“You just got out of the hospital.”
She stood right on the tips of her toes and brushed her lips against his chin. That was as far as she could reach. “I’m fine. And that was weeks ago.”
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, teasing her with the kiss and driving her insane with the need for more. “What if I hurt you?”
She gripped onto his shirt and pulled him down, this time for a soul-satisfying kiss. Taylor kept him there, determined to show him how much she wanted him.
“You’ll hurt me more by leaving me like this. Without you,” she said against his lips. She liked the look he gave her. She’d never seen it before. It was a purely sexual look that oozed charm and weakened her further.
He cupped her chin and smiled. “Do you want to see what the bedroom looks like?”
“I’m dying to.”
He brought her lips to his again in one swift motion, and his touch was one that she felt all over. He lifted her up and carried her up the stairs, his lips never leaving hers.
They made it to the bedroom and she caught sight of its glory. The entire ceiling was made of glass. It was a pretty sight, with the auburn colors of sunset bouncing off of it. It felt strange that they’d just left the darkness of the simulated night in the basement and entered sunset in the real world.
That was as much as her mind could register. It slipped away through his touches. Slipped into somewhere she couldn’t concern herself with right now. All Taylor knew was the intense want and desire she felt for him.
He set her down on the grand, king-sized bed that was placed in the center of the room and peeled her dress off her. All that remained was the sheerness of her lingerie that was barely there due to its tone.
He moved onto her and placed a trail of kisses over her neck before he removed her bra, releasing the heftiness of her breasts.
He stopped to look at her, the intensity of his gaze and the desire in his eyes tightening her nipples, but he soothed her when he lowered to suck her breasts.
“God you’re beautiful,” he moaned, moving from one breast to the other.
She arched her back into him, getting lost in the ripples of electricity that sparked across her skin as he sucked her. Suddenly, everything turned hotter, more intense with that throbbing need and urgency.
Taylor wanted to enjoy him, too, but she didn’t think she could move. At the very least she managed to lift the t-shirt over his head in the space of seconds between him moving from her breasts to kiss down her stomach.
She caught a glimpse of the deep definition of the muscles running along his abs. It made her want to drool just from the few seconds she’d witnessed.
Taylor wrapped her leg over him when he lay back next to her and got lost in the kisses he placed all over her body.
She could feel the bulge of his arousal pressed against the top of her inner thigh. Instinctively she reached down and cupped him through the soft denim of his jeans. A deep moan sounded from his chest and she felt weak from the feel of his thick, hard shaft against the palm of her hand.
“No more, princess, I need you now,” he said in a deep husky voice. “You ready?”
“I’m ready.” She smiled, feeling more than ready. She longed for him, and she wanted him so badly she ached.
He stepped back and undid his jeans. She watched, fascinated, as she looked at him and ran her gaze over his athletic body. He was just pure muscle. Right from his shoulders and down to his legs. Mile-wide chest with chiseled abs, perfect hips, and strong legs. The perfect specimen of a man was standing before her looking like a walking advert for Runway or Vogue.
He reached into the nightstand by the bed and brought out a condom.
“Just so you know, I’m on birth control, so the choice is entirely yours,” she cooed.
His face lit up as he looked down on her. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” She gave him a sexy smile that widened when he dropped the condom packet.
He slipped his boxers down his legs and her eyes were drawn to his impressive erection. Taylor’s breath stilled within the cavity of her chest and constricted further when he slid the thong down her legs and parted them. He bent down to kiss the inside of her thighs, sending spirals of ecstasy through her, and she couldn’t help but wince when he ran his fingers lightly over where she craved him the most. He kissed there, too, tasting her, and then the slenderness of his fingers were replaced by the thick head of this shaft.
Taylor gasped for air as he slid into her, huge and thick. A groan ripped from his chest as he started pumping slowly, pushing deeper into her. The connection was unreal, and the passion that surged through her spread heat all over her body. The flames of it licked at her skin as he gripped onto her waist and pounded into her, taking her to the next level of bliss.
The first wave of orgasm slammed into her and made her feel like she’d pass out. She called out his name and reached out against the silkiness of the sheets.
He leaned down onto her and took hold of her hand while he continued to grip onto her waist.
Their eyes met and she gazed deeply into his, absorbing the way he looked as he drove into her. That brought on the next wave of orgasm and she didn’t think she could handle another. He moved even faster and they both cried out from the intense surge of passion and raw, primal emotion that rushed over them. She was still getting over the elation she felt when he came, moving faster, still, as he did.
Then they calmed, trying to catch their breath. She was sweating and so was he. His hair was wet with it.
He leaned forward and kissed her, running his hands over her breasts.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I feel amazing, Wes.” She breathed against more kisses.
He pulled in a breath and smiled. “I don’t think I can allow you to leave me tonight.”
“That works fine.” She giggled, running her hands through his hair. “I wasn’t planning on leaving.”
“Good.” The sexy smile he gave her said everything and she looked forward to the night they were going to have.
She planned to indulge on him as much as possible. It was about time she had some fun. He was something she owed to herself.
Chapter 8
Taylor
Wes made love to her all night.
Taylor normally loved watching the sunset and the dawn of a new day, but this was the first time that she wasn’t looking forward to it. She didn’t want to leave him and step back into the real word.
The real world where she’d been run off the road and into Dead Man’s Gorge because this crazy person was trying to kill her. The world where her brother was in prison and her friends and family were in danger. That was her world, and there was nothing to look forward to in it.
Chloe was excited about the idea Wes had to use the camera on the bike. Her dear friend looked so at ease by the thought that there was finally something that could save Wade, having so much faith in this idea.
But what if it didn’t work?
She rested her head against Wes’ chest and he ran his hands along her waist and up to her face.
They lay in his bed wrapped in each other’s arms. That was how they fell asleep. She’d woken up about half an hour ago, attacked by the thoughts that zoomed through her mind.
She lifted her head and met his adoring gaze.
“You’re awake,” he stated with a groggy smile.
“I just… I was thinking.”
He lifted his head slightly and she looked over his incredibly sexy, tousled hair. She didn’t know what state her hair was in, but it captivated her to see that he was one of those guys that clearly looked amazing when they first woke up.
“About what? That look you’re giving me makes me think of one thing, and I’m ready to go again. Just saying.” He winked at her through tired eyes.
She giggled and kissed the edge of his chin.
“I won’t say no to that, but…” She didn’t know what to say. It wouldn
’t matter how many times he made love to her, or how good she felt, she’d still have to go back to her life at some point.
His lips on hers soothed her mind and filled her with hope. He lifted a lock of her hair and wrapped it around his thumb. Her white blonde ends looked striking against his sun-kissed bronze skin.
“Don’t worry, Taylor, things have a way of working out.”
There.
Those were the words she’d so longed to hear. How fitting that they would come from the guy she assumed would say that. Wes smiled down at her and she took a moment to appreciate the look of admiration in his eyes.
“Oh Wes, do you really think so?” She wanted so badly to believe that.
“I do, and trust me, I will do my best to do whatever I can.”
“I don’t want to leave you.” She breathed, feeling the back of her eyes sting.
“Then don’t.” He lifted himself up onto his elbows and gazed at her with a broad smile on his face. “Don’t leave me. Stay.”
She sat up, shocked by his answer, and brought the sheet up to her chest. “What?”
“Stay with me. Simple. You don’t want to leave—stay. We’ll go to the beach house, see what we can do about the tape on the bike, and then you can come back with me. Here.”
“You’re being serious?” She couldn’t believe it.
“Yes.”
“Really, but we… What if a week from now you decide you can’t stand me? Or if you think I think you were asking me to move in because I have a bag here or something? What if—”
“Taylor, will you be my girl?” he interrupted, shocking her.
Her mouth dropped and all she could do was stare at him. “Really, you’d want me?”
The easy smile lifted the edges of his mouth. “Is that a trick question, Taylor?”
She had to think about that. And she had to slow things down in her mind. “I don’t want you to move too fast with me.” Because he may see something he might not like. There must have been a reason why Richard thought she was other-woman material and not the leading lady. She didn’t care that he’d told her he planned to propose and bought a ring. Everything else cancelled that out.
“Why’s that, Miss Vanderville?” He chuckled. “You just told me you didn’t want to leave me, I told you to stay and be my girl, and you’re finding excuses to go.”
“I want you to be sure, and I don’t want you to be rebound guy.”
He sat up now, too, and looked concerned. “You’re really concerned about that, aren’t you? I mean, me thinking that.”
She nodded.
“Okay, let’s do this. Do you see yourself feeling the way you do, about me, a week from now?”
That was easy. “Of course.”
“A month?”
“Yes.” She imagined that if she felt like this now, in a month’s time her heart would be overflowing with love for him.
“Okay, let’s go with a year.” He held her gaze and smiled when she nodded without even thinking.
“Yes.”
He continued to stare at her, as if he was shocked by her response. She had to wonder if he expected another answer.
“Taylor, if you can say yes to me so effortlessly to all those questions, then I’m not rebound guy. Also, if I may point out, that I saw you first and I’ve known you since forever. So, what do you say? Will you be mine?” The sexy grin returned to his face and her cheeks warmed.
The answer was a no brainer. “Yes.”
He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, cupping her face and stroking the skin there on the edge of her cheek. “I’ll take the greatest care of you, Taylor, and you’ll always be able to trust me.”
Wes looked into her eyes as he said that. It was like he could see the worries in her mind and wanted to eradicate them.
“Thank you, and me. I’ll take care of you, too, and you can trust me.”
“Come here.”
She moved to him, releasing the sheet and allowing it to drift down to her waist so that she was naked before him. Her skin molded to his and she giggled when he pulled her into his lap so she could straddle him.
He was, indeed, ready for her again, and she once again allowed herself the pleasure of having him and being his. If only for a few more hours, she would forget the real world.
Chloe
This was it. The moment of truth and reckoning. Wade’s bike had been delivered to the beach house about an hour ago and parked in the garage waiting for Wes and Taylor to come back.
They came in ten minutes ago and she didn’t know which emotion overwhelmed her more: the built-up anxiety of waiting for fifty minutes for them to come back; the happiness of seeing them together and knowing that Taylor left with Wes last night and just returned with him, practically molded to him like she was an extension of him; or the guilty look they both had when she snapped at them and asked them what the hell were they too busy doing that they were late coming back. She’d told them the bike was going to be delivered at two and it came at two and neither of them were there.
She had to calm herself or else she would explode. She stood next to Taylor and Kelly in the garage, watching Wes with the bike. Her skin felt hot and she felt like running around the room and screaming as she watched Wes carefully remove the microchip from a little section near the handle bar.
Its location interested her because she would have never guessed that it was there. She just thought the buttons there were all part of the bike’s functions. Actually, to be truthful, on the occasions that she’d ridden on the bike, she’d been too consumed with Wade to think about the bike itself and how it worked.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Wes smiled and gave Chloe and Taylor a hopeful look. He brought his laptop with him. Moving over to the little work table where they kept things like oil and tools, he slipped the chip into the side of his laptop.
Taylor held onto Chloe and Kelly linked her arm with hers, too. She was grateful for the support because her legs felt so weak she was certain she was going to fall over.
Wes clicked a few buttons on the keyboard and a fuzzy then clear image came up on the screen. He tapped a few more buttons and put the date and time in for when he wanted to view. When he pressed enter, the image adjusted and started showing the footage from that night.
The area was lit by the porch light. It was one of those amber-colored ones that was soft in its glow and just bright enough for the video to capture the surroundings. When she got a good look at the view the video captured, she thanked her lucky stars for Wade’s expensive tastes. If he’d been the kind of guy to grab some old, beat-up bike they wouldn’t have this recording now. And it was showing the exact areas they needed it to show of Merissa’s house. The front door, the hideaway in the front garden that concealed the view of the road, and just the right amount of the corner where the hedges ran.
Wade came into view on the recording. They watched him walk up the steps to the porch and Merissa opened the door. They were talking but they were too far away from the bike for it to pick up exactly what they were saying. Wade went inside the house and that was it.
There was nothing for a few minutes and Chloe’s hopes began to sink. But then Taylor gripped onto her arm and cried out, “Oh my God!” when a person dressed in full black came into view.
The image made her skin crawl and even Wes brought his hands up to his cheeks. The person had a bag, it looked like a gym bag. They went straight for the little hideaway and set the bag down. Seconds later they took out a small can that looked like hairspray and crept around to the side of the house.
Again there was nothing, and then they watched the window smash and something come out of it. To her it looked like a ball or a paperweight of sorts. She had something similar at Runway.
The person came into view again from the corner and they sat cross-legged on the lawn, watching and waiting. She was trying to see their face. It was definitely a man.
He took out his phone and spoke to someone for a few minutes.
When he was finished, he got up and retrieved a long-reach knife from the bag. Kelly gasped when she saw that. Chloe felt weak even though she was watching the images that she’d hoped they would see.
“One more to kill,” the guy sang. The recording captured that. “One more to kill.”
Her stomach tightened and she felt bile rise into her mouth. The man went around the side of the house again and then nothingness filled the screen.
Moments later he emerged again without the knife. He looked over at the bike and bile rose into her throat when she saw his face.
Right there in full view was Zeek.
Zeek, the man she’d been introduced to at Adrenaline. He worked with Wade and Jared.
“Oh God, I know him,” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I know him.”
They went straight to the police station and called Regina and Ben on their way there. Once they got there, they asked for Detective Fray. Again, Chloe was proud of the way Wes handled himself, acting confident and with authority as he told the receptionist, who tried to get them to wait, that he had key evidence in a murder investigation.
They didn’t have to wait long after that and by then Regina, Brian, and Ben had arrived. Chloe watched the tape again when Detective Fray took them to an interview room with access to a computer that could play the chip.
Again that that creepy, stomach-wrenching feeling washed over her when she saw Zeek’s face.
She’d spent the whole journey trying to process it. Zeek was their psycho. He seemed so nice.
“This man works with Wade?” Detective Fray asked her. He’d taken notes through the whole viewing of the tape.
“Yes. He does the marketing for Wade’s company,” she explained. It was Jared, Wade’s friend that had talked Zeek up on the day that she met them both. She’d been so impressed with Zeek and even thought of how talented he must have been to do such a good job for Wade and Jared. Little did she know that he was the psycho.
“This guy may have killed Merissa, but that isn’t Aaron,” Ben suddenly said. “This is our second guy.”
Into The Rabbit Hole Page 10