Making Her His

by Lucy Leroux

  “I missed you, too,” Elynn whispered back, cuddling closer to him. “And I want our home to be so filled with warmth and happiness that you’ll have no choice but to hurry back whenever you have to leave it.”

  He smiled in the darkness, but she couldn’t see it. After a moment, he circled back to the apology he’d wanted to make since he’d arrived to see Sonia there in their home.

  “I’m sorry that woman showed up here. She or anyone like her will never bother you again here in our home. I promise you that.”

  She shifted to face him. “Well, I’m feeling especially generous right now, so I’m going to overlook the home invasion. Don’t get me wrong—you’re still in trouble. And I want to say that, in the past you have exhibited a rather appalling taste in women, present company excluded. But since you’ve obviously rectified that situation, I’m prepared to be forgiving. This time,” she added with a poke to his chest.

  Elynn was so amazing. “I love you and only you. I wish to God you had been a little older when we met,” he grumbled as he tugged her closer, not satisfied until she was pressed against him. He could feel her cheek moving against his chest when she smiled. “Are you going to tell me what you told Sonia?”

  “Never,” she said emphatically. “All I’m going to say is that I think I must be a better actress than the movie star.”

  Chapter 21

  “Oh,” Mary breathed with tears in her eyes. “It’s so beautiful, sweetheart.”

  She was holding one of Elynn’s wedding gowns in her hand. Elynn was going to wear two, a formal one with a train for the service and another shorter cocktail length one for the reception afterwards.

  Alex had finally finished renovating everything at the Oxford estate in preparation for the ceremony. The helipad was finished, and a special arbor had been constructed for the exchange of their vows. In two days, a group of well-paid caterers and florists would descend to transform the rose garden for the ceremony.

  Until then, Elynn was enjoying the time alone with her mother—except for the conversation her mother broached after viewing the dress. The one about how to handle intimacy in her marriage.

  “Oh, Mom, you know Alex wasn’t actually noble enough to wait for our wedding night, right? He’s a good man, but he’s not a saint,” Elynn muttered uncomfortably.

  Mary cleared her throat. “I realize you’ve already been intimate. And I’m glad that you’ve found happiness with Alex. I was worried that you wouldn’t be comfortable enough for that for a long time. But it takes work for a marriage to succeed, and you might still have some issues. I hope you continue to see your therapist for the foreseeable future. I think it would be a good thing to have an impartial third party to talk to, especially in the early days of your marriage. And not just because of what happened back home in the states. I think all newlyweds could probably use that kind of help. And if Alex is anything like Costas, and I know he is, then you’re going to have your hands full.

  “He’s very aggressive,” Mary continued, with a commiserating pat of her hand. “Much more so than his father. If I wasn’t aware of how much he loved you, I would be trying to talk you out of marrying him right now. But I know he’ll take good care of you. I just think getting some advice on how to handle him when he gets all…all Alex-y…is a good thing.”

  Elynn laughed. She had let Alex get away with a lot, but not anything she hadn’t been willing to give him. Even marrying him so soon. She wanted everyone to know that he was hers and she was his.

  “I’m not about to let him walk all over me,” she assured her mother. “Believe me, that is not ever going to happen. And I honestly hadn’t even thought about stopping counseling. Even when I was so busy the last year, I checked in once a month at least. Seeing a therapist is so ingrained now that I don’t know that I’ll just completely stop. Not anytime soon anyway.”

  She shrugged, and luckily her mother had been satisfied enough to change the subject to wedding preparations.

  ****

  The next day, Alex was late getting home. Her mother was somewhere downstairs directing the decorators. There was more staff on hand than there would be guests at her wedding.

  Alex hadn’t wanted to go into his London office for the last minute meeting. His staff had done everything possible to reschedule, but a new business partner had made a huge fuss, and the meeting had been unavoidable in the end. But that was okay with her. Elynn was using the time alone productively, exploring the wilderness around them to her heart’s content. It would be fertile mushroom hunting ground when the wet season returned.

  That morning, she investigated the bottom of a ravine that she had discovered from the top of a ridge the day before. There was a little stream at the bottom that kept the whole area damp enough for mushrooms, even in the heat of summer. There were some decaying ones on the hillside right now.

  High in the trees above her was an innocuous black box. It was one of many. Alex had had the electronic surveillance devices placed throughout the woods in the last few weeks. He’d insisted, saying that if she was going to be out there on her own, he would have the security monitor her in case she turned an ankle while mushroom hunting. Since it actually made sense, she’d accepted the devices with little argument.

  Well…only a small fight anyway.

  Pleased with the location, she looked around, trying to commit the area to memory. From the bottom of the ravine she could see a deep recess underneath the overhanging lip of the ridge high to her left that hadn’t been visible from the top the day before. Some long tree roots spilled over the edge of the ridge to hang over the recess. It reminded her of a hobbit hole straight out of Tolkien. Smiling at her own whimsy, she decided it was time to head back to the house for lunch.

  After a light meal, Elynn went upstairs for a shower. Humming softly to herself, she entered the master bedroom. She stopped short in the doorway when she saw the blonde man in front of the closet, studying her wedding dress. He turned to her, and her heart dropped to her feet.

  “Come inside Elynn,” Stephen Wainwright said, motioning her inside with the gun he was pointing at her.

  Chapter 22

  Elynn couldn’t move. It was a scene copied straight from her worst nightmares. Stephen was here, in the flesh. He had finally found her. For years, she had looked around every corner and jumped at every sudden noise because she had believed he was coming after her. It had taken her years to stop. And now he was here.

  She had never been safe from him, not really.

  “Come inside and close the door,” Stephen ordered.

  With her heart drumming in her ears, she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. For a moment, they simply stared at one another.

  Stephen had changed, grown taller and broader. He wasn’t as tall as Alex, but his body was still athletic, and his face had those boyish good looks that had charmed all of her girlfriends. His appearance and charm had captivated everyone but her. Then he had started terrorizing her—but not all of Windsor’s residents had believed that. His popularity and money had acted like a shield when the accusations were first made.

  He probably still turns heads wherever he goes, she thought disgustedly.

  Stephen kept the gun trained on her while he lifted the skirt of her wedding gown, the longer formal one she had planned to wear during the ceremony. He ran his hands over the silk and lace almost reverently.

  Suddenly, his features contorted, and he made a fist in the lace, yanking hard until it tore. In a rage, he grabbed the gown off the hanger and shredded the dress to pieces.

  Elynn inhaled reflexively, her head drawing back. Stephen threw the dress to the floor and turned to her, out of breath. Then he smiled slowly, making her blood run cold.

  Oh God, please help me, she prayed silently, her heart pounding.

  “Come here,” Stephen coaxed, his voice soft and pleading as he held out his free hand.

  His other hand kept the gun trained on her. Trembling, she could barely w
alk straight as she slowly made her way toward him. Her vision was darkening at the edges, and she was suddenly more terrified of passing out than of him.

  If she fainted, she’d be at his mercy.

  Impatient, Stephen closed the distance between them and hugged her to him tightly. Elynn broke out into a sweat as she felt the gun pressing against her back. Trying to calm down, she held still while he rubbed against her, his cock growing hard with the friction.

  Eventually, he stood back enough to look down at her pale face. He kissed her lips softly, the way a lover would.

  “I’ve missed you so much, Elynn,” he whispered. “I know you missed me, too. I tried to come for you before when we were first separated, but your new family kept getting in the way. I did call you. You knew it was me right? Even when I didn’t say anything?”

  Numbly, Elynn nodded. She had known it was him in the beginning. As the years passed and the silent phone calls became less frequent, she’d convinced herself it was someone else, wrong numbers. She had thought Stephen had forgotten her, that he’d moved on. But here he was, standing in front of her. With a gun.

  “Did you get my flowers?”

  Confused, Elynn looked up at him. “What?”

  Stephan scowled. “My roses. I was letting you know I was thinking of you, that you were still on my mind.”

  The red roses. Oh God. She hadn’t realized.

  His expression became thunderous. “You thought they were from him, didn’t you?” When she stayed quiet, Stephen shook his head, making a visible effort to control his temper. “Your new family surrounded you with bodyguards, so I had to go away. I tried to forget you,” he continued, stroking her cheek. “I’m sorry about that now. But I didn’t know about your stepbrother. I should have realized sooner what was happening. I would have rescued you long ago,” he said before kissing her again.

  “Rescued me?”

  She could barely get the words out. He thought he was rescuing her? From Alex? She felt sick, and there was a real danger of throwing up all over him. She suddenly thought that was a great idea, but his next words distracted her.

  “I didn’t know that he wanted you for himself. Not until I saw the tabloids. If I had known, I would have come back sooner and taken you far away, where he wouldn’t be able to touch you. But it’s not too late. I’m here now. Just in time,” he said, gesturing to the torn gown on the floor before he pulled her to the door.

  Breath fracturing, Elynn tried to pull away from him, but Stephen raised the gun and pushed it against her temple. He drew her closer with his free arm and lowered his lips to her forehead, pressing them right next to the barrel of the gun.

  “I know you didn’t mean to betray me with him,” he said. His hot breath filled her face. It was minty, and she recognized the smell of her own mouthwash. “Your stepbrother is a powerful man. You didn’t stand a chance. I know he forced you into his bed, and now he’s forcing you to marry him. I don’t blame you for not being strong enough to resist him,” he said pressing his lips harder into her temple.

  Elynn swallowed hard. “Thank you for understanding,” she whispered.

  Stephen rewarded her with a brilliant smile. “None of this was your fault. First your mother forced you away from me. Then your stepfather made sure we stayed apart. And now Alexandros wants to keep us apart by marrying you. But it’s okay now. In a few hours, we’ll be on a plane to someplace far away. I promise you, he will never find us. But first you’re going to lead me out of here. If any of the bodyguards Hanas has watching you get in our way, I’ll take care of them,” he said, gesturing with the gun.

  Elynn’s heart was threatening to give out in her chest. She had to get them away without running into anyone. Sweat dripping down her spine, she led Stephen downstairs and out of the house through the library, away from the bustle of people preparing for the wedding ceremony.

  She prayed that they wouldn’t run into her mother. Stephen blamed her for taking Elynn away. There was no telling what he would do to Mary if he saw her now.

  “We should go out through the woods. It’s the only area not patrolled by the bodyguards,” Elynn lied.

  Stephen was pleased by her ready assistance. Formulating a desperate plan, she led him deep into the woods.

  ****

  Alex couldn’t wait to see Elynn. He had gotten all the way to town before being informed that the rep from the Rand group had cancelled the meeting.

  Furious, he immediately ordered his staff to cut all ties with them. Their deal had promised to be a good opportunity to get a foothold in the southeast part of China, but after dragging him to London the day before his wedding and then canceling, there was no way he was going to do business with them.

  After using some of the time in his office to make a few calls, he had the chopper fly him back to the Oxford estate. Running eagerly up the stairs, he made his way to their bedroom. A maid had seen Elynn heading upstairs to their room to wash, and she hadn’t come back down.

  The thought of surprising her in the shower put a big smile on his face, and he quickly forgot his annoyance over the cancelled meeting.

  Alex entered the room, calling her name. She wasn’t in sight, and he couldn’t hear the shower. Assuming she might be in the tub, he walked past the bed toward the bathroom doors.

  There, on the floor on the other side of the bed, was Elynn’s wedding gown. Blood freezing in his veins, he pulled it from the floor. It was in pieces.

  What the hell was going on? Did Elynn do this?

  Oh God. Was she leaving him? He reached for the dresser surface for support as he doubled over in pain.

  “No!” he said aloud, forcing himself to get a grip with several deep breaths.

  No, this wasn’t happening. Elynn loved him and she was too smart to doubt his feelings for her. She had seen right through Sonia and her lies. If something had happened to upset her—if someone tried to sabotage their marriage with some lie—she would be here trying to twist off one of his testicles right now.

  And there was no way she had done this to her dress. Somebody had torn it apart with their hands. Someone strong. A terrible suspicion filled his mind.

  He started yelling her name.

  Chapter 23

  Alex paced in front of the monitor display in the security control room. Most of the bodyguards were scouring the grounds for signs of Elynn and all were checking in with his security chief. They were going over the estate’s camera footage with a technician.

  A shout drew his attention. He turned to the display and felt his lungs crumple in his chest. On the screen was a still of Elynn being forced out of the library window with a gun to her back. The technician rolled the footage forward until they had a clear shot of the assailant’s face.

  “It’s him. It’s Stephen Wainwright,” he said tightly. His security chief nodded before he swore under his breath. “How the hell did we not know he was in the fucking country?”

  “He must have bought a fake passport and ditched his tails,” the chief muttered before shouting orders through his walkie-talkie to the bodyguards fanned out over the grounds.

  “Sir, some of the sensors in the woods have been tripped,” the technician said.

  Alex looked at his chief of security. “Let’s go.”

  They both ran.

  Please, God, let her be all right. Please let me be in time, Alex prayed as they pounded up the hill to the entrance of the woods.

  ****

  Elynn was almost to the ridge when Stephen grabbed her.

  “Where are we going? This is not the way out,” he said as he pulled her to him with hard bruising hands.

  “It is. We just need to go over the ridge and then there’s a road. We can flag down a car or take one from a neighbor.”

  “I still think we should take my car,” he argued.

  “I’m sure they’ve found it by now. Alex keeps really close tabs on me. His security team watches my every move,” she said. “I still don’t know how you made
it past them,” she added in a tone of fake admiration.

  “It wasn’t easy,” he said, taking the bait, detailing how he had fooled Alex into leaving for an emergency meeting while he snuck onto the grounds with the florists.

  “That was brilliant,” she said softly as she spotted a thick branch on the ground a few feet in front of her.

  She gasped when he stopped her with an arm, pulling her in for another kiss. When he tried to slip his tongue into her mouth, she froze and tried to pull away. He grabbed her by the arms and looked down at her face.

  She couldn’t hide her disgust at the taste of him, and his face filled with rage. With a roar, he threw her to the ground.

  “You bitch! I knew you were lying to me! I knew it!” he screamed as he came down on top of her.

  Terrified, she put her hands up when he started tearing at her clothes.

  Stephen lowered his head to speak directly into her ear. “Once I’m done with you, he’s not going to want you back.”

  He sneered as he pulled her hair, yanking her head toward him for another brutal kiss.

  Desperately afraid, Elynn shoved up against him, using the force to move herself away from his grasping hands. She slammed her elbow into his head as hard as she could. It caught him in the ear with a resounding thud. Screaming obscenities at her, he put both hands onto his head as she scrambled away.

  She had only cleared a few steps when Stephen recovered. He grabbed her from behind. Heart pounding, she used her body as a counterweight the way Andrea had taught her long ago. With a grunt, she flipped him over her shoulder before running flat out toward the fallen branch.

  Holding it firmly behind her like a baseball bat, she forced herself to stay still until he was within striking distance.

  Wait.

  She could feel her hands shaking, her whole body tensing as Stephen charged at her, determined to knock her off her feet. When he was a few feet away, she swung the branch, the muscles in her arms screaming as she struck him in the head.

  Her aim was a little off. The branch made contact, glancing off his head. He’d moved so the blow didn’t land with all her force, but it was still enough to make him stagger to his knees.