by Serena Vale
The motel room was still dark, despite the afternoon sun shining cheerfully outside in direct opposition to the nervous tension filling the small room. The heavy drapes were pulled closed across the window, and the silence was the only sound. Adeline sat on the bed, now made, her pulse beating a too fast rhythm that she couldn’t do anything about.
Jay had called Blake a few hours earlier to check in, letting him know he had found her, and accidentally letting slip the motel she was staying at. It wouldn’t take Blake longer than a trip to the front desk to find out which room was hers.
Adeline shivered despite the afternoon warmth, taking a deep breath to try and calm her rattling nerves. She didn’t know if she could do this. Suddenly standing, pacing back and forth in front of the foot of the mattress. She glanced at it, picturing her and Jay, their bodies tangled there just hours before.
The thought of him calmed her, gave her the strength she needed to go through with this. A scrape at the door had her jumping, spinning around, and adrenaline surging through her. No, she had been right before. She really couldn’t do this. Only, it was too late to back out now.
The brass doorknob rattled angrily, then a pressure against the door. Adeline tried to take a deep breath, but couldn’t. Panic closed her throat and left her mind completely blank as the rusted lock finally gave in, and the door swung open to bang back against the wall.
She tried to scream, but couldn't make a sound as Blake stepped into the room, and casually shut the door behind him. Fear had her paralyzed, frozen to the spot. All she could do was watch as Blake arrogantly sidled closer, the look on his face all conceited pride and self-impressed cockiness as if he knew she wouldn’t put up a fight. As if he’d already won.
“So, I found you, you bitch.” His sneer twisted his face as the rage and hatred that boiled just under the surface were exposed for a second, before hidden again over his pleasant facade.
“I’m going to take you home, and teach you a lesson you won’t ever forget.” His words jolted her out of her stupor.
“I’m not going with you.” Adeline hated the weakness in her voice, but at least she’d said the words. She had been worried she wouldn’t be able to do even that.
Blake’s eyes widened in outrage at her refusal.
“I don’t think you heard me.” His voice was hard, an edge of something unstable made her skin crawl. “We. Are. Going. Home.” Adeline couldn’t believe she had once thought herself in love with this man. How could she have been so blind to his true, twisted nature?
“And I said no! I’m not going anywhere with you. Not now. Not ever!” She was proud of the new found strength adding weight to her words. She was even a bit surprised, the old Adeline would have never dared to talk to Blake like this.
A thrill of confidence had her standing straighter, facing him head on. A challenging glint entered her dark blue eyes.
“We are over. I never want to see you again, I’m going to file a restraining order. I’m through with letting you hurt me.” Blake’s nostrils flared as anger turned his features ugly, unable to stand her challenging him. He walked towards her threateningly.
“Hurt? Oh, you think I hurt you before, just wait…Agghhh.” His temper-laced threats were cut off as Jay locked him in a choke hold, Detective Jones slapping cuffs around his wrists as he read him his rights.
Jay and his friend, the detective, had been hiding in the bathroom, lights off, the door cracked just enough to hear every incriminating word, not mention witnessing his breaking and entering. While Blake was being detained, Jay rushed to Adeline’s side, throwing his arms around her and squeezing so tight she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t complain either, there was no other place she wanted to be except in his embrace.
“I’m so proud of you.” His gruff compliment sent warmth shooting through her, helping to settle her still jangling nerves. She looked up into his eyes, her own shining with gratitude.
“Thank you.” She turned to watch Detective Jones walk Blake out of the motel room, out of her life, and into the unmarked squad car parked outside. She leaned into Jay, soaking in the feeling of his body, his strength, surrounding her. Adeline whispered again, so quietly Jay could barely hear it, but he felt it echo throughout his entire being.
“Thank you.”
Chapter 8
Jay sat back in the old desk chair, it creaked as it gave alarmingly under his weight, but soon stabilized. Rubbing his eyes against a headache that had been steadily growing all day, he glanced at the clock on his desk. Damn it. Almost seven already.
Another long day and longer night stuck in the office had him feeling restless. As his reputation as a top Private Investigator had grown, so had the seriousness of his cases, and the file he had flipped open in front of him was one of the biggest jobs he’d had yet.
He was still waiting for a break, but his animal instincts told him to keep persevering. And his animal instincts were hardly ever wrong. They tingled now, the hair on the back of his neck rising just before the frosted glass door opened.
Jay could hear the soft click of high heels against the checkered linoleum floor as they drew closer to the back office, and where he was sitting. Her distinctive scent found him first, wrapping around him in clouds of Lavender and sweetness.
The door of his office opened, and Adeline’s shining blond curls peeked around the big slab of aged hardwood. It was closely followed by her wide forehead with furrowed brows slashing over the most beautiful blue eyes had ever seen. The sight of them still had him catching his breath, even after six months.
Her curved nose, full mouth, and pixie chin all followed in quick succession, but his eyes stayed fixated on her mouth. Oh, the things she could do with that mouth. Jay shifted, trying to ease some of the sudden pressure caused by his wayward thoughts when the chair gave another ominous creak. He felt it give with a slight drop, level out, and then the back loosened completely, leaving him in an ungracious heap on the cold floor.
Peals of feminine laughter had him looking up, Adeline’s sweet face staring down at him with mirth and love shining clear and bright as she tried to control her giggles. She put a hand over her mouth, covering the inadvertent cause of his predicament.
“Are you okay?” She managed between chuckles, reaching her hands down to help him up to his feet. He took hold but turned the tables on her by giving a quick tug, pulling her down on top of him instead, and inciting another burst of laughter.
“Hey, you better watch that bear strength of yours.” Adeline teased. It warmed his heart whenever she joked about his true nature. It had been a hard conversation a few months ago when he had brought it up, but it had turned out that she had known about him, and his other half, since the beginning.
She had seen him shift when he had defended her against those thugs in the alley, not quite believing her eyes at first. As she had come to know him, witnessed more of the incredible feats his bear half allowed him to accomplish, she was convinced.
Jay was still amazed that she had accepted him so easily, more open-hearted and generous than he had a right to ask for. And also sweeter. He stared up at her, awed at how lucky he was to have found this incredible woman, the twists, and turns of fate that had led him into her path.
“Hey.” The mirth in her eyes slowly transformed into something more serious as she stared down into his dark brown eyes, still laying on his chest.
“Hey back.” He whispered back, his body hardening, impossible to ignore the press of her luscious curves or the spark of desire firing behind the blue in her eyes.
“I thought we should go get some food, but maybe we should just find someplace more comfortable first.” Jay chuckled, the sound is distinctly masculine as he drew her up his already straining body.
“How about you just stay on top,” He grinned at her, “It’s your favorite anyways.” It had quickly become his as well. Adeline grinned saucily back at him.
“You’ll be my bed?”
“Baby, I’ll be
your bed, your house, your whole world if you just promise me one thing.”
She shifted on top of him, tilting her head to one side.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” His eyes stared up at hers holding all the love he had in his heart for her.
“Don’t let go.”
THE END
