“Really?” I was still stunned and disturbed. “So, how have they not gotten in trouble?”
Ashley rolled her eyes. “No one can prove it. There’s no evidence of their disgusting crimes of passion, so what can they do? Plus, Dr. Knight is a huge deal here. He pulls in insane amounts of funding… they’d never get rid of him unless they were absolutely forced to.” Ashley picked at her nails and looked up at me.
“But—” I pointed to the wall.
“Yep, but who’s gonna believe us? I hate Nicole and everyone knows it. They would just say I was tryin’ to get her fired. There’s nothing you can do, besides, what do I care if Nicole gets her rocks off from fucking a dirty old man?”
“Why do you hate her? What’s she done?”
I heard Dan calling out, “It’s time for staff meeting.”
Ashley pulled in a deep breath and said, “It’s complicated, don’t worry about it.” She stood and walked to the doorway.
We came to the conference room and Gavin was already sitting at the table. I walked over and pulled the chair out in front of him, making it easier for me to stare at him without being so obvious. Ashley plopped down in the chair next to me. I could feel her eyes burning into the side of my face throughout the entire meeting. She was trying to catch me staring at that man, and when she eventually did, she gave the base of my chair a hard, swift kick with her foot. I looked over and she nodded her head and made a kissy face.
I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t in some small way hoped that Gavin’s behavior the previous Friday was due to his uncontrollable desire to ravish me, wed me, and make babies with me –after he’d declared another profession — but from the way he was acting now, I decided I’d taken things the wrong way.
After the meeting I went back to sit and my office and felt dejected.
It’s better this way anyway, if I thought he wanted me I’d probably end up doing something stupid and get involved with him, and that would be destined to be a complete and absolute train wreck, I’m sure.
My internal dialogue was interrupted by a rapping noise on my door.
“You ready?”
I glanced at the door to see Dan standing there.
“For? Do we have a meeting?” I shrugged, shooting him a confused look.
“Lunch, you promised me you’d let me take you.”
I stared at him trying to come up with an excuse as to why I couldn’t go with him.
“Come on, let’s go. There’s a great little burger place about a block from here.” He motioned for me to follow him.
“I—”
He cut me off. “Not taking no for an answer. Come on. It’s free food”
I didn’t know what else to do besides go with him.
We strolled past Ashley’s office and I mouthed “help” when I passed her doorway. I could hear her giggle as Dan and I walked into the main office.
I had to listen to that man talk about himself all the way down to the ground floor, out of the building, for the entire walk to the restaurant, and for most of the time while we were eating.
Just as we were preparing to leave I saw Gavin sit down at a table at the end of the sidewalk. Moments later a tall, slender, beautiful blonde came up behind him. As I stared at them I felt a slight twinge of jealousy rise up in my chest.
Damn it, Brooke, get a hold of yourself.
The blonde rubbed her hand across his shoulders as she walked behind him to pull out a chair. The way she was looking at him made it obvious that she wanted him.
Dan noticed me staring at something behind him, and turned around to see what had my undivided attention. I had to think quickly so he wouldn’t know I was ogling over one of the physicians. “Uhh…Is that Dr. Hunter? I can’t tell from here,” I said.
“Yep, that’s the asshole.” He paused. “Dr. Moore? Would’ve thought she’d have higher standards than him. Huh.” Dan gave her the quick once over and then turned back around to me. “Anyway, where were we? Oh, yes. I was telling you about the presentation I’ve been asked to give my expert opinion on.”
He kept rambling, and rambling, and rambling. When we got back to the building he asked, “So, what’d you do for fun?”
“Oh, just hang out with friends, go watch bands play, you know, stuff like that.”
I was so ready to be in my dark office with Peggy.
“Hmmm, I like to watch bands play too. We’ll have to get together and go out one night.” He winked at me. I could tell he was trying his best to look sexy, but he really just looked like he had a nervous tic.
“Uh — yeah — sure…” I was most definitely not going anywhere with him, ever.
The rest of the week went on pretty much the same way. Each morning I would wake up and try my damnedest to look extra sexy in the hopes that Gavin would give me a second glance. His ignoring me was driving me nuts, but he never acted like he even saw me.
If he ran into me in the office he would say “hello,” he would hold a door open for me if we happened to be going somewhere at the same time. Despite my attempts to make small talk with him he kept everything strictly business and related to the studies.
Every day Dan would make some creepy remark and I would vomit in the back of my throat a little each time.
The week seemed to drag on for an eternity. Whoever came up with the ridiculous idea of working for five days, forty hour weeks was a complete dumbass.
Chapter Nine
Gavin
July 6, 2014
That first week she was there I distanced myself from her, trying to condition myself to have less of a response when I was around her. I watched her when she thought I wasn’t looking. The slight drop in her shoulders when I walked past her with nothing more than a “hello,” the way she twisted the ends of her raven hair around her fingertip when she stared at me, the innocent blush that rushed across her skin on the occasions when I would make eye contact with her. I saw her disappointment at my seemingly uninterested demeanor towards her. I must say, it was a bit of a turn-on knowing she was attracted to me and had no idea of the rampant physical reaction I had to her. She was clueless to the fact that I inhaled deeply as she passed me in the hall, that the intoxicating aroma of her perfume sent a twinge of want down my spine. She thought I had no interest in her at all.
Walking out of the locker room, I made my way up the stairs to the weight room. I pushed my ear buds in and scanned through my iPod’s list of artists, stopping on the Deftones. The music blared loudly as I laid down on the cool bench and placed my hands firmly on the metal bar resting above my head. I cleared my thoughts and inhaled as I pulled the bar from the rack, exhaling loudly as the fake strain formed on my face. Using controlled movements, I pushed the bar away from my body. I’d become well-rehearsed in acting like a human. Pretending to be something I wasn’t.
After I finished my set I pushed up and rested on the edge of the bench. I grabbed my water bottle and just as I placed the mouth of the bottle to my lips I noticed Brooke walk past me and over to the treadmills. Her back was turned to me and I took my time to admire her. I scanned up her bare legs, taking note of her defined muscles. The tight tank top she was wearing displayed most of her back, and I caught a glimpse of a small butterfly tattooed on her shoulder blade.
A butterfly. How fitting.
The symbolism that particular insect held for me made my attraction to her seem all the more ironic. I watched her stretch her calf muscles and pull her hair up tightly into a ponytail. My mind instinctually drifted to thoughts of how fantastic she’d look undressed and laid out in my bedroom floor, legs spread, eyes rolled back in her head from sheer pleasure.
Weakness.
Standing at the top of the stairs, I debated on whether to leave as I glanced back over in Brooke’s direction. Sweat dripped down her neck, darkening portions of the tank top that was now clinging tightly to her skin. I shut my eyes momentarily in an effort to erase the sexual image of her
that my mind was involuntarily creating. I found her undeniably attractive, and my being had a visceral reaction to her presence. She was tempting me without even knowing it.
I leaned against the metal rail of the stairwell and watched as Brooke slowed the treadmill down to a brisk jog. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I approached her. My eyes were locked on her, and I couldn’t help but laugh to myself when I saw her raise her hands up and begin dancing to whatever music was playing on her iPod.
So innocent, so carefree.
As I got closer to the treadmills Brooke caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirrors. She took a quick glance over her shoulder and her eyes widened. When she realized she was my target she redirected her gaze to the front of the room.
I wedged myself in between the treadmills and stood, staring at her not saying a word. Brooke forced a smile and yanked her pink ear buds out. She blotted her face daintily with her towel. Most of her makeup had sweated off and she had a raw beauty about her as mortification washed over her face.
“Oh. Hey, Dr. Hunter,” she said between deep breaths.
“Gavin. Brooke — call me Gavin.”
“You work out here?” she asked, closing her eyes as her flesh deepened to a shade of red, embarrassed by the redundant question she’d asked.
“Yes, it’s a nice facility, don’t you agree?”
She walked to the end of the treadmill and hopped off. “It’s definitely a nice perk to the job.” She took a sip from her water bottle and continued, “I’ve been slackin’ on my running lately. Just glad I can run here after work now.”
Making an obvious glance up and down her body, I spoke before I’d thought of how inappropriate I sounded. “Well, you wouldn’t be able to tell it by the look of you. You’re in very good shape.” My tongue skimmed across my lips and I watched her draw in a shallow breath.
“Thanks,” she said, running her hand up her neck to tighten her ponytail. She was unable to maintain eye contact with me for any length of time. Her hands kept flipping the lid to her water bottle open and shut, twisting it in her hands. I loved that I could make her so nervous simply by speaking to her.
“Well, see you tomorrow then,” I said. I stood in place holding eye contact with her, wanting to see how long it’d take her to walk away.
“Yep.” She stared at me for a few seconds then quickly spun around and jogged down the stairs.
I laughed to myself as I watched her. She glanced back up to see if I was still looking at her. A look of complete horror overcame her face when she realized I was. Her pace quickened and she darted out of my sight.
Something about that woman — something about her did something to me, and the feeling of it aroused me in ways I couldn’t explain.
Pushing myself from her limp body, I went into the bathroom. Sweat was dripping from me as I walked back to my bedroom and leaned against the doorway, watching as the woman pulled her clothes back on. She glanced up at me and smiled as she flipped her hair out from the back of her shirt.
She walked slowly toward me. “That was a lot of fun,” she said, placing her hand on my necklace.
I promptly removed her grasp on it. “Don’t touch that,” I said. She moved her face in close to mine and I pulled my head away as I repeated, “Don’t!”
“Sorry,” she said, stepping back. “It’s such a simple rule, but so damn hard to follow. It’s just natural for me to want to kiss you.”
Diverting my eyes away from her I said, “You should go now.”
I moved myself away from the doorframe and walked to my bed, laying my nude body across the bed. The cool satin sheets were a welcomed sensation to my skin. “Turn the music off on your way out, please,” I called out.
She knelt down and grabbed her bag. I listened to her heels tap against the floors, the noise stopping as she paused to turn the music off. Her shoes echoed down my hallway and then I heard the front door open and shut softly behind her.
I lay there, enjoying the absolute silence. I closed my eyes and Brooke’s full apple-red lips crept into my thoughts. I wanted to have her so badly, but I knew there was no way I could have her the way that I needed to.
I could tell by the way she carried herself, the way she blushed so easily that things would have to be taken very slowly with her. I abandoned my thoughts when I heard my inner voice utter the word “want.” My eyes pried opened from the shock of what I’d just allowed myself to think. Weakness was finding its way into my being, and I needed to regain my composure.
Swinging my legs over the side of my bed, I got up. The jeans I had taken off earlier were folded neatly on my dresser and I reached for them, pulling them up over my hips.
I opened one of my dresser drawers and removed a thin, black cotton v-neck Versace shirt. The material slid over my head and I neatly smoothed it out over my torso. I slipped a pair of distressed leather shoes on, glancing one last time in my mirror before flipping the light switch to my room and making my way through the house to the garage.
The humid air that had crept in caused a damp dew to fall across my skin as I climbed into my car. I slammed the door shut and turned the engine. The stereo blared, drowning out the noise of the garage door opening. Backing out, I stopped at the end of my driveway to lower the top to my convertible. The comforting feeling of the warm night air surrounded me.
Darkness.
I inhaled deeply and pressed my foot down on top of the accelerator. The back tires squealed as they sped across the pavement. I needed something to calm my nerves, to regain the sense of control I craved.
Chapter Ten
Gavin
Slamming the door to my car, I took off jogging across the street toward the entrance of the bricked building. I stopped in front of the door, my lips unable to harness the pull of a smile as I thought of what lie behind it. My pulse drummed in my chest knowing this demonic hunger was about to be fed.
I knocked loudly on the weathered exterior, stepping back to wait. The sound of the lock unfastening sent another rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. The door pulled open slowly and the familiar face of a woman greeted me, her blood red lips curling up into a devious smirk.
“Well, good evening, Gavin. Pray tell, what brings you here this time of night? I wasn’t expecting you so early.”
The door swung open and she stepped aside, allowing me into the entrance way. The familiar smell of incense filled the air, but unlike usual there was no music pulsating through the narrow corridor.
“I don’t need an invitation, now do I, love?”
“No. I knew you would be coming.” She locked the door and turned to go down the long hallway. “Lucky for you, I just so happen to have a few willing ones for you. They just came in tonight, so…” Her soft voice trailed off as she rounded the corner.
“I’ll take what I can get. The way I feel…” I failed to finish my thought.
“What’s gotten you so riled up?” she asked as she pressed her back against the cinder block wall and examined her long, pointed nails. “Wouldn’t be a woman, now would it?” Her dark eyes shot up at me with a judgmental glare.
Narrowing my eyes to slits, my gaze steadied on hers. I grabbed her chin tightly between my fingers and slowly curled my lips up. “Now, you know me better than that, don’t you, Raven?”
She let out a small laugh. “I’m sure that there’s one woman that will do you in eventually.” She yanked her chin away from my grasp and crossed her arms in front of her plump breasts that were pouring out from her satin bodice. “And, personally, I think it’s going to be such a shame when that happens —” she paused again and cut her eyes back at me. “To watch the fallen fall even further.” She quickly turned and motioned for me to follow her to the back room.
Raven opened the door and my eyes greedily scanned over the chamber.
“Enjoy,” she purred as she exited the room, the latch clicking behind her.
I studied the faces of three wome
n sitting on the dark gray couch. None were familiar to me and I could sense the fear and anticipation welling inside each of them.
One of them sprinted to the corner of the room and my eyes darted over in her direction. I heard her release a fleeting gasp the moment my gaze met hers. The sound of her terror was so tempting I couldn’t keep myself from lunging toward her.
My hands felt across her bare breast, and chill bumps mapped their way over her soft skin. I found the bumpy texture utterly delicious. I tenderly moved her blonde hair behind her ear and then allowed my fingers to caress along the side of her neck. “What’s wrong? Did you not volunteer yourself for this?” I whispered as my fingers wandered down her sides and across her naval.
“I did.” Her tone was filled with curiosity and fear.
“Then why are you so afraid?” I ran my hands back up her stomach and between her breasts. Her eyes were closed and tears threatened to seep from her thick lash line. My fingers curled around her chin and I pulled her face toward mine.
“Look at me.” I demanded, pushing up on her chin.
Her eyes opened and I watched her pupils dilate, shrinking the soft brown coloring of her irises.
“There’s no need to be afraid. It won’t hurt.” I paused, allowing a seductive smile to mold across my lips. “It’ll just feel a bit – peculiar, so I’ve been told. You wanted to be part of this darkness, it was your decision to come here.”
I pressed my lips against her neck. The warmth of her skin sent a torrent of heat across my body. My mouth made its way across her neck to her jaw, and finally to her trembling mouth. When I bit down on her lower lip she released a slight whimper.
Backing away from her, I said, “You’re not going to try and fight this, are you? I would like that, if you tried to fight back — it makes it more enjoyable for me.” My mouth found the perfect spot on her neck, my lips brushed against it as my tongue traveled over her flesh, sucking gently.
Her body relaxed and one of her hands wandered up my side. She couldn’t help but give into it. Raking my teeth across her skin, I pulled a small amount of flesh between them. Her muscles tensed up again from the expectations she had of what was to come.
Bound to the Fallen (Prophecy #2) Page 9