Beneath Submission: (An Unbreakable Series) Romantic Suspense

by A. L Long

  The valet nodded with a half-smile. “Yes, sir.”

  A few minutes later we were making our way through the glass doors and heading to the reservation desk. I had been to this hotel many times, but this time was there was no regret, even if the circumstances were less than favorable. Being with Xavier was one thing I didn’t regret, and being controlled by him was nothing like being controlled by Mr. Colin.

  Reaching the desk, an attractive young woman walked up to us giving Xavier a big smile. I thought for sure that she was going to pull a muscle in her face the way she smiled at him. When she accompanied it with a wink, I could feel my temperature begin to boil. “Who the hell did she think she was and what was she trying to prove?” I said to myself.

  “Mr. London, how nice to have you back,” she said in a flirty voice, as though he came back to see her.

  “Thank you, Shelley. It’s nice to be back.” he replied.

  I didn’t know what was going on between the two of them, but whatever it was, I didn’t like it one bit. As I pulled on his arm, he looked down at me and saw my disapproval of her flirtatious demeanor.

  “Would you like your regular room?” she asked.

  “That would be wonderful, but can you please make sure there are additional toiletries in the suite for my girlfriend?”

  The look on her face was priceless as her smile turned upside down. “Of course,” she stated, less than enthusiastic.

  My mind began doing somersaults, knowing that he announced me as his girlfriend. His declaration made me feel good, and best of all it halted any advances that Shelley was conspiring to achieve. When she handed Xavier the key cards, we headed to the set of elevators. Taking his hand in mine, I said, “Thank you for that.”

  With a smile, Xavier replied, “I would like to think that you are, Tessa, and I want every woman to know that you are,” He was confident as he looked over his shoulder, letting me know that he was aiming his remark towards Shelley.

  As we entered the elevator, I wondered just how many women he had and how many others there would be that I would be competing with. I knew that it was silly of me to worry based on what he just admitted, but nonetheless, he was a man and I knew that every man enjoyed the attention of a beautiful woman. I couldn’t imagine that any of the women that he knew would be less than gorgeous.

  When the door opened on the 16th floor, we headed down the impressive hallway that was decorated in grays and blues and finally reached our room, which was doubly impressive. Most of the rooms that I had ever been in were guest rooms. There was only one time that it had been different. It was when a client from Asia insisted on having nothing less than the Presidential Suite. All the money in the world couldn’t make me want to ever be with that man again. Mr. Colin instructed me to do everything the man said, even if it included BDSM play. He said it was very important that I please that client and that he would be paying top dollar for my services. He was a brutal man and even Mr. Colin saw how ruthless he really was. I was thankful that Mr. Colin’s affiliation with the man only lasted that one time

  Xavier pushed the key card into the slot and turned the brass handle. Just like the Presidential Suite, this suite was elegant with its tasteful décor of grays mixed with tans and whites. I wasn’t sure how long we would be staying here, but the accommodations were more than sufficient for any length of stay.

  Taking a seat in the living area, I picked up the information book and began thumbing through the pages. I wasn’t really looking at the contents only because my mind was elsewhere, namely the giant king-sized bed that could be seen through the double French doors.

  Xavier took a seat beside me and looked over to see what I was looking at. I didn’t realize that I had stopped at the room service menu until he said, “Are you hungry, Tessa?”

  I really wasn’t very hungry, but didn’t want to tell him that I had lost my appetite the minute he showed me the letter from Mr. Colin. It had been at least six hours since we ate lunch and I knew that he would be hungry, so I replied, “Yeah, I could eat a little.”

  “Good, because I’m starving. How about we order something from the restaurant and have them bring it up?” he suggested.

  “Sounds good to me. You order. I am going to take a hot bath,” I replied as I rose to my feet and headed to the bathroom where the large tub was. It was crazy that this suite had two bathrooms, especially since it was only the two of us sharing the room.

  Walking through the double doors, I began removing my clothes and set them neatly on the chair. As the tub began to fill, I could hear Xavier just outside the doors asking what I would like to eat. Peeking my head out the bathroom door, I said, “Whatever you think sounds good.”

  Leaving the door open a crack, I sunk down into the hot water and took in the warmth as the water began to make my body relax. Reaching across the front of the tub, I turned on the jets and enjoyed the pulsation of the water against my back. Every tense muscle in my shoulders and my back began to loosen and I could feel the pressure between my shoulder blades begin to ease. Closing my eyes, I leaned back and reveled in the comfort.

  My mind was so consumed by the wonderful state that I was in that I didn’t hear Xavier come into the room. Opening my eyes, sensing that I wasn’t alone, I looked up at him exhibiting a mischievous grin. Grabbing a towel from the rack, he held it open for me and said softly, “I hate to take you away from your paradise, but dinner is here.”

  Relaxing in the tub did wonders for my appetite. I was starving and ready to eat. Pushing from the tub, I carefully got out and turned my back to him so that he could wrap the soft plush towel around my body. Not only was the towel warm against my skin, the feel of Xavier’s arms around my body added to the warmth that I was beginning to feel inside. Turning to face him, I let him continue to warm me as he began rubbing his hands up and down my back, soaking up some of the water with the towel. Suddenly, a memory came back as I thought about my mom doing the same thing when I was a child.

  Once I was dry enough, Xavier handed me one of the courtesy robes. It was also nice and warm as I wrapped it around my body and tightened the sash. Taking in the scent as I adjusted the collar, we headed back to the living area. The cart that was delivered by room service was covered with different dishes. Using it as a table, Xavier pulled up two chairs, giving us a place to enjoy this amazing meal. He must have been very hungry when he had placed the order. There was enough food on the cart to feed six people.

  As we sat and ate our meal, I could tell that something was on Xavier’s mind. When I was about to ask him what was wrong, he said, “I need to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me.”

  I had never lied to him, so I wasn’t sure why he thought I wouldn’t be honest with him about anything. Wiping my mouth with my napkin, I placed it on the cart and took a sip of my wine. “You can ask me anything and I will always be honest with you.”

  Doing the same, Xavier placed his napkin on the table. Taking my hand, he looked down and asked, “Why does Colin want you so badly that he would use your brother?”

  I never told Xavier of my life with Mr. Colin and I wasn’t sure that I was ready to share everything with him. I knew that I said I would be honest with him, but sharing this could mean that he wouldn’t want to be with a woman that had been with so many men, no matter what the reasons were. I didn’t want to lie to him, so instead of telling him the truth, I thought carefully about what I could tell him to satisfy his question without revealing the sordid details of my pathetic life.

  “You know what Mr. Colin did and you know that he was the only man in my life up until a few months ago. It is the same with anything, Xavier. When you claim something as your own after having it for so many years, you would let nothing get in your way to make sure that it isn’t taken from you. I believe this is the reason that Mr. Colin wants me so badly. At least enough to use my brother to get me.”

  I knew without a doubt that it was much more than that. He wanted me back to fill hi
s pockets. If I had to guess, now more than ever, he needed a way to produce income given his circumstances. The news of him being arrested had more than likely put a damper on his business, and his associates were probably staying away from any business dealings with him until the heat on him died down. The majority of them were at the party the night he was arrested.

  “I think it is more than that. I know that he doesn’t like losing, but something doesn’t add up. Why is he so determined to have you?”

  Yikes! I didn’t know how to get out of that one. Maybe it was time that I told him everything. I had a funny feeling that if I didn’t he would continue to poke and prod until he got the answers that he needed. Taking a deep breath, I pulled my hand from his and stood to my feet. Pacing the length of the living room, but stopping shy of the French doors leading to the balcony, I turned to face him and said, “I’m afraid that if I tell you the real reason behind his motives, you will never want to be with me.”

  “I could never stop caring about you or ever want to be without you. Whatever the reason is, I will always love you, Tessa,” he confessed.

  His words seemed so sincere, but I still had my doubts. There was no way that any man would want to have a relationship with a woman who had been used by so many men like I had. I felt like a hypocrite. How can I ask him to be honest with me when I couldn’t be honest with him? It was time that I lived up to my part and told him everything. If he truly loved me as he said, then he would understand and stay with me no matter what.

  Taking my place beside him, I opened up about my past and willed his heart to open as well. “It all began when I was fifteen. Mr. Colin said his clients loved the young ones and as beautiful as I was, I would bring in a healthy chunk of change for my services. He groomed me to be his submissive and punished me when I disobeyed him. Most of the time he had Simon do his dirty work. When my punishment was over, Mr. Colin would comfort me, pretending to be the good guy.”

  “Is that why you call him ‘Mr. Colin?’ His way of showing authority,” he remarked sarcastically.

  “Yes, he would never allow me to call him anything else, even though I tried to call him “father.” He warned me of my disobedience. I don’t know why I was so insistent in calling him that. He was far from my father.”

  I could tell by the look on Xavier’s face that he was more than disgusted with what I was telling him. Standing to my feet, I looked down on him and said regretfully, “I knew that you would react this way. I guess love is only as true as a person’s outer self.”

  Heading to the door, I felt I had no other option but to leave. It was only after Xavier reached for me that my tears began to fall. Taking me in his arms, he pulled me closer and whispered, “Tessa, I love you. I am angry at Colin and what he did to you. I understand that you had no choice. He is a ruthless monster. I could kill him for what he did to you.”

  ~Ten~

  The sun was setting, and I could feel everything that I had shared with Xavier begin to take hold. After telling him everything, leaving nothing out, Xavier was ready to come unleashed. There wasn’t a man that he hated more than Mr. Colin. He even went as far to tell me that Mr. Colin didn’t even deserve the title of Mister and that he was nothing more than a low-life perverted asshole that deserved to be castrated. I would have loved to see that happen, but I wasn’t a vindictive person. All I wanted was to forget about everything that happened to me and live my life to the fullest.

  As we laid on the couch watching the sun set, there was nothing more that I wanted than to be here with Xavier with his arms wrapped around me, protecting me from everything bad in this world. Reveling in his warmth, I pressed my body deeper into his chest. His hand slowly slid down my arm and stopped at my waist. Loosening the sash to my robe, he moved his hand beneath the material, skating it toward my bare sex. Pressing my head against his chest, I parted my legs further, giving him the access that he needed. His hand slid between my legs and I could feel the moisture begin to drip. Swirling his fingers in my wetness, he parted my legs further. Dipping one finger inside, he began stroking me deep and slow.

  I could feel the onset of my arousal as he continued to move in and out of me with slow movements. Kissing the top of my head, he whispered in a heated breath, “God, you feel so good.”

  Needing more than he was offering, I rolled over to face him and insisted, “Take me to the bedroom, Xavier.”

  Without hesitation, he lifted me into his arms and carried me through the double doors. My robe fell open when he placed me carefully on the bed. His lips met mine in a passionate kiss. My nipples began to harden as he parted my robe. Trailing wet kisses down my neck, he pulled my breast into his mouth, sucking and lapping his tongue around the hard peak. My breath hitched as he gently bit down on the taut bud, sending a rippling sensation to my core. Pushing the material of my robe to the side, he exposed my bare body even more.

  The excitement of knowing that he wanted me warmed me even more as I could feel the moisture build. Gliding his hand down my stomach, he cupped my mound while moving his middle finger between my wet folds. Every part of me was swimming in the pleasure he was giving me. When he dipped a finger inside, I thought I was going to explode. I knew I was beyond wet, coating his finger with my milky juices. Placing his thumb on the hard nub of my clit, I could no longer hold back my release. A rain of pleasure escaped, encompassing a moan that not even I would claim as my own.

  Kissing me on my stomach, Xavier pushed from the bed and began removing his clothes. My eyes were set on him, unable to focus on anything else but his beautiful body. Completely naked, he towered over me before covering my body with his. Parting my legs, I was more than ready to feel him deep inside me. His cock slid between my folds, stopping at my entrance before he gently pushed inside. My wonderment was fulfilled as he began moving in and out of me with hard but gentle thrusts. I began moving my hips with him, gathering the impact of every thrust, willing him to push deeper inside me.

  Never wanting this feeling to end, I locked my legs around his waist and held on to him. This is what making love was about. It was not an act to only satisfy. There was more passion and pleasure beyond anything I had ever welcomed from any man. Only Xavier would have me. As our bodies thrashed and bucked together, a shared pleasure rose, pushing us closer to the edge of ecstasy into a mutual surrender.

  Unable to move or even wanting to, Xavier whispered against my cheek, “I love you, Tessa, more than anything in this world.”

  An emotion like no other had taken over and with no regrets, I replied, “I love you too.”

  I wasn’t sure how early it was, but when a knock came at the door, I was wide awake. Xavier must have been dead on his feet not to hear the sound. Letting him sleep, I gathered my robe and quickly put it on as I headed to the door. Something was blocking the peephole which made me think twice about opening the door. When a manly voice said, “Hotel concierge,” I decide it was safe to open the door and see what he wanted. Big mistake, it wasn’t the concierge at all. Standing before me was Simon. As I started to yell for Xavier, his hand went to my mouth covering it with something that smelled like vinegar. It came without warning and soon I could feel my body begin to drift away.

  ~*~*~*~

  When I finally woke up, my head hurt like I had been hit with a hammer. Trying to focus on my surroundings, I thought it had all been a dream as I looked around and recognized the Four Season’s décor. The last thing that I remembered was opening the door to the suite and seeing Simon on the other side. I knew that wasn’t a dream. Looking to my left, Xavier wasn’t beside me. I thought I was going crazy when I spotted my robe on the accent chair where Xavier had placed it the night before.

  Pushing to my feet, feeling the pounding in my head intensify, I managed to stumble over to the chair and grabbed my robe. Tying the sash tightly around my waist, I pulled open the double doors to find everything the way we had left it the night before. Something was wrong. Going back to the bedroom, I walked to the bathr
oom to see that my used towel was draped across the rim of the tub and the clothes that I had removed were still lying on the floor.

  Quickly taking off my robe, I put them back on. I needed to find out if I was going insane or if my reality was being tested. Taking a few seconds, I peered in the mirror to make sure I didn’t look like a mad woman. Feeling that my appearance was going to have to do, I headed back to the living area and to the door leading to the hall. Grabbing the handle, I tried to turn it, but it wouldn’t move. It was as though the door had been locked from the outside, which wasn’t possible. Feeling the panic seep in, I tried again with more force. No matter how hard I tried, I knew the door wouldn’t be opening. Rushing to the house phone, I dialed zero, hoping that someone would answer. When I put the phone to my ear, there was no dial tone. There had to be an explanation. I searched for the phone cord to find that the phone didn’t have one. It was as though it had been placed on the end table as a prop and nothing more.