Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1)

by Kelley, HD

  I’d dozed off on the car ride back to Siesta Key, not waking up until Alec opened my door after we’d gotten back to the house. “Come with me,” he said extending his hand, a full mouth smile on his face. “I have a surprise for you.” The whole day had been a surprise, an absolutely perfect day. It was exactly what I’d needed, and I couldn’t imagine anything more.

  I followed Alec through the front door of the house then out the back. My mind flashed back to last night, sprawled across Alec’s lap as he spanked me. Alec caught a glimpse of me rubbing my backside and started to laugh. “Don’t worry, Isabella. I’m not going to punish you.” He kissed me on the mouth. “Not now, anyway.”

  A soft glow illuminated the beach. Candles, lots and lots of candles, surrounded a blanket that was lying on the beach. I wondered when Alec had time to arrange it all, but I didn’t ask. After all I was dealing with Alec Payne, the man who knew no boundaries, the man who could undoubtedly make anything happen.

  “Amazing,” I whispered.

  “You like it?”

  I threw my arms around his neck. “No, Alec. I love it. I love the surprise.”

  Alec’s smile grew. “I love that about you, Isabella. I love that you can be happy with the simplest of things.” He kissed me softly on the lips. “But this isn’t the surprise.” A wicked grin crossed his face.

  Sex on the beach, my inner voice screamed.

  Alec sat down on the blanket, taking me with him. He pulled a bottle of wine and two glasses out of the basket that was beside him. After filling then both, he handed one to me then returned the bottle to the basket. When he pulled his hand out again I noticed he was holding a small box that looked suspiciously like a ring box. My heart started to race. It couldn’t be what I thought it was. It was too soon. I wasn’t ready for that. My divorce was too recent. And we barely knew each other.

  He handed me the box. “I saw this today and it reminded me of you.”

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  “It’s your surprise.”

  “Alec,” I said nervously.

  He kissed me on the lips. “Stop worrying, Isabella. It’s just a gift, not a lifelong commitment.” His smile disappeared and I immediately felt bad. After everything he’d done for me, the last thing I’d wanted to do was hurt his feelings.

  “I’m sorry, Alec. I’m just not used to all of this.”

  “What? Receiving gifts?”

  “Yes. Well, gifts for no reason, anyway.”

  “It’s not for no reason, Isabella. I told you. It reminded me of you, beautiful, precious, and rare.” His words made me blush. I took a long drink, gathering the nerve to see what was inside. My mouth dropped open when I saw it. The pareiba tourmaline and diamond ring we’d seen in the window at Cleopatra’s Barge earlier.

  “Oh, Alec,” I gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

  “And so are you.” He took the ring out of the box and slid it on the ring finger of my right hand.

  “When? How?” It was all I could manage.

  “When I see something I want, baby, I always find a way.” He pulled me closer and kissed me hard on the mouth, making my insides tingle, again.

  I pushed him back on the blanket, spilling the contents of his glass everywhere. Straddling him, I made quick work of his shirt. He’d denied me last night but I wasn’t giving him that option tonight. I trailed kisses down his chest to the waistband of his pants.

  “What are you doing?”

  I looked up at him. “It’s a surprise,” I said, with a grin of my own. Unbuttoning his pants, I slid his zipper down, reaching inside his boxer briefs to free his growing erection.

  His voice was low and throaty. “Isabella,” he moaned, anticipating my next move. I ran my tongue down the shaft of his penis, circling the sensitive tip as I caressed his balls. I took him all the way in. His head tilted back, and a moan escaped him.

  “Isabella,” he moaned again, louder this time. I picked up speed, gently sucking and pulling as I moved up and down. His cock twitched in my mouth, and I knew he was getting close. I ran my tongue under the sensitive ridge and his legs stiffened. His breathing was fast and shallow. “I’m going to come.” I ignored him, taking him all the way in, his cock hitting the back of my throat. His hands fisted in my hair and he thrust his hips, the warm liquid of his arousal erupting.

  Alec sat up and pushed me back until I was lying flat on the blanket. “That was so hot,” he said, his voice breathy.

  Before I knew what was happening my skirt was around my waist, my panties had been ripped off, and he was thrusting himself inside me. “Ahhh,” I cried out, my insides still swollen from our recent escapades. Alec claimed my mouth with his tongue and pushed deeper inside me. I dug my nails into his skin, and he moved faster. My insides began to quicken and he stopped.

  “Alec,” I breathed, bucking my hips, begging him to keep moving.

  “Not yet, baby. I’m not done with you yet.” He kissed me softly, and it only made me want him more. When my body stilled, he started to move once again, slower this time, his eyes fixed on mine as he thrust himself inside me, in and out, in an exquisite rhythm.

  Every time my climax threatened Alec would still. It was too much to handle. I arched my back, begging for the release I needed. “Please, Alec,” I moaned. “I need to come.”

  With a renewed sense of purpose, he thrust deep inside me, the head of his cock passing over my pleasure zone before bottoming out. I arched my back further, my breathing becoming so shallow I was practically panting. The world around me began to fade away. “Oh, God, Alec.”

  “That’s it, baby. Let me see you come.” He picked up speed, plunging deeper inside me as my body unraveled around him, deeper and faster still until he found his own release.

  Alec collapsed on the blanket next to me, a satisfied smile on his face. We stayed that way, lying beneath the stars, talking and laughing and talking some more until the last candle burned out.

  I followed Alec upstairs but stopped at the door to my room. I needed a shower, plus, I was way too sore for sex again tonight. Alec’s smile faded but he didn’t object. “Good night, baby,” he said, kissing me on the forehead.

  “Goodnight. Thank you for today. And thank you for this beautiful ring.”

  “Anything for you, Isabella,” he whispered then walked away.

  It had been a long day and I was more than ready for bed, well, as soon as I could get the sand off me. I hopped in the shower and quickly washed up. I’d need to dry my hair before I got into bed, so I didn’t waste any time.

  Wrapping my hair in a towel to keep the water from dripping down my back, I slipped on a clean nightshirt and brushed my teeth before beginning my search for the hairdryer. Drawer after drawer I opened without success. My hair was too wet to sleep in, so I was left with two choices; let it air dry or see if Alec had a hairdryer.

  Considering how tired I was, air drying wasn’t an appealing option. That left me with only one option. I headed for Alec’s room, tiptoeing down the hall in case he was already sleeping. His door was ajar, so I peeked inside, only to find him sitting on the sofa, flipping through the pages of some document.

  “Hey,” I said, feeling guilty about bothering him now. “Sorry to interrupt. It’s just, well, I need to dry my hair and I can’t seem to find a hairdryer.”

  “Second drawer on the right,” Alec said motioning toward the bathroom. I walked quietly into the bathroom, finding it right where he said it’d be. I collected what I’d come for and walked as quietly as I could back through Alec’s room.

  “Did you find it?”

  “I did. Thanks. I’ll bring it back in the morning so I don’t bother you again tonight.”

  “You’re not bothering me, baby.” Alec put the stack of papers down next to him and walked toward me. “Distracting me, yes, but definitely not bothering me.”

  Alec leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. “Let me dry your hair,” he said, taking the hairdryer out of my hands.r />
  Without waiting for me to answer, he grabbed a hold of my wrist and pulled me back into the bathroom. “Sit,” he said, pulling out the chair that was tucked neatly under the countertop. I wasn’t too sure about letting him dry my hair but I sat anyway.

  Alec removed the towel that was twisted on top of my head, allowing my hair to fall down my back. He turned on the blow dryer and began running his fingers through my hair, expertly massaging my scalp as he moved the dryer around my head. I closed my eyes, soaking in every second.

  “Done,” he announced after a while, switching off the dryer. I opened my eyes to find Alec grinning ear to ear, seemingly proud of the work he’d done, and it made me smile too.

  “Thanks. You’re a pro.”

  Alec dropped his head, all evidence of his good mood gone. “My mom used to let me dry her hair.” The pain in his words tugged at my heart. It was clear how much his mother had meant to him.

  “Sleep with me tonight,” Alec said, suddenly.

  There was no way I could deny him after hearing that confession, no matter how tired I was. I turned so I was facing him. “Sleep?”

  “Your appetite for sex is insatiable, Isabella,” Alec said, pulling me into his arms.

  “No, Alec, I’m serious. I’m exhausted, and way too sore.”

  He kissed me on the top of the head. “Sleep it is then.”

  Alec helped me into bed then slid in next to me. Wrapped securely in his arms, I closed my eyes, ready for sleep to find me.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  We’d been at the beach house for almost a week and I hadn’t even explored the house yet. Alec took a few days off work and we’d spent most of our time getting to know each other better. After the third day I was convinced he knew my body better than I did. He could bring me to the edge of ecstasy with a single touch.

  Preston and Frank had made themselves scarce the past few days, a fact I’d been pretty happy about. Having a security team constantly watching over me was one thing I didn’t think I could ever get used to.

  I’d decided to go for a run while Alec made a few phone calls, but the air was so hot and thick I ended up cutting it short. Alec was still on the phone when I got back, and considering all the energy I still had left to burn, I hopped in the pool to finish my workout.

  The water was cool to my overly heated skin, so I eased myself into the pool. When I reached the last step, I dove under the surface, moving my arms above my head then pulling down, propelling myself forward, not surfacing until I reached the other end. After a few laps I switched to the backstroke, closing my eyes to block out the sun as I slowly kicked my way to the other end of the pool.

  The sky flashed white, followed by the loud crash of thunder in the distance less than a minute later. Startled, I reached for the bottom of the pool, but it wasn’t there and I slipped under the surface of the water. When I came up for air I was coughing, spitting up the mouthful of water I’d just swallowed. My eyes were wide open and I realized I was still in the middle of the pool, so I swam to the side to catch my breath.

  A shadow moved over the edge of the pool and I looked up to see what it was. “Can you hear the storm that’s rolling in, Isabella?” Alec reached down to help me out. I accepted his hand, letting him pull me out of the pool, quickly wrapping a towel around me.

  “Thanks,” I said, relieved I’d finally stopped coughing. When I looked up at Alec I noticed the disapproving frown that rested on his face. “That storm came out of nowhere,” I said quickly, hoping to calm him down.

  Alec’s expression didn’t change. “That was lightening, Isabella.”

  “I got out as soon as I saw it.”

  “Didn’t you notice the storm clouds before you got in?”

  “No, I didn’t,” I snapped. I had no intention of being scolded like a child, especially not by Mr. Control Freak. I crossed my arms, my look mirroring his.

  Alec pulled me close to his, our bodies connecting. “Pouting will only make it worse.” His tone made me blush. Why did this man have such an effect on me? He kissed me. A hard, passionate kiss and when he pulled away I was breathless.

  “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me inside, his words so full of promise I could hardly wait. Eagerly, I followed him. Alec stopped at the base of the stairs and swatted me on the butt making me squeal in delight.

  “Go change, Isabella. I have work to do.”

  “Aren’t you coming up with me?” I dropped my head, my lower lip protruding in a full blown pout this time.

  Alec leaned down and bit my lip gently. “I know what you’re doing, baby, and it’s not going to work this time. Now go.”

  “Fine.” I turned and stomped up the stairs, expecting Alec to follow me, only he hadn’t.

  After changing into some dry clothes, I decided to do a little work myself. As long as the storm was on top of us I’d be stuck inside anyway, and Alec clearly wasn’t in the mood to play.

  I’d promised Chris I’d monitor his account to make sure things were running smoothly, plus, I wanted to check the status of the Ultimate account.

  As I waited for my laptop to boot I stared out the window, becoming momentarily lost in the beauty of the storm. The waves had swelled to twice their normal size and were crashing hard against the shore. The rain fell in thick sheets, the wind whipped over the water, the force and power of Mother Nature on full display. Getting lost in the beauty of God’s creation was such an easy thing to do. Light flashed, immediately followed by the loud crack of thunder. The storm was right on top of us now. I watched intently as the rain moved closer and closer until it was impossible to see out through the windows.

  Eager now for the distraction of work, I double clicked the icon for my email program and waited impatiently as it launched, silently hoping Tim hadn’t sent me another meeting request. He’d been pressing me to come to the office for a face-to-face status update on the Payne Enterprises account, but Alec wouldn’t hear of it. “That psycho found you twice, Isabella. I’m not taking any chances of you going to your office,” he’d said. In all honesty there wasn’t much to report anyway, so I hadn’t pushed.

  Shit. What I was reading was worse than I’d feared. Tim wasn’t just asking for a meeting, he was demanding it, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Be at the office Monday at nine o’clock for a mandatory meeting,” his email read. “Skipping this one isn’t an option if you want to keep your job, Izzy.” Double Shit! Now what was I supposed to do? Alec would freak if I told him about this email and if I wasn’t at the meeting Tim would freak. Pleasing them both would be impossible.

  Your career is on the line here, Izzy, my inner voice snapped. And she was right, it was my career. And just like that I’d made up my mind. I was going to that meeting. Alec might not like my decision, but he’d have no choice but to accept it. I typed out a quick email to let Tim know I’d be there before I lost my nerve.

  I read through the rest of my emails, mostly status updates from department heads who’d forgotten to take me off their distribution list but there was one message that had me worried, a message from Chris flagged as urgent.

  Immediately, I opened the email. The night shift supervisor at the Sandestin had been busted renting rooms to underage teens and allowing them to order alcohol from the bar. “I really need your help with this one, Izzy,” he’d written. “Our reputation and our liquor license are on the line this time. You have to help.” I fired an email to Jonathan asking him to gather all the evidence in the case. I’d need to know exactly what we were dealing with before I could even think about helping. I sent Chris a quick message too so he’d know I was investigating the problem.

  There was an email from Valerie that was a couple days old wanting to know if I was still at the Sandestin. Alec would be beyond pissed if he saw that message. He’d be angry I told her where I was staying but knowing I hadn’t told him about it would have him seeing red. I shook my head to settle the rattled thoughts. H
e can’t get mad at you for not remembering, my inner voice chimed in. And she was right. After everything I’d been through he should just be happy I remembered the call to Spencer.

  “I haven’t forgotten about you telling Spencer,” he’d said that night on the beach after he’d taken me over his knee. A shiver ran down my spine as I considered how he’d react to this bit of information.

  Just as I was ready to delete the message I heard him, his harsh tone startling me. “What’s the meaning of this, Isabella?” I jumped to my feet, knocking my laptop onto the floor in the process. Alec was waving a piece of paper in the air, an intense look in his eyes.

  I swallowed hard. “The meaning of what?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me.”

  Had he found out about my call to Val? Surely he couldn’t be talking about my decision to go to the office, could he? “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Alec.”

  “This email from Tim, Isabella, what do you mean telling him you’ll be at the office on Monday?”

  Great. Tim had emailed Alec before I could tell him myself, and he was even madder than I’d expected. “I have to go. Tim is really mad that I’ve been ditching him so I need to be there.”

  “I don’t give a damn how mad Tim is. It isn’t safe, and you aren’t going.”

  “Alec, please. Try to understand. The meeting is mandatory. I don’t have a choice if I want to keep my job.”

  “It isn’t safe!” he shouted, pulling both hands through his hair. “You’re not going. End of story.”

  End of story? Really? Was I really going to give him the final say in my life? “Look, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but this is my career. I have to go. I AM going.” The more I talked about it the angrier I got. “And how the hell do you even know about my meeting?”

  “The police recovered prints from a flower vase in your office,” he said, completely ignoring my last question. “He’s been there, baby. Your office isn’t safe.”

  “You knew he’d been there and you didn’t tell me?”

  “I was certain Spencer was behind the attacks. I wanted proof before I worried you any more than you already were.”