“What do you want from me, Charlotte?”
I gasp as his finger runs up my thigh and along my wet pussy. I’m so turned on right now, much more than I should be. The handcuffs, the blindfold…that voice…it’s driving me insane.
“Please,” I gasp. He slides a finger inside me, his expression giving nothing away. I cry out, terrified and aroused at the same time “Let me explain.”
He laughs. “Explain?” he scoffs, his voice harsh. “I’m not going to waste time listening to your excuses, Charlotte. Why are you so insistent on delving into my life? I don’t like it when my girls disobey me.”
“You said you wanted someone who would challenge you,” I fire back, breathless. I’m hardly in the position to be arguing with him.
“Challenge? Yes. Betray? Not so much.”
His voice gets softer as he leans closer to me, so close I can feel his warm breath on my neck. My heart is racing because I have no idea whether this is part of his game or if he is truly angry with me. Something tells me I really don’t want to see this man pissed off.
“It concerns me that you’ve been speaking to your little friend about me. It makes me wonder why you’re really here. So I did my own investigating.”
Friend? What is he…? My blood runs cold. He must have tapped my phone. It’s the only way he could know about my calls to Jess. And if he knows about her, then he must know about Erren.
“A journalism degree, Charlotte? You thought I wouldn’t find out?” He laughs bitterly and my heart sinks.
This isn’t good….
“I’m not…” My voice trails off. “The only reason I’m here is because I needed a job. That’s it.”
He pauses for a moment before replying.
“I wish I believed you, Charlotte, I really do. Now I need to decide what I’m going to do with you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to think about where this is headed. My restraints snap open. My eyes fly open as he removes the tie. He reaches for my arm, yanking me to my feet.
“Get dressed,” he orders, throwing my dress at me. Shaking, I slide it over my head. He grabs hold of my wrist and marches me toward the exit. I want to know where he’s taking me but I don’t dare ask. We walk through the small foyer, past the group of men who were only moments ago watching us. I lower my head, ashamed that my life has brought me to this.
Jaxon glances at me. “Embarrassed?” he says, his voice harsh. He laughs. “You should be. Get in the car.” He opens the door and waits impatiently for me to climb in, slamming it closed after me.
He doesn’t say a word as he slides into the driver’s seat and starts the car. My hands fidget in my lap as he exits the parking lot. He reaches over to the dash and presses a button. I jump as the doors lock.
“Is that really necessary?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Do you think I’m going to jump out of a moving car?”
He throws me a murderous look. “With you, Charlotte, anything is possible.”
Chapter 18
Charlotte
We’ve arrived back at his house. He doesn’t say a word as he gets out of the car and walks around to my side. He opens the door and his fingers close around my arm. I cry out as he yanks me from my seat. I wish he’d just yell at me, because the silence is worse. I have no idea what he’s thinking or what he plans to do with me.
I’m breathless as he drags me across the driveway and inside. My arm aches from his hold on me, but I’m not about to tell him that. I doubt he’d care, anyway.
He marches me down the hallway, his gait brisk. He doesn’t stop when I trip over my feet, instead forcing me to regain my footing and catch up. We reach my room and he stops, his hard gaze falling on me. For the first time, I’m terrified about what he might do to me. He’s angry, not that I blame him. He thinks I’ve betrayed him, and I guess I have.
“Inside,” he orders. I nod and step inside the room, my heart lurching as he pulls the door shut. I listen to the sound of the lock sliding into place.
“Please,” I say, pressing my body against the door. “Let me explain.”
“You don’t need to explain anything. Let me figure out your punishment so we can move on,” he says gruffly. My punishment? Move on? What does that even mean? Surely he’s not just going to let me go, knowing I’ve been snooping around his life, looking for something to expose. His loud footsteps move away from the door. I slide down and rest my head in my hands.
What the hell am I going to do now?
I spend most of the day lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. My laptop, my phone—everything I could possibly use to contact the outside world—are gone. I’ve run through a thousand different scenarios as to how this is going to end, and none of them are appealing. What I’m most upset about is losing his trust. I know why I began here, but things have moved so far beyond that now. Finding a story is the last thing on my mind. But how can I make him see that?
I laugh bitterly. How do I know he even wanted me like that in the first place?
A knock on the door makes me jump. I race over and open it to find Marina standing there with a tray. My stomach grumbles. I take the tray and place it on my dresser.
“I need to speak to Jaxon,” I say.
Marina stares at me with a blank expression.
“Mr. Murphy has expressed his desire not to see you until he requests you. Besides,” she adds, “he’s busy with one of the other girls at the moment.”
I feel dizzy. I’m sure I see a glint in her eye as she closes the door, locking it before walking away. He’s with another girl. The thought makes me sick, yet I can’t get the image out of my head. Whatever he’s doing to her he should be doing to me.
I walk back over to my bed and lie down. My appetite is gone and my mood has plummeted. Angry at Jaxon and myself, I roll over and stare at the wall. How am I going to get his trust back?
It’s simple. You’re not.
As much as I want to ignore the voice in my head, I know it’s right. He’s not the type of guy to give second chances. He’s had so much happen in his life that people lying to him and letting him down is expected.
Somewhere between thinking about Jaxon and reviewing my life, I fall asleep. I wake as the sun is going down, with a feeling that I’m being watched. I sit up with a start, shocked to see Jaxon sitting in the corner of my room. One leg crossed over the other, he stares at me with an expression I struggle to read. It’s not one of anger, nor does he appear upset. He almost looks amused.
Which can only mean one thing. My heart begins to pound. I take a breath and stare him in the eye as I swing my legs over the side of the bed.
“Some would find it creepy, you sneaking in here to stare at me while I sleep,” I mumble. His lips twitch into a shadow of a smile and then, as quickly as it was there, it’s gone.
“You didn’t eat your dinner.”
“And apparently you filled up on dessert,” I mutter. Shit. The last thing I wanted him to see was how much his being with another girl affected me.
His smile reappears, but this time he makes no attempt to hide it. He stands, straightening his suit jacket. I glare at him as he moves across the room toward me. I hate how he makes me feel, because right now all I want him to do is throw me down on this bed and fuck the life out of me.
“I’ve decided on your punishment.” He pauses long enough to wet his lips. “Though I wouldn’t really call this a punishment, Charlotte. I like you. Probably more than I should, and I’m sure that’s going to come back and hurt me.”
He stands in front of me, his legs shoulder width apart, demanding my attention. “Why should I trust you, Charlotte? Explain to me why, against all my better judgment, I want to give you a second chance.” He laughs like the idea is ridiculous, but all I hear is second chance. My heart races as I try to gather my thoughts.
“Because why I started here and why I want to stay are for two very different reasons,” I say quietly.
“Here is the deal,” he cuts
in, his voice hard. “You do something for me and I do something for you.”
I’m confused, and I’m sure it shows on my face. Embarrassment fills me as I try to process his words. I thought in a weird, roundabout way he was telling me he likes me, but now I’m not sure. Maybe once that trust is broken it can never be repaired.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice shaking.
“Exactly what I said,” he says in a flat tone. “You help me ruin Ryan and I’ll give you your story. Simple as that. I get what I’ve wanted for a long, long time, and you get the ‘big break’ in your career.”
“You’ll give me my story?” I repeat, still not grasping what he’s telling me.
“Yes.” His gaze doesn’t falter. “You didn’t think this…that we were anything more than what this is, did you?”
The mocking tone in his voice makes my face heat up. I’m so stupid to have thought I could get through to him. All this ever was to him was another game.
“Come on, Charlotte.” He shakes his head and laughs. “Surely this doesn’t surprise you. I’m not the type of guy you want, anyway. This could be just what you need to launch your career. Ask me anything about my past and I’ll answer you truthfully. Nothing will be off-limits.”
I swallow the lump that is forming in my throat. He’s right. I’ll never have a chance like this again, and I think, deep down, I know that I can’t change who he is. What chance would we have? Maybe it would last a month or a year, but eventually things would go sour. Is that worth losing my career for?
“Okay,” I say, my voice hard. “You have a deal. What do you need me to do?”
Chapter 19
Jaxon
“I need you to get Ryan to confess to being responsible for my family’s deaths.”
She looks at me, wide-eyed, and then bursts into laughter. “Are you serious?”
My eyes narrow as I scowl at her. She straightens up, her laughter slowing to a stop. I love how intimidating I can be.
“Yes, I’m serious,” I growl. “I’m offering you something I’ve hidden from the world for years—a full, exclusive look into my life. What were you expecting to have to do for that?”
She opens her mouth to respond, but I cut her off.
“Not only do I want his confession, I want it recorded and complete.”
“How am I supposed to get that?” she protests. “He’s not going to just give that up.”
“You’re a reporter,” I fire back, my tone scathing. “Use your knowledge.”
She scowls at me, flipping her long, dark hair over her shoulder. My cock aches as I watch her lips form a pout. Fuck, she has no idea how gorgeous she is. Or what she does to me. I tried to get her out of my head with the help of one of my girls, but all I kept seeing was Charlotte. Hell, I couldn’t even get hard. I have no interest in anyone but her.
“You need to tell me what it is you want him to confess,” she says. “How exactly is he responsible for what happened?”
“You’ll find that out when you’ve done your part.” Did she think I was going to give her that for free?
“It will be much easier if I know what he’s supposed to have done,” she argues. “At least then I have somewhere to start.”
She has a point. I sigh and sit down on the edge of her bed. How little can I get away with telling her? If I leave out any vital points, it could end up wasting valuable time. My head resting in my hands, I relive one of the worst moments of my life.
“What do you know about my parents’ deaths?” I ask. Her eyes drop and I smirk. “Or should I ask, what don’t you know?”
“I did my thesis on your parents’ murder,” she says, defending herself. “Anyway, shouldn’t my knowledge work to your advantage?”
“I guess it will,” I agree. “So the police deemed it a ‘random’ home invasion. After months of investigation they came up with nothing to link it to any of my father’s associates, no indication that there was anything suspicious in his or my mother’s lives. They couldn’t find anything to suggest the attack was targeted.”
“But you don’t believe this?” Charlotte presses.
I shake my head. “I was young at the time, but there were things I knew that the police didn’t. Things I was embarrassed to know about, things that would have ruined my family’s reputation.”
I open my eyes and stare at the plush carpet below my feet. The same carpet I found my father lying on when I entered that house, minus the dark red blood stains. I find reminders of that day in everything I do. Some might find it odd that I’m still living in my childhood home, but it’s the only place I feel close to my family. And it’s a bonus that I know every time Ryan sets foot on my property he’s reminded of what happened.
“I was aware that my mother was seeing Ryan behind my father’s back. I saw them together,” I say, the words cutting through the air like a knife. I turn to study her expression. Her eyes wide, she looks at me in shock.
“You actually saw them? I figured that you must’ve found out about their relationship after they died,” she murmurs.
“No, I was lucky enough to walk in on Ryan fucking my mother.” He lets out a harsh laugh. “Try erasing that image from your memory. The night before they were killed I saw Ryan and my mom arguing. Ryan was pressuring her to leave my dad.”
“And you think he killed them?”
“No, but I do think he’s responsible.” I sigh, knowing I need to explain further. “Ryan had a lot of problems back then. One of those was gambling. He owed a lot of money to the wrong kind of people. The type of people you don’t mess with. I think my mother was trying to break things off that day, and I think Ryan was followed to my house.”
“You think the people he owed money to murdered your mom because he wouldn’t—or couldn’t—pay up,” Charlotte breathes, finally connecting the dots. “And your father and sister?”
I shrug. “I think they just arrived home at the wrong time.”
“Why haven’t you told the police any of this?” she demands.
“Because I can’t prove any of it,” I say, frustrated. “Nor does Ryan have any criminal case to answer to. I need his confession for me. Until I have some proof, I’m not going to rest. Solving my parents’ murder has engulfed my life. I know Ryan was involved, and until I see him suffer like I have, I won’t give up.”
“Thank you for trusting me with this,” she says suddenly, her voice soft. “I know I haven’t exactly given you much reason to.”
“You said yourself you needed details in order to get him to confess,” I say, refusing to let my emotions show. I do trust her. I have no idea why, considering how poor my track record with women is, but Charlotte, even with the lies, is different. I can feel it.
“So how am I supposed to get to Ryan?” she asks again. She looks desperate, and I like how much she obviously wants to do this for me. If she cares enough about this, then maybe she really does care about me.
“Charlotte, can you do this or not?” I ask, my tone harsh. Her eyes widen and she looks at me with a hurt expression. “You’re obviously capable of lying. I have faith in you to pull this off.”
“Is that an insult or a compliment?” she mutters, frowning.
I shrug. “Both?” Her frown deepens. “Look, go and take your two days off. Relax, do whatever it is you do to unwind, and then come back here focused on doing your job.”
“My job description seems to change every five minutes,” she mutters. I raise my eyebrows. Her face goes red. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t meant to hear that. “Sorry,” she whispers.
“Go home, Charlotte.”
I watch her leave, ignoring the unfamiliar feeling gnawing at my stomach. Is that disappointment? Am I sad to see her go, even just for a few days? What the fuck is she doing to me?
God, trusting again is so fucking hard.
No matter how much I want to believe her when she says there’s something there, that little voice in the back of my mind reminds me just how easily peo
ple can turn around and fuck you in the ass.
People you thought you could trust. People like Ryan.
And Brynne.
Chapter 20
Charlotte
I pace around my living room, glad to be back in the comfort of my own home after so long but panicked about the road in front of me. My hands on my head, I’m trying to hold back tears as I try to figure out what I’m going to do. What the hell have I gotten myself into? I thought for sure the game was over. He knew who I was and what I was doing there. The last thing I expected was for him to still need me. I shiver. As much as I know how dangerous it is to speculate, especially with someone as damaged as Jaxon, I can’t help myself. Maybe there is something there. That spark I feel when I’m around him…
I shake my head. For God’s sake, Charlotte, focus.
Ryan’s trouble. I knew that even before Jaxon told me the full story. I fucked up fooling Jaxon, so what makes me think I can fool Ryan? God knows what he’ll do to me if he discovers what I’m doing for Jaxon. I shudder at the thought.
I need to speak to Dee and Jess. They’ll know what to do. I call Dee first and get her voicemail. Cursing, I hang up and try Jess. Thank God she answers and agrees to come over.
Half an hour later she’s standing at my door with a bottle of wine in one hand and a familiar white paper bag in the other. I begin to salivate and I realize I haven’t eaten all day.
“That better be chocolate croissants,” I warn, grabbing the bag. I open it and breathe in the sweet, buttery goodness.
“Would I dare bring anything else?” she says with a laugh. She slips her sunglasses off and deposits them in her bag, along with her keys. “Are you home for good? What happened?”
“What happened is he found out who I am.”
Jess stares at me with wide eyes, her jaw dropping. She shoves the bottle to my chest and drags me to the kitchen.
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