I bowed my head and let the tears flow freely down my face. I grieved for him, for the loss of his life, the loss of our life together, our future. Sobs racked my body as I let the grief consume me. “I’m so sorry, baby.” I cried over and over to the empty room. My slackened body slumped to the side. Unable to fight it, I let my body fall to the ground. I pulled the box to my chest, huddled into the fetal position.
I woke the next morning, the sun streaming through the open blinds, blinding me. I stretched out my tight muscles, uncoiling them like a cat, I arched my back. I blinked several times against the blinding light. The movement to my left alerted me that I wasn’t alone. I jerked to an upright position, my eyes scanned the room falling on a tall hulking figure standing with his back to me looking out the large floor to ceiling window at the bustling crowd below.
I sat silently taking in his broad frame. His shoulders were a mile wide, thick and covered in tight taut muscles. His long thick muscular legs sat like tree trunks, grounding him in place. His narrow waist tapered in, drawing attention to his narrow hips. I had never seen him in the nude but it never stopped my brain from creating its own X-rated images. He stood with his hand braced above his head, holding onto the windowsill. I could feel my mouth salivate at the image of him. My core flushed with heat, moisture gathered between my heated legs.
I had no idea what kind of dream this was but I had no interest in waking up. I had never dreamed of anyone I dealt with in the present, only the past and always about Brittan. This was different. I was dreaming of Klaus in my apartment dressed smartly in a pair of black slacks and a crisp white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up his thick forearms. A loan moan of delight resonated deep in my chest.
Klaus turned from the window to face me. His lips set in a firm grim line. I could make out the lines of worry around his eyes. This wasn’t a fantasy, this was much worse. This was reality. I scrambled for my box, hoping to hide it before he noticed it. On my hands and knees, I felt around on the floor, coming up empty handed.
“Looking for this?” His voice was deep and laced with anger.
I spun around on my knees to see him standing there with my box in his hands. Without thinking I lunged at him, hoping to rip it from his grasp. I had no idea what I would do with it after I got my hands on it. I just knew I needed to keep it from him. He pulled the box up over his head, holding it out of my reach. I stood, my body pressed against his as I tried to snatch it from his grasp, every time coming up short.
“Please give it back.” I cried, tears stung the back of my eyes. I couldn’t let him see what was inside. It was my one shame. The worst parts of me were inside that box. It was the secret I desperately needed to keep. No one would understand. No one could understand. It was the only way I could see him… the only way.
“I’ve seen inside your box. There are no more secrets, Shelby.” His voice was cold and firm, freezing me instantly.
“You looked inside my box?” I asked swaying on my feet in shock.
Tossing the box to the floor he lifted me into his arms as though I weighed nothing, carrying me like a child. His long legs ate up the distance between the living room and the bathroom. Without words, he set me on the ground. Reaching into the shower he turned on the water, twisting the knobs until he got the temperature adjusted. I watched in stunned silence.
He knows…He knows… the words repeated like a mantra in my mind. I was momentarily jarred from the repeating thought as Klaus silently stripped me of my clothing. I stood there bare to him as he removed yesterday’s work clothes from my body, rumpled from sleeping in them. I fought to hide my body from him. To hide the marks that gave me away. His eyes glanced over me dismissively, a sneer pulled at his lip. He was disgusted with what he saw.
Roughly he shoved me into the shower under the hot spray. I let the water beat against my body, soaking in its warmth into my cold empty body. Thick warm hands ran across my body a soapy rag clutched in one of them. Through my shock, I had never noticed him stripping off his clothes or getting in the shower with me.
“Turn,” He commanded gruffly.
Crudely his hands maneuvered my body the way he wanted me as he scrubbed my body clean. I allowed him free range of my body. I had nothing left to hide. Every secret I had held dear he had laid out exposed. I waited for the lashing out, the yelling and screaming about how I am ruining my life. It never came. Other than the occasional command he remained silent.
His silence unnerved me worse than anything. It left me spinning with a tornado of thoughts. Was he angry, confused, disappointed, disgusted, all of the above? He gave me nothing other than a grunt or glare. Finally satisfied with his work, he shut off the water and stepped from the shower. A towel was thrust out to me from his outstretched arm. I graciously took it and began to dry myself off. I could see him out of the corner of my eye doing the same. His upper body, back, and forearms were covered with ink taking me by surprise. I knew he had tattoos on his forearms but I had never imagined there would be so many covering his body. I bit my lip, forcing myself to remain silent, though my eyes lingered.
Roughly he grabbed my upper arm and forced me into my bedroom. Placing me on the bed he began to rifle through my drawers and closet occasionally throwing items in my direction. A white bra and thong landed on the bed beside me. “Get dressed.” He demanded. A pair of white dress pants and a red blouse was tossed in my direction next. I didn’t argue. I dressed as he ordered.
“Your hair and makeup next,” He ordered once I was fully clothed. Klaus had already dressed again in his slacks and dress shirt. His shirt was wrinkled from being tossed aside when he got in the shower. The way it molded to his body let me know that the wrinkles wouldn’t last long. His firm body would iron them out.
I set to work on my hair, blow drying it straight and adding volumizer to give it a little boost. I kept my makeup simple, dabbing enough concealer to cover the deep circles under my eyes. I added some color on my eyes and lips to brighten my face. When I was finished I exited the bathroom to find Klaus handing bags to his Assistant. The bags I noticed were mine.
“Hey,” I choked out. He shot me a venomous look from across the room. His hands tightened into fist at his side. I immediately closed my mouth. Somehow I knew better than to push his buttons any further and especially not in the presence of others.
Once his assistant left with my belongings in tow I whirled on him. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” I glared at him.
“I’m protecting you from yourself.” He skewered me with a look that had me shutting my mouth in fear.
I needed to run, to scream, but my body had become petrified stone. I straightened my shirt and picked at imaginary lint, unable to hold his gaze. I wasn’t afraid that he would hurt me, physically. I was afraid of what he would think, what he already thought if he would tell anyone else. I had only known him for a couple days and both of the times I had come across him ended with him buried deep inside me. I had no idea what kind of man he actually was.
“It’s four o’clock. It’s too late to start the work day. I will have the files you need to catch up delivered to the house, come on.” His tone bared no argument. I let him lead me out of my apartment.
With his hand on the small of my back, Klaus led me to a waiting limo parked outside of my apartment building. The chauffeur opened the door the moment he saw us appear behind the glass doors leading into the building. Klaus silently ushered me into the backseat.
We rode in silence through the streets of downtown Miami toward the coast. The drive was the longest thirty minutes of my life. We reached the large modern beach house just as the sun was setting. I watched out the window of the car as the sun dropped low beneath the horizon of the Miami cityscape. It was breathtaking. I could only imagine what the sunrise would look like being right on the ocean with nothing to obstruct the view.
Klaus stood cantankerously at the opened limo door waiting for me to climb out. I had been so transfixed on the suns
et that I hadn’t realized he had exited the car. Carefully I slid from the seat, stepping out into his outstretched arms. With an arm around my waist, he ushered me inside the large home.
Klaus’ home was nothing and yet everything I could imagine. Smooth sharp clean lines, minimalist décor, and natural elements. The floors were stamped concrete that had been dyed to resemble aging copper. The colors blended between turquoise, copper, and a chocolaty brown. The walls were the color of rich buttermilk with accents of copper in all of its varied stages of oxidization. It was manly yet modern.
Klaus guided me through the house with expert ease, giving me a tour of the place I was to call home until he deemed fit for me to be on my own. The notion that I could not be left on my own angered me and burned me alive, though I remained silent as I seethed, I had no idea what he had in store for me or if he would keep my secret.
If word got out about my drug use I would be blackballed. My career would be over and I would have to resort to working a remedial job flipping burgers or waitressing. I had no other skill sets to fall back on. I refused to move back home to my mother’s and there was absolutely no way I could tell my uncle Hank what happened. He had worked so hard to set me on the right path. It would just break his heart and crush his soul if he knew that all that he had done had been in vain. No, I needed to keep my anger in check and see what Klaus had in store for me. I needed his promise that he would keep my secret.
“Dinner will be ready and an hour, why don’t you lie down and rest until then. I will come and get you when it is ready.” Though his words sounded like a suggestion, they were anything but. I gave him a tight smile and nodded my head in agreement.
“Which room will I be in?” I asked timidly. Throughout the tour, the only bedroom he had shown me was the master bedroom. Surely he did not intend for me to sleep with him every night. We hardly knew one another.
“You will be sharing a room with me, in the master.” I saw the twinkle in his eyes and slight curve of his lip. He was enjoying my unease and discomfort.
I opened my mouth to object only for him to silence me with his finger pressed to my lips. “No argument.” His eyes bore into mine. I could see his determination to win this argument. I backed down once again and turned in the direction of the master bedroom. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away, burning a hole into the center of my back. I needed to figure out a way out of this mess.
Chapter Nine
Klaus
When Shelby hadn’t shown up for work I had panicked. I made a call down to her assistant, Meg, and found out that she had not left yesterday like I had been told. Instead, she had stayed and worked on the Schnider project and had completed it.
I spent my morning going over the completed project. She had done a wonderful job with the additions. I felt a surge of pride swell my heart. This really could be the woman. The one that changes everything for me. I wondered why my father had kept her a secret for so long. I had every intention to ask him the next time I saw him.
After he had passed the proverbial baton he had jumped the first plane out of her to travel the world. The very same day, his assistant Elizabeth also left. I had a feeling the two of them were together. I wasn’t upset about it, though. I knew that my father had been faithful to my mother, all the way to the very end. I only hoped that he would find that happiness again. I hoped he could find it with Liz. She had been with him since the beginning and had lost her husband around the same time my mother passed. It seemed almost fitting that the two would find comfort on one another.
By the time lunch time had rolled around I had really begun to worry. I had made several phone calls to her assistant Meg and found out that not only was she not in but this was unusual behavior for her. Shelby was always prompt and reliable. It wasn’t like her to not come into to work or not call in.
I began to worry that her actions had been a result of our time together in my office. Without further thought, I grabbed my keys and left the office. I had found her address and phone number in her file and committed them to memory. It wasn’t because I had planned on stalking her. I had memorized them out of sheer need to know. I needed to know how to contact the head of my linguistics department as with the same as all of the department heads. I just hadn’t gotten around to memorizing their information. At least that was what I told myself.
I pulled up to the building where Shelby lived and sat in my car, watching as people walked in and out of the tall old brick building. Her apartment was located in one of the nicer parts of town. This area was an older area that held much of Miami’s charm without the crime rate. The buildings were old brick masonry and architecture located directly next to a beautiful dog park.
Unable to postpone any longer, I turned off the car and into the building. I found her door on the fourth floor. I knocked for several minutes with no answer. Feeling I was at my wit's end I went down to the building manager’s office. After some careful persuasion and several hundred dollars lighter, I was given a spare key. Though I was thankful to have been given access so easily I would have to talk to Shelby about moving or ensuring the building manager was not so eager to give out keys.
I inserted the key into the lock and carefully swung open the door. My eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the room. Her apartment was reasonably sized, beautiful old hardwood floors and warm soft beige walls. I could see bits of Shelby’s personality reflected in the sparse decoration.
My throat caught as I saw her lying motionless on the floor. I rushed to her side. The sound of her soft breathing was the only thing keeping my heart from beating out of my chest. She was asleep, a deep heavy sleep.
I couldn’t help but to take in the sight of her lying there. A small smile pulled at my lips. I had checked the records. She had worked until the wee hours of the morning. She was still wearing the clothes she wore to work.
I leaned over to nudge her awake and saw a small wooden box tucked into her arms. Unable to help myself I gently pried the box from her arms. My curiosity had been piqued. I was curious about everything that made this remarkable woman who she was. I knew it was wrong but I couldn’t help it. I settled onto the comfortable couch, placing the box on the coffee table. My eyes darted to her still sleeping form. Would she know if I took a peek? Would she care? This box had to mean something to her if she was huddled around it asleep on the cold wooden floor.
Gently, as not to wake her, I lifted the lid of the box.
It took a moment for my brain to catch up to what my eyes were seeing. It was as though my brain could not fully process the scene. I didn’t want to believe it. I closed the lid of the box and began to pace the room.
There was no way that the delicate beautiful woman asleep on the floor was the owner of the box. There had to have been some mistake. How can a woman, a Harvard grad, exceptional linguist, master programmer, be an addict. How could it be that she was keeping this secret?
In the box lay a handful of syringes, a bag of white powder and a metal spoon. There was just no way. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. She had even included a handful of alcohol wipe pads, as though infection were her biggest threat.
I stood from the couch, full of pent up energy and began to search her house. The kitchen was bare of food. There wasn’t even the essential milk, eggs, and butter in there, the same with the freezer. Her pantry was just as barren hosting only a small box of white rice. I had seen her salary. I knew we paid her enough for her to live comfortably. The apartment she lived in wasn’t luxurious enough to eat up her pay. Hell, the building manager even gave me a key for fucks sakes.
I searched through the house, invading every inch of her privacy. She had no pictures anywhere in the apartment, her drawers held the usual variety of essentials. It was as though she regulated all of her dirty little secrets to that one box. Everything about her apartment, other than the lack of food, screamed normal.
My mind raced. Had I been the one to push her to this? Was it my rough advances that turned
her to drug use? I shook the thoughts from my head, quickly dismissing them. There had to have been something more. There was something she was hiding or hiding from. I had yet to decide.
One thing was for certain. She could not be left alone. She was obviously incapable of taking care of herself. Someone had to do it for her. Someone had to show her that what she was doing was wrong.
One way or another she would learn. She would realize that what she was doing was wrong. Not only was it wrong it was illegal, disgusting, and could kill her.
My mind was made up. She was coming home with me. I ran through the house and jotted down her size and the items she would need. With a quick call, I arranged for a room to be set up for her at my place and for all of the essentials to be purchased and in place when we arrived.
I made a call to the car service and arranged for a car and for a driver to take my car back home. I did not trust myself to be able to drive after finding out all of this new information. My focus and energy would need to be on her, on Shelby.
I decided to let her wake on her own instead of waking her myself. I would need that extra time to cool off. Without it, there was no telling what I would do. No, I wouldn’t hit her, at least not in a way as to harm her. She definitely needed a good spanking. But I did not trust my words. I knew that the last thing she needed was for someone to tell her how stupid she had been.
I stood staring out the window in the living room watching as people passed through the parks with their dogs. That was when I heard her stir. I remained at the window, my eyes focused on the trees below but my ears tuned into her every move.
I heard her rise, her sharp intake of breath when she noticed me in her apartment.
It killed me when I spun around, her eyes taking me in. like I was a dream come true. I watched as the realization dawned on her. I was not a dream but a reality. I watched as she dove for the ground. The sound of her hands and knees banging against the floor as she searched for her treasure box, her hidden secret. She would never find it.
Chasing Brittan Page 7
