For the Night - Complete Box Set

by C. J. Fallowfield

  I ate, with my left hand, my right one holding hers, our fingers tightly laced. I’d spent so long unable to touch her as often as I wanted, that now she was here, I couldn’t keep my hands off her. I even stood behind her as we brushed our teeth, smiling at her through the foam and then ripped her towel away, swept her off her feet, carried her to my bed and threw her on it, watching her breasts bounce as she landed laughing. Her laugh soon turning to a wince as she pulled a face.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘My bottom’s stinging a bit,’ she shrugged. I quickly rolled her over to examine the still coloured cheeks.

  ‘Lie there, like that, I’ll be back in a minute. I have something that may help.’ I headed to the en-suite and rummaged for my bottle of witch hazel, helping myself to some of her cotton wool, then went to grab some more ice from the freezer, wrapping it in a tea towel. I pulled out the gift I’d bought for her and put it on the kitchen island, along with a card and her favourite flower in a vase. I’d surprise her with that when I brought her breakfast in bed in a few hours’ time. I caught my breath as I walked back into my bedroom to see her lying there, her feet in the air, her face turned on the pillow with her long brown hair fanned out across her back. She was beauty personified. I felt those damn stomach butterflies as she smiled at me. I sat on the edge of the bed, placing the wrapped ice gently on her bottom and heard her hiss through her teeth. ‘Did I hurt you?’

  ‘No, it was … it smarted at the time, but it turned me on. Now it just stings a bit. Am I bruised?’

  ‘No,’ I shot back, indignantly. ‘I’d never bruise you. I promised I’d never hurt you, Summer and that includes bruises. Looking at your arse though, I’ve thought of a title for your next film,’ I nodded as I swept the ice over her, numbing the pain.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Fifty Shades of Pink,’ I grinned with a chuckle.

  ‘O my God, is it that bad?’ she laughed, craning her neck to see.

  ‘No, just one or two shades,’ I reassured her, as I continued to cover all the coloured areas, cooling then down.

  ‘And that really gets you off?’ she asked, a puzzled look on her face.

  ‘Yes,’ I replied, with no hint of apology in my voice. It did and I didn’t want her thinking that I’d give up that side of myself. Sometimes I craved metering out some discipline. The feeling of power and control was intoxicating, but even better was the knowledge that she’d trust me to look after her. That I needed.

  ‘Ok,’ she nodded and lay her head back down. I frowned as I looked at her. Was that it? Was that her way of telling me she was in? ‘You know if we do get together, Lucas, we may be in the public eye, hounded by the media. They’ll probably have a special name for us in the press. Like they do for Brangelina or Bennifer. We’d be Lummer, or Sucas.’

  ‘Suck ass?!’ I laughed. ‘Then I sincerely hope that they go with Lummer instead.’ I ditched the wet tea towel and melting ice in the bath, then returned to soak her cotton wool with the witch hazel, gently dabbing her bottom with it.

  ‘Hmmm, that feels better,’ she sighed, with a yawn.

  ‘You’re tired, you need to sleep,’ I observed, as I replaced the cap and set the bottle aside, tossing the wet balls over to the waste basket, with the accuracy of a pro-basketball player.

  ‘You’re done with me?’ she murmured, as she fought to keep her eyes open. I leaned down and kissed her temple as I stroked her hair.

  ‘I’ll never be done with you, angel.’

  ‘Who knew Logan Steele’s alter ego had a soft side,’ she smiled.

  ‘Logan Steele’s the alter ego,’ I corrected. ‘I’m the real deal, not him.’

  ‘Yes, I think you might be,’ she whispered, as her eyes lost the battle to remain open. I quickly got up and killed the lights, disposing of my towel, then lifted her up, pulling the duvet back, and laying her on her side. I covered her up again and jumped in, pulling her against me. She sighed and snuggled up to me, her head on my chest, an arm across my taut stomach. Damn it, I was hard again. She’d be a cure for practically anyone with erectile dysfunction. I looked down at her, shafts of moonlight coming through the wooden shutters that I’d forgotten to close properly and my stomach twisted again. I felt warm all over, like I was soaking in a hot bath. This was worth giving up my escorting for. She was worth it. To think I could just fall asleep with her in my arms and wake up with her in the morning? I felt happy, ridiculously happy, just like my best friend Dan had told me I would, if I gave into how I felt about her. He should know, I’d never seen him as happy as he was with his wife. He was going to be the first call I made in the morning, after she said yes to me of course.

  ‘Sleep for me, angel. But tonight I’ll be yours, I’ll be watching over you.’

  ‘You’re so sweet.’

  ‘No, you are, I could die happy right now.’

  ‘Please don’t, because I really like you, Lucas Steel,’ she mumbled drowsily, making me smile even more.

  ‘And I love you, Summer Beresford,’ I whispered with a delicate kiss to the top of her head. ‘I love you so much I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.’ I could have sworn I felt her body tense up, then dampness on my chest and frowned as I waited for her response, or something concrete to confirm she’d heard me. I needed to hear her say those three words back to me, to let me know that I wasn’t in this alone. That she was mine now, that she loved me too. But all I could hear was the sound of her gentle breathing. ‘Summer?’

  Summer

  ‘And I love you, Summer Beresford,’ he whispered, as he kissed my hair. ‘I love you so much I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.’

  I stiffened up as tears filled my eyes, a couple escaping and dropping onto his chest as I held my breath. He loved me?

  ‘Summer,’ he repeated in another whisper. I couldn’t reply, I was too choked up. He loved me? I’d wondered if he did, I’d seen glimpses of it in his eyes, in the way he looked at me, but I’d fought against believing it. I’d given him ninety-five percent of my trust, while I clung to the last five percent, like Rose had to the flotsam in Titanic. The last guy I’d trusted had forced himself on me, had hurt me. I didn’t want to be hurt again. If I accepted what he’d just said, if I gave in to how badly he affected me, what if he took it back? We’d been getting along so well, sex tonight was another step along the journey of our relationship, another big step, but I’d never imagined we’d be this far down the road already. It scared me. I thought he’d ask me to date him officially, first. I thought that we’d date, meet each other’s parents and friends before any feelings were vocalised, way, way down the line.

  I tried to pretend I was asleep. This was too much, I couldn’t deal with this now. Not after everything that had happened tonight, my emotions were on a fast spin cycle as it was, I couldn’t handle love. It seemed like forever before he finally fell asleep. I carefully pulled myself out of his tight embrace, stalling as he shifted and moaned, his hand searching the bed for me. I gently pushed my warm pillow towards him and watched as he put his arm around it and smiled. I was so confused. Things were moving so fast. I crept into the spare room and found my bra and damp knickers, they’d have to do. I pulled them on quickly and grabbed my heels in my hand and snuck into his lounge, quietly closing the door to the bedrooms behind me, retrieving my coat from his sofa and pulled out my mobile. It was five a.m. but I needed to get out of here, get some air and clear my head. I found the chauffeur David’s card and rang his number.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘I’m so sorry to ring you so late, or so early, I’m not sure which it is,’ I whispered, trying to keep my voice down so I didn’t wake up Lucas. ‘You dropped me off at Logan’s earlier, would you be able to pick me up?’

  ‘Of course I can. I’ll be there in about half an hour. I’ll press the buzzer for you.’

  ‘No,’ I shot back and grimaced, hoping I hadn’t been too loud. ‘Can you text me when you’re outside? I don’t want to wake Mr.
Steele. He’s sleeping.’

  ‘Of course, Miss Fullerton. I’ll text you when I arrive.’

  ‘Thank you, and I’m really sorry to do this to you.’

  ‘No need to apologise, it’s what I’m paid for.’

  I put the phone down and lowered my head into my shaking hands. Why did he have to tell me he loved me? It had been going so well. Now he’d gone and ruined everything. I felt heartbroken. This wasn’t the way I’d planned it. I hadn’t waited all this time, put myself out there to try his dominating sex stuff for it to end now, but love? Already? No, I wasn’t ready for that. Maybe he said it by mistake, because he was excited to have had his kinky way with me, to have had me the way that he loved so much. I shook my head. That wasn’t what it was, I knew it wasn’t, I’d seen it in his eyes long before tonight. I’d tried to ignore it, put it to the back of my mind, but now he’d made it real. Now there was an elephant in the room that I couldn’t ignore. I paced up and down his lounge for what seemed like forever, wringing my hands, trying to decide what to do. I just had a feeling if I woke him up and tried to explain how scared I was, even more scared than when I’d found his BDSM room, we’d argue and he’d get stubborn like he had before. He’d put his foot down, he wouldn’t let me walk away and take the time I needed to process this. He’d made me promise that after last night I’d give him an answer. And I had promised. Today he was expecting an answer as to whether we were a couple, he wouldn’t accept any more stalling, or anything but the truth. After all, he was a dominant man. A force of nature. He’d been more than lenient with me over the last year or so, giving me a very long leash while I handled this … whatever we were.

  I checked my phone again, it was nearly time. I quickly pulled on my coat and belted it, as I tried to decide what to do, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Running out on him like this, in the middle of the night, after he’d just told me that he loved me, was the coward’s way out. I knew it, but I really wasn’t ready for a confrontation. I stopped and bent over the kitchen island, gripping the edges with my fingers, as my inner turmoil raged. I blew out a deep breath and frowned as I spotted a card with my name on it, propped against a small vase with a beautiful calla lily in, my favourite flower. That wasn’t what caught my attention. What did was the small square black velvet box. My mouth went dry as I looked at it. No way. No way! He’d bought me a damn ring? Less than twenty-four hours ago we were just friends, now it was hot bottoms, handcuffs and obedience in the special room, love and a bloody engagement ring? I ran to the front door, slid my shoes on, and quickly unlocked it. I stepped out and pulled it to, as quietly as I could and prayed for David to hurry up, as I felt tears starting to trickle down my face.

  It was nearly six a.m. when I closed the door in my apartment and leaned back on it. I felt like hell. David must have thought I was a crazy woman, as I’d sobbed all the way back. He’d been a gentleman and had handed me tissue after tissue, never saying a word, or looking at me in the rear view mirror. What was I doing? Lucas was everything I’d ever wanted and I was running away? I needed to talk to someone, I needed advice before I completely fucked this up, if I hadn’t already. He’d told me no more chances, if he woke to find I was gone … I shook my head and dialled Mandy. I’d never rung her in the middle of night, she’d always said she’d be there for me if I needed her and right now I needed her.

  ‘Summer?’ she mumbled in a sleepy haze.

  ‘God I’m so sorry to wake you up, but I’m … I’m …’ I felt tears stinging my eyes again. How could I cry anymore?

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘It’s Lucas, he’s … he’s … Mandy,’ I sobbed as I slid down the door and thudded onto the hard oak floor.

  ‘O my God, has he hurt you?’ she uttered, suddenly sounding wide awake.

  ‘No. He told me … he told me that he loves me.’

  ‘Well duh! Hardly news of the bloody century. Everyone who’s ever met him knows he’s in love with you.’

  ‘They do?’ I sniffed, as I wiped my face on my coat sleeve.

  ‘Again I repeat “duh.” Summer, why are you so upset?’

  ‘I panicked, I ran out and came home while he was asleep.’ I sighed, feeling ashamed at myself.

  ‘O, Summer. You can be so stupid sometimes. This is amazing news, he’s an amazing guy. Any other girl would be jumping up and down with joy to have a guy like Lucas even look at them, let alone profess his love.’

  ‘I know, but I’m not any other girl, am I?’

  ‘I thought you wanted this, you were so excited about taking your relationship to the next level,’ she sighed, sounding as confused as I was feeling.

  ‘I do, I did. But it was supposed to be one step at a time. Last night was sex the way he liked it, today was going to be agreeing to date if I wasn’t freaked out, and I wasn’t, Mandy. But love’s a whole other step, a step much further up the staircase of a normal relationship.’

  ‘Please,’ she laughed. ‘When have the two of you ever followed normal rules of a relationship? You paid him, a stranger with a different name, to take your virginity. You both fancied the pants off each other. You tried to book him again, he didn’t get your email, but when he finally saw it, he came to claim you, blowing your mind again with hot, hot, HOT, as hell sex. He asks you out, you run away making him feel like crap. Then you’re “just friends” for fourteen months, then he takes you to his dungeon of pain and tells you he loves you. It’s got gripping, scorching hot, erotic romance movie with angst, written all over it. Screw normal, normal is bloody boring, Summer. Trust me. I’d give anything for something “not normal.” Don’t you want to be with him?’

  ‘Of course I do,’ I answered, without even having to think about it. ‘It’s Lucas, Mandy. He’s … he’s kind, caring, intelligent, funny, protective and he looks … he looks like that. What’s not to like?’ I sighed.

  ‘Like? If I was there with you I’d slap you back to reality. You love him, Summer. Even if you’re too scared to admit it to yourself, let alone him. You’ve loved him from the moment he turned up at that premiere, probably the moment he dropped you off at your house that first time.’

  ‘I can’t love him, it’s too soon. What if it doesn’t work out and I get hurt.’

  ‘He’s not Ant. He’s not befriended you to try and get his way with you against your will. He’s in love with you. How many men would wait that long for sex with their girl? Not many I can tell you. Some people fall in love in weeks, you’ve known each other for two years, Summer. I doubt he’d ever intentionally hurt you. In fact, I think he’s the kind of knight in shining armour little girls dream of. He’d duel for you, put his life on the line for you and you’ve run away from him? Sneaked off like a thief with his heart, in the middle of the night? How’s he going to feel when he wakes up to find you not there?’

  ‘He’ll be devastated,’ I confirmed quietly, with a nod. He’d confessed how crazy he’d been waiting to hear from me that last time, when he’d given me the wrong number. Both of us had been so hurt over that mix up, thinking that the other didn’t want us.

  ‘Tell me you at least left him a note?’

  ‘No,’ I whispered, feeling sick with guilt, as I covered my eyes with my hands. What had I done?

  ‘Seriously?’ she sighed. ‘You know this ranks up there with me fucking Daron Beck, for stupid bloody moves.’

  ‘You slept with Daron?’ I gasped, momentarily pulled out of my own drama. My co-star was repulsive. Good looking, but totally slimy. I was sure he was the reason Lucas hung around set so much in his free time. Daron had made numerous advances to me in the early days, but none since the premiere, which was odd. I figured he’d just got the hint that I wasn’t into him.

  ‘I was pissed, he was there, it had been a dry spell, don’t make a big deal out of it. This is a big deal though, you and Lucas. Why didn’t you leave a note?’

  ‘There was a card and a lily on the kitchen island next to a breakfast tray and a … and a rin
g box, I panicked.’

  ‘He got you a ring?’ she squealed.

  ‘Stop! Stop getting excited, this is too fast, it’s too fast for me.’

  ‘So let him know how you feel. Be honest, tell him you love him and say the ring’s too soon. Put the phone down and ring him now, before he wakes up and finds you’re gone, if he hasn’t already. Don’t ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to you. He’s amazing, Summer. Tell him he’s amazing and that you’re in love with him.’

  ‘What if it’s too late?’ I asked, as my stomach twisted in nervous knots as I fought the nausea battering my senses.

  ‘You won’t know until you try. I’m putting the phone down, ring him now. Then ring me back and tell me what happened, ok?’

  ‘Ok,’ I nodded. ‘Thanks, Mandy.’