The One (The Only One Book 1)

by Belle Ami

  She pulled another stack of papers from the briefcase. “I’ve printed all of Lars’s correspondence from his computer for the last few weeks of his life and a list of all calls made to and from his cell phone, plus his entire contact list. I also brought you his cell phone so you would have access to all of his texts. I have to leave tomorrow for my wedding and then a month-long honeymoon in Europe, and I don’t know what to do about this. That’s why I called you. You said you weren’t satisfied with what the investigation had turned up and you sensed there was more to this than seemed apparent. David, something’s wrong. I no longer believe that this was an accident. For my parents…I have to find out the truth. I’m hoping you will help me. I don’t know what else to do.” Silent tears ran down her cheeks.

  David felt his resistance swept away by her pleading blue eyes. He knew there wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for her. Stop staring at her lips, he told himself.

  “I may be crazy, but the answer is yes…yes, I will help you. I have to warn you, though, this isn’t going to be easy to solve. By now most of the evidence—fingerprints, DNA—has been compromised. The only thing we have going for us is that whoever the perpetrator is they are no longer worried about discovery. Sometimes a relaxed guard and overconfidence can lead to a slip-up. Leave all of this with me, and let me take a look at it. I’m going to have to do this work on the side. As you know, the case is, for all intents and purposes, closed. Until I have something substantial to reopen it with, I will be doing this on a free-lance basis. I’d like to have access to Lars’s and Faye’s offices, if I could?”

  “I’ll let Lucas know that you have my permission to come and go as you please from the house. David, money is no object.” Adelia reached into her purse and pulled out a check. “I knew you would help me. I’ve taken the liberty of writing you a check for ten thousand dollars. I hope it will be enough until I get back.”

  “I don’t want you to give me money—”

  “Take it, David. I trust you completely. Please—I can’t go away thinking I haven’t done everything I could to help you.”

  “OK, Adelia, I’m not going to fight you. I’ll keep you updated. Oh, and congratulations to you and Miles. He’s a lucky guy. I hope you’ll be very happy.” He wondered, as he said it, if she could tell how little he meant it.

  They stood, and David reached out to shake her hand. Instead, Adelia flung her arms around him. “Thank you, David. You can’t imagine what this means to me.”

  For a moment, his arms held her. He closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of her, and had to stop himself from turning his face and pressing his lips to hers. A moment later, she was gone, and he stood alone, wondering what had just happened. What had he gotten himself into? He gathered up the papers and noticed that she had left without the briefcase. He opened it, placed the papers inside, and noticed the tooled monogram: LL. It was Lars’s briefcase. He would be sure to give it back to her the next time he saw her. The next time I see her, he thought…now that made him happy. Then he remembered that the next time he saw her, she would be a married woman. He was definitely setting himself up for a fall, but somehow he didn’t care.

  The makeup artist finished applying the frosted-pink lipstick to Adelia’s lips and then swiveled the chair so she could see the mirror. Adelia looked at her reflection, her eyes widening as she turned her head back and forth to look at her hair and makeup.

  “Hold still.” Karolin carefully lifted the veil, and with the help of the hairdresser, they slipped the tiara’s combs into Adelia’s dark hair, which was twisted into a French-braided chignon.

  “Wow…is this really me?”

  Everyone in the room exclaimed, “You look beautiful!”

  Adelia stood and removed the protective smock to reveal the stunning wedding gown that clung to her body. She picked up the white gardenia bouquet that filled the room with fragrance and took a last glance in the mirror. “Thank you, everyone. You’ve transformed me. I feel like Cinderella.” She turned to Karolin. “I guess this is it?”

  The cool voice of Karolin echoed back, “Let’s go! Show time!”

  Years later, Adelia would recall only four things about her wedding. Number one was the sadness in Lucas’s eyes as he tearfully walked her down the aisle and his cryptic words, “I hope he’s what you want.” Number two was the smoldering look in Miles’s eyes and his whispered words, “You belong to me. You are the one.” He did not say “I love you,” but, “You belong to me. You are the one.” Third was the uncomfortably passionate kiss that Karolin gave her brother at the reception after her less than congratulatory toast to the happy newlyweds. At the time, Adelia had attributed the bizarre exchange to the immense amount of champagne that Karolin had consumed. Miles had quickly pulled away and made light of it, but a slight discomfort had remained in the back of Adelia’s mind. The best thing she remembered from what should have been the most memorable event of her life was the lovemaking.

  Halfway through the reception, Miles had grabbed her hand and, waving good night to the applauding guests, swept her upstairs to their suite. Since her return to New Hope, she had been sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms and had denied Miles access to her sexually. She told him that three weeks spent apart was the perfect formula for an unforgettable wedding night, and he had been unable to shake her resolve. Besides, she and Karolin had been so busy preparing for the big day that she and Miles were never alone long enough for him to prevail on her desire for him. Consequently Miles was keyed up and suffering from sexual deprivation. Karolin’s behavior and toast had incensed him. All he could think about was his need to possess Adelia and fulfill the aching need in his groin.

  Once inside the suite, Adelia excused herself and disappeared into the bathroom. Miles had cranked up the stereo, and she could hear the plaintive wails of Marvin Gaye singing “Let’s Get It On.” When she emerged, Miles was lying on the bed with a glass of champagne in his hand. She knew how good she looked by the widening of his eyes and the slight intake of his breath. Seductively, she walked to him, taking the flute of champagne that he handed her. She took a sip.

  “God, you look delicious,” he said.

  “Do you like it? I wanted something over the top, something that would drive you mad,” she purred.

  Adelia held her arms out, circling slowly. The see-through lace negligee, playing peek-a-boo with her naked body, left nothing to the imagination. He could see her nipples, hard and pink, beneath the virginal lace. Her eyes were liquid pools of desire that she made no attempt to hide. Her raven hair, cascading down her back, scented the room with perfume.

  Miles could feel his cock growing hard inside his pants, pressing against the fabric, begging for release. Slowly he sipped his champagne, enjoying Adelia’s seductive movements as she danced for him. She looked so good that he thought he could come just looking at her. He breathed deeply, conserving his energy, enjoying the visual foreplay. He had no intention of rushing the promise of his wedding night or wasting an orgasm.

  Adelia giggled huskily, loving the effect she was having on him. The bulge that pressed against his trousers sent an instinctive yearning to her core. She was drunk with anticipation of what was to come. Walking back to the bed, she hiked her negligee up to her thighs and swung her leg over Miles, her breasts skimming his chest seductively as she lay down beside him on her back. She took a last sip of champagne and handed him the glass. “Umm,” she sighed, stretching her body, “I feel so happy.”

  He placed the champagne flute on the side table as he turned toward her, his body supported by his elbow. His eyes devoured her as his free hand massaged her breasts one at a time until her nipples pressed through the open lace. He watched as she melted beneath his touch.

  “You are beautiful, Mrs. Bremen.” He bent to suckle her nipple through the lace while his fingers, as light as feathers, reached under the lacey gown and began to circle her clitoris. He took his
time with her, sucking and circling her jewel, priming her engine and allowing it to lubricate itself. The foreplay set her on fire, and she undulated beneath his touch, unable to stop the waves of erotic stimulation that were reverberating through her mind and body. She was about to come when he stopped abruptly.

  “No,” she cried. “Don’t stop—please, don’t stop! It’s torture!”

  “It wouldn’t be fair, Princess, if only you got all of the pleasure.”

  He removed his pants, and his swollen cock pressed against her leg, throbbing.

  “Feel how hard you make me, baby. Touch me; I’m like steel.”

  With a feather light touch, her hand caressed him, stroking the head of his cock which pulsed with excitement.

  He moaned, “Tell me what you want, Adelia. I want to please you in every way.”

  She stared into his smoldering eyes, with their devilish glint, and pleaded in a velvety whisper, “I want you to fuck me…hard and slow. And I want you to tell me you love me.”

  His eyes clouded for a moment, but before she could say another word, he rolled on top of her, spreading her legs. He slid his body up and down her, rubbing his cock against her without entering her, teasing and inflaming her. He moved up and down, as she twisted beneath him, moaning with pleasure. He reached down and slid two fingers inside her. He groaned. She was sticky and hot, beckoning him inside her. It had been too long a time without her. He knew if he didn’t get inside her, they would both come apart. He bent her legs so her feet rested on either side of her ass and slid a small boudoir pillow under her. Raising himself onto his hands, he prodded her with his cock, searching for her opening. Finding it, he thrust his cock inside her wet welcoming pussy and slowly began to pump her hard. Her back arched with each thrust.

  “Oh, baby, you feel so good,” he murmured. “I don’t want to come yet, but it’s been so long, and fucking you is crazy good!”

  “Deeper, Miles, I want to feel you deeper inside of me. I love the way you fuck me! Please, don’t stop! Show me how much you love me.”

  He began to bang against her slowly and deliberately, in and out, pulling out until he was nearly out of her body and then plunging ever deeper inside of her, both of them panting, breathless. “How’s that, baby? Is that what you want?”

  She could feel her pulse racing as she arched and met his thrusts with her own. Her voice husky, she pleaded, “Faster…faster…I’m going to come, Miles.”

  Miles moaned, “Give it to me, baby!” as he pounded, bringing them both to climax.

  “Yes, baby, come with me…Now, come with me!”

  She cried out, stiffening, “Yes…yes…yes! I love you so much, Miles.” She could feel his explosive ejaculation filling her with his seed. He groaned like an animal, and she felt herself hurled into the sky, exploding like a fireworks display as tremor after tremor rocked her body. It felt like an eternity until pieces of her slowly fell back to the earth, empty and spent. He collapsed on top of her, kissing her as he gasped. She wrapped her legs around him, holding him firmly to herself. It was hard for him to imagine anything better than what he was feeling now. He raised himself on his elbows so he could look into her eyes. “I love you, Adelia; I do. I want you to remember that I love you. You’ve changed everything in my life.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. He had given her what she asked for. It would all be all right. Tomorrow she would wake up Adelia Lindstrom Bremen.

  Adelia woke with a start, disoriented. Her erratic heartbeat was a reaction to the startling dream that slowly began to materialize in her waking conscious. She could hear Miles in the bathroom, singing in the shower.

  She focused on the dream. She had been running with someone, away from something. Adelia closed her eyes; who…and what? As the dream returned to her consciousness, she opened her eyes in alarm. Detective Weiss had been pulling her by the hand down a dirt path. They had both been running in total darkness from something. She recognized the curly, auburn hair, the deep-set hazel eyes, and the unshaven morning-after beard.

  She looked at her wedding band and engagement ring. Was she cheating on Miles in her sleep? She shook her head—impossible. She was mad about Miles; he loved her, and she loved him. In a frenzy to explain the strange dream, she tried to reason. Of course, she thought. The excitement of the wedding had crowded out everything else. She had hired Detective Weiss for the investigation, and she had forgotten to tell Miles about it. The guilt and worry over what the investigation would reveal had instigated the dream. Squelching her doubts, she decided to join her husband in the shower and wash away her dream guilt. Tomorrow she would be in Naples on her honeymoon, and she would tell Miles about Detective Weiss, and that would be the end of that. She stood, feeling better about the dream and her decision.

  Turning, she saw her cell phone blinking on the nightstand with a missed-call message. She picked it up and saw she had a message from David. What an odd coincidence, she thought. He was probably wishing her congratulations. She hit play.

  “Hi, Adelia, Detective Weiss. I am sure the wedding is over by now? Congratulations, of course, to you and the lucky groom. For the time being, let’s keep our investigation under wraps. I don’t want you to tell anyone about it, including Miles.

  “Did you know your father was in communication with Green Way Capital, Miles’s company? There is a series of phone calls to the New York office that took place prior to the crash. I’m not suggesting any ulterior motive, and I’m not assigning any hidden agenda to this. They shared a lot of common interests, and we don’t know who at the company Lars was speaking with. Could be anyone. This could be something, or it could be nothing. Consider this a precautionary measure.

  “Have a good flight, and enjoy the honeymoon. Erase this voice mail! Call me when you’re alone, if you get a chance. I’ll let you know when I have something more to report. Best to you!”

  Adelia stood frozen, her pulse racing. Miles had never mentioned speaking with her dad; he had only indicated that he and her father had served on corporate boards together. How personal a relationship could they have had? she wondered. She deleted the voice mail and cleared her phone of its history. Why would Miles not have told her if he had spoken to her father right before his death? She assured herself that most likely, it wasn’t Miles but someone else who worked at Green Way. Her father served on several boards of directors, and all of this could easily be explained. She trusted David; he would figure it out.

  She could hear Miles in the bathroom, singing along to “Let’s Get It On.” Driving all unanswered questions from her mind, she thought, hmmm, sounds good to me, and shedding her nightgown, she walked naked into the bathroom.

  Chapter 15

  The Mediterranean Sea glistened in the sunlight as the yacht slipped from the Mergellin Marina into the Bay of Naples. The crew of twelve had lined up to greet Adelia and Miles when they boarded. A beautiful, blond, Aussie stewardess named Gail smiled and handed them crystal flutes of rose champagne from a silver tray. Captain Serge officially greeted them. He was a charming, silver-haired Australian who ran a tight ship, but was clearly respected and liked by his immaculately turned-out crew. He proposed a toast to the newlyweds and their future happiness. Each member of the crew, smartly dressed in freshly pressed white uniforms, embroidered with the Green Way insignia of a wreath of leaves circling the globe, was introduced to Adelia. They welcomed her and congratulated the couple. Then the efficient crew members excused themselves and set about preparing the ship to sail. Miles and Adelia’s luggage had been whisked away and was being unpacked and pressed before being organized in their stateroom.

  Adelia and Miles relaxed on deck, watching the crowded Neapolitan metropolis, which rose from the marina to the hills, begin to recede as the powerful engines of the 187-foot yacht cut sleekly through the water. The panoramic view was dominated by the sleeping giant, Vesuvius, which towered above the coastal plain like a c
olossus, its cone shrouded in clouds. The setting was so beautiful that Adelia understood how people could choose to live in such close proximity to a dormant volcano, a sleeping killer, that one day was predicted to erupt and spit its fire again. Perhaps four active volcanoes in Italy accounted for the la dolce vita, “live life now” attitude of the Italians.

  The yacht was headed to the Bay of Sorrento for afternoon water sports and then would cruise to evening anchorage just outside Marina Piccola on the south side of Capri. Chef Julio was preparing a romantic dinner for two. Karolin, at the last minute, had decided to join them a few days later, instead of immediately following the wedding. Miles was pleased that they would be alone for three days before Karolin and Todd met them in Capri. Adelia nestled against Miles as they sat on a sofa on deck, sipping champagne and nibbling on miniature pizzas topped with prosciutto and porcini mushrooms.

  Adelia tipped her head back, and Miles kissed her. “This is so relaxing,” she said. “It’s heaven! I think I can get used to this world you live in.”

  “It’s your world now, baby, whatever you want! My job is to make your dreams come true, Princess.”

  “You’ve already done that, Miles.”

  Kissing the top of her head, he smiled. “What do you think of Green Way? Building it was a dream for me; she’s a beauty, isn’t she? She’s one of the most eco-conscious boats in the world, with a diesel-electric propulsion system for maximum fuel efficiency. We used only sustainable timber, no endangered woods, such as teak. I don’t think we sacrificed an ounce of luxury by building her with respect for the environment. Lars and Faye would have been pleased, don’t you think?”