Closer (A Dark Romance, Book 1): The Closer Trilogy

by M. C. Vann

  “Thank God,” he whispered with a quiver. I tried to shake my head, but I couldn’t. His hands were still locked on my jaw.

  “I should have told you,” I murmured weakly — each word I spoke felt so draining.

  He pulled away but kept himself close enough to look in my eyes. “Told me what?”

  “That I can’t swim.”

  Henry bitterly chuckled. “Yeah, that would have been a good thing to know.”

  “I guess that’s another thing you’ll have to teach me,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  I saw the corner of his lips turned upward for a second before he pulled me into an embrace, his strong, protective arms wrapping around my shoulders. I sank into his arms and I noticed for the first time that Henry was also drenched from saving me.

  Back at the cabin, we both washed up for the evening. As I stepped out of the shower in my towel, I made my way into the closet. Looking again at the hundreds of clothing pieces, I was still reluctant to select anything.

  A knock came at my door.

  “Ally, are you finished?” Henry’s voice echoed through the door.

  “I’m almost done!” I yelled from the closet. “I’ll be out in a bit.”

  I adjusted the top of my towel, making sure it was tight, and quickly fumbled around for the clothing item nearest me.

  “Meet me in the kitchen,” Henry replied.

  “Okay!” I looked into the mirror and realized I was wearing a rather unsettling silk nightgown, so I threw on a robe over myself.

  When I walked into the kitchen, I was surprised to find it empty. Henry wasn’t in there like he said earlier.

  But just then, I felt a pair of arms reach around my waist from behind, rocking us both back and forth. My stomach flipped and my heart pounded against my ribs as Henry’s chin rested on my shoulder.

  “What took you so long?” he spoke sweetly into my ear. “I was starting to get worried.”

  “I was just changing,” I explained, trying not to lose my breath.

  “I have something for you,” he said with his arms still fastened around my waist.

  “No, Henry.”

  He stopped swaying us and turned me around to face him. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

  “I mean no. You give me way too much, Henry. If you keep doing this, I’ll start thinking I’m indebted to you.”

  He walked around me and secured his arms about my waist again. “Don’t think like that, Ally. I promise it won’t be much. It’s just a little something for this wonderful weekend,” he tried to persuade me, but I remained unconvinced. “Close your eyes.”

  He demanded it again and again … and again until I caved. I sighed defiantly before I closed my eyes. In what felt like a millisecond, he said, “Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

  A silver bracelet dangled from his fingers, almost as if he was taunting me.

  “Do you like it?” he asked.

  I nodded to amuse him. The light bounced off the silver line as it swung slightly from Henry’s fingers. But for some reason, I was hesitant in accepting the gift. Not because I didn’t like it — it was beautiful. But because no one had treated me this way before.

  “It was my mother’s,” Henry explained. “My father gave it to her as a wedding gift.”

  “This bracelet was your mother’s? No, I can’t accept this.”

  “Why not?”

  “I can’t. It’s your mother’s. Henry, I just can’t. You promised me it wouldn’t be much.”

  “So, I lied about that part, but I really want you to have it.”

  “I’ll have anything else, but that,” I said rather too quickly. I didn’t want to regret saying that.

  “It’s just a bracelet, Ally.”

  “It’s not just a bracelet, Henry,” I mocked him. My fingers gently grabbed his wrist to signal him to let go of me. When I wriggled free, I turned to face him with a completely serious expression. “It’s your mother’s bracelet. I can’t take what’s not mine.”

  “It’s mine to be given. And I want to give it to you.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Why what?”

  Must Henry be so oblivious to my feelings or my desires? I wished he would understand my reasons sometimes. He always desired things his way, always giving me things and doing things for me.

  “Why are you giving me this, Henry? I know that you like me. But I don’t know if liking someone is enough to give them a valuable gift like this.”

  “You’re right. I do. I like you very much.” He confirmed his feelings once more. “And my way of showing affection might be different from yours and other people. I like indulging the woman beside me.”

  “But I don’t want you to do that for me,” I interrupted him. For a split second, I was afraid I had angered him from the way his eyes flashed a look of vexation. “Henry, you don’t need to give me things to show me how much you love me. Can you respect that?”

  Henry’s lips turned into a smirk and my eyes widened. “Love?”

  “What?”

  “You said ‘love,’” he teased again. The temperature of my cheeks increased with each time he spoke of the word.

  “I did?” I tried to play dumb.

  “Fine.” He gave in, and I was stunned at how easily he conceded. “But this is the last thing I’ll give to you.”

  Before I could say anything further, Henry took my left hand and gently slipped the bracelet on my wrist. I sighed and rolled my eyes, unable to contain a pressed smile.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said, touching the bracelet. The design wasn’t anything extravagant. It was just a simple chain, but you could tell it was worth more than a few hundred dollars.

  “It looks even more beautiful now that it has an owner again.”

  I smiled at his compliment. “I’ll take good care of it.”

  “Thank you, Ally.” He smiled back.

  Our eyes remained locked on one another’s for a long and slightly awkward moment. I felt this was the perfect time for him to lean in and I really desperately wanted to kiss him, but I couldn’t find the strength to bring myself to do it.

  “Are you ready to eat? I am starving.” Henry broke the silence.

  I nodded in agreement, feeling slightly disappointed that nothing happened.

  As Henry took out the meats, vegetables, and utensils, I noticed his choice of clothing. He was wearing sweatpants and a plain gray T-shirt that probably cost more than what I currently had in my bank account. His damp hair looked just as good as it did when it was dry.

  Henry’s hand motions while cutting the food were smooth and accurate. He didn’t need to measure out anything and by now, I wasn’t even surprised. He just knew how much he needed whether it was salt, water, or seasoning.

  By the time the food was all cooked, the aroma in the kitchen smelled delicious. I had to admit it was all Henry’s effort. I barely did anything besides rinsing the pots and utensils and throwing out the garbage.

  The candle-lit dinner was perfect just like in the movies. We — and by we, I meant Henry — prepared the most lavish lobster with sides of sautéd asparagus and zucchini. Like always, Henry and I chatted about ourselves and our families. I was hoping he would mention something about Jennifer, but the name was never spoken, and I didn’t want to say anything to spoil the occasion.

  After dinner, Henry walked me back to my room in silence. Each time our hands bumped into one another, we both shyly apologized in unison and chuckled. When we reached the bedroom door, I realized the end of the weekend was edging nearer, and we’d be flying home tomorrow morning already. This trip went by too quickly.

  Henry reached for the doorknob, but I stopped him. His eyes met mine and his brows raised as if to ask me what was wrong.

  “Thank you for this weekend,” I told him.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “My father would have really liked you,” I started, picturing the f
ace of my healthy Papa. “I know he’s looking down at me now, and I know he’s finally at peace to see that I found someone like you. Someone who appreciates and respects me … someone who even takes the time to cook a homemade meal for me … someone who likes me for who I am. Thank you.”

  I couldn’t believe I just said that, but I knew I didn’t say those words for me — I said it for Papa. If he was still here, even though he would pretend to be indifferent toward any man that I was with, I knew he would want to say these things to Henry himself.

  Henry suddenly reached forward to place his hands on my hips and tugged me into him. My feet stumbled in between his before he leaned me back against the door. I blinked nervously and felt my heavy breathing. His intense stare took over my thoughts as his hand moved from my hip and to my jaw. His thumb tenderly stroked over my cheek. I felt him lean in and I closed my eyes while holding my breath, anticipating the sweet caress of his touch. His lips landed on the corner of mine, instantly sending my heart into a flutter and when he pulled away, I still felt him close to me.

  “Good night, Ally,” Henry spoke into my ear.

  I opened my eyes and nodded, unable to formulate a logical a thought. “Night, Henry,” I said breathlessly.

  As I watched him walk back down the hallway, I couldn’t deny my overbearing feelings any longer.

  I realized the more I got to know this man, the more I fell for him. He was nice. He was trustworthy. He was exceptionally handsome, which was a bonus. He was all of the above.

  And then I realized I was falling slowly, passionately, and even more deeply in love with Henry Pearce.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I was in the middle of a good dream when I felt a gentle kiss on my right cheek.

  “Good morning, Ally,” a deep voice rang in my ear. I smiled, recognizing the familiar voice.

  “Morning,” I replied sleepily. As my eyes opened, I noticed Henry sitting next to me on the edge of the bed. Outside was still dark, so I wondered why he woke me at this time. Was it still evening?

  “Get ready, I want to show you something,” he said with the smallest hint of excitement.

  I yawned. “Show me what?”

  He reached forward and carefully brushed strands of hair away from my face and pushed them behind my ears. “Something you’ll like. I promise. You have exactly thirty minutes to get ready and meet me at the door. Okay?”

  He smiled earnestly.

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  Henry walked out of the room and I looked at the alarm clock. It was four forty-five in the morning. It was so early! Honestly, I wanted to go back to sleep. I was definitely not a morning person at all, but I guessed I can make an exception for Henry. He seemed to be very excited about whatever it is he wanted to show me.

  After I brushed my teeth and threw on some jeans and a light green hoodie, I met Henry at the door half an hour later just like he had asked me to.

  He was carrying a picnic basket in one hand and a backpack on the other shoulder. “I hope it’s okay that we’re walking.”

  “Walking is fine,” I said, but in my mind, I was thinking about how scary and dark it was. There could be bears out there. Oh, God.

  “It will be okay, Ally,” Henry reassured me. He obviously read my apprehensiveness. His lips pulled into a smile as he took my hand into his. He gently squeezed my fingers and I felt comforted by the warmth of his soft palm.

  We walked out of the cabin and onto a trail that led up the mountain. As long as he didn’t let go of my hand, I’d feel safe and protected.

  When we arrived at the top of the hill, we found a spot to set up the picnic Henry had packed. The first thing he pulled out was three blankets. He used one to lay on the grass for us and he handed me one while he took the other.

  As I sat down, Henry sat next to me and placed his right arm around my shoulder. I slowly leaned into him and let myself enjoy the warmth radiating from his chest along with the smell of his musky cologne.

  Henry looked at his watch. “Only a few more minutes.”

  I peered up at him from underneath my lashes and smiled as he placed a kiss on my hair.

  The starry night sky gradually faded away as the sun crept up slowly into the mountain ridge ahead. The color of the horizon morphed from a dark blue into a warm red-orange as the sun’s rays peeked slowly over the mountain ridge, lighting up everything in its path.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said breathlessly.

  “Just like you,” he added.

  I looked up to smile at him. “Like you too. Inside and out.”

  Those three simple words astonished him. His smile faded into a blank expression. Was it weird that I indirectly called him beautiful?

  But it was the truth.

  This man was beautiful, inside and out. He was kind, good-hearted and warm. And even a blind man would know that he was without a doubt a handsome man.

  “Did I say something wrong?” I asked, worried that I might have offended him.

  “No,” he assured. “It’s just … No one has ever called me that before.”

  “There’s a first for everything, right?”

  He smiled and nodded, lightly tightening his hold on me. His hand rubbed in a back and forth motion on my arm while we continued to watch the sunrise.

  The moment was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I wanted to remain in Henry’s embrace like this forever.

  Just the two of us.

  And the sun.

  That afternoon, we landed in Chicago. Henry drove me home, one hand on the wheel while the other in mine. It was a bittersweet end to one of the most wonderful weekends of my life.

  “I had a great time,” I said to him as he parked in front of my apartment complex. I suppressed a frown, disappointed the weekend was really over. “Thank you for everything again.”

  “I should be thanking you.”

  “I’ll call you.”

  “Actually, I have a business trip this week, so I won’t be in town.”

  My heart sank, thinking that I won’t be able to see him for a whole week. “Oh, yeah. Of course, work is very important.”

  “Thank you for understanding, Ally. I’ll call you when I can.”

  “I should go now,” I said, grabbing onto the door handle. “Bye, Henry.”

  As I climbed out of his car, he called out after me like he always did. “Ally!”

  I couldn’t suppress the big grin on my face as I turned around to find Henry unexpectedly climbing out of his car and marching in my direction. Our eyes remained locked and once he reached me, his arms flew around me, pulling my body into his. His right arm tightened around my shoulders while his left snaked around my waist. His chin settled onto my shoulder as his right hand moved to hold me at the back of my neck. In shock, I wasn’t able to think or move, and after a couple of seconds, he loosened his grip and slowly pulled away.

  I stared into those emerald eyes as he stared back at me.

  Without saying a word, he turned around and walked to his car. He took one last look at me before driving off and I watched as his BMW turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

  What was that about?

  I slowly dragged myself into the apartment building and up the stairs. With every step, my heart became heavier. It hadn’t even been five seconds and yet, I missed him already. I promised myself I’d never become one of those clingy or worrisome girlfriends, but I couldn’t help myself.

  I really missed him.

  Adam and Lily weren’t home at the moment, which was probably a good thing. They would be hounding me with questions left and right, and that wasn’t what I needed at the moment. I just needed to be by myself and wallow in self-pity.

  —————

  The week without Henry was slow and tormenting. I kept checking my phone in case I missed a call or text from him, but I was only faced with disappointment. He never contacted me at all. I kept reassuring
myself that maybe the place he stayed at didn’t have a good signal.

  Wednesday finally came — the middle of the week. Only two more days till the weekend. Hopefully, Henry would call soon.

  After work, I decided to visit Chris since I hadn’t seen him in nearly a month. I had so much to talk to him about.

  When I arrived at the correctional center, I felt the familiar uneasiness creeping within. I hated going to the center. The building itself always made me feel claustrophobic and powerless.

  While I waited in the visitor room as they called Chris, I pondered whether I should tell him about Henry or not. It could only end up two ways, either really good or really awful and knowing the older protective brother that Chris was, it would probably be the latter.

  I frowned as Chris walked in, seeing that he looked skinnier than the last time I visited him. Over the years, prison life had sucked away his youth.

  But when he looked up from the ground to me, relief washed over me as I saw the same smile on his face. Chris opened his arms wide for me and I threw my arms around his shoulders to hug him.

  “Ally, my favorite sister. How’s my baby sister doing?” he flattered me once I let him go.

  “I’m fine, how about you? Have you been eating?” I asked in a scolding tone. “You look thinner every time I visit you.”

  “The food here is disgusting. But other than that, not too shabby.” He smiled and looked around the room, searching for someone.

  “It’s only me. Eve couldn’t make it. She promised she’ll come see you soon.”

  “And that’s why you’re my favorite,” he joked. “Let’s sit.”

  We sat at a round table near the windows. The officer assigned to my brother followed us discreetly, more or less.

  “How’s Nancy these days?” Chris asked.

  “Good, good.”

  “What’s new with you? You have a boyfriend yet?” He nudged my arm lightheartedly with his finger. Chris was a blunt and straight-up person. He wasn’t scared of asking questions and he usually liked to tease me a lot.

  “No, there’s nobody,” I lied.

  “Really? Nobody wants my little sister?”

  I chuckled, trying not to appear nervous. “Enough about me. How about you? Any news with you?”