Glass Towers, Shattered (Glass Towers Trilogy)

by Adler

  Wow, I had not noticed how close the Towers were to this neighborhood. Harrison is in those Towers. I get to see Harrison this morning. The very thought sends a warming sensation starting in my stomach and radiating through my loins. Down girl! I think to myself.

  After I make some coffee and scrounged up a yogurt in the fridge, I head down the hallway to start operation beautification. I am pretty sure that the way I look right now would not qualify as enticing in Harrison’s world. Henry appears to be opting for his cozy bed after his long run.

  I grab my robe, pink lace panties and bra, then head across the hall to the bathroom. I turn the handle and open the door. To my shock, standing there in all of his naked glory is Garrin. “Oh I’m so sorry! The door was unlocked and I didn’t hear you in here!” I quickly slam the door behind me. I scurry back across the hall to my room. I have no idea if he said anything when I opened the door or what expression he had on his face. I feel ashamed because all I could focus on was the incredible body Garrin has. Wow, if Harrison didn’t have my heart, I could certainly be distracted by that gorgeous specimen. Shit! Now I am sounding like a cat in heat, like Simone. I feel my face is on fire!

  I lay on my bed and wait for the bathroom to be free. I think about seeing Harrison in a couple hours. He never did say if anyone else would be in the final meeting. Gasp! I wonder if Marion will be there. I really hope not. I am certainly not ready to face her. How can I put on that kind of act? As if nothing has happened or pretend that I don’t know anything about her treachery. I hear a faint knock at my door. I unwind the hair off my finger as I slowly open the door and peer out at a smiling Garrin. I fully open the door, “I am so sorry Garrin.”

  He is still smiling, “Do not worry. It was an accident. The bathroom is free now.”

  “Thanks, Garrin.” I have noticed a huge change in him over the last day. He is usually very reserved and rarely smiles at me. Gee, I wonder what has inspired the change.

  I follow him out to the hallway, and he continues toward the kitchen, while I barricade myself in the bathroom. I am so embarrassed, but have to admit that I enjoyed the peep show.

  After I finish getting ready in the bathroom, I head back to my room to figure out what to wear to entice my mogul. Simone seems to be getting her beauty sleep, so I think I might just be on my own this morning. I finally select a dark, charcoal-gray, high-waist pencil skirt with an emerald-green silk, button-up blouse with a low v-neckline. I bought this outfit when Simone and I updated my wardrobe a few weeks ago. I tuck the blouse into my skirt and put on the chain and pearl belt that I wore the first time we had sex in his penthouse in Portland. I feel my face flush, as I remember that when he undressed me, he left my chain belt on. I put on my black sling-back peep-toe stilettos. It’s a simple look, but I hope enticing. I stand away from the mirror, examining my reflection. I like how the skirt hugs my slight curves and the blouse is soft and feminine, but alluring. Yes, I think Mr. Towers will approve.

  I hear a bubbling voice coming from the main room and decide that Simone is up. Good, I can get her opinion after all. I grab my briefcase, purse, and a lightweight black swing jacket. I head out to join them in the kitchen, after I deposit my things in the entry.

  “Oh hello hottie!” Simone squeaks, “Where are you headed off to this fine morning?” She is positively beaming. I wonder what sparked her perkiness this morning. I walk to the counter, grab my cup, and put it in the microwave to warm. I turn back to face her and see the googly eyes that she is giving Garrin. Ah, there we go, duh!! I should have known. I can’t believe how slow on the uptake I can be sometimes.

  “Does this look okay? I am meeting with Harrison at the new office space. Remember, I am decorating after they relocate.”

  She eyes me up and down, “Yeah, that works. It’s sexy, yet sophisticated. I am proud of you; my girl is getting fashionable! There is hope for you yet.”

  “Is that supposed to help with my confidence, cause trust me, it’s not really working.” I snap at her. I grab my coffee out of the microwave that beeps incessantly, if you don’t open it right away.

  “No need to be snarky. You look great! Anyway, I’d still like to know why you are being so forgiving. It is beyond me why you would give that guy an inch.” She holds up her hand before I interrupt. “I know, I know, you have an explanation. Tonight, you will tell me all, then I will decide if he is a complete louse or not.”

  I let out a big sigh. “I think it’s too early in the morning for all of this.” I glance at the clock on the microwave. I have ten minutes before the car should arrive to take me downtown.

  “I gotta run out to my car. Can I get your key to the garage?”

  “Sure, it’s in my handbag, on my key ring. It’s the square-headed key.”

  “Thanks,” I say over my shoulder. I slip on my jacket and fish around in her bag for her keys. With keys in hand, I walk back through the kitchen to exit through the mudroom. I open the back door, and on the doormat is a single red carnation. “Garrin, Garrin!” I yell.

  Garrin, Simone and Henry come running to the mudroom, and all stop to look at where I am pointing. Simone gasps. Garrin steps closer to examine the flower. “Don’t touch anything I want to get a picture of this.”

  Simone and I just look at each other and nod. Henry comes closer to sniff at the flower, turns away, and heads over to his empty food bowl. “You okay, Dani?”

  I take a deep breath and exhale. I look at her again with tears brimming my eyes. “I am just sick of this, Clarke. We are not safe here, and I just feel awful that you have been brought into this. I’m sorry, Clarke.”

  She walks over to me, and takes me in her fuzzy-robe clad arms. “Oh honey, don’t give it another thought. I am not worried about me, and you shouldn’t be either. It’s clearly some unstable freak. I know that someone will eventually get to the bottom of this! I mean, think about this, it’s pretty harmless stuff. It could be a lot worse, so let’s just hang onto that for now.” She releases me from her bear hug. I feel tears trickling down my face. Crap! Now, I have to touch up my makeup before I see Harrison.

  Garrin finishes taking pictures with his Smartphone then escorts me out to the detached garage. I retrieve some swatch books out of my car, as per Harrison’s instructions. I alarm my car, lock the garage, and go back into the house.

  Garrin turns to me, ”Danielle, I must scold you for leaving the house this morning without me. Mr. Towers will be very unhappy. Now even more so once he hears about the flower.”

  I sigh and know he is right. Harrison is going to be furious. I just needed that time to myself. “I know, Garrin, I’m sorry. I did have Henry with me, though. He was a great protector yesterday. He chased the guy right off.”

  Garrin appears to think about what I said, but then he shakes his head. “These people, whoever they are, want to scare you. But, how far will they go? We don’t want to know the answer to that.”

  I feel a chill run down my body. If I stop to think about it, he is right. And, if Harrison’s gut instinct says that Marion will stop at nothing short of Adelaide’s fate, then I should be more cautious than I already am. I just hate this paranoid feeling to which I am starting to become accustomed.

  I come back into the kitchen in time to see Simone throwing the stinky carnation into the garbage. Right! Good riddance!

  She turns to me and in a forced laugh, she says, “I mean what cheapskates, they could at least leave a rose instead of these nasty weeds!”

  Though I am not in the mood, that makes me laugh.

  I walk over to Simone and give her a brief hug. “You really are the best; you know that, right?”

  She nods, “Yeah, I am pretty great aren’t I?”

  I nudge her with my elbow just as I hear a car pull up out front. Henry perks up and slips into guard-dog mode.

  Garrin peers out the window and turns to me, “Its Towers Holdings driver, Jeff. Let me walk you out.”

  I turn to Simone as I am picking up my items, “E
njoy your morning. I should be back in a few hours. What is your schedule for the rest of the day?”

  “I have a new starlet, whom I am dressing for a red carpet event in LA in 3 weeks, so I am working to get that all set up today. I’m going to work from home instead of the studio.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

  I roll my eyes at her. She can be such a hooch sometimes! “Okay, see you later then. Are we packing tonight or tomorrow night?”

  “I think that all depends on where the day takes me.” Once again, using her eyebrows to give me the smoke signal. “Ok, whatever, just let me know later.” I dash out the door, feeling bad for having Jeff and Garrin waiting on me.

  Chapter 16

  Once inside the car, Garrin leans in, “I will be heading up to Montreal tonight on a redeye flight, so my replacement, Albert Fontaine, will be here with you the rest of the week.”

  “Okay, sounds good, Garrin, and thank you for everything!”

  “My pleasure.” He shuts my door and turns to head back into the house. Yeah I’ll say his pleasure. Especially once Simone is done with him.

  I turn my attention back to, Jeff, the driver. “Good morning Jeff. How have you been?”

  “I have been well, Miss Austen. Thank you.”

  I smile, more to myself than for Jeff. Despite everything, I can’t wait to see Harrison. I can’t wait to smell him. I hope we will have a moment in which I can feel his lips on mine. I am praying that bitch Marion is not there.

  Within a few short minutes, we pull up in front of the Rogue building. Jeff comes around to my side and opens the door. As I am stepping out of the car, I notice a movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn to the direction of the movement. and my breath stops in my throat. An audible gasp escapes my lips.

  There is Harrison, looking freaking amazing. He is wearing a modern fitted jacket with matching pants in a charcoal grey with white pinstripe. Under the jacket, he has on a crisp, white shirt, open a the collar, with no tie. His Italian shoes, are properly shined, and his shirt is neatly tucked in, revealing a YSL belt buckle.

  Looking up, my eyes lock with the most vibrant crystal blues eyes I have ever seen. I take in a deep breath. I had forgotten just how limpid his eyes are. Harrison reaches his hand out to help me as I step onto the curb. Jeff reaches in the car and gets my things for me. Harrison takes my hand and gives it a firm shake, as if we were simply business associates. That touch sends shock waves throughout my entire body. I feel the butterflies fighting to get out of my stomach. My heart is racing and my face is warming as usual. This man is causing every fiber of my being to react. I dare say, I feel faint. How pathetic. He gives me that megawatt smile and ushers me toward the front door. Keeping himself at a safe distance for keeping up appearances.

  Jeff follows behind with my swatch book and briefcase. Once inside, he sets my things down on the reception counter and turns to Harrison. “If that is all sir, I will wait for your call when Miss Austen is ready to leave.”

  Harrison is staring at me. Without taking his eyes off me, he nods in agreement and says, “Thank you Jeff, we will message you in a few hours.” Then, he winks at me.

  Once Jeff has left, Harrison walks over to the door from which Jeff exited and locks it with a key. He turns to me, waves his hand toward the elevators and says, “Shall we?” I nod and turn to grab my briefcase, but he shakes his head, “You really won’t be needing that.” I leave the swatches and my case on the counter and follow him to the elevator. I anxiously look around to see if anyone is about. So far, no signs of the evil witch. I am too nervous to ask Harrison about her, so I leave the subject alone for the moment.

  I steal a glance at his profile, and I feel my loins about to explode, while I am standing here, waiting to board the elevator. Once inside, he pushes the 18th floor button, and as the doors shut, he grabs my face with both of his hands, causing me to drop my purse to the floor.

  He plants his lips on mine, then darts his tongue into my mouth, seeking my tongue. His firm hands travel from my face, down the length of my torso. He eagerly lifts my skirt with his left hand, searching out my lace-clad crotch. He lets out a deep guttural groan and sighs my name. I respond to him by arching and leaning into him, rubbing myself against his hard cock. The exotic spice market scent of him wafts into my nostrils almost intoxicating me. I am under his spell. Again, he moans my name into my ear just as we reach the 18th floor. The doors open, and I lean down to grab my purse, as he swats my butt. “Oh what I’d like to do to that heart-shaped ass.”

  I giggle at the thoughts coursing through my brain. I quickly straighten my skirt and fluff my hair.

  We step out onto the newly installed white marble floors. The space has changed a lot since I had visited it with Harrison almost three weeks ago. It is simply breathtaking, with sweeping views of the mountains, river and city through the floor to ceiling windows. I look to the left of the lobby and see a glass and chrome staircase that leads up to the loft area and a windowed in office. It was not completed when I was here last. Harrison notices the direction of my gaze.

  “That’s my executive office.” With a twinkle in his eye and sexy smirk on his face, he grabs my hand and leads me up the stairs.

  The landing at the top of the stairs is a spacious area that will be used for seating. There’s a space designated for his assistant Hilary’s desk. We enter through the door of his office. The entire room is enclosed in glass. All four walls are nothing but floor to ceiling windows. It’s a corner office, so two of the walls overlook the river. In the middle of the room, is a pile of large, white, tufted floor cushions the kind you see in travel magazines, in a cabana perched on a beach in Fiji. Next to the pillows, is a bottle of champagne in a short ice bucket, two glasses, and a picnic basket. I turn to look at Harrison, who is watching me intently.

  “Oh Harrison. Is this a good idea? I mean, are we all alone?”

  He laughs, “Yes, this is a great idea and we are quite alone. Now, can I get you a glass of bubbly, Mi Amore?”

  I love that, Mi Amore. His voice sounds like angels singing from heaven when he says that.

  “In that case, yes please, Mr. Towers.” I give him a playful smile.

  He leads me over to the pile of cushions and helps me take off my jacket. He looks me up and down, with hunger in his eyes. He reaches down and traces his finger over the metal of the belt at my waist. I look up at his face to see that he is looking down at me, with lust in his eyes and biting his lip. I want to bite that lip. The thought of it sends waves of desire coursing through my loins, and I feel my lower regions betraying me. I am getting wet. As if he knew my thoughts, he leans down and kisses me. Passionately. Deeply. He puts his left hand behind my head and winds his fingers through my hair. He pulls away and locks his gaze with mine. He is looking into my soul-- I just know it.

  “Danielle, I need you, now!” He breathes. I can feel that I am sopping wet. He is so damn hot and I can hardly contain myself.

  He pulls me down to the cushions and grabs a white remote on the floor next to the picnic basket. He aims the remote at the office windows to lower the hidden blinds.

  “Now, where were we?”

  “Location number twenty- two or maybe it’s twenty-three?”

  “Now who is keeping track?” He lays on his side next to me and begins to unfasten the buttons on my blouse, one by one, with nimble fingers. I am holding my breath. I feel like I did the first time we had sex. No, I actually feel more nervous now than I did that first time in his penthouse. There is so much between us now that every touch is permanently etched into my lifeline.

  He pulls my blouse out of my skirt and finishes with the last of the buttons. “Green suits you.”

  I feel light headed. “Thank you, Simone helped me pick it out.”

  “She has good taste.” He slips his hand into my pink lace pushup bra and cups his hand over my breast. He leans in and begins kissing my neck under my ear. He takes his free hand and lifts my hair off my back, then trai
ls kisses over the nape of neck. He pulls my hair slightly and nibbles at my neck gently with his teeth. “And you taste good.”

  Gah! He is setting me on fire. My god, my loins are aching for his cock to fill me.

  He reaches down, removes my shoes, reaches behind me, and tugs at the skirt, as I shimmy out of it to assist. I am lying on the bed of white cushions in just my lace bra, matching thong panties and the chain belt. Beginning with my right foot. he begins sucking and nibbling my toes… one by one. It is not something that I am entirely comfortable with, but it feels sensational. I try to not think about my toes and just enjoy the tingling in my loins. He moves his way from my toes to my ankles kissing and teasing with his tongue up to the backside of my knees. He spends some time on my inner thighs, kneading them with his strong hands and kissing dangerously close to my crotch. He takes his finger and moves the lace of my panties aside, slowly inserting two of his fingers into my “P”. “Oh Danielle, you are sopping wet for me.”