What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)

by Lexi Buchanan

  He groans and pulls me off the counter with hands under my thighs. I reach around his neck, and he brings us to my bed and throws me down on it. I hear his zipper grind as he works on getting undressed. I scramble to my knees to do the same.

  A flash of silver flies by as a condom packet lands on the pillow behind me. I hear my shirt land with a swish across the room where I threw it. Skinny jeans don’t come off as easily, and they tangle at my ankles. I look at the naked Adonis that stands at the end of my bed. “A little help here?” I lay back and put my feet in the air for him to remove my jeans and panties. They hit the wall before they fall as Kaleb crawls toward me.

  He doesn’t get far before he dips his head down between my thighs. Hot breath on my moist sex raises me to his mouth. “Yes.” I barely get the word out before it’s replaced with my soft cry. His tongue darts right to my clit. I’m so ready, and release is close. My body trembles with need.

  Like a volcano I explode. I clench his hair in one hand and the bedspread in my other. “Oh, Kaleb, yes!”

  I shudder with the aftershocks and drink in the taste of me on his lips. Never has this been hotter for me. The sweet elixir drives me toward more, and I reach for his sheathed and hardened length. I guide him between my legs and open myself to his frantic thrust.

  He fills me in one quick pump. I flex around him and rock into his actions. Time stands still, and nothing matters except the sensation of him in me. The intense passion of it all melds us together. I’m so close to shattering but hold on to the edge for Kaleb. When his body tenses and stills, I let go and we fall together.

  Moments later we lay slicked with sweat. Kaleb sighs heavily. “Being with you is intense. God, I love you.” He shakes his head, and his voice gets thick. “I think about you all the time. It’s never been like this before.”

  Oh my God. “I know what you mean. I walk around like an idiot because I can’t stop smiling. I love you too.” I reach up and twist a piece of his hair.

  Kaleb lifts a lock of mine and lets it slip through his fingers. “You have the silkiest hair. I never get tired of touching it.” His stomach growls. “I think you’d better feed me soon.”

  “Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I forgot all about lasagna.” I get out of the bed.

  He says, “I can be quite distracting.” Kaleb moves to a sitting position and leans against the headboard. His arms are behind his head in a cocky pose that emphasizes his bulging biceps.

  “I’ll go get it, and we can have a picnic in my bed.” I look him up and down and let a low noise escape from the back of my throat. “Because I don’t want you to put any clothes on,” I say, “for a while.” I saunter off in a naked, post-sex high.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I awake to the clink of ice cubes bumping against glass. Or so I think. The room is dark, but I hear Kaleb snore softly next to me. His hairy leg is pressed against mine.

  The ice rattles again, and I tense in response. Lucas? I bolt up in bed.

  Moonlight shines on spindly fingers that hold a glass. Fingers I used to find graceful. His hand swirls liquid around the cubes and the repulsive smoky scent of scotch is in the air. My stomach clenches. I nudge Kaleb, but he doesn’t move. Oh, God. I poke him a bit harder, and he doesn’t even flinch. Shit, shit, shit. I have a sudden urge to pee.

  “You’ve gotten fat.” Lucas sits in a chair that blocks the door. I see my bra swing from a boney finger. He nods toward us. “He won’t wake up anytime soon. Useless piece of meat.” He shakes his head. His denim-clad legs are crossed like a woman, and he bounces a foot.

  “What did you drug him with?” My voice is raspy, and I clear my throat.

  “Nothing dangerous, unfortunately. It was meant for you.” He drops the bra to the floor. “Kind of an interesting turn of events. I think I like this plan so much better. I always hated it when you would just lay there.” He chuckles.

  “What do you want?” My heart beats erratically as my mind screams, Run!

  “First, I’ll fuck you. Then we’ll talk about your punishment.” The ice hits his teeth with a clunk as he takes a drink.

  I need to buy time. He’s doesn’t move, which means he wants me to anticipate the torment and suffer emotionally. “How did you find me?”

  He scoffs. “Social media is such a gift.” He taps his lips with a pale finger. “Let me recall the words. Ah, yes. Hashtag flashskate—Lori Langley just performed at Breck rec center.” He makes a noise of disgust in the back of his throat. “You do like to show off.”

  I fight the paralyzing cold that seeps through me. I need to get to the intercom button. It’s behind him and next to the door. “How’d you get in here?”

  “Oh please, don’t insult my intelligence.” His hand flicks the closet door, and the slam makes me jump.

  I slide slowly toward the edge of the bed. “I need to pee.”

  He sighs. “I don’t feel like getting up right now. We’re having such a nice chat.” He barks out, “So hold it!”

  Ah, there’s the angry man I know. “I won’t run and leave Kaleb here with you.” I reach for Kaleb’s shirt on the floor. I know Lucas will want more ice soon and will send me for it. I just need to be patient.

  “No, you won’t, will you? I wonder, do you think he’d like to watch us? Does he know how talented that mouth of yours is?” He snickers while anger pulses through my veins.

  I button the shirt. “Really, Lucas? You like to be watched?” I say it with a curious voice, even though I’m tempted to piss him off. A small dick insult would be so satisfying, but I need to keep him calm.

  “No, but I think I might enjoy watching your Neanderthal lose it when I come in your mouth.” He uncrosses his legs and leans his elbows on his knees. He rolls the glass between his hands. “Come here.”

  I get up slowly and pad over to him. I refuse to let myself react to the taunt. I’m so close to the mirror. If only I could get behind him.

  He says, “Reach into my bag and get the roll of duct tape.”

  Kaleb’s shirt is big on me, and I’m grateful as I squat down to get the tape. Alcohol wafts toward my nose and keeps me from fainting when I see the gun in his bag. A bottle of Johnny Walker is on the floor beside the backpack, and liquid fills half the bottle.

  He slides to the edge of the chair. His boots shine in the light, and I picture him polishing them. I hear his voice in my head. “It’s all in the details, Lori. Never forget that.” He says, “Kneel before me.”

  I force myself not to shake. Oh, God, if he unzips his pants I think I might vomit. The carpet is rough beneath my knees, and I go down on my knees.

  “Unbutton that shirt and open it up.” He drains the glass of scotch with a slurp.

  My fingers tremble as I undo the buttons. I hold the shirt open for him and turn my head to the side. I used to like the way he looked at me. I remember how it made me feel special. But over time his adoration went from heating me up to making my blood run cold. It’s just a body. He will never have my heart, my soul.

  “You’ve let yourself go.” He shakes his head and pinches my nipple hard. I bite back the pain. “Your breasts are corpulent. You repulse me.” He waves his hand at me. “Button it back up.” His body shudders a little in disgust.

  That treatment would have had me flushed with shame a few years ago. For one thing, I don’t know what corpulent means. He loved to make me feel stupid. I do know it’s not flattering, but I’m not insulted. Not now. I’m glad he thinks I’m ugly. My younger body was thin and boyish. Without the daily regimen of skating for hours and eating next to nothing, I’ve become curvy. Sexy, to most men.

  Lucas holds out his hand and huffs. “The tape?” I hand it to him. He shoves his glass at me. “Go get me more ice.”

  Now’s my chance. I’m so scared of what could happen, and my skin breaks out in a cold sweat. Kaleb’s voice enters my head. Visualize. I imagine what I need to do. I walk out of the room and brush my fingers along the wall to hit the mirror. It lands on the carpe
t with a soft thud as I depress the button.

  “Darn it.” I reach down for the mirror, but leave my other hand on the wall to cover the button. I hope it looks like I’m keeping my balance. Lucas doesn’t notice because he moves toward Kaleb.

  “You clumsy cow. Turn on the light.”

  The switch clicks on my way out the door, and I hear the rip of a strip of tape. Kaleb.

  Ice bites into my hand as I drop cubes into his glass. When I return, Lucas is busy wrapping silver tape around Kaleb’s ankles. Kaleb mumbles as if he’s talking in his sleep. “How long should he be out?” I ask.

  “Hard to know.” A grin spreads across Lucas’ face. “But he isn’t going anywhere now. Time for a little fun.” He rips off one more piece of tape and covers Kaleb’s mouth.

  Bile rises in my throat. Time for a little fun. I know exactly what that means, and I flash back to so many nights of sex with Lucas. Sex he wanted and I was too afraid to deny. I steel myself. I’m not sure how I’ll get through it now that I know what sex should be.

  Please, please let someone be on the way. I ask, “Were you the one who chased me last night?”

  “Chase? I was merely letting you know I was in town.” His teeth gleam in his mouth and I’m reminded of a shark.

  “You drugged Kaleb with something meant for me. Now he’s taped up so you can do what? What do you plan to do with us?” I hope this conversation is recorded and do my best to implicate him. Scotch splashes over the ice and into his glass as I pour.

  He says, “Right now, you’re going to suck my cock and swallow every fucking drop of my come like it’s honey.”

  I hear the sheets rustle. Kaleb is conscious and struggles against the restraints. I hope he didn’t hear what was just said or that he’s too out of it to understand. But Lucas has heard him too. “Remember how that used to turn you on?”

  Kaleb bucks up, but he can’t move. His hands are taped around a bedpost. Ice rattles as the glass shakes when I hand Lucas the glass.

  “Come now, Lori. You’ve done this hundreds of times. No need to be nervous.” His smile is pure evil. He takes the glass from me and slowly savors a sip. He’s drawing out my mental anguish and enjoying every moment.

  I know he gets off on my fear. I think about Kaleb and the cornice. His voice in my head tells me I’m capable and to trust my body. I remember the self-defense moves he taught me and imagine a sequence. I can do this.

  I let confidence infused with adrenaline surge through my limbs. I clench my teeth and speak. “I’m not nervous, Lucas. I know what you like and how you like it. I know how to make you come in under a minute. Although I don’t remember ever enjoying it.” I want my blasé attitude to suck the wind out of his tiny sail. From the pinched expression on his face, I think it worked.

  I walk over and press my hand on his crotch. I mock him. “You’re not hard, Lucas. What’s the problem?” He lifts his arm to backhand me, but I’m ready. I block him with my arm as I drive my knee between his legs with as much force as I can muster. Fear-induced strength takes over, and I slam my foot on his instep. He crumbles to the floor with a whimper.

  Using my foot I shove the bag out of his reach. I grab the liquor bottle and prepare to hit Lucas when I hear my door burst open and jerk at the end of the chain. “Police! Freeze!” I jump back out of the way and hear the metal chain clank to the floor as it’s cut loose. Heavy footsteps sound, and Phil slams Lucas face-first on the floor while Edie steps in front of me with her gun raised.

  Handcuffs click shut. Edie keeps her gun trained on Lucas and speaks to me. “Lori, you can go cut Kaleb free. If you have any baby oil that will help a little.”

  The cry of sirens intensifies as I get the scissors and oil from the bathroom. Phil has taken Lucas out of the bedroom, and I don’t look at him when I walk by. His scotch-laced stench is enough to make my stomach roll. All I can think about is Kaleb.

  Blue sweeps through the apartment like a strobe light as I sit next to Kaleb. I peel up a corner of the duct tape over his mouth and swipe greasy oil under it to ease the tacky glue. The anger in his eyes scares me a little. The oil doesn’t work, and I pull the tape off quickly instead.

  Kaleb takes a deep breath and lets it out. I hear the staccato footsteps of officers as they run up the stairs. Kaleb shakes his head and is about to speak when they burst into my apartment.

  I grab my shirt from the floor and place it over Kaleb’s lap. With the scissors, I begin to cut the tape on his wrists.

  “Pull it off fast. I need to be free.” His voice is strong but flat. I wonder if he’s in shock and think I probably am. I hear him utter a small noise of pain as I rip off the tape.

  “I’m sorry.” Tears spill down my cheeks. Until they do, I didn’t know I was crying.

  “It’s okay.” He takes the scissors out of my hands and works on his ankles.

  Edie walks over to us. “We’ll need to ask you questions. Would you like me to do it?”

  I nod my head. “Yes, please.”

  “I’ll go out in the living room and let you two get dressed. Let me know when you’re ready.”

  The moment Kaleb is free, he reaches for me. His embrace is so tight I can’t breathe. “Lori, I felt so helpless. I’m so sorry. Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”

  His chest muffles my voice. “I was so afraid for you.” I pull away when he relaxes. “I hurt him, Kaleb.” A smile threatens to escape. “It felt good to hurt him.”

  Kaleb nods. The bed lets out a creak as he stands up to find his clothes. We dress quickly and enter the living room. I sit on the couch and leave room beside me for Kaleb. He chooses a chair instead. I look at him and try to understand. “Kaleb?”

  He glances at me quickly and shakes his head before he avoids my gaze. He heard Lucas and probably pictured me with him. This is all too much. I’m damaged goods, and life with me will never be normal. My hearts breaks. Have I lost him?

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Phil called Matt, and Kaleb and I have the day off to recover. I hugged Kaleb as he left with Phil, but it felt forced on his end. Edie told me he’s probably still in shock and that his reaction is normal. I want to believe her, but I don’t.

  I run myself a hot bath and soak in it until the water is cold. I can’t determine what to process first. The fact that Lucas will be in jail for a long time or that Kaleb doesn’t want me. I recall the confrontation with Lucas and the sensation of power I had when I kneed him in the groin. Power Kaleb taught me to use.

  Tears stream down my face as I climb out of the tub. I wrap myself in a fuzzy towel and crawl into my bed. The essence of lovemaking wraps around me, and I let myself sob.

  I awake to the dim light of early evening. I roll over and see that it’s a few minutes after five. My hair is a damp, matted mess, and my stomach hurts from hunger. But my heart aches more. I want to be with Kaleb.

  I climb out of bed and begin to yank off the dirty sheets to replace with clean ones. When the smell of Kaleb wafts toward me, I stop. I remake the bed for one more night. Tears prick my eyes, and my throat gets tight. I swallow and force them back down.

  Dressed in yoga pants and a big sweatshirt, I pad out to the kitchen for food. The bright light of the refrigerator washes over me as I search for anything I can stomach. I grab a yogurt and peel off the foil top. Cool, creamy flavor coats my tongue as I gobble it down. Ravenous hunger sends me back for the lasagna. The memory of Kaleb eating in my bed just last night tugs at my heart, and I shut the door. My appetite is gone.

  I reach for the hot water kettle and begin the process of making tea. I pick up my e-reader and search for a book to delve into. I need to stop the thoughts and lose myself in a fantasy. I tell myself I’ll see Kaleb in the morning.

  With the aid of a Valium, I slept through the night, and as I drive to work this morning my spirits are high. Mountains gleam as sunlight bounces off the snow and adorns the deep blue sky. I’m free of Lucas! I do an inner fist pump at my ballsy move the other night that disab
led him. A smile dares to creep onto my face when I think about how incredibly brave I was. I’ve come a long way, and I have Kaleb to thank for it. He’s taken a girl who barely made it down a short, steep section of a ski trail and taught her to carve up bowls and fly off cornices fearlessly.

  I watch a lift attendant race to the locker room from the employee parking lot. I’ve arrived before most instructors, and apparently I’m early enough to catch the late lifties. My plan is to grab Kaleb before he goes out with anyone else. He needs to know how much I love him.

  I step out into the cold. Wind whips my hair into my face as if to hide me from the world. I wonder how Kaleb slept and if he suffered any side effects from the trauma of being drugged and tied up. It had to have been a frightening and frustrating experience to watch, hoping I could save us. I know what helpless feels like.

  As soon as I enter the warmth of the locker room, I kick myself. I should have brought him coffee. That’s what he would do for me. Tomorrow, I tell myself. I quickly get ready and go sit on the bench by his locker to wait.

  I listen to boots buckle as other instructors prepare for their day. Nick and Megan walk by the aisle and see me. Both come over to talk.

  Megan sits right next to me and gives me a hug. “Oh my God. We heard. How are you doing?” She pulls back to look at me. Her face is full of the empathy of a good friend and someone who knows more than most.

  “I’m great. Megan, I took action. It was amazing. I feel so…”

  Her eyes widen. “Free?”

  “Yes. Exactly,” I say.

  Nick is across from me and reaches for my hands. His strong, warm fingers wrap around mine. “I’m so glad you’re okay. How’s Kaleb?”

  My heart clenches, and I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

  Nick’s eyes cloud over with concern. “Give him time. It had to have been a blow to his ego to watch you kick butt.” He touches my cheek lightly, and the tenderness brings fresh tears to my eyes.

  I suck in my bottom lip and bite it hard to keep from crying. This crying thing is getting ridiculous. “Thanks.”