I raced over and yanked the door open. She hadn’t left the apartment, the front door still had the security chain in place. Which meant that she was either in the utility room or the guest cloakroom. I tried that door first to find it was locked. I groaned as I heard the sound of her sobbing, which pierced my heart. She’d never really asked me about my past, about the women I’d fucked, or the places I’d had sex in. If it was me I’d want to know every bloody detail, or the jealousy and my imagination would eat me up. I had a feeling that she thought all sessions were like mine with her had been. Tender, romantic and classy. Now she had a visual of some fucking seedy orgy. Which was pretty much what it was. I doubted me telling her that I found it totally distasteful, that I was imagining her as I had that blow job and fucked Yasmin later that night, would reassure her.
‘Angel,’ I sighed, as I rested my forehead on the door. ‘I’m so sorry you heard that. Please let me in.’
‘I want you to … go please,’ came her quiet voice, between gasps for air.
‘I’m not going anywhere. Don’t shut me out, Summer. Don’t let him win. This is what this bastard wants, he wants us apart for some reason. He’s goading you by sending you pictures that he thinks will put you off me. I have a past, Summer. A past that didn’t bother me until I met you, now I’m ashamed of it, but that doesn’t diminish what we have. I love you and if I have to break down this door to comfort you when you’re upset, that’s what I’ll do.’
‘I just … need … some time.’ Her voice was cracking, I could hear the pain in it, which hurt me just as much.
‘Not an option,’ I responded firmly. ‘You’ll stew and have a thousand pictures in your mind of what I did with her. You want to know details, you want to ask questions, ask them, I won’t lie to you, ever. But I promise you that it’s not going to make you feel better, it will make you feel worse. Don’t shut me out, I’m still the same guy you fell in love with. The guy who made love to you this morning and cried like a fucking girl because I found it so emotional. I’ve never done that with any woman, I’ve never told a woman I love them, Summer. You have nothing to worry about. I’m with you.’
‘It hurts,’ came her quiet response. I pulled a face at the thought of what she must be feeling. Even though I’d want to know, I’d fucking hate it.
‘I can imagine, please let me in. This is the last time I’m going to ask politely.’ I stepped back as I heard movement and then a click. I waited for a moment, but nothing happened so I tried the door and carefully opened it inwards. She was hunched up on the floor, just inside the door, her arms wrapped around her legs and she had her head down. I reached out to touch her hair and it killed me when she quickly moved her head away from my fingers. ‘You need to talk to me, angel.’
‘I can’t, I can’t bear the thought of you … please don’t make me.’ She started crying again, so I quickly reached down and hauled her tense body up into my arms. I strode back through the apartment to her bedroom, noticing that she covered her face with her hands to avoid looking at me. I was going to kill this bastard once I found out who it was. I was the one with the shameful past, why should she have to suffer because of it? I put her back in bed, covered her up and grabbed my phone. I rang Ellie, she was good with people when they were hurting. I asked if she could come over early, as soon as possible, to be with Summer while I went out to do some investigations of my own. She asked me to give her an hour. I went to make Summer a coffee, taking my overnight bag with me, just in case she rummaged trying to find that picture and got even more upset. She wouldn’t want to eat now, I was sure of it. I’d been starving, but all of a sudden I was off my food as well. When she was hurting, it hurt me. I bagged up the photo, card and box of roses, feeling a rage inside me that only my punching bag was going to eliminate, that or seeing Summer smile again. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how badly she’d have reacted if she’d actually seen the photo. Dan used to use the 710 Club himself, so that was going to be our first port of call on our night out. I was seeing the manager and I was going to get answers, as well as ensuring that all remaining footage was handed over and erased. I considered contacting Robert Austin, my lawyer, getting him on the case as well. Sue the hell out of them for breach of contract. I flexed my tense neck and shoulders and headed back down to the bedroom, pausing outside as I heard her crying still.
‘I know you’re there,’ she sniffed. I took a deep breath and walked in, trying not to look at her face, seeing her so upset just killed me.
‘I made you a coffee. Ellie’s coming over to keep you company, while I go and try to sort this out.’
‘I’m not a baby, I don’t need a baby sitter.’
‘I know that. I just don’t want to leave you here alone when you’re upset. I thought you might like someone, other than me, to offload on. She’s a really good listener and offers wise advice. If she’d said no, I was going to ring James. He’s very insightful and he’s very fond of you.’ I added the last bit to try and make her smile again, even though it was true. If it wasn’t for James and his sage advice, I may not have had the courage to quit my career and have Summer in my life.
‘I like him, too,’ she replied, as she wiped under her eyes, still facing away from me. I hated feeling so damn helpless, but I just didn’t know whether me being here right now was helping. I was so out of practice. Sexual desires I was fully versed in handling. Emotional women was a totally different matter. I was seriously rusty.
‘I’m going to give you some space, I’ll be in the lounge until Ellie gets here, but then I’m just a phone call away if you need me. Don’t mistake my consideration for your hurt as a weakness. I’ll be coming back to stay with you tonight and I won’t be sleeping in the spare room. I always sleep with my arms around you and tonight will be no different. Understood?’
‘What if I’m not ready? I just need some time, Lucas. I keep closing my eyes and imagining you ….’ She took another deep breath and covered her face with her hands.
‘If you dwell on this you’ll never be ready. Asking me not to touch you is like asking me to stop breathing, angel. It’s a physical impossibility. I’m so in love with you I feel like I’m dying when we’re apart. Don’t do that to me, not for something I have no control over, something that happened before we even fell in love.’ I quickly turned, heading to her dressing room to get my clean clothes, then headed to the en-suite to brush my teeth and shave, taking the time to calm myself down. Summer wasn’t going anywhere, even if she tried to end it with me, I wouldn’t let her. We were meant to be together, I’d never been more sure of anything in my life. I just hadn’t expected to have to convince her of it. When I walked back out, she was sitting up in bed, cradling her coffee. I grimaced as I saw how red her eyes were. She flitted them over to me, appraising me quickly before she looked back down. ‘Are you still my girl?’
‘Of course I am,’ she whispered. ‘I’m just upset. I know I’m being irrational, that it’s not your fault and you haven’t cheated on me, but it still hurts.’
‘I’ll see you tonight, I won’t come too early to crash your night with the girls. I’ll ring your trainer as well and tell him you’re having the week off. You’re tired and emotional and your foot needs time to heal. DON’T argue with me,’ I barked, as she finally looked up at me with defiance in her blue eyes. ‘Just fucking don’t. Not today. I’m scared shitless that someone’s going to try to hurt you, Summer. I need to make sure you’re safe, don’t argue with me.’ I shoved a frustrated hand through my hair, adrenaline pumping through my veins. ‘I’ll see you later. Call me if you need me.’ I lingered as I looked at her, desperate to pull her into my arms and claim her with a kiss. Something to quell the fear that she was going to stretch so far away from me, that the band holding us together would break. She opened her mouth, as if she was going to say something, then quickly closed it and nodded. I sighed heavily, picked up my bag and headed for the door. ‘I’ll wait for Ellie, so you’re not on your own.’
‘Lucas, wait.’ I’d nearly made it to the lounge when I heard her voice calling me. Her tone made me spin around. She was leaning on the door frame, her injured foot raised off the floor, more tears on her cheeks. ‘Don’t go without … that was Logan, it was Logan that did those things with her. You’re Lucas. I need to remember the difference. Don’t go without touching me first. I feel like I’m dying too,’ she added in a whisper, as she finally raised her emotional eyes to mine.
‘Angel,’ I sighed, as a surge of happiness tore through my tense body. I dropped my bag and strode back to her, wrapped my arms around her and lifted her off the floor as I enveloped her in my arms. Just being close to her, feeling the warmth of her skin against my body soothed me. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her fingers threading together as she buried her face in shoulder. I nuzzled through her hair with my nose and kissed the back of her neck.
‘Do you think less of me, now you know the sorts of things that I did?’ I asked, apprehensive to hear her answer.
‘I’m not ashamed of your escorting, Lucas. I told your mum that I’d booked you and how wonderful you were, to reassure her as she was upset about it. I worry what will happen if it comes out as other people may not be as understanding. It also hurts that you have a past, that nothing we do is new to you, that maybe you like to do the sort of things that I can never offer to you, like group sex.’
‘I did that because I was paid to, Summer. I’ve done it in the past because I could, because I didn’t care about anyone enough to be bothered about sharing them. Not with you. Never with you. I don’t want anything like that anymore, I just want you. Everything with you is new to me because it’s not just physical, I connect with you emotionally, Summer. I don’t know how I can explain the difference in a way that you’d understand. I guess sex before you was like cheap champagne. I enjoyed it because pretty much everyone likes champagne, but until I had real Champagne, with the sweetness of that thick, potent Cassis liqueur, I hadn’t realised how much better it could be. You’re my Cassis, you make everything taste so amazing that I never want to go back.’
‘I’m your blackcurrant?’ she sniffed, then let out a small giggle.
‘I’m trying to be all sincere and you’re laughing at me?’ I kissed her hair, breathing in the aroma of her honey shampoo. Just the smell of a jar of honey instantly made me visualise her, made my cock hard for her, as it was now. She hitched herself up, wrapping her legs around my waist as she pulled back to look at me. While it was still obvious she’d been crying, there was a little sparkle back in her eyes, which warmed my heart.
‘I’m sorry, I feel so pathetic, getting all jealous. Please go and sort this out, I can’t take much more of it.’ Her big blue doe eyes met mine, remnants of her tears on her lashes which had my heart break for her.
‘I will,’ I nodded and kissed her forehead, just as we heard the phone ringing. ‘Can you manage to get dressed? It’s probably Albert letting us know that Ellie’s in Reception.’
‘I’ll be fine, though I may need a bit of time before sex, in case you’re expecting that tonight.’
‘As long as I can hold you in my arms tonight, that will do me fine,’ I replied as I kissed her forehead again and reluctantly set her down. ‘See you later. Try and have fun with the girls, get drunk, but keep that foot in the air.’
‘Yes, Sir,’ she saluted. I shook myself down, just that word was bad enough without her looking so damn sexy in my crumpled barely buttoned shirt. I could smell her all over me as well, it was fucking torture walking away. I cast one look back as I picked up my bag. I had to go, I had to get to the bottom of this. She blew me a kiss, which I swear I felt caress my lips, the way hers always did. I blew one back and went to get the phone which was still ringing intermittently and confirmed they could send Ellie up. I grabbed the box of roses, not wanting to leave them here for Summer to be reminded of this arsehole messing with us, then waited for Ellie in the lobby. She came in, with a worried expression, deposited a couple of bags then hugged me quickly.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked, as she stepped back to look at me.
‘More threatening notes and roses. This time there was a picture of me, with a former client, during the act.’
‘O God, no! Did she see it?’
‘No, but she heard me explaining it over the phone to Ian and has spent the last hour in tears, refusing to let me near her until just now.’
‘She’ll come around, Logan. God sorry, I’m still getting used to calling you Lucas. With you and Dan having alter egos it’s very confusing.’ She smiled, as she rubbed my arm reassuringly. ‘She adores you, anyone can see that. All you can do is keep telling her that you love her and if she asks any questions answer them honestly. Hugs are really good too, even if we say we don’t want one, sometimes that’s code for we need one desperately. Dan’s parked up outside waiting for you. He insisted on coming, saying he’s going to help you get to the bottom of this, so go. I’ve brought Champagne, ice cream and chocolate and Brooke and Molly are on their way with takeout menus for later. We’ll look after her for you.’
‘Thanks.’ I smiled weakly, having my woman so upset was unsettling. I really didn’t like it and I was going to have to think of a way to make it up to her. I kissed Ellie on the cheek and headed downstairs. I found Jake sitting behind the front desk with his arms folded, and instructed him that if any notes were delivered, or flowers, he was to hold them for me, not to give them to Summer. When I asked who delivered the one this morning, I was told it came with the flowers this time. Great, another bloody dead end. What the hell was going on? And who would have anything to gain by splitting Summer and I up?
Love is in the Air
Lucas
‘Jesus Christ,’ I muttered as I helped James lift Summer’s suitcase to get it into the boot of the Merc.
‘How long are you going to Paris for, Sir?’ James enquired, with an incredulous look on his face as we heaved it in and the car juddered.
‘Three nights,’ I chuckled, with a shake of my head.
‘Women,’ James replied, raising his eyebrows in amusement.
‘Tell me about it.’ I laughed and gave him a friendly pat on the back of the shoulder. ‘She’s got that many shoes and clothes now, she’s had to convert one of her spare rooms into a dressing room.’
‘Why do they need so many shoes? I just don’t get it.’ James shook his head as he closed the boot.
‘Beats me.’
‘If I’m out with Mrs. Smith, I’d much rather spend the evening looking at her face, than marvelling at whatever ridiculous fashion statement she has strapped to her feet.’
‘My point exactly. I find a pair of heels on a woman very sexy, but I’m not on a date with them, I don’t want a permanent crick in my neck from observing them for the entire night. I couldn’t care less if she wore the same ones every damn day.’
‘I can hear you both,’ she called from inside the car.
‘Now we’re in trouble.’ I winked at James as he grimaced. I slid into the car next to her, planting a kiss on her temple as he shut the door for me. ‘You look sexy barefoot and naked, which is how I’d like you most of this weekend. You didn’t need to bring everything but the kitchen sink.’
‘If I was just Summer Beresford, girlfriend of the super sexy personal trainer to the stars Lucas Steel, I would have been travelling light. But I’m not. According to my agent I’m “Summer Beresford International Movie Star and Style Icon,” so I need to look good at all times.’
‘You do, even in sweats when you’re working out,’ I confirmed, my cock stiffening at the thought of it.
‘Well the national newspapers wouldn’t think so,’ she sighed, as she reached down and brushed some fluff off her jeans.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ I frowned, as I tucked two fingers under her chin and forced her to look at me as James set off.
‘I guess I’m going to have to get used to all of this,’ she shrugged. ‘It’s just a big change
from my life before. No one cared. I didn’t expect things to change so fast.’
‘Angel, if you’re unhappy I earn enough money to support us both. If you give up this shoe fetish, that is,’ I chuckled. ‘You don’t have to do this job if you don’t want to.’
‘That’s really sweet of you.’ She gave me a smile as she reached up and touched my face gently, my skin crackled in response. ‘I love my job, it’s just all the “fame” that’s taking some getting used to and if my films do even better, it’s only going to get worse. I have people following me now, leaving things at my place, taking my picture wherever I go. It’s like nothing’s private anymore. I guess that’s the price to pay for doing a job that pays so well where you’re in the public eye.’
‘People following you?’ I felt the tension flood my body immediately. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m sure I’ve seen the same guy in a number of places I’ve been. He looked a bit shifty, I mentioned it to Mandy the other day and she agreed she’d seen him before. He’s probably just a fan.’
‘You mentioned it to Mandy?’ I snapped, as I hit her with my full on furious glare. Her blue eyes went wide with surprise. ‘If you think you’re being followed, you mention it to me, Summer. God damn it! What were you thinking not saying anything about this before?’
‘I … I didn’t think,’ she whispered, dropping her head to her chest.
‘Angel, I’m sorry, but this is serious,’ I sighed, taking her hand in mine and squeezing it tightly. ‘That’s made up my mind, we’re getting you a bodyguard.’
‘Seriously?’ She looked back up at me and rolled her eyes.
‘Seriously,’ I replied firmly. ‘James, didn’t you hook up Dan with his team?’
For the Night - Complete Box Set Page 54