Destiny: Hilltops Series - Book One

by Faith Starr

  I no longer doubted my ability as a therapist like I did when Casey was in the hospital. We all have those moments of self-doubt. Right now I didn’t have any. I was fucking ecstatic about my capabilities. Yes, I had said the F word again. But in a situation like this, it was required for emphasis.

  The icing on the cake was that Noah Dorian professed his love to me. Not only that, but he had also rescued me. Who would’ve thought?

  Casey was home, safe and sound, and progressing beautifully. Alicia told Dr. Sloan she was filing for divorce. It seemed Casey knew about Tammy and the others and told her mother about all of them. She also told her mother how she felt about following in her father’s footsteps. Footsteps she never wanted to walk in again.

  As far as how Casey ended up in the hospital, regrettably, it was at the hands of my client. Apparently, Karina had been following me around for weeks. She knew my work schedule, where I lived, where Casey lived, where Noah’s club was, all of it.

  She was at the bar the night Casey was there with our friends. She followed her home and forced herself inside after Casey unlocked the door. Guess Karina was a CrossFit junkie after all because she had Casey restrained in a matter of minutes where she subsequently loaded her up on narcotics and more alcohol. Luckily for all of us, she didn’t kill her.

  So I was back to doing what I did best, turning negatives into positives, with this entire experience being another opportunity to do so.

  Unfortunately, it took Karina drugging my best friend and kidnapping me to make Noah Dorian face his fears about love and profess his to me. And I would go through it all again in a heartbeat if it would lead to the same outcome, one I felt truly grateful for.

  80

  Noah

  Holding her in my arms after she came through those doors made every fear and insecurity I had about losing another person close to me come into focus. I could’ve lost Jordin to the hands of a psycho, but thank the lucky stars above, I didn’t. In this case, I had been given a second chance. And I wasn’t about to let her get away from me. I already knew firsthand what it was like to lose multiple loved ones. And all those tragic feelings came flooding back to me as if I was going through the trauma all over again during the time Jordin was held captive.

  If I could’ve brought my parents back after the fatal accident that took their lives and put my brother in a comatose state, I would’ve. I would’ve given the skin off my back to do so. But I couldn’t. My parents were gone, and Niles was…well, Niles. Maybe he would improve one day, then again, maybe not. Either way, I would never give up on him and still visit him each and every week to let him know how much I loved him.

  The odd feelings I always got inside whenever I touched Jordin were in full force while holding her in a tight embrace. The warmth of her body penetrated deep into mine. I kept replaying her words of love repeatedly in my mind. And oddly enough, in that heartfelt moment, I sensed a presence in the room holding both of us. It was then that I realized I had once again found the love that had been taken away from me all those years ago.

  I buried my head in Jordin’s hair so nobody would see the tears escaping my eyes, tears that would connect our hearts forever.

  Epilogue

  Jordin

  One Month Later…

  We took a drive to see Niles, where we took a leisurely walk around the garden with both him and Patty. It was a short, sweet visit. Once we got back to my place, Noah called Derek and Mitch to take care of club business. I gave him privacy and took a shower.

  Feeling refreshed, I got comfy in my robe and wrapped my hair in a towel. And there in my bedroom I found Mr. Dorian, in all his glory, lounging on my bed, his back propped up against two pillows with his legs stretched out in front of him.

  A big smile crept across his face. He extended his hand out toward me. “Hi, there.”

  “Hi, yourself. Did you take care of what you needed to with Mitch and Derek?”

  He nodded. “Yup. All set.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear that. Do you mind if I ask you something personal?”

  He eyed me curiously. “Sure. Anything.”

  “Are you willing to take a risk, Noah?”

  His brows rose in surprise. “What kind of risk are you talking about, Ms. Turner?”

  I didn’t answer. Instead, I removed the remote from his hand and shut off the television. My phone provided better background noise. I scrolled through my playlist, stopping on Alannah Myles. I quickly found “Song Instead of a Kiss” and played it.

  “What’re you doing?”

  It seemed my beloved Noah wasn’t used to a woman taking charge in the bedroom. Well, tonight was going to be a first for him since he had blessed me with so many of my own.

  The room was too bright for my liking. I flicked the switch on the wall, the bathroom light providing a romantic glow in the bedroom. I pulled the towel off my head and tossed it on the floor. Peering over my shoulder, I flirted with raised brows. He gifted me with his gorgeous smile.

  During my stroll to the bed, I united my robe and released it. His focus shifted south, to my exposed breasts since the robe had parted in the center. His eyes returned to mine, this time with lust and need filling them. I could empathize. I felt the exact same way. He swallowed the apparent lump in this throat.

  The rise in his slacks didn’t go unnoticed. I dropped my robe off one shoulder, then the other, until it was a crumpled pile next to my feet.

  He tugged me forward. I climbed onto the bed and straddled him. He seized my hips.

  “Uh-uh.” I waggled my finger in front of him. “I didn’t say you could touch me yet.”

  The little devil inside him realized what was going on; therefore, I didn’t get a rebuttal. Instead, I got a nod and a grin. Yeah, I could be a dominatrix when I wanted to be.

  My hand came forward, my eyes on his, to remove the leather strap from the buckle, opening his belt. The button on his slacks posed some difficulty. What was it with me and buttons?

  His hunger for me was evident. I also sensed how onerous it was for him to resist touching me. What a frickin’ ego boost. I kind of liked being in control.

  Now I required assistance. I tapped his thighs to indicate he should lift his tight little butt off the mattress so I could slide his pants and boxer briefs down.

  “Good boy, Noah.”

  He chuckled.

  I gave him the evil eye.

  His smile disappeared.

  I admired his beauty as I threw the slacks and boxers on the carpet next to my robe. Hmm, how I wouldn’t love to just climb aboard. I mean, he was practically begging.

  No. I shook my head even though he had no clue what was going on inside it. This wasn’t one of those nights.

  I nudged his thighs open and scooted between while on my knees, his eyes opening wide. His breath hitched.

  Too bad for him. I apologized with a shrug. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking the same thing he was. I had other ideas.

  My hands glided up, over the dark hair of his shins, his thighs, and just above his area of longing. His discontent was clear in his frown and furrowed brows. Oh well. Good things came to those who waited. I simply smiled and proceeded with my plans.

  His shirt needed to take a hike. I climbed over him so that I sat slightly above his erection, skin to skin. He grimaced at my playful teasing.

  One by one I opened the buttons on his dress shirt. Luckily, it was smooth sailing this time around. I got all of them open without a hitch. I pushed the cotton fabric to the sides, letting my hands explore his tight abs and strong chest. Again, his breath hitched.

  “Do you like that, Noah? You can answer me now.”

  “More than you can imagine.”

  Not that I needed a reply. The look in his eyes pretty much answered for him.

  “I’m glad.”

  My tongue circled one of his hard nipples before attending to the other one. I kissed my way around his neck like he always did to me, my tongue tasting his delic
ious flesh. I gently bit his earlobe. But I found I craved more. It had been too long. I kissed him. This time my tongue directed the action, my hands consuming him with their touch.

  His fingers dug into my hair. I didn’t stop him. It was now a partnership, each of us giving an equal fifty-fifty.

  Being the intelligent woman I was I had forethought into the condom situation. I had tossed one next to him when I climbed onto the bed. I reached for the packet and tore it open with my teeth. Prior to placing it on him, I stroked him a few times for good luck. I brought my fingers to my mouth, the ones covered in his wetness, and licked them clean.

  His lips parted, air escaped them.

  With that important task behind me, I could proceed. I aligned myself with him and leisurely came down over him. I leaned forward, my breasts pressing against his chest. My body welcomed him in like an old friend.

  He grabbed my ass, squeezing it.

  I kissed his neck, his earlobes, his cheeks, his lips.

  Pressure rapidly intensified within, and so soon. We had only just begun. My thoughts drifted back to our very first meeting at the club. Noah took my breath away even more now than he had the first time I met him. So much more.

  Our breaths became shorter, our bodies sticking to each other with sweat, our hands clasped together over his head, our tongues tangled up with each other, our bodies connected in every way possible—especially where it counted the most, the heart.

  As my body gave way to the magnificence that was Noah Dorian, his body gave way to me. Both of us rode out the wave to its finish until my head collapsed on his chest, my breaths panting.

  His hands immediately went to my back, his fingers caressing every inch of it.

  He smiled when I looked at him.

  “What?” I asked.

  His narrow eyes made me suspicious.

  “I’m glad I took a risk. I have to admit I felt a little nervous at the beginning, but it was so worth it.”

  My mouth gaped open. I playfully slapped his chest with a big smile on my face. “You’re so bad.”

  “And you love that about me.” He raised his brows, that seductive look of his already heating me up again.

  “I do. I love everything about you.”

  “And I you. But now it’s time for me to take back control.”

  And with that he flipped me over, his hands pinning mine on the mattress, his legs immobilizing mine on the bed.

  Once again, I was grateful for the opportunity Noah provided me with. But this time it was the opportunity to love his now open heart.

  The End

  Turn the page to enjoy the first two chapters

  of Purity, Book Two in the Hilltops series.

  Purity Sneak Peak

  Derek

  My brother, Mitch, my cousin, Noah, and I sat in my father’s office. And not just any office, I’m talking the fucking Met in New York City as far as offices go. It had floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of the city some thirty floors below us, expensive and extravagant works of art covering the walls, along with a few of Noah’s designs to boot—the guy was a talented-as-fuck artist to say the least.

  Two-toned marble floors lay beneath us. A colorful Persian rug acted as a divider between the conference table and the grand desk.

  In my book, my dad’s masterpiece of an office could probably qualify as one of the Seven Wonders of the World—the publishing world, that is. My father was half of the original duo who founded Dorian Publishing, one of the largest publishing companies worldwide. And I was one of the lucky sons of bitches who had a seat on the board of directors, being primed to run the company along with Noah. His father, my uncle, had made up the other 50 percent of the duo. Unfortunately for Noah, his father passed away ages ago. Fortunately, he inherited his pop’s shares.

  Noah moved in with my family as a kid, barely seven, after both parents died in a fatal car accident. He wasn’t in the car at the time, but his brother Niles was, poor guy. I didn’t really consider him a survivor though, because his life turned to shit afterward. He couldn’t walk, talk, nada—basically a body in a wheelchair. I found it heartbreaking to witness, as did the rest of my family. So my parents, Phil and Jenny, raised Noah as one of their own. He became one of the boys. Both Mitch and I considered him to be our brother. He had brains like my dad, along with the ambition and motivation to go along with it, the two of them genius when it came to business. In addition to working at the publishing company, the three of us owned and operated Hilltops, a club that catered to an elite clientele who enjoyed a bit of kink and living out sexual fantasies.

  We had all dabbled in the lifestyle over the years, both personally and professionally, but had recently made a consensual decision to no longer engage in sexual activities at the club unless for our own personal pleasure. The only exception was me and Watson, the undercover FBI agent currently investigating a corrupt politician who, to our dismay, was a member of our club.

  The plus side to the investigation was Watson required private lessons in the lifestyle to help her blend in with our members without raising a red flag as to her true identity. I generously volunteered my services. Hey, one of us had to do it, and she was hot as fuck.

  My brothers and I sat patiently, as least I did, waiting for my father, who had called the three of us together this morning to discuss some big change he planned to make in the company. We already knew he wanted to retire in the near future. He didn’t keep it a secret from us. Besides, all three of us had been groomed to take over the company from the time we could walk. Even so, we all agreed Mitch would remain at the club full-time, whereas Noah and I would split our time between the publishing house and the club.

  Mitch had absolutely no interest in the publishing business and to be honest, we were happy he showed up to work. He was the brother who always did the bare minimum and got easily sidetracked. Hopefully, he’d take his new role at the club seriously. His past experiences hadn’t always indicated a true desire to succeed in the workplace. But I gave him props, he showed promise—an encouraging trait, especially now that the club raked in millions. Noah and I wanted to keep it that way.

  “Good morning, boys.” My father appeared a bit worn as he entered his office. “Sorry I’m late. I had to finish up with another meeting downstairs.”

  The three of us acknowledged his presence with nods, sitting in silence, none of us having any clue about his big reveal.

  “Come and sit with me at the conference table.”

  He sat at the head while we followed his lead and sat in the plush black leather armchairs surrounding the long marble and glass table. I noticed Noah sat at the opposite end which I found interesting since he usually sat next to me during meetings.

  “I called you all together this morning to discuss my retirement in greater detail. I know you’re well aware my plans were to simply transition to a board position over the next few months, but after speaking with my cardiologist, I’ve decided the slowing-down process should happen sooner rather than later.”

  “Why were you at the cardiologist? Are you sick or something?” I leaned forward, putting my hands on the table, snatching the pen in front of me and playing with it. This news concerned me and came out of left field.

  He crossed his hands in front of him, his demeanor calm and resolved. “Not yet, and I don’t want to be, which is why I came to this decision.”

  Mitch tapped his hands on his knees. Yup, it seemed he had the worry thing going on as well. Noah? I didn’t understand why he looked so calm. He didn’t acknowledge me either, almost as if he avoided doing so for some strange reason. I studied him for a moment which only confirmed my gut feeling—something was definitely going on.

  “He thinks the culprit might be the pressure I’m under here at the publishing house. The last thing I want to do is drop dead from a heart attack, and I’m afraid if I continue at the pace I’m going, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. It’s time for me to live a little while your mo
ther and I are still young and healthy enough to do so.”

  Mitch’s tap dance with his fingers now took center stage on the marble table in front of him. “I think that’s a healthy decision. But why request we discuss this in a formal business meeting, rather than just tell us?”

  “Considering you three are a large part of the transition process, it’s imperative you know the specifics about how this change will proceed and play out.”

  “And?” I gestured, shifting in my seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable with my question.

  Noah still hadn’t said a word. Instead, he twiddled his fucking thumbs at the end of the table.

  “Noah will be assuming my position as CFO.” My dad glanced at him and then at us.

  Bingo. Now I understood the reason for all the odd behavior.

  “What do you mean assuming your position?” I required a bit more elaboration on the subject. I thought we were all in this together.

  “He’s going to run the company,” my father clarified.

  Excuse me? When had this decision been made? “And where does that leave me?” I consciously reeled in my angst. After all, my father had called this meeting to discuss his high blood pressure. I certainly didn’t want to be the cause of the man having a heart attack.

  “While Mitch oversees Hilltops, you will work here and help Noah.”

  Help? What the hell did that mean? “But he’s going to be my boss?”

  “Let’s not assign labels.” Really? Screw this shit. Noah and I were equals. I wasn’t about to answer to my brother. “But that’s what you’re saying, right?”

  Noah remained silent, his focus solely on my dad. That would change real soon. “You knew about this, didn’t you?” I stared him down, forcing him to look at me.