Next to Never: Shattered Innocence Trilogy

by Long, A. L.

  Thinking about the man and the realization that he had a pretty good idea where her apartment was, she began to panic. She was getting herself worked up for nothing. She needed to calm down. Nothing better than wine to do just that. As she was opening her fridge to grab a bottle of wine, her intercom buzzed.

  She walked towards the intercom and pushed the button. “Hello,” she said anxiously.

  “Dylan, it’s Rade. I need to talk to you. I feel really bad about what happened yesterday. Can I come up?” Dylan could hear the sincerity in his voice. She went ahead and buzzed him in. Thank God it was him and not the guy from across the street. Rade was already waiting outside her door when she opened it.

  “Rade, you really don’t need to feel bad about what happened yesterday. We both just got caught up in the moment,” Dylan said, looking up at him with understanding. “I was just about to have a glass of wine, do you want some?” Dylan wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to invite Rade in, but she felt she needed to set straight what happened. She needed to let him know it wouldn’t happen again.

  “So how did your interview go?” Rade asked inquisitively.

  “Wonderful, I got the job. I start next Monday.” Dylan was surprised Rade remembered her interview. She thought it was nice that he did.

  “So I take it this is the reason for the wine. To celebrate, that is,” Rade implied.

  “Actually, um… not really. I um… thought I… never mind,” Dylan stammered.

  “Dylan, just tell me.” Dylan could tell that Rade was getting impatient with her hesitancy. She didn’t really want to talk to him about this. She just met him and wasn’t sure what he might say or do. He was very intimidating.

  “Okay, just so you know, it’s probably nothing. I thought I saw someone watching me.”

  “What do you mean you thought someone was watching you? Where?” Rade was getting even more impatient.

  “Outside my apartment. You don’t need to worry about it. I just thought some guy was watching me from across the street. It’s the same thing I thought a couple of days ago, but I was wrong, there was nobody there. It’s probably just my imagination,” Dylan explained.

  Rade was worried about what Dylan just shared with him. He could clearly see her concern. He needed to get in touch with Paul Kingston and find out what was going on. Normally, he wouldn’t have been concerned, but given what he was planning, he needed to get a handle on this. The more he thought about it, the more it was beginning to piss him off. Paul wasn’t supposed to move on his plan until tomorrow. What was he doing having his people watch Dylan, without his permission?

  Rade looked at Dylan, trying not to show his concern, even though he was. “You’re probably right. It probably is just your imagination.”

  Dylan needed to change the subject. Even though she didn’t want to talk about what happened yesterday, she needed to get it out.

  “Rade, what happened between us… it can’t happen again. I don’t want this to continue. I can’t be with anyone right now, and besides, we’re from two different sides of the street,” Dylan spoke defensively.

  “Whoa, where did that come from? Dylan, I don’t know what happened to you, but you’re wrong in feeling that way. If you just want to be friends, I am okay with that. I’m not going anywhere.” Rade softened his tone as he continued. “Look, Dylan… I really like you and I care about you. And given what you just told me, maybe it would be best for me to stay here with you, at least for tonight, as a friend, of course. If there was someone watching you, I need to be assured nothing happens to you. It would make me feel better if you weren’t alone.”

  Dylan was becoming more heated and more pissed off with this man. Who did he think he was, coming into her apartment and telling her how it was going to be? There was no way this was going to happen. She needed to take control.

  “Absolutely not. The last thing I need is for someone to babysit me,” Dylan said as she walked away from him.

  “I wouldn’t be babysitting you, Dylan. Think of it as making sure you’re safe. It’s done. I’m staying.” Rade clenched his jaw as he finished his wine.

  Dylan was so angry, she could feel the heat rising in her body. Her fists were beginning to tighten. “Fine, suit yourself. I wasn’t planning on having a guest for dinner, but since you’ve made it perfectly clear that you’re staying… you better like what I’m cooking because I’m not making anything else. If you don’t like it, you can just starve.” Dylan knew she lost this battle, but it felt good telling him off.

  Rade didn’t reply. He only raised his empty glass to Dylan in acknowledgment. She took the hint and refilled his glass with wine. He had no idea what the extent of her fiery personality was, but it was entertaining watching her get so worked up. He rather enjoyed her red-hot spirit and wondered how it would be once he really took control.

  Dylan finished cooking their dinner and was preparing the salad. She didn’t know what kind of dressing Rade liked, nor did she care. She added a little balsamic vinaigrette to the salad and called it good. As she was setting the table, Rade came up behind her. “Can I help you with anything?”

  Dylan just glared at him. “No, I’ve got it covered.”

  As she finished setting the table, she looked at him, letting him know dinner was ready. Rade sat down as he watched Dylan bring the salad and what looked to be stir fry to the table. He could tell she was still angry by the way she placed the serving dishes on the table.

  The dinner was excellent. Rade let her know what an excellent cook she was. Dylan told him that she had her dad to thank for that. She didn’t go into any further detail. She wasn’t comfortable sharing her personal life with him. The only family she had was her dad. Her mom died when she was only three, from leukemia. Even though Dylan couldn’t remember her mom, she was told her mom had been fighting it for a long time. Dylan’s dad told her the angels were watching over her mom the day she gave birth to her. Her mom had a rough delivery and the doctors were concerned about her health.

  After dinner, Rade and Dylan settled on the couch. Taking the bottle of wine they were sharing with her, she poured more wine into her glass. Holding his glass up, Rade looked at Dylan with a smile as she refilled his glass.

  “Thank you,” Rade said while looking at Dylan. Once they were both comfortable, Rade continued. “You said your dad taught you how to cook. Was he a chef or something?”

  “No, he just did most of the cooking,” Dylan said as she circled the top of her glass with her index finger.

  “What about your mom, is she a good cook as well?”

  Dylan just shook her head. “My mom died when I was three. I really didn’t know that much about her. My dad pretty much raised me and taught me everything I know.”

  Dylan left it at that. She did not want to go into great detail about her mother’s death. It was a very touchy subject for her and she felt very vulnerable whenever she spoke of it.

  “Well, he did a wonderful job. You’re a very good cook,” Rade said as he took a sip of his wine. “Tell me something else about yourself. What do you like to do for fun, do you have any brothers or sisters? What’s your favorite color?”

  Dylan tilted her head at Rade. “Are you mocking me?”

  Rade looked back at Dylan smiling. “Not at all, I just thought you wanted to share, since I shared with you.”

  “Okay…” Dylan started. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters. It’s just me and my dad. I enjoy running, watching old movies, and once in a while I like to read a good book. My favorite color is pink.”

  “Pink, I should have guessed,” Rade replied with a laugh.

  Dylan was beginning to feel comfortable talking to Rade. They both shared childhood stories, best experiences, first crushes, and embarrassing moments. She forgot how mad she was at him. All she could do was take in his features. He was so gorgeous. His eyes were perfect. He was quite handsome when he relaxed. Her eyes fell to his lips as he spoke. She loved how he smiled when telling a story or
how he laughed when she told him how she thought she could fly as a kid and ended up breaking her arm while jumping off the roof. Watching him made her want him. She wanted to feel his lips on hers just one more time. Pulling her gaze from his, she looked at her watch. She didn’t realize how late it was getting.

  “Um... I need to get the dinner dishes done. It is getting late.” Dylan stood, taking her glass and the empty wine bottle with her.

  “Let me help you,” Rade offered.

  Dylan and Rade made their way to the kitchen to clean up the dinner dishes. Dylan washed as Rade dried. Rade didn’t usually do dishes since he had a staff to do that for him. He rather enjoyed the change. When the last dish was dried, Rade handed Dylan the dish towel. As Dylan grabbed for the towel, he gently tugged it, causing Dylan to stumble forward and to fall into him. Rade righted her by putting his hands around her waist. Dylan looked up at Rade, unable to take her eyes away from him. Mesmerized by their beauty, she was lost. Holding her gaze, he removed his right hand from her waist and slowly moved it to her face. Keeping his eyes on hers, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, softly kissing her. He waited long enough for the right moment to touch those lips again. He wanted to take things slow with her, but he couldn’t resist the taste of her. The last thing he wanted was for her to push him away. Regretting his next move, he slowly broke their kiss. With a soft whisper, he placed his mouth next to her ear, “I’ll sleep on the couch. Do you have an extra blanket?”

  Dylan didn’t register what he just asked. “What? I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  Rade repeated himself as he delicately nibbled her earlobe, “Do you have an extra blanket? I’ll sleep on your couch, if that is okay.”

  Dylan pulled herself together and walked over to the linen closet to get a blanket and pillow. As she handed it to him, she said still dazed, “I hope you sleep well. See you in the morning.”

  Rade took the blanket and pillow. “Good night, Dylan, sleep well.”

  *****

  Aside from Dylan’s couch being uncomfortable for his long body, Rade was having a hard time sleeping. He had to get in touch with Paul and find out what was going on. Even though it was two in the morning, he didn’t care. He needed to find out why he went against his orders.

  “Paul… Rade... what the fuck were you thinking? I believe I specifically asked that you not do anything until this evening. Call your cronies off.” Rade was furious with Paul and he didn’t appreciate disobedience.

  “First of all, do you know what time it is? Secondly, what the fuck are you talking about? I haven’t done anything.” Paul was getting angry with Rade’s accusations.

  “Come on, Paul, you can’t tell me you didn’t know one of your men was scoping out Dylan’s apartment building. Dylan spotted him across the street.”

  “I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about. If there was someone outside her building, it wasn’t any of my men. They had strict orders not to go near her until tonight. Someone else must have been watching her,” Paul said defensively.

  After Rade finished his conversation with Paul, he had an uneasy feeling about who may have been watching Dylan. Maybe it wasn’t her imagination. He wasn’t going to take any chances. He made some additional calls to his security team and Richard. He had to find out for sure if someone was watching her and why. By the time he finished his calls and checked his email, it was nearly seven o’clock in the morning. Rade needed coffee. He decided to raid Dylan’s kitchen to see if he could locate some. Even though Dylan’s kitchen wasn’t very big, it was very organized. He had no problem locating the coffee or the coffee maker.

  Rade felt bad about the way he treated Dylan last night. He wanted to do something special for her to get back in her good graces. He thought it would be thoughtful to make her breakfast. Dylan didn’t have the ingredients he needed to make an incredible breakfast, so he decided on a breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. When he finished cooking, he placed a fresh cup of coffee, a small glass of milk, sugar, and a plate with a good portion of scrambled eggs, two slices of buttered toast, and bacon on a breakfast tray. Rade grabbed the tray and walked down the short hallway to her room. He knocked on her door and waited a moment for a response. When there was none, he slowly opened the door and quietly walked to her bed. He stopped short because of what he saw in front of him. She looked absolutely beautiful laying there. He could see the silhouette of her body through the sheer bed sheet. Dylan was lying on her back with one of her slim legs uncovered. Rade couldn’t help but stare at her. He could only think about how badly he wanted to touch her. How he craved her lips on his. How he wanted to touch every inch of her soft skin.

  Dylan slowly opened her eyes. She was trying to adjust to the light of the morning when she noticed Rade standing above her with a tray. Dylan quickly rose to a sitting position and pulled the sheet up to her chest to cover herself.

  “What are you doing in here? Don’t you know what it means to knock?” Dylan asked in shock.

  “I did knock. You didn’t answer so I opened the door. I thought you might want breakfast.” Rade lowered the breakfast tray and placed it on the nightstand.

  When Rade looked down to place the tray, he noticed an intimate picture of Dylan and some guy. Rade lifted the picture off the nightstand and asked Dylan, “Who is this with you?”

  Dylan looked at Rade, perturbed. “He was my fiancé. Not that it is any of your business.”

  “Was?”

  Dylan began moving off of the bed. “Yeah… I’m taking a shower.”

  Rade’s eyes were glued to her as she rose off the bed and crossed the room to the bathroom. With the bathroom located on the other end of her bedroom, he couldn’t help but watch her walk to the door. She had the sexiest ass he’d ever seen. Her legs were also perfect, all the way from the base of her heels to the top of the silky pajama shorts she was wearing. He couldn’t wait to have his hands on that ass and have those legs wrapped around him while he was deep inside her. Dylan closed the bathroom door, bringing Rade back to reality.

  As he was looking around her room, taking in the décor, Rade could tell she liked soft colors. The walls were painted a pale yellow and the comforter on her bed had muted colors of blue, yellow, green, and purple, very feminine. Even though her bedroom wasn’t very large, she had a queen-sized bed, nightstand, and upright dresser.

  Rade returned his attention back to the picture he noticed earlier. He picked up the picture and looked at the happy couple. Rade turned over the picture frame and carefully removed the backing. Sliding the picture from the frame, he flipped the picture and saw the names Dylan Adams and Michael Stewart written on the upper left-hand corner. Rade took a snapshot of the picture with his phone and quickly sent it to Richard with a short text. Is this the guy? Rade put the picture back into the frame and set it back on the nightstand. Grabbing the tray with Dylan’s untouched breakfast, he headed back to the kitchen. When Rade got to the kitchen, he placed the tray on the counter in case Dylan decided she still wanted it. As Rade was turning to refill his coffee cup, he got a ping on his phone signaling he had received a text. He looked down at the screen and saw it was from Richard. He opened the text. Yes, it has been confirmed it is him. Let me know how you want to proceed?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Dylan stepped into the kitchen where Rade was standing. She looked up into his eyes with confusion. “What?”

  Rade looked back at her, shaking his head in amazement. How could a woman look so sexy with wet hair, a pair of baggy sweat bottoms, and a faded t-shirt? All he could think about was how good it would feel to have her underneath him while kissing every inch of her soft body. Just thinking about what he could do to her made his cock pulse with desire. Trying to get a grip on his thoughts, he tried thinking about something else other than having his way with this beautiful woman. He needed to focus on sorting out some things with Richard.

  Richard wasn’t only his driver, he was also a long-time fr
iend of the family. Richard was introduced to Rade’s father when Rade was a young boy. When Rade’s father first began his business, there were a few business investors he didn’t trust. His father heard about Richard’s talents, so his father hired him. Richard had a reputation of being reliable, with experience in dealing with sketchy situations. He’d been in the Navy, and chosen to train for the Navy Seal team only after three years of service to his country. Richard retired from the Seals and began working for Garrett Matheson, Rade’s father. Richard moved to the States when Rade began college, and had been at his side since. This had been the wish of Rade’s father, and Richard always carried through on Garrett Matheson’s wishes, no matter how much Rade hated him.

  *****

  Rade was getting ready to say something to Dylan when she started in. “I need to get prepared for my new job. I’ve got some things I need to do between now and next Monday. I need to look for a new place to live; I need to go shopping for appropriate work attire… So I don’t mean to be rude, but I think it’s time that you left.”