“You know, Mallory, no one has ever finished Lotta’s banana split. I know you want to win this bet, but I don’t want you to get sick.”
Cocking my eyebrow in his direction I reply, “I may not finish it, but I sure as hell am going to try. I won’t get sick. I promise.”
Grabbing the spoon, I begin the incredible feat of shoveling the cold dessert into my mouth. About halfway through, I glance up to Bradley and he shakes his head, smirking.
“I’m impressed you’ve eaten that much. Are you done?”
“No way!” I exclaim. “I’m just getting started.”
Thirty minutes later, I toss the spoon into the empty bowl and lean back against the chair.
“Mallory, how the hell did you do that?”
“I have no idea,” I mutter, closing my eyes, “But I don’t think I would ever attempt it again.”
Yelling for Lotta, Bradley enthusiastically tells her that I finished the entire sundae without any help. Apparently, this triumph earns me a picture on the wall. I smile for the camera and revel in the warmth Lotta emanates as she fusses.
But a photograph on her wall of fame isn’t all I have won. By finishing the sundae, she informs me, I will receive free ice cream for life from her parlor. As I laugh in surprise and delight and she wraps me in a maternal embrace, I realize beyond a doubt that she is my new favorite person.
When at last Bradley ushers me out the main door of the parlor and drapes his strong arm over my shoulders, I respond to his affection by placing my arm around his waist. An indescribable sense of protection surges through me and I find myself drinking in an intoxicating peacefulness. We drive back to my apartment, one of his hands on the steering wheel and the other embracing my own. I notice he is driving more slowly than I’d expect, and I realize that neither of us is ready for the date to end, even though it is 2:00am.
Hesitating at the door to my apartment, I am unsure whether or not to invite Bradley inside. I am not familiar with proper date protocol, but I desperately want this night to continue.
“I had a great time tonight, Mallory. I’m glad you decided to give me a shot.”
“Of course. I had a fantastic time, too.”
Reaching up, Bradley softly strokes a few stray hairs from my face and rests his hand against my neck. He gently brushes his lips against mine; back and forth, his mouth sweeps across mine, coaxing a soft moan from my throat. Taking the hint from my trembling body, Bradley presses himself close to me and places his free hand on the opposite side of my face. Tilting my head slightly, the sudden sensation of his tongue against my bottom lip causes me to gasp, opening my mouth for his tongue to probe further. The feel of his tongue dancing along mine has me gripping the front of his shirt, bringing Bradley as close as physically possible. I hadn’t realized we were moving until I find my back pressed up against the cold wood of my apartment door.
In the distance, a dog barks suddenly, snapping us both back from our moment of passion. Staring into each other’s eyes, smiles creep up both of our faces. With his thumbs still brushing along my jaw line, Bradley breaks our moment of silence.
“I’m not coming inside, so you don’t need to fret about whether to ask me or not.”
“How did you know? And why not?”
He chuckles, “You have a hint of fear in your eyes. Plus, I like to think I’m a gentleman, and if I were to join you inside neither of us will get much sleep because I will spend the next twelve hours learning every part of your body intimately.”
“Intimately?”
“Intimately,” he confirms with a nod.
I feel my cheeks warm and look down, unsure of what to say.
“Well, thank you for tonight, I had a lot of fun.”
These words seem so inadequate, but he takes it in stride.
“So did I. Are you busy tomorrow? Because I would really like to take you out again.”
“I’m free. Why don’t you come here and I’ll cook? We can watch a movie or something.”
“That sounds great. 6:00pm?”
“6:00pm,” I reply with a smile.
Leaning forward again, Bradley presses a chaste kiss to my lips.
“I’ll see you… well, later today, I guess.” He smiles. “Good night, Mallory.”
“Good night, Bradley.”
Stepping into my apartment, I close and lock the door before making my way to my bedroom. Falling onto my bed, I stare up at the ceiling and replay the night’s events in my head. I really did enjoy our date – we get along so well that conversation flowed easily. Pressing two fingers to my lips, I think back to the passionate kiss we shared outside my apartment door. Bradley’s kiss was good, but I’d be fooling myself if I wasn’t comparing it to Alex’s.
Alex. His kiss alone had me burning on the inside, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I roll onto my side and glance at the jewelry box nestled upon my dresser. Inside its velvet depths is hidden the only piece of Alex I allowed myself to keep. The beautiful necklace is tucked away inside a soft blue bag where it will stay forever. I can’t bear to hold it in my hands, let alone feel its cold weight draped along my neck and my collar bone.
Pushing myself off of the bed, I discard my dress on my way to the bathroom. Once my face is clean and my body draped in a loose t-shirt and boxer shorts, I meander back to my bedroom. My sheets cool and blanket warm, I close my eyes and pray that I fall asleep quickly and that my rest is dreamless.
Chapter 4
I wake up early on Saturday morning and begin cleaning my apartment. Turning on the stereo, I dance along to the pop beat and lose myself under a mountain of laundry. In the midst of dusting my furniture, a knock on my door startles me badly enough that I let out a small shriek.
“Mallory? It’s Madison.”
Taking a few deep, calming breaths, I open the door and am surprised to find Mika standing alongside my best friend. Mika and I had what you could call a falling out before my kidnapping. She made absurd accusations regarding Alex and we haven’t spoken since.
“Hi, Madison, Mika. What are you all doing here?”
Stepping into my apartment and shutting the door behind them, Mika takes a look around.
She nods. “I like it. This suits you.”
I lean against the wall and try to gauge her intentions, but the look in her eyes shows pure sincerity.
Mika makes a small noise, like she’s clearing her throat, then presses on.
“I wanted to apologize to you for… well… everything. I really want to fix our friendship and I have every intention to; I just wanted you to know that I need to work on me first and fix my issues so I can be the best friend I can.”
Taken aback by her statement and her honesty, I walk over to her perch on the arm of my couch and envelope her in a tight hug.
“I love you, Mika.”
My reaction to her request for forgiveness affects her so deeply that she immediately bursts into tears. Coming up behind me, Madison joins in our embrace. We all find ourselves crying, releasing a few months of built up emotion.
Freeing herself at last, Mika rises to her feet, dabs at her eyes with her sleeve and declares, “I have to go away for a while, for work. I really wanted to see you both before I leave.”
“Speaking of work, I really need some advice about that,” I begin. “I got offered a position to head up a European branch of our agency. I can go on a trial basis and either accept the job or train someone else to do it. Of course, I can turn it down all together if I choose. I don’t know what to do.”
Madison jumps up and down on my couch, exclaiming, “Are you crazy? You have to go! This is an amazing opportunity. This is your chance to start fresh.”
Frowning, I continue, “Yes, it is a great opportunity and they are definitely taking a chance on me, but my family is here, you all are here, and I just started seeing Bradley and I really like him. And…. Well….” I hesitate for half a moment before finishing, “Alex is there.”
Halting her
excited jubilee, Madison perches herself on a couch cushion and considers my quandary.
I spare a glance towards Mika and she innocently shrugs, then whispers, “I say go for it.”
Breaking free from the cloud of her brainstorm, Madison looks up sharply.
“Yes, do it. We’re your family and we are behind you 100% in everything you do, you know that! If you’re worried about Bradley, talk to him about it. If he isn’t supportive, then you break it off sooner rather than later. And, yeah, the Alex situation is tricky, but not only are you strong, Europe is a big continent. I highly doubt you’re going to run into each other,” she concludes, smugly satisfied with her logic.
Pondering her words a moment, I finally allow a smile to creep slowly along my face.
“I’m going to do it.” I declare at last, “Even if I don’t decide to take the full position. I’ve always wanted to travel. I’ll talk to Bradley tonight about it.”
“I am so excited for you. I cannot wait to come and visit! Shoot, maybe I’ll move there, too. Someone needs to make sure you let loose every once and a while,” Madison says with an impish grin. “But anyway, tell us about your date with Bradley!”
So I tell them all about dinner and the ice cream parlor, ending with the heated kiss on my landing.
“I honestly can’t wait to see him again tonight. He’s coming over and I’m going to make dinner. You guys want to stay and help me clean?”
Taking that as their cue to leave, they both stand and hug me before quickly exiting my apartment, leaving me to fight the dust bunnies alone.
~
Donning a pair of dark skinny jeans and a light purple sweater, I anxiously bustle about my kitchen; trying to be sure I have everything perfect for dinner. I’m making rosemary mustard chicken; a new recipe I found in a magazine last week. As I begin to steam some vegetables, I hear a knock and nearly trip over my own feet to reach the door. I take a deep breath and try to appear calm. Upon opening the door, the sight of Bradley leaning up against the door jam mesmerizes me, his ankles crossed and one arm resting on the trim above his head. As I drink in the sight of him, he chuckles and I realize I have just licked my lips.
“I couldn’t wait to see you again, Mallory.”
With my throat strangely parched, my tongue seems too thick and I can only nod.
“Can I come in?” he asks.
I nod again. So much for calm and collected!
Taking my hand, he places a gentle kiss on my knuckles.
“Are you going to say anything?”
I begin to nod, quickly catch myself, and then laugh.
“I’m sorry. Let me try this again.” Rising onto my toes, I kiss his cheek. “Hi.”
“Hello,” he grins.
“I’m almost finished with dinner. Is chicken ok?”
“Anything you make is ok.”
I step back from my door, allowing him in.
As he shuts the door behind him, I head into my kitchen, calling back over my shoulder, “Bradley, you’re welcome to snoop around while I finish this up. It shouldn’t be but five minutes or so.”
With that confident smile that seems ever on his lips, he moves down the hall and gives himself a tour of the bedrooms and bathrooms.
I am at work dishing our meal onto plates (my nice ones, might I add), when I suddenly feel hands glide along my stomach and lips press themselves to my neck.
“Smells so good,” he whispers, softly nuzzling the sensitive skin behind my ear.
“Thanks. It’s a new recipe I found.”
“I meant you.”
“Oh.” Heat rises to my cheeks and I stammer, “Um, thanks.”
Reaching around me, Bradley kisses my neck once more, then grabs the two plates and moves to the small table between the kitchen and living area. Our dinner is so enjoyable that I find myself doing all that I can to avoid the topic of my job offer. I know I need to talk to him, I really do, but everything is going so well, not to mention this is the first time I have felt happy in weeks.
Knowing that prolonging the inevitable will only make things harder, I finally drop my fork and knife onto my plate and look directly across the table at him.
“Bradley,” I sigh, “I need to talk to you about something.”
He gives me his undivided attention as his features betray concern, “Mallory, you look terrified. Is everything ok?”
“Yes, everything is fine. It’s just… I mean, I know we only started going out, but I like you – a lot. And before my accident I was in love with this guy that never intended to stay with me. He broke my heart.”
I find these words tumbling out of my mouth rapidly, and I wonder if some part of me thinks saying it quickly will make it hurt less, like ripping off a Band-Aid.
“Yesterday, I got offered a promotion. My company would like me to head up a project focused on developing a European branch of our advertising agency. I’m supposed to leave at the end of this month for a trial period. Then I can either train someone else to take over, or I could stay on as the lead. I could also turn down the entire position if I wanted to, but the truth is, I really, really want this job.”
“Wow, Mallory. That’s amazing! Congratulations.”
His smile is sincere and I can’t detect anything but warmth in the depths of his stunning blue eyes.
“You’re not mad?” I whisper.
“Of course not,” he says earnestly, reaching for my hand. “You should definitely take this job. You’re bright, and you’re beautiful, and I’m humbled that you care about me enough to value my input.” His thumb circles the back of my hand softly. “I have always been a big believer in fate and I know what’s meant to be will be. Honestly? I’m just glad that I get to spend the next four weeks with you. And I hope that when the time comes for you to move all of your stuff overseas - because you would be crazy to turn this down - I’ll even help you move. I only wish the best for you, Mallory.”
Hot tears sting at my eyes and I practically run around the table to wrap my arms around him.
“You are by far one of the sweetest men I have ever met. Thank you so, so much for understanding.”
Turning his head, Bradley presses his lips against my own and before I know it, we are swept into a hungry passion. Dropping his hands to my hips, he feverishly draws me into his lap. As I straddle him, I can feel the result of our kisses in the tightness of his pants. Rocking back and forth against his growing erection, a warm dampness begins seeping through the lace of my panties. All too soon, Bradley breaks away from our kiss, but only to look deeply into my eyes. His hands caressing both sides of my face, I see the question burning desperately in his eyes and I nod my head. Grabbing me by my behind, Bradley stands from the chair and I wrap my legs tightly around his waist, pressing countless kisses onto his neck. Pulling at each other’s clothes, he carries me into the bedroom and lays me on the bed. My breath comes in shallow gasps and he makes quick work of removing his shirt.
“Whoa,” I whisper as I stare at the chiseled, masculine form standing in front of me. He isn’t quite as lean as Alex, but he is just as defined, maybe more so.
With agonizing slowness, he moves toward me on the bed, placing a long series of kisses along my jaw line and mouth before resting his body on top of mine. The feel of his fingertips beneath my sweater, grazing a path across my abdomen, causes a shiver to rake through my body. Enjoying the electrifying sensation of his hands on my skin, I moan as Bradley reaches for my breasts. As his hand begins to release the front clasp of my bra, my elation turns to terror as images of Seth flash unbidden into my mind. The feel of my kidnapper’s violence on my chest overpowers my reason and I instinctively push at Bradley in terror.
“Get off! Please, get off!” I scream, fear burning through my veins as though Bradley were Seth himself.
Startled, he quickly moves away and looks at me in bewilderment as I curl into the fetal position, shaking uncontrollably. Tears escape from my eyes as I realize the enormity of the moment that
has now been ruined.
Slowly moving towards me on the bed, Bradley speaks to me in a soft and soothing voice, “Mallory, sweetheart, it’s ok. Please don’t be afraid of me. I would never hurt you.”
He sweetly strokes his fingers through my hair, but my pain only intensifies. I wish it were Alex with me instead of Bradley, and I hate myself for clinging to this desire. The sobs racking my body eventually calm down, but Bradley stays with me on the bed, stroking my hair.
“You ok?”
“Yeah. Thank you for staying. That means a lot to me. I don’t know what happened.”
“You’re just not ready, Mallory. We can take it slow. I do know what you’ve been through,” he whispers, sincerity and concern coloring his voice.
“It’s just so frustrating because I really want to be with you right now,” I murmur.
Scooping me into his arms, Bradley carries me into the living room and settles me carefully onto the couch. Turning on the television, he drapes my legs over his own, covers me with a blanket, then begins to massage my feet.
“Why don’t you go ahead and rest your eyes? I can tell you’re exhausted.”
“But I want to spend time with you. I’m turning out to be… not so much fun tonight, to say the least. I’m so sorry.”
Shame leaves me unable to look him in the eye.
“Nothing to apologize for,” he says, rubbing my arches in slow, gentle circles.
Lying back, I rest my ahead along the arm of the couch, barely watching a rerun of some 90’s sitcom. As the show ends, Bradley rises to his feet. Lifting me into his arms, he moves me into the bedroom and back onto my bed.
“I think I’m going to head out,” he says. “I have a midday shift tomorrow and work all week.”
“Oh ok. Thank you for coming tonight,” pausing, I glance at him, hesitantly at first, then take a moment to drink in his thoughtful features. “Bradley, can I ask you a question?”
Squatting beside the bed, he leans forward and rests his elbows on the side of the mattress.
“Sure, sweetheart.”
“Do you think I’ll get better? Do you think I’ll ever be able to let someone touch me again?” My voice is hesitant, barely above a whisper.
Stone Unhinged (The Stone Book 2) Page 3