Saved (A Standalone Romance) (A Savery Brother Book)

by Naomi Niles

  Her voicemails were small pots of gold left scattered in my heart after she left. Until now, I didn’t understand why I never deleted her voicemails, but I always kept small things that revolved around her. I still had the pregnancy test her mother pissed on when we found out she was pregnant. Those were things that meant the world to me, and now, there wasn’t a dollar amount in the world that would get me to give them up. They were worth far more than anything money could buy. I got out of the bed and walked into her room. The peaceful air met me on cue as I stood under the door frame. Her room was supposed to have been cleaned for a few weeks now, but I couldn’t find the strength to do it. As far as I was concerned, this room was going to stay put for as long as I lived. “I love you, Sarah.” With that, I closed the door and made my way to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. I had a long day ahead of me, so it was best to get things started now.

  Time flew by, and before I knew it, the clock shifted past 5 pm. I sent Caroline a text just to make sure she was still going to take the trip with me. Minutes went by before she sent a response. “Yes. I am going to keep my word. I will be ready whenever you get here.” She didn’t seem confident in her choice, but that was fine by me. I just wanted her there, and I knew that I would be able to soften her heart as we rode out to California. When I got to her apartment, she had her bags packed and waiting by the door. She smiled reluctantly. “I’m ready.”

  “Good.” She wore tight-fitting jeans with a black, short-sleeved T-shirt and heels. She always wore heels, no matter the occasion, and it never failed to turn me on. “Are there any more bags?”

  “Just those.”

  I picked them up and walked out of her home as she locked the door behind us. I didn’t utter a word to her after I opened the door for her to get inside my truck. I had a surprise for her, and I knew it was going to change her mood. “Hungry?”

  She kept her eyes on the passenger’s side window. “No. I ate a little before I left, so I should be fine.”

  “Caroline, you know that Johnathan is a jerk, right? He only said what he said to hurt you, and that’s it.”

  “Yeah, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t the truth.”

  “It wasn’t. You didn’t wait for my daughter to pass away. He doesn’t know what is going on because he is on the outside looking in.” I grabbed her hand. Initially, she was hesitant to receive my touch, but eventually, she gave in. “He doesn’t know how I feel about you. He doesn’t know that I am the one who started everything, and if need be, like I said, I will handle it. I will handle all of it.” She didn’t respond. Her blank gaze was fixed on the window as if she was longing for a dream that would never come true. I faced forward and kept down the freeway.

  As soon as I veered off one of the exits, she spoke. “Where are we going?”

  I smiled. “You’ll see.”

  We arrived at a small airport on the outskirts of Cottonwood. I drove down a back pathway until we got to the runway of the airport. “A plane?” she asked, looking around at the buildings.

  “I figured that we could travel in style.” I parked near one of the small airplanes and pointed. “That right there is my private jet.”

  Her eyes bulged. “Your private jet?”

  “Yup. Come on.”

  I unlocked the doors as she stepped outside, in awe of the airplanes ahead of us. Suddenly, her frown vanished from her face like tears in the rain. She walked towards the jet as I trailed behind with two bags in my hands and one draped over my shoulders. “You have a jet?” she said, forgetting about everything that happened just a day ago.

  “Yeah. I thought it would be a good idea to fly out there, you know? A small change of plans, but I didn’t think it would be an issue.”

  “An issue?!” A wide grin stretched on her face as she threw her arms around me. I laughed because Sarah would’ve done the same thing. Anytime she felt down, I would do something for her to brighten her day. They were just alike in that sense, and I knew she would snap out of her funk as soon as she stepped onto the spacious Jetcraft. The ride was filled with laughter and drinks, and in almost no time, she was back to the Caroline I knew before her run-in with Johnathan. She kept trying to go over things for the meeting, but I redirected her.

  “No, listen. We have discussed the meeting enough, alright? It will take care of itself. Now, just relax and enjoy the trip.”

  “A private jet, though?” she said, leaning back in her leather chair with a glass of chardonnay in her hand. “Really. How much money do you make a year?”

  I smiled. “Just a few nickels and dimes. A couple of pennies. There are a lot of incentives throughout the year, though. Extremely generous bonuses, perks, and whatnot. This is just one of them.” I winked at her as she shook her head and took a sip of her drink. Normally, I would tell women what I made just so they would fall for me quicker, but I didn’t take that approach with Caroline. She wasn’t just another one-night stand to me. I saw something permanent in her. She made me think of the voicemail that Sarah left me about settling down. It could very well be her, and the irony would be almost unbearable.

  Before I knew it, we arrived at the hotel in California. I placed the room key in her hand. “That is for you,” I said, smiling. She looked disappointed. “Are you alright?”

  She toyed with the key card in her hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. Do you mind if I check your room after we go to mine?”

  “Sure. No problem.”

  We headed up to the 17th floor inside the hotel. The king-sized bed sat against the wall, covered in white linen. The tile matched the color of the sheets, and the room was large enough to fit her living room and bedroom inside. “Oh, wow,” she said as she walked to the window. “This is beautiful. My room looks nothing like this!”

  “It does,” I said as I placed my bag on the mattress. “Maybe not quite as large, but it is still a nice size.”

  She ran her fingers along the windowpane, then turned towards me. “Alright. Well, I guess I’ll let you get unpacked. I’m going to head to my room.”

  “Alright. Well, I am just one flight up if you need anything. Enjoy yourself, and oh, if you want to go downstairs and grab a drink,” I handed her the company card, “take that. I trust you won’t be down there buying everyone drinks or purchasing bottles for you to bring to your room.”

  She laughed as she took the card from my hand. “No, I wouldn’t do that. Well,” she winked, “maybe one bottle… or three.”

  “If that happens, I better be sure to get an invite.”

  “You will.”

  Her smile lingered in the air like a fresh aroma as she stood by the door, hesitant to walk through. I saw her in my peripheral vision, but I told her that I would be on my best behavior, so I didn’t push the envelope. If anything was going to happen, she would have to sign off on it first. I heard the door open and shut just a few seconds later. I sighed, hoping that she would have decided to stay and keep me company, but it was her choice. I unpacked my bag, hung my suit inside the closet, then relaxed on top of the bed with the remote in my hand. It was going to be a long trip, especially if we kept our distance from each other.

  Chapter Twenty

  Caroline

  I sat in my room on the edge of my bed, watching the time move from minute to minute on the small clock that rested on top of the nightstand. I had no idea that Harrison was as well off as he was, because he never showed it. From the books, I could estimate how much money he made, but the fact that he had a personal jet and could get separate rooms at a five-star hotel in Los Angeles said a lot. From the looks of it, it seemed that Harrison was a perfect fit for me, and it wasn’t just about the money. It was the way he could calm the storms that raged inside of me. How, with a few words, he could smooth over the roughest areas of my life. He was a businessman, and on top of it all, he was attractive even at his age.

  I fell backward onto my mattress. I imagined that I could see through the ceiling and observe what Harrison was doing right at this mo
ment. Maybe he was in the shower? I envisioned water dripping from his muscles as he washed his jet black hair. I bit my bottom lip and slid my hand into my vagina. My fingers walked inside of my panties as images of his physique taunted me from above. Stop it, Caroline! Stop! No sex! I snatched my hand out of my thong and laid still in the bed. As much as I tried to shoo the thoughts away, they came back again with a vengeance.

  I sat upright and paced the room as my pussy lips throbbed. A fiery rage of lust burned in my heart as I tapped my foot against the carpet. I glanced at the door, and in an instant, I picked up my room key, grabbed the company card, and left. When I got onto the elevator, I pressed the button for the ground level, but I started going up. Shit, this fucking elevator is going up!? It felt like fate had pushed me closer to Harrison, and in no time, the doors on the 17th floor opened up. A man smiled at me as I stood to the side in the elevator. “Good evening.”

  “Hello,” I said as he stepped onto the platform.

  Before the door closed, I stuck my hand in the middle. He laughed. “Indecisive?”

  “Very. I am sorry.”

  The door closed as I slowly walked to Harrison’s room. What are you doing here, Caroline? What are you doing here? Just turn around. Go to your room. My body did whatever it wanted though, and before I realized what was going on, I was eagerly knocking at his door. “Caroline,” he said with a smile. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Is everything alright? Do you need something?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is it?”

  I stepped closer to him. My breasts pressed against his body as I tipped up and planted my lips onto his. He released the door as he put his arms around me and danced his tongue around in my mouth. He told me he was going to be on his best behavior, but I didn’t care about that. He asked me what I needed, and I told him with my actions. I backed him into this bed and lifted his shirt over his head.

  I kissed him on the lips as he wrestled with the buckle on my pants. My breathing intensified because I had been waiting for this moment ever since the last time he entered me. Suddenly, he picked me up and sat me on his lap as he ran his hands up my back and loosened my bra strap.

  I leaned forward and kissed him on his neck as his hands firmly gripped my backside. I ground on top of him. He put his hands on the bottom of my shirt and lifted it over my head, exposing my round breasts and erect nipples. He licked his tongue around their firmness as I squirmed; the sensation sent chills throughout my body before he engulfed my breasts inside of his mouth.

  I reached my hands into his pants until I wrestled his penis free from its cage, and without warning, I removed myself from his lap and slid my mouth around it. Harrison leaned back as I licked the shaft of his penis and massaged his balls with the other hand. “Yes,” he moaned in a voice that was barely audible as he slid his dick completely inside my mouth. The tip of it brushed against the back of my throat until I pulled the saliva-covered penis out of my mouth.

  I licked the shaft and wrapped my hand around his dick as he stood up and grabbed me by the waist. He flipped me upside down with ease and planted his mouth right onto my vagina as I slid my mouth back around his dick. I dug my nails into his buttocks as he brushed his tongue over my clit and sent a thunderous vibration through my legs until a rush of moisture exploded from my pussy.

  He let me down and tossed me onto the bed, but like a magnet, his dick was drawn right to my vagina as he mounted me and pinned my legs back by my head. My tits bounced up and down as he pounded me, his muscular chest bulging with each thrust inside me. “Yes, Harrison. Yes,” I moaned, pushing him deeper inside of me. He pushed his lips against mine and twirled his tongue around in my mouth as I gripped onto the edge of the mattress. “Again,” I said in a breath devoid of life. “I’m coming again.”

  I pressed my nails into his back as I peaked, and my legs shook vigorously each time he moved in and out of me. Moments later, I felt his cum shoot inside of me, and as his penis jumped, I licked my lips and sucked my finger like it was his dick. “Wait a minute,” he said as he moved down to my vagina. “I want to taste it.” He stuck his tongue into my vagina as I put my hands on the back of his head, guiding him around as he twirled his tongue inside of me. Suddenly, he lifted my legs onto his shoulders and balanced me as he stood up and pinned me against the wall. He licked my pussy while I was pinned against the wall, eight feet off the ground. The thrill increased the intensity of my ecstasy. I pinned my hands against his head as he French-kissed my lips and danced his tongue around my clitoris until I felt my legs shaking on his shoulders.

  I looked down at him as he moved his head back and forth, “Yes,” I said in a voice that was barely audible. Minutes later, I came again. His tongue slurped every bit of moisture from my pussy and into his mouth as I moaned out loud, my legs squeezing around his neck like a boa constrictor. He walked over to the bed and laid me down as I panted on my back. He climbed on top of me like a lion pouncing on its prey. He took one leg and held it up as he thrusted himself into me without remorse. My mouth hung open as if I wanted to scream but couldn’t get the sound to leave my throat. He pounded me from behind as he grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked it towards him. I pounded on the mattress as pain mixed perfectly with pleasure. He smacked my ass with so much force that I felt the sting for minutes after he hit it. He pushed himself deeper inside of me as he came again, and with that, I yelled out loud.

  He shoved my head into a pillow to muffle my screams. His dick was bigger than I remembered as he bent me over from behind and spread my cheeks as far as they would go. I smacked the mattress with an open hand as he held my waist steady and thrust himself deeper inside of me. I felt his dick jump, and at that moment, I knew he was coming again. Soon after, he plopped down onto the mattress beside me, breathing heavy like he had just run a mile. It felt like we both did. “Um,” I said, trying to catch my breath, “this time, we can say it was my fault.”

  He laughed as I turned towards him. His chest glistened with sweat as he laid on his back. I nestled in closer to him as he reached his arm around me and held me tight. “So, how do you feel now?”

  This was nothing like it was before. Afterward, I felt a strong sense of guilt permeating my body, but now, I was calm. Now, it was just like everything between us was natural, and I had no sorrow for what we just did. “I feel amazing, Harrison. Absolutely amazing.”

  “Oh, really? I can’t say that I am not surprised.”

  I walked my fingers across his chest. “Yeah, I knew it would catch you by surprise, but you were right. Who gives a damn what anybody else thinks on the outside looking in. They don’t know what is going on between us. They don’t understand how we have connected through the loss of my best friend – and your daughter. They don’t have to understand though, because they are not in our shoes. It is just me and you, and that is all that matters.”

  He kissed me on my forehead as we laid on top of his king-sized mattress. “My sentiments exactly. But,” he added, “if I ever run into Johnathan, I am still going to beat the shit out of him.”

  I elbowed him in his side. “No, Harrison, you are not. He seems like the type of guy that will press charges if you attack him, and I don’t want you going to jail over something like this.”

  “Honestly, I don’t care about that. I will post bail in the next hour, and trust me, I would pay every penny with a smile on my face if it meant that I was able to bash that guy's face in.”

  I kissed him on his cheek, then propped my leg over his. He put his hand on my bare behind, and that was the last thing I remembered before I gave in to sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Harrison

  I looked to my right as soon as I woke up. Caroline laid sound asleep like a baby on my arm. I never imagined that the death of my daughter would lead to a relationship developing between us two. I loved everything about her, but at the same time, it was becoming increasingly difficult to tell whether I had true feelings for her or if I wa
s using her as a crutch to help me cope with my daughter’s death. I didn’t want to hurt her in the long run, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy her presence. Who knows if we would have crossed this road had Sarah still been alive? It was hard to tell, but for right now, at least, everything going on between us felt natural.

  I adjusted my position in bed, and Caroline’s eyes opened slowly. “Good morning,” she said as she nestled closer to me.

  “Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep?”

  “I slept great. I know that I had a little help, though. I appreciate that.”

  She delicately ran her fingers across the ripples on my chest. I watched them move over the dips one by one. “Yeah,” I responded, “I was able to get a good night’s rest as well. I haven’t been able to sleep through the night much since Sarah left, so this… this was a pleasant surprise.”

  “Well, you deserved it. As hard as you work and as much as Sarah’s death has been weighing you down. Weighing the both of us down. We needed some good sleep and time away. I’d say this was just what the doctor ordered.”

  I looked towards the window as the sun beat violently against the outer portion of the thick covering over the window blinds. The clock on the nightstand read 8:44 am. “Do you want some breakfast?”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Room service. They usually know how to put together a nice meal in the morning. It is one of my favorite things about this hotel.”

  “Oh. Well, in that case, sure. Go ahead.”

  I kissed her on the forehead, then slid from beneath the covers and sat upright on the side of the bed. My bare chest was covered with faint scratch marks from our sexual encounter last night. I took pleasure in the stinging sensation that radiated from my chest. It made me believe that I did my job pleasing Caroline last night. I reached for the phone on the nightstand and dialed up room service as she got out the bed and headed to the shower. I caught a glimpse of her nakedness as she walked away from me. Her backside was rounded like a peach, and her waist was slim. Her breasts perked and jiggled effortlessly as she went to the bathroom. “Harrison!” she said as if she were bashful. “Why are you staring at me like that?”