I push myself up against the wall, my eyes staring at the tangle of muscular arms. With a cry that sounds more animal than human, Big Ben slams Julian down on the floor and rears up. Julian tries to hold him off but with a flash, the blade whirls through the air, plunging straight towards Julian's throat.
“No!” I scream.
Big Ben jerks up but I don't see him. I don't see anything but that deadly knife as I fly towards it. Rushing straight at them, I throw myself at the brute, hoping to knock him off Julian. We crash to the ground, the impact almost shattering every bone in my body. My vision wavers and darkens and through a haze of red, I see Julian yanking Big Ben off me with a murderous look on his face. He punches Big Ben hard in the nose and jaw, and shoves him hard against the wall. Julian is shouting, and even though I can't make out his words, the wrath and raw pain in his voice is obvious.
Julian smashes his fist again and again into Big Ben's bloodied face until uniforms swarm the room and two police officers hold him off.
As Big Ben is cuffed and led forcefully out of the room, Julian rushes to my side, his eyes wide and fearful. I blink at the blood on his hands as he yells over his shoulder, “Ambulance! We need an ambulance! Sophia...” He cradles my head. I lift a blood-stained hand to his face and smile. “Sophia, don't move, just hang in there, you're going to be okay...”
I try to smile, but something trickles from the corner of my mouth. I raise my hand weakly to wipe it away and my hand comes away stained with fresh blood.
I frown and try to speak but only a gurgling sound issues from my throat.
Why is there so much blood on my hands and on my body?
There are so many people crowded round me now, I can hardly breathe. With great pain and difficulty, I manage to raise my head to look down the length of my body.
So that's where the blood is coming from.
There is a knife buried in my side.
It takes a few labored breaths for me to fully register the fact, and a few more to wonder if I shouldn't be feeling more pain.
Gripping Julian's hand, I turn to him and whisper, “I'm sorry...”
“No, no...” his voice cracks as he presses my hand to his lips. “You're going to be all right, Sophia...everything is okay...you'll be fine...”
I can still faintly hear his voice as the buzzing in my ear grows. Even as my eyes begin to close, I hold on tightly to his hand. I don't want to ever let go. My eyelids flutter but I can't keep them open any longer.
Even through the urgent shouting, rushing footsteps and spinning shadows, I can still feel Julian's hand holding mine.
The last thing I see is his rugged, handsome face and my name on his lips.
*****
I nod and smile politely at the two police officers at my hospital bedside. They have been coming so often they're almost like fixtures in my hospital room. Officers Claire and Ryan, both young, sharp, professional and always polite.
I have answered all their questions regarding the kidnapping, but there is always more. Julian helps me sit up and arranges the pillows behind me. He has been taking care of me these past weeks. He has hardly left my side, holding my hand, feeding me, talking to me. When I refused to let them inform my parents—I just didn't want to worry them yet again, Julian said adamantly. “Then you cannot refuse to let me take care of you. It's because of me that...”
“No,” I countered. “It's not because of you. I'm alive, because of you. You saved me. And...Aleisha did too.”
“Aleisha?”
But before I could explain, there was a knock on the door and the two young police officers have entered.
So, here they are.
“How are you feeling, Miss Adams?” Claire inquires. Her blond hair is tied neatly in a sleek ponytail, not a strand out of place. Her partner, Ryan, smiles warmly, his blue eyes crinkling as he nods at me.
“Much better, thanks,” I reply as Julian hands me a glass of water. He rubs my back gently, comforting me, supporting me.
“We're sorry to be taking so much of your time,” Ryan begins. “There's just a few more questions...”
“Not at all. I'm happy to answer all your questions,” I say, straightening up as Claire whips out her notebook.
“Ben Rutherford will be charged with kidnapping and a host of sexual assault charges. Aleisha Stone will be slapped with extortion and kidnapping charges,” Claire informs me, reading from her notebook. “Miss Adams, has Aleisha hurt you in any way?”
“No.”
Claire nods, but raises an eyebrow.
“No,” I repeat. “It was Ben who...attacked me. Aleisha stopped him from...from raping me.”
The officers note down my answer and after a brief pause, Ryan looks up and addresses Julian, “Dr. James, have you met Ben Rutherford before?”
Julian shakes his head. “No. I've only met Aleisha...once. But after that night, she has been trying to contact me, leaving messages on my office voice mail, emailing me—blackmailing me. I...I knew what she wanted, right from the beginning. So I ignored her, quite successfully. Until that night. When she turned up at my gate, I knew that she wouldn't leave without what she came for. I wanted to stall her, record enough of our conversation and hand it over to the police...”
I turn to Julian in surprise. “You recorded everything she said?”
“Not everything. Most. I even managed to record the car with my phone camera as it sped away.”
“That's how we located you so quickly,” Ryan says helpfully. “The description, the images that Dr. James captured, everything matched. Ben Rutherford has been involved in a number of prior assault cases. And Aleisha Stone has been extorting money from quite a few rich men, but she has never been caught. The men, most of them married and pretty respectable and well-known in society, don't want their involvement with her made public. So they pay up. Dr. James would have been her next victim.”
“So they're partners in crime,” I say slowly.
“No,” Claire answers. “They committed their previous crimes separately.”
I nod. “No wonder they didn't seem to agree on...quite a lot of things. Aleisha...” I swallow. “She saved me from Ben. She didn't hurt me, I mean, aside from kidnapping me...”
“It wouldn't have benefited her to hurt you,” Claire says, slipping her notebook back into her pocket. “She just wanted the money. More and more of it, it seems. She has been extorting bigger and bigger sums of money from the men. But Ben Rutherford wants more than just money.”
I wrap my arms around myself, shuddering. “Did you know...” I whisper to Julian. “Did you know that she wasn't...pregnant?”
The two police officers take a step back from my bedside, attempting to give Julian and me some privacy.
“Yeah. I knew it all along.”
“But you were going to pay her...”
His throat moves as he swallows painfully. “Just so she'll leave....leave us alone. I didn't want you to...to...”
“To know?” My eyes round as my voice rises a pitch. “Have more faith in me, Julian. I should know. I...want to know. I want to know you,” I say softly.
“I just thought...”
“You just thought I was weak,” I tell Julian in an even tone. “Which I was. Was—but I won't be weak anymore.”
Discreetly, the two officers take their leave from my hospital room. When the door closes, I lie back on my pillows and look out the window. It's been three weeks since they patched up the knife wound in my side. I heard the doctor telling Julian that I am ready to go home.
I turn back to Julian, holding out my hand to him. “I'm healed. Inside and outside. I'm ready to go home.”
He runs his thumb over the back of my hand. Finally, he nods and tells me firmly, “All right, the doctor did say you're ready to be discharged. But you're coming home with me, understand? Mrs Kenny is so worried about you. She's been keeping everything in order while I'm away but she's been asking about you.”
“Yeah.” I look dow
n. “I...I've probably been kicked out of my apartment by now. I've been behind on rent and...”
“Don't worry about that. Your rent's been paid.”
“Huh?”
Julian smiles and I shake my head quickly. “No, no, no, I'll pay you back.”
“I'll make sure of that,” he leans forward to whisper. “In fact, I'd prefer to get paid right now.” I gasp as he bends down and kisses me. His lips press against mine very tenderly and softly. His tongue tastes my lips, soothing over my lower lip gently as his kiss gradually deepens. My lips part but he doesn't push into my mouth. Slowly, I kiss him back, tasting him and feeling him against me. His hand is on the back of my neck, holding me and keeping me steady against him. I meet his tongue with mine, and a tentative, sensual dance builds. We push deeper into each other, exploring and testing, pushing and wanting. I moan into his mouth as we kiss passionately, the heat and hunger pulsing through our veins. I feel my body begin to burn as his kiss become so much more.
Breathlessly, I open my eyes and come up for air.
Julian kisses the top of my head and my eyelids. “There. Paid in full.”
I start, before bursting into laughter. “Oh? And...I don't have to pay interest?” I tease.
“Interest must be paid. Every single night,” he replies in all seriousness. I catch the desire smoldering behind his eyes, and I feel a corresponding heat travel down my body.
I blush and turn away. But I can't hide my smile. The desire I feel, the heat and want and growing feelings that I can no longer deny, proves that I am alive. When that knife went through my body, I'd thought that that was the end. But I survived, and now I have to live. Not just stay alive, but be alive. Live and laugh and love.
I turn back to Julian. “Yes, please. Take me home. I miss Mrs Kenny, and I miss her cooking!”
Chapter Seven
It's time.
I step back and survey the carefully made bed. It's been a month since my discharge from the hospital. I'm fully recovered and I feel strong and well enough. It's time. It's time for me to go. I have to go home to my little apartment, even though this place, Julian's beautiful house, is beginning to feel a lot like home to me.
I look at my little bag stuffed with the clothes that Julian has bought for me. I will enjoy wearing them and I will think of him often. He has been good to me. He and Mrs Kenny have been taking such good care of me while I've been here. I will miss them both dearly.
I straighten up and force a smile to my face. No teary goodbyes. Make a graceful and grateful exit. At the door, I turn back to look at the cozy guest room one last time. I look at the soft, silky bed and the armchair beside it. I can see Julian sitting there, sleeping there, slumped over in exhaustion in that armchair. He has been spending countless nights in that chair, watching over me as I sleep, jumping up to get my medicines and water when I groan in my sleep or show any sign of pain. I walk over to the empty chair and smooth my hand gently over the creased leather, imagining the hard lines and curves of Julian's body. I will definitely miss him. I will miss having him by my bedside every night, breathing in his scent, hearing his sighs and occasional grunts and snores, feeling him near. It was warm and comforting, and I didn't need any medication for my pain. Just having him hold my hand and soothe my brow was enough. I almost always fell peacefully back to sleep once I felt his tender touch on me.
But I need to get back on my feet, and he needs to get back to his work. I smile wryly. His work. That was what brought me to him in the first place. I should check in on how his research is going before I go.
As I trail down the stairs, I catch Mrs Kenny putting on her coat at the front door. “Mrs Kenny,” I call out. “Where are you going?”
She looks up. “Oh, hello Sophia. I thought you were taking a nap in your room. Well, I am going home,” she smiles.
“But it's only...” I squint at her narrow wristwatch.
“I know. It's one o'clock. I got lunch ready. The lasagne is in the oven. Can you smell it?” she sniffs the air and beams. “Julian gave me the afternoon off. My son and his family are coming to visit. He works in Hong Kong and he married a lovely girl there last year. I'll be seeing my beautiful granddaughter for the first time!”
“Oh! Congratulations! That's wonderful!”
“Yes, it is” she says, her voice trembling with excitement and emotion. “I'll show you pictures of the little one tomorrow. She's a beauty!”
“I...” I won't be here tomorrow. I see the joy and love on Mrs Kenny's glowing face and on impulse, throw my arms around her and give her a big hug. “Show me the pictures anytime. And you'll have dinner with me. I will cook for you this time. My place,” I say, holding her shoulders firmly.
The confusion on her face fades as my words sink in. When her smile returns, it looks a little sad. “Of course, Sophia,” she says quietly. “I will miss you, dear. So will he.” She looks towards Julian's office door and sighs.
“Thank you for taking care of me, Mrs Kenny. I'm going to miss you so much.” I swallow hard to stop myself from choking up.
She embraces me and says, “He's a good man. And I think he should really go out more, loosen up and have some fun. Both of you might have lost something, but you've still got lots more love in you. Don't be afraid. Ask him out.” She winks and releases me.
I watch her back her little car out of the driveway and wave at her until she is out of sight. Closing the door softly, I turn to see Julian standing at the door to his office.
“Sophia, how are you feeling? You should rest...” he begins.
I shake my head. “I'm fine. In fact...I think we should talk. Are you free now?”
“Yes, of course I'm free. I'm always free for you.”
“If you're busy with your work, I can wait...” I say, glancing into his messy office.
“My work...yes, about that. I've been wanting to talk to you about the work...what we did...”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Come in.” He pushes the door wide open and beckons me into his office.
“Please, sit, anywhere,” he mutters, stepping around stacks of files and papers.
I sit in the leather swivel chair that I had sat in the first time I'd stepped into his office and his home. I lean back and take in Julian's polished desk, the wide screen computer monitor, his endless files, and the little side table with the neat china tea set and kettle. He had served me tea in that dainty cup the first time I was here. Everything comes back to me in a rush, the heady giddy feeling that had overwhelmed me at our first meeting. And the instant electrifying chemistry and attraction that I had felt between us. I had been attracted to Julian from the very first moment I met him. My feelings haven't changed. But I have. I am not the same person who sat in this chair so many weeks ago. So much has happened, and I have changed. And I am glad for the change. I can't go back to being who I was, who I had allowed myself to become since my divorce. Unsure, unemployed, unworthy, unloving. That's the old Sophia. And the old Sophia had died that day in the warehouse, when the knife stabbed into her gut and let all that cold, stale blood flow out of her. Julian had nursed a new Sophia back to health and life. A stronger, more secured Sophia who isn't afraid to leave him and love him with all her heart.
I look up when Julian clears his throat and straightens out some papers on his desk. “I wanted to tell you...” He takes a deep breath. “...that the money you earned, under the contract, has been wired to your account. You have been so...great. The experiment, the research with the sex machine, has been a success!” He can barely contain his elation and excitement. “The paper has been submitted and was very well received,” he continues, his smile widening. “It's a breakthrough! The intensity of the body's response to various stimuli has been recorded and studied in detail. From the research, we were able to compare and contrast the various psychological and physiological reactions and conduct some in-depth study into how pleasure and orgasms affect women's health and psychology. The sex machine, it will be
renamed of course, will be acquired by the hospital for further research. A patent is pending and there will be more paperwork and everything but for now, my work is done. And...I want to celebrate—with you.”
“Julian...that's just...oh!” I jump up and rush to hug him. I kiss him on the cheek and hug him fiercely. “That's just so awesome! I am so glad, Julian, so, so glad!”
“All of this, everything, would not have been possible without you, Sophia,” he says, stroking my hair. “You saved me, not just my life, but...”
“You saved me too, Julian. You could have been killed. I saw it. And I can't believe I didn't see it before. I'm sorry,” I whisper.
“Sorry? You've got nothing to be sorry for, Sophia. It's me who should be sorry. And I am. I'm sorry about Aleisha. I was stupid and drunk, but that's no excuse. I'm sorry I didn't tell you and I'm sorry for everything, every pain and hurt that you...”
“You can't be sorry for that,” I say, pulling back to look him intently in the eye. “The hurt and pain was in my heart way before I even stepped into your house. But you know what? It look a knife in the gut to let out all that old hurt in my heart. I survived. But I don't want to just survive, I want to live. And love. I love you, Julian.”
His eyes widen and I hear him suck in a breath. His hand trembles slightly on my waist before his grip tightens and he crushes me to him in a tight embrace. “Sophia,” he closes his eyes and murmurs into my hair. “You don't know how happy you've made me. You have no idea. No idea how much that means to me.”
“Show me then,” I say hoarsely, moving my hands up his neck and pushing my fingers through his dark, wavy hair. I tilt my face up and Julian hesitates only a fraction of an instant before leaning down and slanting his mouth across mine. My lips part immediately and we kiss each other hungrily, our lips and tongues tasting and licking each other urgently, desperately, greedily. My hands move through his hair, across his broad shoulders and down the strong muscles of his arms. I feel his back and press him closer to me, wanting more of him. Julian is kissing me deeply and passionately, holding me and feeling me like he can't get enough of me. His touch is tender but his kiss is consuming and searing, and his lips never leave me as he kisses the corner of my mouth and down my chin and throat before moving up to devour my mouth again. He moans my name into my mouth as his hand kneads my breast softly, rubbing my bra against my nipple. His other hand is on the small of my back, pressing me to his hard body. His erection pushes against my belly and I reach down to hold his hardness in my palm. I squeeze him through the fabric of his pants and he groans, “Sophia, I want you...”
How You Take Me Page 4