Next to Always: Shattered Innocence Trilogy Book Two

by A. L Long

  “Oh my God, I’m so stuffed. I don’t think I can move,” Dylan moaned, taking her hands and placing them on her hard belly.

  Rade smiled at her with appreciation. “That good? Maybe I need to cook for you more often.”

  “Oh no,” she began. “Unless you want me to weigh two hundred pounds.”

  Rade laughed at her comment. “Sweetness, even if you weighed a ton, I would still love every inch of you.”

  Rade began cleaning the table, ordering Dylan to relax on the couch. He didn’t want her to do anything but veg out. He wanted to make sure that she would be well rested for tonight, because what he had planned for her was going to test her limits. He knew that she wanted to go back to The Castle. He wasn’t sure if she would ever be ready to go back. Even knowing that Alex could never hurt her, there was still the threat of flashbacks from that evening.

  Finishing his housekeeping duties, he grabbed another bottle of Merlot and their glasses and sat down beside her. Pouring them each a glass of wine, he handed one to her. “Here’s to our first night together as roomies, and most importantly as boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  It took a moment for those words to finally sink in. Dylan only had one other serious relationship. She thought she would never be able to love anyone else, but Rade managed to change that for her. As controlling as he was, he was just as tender and compassionate at the same time. Clinging her glass to his, she smiled, bringing the wine to her lips. Rade set his glass on the table and pulled Dylan close to his side. Making himself comfortable, he pushed the remote that controlled the TV and watched as it appeared from inside the credenza. Turning on the big screen TV, he scanned the channels until Dylan told him to stop. It would figure that she would make him stop on a sappy love story. He really didn’t care what they watched as long as he had her in his arms.

  The movie ended with Dylan in tears and Rade comforting her, letting her know that it was only a movie and the guy didn’t really die, and that he was probably chilling with his girlfriend watching a sappy love story. Dylan had to laugh at his analogy.

  It was getting late by the time they watched another sappy love story and Rade ended up comforting Dylan all over again. Taking her in his arms, he led her to his room, their room. Before she could enter the bathroom to get ready for bed, he had her sprawled out on the bed, tearing off his robe from her body. It took him less than a minute to get out of his pants and crawl between Dylan’s legs. He kissed every inch of her body, starting with her perfectly painted pink toes. Reaching the soft skin of her inner thigh, he stopped for a moment, taking in her sweet scent while giving her clitoris a little attention. Continuing his movement up her body, he kissed the area just below her navel before moving to her breasts and then the juncture where her shoulder and her neck met. Wrapping her long red curls in his hand, he turned her head to capture the right spot near her ear that he knew would drive her insane. In a sweet, low voice he said, “I want to push your limits, Dylan. Do you trust me to show you?”

  Rade could hear her soft whimper as she said, “Yes, show me.”

  Opening the drawer of his bedside table, he pulled out a blindfold and a long piece of satin rope. He lifted Dylan’s left hand and kissed each knuckle as he gently secured one end of the rope to her small wrist. Taking the other hand, he did the same, kissing each knuckle and securing the satin rope around her wrist. With both wrists secured, he lifted them above her head and tied the ends around one iron spindle on this headboard. Rade looked down on her to make sure she was still with him and that this act didn’t make her uncomfortable. “You okay, Sweetness?” he asked softly.

  Dylan nodded her head, letting Rade know he could continue. Rade took the black blindfold laying next to him on the bed and held it over Dylan’s eyes. He hesitated for a moment until Dylan nodded again, letting him know that he could proceed. Closing her eyes, Rade placed the silky material against Dylan’s eyes and carefully tied the ends at the back of her head. She looked perfect there, bound and unable to see. She was his perfect submissive. “I want you to only think of me, Sweetness. Only me as I touch you, kiss you, enter you.”

  Dylan’s body was on fire. She wanted this man so bad that every nerve ending was having a party inside her body. Even though she couldn’t see him, she pictured him in her mind. She kept only images of him in her mind as he tenderly placed light kisses on her shoulder, on one breast and then the other, on her stomach, on her mound. Each touch drove her closer and closer to home. She could feel the wetness between her legs building. Her body needed more. Moaning his name, she pleaded with him to take her. His hands fell to her ass and he lifted her hips from the bed. She could feel her legs spread as Rade placed each leg on either side of his shoulders. Even though she couldn’t see, she knew that she was spread open for him to feast.

  The first wave of pleasure hit her as Rade slid his tongue across her labia. Dylan just about came undone. It took everything she had to hold back her release. She remembered Rade’s words when he told her that her orgasm would be phenomenal if she could control her release. Gritting her teeth to control her pleasure, she tried to relax. “My Sweetness is close. Do I need to stop? You’re only allowed to come when I say.” At Rade’s warning, she screamed, “No, please don’t stop.”

  Rade had to smile at her determination to hold back her own release. He knew she was close and she was doing everything she could to stop herself from exploding. Her efforts only made Rade want to give her what she so wanted, or at least bring her only to the point of giving her what she wanted. Holding back his laughter, he resumed his feast on her sweet honey, only to give her a fraction of what she desired. When he felt her body tense he pulled his tongue back slightly by barely gliding over the area he knew would set her off. He could feel her frustration as her hips began bucking and twisting, searching for the friction she needed. Rade pulled his mouth from her, only to replace it with not one but two fingers. Slowly he took his time, playing and caressing her clit until he was ready to dip them into her slick channel. It wasn’t long that he was inside. Curling one finger into a U, he found her sweet spot. The movement of her hips was driving him crazy. He wasn’t ready to enter her yet. As painful as his erection was, this was about pleasing Dylan.

  Her walls tightened around his fingers. He knew she was closer. Pulling his fingers from her vagina he lowered her legs to his waist and entered her with his thick shaft. First, it was small, gentle movements. He needed to bring her down, otherwise he would be exploding his seed inside her before he was ready. Lowering his body, he placed his lips on her taut nipple, sucking and gently biting the hard peak. Dylan’s back arched as he continued his assault on her breasts. He needed to consume her. Raising his lips from her breast, he placed them on her mouth and devoured her. Dylan opened up to him as his tongue dove in. He explored every crevasse of her warmth while his tongue moved back and forth, taking hers with his as he sucked and circled hers. Her mouth tasted of wine and everything “oh so sweet.” His movement increased as their kiss deepened. His thrusts became hard and quick. The pain of his erection was no match to the pleasure she gave him as her walls tightened like a vice grip around him. When Rade gave her permission to come, Dylan exploded with such force that her body shook like a volcano getting ready to erupt. It only took Rade a couple of hard thrusts before he too met his release.

  Neither one of them could move. Rade’s body covered hers in complete bliss. The only sound in the room was the rapid heartbeat they shared. Dylan moved slightly beneath him unable to breath with his weight on her. “Rade,”

  “Mmm…” he choked out.

  “You need to get up,” Dylan panted.

  Rade lifted to his elbows, looking down on his gorgeous Dylan. He gently took hold of the black blindfold and looked into her sated eyes. “God, you’re beautiful, Sweetness.”

  “Yeah, well, I won’t be if you continue crushing me to death,” Dylan breathed.

  “Sorry, Sweetness,” Rade said, pushing himself so that he was n
ow beside her instead of on top.

  Admiring her body, Rade took in every curve, every dip, every perfection of her flawless being, knowing that every inch belonged to him. Reaching over, he carefully untied her and kissed her gently on the lips, the same lips that he would never be able to get enough of. Examining her wrists, he could see the faint marks the rope had left. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. Rubbing his thumb across the red line, he asked, “Does it hurt?”

  Dylan dropped her eyes to her wrists. “No, not really.”

  Rade looked back at her, removing his hand from her wrist and placing it on her cheek. Lowering his head he placed his mouth over her and said, “God, I love you, Dylan Adams.”

  *****

  Dylan was humming all day at work. The only thing she could think about was her night with Rade. He had been so gentle with her. Everything he did to her, the restraints, the blindfold, didn't cause her to panic. She trusted him with her whole heart. She knew that as domineering as he was, she was his equal. She needed to share her happiness with Lilly. With everything that's been happening, she needed to call her friend. Pulling her cell from her phone she pulled up her contacts and called Lilly.

  “Well, if it isn’t my long-lost friend,” Lilly announced with sarcasm.

  “Hey, Lilly, Sorry I haven’t talked to you for a while. So, how are you doing?” Dylan asked.

  “Good, I’ve been busy too. My parents want me to go with them to Paris to look at some artwork at a gallery that’s going to be closing their doors. They thought it would be fun for me and give me a chance to enjoy the atmosphere that France has to offer,” Lilly responded. “How about you?”

  “Other than the kidnapping and me moving in with Rade, nothing special going on,” Dylan stated calmly.

  “Wait…? What…? Did I miss something? Did you just say kidnapping and moving in with Rade?” Lilly choked trying to get the words out.

  “Yeah, it was horrible, Lilly. Alex, a guy I worked with, kidnapped Rade. They still don’t know why and he can’t tell anybody since he’s kind of dead,” Dylan explained. “Anyway, the whole thing was an eye opener for us, and Rade told me he loved me and I agreed to move in with him.”

  “Oh my God, girlfriend. That’s more drama than my afternoon soaps,” Lilly confessed.

  Dylan must have been on the phone for an hour explaining what happened to Rade, how he was beaten and drugged. How the press had turned everything around to get a juicy story. What it was like when Rade said that he loved her and how she felt about moving in with him. By the time they finished their conversation, Dylan and Lilly ended up making plans to get together before Lilly went to Paris. Dylan envied Lilly. She had always wanted to go to Paris to see the Musée D’Orsay or the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées. It was on her bucket list to someday go.

  Clearing her thoughts of Paris, Dylan focused on her work. The Spectrum deal was almost done. There were only a few final touches she needed to finish. Keeve and Mason requested additional information be added to the report she left them a few days ago. Other than a few minor alterations, they were very pleased with her work and offered to have her to take charge of their next acquisition. She couldn’t have been more happy.

  It was getting close to five o’clock and Dylan knew that Rade would be coming soon to pick her up. Even though Peter was nearby, he insisted he be the one to take her home.

  As she left her office, she heard laughing and commotion going on in the lobby. Dylan could hear a male voice as well as Jessica’s and Lucy’s. It could only be one person causing so much noise. Dylan headed down the short hallway to the reception area to see what was going on. Just as she suspected, Rade was talking with the two girls. Dylan stepped back a little to listen while avoiding being seen. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Rade. She just had to hear it for herself. After listening for a bit, Dylan concluded that it wasn’t Rade doing the flirting, it had been the two girls. Dylan couldn’t really blame them. With his drop-dead looks and a rock-hard body to boot, she would have done the same thing.

  Coming around the corner, Rade met her with no hesitation. He took her in his arms and planted a kiss so sweet on her lips, she didn’t want to break from him. She could feel two pairs of eyes on her as Rade planted another kiss on her neck. If Dylan didn’t know better, she would have thought he was playing a game with the girls. As long as they knew Rade was all hers, Dylan didn’t care. Holding her close to his side, Rade looked over at the two girls and wished them a good evening. Dylan just lowered her head into Rade’s neck to hide her enjoyment as the sad expression appeared on their faces.

  Rade suggested they stop at Russo’s for a quick bite. It was his favorite spot to eat. When they walked in the small restaurant, the place was packed. It was unusual for a Tuesday night, but as always a table was reserved for Rade in the back. Even though Dylan never met Mr. Russo, she assumed that Rade knew him quite well, given he always had a table reserved for him. The waitress came within minutes of them taking their seats and took their order. Rade requested a Pinot Noir. The very best, of course, which meant it would cost more than Dylan probably made in a month.

  As the waiter left, Rade took her hand and asked, “If there were any place in the world you would want to go, where would it be?”

  It was strange that Rade would ask that question, especially since she and Lilly were just talking about it. “Funny you should ask. I talked to Lilly today. Her parents are taking her to Paris to look at some artwork from a gallery that will be closing their doors. I would love to go to Paris one day. There is some much to see there. It is, after all, the City of Love,” Dylan replied.

  “That it is, Sweetness,” Rade agreed.

  The waitress brought them their order, which consisted of Pasta E Fagioli with sausage, romaine lettuce with authentic Italian dressing, and a loaf of Italian herb bread. There was enough food between them to feed an army. By the time they finished their meal Dylan was once again stuffed. She couldn’t eat another bite, so she ended up getting a to-go box, which included a slice of Italian rum cake that Rade insisted she have.

  The night air was warm when they exited through the doors. Dylan was sad to see the summer come to an end. She wished she could spend every day in warm weather. The winters in New York could be brutal. Rade and Dylan walked down the sidewalk to where Rade had parked his sporty little red car. Dylan was surprised that Rade would leave it unattended. She could only imagine what the beautiful car cost. Her mind was set at ease when she looked up and saw Peter leaning against the Mercedes. Dylan thought it was strange that he would be here waiting outside for them.

  Rade gave Dylan a quick kiss on the cheek and helped her into the car. Strapping her in he said, “Stay put, I’ll be just a minute.”

  Dylan nodded as she watched Rade walk up to Peter. Dylan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the way Rade was using his hands, she knew it wasn’t good. She wished she could roll down the window so she could hear them, but Rade had the keys. She thought about opening the door, but that would just alert him. She just needed to sit back and wait until Rade came back to the car to ask him what was going on.

  Dylan watched as Rade walked back to the car, while Peter got into the Mercedes and drove away. The infuriated look on his face caused Dylan’s heart to thump. Something bad happened. She just knew it. Rade cursed at himself, forking his fingers through his thick dark hair. When he finally calmed, he got into the car beside Dylan. His jaw was clenched. Dylan wondered if she dare ask him what was going on. She feared that as angry as he was, she might get a taste of the storm that was brewing inside him. Looking his way, Rade met her eyes. He could see the concern in them. Gripping the steering wheel he croaked, “Don’t ask, Dylan. I know what you’re thinking.”

  Dylan slumped back in her seat and kept her thoughts to herself. The twenty-minute drive to the penthouse seemed to last longer than normal. You could cut the tension in the car with a knife. Not once did Rade take his eyes off the road. The whole wa
y home Dylan could see the gritting of his teeth as the muscles in his face tensed up.

  For a moment Dylan thought Rade was going to say something to her, but instead he put the car in neutral and lifted the emergency brake. She didn’t know what to do for him. She wanted to help, but how could she when he wouldn’t tell her what was going on? Rounding the car, Rade helped Dylan out before she had a chance to open the car door. As he took her hand, she was pretty sure his anger wasn’t pointed at her. Still, she needed to know what had him so angry.

  The minute they stepped into the penthouse, Dylan was about ready to combust with worry. She couldn’t take his silence anymore. “Rade, you need to tell me what is going on. I can’t stand the silent treatment.”

  Something she said must have triggered his temper, because before she could say another word, he had her pushed against the wall, ripping at her clothes like a barbarian. Even if she wanted to, there would be no way she would be able to fight him off. He needed to get rid of the fury inside him, and if it meant that Dylan was his release, so be it.

  In a matter of minutes Dylan was standing before him completely naked. In a chiseled voice he said, “Turn against the wall, Sweetness, hands above your head.”

  Dylan didn’t object his request. Removing her hands from his shoulders, she twisted her body so that her hands were above her head, pressed against the wall. The air conditioning in the penthouse must have been put on full blast, because all she could feel was the coldness as it brushed against her skin, causing her nipples to harden to a painful peak. Her desire for him took over when he placed his hands on her hips, gripping her soft flesh while pulling her towards him. Her butt was flush with his crotch. She could feel the hardness of his cock raging beneath his pants.

  To Dylan’s surprise, Rade sunk two fingers inside her vagina without warning. She was so wet for him that the slickness of her sex allowed him to enter without any resistance. Kicking her legs apart, Rade pushed further inside her. Dylan wanted him. She needed his cock buried deep inside her. “Rade, please, I need you inside me.” There was a crack as his hand came down on her creamy ass. “You are not in control, Sweetness,” Rade commanded, taking back the control he lost only moments ago. “You will do exactly as I say. I want to hear you say it, Sweetness. Tell me I am in control and that you will do as I say.”