my toes. “Fey is… here?” I ask weakly. I feel sick.
“Not here at the gala, no. But she’s on the island with us. She’s staying at the resort. I just know she’d love to see you. You two have so much to catch up on! How about it. Tomorrow morning? Are you free for breakfast? Do you have a cell phone? Oh, what am I asking, of course you have a cell phone.” She digs out her own from her purse. “Here, quick, give me your new number. Fey told me the old one doesn’t ring anymore.”
I look at Jeremy, desperate for an escape. He gives it without pause.
“Here,” he says, handing Thalia a business card. I recognize it as the same one I was not supposed to be given in his San Jose office so very long ago. “That has my personal line on the back. Give me a call to arrange the meeting. I would be delighted to meet one of Lilly’s old friends.”
Thalia gives me a curious look, but takes the card and deposits it into her wallet.
“I’ll call tomorrow morning,” she says.
Stonehart gives a broad smile. Looking at him, you would never expect anything is wrong. “Lilly and I will be looking forward to it. It was a pleasure to meet you, Thalia.”
And with that one sentence, he’s dismissed her. He doesn’t turn away, or direct his attention elsewhere, but the meaning behind his words is clear.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Thalia murmurs. She shoots me another curious look, and then glances over her shoulder. “I think I hear my husband calling. Excuse me.”
And she turns around and hurries into the crowd.
I watch her go in a stunned silence.
What now?
Jeremy’s hand tightens on my arm. It’s enough to bruise.
“We’re leaving,” he hisses in my ear. “Now.”
He pulls me after him, ignoring calls to stop and chat. Once we’re out in the cool night air, he takes out his phone and dials the limo.
Our ride arrives minutes later. Despite the warm night air, goose bumps line my exposed skin,.
We get into the car. Jeremy remains silent. His jaw is tight, and his eyes are dark.
He terrifies me.
We stop in front of a grand, towering structure a few blocks away. It’s another hotel. Jeremy still hasn’t said a word. I have no idea what’s going through his mind.
I can’t take the uncertainty anymore. “Jeremy, I swear,” I plead, “I didn’t—”
“Enough.” He cuts me off with a savage scowl. “The hand has been dealt. The stage is set. Appearances must be maintained. Tomorrow…” his eyes bore into me, “Will be your greatest test. There will be rules. Strict rules, Lilly.”
A shiver of fear runs down my spine as I get shades of the man I first met, bound to the pillar, so many months ago. Shades of Stonehart.
“We will meet your friend and her family. But Lilly.” He pauses. The shadows emphasize the hard features of his face.
“If so much as one toe steps out of line… Well, nothing that you’ve been subject to in the past will compare to what I’ll do to you then.”
The End,
Uncovering You 5: Confessions
Uncovering You 6:
Deliverance
by Scarlett Edwards
November 19t
h, 2014
Edwards Publishing
Reader Warning:
Uncovering You contains scenes of intense emotional and physical abuse. Readers with sensitivity to such subjects are advised to proceed with caution.
Book Description:
Evil.
That is really the best way to describe Jeremy Stonehart. When he was Stonehart.
Is he that anymore? I don't know. As he reveals more and more of himself to me, I start to see a glimmer of the man beneath the surface. I start to understand, in some small way, that even evil comes from a source, from some initial seed that sprouted and took hold of a person's soul.
Evil is what Jeremy Stonehart was. But is it what he will continue to be?
I will only find out by sticking to him until the very end. It is my only choice. It is my only option. It is the only way I will get answers, and the only way that I will get...
Revenge.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Renee Reynolds and Angela Carroll.
Renee, for making it possible.
Angela, for making it shine.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been use fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
UNCOVERING YOU #6: DELIVERANCE
Copyright © 2014 Edwards Publishing, Ltd.
All rights reserved.
Edited by Gail Lennon.
Cover design by Scarlett Edwards.
Interior design by Scarlett Edwards.
Published by Edwards Publishing, Ltd.
Edwards Publishing
477 Peace Portal Drive
Suite 107-154
Blaine, WA 98230
The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means---including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise---without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s work is appreciated.
Chapter One
My back hits the concrete wall. Before I can move, Stonehart’s body is against mine. He pins my arms above my head, then uses his other hand to rip the front of my dress down.
My breasts spill out. Deep in his throat, Stonehart makes a savage sound of pleasure. The hand that isn’t pinning me grabs my left breast and squeezes hard.
A small whimper of pain escapes my lips. Stonehart gives it no heed. His mouth drops to mine and he kisses me with shocking intensity. My body curves off the wall toward him. The pressure of his erection against my stomach fires my need.
He releases my hands. They drop down, and I spread them against the concrete wall for support. In the dark, I can see nothing except the pale shape of Stonehart’s body outlined by the moonlight.
He kisses me again. I hitch my leg up and curl it around his hip. The tiny red dress inches to my waist. Thanks to Stonehart’s rules, I am wearing no panties. The slick fabric of his Armani pants feels rough as wool against my inner thighs.
He pushes into me, deepening the kiss. His teeth tighten on my lower lip and he tugs, eliciting a sharp jab of pain. But that’s okay. I know he likes it rough.
Especially when he’s in one of his moods.
“I’m going to fuck you so hard, Lilly,” he rasps. One of his hands slides down my body and grabs my ass. He pushes into me with his hips, plastering my back against the cold, unforgiving wall. “I’m going to fuck you the way you need to be fucked. The way that will have you screaming all night long. The way that will ensure you think about nothing but me when we’re meeting Fey tomorrow.”
His hand moves over my leg and pushes into my core. I gasp as two thick, strong fingers plunge inside me.
“You’re not wet yet,” he rasps. “That’s all right. We can change that.”
I grit my teeth as he begins stroking me. His thumb rubs over my clit. His fingers push in and out of me with no remorse. Dark pleasure floods my body from his sinful touch, even through the tightness, even through the pain.
He can be soft, gentle, and caring. I’ve seen that side. I’ve had my fill of it during our dream-like getaways at the villa. That’s when he’s Jeremy.
Or, he can be cruel, harsh, and uncompromising. He can be Stonehart. They are two sides of the same man. They are his Jekyll and Hyde: One man. Two personas. One man. Two names.
Right now, he is most definitely Stonehart. And if he needs to take control of my body to make up for the mishap with Thalia earlier, if he needs to do that to work the anger out of his system, and—hopefully—to return to being Jeremy tomorrow, well, that’s something I’m more than willing to let him do.
Besides, it’s not like I have much choice in the matter.
Without warning, he breaks away. I fall forward, only just managing to catch myself on shaking legs.
Stonehart steps back and tears at his tuxedo buttons. His eyes reflect in the moonlight as they focus squarely on me. I feel like a deer trapped in a hunter’s snare. That penetrating, lustful gaze holds promise of all the things he intends to do to me tonight.
I don’t need him to verbalize them. One look at his face is enough.
His wide shoulders make the two halves of his shirt strain at the chest as he strips his jacket off. He looks so virile, so very male. So very powerful.
My breaths are coming hard and fast. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the glorious body beneath. His muscled arms are long and lean. His chest is hard. His torso doesn’t have a strip of excess flesh anywhere. It’s astonishing that he finds the time to maintain such a good body, given his position.
But those aren’t the prevalent thoughts running through my head. They’re just there, somewhere in the background, a function of natural female appreciation that comes from seeing such a stunning man.
What I’m thinking, instead, is how vulnerable I am right now. There’s nothing that will hold him back tonight. After the run-in with Thalia, I know he needs an outlet for his aggression.
That outlet, for better or for worse, is me.
He attacks me again. His mouth lands on mine and he kisses me hard as I’m sandwiched between him and the wall. He presses his body into mine. His knee lands between my legs, pinning me there, while he reaches to grab the roots of my hair. An unbidden whimper escapes my lips as he tugs, making my face crane up to give him access to my neck.
He again seals his mouth over mine and kisses me with unabashed passion, anger, and fury.
And I begin to respond.
I let the worries scatter as the deep heat of his kiss ignites my body. Passion and lust come alive as I return his kiss. Long ago, I promised myself that I wouldn’t be a passive victim to Jeremy’s depravity any more. Though events since Portland have definitely changed things between us, I have never lost sight of that.
I just haven’t had the need to make good on that promise yet.
I do now. Tonight, Jeremy wants it rough. He needs it rough. And that’s exactly what I’m going to give him.
So I kiss him back. I tangle my hands in his hair and bring him to me. He grunts, maybe in surprise, maybe in appreciation. I don’t care. I’m revved up and ready to go. I’m ready to fuck him.
The rough hairs on his chest scratch against my bare flesh as he deepens the kiss. My hands move from his head to his back. I claw at him with my nails. The slabs of muscle beneath his skin are hard. They don’t give me much to grab onto. I dig in, pulling him closer, needing him tighter, wanting him… more.
Without warning, he scoops me up. My legs curl around his waist. I hook my ankles together, clinging to him.
A few quick paces and we’re at the bed. Jeremy tosses me on. I land with my hair spread wide around my head.
The tiny dress has ridden up way past my waist. I draw
my knees wide, opening my legs, giving him access. Inviting him in. The pure, unadulterated desire that shows on his face when he sees my pussy turns me on more than I thought possible.
There’s no fear left in me anymore. I might have been harboring some, on the silent ride back to the hotel. But, it’s gone now. Hell, I might have even felt it flare into something very dire when Jeremy issued the warning about “one toe stepping out of line.” But if this is the outlet for his aggression… if this is what he needs to work his fury out… hell, I’m more than game.
“Fuck me,” I rasp. I hardly recognize my own voice. Or the words that spill naturally from my lips. “Fuck me, Jeremy. I don’t want you to hold back.”
A flash of something akin to amusement flickers on his face. It’s gone before I can get a second look.
“I don’t think you’ve ever asked to be fucked before,” he murmurs, climbing onto the bed. I squirm under the powerful desire in his eyes.
The outline of his cock is straining through his pants. It fills me with the most urgent need. He edges closer, but doesn’t touch me. “You want me tonight, do you?”
That’s such a ridiculous question I don’t even know how to respond. He was the one who initiated things the moment we got through the doors of the suite. He was the one who threw me against the wall and began to kiss me. And now that I’m lying here completely vulnerable and exposed to him, he wants to take the time to ask?
Maybe he wants to hear me beg. It’s certainly nothing I’ve ever done with him before—not when he’s been this aggressive.
“Jeremy…” his name falls from my lips like a forgotten prayer. I cannot even finish the sentence. My mind is too scrambled. I’m too far gone, lost in the throes of some unbridled and wholly unique passion.
My chest heaves with every breath. Even though he hasn’t touched me since tossing me on the bed, arousal pulses through my entire body.
Uncovering You: The Complete Series (Mega Box Set) Page 43
