by C. M. Allen
Sloane
Just as I left Archer's place, I got a text from Jared asking what the hell had been going on with me and why haven't I texted him back. So I decided to just text him to meet me this afternoon at the café, that way I could just get this over with and not have the guilt about what I was doing with Archer behind his back weigh me down any longer.
Pulling into the parking lot, I spotted him leaning on his car with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for me. As I got out of my car, I asked. "Have you been waiting long?"
"Nope." Hearing the tone behind his one-word clipped answer, I already knew this was going to get even uglier than I had anticipated.
I walked over to him. "Look Jared, I'm really sorry about not texting you back last night, I just... I didn't know what to say to you."
He uncrossed his arms and moved closer to me. "What is that supposed to mean? What's really going on with you, Sloane?"
Looking down to take a moment to sum up my courage, I looked back up into the eyes of someone I grew to care a lot for over the weeks and took a deep breath before I had to deliver the hurtful blow. "Before I met you, I was kind of seeing someone, a-and we've decided that we're going to give things with us another try. I am so sorry about this, I never wanted to hurt you Jared, ever, that was not my intention..."
Cutting me off, he spit out. "Let me guess, the asshole I dealt with the other day who said he needed to catch up with you, is the guy you’re talking about?"
"Yes, it is. I am so so..."
"Don't! Don't apologize. I don't want anymore apologies from you. I gave you everything. Treated you like a princess and this is how you repay me? Like I'm some jerk you can just use and then throw away because your ex says things will be better this time around? Jesus Sloane, I really thought you and I had something good going. Apparently I was the only one who was falling in love here."
Shocked at his confession that he was falling in love with me, the guilt and sadness of what I'd just done to him started to weigh even heavier on my heart, and tears began to flood my eyes. "I... am... so... so sorry Jared. I had no idea you even felt that way about me. I care about you. I really do. But my heart belongs to him, and I can't change that. I thought I could. I thought if I could just be away from him and move on with my life, that love I had for him would eventually fade away, but it hasn't. I was only fooling myself and managed to hurt you in the process."
Letting out a sigh, he ran his hands down his face, seemingly trying to collect himself. "Are you sure you really want to do this?"
"I have to. If I'm going to try again with him, I have to be in it all the way and that includes not dating anyone else."
"Did he put you up to this?" Not answering fast enough, he said, "He did, didn't he? What, the guy can't handle a little competition? Well, I'm not going out like this, Sloane. I'm not giving up on us."
Tears flowing faster I begged him. "Please Jared, just let me go. I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have."
Stepping forward, he grabbed me by my arms and pulled me in, covering my mouth with his. He kissed me with such passion, my mind failed to realize that this was supposed to be over between us.
Finally gaining my common sense back, I pushed him away. "Please, Jared, you can't do things like that."
"You still feel something for me, Sloane. You can't tell me that after that kiss you felt nothing at all, because if you do, it's a damn lie, and you know it."
My mind and emotions started spinning at a million miles per hour, and I couldn't seem to reach out fast enough to get a grip on them. Thinking this was going to be anything short of impossible to break up with Jared was my first mistake. My second, was letting him kiss me. I needed to end this now and just walk away before anything else I'd regret happened. "I'm sorry, Jared. I need to go. I'm very sorry for any pain I've caused you, but I can't see you anymore."
Turning on my heels quickly to get back into my car and leave, I only made it to my door before he stopped me, turning me around to face him and pinning me up against my car door. "Don't do this, Sloane. Don't end things with us like this I know...."
Hearing a car door slam only moments before Jared was ripped away from my body, I saw Gage, holding him by his shirt. "Are you okay, Sloane?"
Nodding my head, and feeling the panic of what it looked like, but wasn't, I felt the need to explain quickly. "Gage, it's okay, really. He wasn't harming me at all, we were just talking."
"Yeah asshole, care to let me go now?" Jared got out through gritted teeth.
"That's not what it looked like to me when I pulled up," he said, releasing, Jared. "It looked like this guy here was trying to intimidate you, and it's lucky that it was me that found you dude, because if it was Archer that saw that shit there would be no talking about it."
Hoping that Gage didn't see Jared kiss me as well, I tried to defuse the situation before it escalated. "Gage, please just go on into the café to meet up with McKenzie. I've got this."
He sternly looked between myself and Jared. "Are you sure your okay?"
"Yes, I am. I promise."
Looking back at Jared one more time, he glared at him. "I'll be right Inside, so I'd be very smart if I were you, and keep your hands off of the lady."
Jared instantly copped an attitude with Gage." Whatever, man. Are you done now so I can finish my conversation with my girlfriend, or what?"
Going pale at his comment about me still being his girlfriend, I knew now for sure that there was no stopping Gage from telling Archer what he saw here today. Chuckling to himself and shaking his head, he walked away. "Yeah, sure thing, man." As he got closer to the café, I could already see him fishing his phone out of his pocket, and I knew I'd only had about fifteen minutes or so before Archer showed up next, ready to fight Jared. I needed to get him out of here, now!
"Jared, just please go now. It's over between us. I'm not your girlfriend now, and I never was. We were just seeing each other, that's all. And now we're done."
Opening the door to my car and getting in, Jared grabbed a hold of it before I got it closed. "This isn't over Sloane. I know he's forcing you to do this, and I'm not going to let him, you hear me? You and me, we're not done here yet," he said before slamming it shut.
Looking up, I caught sight of Gage walking out of the café and heading straight towards me as Jared got into his car to leave.
Gage tapped on my car window, and I rolled it down. "You okay?"
I nodded my head, wiping the tears away that just wouldn't stop, and then I noticed Gage look off to his right. When I looked in the same direction, I saw Archer exiting one of the company Range Rovers. "You just had to call him; didn't you Gage?" I asked in a defeated tone.
"Sorry, but if it were me in his shoes, I would want to know. So yes, I did."
The passenger side of my car opened, and Archer slid in, shutting it behind him with an expression of anger written all over his face. "Thanks for the heads-up man." He told Gage.
"No problem. I'd want to know if it was my woman some guy was messing with. I'll leave you to it then." Gage replied as he tapped on the top of my car before he headed back into the café.
Sitting there for a moment, unsure of what to tell Archer about my conversation with Jared, or what was going to happen next, I chanced a look in his direction. "Did he put hands on you, Sloane?"
Shaking my head, I answered. "No, nothing like that, Jared would never hit me or hurt me for that matter. I know it looked bad when Gage pulled up, but we were just talking."
Letting out a breath, he looked out his window before looking back at me and into my eyes; making me feel as if he was looking straight through to my soul again. I knew I couldn’t lie to him. "Did anything else happen that I should know about during this... talk?"
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes for a moment before reopening them. "Yes. H-he, kissed me." Peeking up through my lashes to see his reaction, I watched three things cross over his face. Anger, fear, and hurt. "I'm so so
rry, Archer. I tried to make it clear that I was trying to break things off with him... b-but he said that he was falling in love with me and wasn't going to just let me leave that easily. I begged him to just let me go, but I don't think he really heard me... or just didn't want to hear me."
He pulled my chin up, so I had no other choice but to look at him. "I'm going to follow you back to your place, wait for you to get some of your things and then you're staying with me for the rest of the weekend, okay? I don't want to take any chances with that asshole possibly coming back to your place and putting you through the same shit he just did all over again."
"But Archer...."
Cutting me off, he informed me. "This is not a request, Sloane. Remember I told you, your safety is my responsibility, and I decide what is best for you, and this is what I'm deciding. So let's hurry up and get your things and get you back to my place, Understood?"
Battling back and forth in my head on this show of control he was pulling on me, I decided that it would be best to not be at my place the next couple of days just in case Jared really didn't give up and thought about paying me a visit. "Okay." Kissing me on the lips, he got out of my car, and we both made the drive to my apartment.
CHAPTER
13
Archer
Getting that call from Gage today had me spinning at the thought of losing Sloane all over again. And then to hear Jared fucking kissed her on top of trying to intimidate her into staying in a relationship with him, took every ounce of will I possessed not to leave Sloane in Gage's care and go hunt that prick down myself like the dog he was.
But I made the right choice.
She was my number one priority.
I needed her at my place where I knew she'd be safe.
I knew that I had to find a way to tell her about the murder case I’d been working on soon, but not tonight. She didn't need anymore shit on her plate than what Jared had already piled on. Getting back to my place after we'd gotten some clothes from Sloane's, I looked to see that it was already six o'clock. Knowing I needed to be at The Match Box to meet Summer in a couple of hours, I did my best to make sure she was comfortable in my home before I left. "Are you feeling better now?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her waist, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Yes, I am."
Kissing her again on the lips I told her. "I do have to go out tonight. I'm meeting someone that has information on a case that I'm working on."
Frowning at me, she asked. "What time is your meeting?"
"Eight o'clock."
She gave me a disappointed look. "How long are you going to be gone? I was really looking forward to spending tonight with you."
Cradling her face in my hands, I could see that same reflection of the hurt I had caused her all those times I left her unsure of where our relationship was going. "It should be no more than an hour, and then when I get back, I want you naked in my bed and waiting for me." I pulled her in, kissing her softly at first but then deepening it. After leaving Sloane home alone, all I could think about was getting the information I needed from this woman and getting back to her beautiful naked body, so I can bury myself deep inside of her, and be as close to her as humanly possible.
Pulling up to the Match Box, I headed inside to look around the old bar for any sign of Summer.
Noticing her bright blonde hair, I spotted her in the back with her head down and walked over to where she sat. As I came up to her table, I noticed that she was lost in her own world and tried not to startle her when I approached. "Miss Elliot?"
When she jerked her head up, I felt bad that despite my best efforts she was still startled and very on edge. "Yes, please call me Summer," she said, shaking my outstretched hand.
Sitting down, I asked. "Okay Summer, what did you want to talk to me about? You said that you were scared. Is there someone who’s threatening you?"
She searched around the bar as if to check to see that no one was listening to our conversation. "Y-yes... I am so scared that he's going to come after me and finish what he started. He keeps sending notes to my work, threatening me that if I tell anyone anything that he knows where I live and he's going to make sure I will never be able to talk again."
Tears started to stream down her cheeks, and I could easily see the terror written on her face that she felt. Reaching out and taking her hand in mine, I tried my best to comfort her. "Can you identify your attacker from that night at the club?"
She shook her head. "No, he was wearing a mask. I did see some tattoos on his arms, but it was too dark to tell what they were. I'm sorry, I know I make a terrible witness, but I just had survival on my mind that night and didn't pay much attention to anything else. I just wanted to escape and get away from him as fast as possible, you know."
"I totally understand. Is there anything that he might have said to you or anything about his voice or body movements that you remember? Anything you can remember might help me figure out who this guy is before he tries this with someone else. Also, do you happen to have any of the notes he sent here with you?"
"Yes, I do." She grabbed five pieces of paper out of her purse and slid them over to me. Reading them, I saw that he was definitely making some serious threats on her life, and I had hoped that he left us a few fingerprints with them, too. "I think he might have had a slight limp, but I'm not positive. He was a big guy, about your height, and muscular. I know that it doesn't help much because most of the Dom's there are built that way, but as far as his voice goes, it was deep, but nothing specific about it jumps out at me. I just don't know what to do. I'm afraid to go to work or to be in my own home."
Thinking for a moment, I asked her. "Do you have someone you can stay with? A boyfriend or family?"
"No, I broke up with my boyfriend months ago, and my family came out here from Montana to see me when I was in the hospital, but they've gone back home now."
"Well, maybe it's time for you to go home for a visit."
"What if he follows me?"
I quickly put a plan together in my head. "Do you have enough cash to pay for the plane ticket home?"
"Yes, I do."
"Good, that way there's no paper trail of you leaving town. I want you to book a flight on the red eye tonight, and I will have my associate, Kurt Wolfe, pick you up and take you to the airport and get you on the plane safely."
She was in agreement with my plan. "Okay, but I need to call my family and let them know I'm coming tonight."
I shook my head. "No. Don't make any calls to them. In fact, don't even take your cell phone with you. Leave it at home in case this guy has you bugged in any way. Just fly in and show up. Tell them you wanted to surprise them, and then call me from their phone once you're safely at your family's house and let me know you made it and the number, I can reach you at. That way I'll have your information if I need to contact you, and I will for sure as soon as this guy is caught so you know that it's safe to come back home."
Wiping the tears away, she said in a shaky voice. "Th... thank you so much for all your help, Mr. Jennings. I don't know what I would have done had you not left me your number."
"It's no problem. And please call me Archer. Now did you drive here tonight or take a cab?"
"I took a cab."
"Good. I'm going to have Kurt, pick you up from here, take you home and wait there while you pack, that way I'll know you're safe." Smiling for the first time, she thanked me again. Once Kurt arrived and I'd explained everything to him, given him the letters for Kelsey to look at for finger prints and he had Summer in his care, I headed off for home, feeling a little more protective over Sloane than when I left. Walking inside my place, I was met with nothing but silence. Looking around the living room and kitchen area I didn't find her, and I knew she'd followed my instructions. As I headed down the hallway, I caught a hint of her vanilla scented perfume, and it instantly got me rock hard. Opening the door to my bedroom, finding her the way she was made my heart and cock jump to attention at the same time. "H
oly Christ almighty."
CHAPTER
14
Sloane
While Archer was gone, I began to walk around his place, familiarizing myself with these surroundings once again. He always kept his place spotless, making you think it was just a showroom. The black and white furniture with teal accents and glass tables added to the modern look. While the view of the city outside the glass wall stole your breath away, all I remembered were all the times that I’d been here before and left disappointed when he would shut down on me anytime we became intimate. And even though I understood his concerns now, it still hurt knowing we wasted all that time we could have been together, not to mention the pain I could have saved Jared from had he just trusted me enough to tell me the truth about himself.
Sitting for I didn't know how long in front of the windows, staring out over the city, I looked up at the clock to see it was already nine fifteen. "Oh crap." I said to myself as I remembered what Archer had said about wanting me naked when he got home. And if I was in for anything half as steamy as last night, I definitely did not want to disappoint that man. God, the things he made me feel sent a shiver up my spine and an ache to my sex just thinking about it. And tonight, I wanted to see that look of desire in his eyes all over again. Showered and my make up touched up, I crawled onto the bed naked and decide to make his first sight of me tonight his most memorable yet. Hearing the elevator doors open, I knew he was about to come in through those doors. Sliding the blindfold on, I had found in the nightstand over my eyes, I laid back on the bed, parting my legs as I ran my hand over my breast and down my stomach to my sex and began to rub my clit in a circular motion, while my other hand pinched my nipple. Not being able to see anything, I heard the door open and the words "Holy Christ almighty," flew out of his mouth. I knew without a doubt that I had succeeded in giving him a, shall we say, lasting impression. Not being told to stop, I continued rubbing my clit and pinching my nipple for his viewing pleasure, knowing that he was watching me as I brought myself closer and closer to an orgasm. Feeling that I was getting close, my body arched up off the bed, and that's when I felt his first touch. Sliding his finger over my breast ever so lightly, he circled it around my nipple, pinching it and causing goose bumps to raise up on my skin, heightening the pleasure I'd brought to myself.
