“Because everyone who I let in eventually leaves me,” I reply quietly.
My eyes meet hers, and for the first time there’s no mask. I so badly want to reach out and hold her but I can’t. I can’t drag her into my hell when I know how this story ends.
“You don’t want me, Charlotte. All I’ll end up doing is ruining you.”
Chapter 24
Charlotte
The single rose sits delicately on my bed. Smiling, I reach for it, careful not to prick myself on the thorns that line the long, green stem. Its blood-red petals are perfectly formed, its beautiful aroma engulfing me as I lean in and breathe.
Just when I’m beginning to doubt whether I can do this anymore, he does something like this. It’s only a small gesture, but after our talk last night, it means so much.
Twirling the rose between my fingers, I walk over to my window and lay it along the edge of the frame.
Taking a deep breath, I pull a soft black knit cardigan out of the wardrobe and put it on, wrapping it tightly around my shoulders. My phone vibrates in the pocket of my jeans. I reach in and retrieve it, hoping it’s Jaxon.
Don’t be stupid. He’d never text. Jaxon much prefers to hear how his voice affects me. I stare down at the message filling my screen, my heart thumping.
Ryan: I can’t wait to pick up where we left off. Meet me at 401 John Spenser Street at noon.
I have no idea who or what is at that address, and I’m not about to find out. Not with him, anyway. My hands shake as I tap out my reply. I spent most of the night perfecting my plan, and even though I’m confident that it’s going to work, there’s so much that can go wrong.
Me: I was just about to text you. How about we meet at the Elemore? I’ve booked a room under the name Hannerbray.
Ryan: I’d prefer somewhere a little more private.
Me: And I’d prefer somewhere a little more mutual.
Ryan: Fine, but I’ll book the room. Cancel your reservation. I’ll be in touch.
I slide my phone back into my pocket and sigh with relief. Phase one complete. Now I just need to wait to see what name he’s booked under so I can call Jess. Within a few minutes, Ryan texts me back.
Ryan: John Stevens, room 202.
My hands shake as I forward the text to Jess. God, I hope this works. All I can think about is how many ways it could fail. I could end up dead. Don’t think about that. Jess will be watching. She won’t let anything happen. You’ve got this.
“I’ve got this,” I mutter. I grab my purse and stalk out the door, wishing I really felt that confident.
I stand outside room 202 an hour later, trying to summon up the courage to knock on the door. Just as my fist is about to hit the door, I spy Ryan out of the corner of my eye, heading toward me. He smiles and nods approvingly at my dress, slowing to a stop when he reaches my side.
“Are you joining me?” he asks, reaching for my hand. “I have a meeting I need to get back for in an hour.”
“I thought this was your room,” I mumble, confused. He leads me back down the hall to the elevator, away from the safety of the cameras and Jess’s watchful eye.
“I booked two rooms, Charlotte. If there’s one thing I’ve learned the hard way, it’s never trust a woman. No offense,” he adds, smirking. Flustered, I begin to panic. If he notices my change in behavior, he doesn’t comment.
As the elevator doors slide closed, he wastes no time letting his hands wander all over my body. Before I can comprehend what’s happening, we’re standing outside room 304. He swipes his key, unlocking the door.
He walks inside, then turns around to give me an odd look.
“Are you coming?”
Nodding, I stumble forward. He smirks, enjoying my nervousness. My heart pounds as I follow him into the room. Wiping my sweaty palms against my thighs, I rack my mind for a way to get out of this. I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t going to go well for me.
“Now, if I recall correctly, we were in the middle of something,” he mumbles. My body freezes as his hands touch me, crawling over my body in a way that makes my stomach turn. I feel sick, and I have no idea what to do. Panic rises inside me as his fingers fumble with the buttons on my shirt while his tongue laps at my neck.
“Wait,” I whisper, trying to push him away.
“I’ve waited long enough for you,” he replies. His fingers tighten around my wrist as he twists it behind my body. I gasp, pain ripping through me as he forces me onto the bed. “I don’t like being made to wait, Charlotte, but I seem to be doing a lot of that with you.”
“I just want to take this a little slower,” I whisper. “We’ll enjoy it more.”
“Trust me, I’ll enjoy it just as much like this.” He forces his mouth against mine as I cry out. I feel my shirt rip as it’s torn off my body. I struggle against his weight as he chuckles in my ear. My fighting is just turning him on even more. His phone begins to ring. Relief sweeps through me as he pushes himself off me, cursing. Angry, he retrieves it from his pocket. Holding it to his ear, he barks a greeting down the line.
“Fuck,” he mutters, kicking the wall. “Okay, please tell him I’m on my way.” Still cursing, he hangs up the phone. “My appointment is early. If you wanted a way out of this, you’ve got it.”
I struggle to get off the bed and onto my feet, grabbing my shirt to cover my chest. Moving the hair out of my eyes, I try to catch my breath, my heart pounding, as he gathers his things.
“If you tell anyone about this, I guarantee you’ll live to regret it. I don’t need to tell you how powerful I am in this state, do I?” His eyes narrow and I shake my head, not doubting for a second that he’d kill me if he needed to.
He’s been gone for less than five minutes when there’s a soft knock on the door. I jump up, not sure what to do. Who the fuck knows I’m here apart from Ryan and—
“Char?”
“Jess!” I cry. Rushing over to the door, I unlock it and fall into her arms. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”
“We have to get out of here now,” she says, her eyes wide. “I’ll explain later,” she adds, sensing my impending questions. “Just get your things. Hurry.”
“When he booked two rooms, I thought that was it,” I admit, the relief overwhelming. “How did you find me? There must be a few hundred rooms in this hotel.”
“Three hundred and twenty, to be exact.” She hesitates, her face growing serious. “You shouldn’t have gone with him when I didn’t know where you were. Do you have any idea how stupid that was?” She shakes her head in disapproval. “You’re just lucky I had the idea to call him and pretend to be his answering service. I told him his appointment was early and wasn’t happy about having to wait.”
“How did you know who he was meeting?” I ask, bewildered. “Or what service he uses?”
Jess squirms in her seat. “Brynne told me,” she whispers.
“Brynne?” I repeat, aghast. Before I can ask more questions, the door creaks open and Brynne walks in. She looks the same as she did in the pictures in the newspaper, except her once-long blond hair is now shorter and almost black.
“Why are you here?” I’m in shock, and I can’t think straight. “Everyone thinks you’re dead. Everyone thinks Jaxon killed you.”
“It’s a long story,” she says, shooting a glance back toward the door. “I can’t talk here. Come with me and I’ll explain everything.”
Go with her? Why would I trust her? But I’m so curious to know the truth that I’d do almost anything to find out.
“Fine,” I mutter. Jess gives me a look and I shrug. “I need to know what the hell is going on. And you’re coming with us,” I add, linking my arm in hers. I’m less likely to disappear if I have a witness.
—
“So, tell me why I shouldn’t call Jaxon right now and tell him about this,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
We’re sitting in the back of a sketchy-looking bar a few blocks away from the hotel. I’m
still in shock that I’m sitting across from the woman whom so many people think Jaxon killed. I know I haven’t heard her side of the story, but I’m so angry for him.
“Because if you want to get Ryan, I can help you.”
“What do you know about Ryan?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. And me, for that matter. “How did you know we’d be there? Are you following me?”
“No,” she replies, her voice grave. “I’ve been following him. Ever since he fucked up my life.”
“He fucked up your life?” I laugh. “What about Jaxon? Surely you know what went down with his parents. How could you just disappear like that?”
“Because I didn’t have a choice!” she cries. She takes a deep breath, her blue gray eyes focusing on mine. “Ryan played me. He found out…” Her voice trails off, and then she sighs again. “He had something on me. He told me that if I didn’t help him, he’d go to the cops. Once Jaxon found out the truth, it would’ve been over, anyway, so I agreed.”
“What did he have on you?” I push.
“That doesn’t matter. Do you want me to help you take Ryan down or not?” she asks.
“What’s changed?” I ask. “Why do you suddenly not care what he has on you?”
“Because I took care of it. And I’m sick of hiding myself away. You have no idea how hard it was watching the media hound Jaxon over me. I felt so bad about not coming forward.”
“You didn’t just disappear, Brynne. You set him up so it would look like he did something to you.”
“That was Ryan,” she says, her expression pleading with me. “All I did was leave when he told me. He arranged everything else.”
“Why, though?” I mutter, more to myself than to her. If Ryan went to those lengths to try to make Jaxon look guilty of something, why not go one step further and make sure the blame actually fell on him?
“Ryan is crazy. You can’t trust him, and you can’t go after him alone. There’s no telling what he’ll do to you if he figures out the truth.”
“So, what do I do, then?” I ask. I hate admitting that she’s right, but the fact is I know I’m in over my head. She knows Ryan better than I do. Maybe with her help I can actually do this.
“Arrange to meet him again. At his house. I’ll arrange the rest.”
Chapter 25
Jaxon
“You’re very quiet,” I murmur.
She glances at me apologetically as I walk around the edge of the dinner table to where she sits. She’s barely said two words to me in the hour we’ve been sitting here. Something is on her mind and I intend to find out what it is.
“Sorry,” she says, her face coloring. “I’m just tired.”
“Maybe I can help pep you up a bit,” I grin. I stand behind her, my hand slowly traveling down the nape of her neck. She sighs as my fingers creep around the curve of her breast. I roll her nipple between my fingers as I lean over and kiss her neck.
“You mean tire me out even more?” she giggles.
“Probably.” I smirk, breathing in her sweet smell. My lips move seamlessly down her beautiful neck as she breathes heavily before me. With one hand I slowly lower the zipper at the back of her crimson dress, my other hand exploring the soft skin of her breasts.
“Here?” she whispers, her eyes darting to the open doorway that leads into the kitchen. I smirk, watching her jump at every sound that floats through the room.
“Yes, here.” I stand her up, allowing the dress to fall over her curves and onto the floor. Hooking my foot around the leg of the chair, I kick it aside and press my body against hers, easing her onto the table. She laughs as I brush aside the place settings, sending cutlery and glasses flying in all directions.
“Someone will come to see what the noise is.” She hushes me, her eyes laughing.
“Then they’ll get a lovely surprise, won’t they?” I growl, unzipping my pants. She bites her lip, reaching into my boxers. I groan as her hands wrap around my hard cock. Her eyes lock to mine as she teases me, her fingers gently working my length. She falls to her knees and I groan again, because there is nothing sexier than a woman on her knees about to pleasure you.
“Is this okay?” she whispers. The glint in her eye as she wraps her lips around my cock tells me she knows it is. She’s playing with me and it feels fucking incredible. I choke out a response, incapable of forming words.
She takes me deeper into her mouth as her tongue glides around my shaft. Holy shit. I grab a handful of her silky hair as I watch her. She smirks at me, and I feel the control slipping from me. She has me by the balls, quite literally. This is a rare situation where I’m happy to relinquish control.
My grip on her head tightens, every suck bringing me closer to climax. She holds my gaze and I can’t look away, the sight of her mouth on my cock too good to miss even for a second. I groan, my back arching as the urge to release builds.
“God, fuck me,” I groan. My body jolts as her lips move up and down my shaft. I force her to take as much of me as she can as I climax, my release coating the back of her throat. I ease her off me and take her hand, helping her back to her feet. She smiles at me shyly and I wonder how this incredible creature is capable of satisfying me so damn much.
My stomach twists as I’m forced to acknowledge how alive she makes me feel. I’m not sure I’m ready to admit what’s happening to me. It’s so much easier to push those feelings aside and focus on what I should. What’s important.
“So, how are things progressing with Ryan?” I ask, twirling a strand of her hair around my finger.
“Good,” she says, nodding. But her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. I can’t shake the feeling that she’s keeping something from me.
“Good?” I repeat, raising my eyebrows. “I need more than good, Charlotte. I need results.”
“And you’ll have them,” she promises. “Can we talk about this later?” she says. She cocks her head, a grin on her lips. “He kind of ruins the moment.” She’s making a joke of it, but I can tell there’s more to it. I don’t push it; instead I let the conversation move along.
If she’s not going to be open with me, then I’ll just have to look into things myself. For a split second I feel bad about not trusting her. She’s lied to me in the past.
Everyone I’ve trusted has betrayed me in one way or another.
Chapter 26
Charlotte
Please let this go according to plan.
Taking a deep breath, I pound on the door, my hands shaking. I listen to the sound of footsteps nearing the door. My heart is in my throat. If this doesn’t work, then I’m fucked. I’m relying on the word of a woman I have no reason to trust. What if she doesn’t show and I’m stuck inside with Ryan? I shudder, not wanting to think about it.
The door opens. Ryan appears, his eyebrows raised.
“I’d appreciate you not just arriving at my house,” he murmurs. “Anita just left literally minutes ago. I’d prefer not to have to explain to her why you’re here.”
“It didn’t seem to bother you in your office last week,” I retort before I can stop myself. He laughs, amused.
“Because we did nothing to raise suspicion.”
Yeah, like you wouldn’t have bent me over your desk, given the chance.
“Sorry,” I mumble. The last thing I want to do is annoy him. “Would you prefer I go?” I hold my breath, almost positive he’s going to let me in, but with enough doubt to worry.
“It’s fine. Just be careful next time, okay?” He moves aside just enough for me to squeeze through. His hand grazes my backside as I do. I cringe as his lips brush my neck. “I’m in the middle of a big merger and I could use a little unwinding.”
“You read my mind,” I say, forcing a smile.
“I can’t wait to taste your wet little pussy.”
I almost dry heave as he presses his lips against mine. Think about Jaxon. Whatever I have to do, he’s worth it. As Ryan’s mouth crushes against mine, I imagine it’s Jaxon I’m kissing.
&nb
sp; “Should we go somewhere more private?” I ask, pulling away. I glance at the clock behind his head. Fifteen minutes. I need to stall him for fifteen minutes.
“Why?” he shrugs. “You have nothing to worry about, honey. Anita won’t be home for hours and Kasey will be gone all week.”
“Staff?” I point out, my voice cracking. To my relief, he nods.
“Better to be safe, I guess. Though they know well enough not to say anything about what I do with my spare time,” he remarks.
I can only imagine how many other women he’s fucked while his wife is away. His creepiness knows no boundaries. I follow him through the silent house, in the opposite direction of where I know his office to be. Alarm bells are going off in my head. Not that I’m any safer in his office, but at least I won’t find myself chained to a bed.
“Where are we going?” I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral.
“Somewhere more private, like you suggested.” he responds.
He gives me an odd look, a frown on his thin lips. Shit. The reality of what I’m doing sinks in and I begin to feel sick. This could all go wrong so easily.
“You’re looking a little off,” he adds. His frown deepens, and I can see the wheels turning in his mind. I need to act before he figures out something is up. I’ll worry about the rest later, because if he shuts down and refuses to talk, there will be no plan to fuck up.
“I’m fine,” I assure him. I reach out and touch his arm affectionately. “I thought we could have a drink or something first.”
“Of course,” he nods. “Silly of me not to offer. Wine? Something stronger?” I badly want something stronger, but instead I ask for wine. I don’t want to pass out because I can’t handle my alcohol.
I start following him back to the kitchen via the living room. He turns around to address me. “You can wait for me here if you like.”
I nod and sink into a huge armchair. I run my hand over the soft cream leather, waiting until he’s out of sight. If I can keep him in here for a few more minutes, then everything will be fine.
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