by Juniper Hart
“Oh, now you’re interested?” Tatiana demanded, and Marcus felt a spark of displeasure course through him. He did not like being in the dark.
“Tatiana, you’re trying my patience,” he warned. “What do you know?”
She sighed and tossed a paper at him. He grabbed for it, his gaze lifting as Melissa re-entered the office.
“Give us a minute,” he told his assistant, and she gawked at him as if he had fired her.
“You just asked me to come back in here!” she protested.
Marcus noticed a smirk form on Tatiana’s lips.
“And now I’m telling you to leave!” he snarled. “And until your name is on the door, you’ll do as you’re told, Melissa.”
Melissa’s mouth became a line of fury, but she turned to storm from the office. Marcus returned to look at the sheet he had been handed.
“My, my, you seem to be losing control of your flock,” Tatiana told him, but Marcus realized that she was only trying to get a rise out of him. He ignored her, examining the numbers before him.
“What am I looking at?” he asked, and Tatiana sighed.
“It’s the dates and times associated with the transfers,” she explained, standing up from her seat to show him. “See here? That is when seven thousand dollars were transferred from the Pelham fund into the unnamed offshore. And here? This is the ten grand from Lingergram.” Marcus’ pulse quickened, and he glanced at Tatiana out of the corner of his eye. “Each transfer slightly more than the last. Whoever it was started testing the waters, waiting a few days and taking more.”
But it wasn’t the amounts that troubled Marcus the most: it was the dates.
“These were all done within the last month,” he muttered, and she nodded.
“Yes, I noticed that too,” she commented. Tatiana stared at him, her expression changing. “When did you say the new one started here?”
“Around the same time,” Marcus mumbled, his head beginning to swim with the evidence he faced.
“And when did she leave?”
“I get it,” Marcus said defensively. “It looks bad for Addison.”
“Just humor me, Marcus. What day did she leave?” Tatiana asked again, and he gritted his teeth together.
“The nineteenth,” he relented.
A long, red fingernail tapped at the last entry on the page. Marcus felt his blood run cold.
“The last withdrawal was two weeks ago on the nineteenth,” Tatiana said. “And there hasn’t been another transaction since.”
12
A seed of paranoia had embedded itself in Addison’s belly, and while she didn’t know specifically why she was feeling that way, it was there everywhere she went.
When she left her apartment to go to work, she could not shake the sense that she was being watched. At the diner, she found herself looking over her shoulder, but no one ever seemed to be out of place or staring at her.
And yet…
“You are very jumpy,” Ramon commented as they closed the restaurant. “You keep looking behind you as if you expect the boogie man to jump out and eat you.”
“No, I don’t!” Addison denied, but even as she said it, she gazed toward the parking lot, looking for unfamiliar cars.
Who would possibly be following you? she thought, rolling her eyes at her own silliness. There was not a person in the world who cared that much about her.
“You are worried about something,” Ramon insisted, and Addison wished he was not so perceptive. At least Olivia didn’t notice her furtive glances and subtle hand-wringing. Ramon was much more apt to pick up on those traits.
“You’re imagining things,” she replied flatly. “Don’t you have dishes to wash or something?”
His expression changed into one of annoyance. “You’re different since you came back,” he told her. “Whatever you did in that month hardened you. I’m not sure I like you this way.”
The words stung her, and Addison gaped at him as he disappeared back into the galley. She hadn’t changed… had she? Aside from her broken heart, she felt like the same person, but could Ramon be right?
Well, at least she was not a part of Williams Industries any longer, though that didn’t mean she still did not long for Marcus every night when she went to bed. Sleep never came easily, and she eventually used the time she would usually spend tossing and turning to recall all the moments she and Marcus had shared together over the past year.
He was going to take me away that weekend, she thought mournfully. That proves that he cares about me. He was going to leave everyone else behind and spend two whole days with me, but I chose my job over him.
Another voice in her head snorted. It was a good thing she hadn’t gone—if she had, she wouldn’t only be without a man, she would also be without a job. Ever since the stunt Olivia had pulled with the gas leak, they were all walking on thin ice with John these days. He wouldn’t give Addison a third chance.
It was a vicious circle of would have, could have, should have that always had the same result: if she didn’t have Marcus to herself, she would never be truly happy. She knew she had done the right thing by leaving. If she had stayed, it would have only gotten worse for her.
But that didn’t stop her from imagining they were still together, that her ideal scenario had somehow come true.
Addison sighed as she envisioned Marcus above her, his blue eyes boring into hers as he smiled.
“God, I miss you,” she murmured, a burst of heat slithering through her body, landing between her thighs.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” Marcus told her, his face inches from hers. Addison inhaled his spicy aftershave, the bristles of his face brushing against her cheek. A tingle shot through her abdomen, her fingers making their way beneath the waistband of her satin pajamas.
“Why do you need anyone else?” she moaned, her head falling back to make way for his searching lips. His mouth landed on the small of her neck, tasting her sweetly, his breath tickling the flesh of her bare shoulder.
“I don’t need anyone else,” Marcus mumbled. “There is only you, Addison.” Happiness exploded in her heart, and she pressed her finger against the pulsating nub between her legs, his lips trailing along the curve of her clavicles. “You are the most beautiful girl I have ever known,” he said gruffly. “Your innocence knows no bounds. You make me hard just thinking about you.”
Addison raised her hips, her fingers becoming the bulge she wanted to feel at her core. His kisses grew more urgent, and she imagined his palms seizing her wrists, pinning her to the pillows as his hips rocked against her, his unit tightening against the flimsy material of her panties. Her digits were slick as she slid them inside of herself faster, applying pressure to her openings with her thumb.
A low moan fell from her lips, and as Marcus entered her, a blast of heat gushed forth onto her palms, her fingertips working feverishly as her toes curled into the sheets, the muscles of her neck straining as the orgasm overtook her body.
Addison didn’t want to stop, but she could hear the door of the apartment opening, indicating that Janine had come home.
No, no! she thought desperately. Don’t slip away, not yet!
She tried to block out the sound of Janine’s loud footsteps walking down the hall, clinging to the feeling of Marcus inside her, but the pounding on her door made fulfilling the rest of her dreamscape impossible.
“Addy, are you asleep?” Janine called, and there was something odd about her voice. She sounded… scared.
Addison snapped out of her reverie and sat up. “No, come in.”
The door flew open, and Roscoe came bounding inside, hurling his wiggling body onto her lap. Addison petted the dog absently, studying her roommate’s face against the light of the moon filtering in through the parted curtains.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “What happened?” Janine strode toward her, perching nervously on the edge of her bed.
“I have this weird feeling that someone has been following me
the last few days,” she confessed, and Addison felt an explosion of goosebumps on her arms.
“What?” she demanded. “Who? Why?”
Janine shook her head miserably and popped a thumb in her mouth to chew on a cuticle.
“I don’t know,” she said falteringly. “It was just a feeling until tonight. I kept thinking someone was watching me at school or work. Once I thought I saw a car following me, but the windows were tinted, and I couldn’t see the driver…”
Fear slithered down Addy’s spine. “So what happened tonight?”
“I am sure that I saw the same car following me back from the subway,” Janine went on. “I ducked down the alleyways, but when I ended up back on Danforth, the car was still there, parked as if he knew exactly where I was going to come out! It’s weird, Addy. Does this have anything to do with you?”
Addison’s jaw locked, and she shook her head.
“I can’t imagine why anyone would follow you,” she replied. “But I have had the same feeling over the last few days. I think we need to go to the police.”
Janine looked at her, an anxious relief on her face. “So, you really don’t know anything about this?” she exhaled, and Addison shook her head.
“I’m not mixed up in anything uncouth, Janine,” she promised her friend. “We’ll file a report in the morning, okay? Try to get some rest.”
Janine slowly rose from the bed, nodding. She glanced sheepishly at Addison.
“Sorry I barged in here like that,” she mumbled. “I’ve just been feeling paranoid.”
Addy laughed shakily. “Trust me, so have I. No need be sorry. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Whoever it is, they probably think we’re someone we’re not.”
Janine nodded.
“Come on, Roscoe,” she called to the dog, whose head hung over the side of the bed in a state of meditative peace, his tongue lolling out of his parted jowls.
The mutt made no move.
“Roscoe!” Janine called again, and Addison chuckled, pushing the dog’s solid body. He still refused to budge.
“He’s okay here,” Addison said, grinning, but Janine did not look happy. Her expression made Addison realize that her roommate was scared, and she wanted Roscoe to sleep with her in her room, just to be safe. “Come on, Roscoe,” Addison said with renewed force, pulling the half-sleeping animal up.
He grunted, reluctantly jumping from the bed to follow Janine out into the hallway. Janine smiled gratefully at her.
“Goodnight,” Addison said.
“Night.”
The door closed, and Addison sank back into the bed, her heart hammering. No matter how confident she had sounded to Janine, the understanding that she was not overreacting scared her more than the paranoia that had plagued her the past days.
Now we’re both being watched? she wondered. This can’t have anything to do with Marcus, can it? And if it does, why is he following Janine, too?
Addison could not imagine her former lover skulking around in the dark, chasing down a grad student and a waitress. Marcus was the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar corporation, and even if he weren’t, what reason would he have to follow her or Janine? None of it made any sense.
Then again, hadn’t Melissa told her that he was angry with her in the text she’d sent her? How angry could Marcus be? And why was he so angry?
Addison flipped onto her side, trying to make sense of what was happening.
In the morning, we will do as I said, she decided. We’ll report this weird behavior and then we’ll hit the Spy Shop for bear spray and hunting knives.
Addison closed her eyes and attempted to reconjure the image of Marcus in her mind, to finish her little sinful pleasure. Suddenly, though, she didn’t associate him with lust. She regarded him as a danger to her own wellbeing. Addison bit on her lower lip, opening her eyes to stare out the window into the starless city night.
A loud pounding reverberated down the hallway and toward her bedroom, making her jump. Roscoe began to howl, the sound of his nails scraping across the parquet flooring filling her ears as the banging continued from the front door.
Addison leaped from the bed, snatching up a white terrycloth robe, and met Janine in the hallway. They stared at each other, terrified as they stood still. Roscoe was going crazy, jumping at the door.
“Did you lock it?” Addison whispered, and Janine nodded, her complexion white.
“Open the door!” a man bellowed from the outside hallway. “Open the door right now and secure any animals on the premises!”
Addison pressed her index finger to her lips, encouraging Janine to stand down. Slowly, she backed into her bedroom, snatching her cell phone from the nightstand where it was charging as the pounding grew louder.
“This is your last chance before I enter!” the man roared. “Open the door! Addison! Janine!”
With trembling fingers, Addison snatched Janine’s hand and pulled her into the bathroom, locking the door behind them. She dialed 9-1-1 as the front door crashed open, the sound of splintering wood making Janine squeal.
Roscoe yelped, and both women’s faces twisted in pain. What was this intruder doing to their poor dog?
“9-1-1, police, fire or ambulance?”
“Please!” Addison whispered. “There is someone in our apartment. I need the police!”
“One moment.” The sound of heavy footfall outside the door made them squeeze together closer, and Addison held her breath.
“Toronto Police Services. What seems to be the problem?” a voice intoned from the other end of the phone. The footsteps paused outside the door, and Addison found that she could not breathe. “Hello? What seems to be the problem?”
The intruder in the hall sighed so deeply, they could hear it distinctively through the door. He knocked on the wood of the bathroom door almost impatiently.
“Addison Dryden and Janine Bell,” he said, “this is your last chance to come out with your hands up, or I will be forced to kick the door down. Toronto Police. Show yourselves and your hands if you want to make it out of here in one piece.”
13
Tavia’s hands dug into Marcus’ back, easily kneading the knots in his skin away.
“You’re a mess,” Tavia sighed, her crotch pressed against his naked buttocks. “When was the last time you got a massage?”
“Last week,” Marcus responded. “Is it that bad?”
“It’s the worst I’ve seen it,” she replied, her hand working down his shoulders.
“Long few weeks,” he admitted. “It’s all coming down now.”
“Wanna talk about it?” she asked, and Marcus chuckled.
“Not really,” he sighed. “I want to forget about it altogether and enjoy my downtime.” Unexpectedly, he flipped around and toppled Tavia down onto the California king bed.
“Mr. Williams!” Tavia teased. “I’m not that kind of girl!”
“What a shame,” Marcus mumbled. “Those are the only kinds I like.”
He leaned in to kiss her, but as he did, he automatically felt repelled, as if touching her was wrong. Tavia met him halfway, her arms encircling his neck, and drew his face closer to his for a kiss, but he abruptly pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, confusion settling in her green eyes.
“Nothing,” he answered quickly. “I just realized my cell is in the living room.”
“I’ll get it,” Tavia volunteered.
Marcus, though, was already on his feet.
“I’m expecting a phone call.” He darted naked into the neighboring room, grateful to be away from her. He didn’t want to explain why, for the third night, he could not perform.
To his relief, the phone rang as he snatched it off the coffee table. “Marcus Williams.”
“Mr. Williams, it’s Darren Winters.” His heart stopped, and for a moment, he could not breathe. “Mr. Williams?”
“I’m here, Darren,” he said. “What do you have?”
“I would prefer to meet you in pers
on, if it’s not too much of an inconvenience. At your leisure, of course.”
“Where are you right now?” Marcus asked, glancing over his shoulder to where Tavia had set up in the doorway.
“I’m downtown. Yonge and Dundas.”
“I can meet you at Yonge and Dundas Square in forty-five minutes,” Marcus replied.
“I look forward to it, sir. And Mr. Williams?”
“Yes?”
“I’m afraid I have some disappointing news, sir.”
Marcus felt a flash of heat rush through him, and he disconnected the call.
“You can’t be seriously leaving now,” Tavia moaned. “You just got here!”
“Work calls, my dear,” he replied smoothly, moving back toward the bedroom. As he brushed past her, he placed a prefectural kiss on her cheek and began to dress. Tavia followed him back into the bedroom, her eyes fixated on him.
“Marcus…?” she purred, sliding onto the bed, her lithe body crawling toward him as he put on his socks.
“Hmm?” he hummed, his mind still on the phone call.
Darren had been following Addison at his request, learning everything he possibly could about the woman who had been stealing from his company. Marcus wanted to ensure that he had every piece of information before confronting Addison and demanding his money back.
A part of him wondered if hiring the private investigator had been necessary or if Marcus had simply been buying time to avoid the inevitable. And now he was about to be confronted with the truth: that the woman with whom he had become insurmountably smitten was a thief.
“Have you given any thought as to who will move into the penthouse?”
The question snapped Marcus to attention, and his head jerked around to look at Tavia. “What?”
She stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth pouty as she slithered toward him.
“It’s empty since you kicked Addison out, isn’t it?” she asked innocently, and Marcus felt the tension in his back returning.
“Why do you know anything about that?” he asked slowly.
Tavia chuckled and sat back, playfully shaking her head. “Oh, come on, Marcus. You know that we know what’s going on with the others. It’s not a secret or a big deal.”
