by Adele Hart
She reached for the panel to get off on the next floor, but Jay grabbed her hand. She’d been tricked. This time she didn’t splash him with her drink as she had before, she clocked him with the glass and pressed the buttons on the panel sending the elevator back to the lobby as her world began to spin.
Despite her hitting him with a solid glass, Jay closed in on her. Spots danced in front of her eyes. Her head spun in circles before she sank to the floor.
His face was above hers. “What’s the matter, cupcake?” he growled. “You look a little funny. Not so much fight in you now, huh?”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. A curse ripped from Jay’s lips as looked up and took off in a sprint.
Someone lifted her out of the elevator to the hallway. She heard a strange voice yell, “Call 911. Does anyone know who she is?” the stranger asked.
“I do,” said David. Leaning over her and taking her in his arms.
Cara tried to say something, but she was doped up and her words were slurred.
David pressed his mouth to hers. “Cara?”
“David,” she mumbled. “I don’t feel good. I swear I haven't been drinking on purpose, but I think the bartender gave me the wrong drink.”
“Someone definitely gave you something,” he growled. “Jay!”
His voice roared like a loudspeaker.
“I gotta find out what he gave you,” he said. He told the manager to send the ambulance crew to his room. When he opened up his door, he placed her gently on the bed.
“Don’t move.” His gorgeous face was but a breath away from hers. “And don’t you die on me.”
Chapter Thirteen
David
David called the front desk to ask how long before the ambulance would arrive. Fear gripped his heart. He’d finally found the one and Jay once again attempted to take what was his away.
Cara sank into a deep sleep. She didn’t wake until she was in the hospital. She’d lost several hours, but when she came to, David was with her. He hadn’t left her side. He’d never leave her side.
She looked from him to Marissa and Tommy then back to him before she said, “Hi.” Her voice broke like she would cry.
“You’re going to be okay,” David assured. “You only took a little of whatever he slipped you.”
Her face turned white. “My sobriety date,” she moaned grabbing her head.
“You’re fine,” said Marissa. “This isn’t the same thing as slipping. You’re going to be okay, sweetie, don’t worry.”
She and Tommy took turns, kissing her on the forehead. “We’ll let you get some rest. If you need anything, we’re only a phone call away.”
When she and David were alone, Cara studied his gorgeous face, his features now etched with concern as he rubbed the back of his neck and stared down at her. “I’m so sorry, Cara. I feel like this is all my fault. If you’d never met me, you wouldn’t have been a target for that bastard.”
“Come here,” she said, her heart breaking for him. When his forehead touched hers, she wrapped her arms around his back and squeezed him tight. “I’m all right, really, and meeting you was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
David let out a long sigh of relief. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that. When I saw you lying there, I thought I might lose you, and then after the doctor said you’d be okay, I thought maybe you’d never want to see me again for getting you mixed up in this shit.”
“I could never blame you for what happened today. Jay is the one who hurt me. Not you.” Cara kissed him gently on the lips, but soon realized she wanted more.
“I can take you out of here any time,” he said. “Come with me. I don’t want to let you out of my sight. Will you come and sleep with me in the hotel, so I can hold you?”
“What time is it?”
“It’s almost nine o’clock,” he said. “It’s time for bed. Time for us to be together.”
Her eyes twinkled as if her spark of mischief was back. “So, all I have to do to kick whatever Jay gave me is sleep it off?”
He grinned. “Yeah, but I think the doctor said you should sleep with me.”
“Is that right?”
“Well, those weren’t his exact words, but they were close. Something about not being alone. It’s the same in my book.”
“I agree. You know what I really want to do?”
“You name it.”
“I want to go to my place and surf my water bed. I want you to have sex with me on it,” she said. “I want to make waves and then I want you to cuddle with me.”
A huge smile spread across his face.
“No can do. We can go to your place. We will make lots of waves, but it won’t be sex. I want to make love to you. It’s what I feel, and anything short of that won’t be enough.”
An hour later, Cara was released from the hospital. She changed back into her sexy little outfit, now tarnished by the drama.
“What happens to Jay?” she asked as David drove her home.
“He’s in jail. They caught him on the surveillance tapes lacing your drink. I think he heard me say I was having lunch with you. He’s such a predator. The police want you to come make a statement tomorrow. I want to go with you. I’m not going to let you go through this alone.”
Squeezing his hand, she said, “Thank you, David. But for tonight, I want to forget about Jay. I want it to be just about you and me.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “As long as it’s not just tonight.”
They drove the rest of the way holding hands, a pulse of love flowing through them. When they arrived on her street, Cara smiled up at him.
“I have chocolate ice cream at home,” she announced devilishly. “Brand new. Never opened. I think we should devour it after we devour each other.”
He nodded and smiled. “I like how you think.”
David helped Cara into the house even though she didn’t need any. They both headed to the bedroom with quiet urgency. He undressed her, and she climbed awkwardly onto the waterbed and waited for him. They laughed as they both moved under the covers.
“OH,” he said. “It’s warm.”
“Yeah, it’s heated.”
“Should have told me that sooner,” he said leaning over to kiss her. When he pressed his lips to hers, she felt like all was good, all was normal. All the drama was behind them.
“Marissa told me you liked me,” she whispered.
He traced her face with his forefinger.
“I more than like you,” he said intently.
“I more than like you too.”
“But you didn’t need Marissa to tell you that, did you?” he asked in his honeyed voice.
“No,” she said. “Was it love at first sight?”
“Did Marissa tell you I love you?”
“No, but I didn’t need her to tell me, you said you wanted to make love to me and anything less wouldn’t be enough.”
That night they made love several times. When David woke Cara up, he had a cup of coffee and good news.
“Morning, sunshine.”
She lifted to a seated position, the sheet fell to her waist exposing her perfect breasts. How was he supposed to deliver any news when she sat there looking so damn sexy?
“I’ve got to talk to you. You’re making this hard.” He looked down at his growing length. “You’re making me hard.”
She reached out and gripped his cock. “Yep, it’s hard. And you want to talk?” Her sexy voice was like velvet rubbing his cock.
David lifted the sheet to cover her. “First things first,” He adjusted his hard-on and groaned. “Gary was given the option today to cease and desist. He either takes down the pictures, publicly apologizes, and restores your good name, or he’ll be arrested for distributing unauthorized pornography.”
“You’re kidding? What did he choose?”
David scrolled through his phone and pulled up the apology. “He’s a coward. We’re going
to have to talk about your taste in men.”
She let the sheet drop. “Like you, I’ve upgraded.”
“That’s because you’re a freaking genius.”
“I’m glad we agree.”
Epilogue One
Cara
Six months later
Cara stood to the side of the stage and watched her man perform. As part of his plea agreement, Jay agreed to return the rights to songs he’d finagled his way to own.
David waved her over, but she shook her head. She wasn’t interested in the limelight. All she was interested in was him. As it turned out, all David was interested in was her. She looked down at the crazy too big diamond sitting on her left hand.
He’d moved her into his mansion, paid for her to finish school and slapped this ring on her finger within weeks of meeting her.
She asked for a pre-nuptial agreement, but he shook his head telling her that everything he had was hers.
When she told him, she had nothing to offer in return, he laughed, “You gave me your heart Cara, what more could I want?”
“Who wants to meet my fiancée?” he asked the crowd.
There was a mix of answers in the crowd. The women wanted him single, but they still wanted to see the woman who’d stolen his heart.
“Come out here, Cara.”
She shook her head, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. She knew if she didn’t step forward, he’d come and get her.
Looking down at her jeans and button-down shirt, she wanted to kill him. Meeting his fans was worse than meeting his parents who happened to love her. The fans not so much.
“Come here, baby. Let me show you off.” He offered his hand, and she took it because she knew without a doubt she’d follow him anywhere.
Cara lifted her hand in a tentative wave.
Tommy slipped a seat behind her knees forcing her to sit. Her eyes grew big as Marissa brought over a guitar.
“Did you know I sing?” The crowd grew wild and raucous. “Of course, you did, but did you know my favorite songs are love songs?”
There was a collective feminine sigh.
“What are you doing?” Cara whisper yelled above the crowd.
He leaned in kissed her cheek. “I’m letting the world know you’re my everything.”
“I know that,” she cupped his cheek and looked deep into his beautiful blue eyes.
“But they don’t.”
He took a knee in front of her and sang a song that he’d written for them. The words ended with hers to love, hers to have, simply hers.
Epilogue Two
David
A year later
David wanted her to have it all, but the stubborn minx didn’t want the white wedding. She didn’t want the over-the-top reception. What she wanted was him in a parking lot in San Jose. There wasn’t a limousine. There wasn’t a wedding dress. There wasn’t a cake.
His woman stepped from Tommy’s piece of shit car dressed in her grey silk stocking and shoes that she could hardly walk in. Her dress was short, her makeup perfect, and her hair blew in the wind like she didn’t have a care or worry in the world. She was absolutely stunning, and she was his.
Her maid of honor wore leathers with hair spiked and tipped in red. David’s best man was dressed to match.
David stood in front of Cara, wearing black jeans and a tattered shirt. She wasn’t interested in his fame. She didn’t care about his money. She wanted something far more valuable. She wanted his love. She wanted his heart. Right there in the parking lot of the recording studio they exchanged vows. It was where it all began. She was his, and he was hers—hers to love forever.
Also by Adele Hart
Alphas and Virgins Titles
Thrill Me
Tempt Me
Take Me
Choose Me
Kiss Me
Devour Me
Make Me Titles
Make Me Yours
Make Me Crazy
Make Me Wet
Make Me Wild
Make Me Happy
Make Me Love You
Hot Heroes Titles
My Toy Boy
My Cocky Cowboy
My Naughty Professor
Bad Boys and Good Girls
Slow, Hard Puck
Fast, Hard Ride
Long, Hard Pass
Bad Boys and Bands
Your to Love
Hers to Love
Naughty Royal Romance
The Prince’s Bride
Boxsets
Alphas and Virgins Volume One
Alphas and Virgins Volume Two
Make Me Volume One
Make Me Volume Two
Deliciously Dirty
Guilty Pleasures
My Hot Hero
Hard
My Toy Boy-Sneak Peek
Chapter One
Janey
Drip coffee makers, espresso machines, and French presses. My head is full of coffee brewing facts. My nose is full of the bitter but robust scent of perfectly roasted beans. Earlier this morning, I sat in the local Starbucks and consumed several options. Enough coffee to make me shake like a crack whore in need of a fix. Maybe the espresso on top of the black and white was too much.
I pace my gray linoleum kitchen floor waiting for my phone to ring and wondering if the floor was always gray or had it once been white but after years of abuse had faded?
My phone rings and I jump several inches into the air. It vibrates to the end of the card table before it takes a triple flip off the edge. I dive to save it mid-air.
“Hello.” My normally calm and even-toned voice morphs into a two pack a day smoker with a case of bronchitis. I cough to hack up the hairball or frog that’s lodged in my throat. “This is Janey.”
“Hello, Janey,” A deep thick espresso voice filters through the line. “This is Caine Stark from the Grynd.” There’s a shuffle of papers in the background and a muffled announcement. “I’ve got to make this quick.” His chuckle is low and rumbling. “Fast isn’t generally my style, not something I’d brag about, but I’m about to board a plane back to the United States.”
“I understand.” Although my pulse is double-shot hyper, my heart sinks a little because a fast interview means he’s going through the motions and has probably already chosen a person for the position. Rather than waste the opportunity, I decide to use this experience as a way to better my interviewing skills so the next chance I get to impress an interviewer, I’ll be relaxed and prepared.
Sadly, I know more about coffee than the average person at this point. It’s not like it’s going to serve me any purpose unless it’s trivia night and the subject is java, or Starbucks puts a ‘now hiring’ sign in their window. I may not be able to make a vanilla bean soy latte but I can tell you where the bean is harvested, how it’s roasted, and this year’s yield.
He breaks my rambling thoughts with a question—my first question.
“I assume you’re familiar with the product?”
This is where I’m going to excel. I’m tempted to blurt out everything I know in one long run-on sentence but I wait. “Of course. The Grind is the perfect product for me.” I wanted to sound knowledgeable, but not in the way that would tell him I spent the entire week memorizing their inventory. Their store locations. Their employee handbook.
He clears his throat. “So, you use our product?”
I laugh. “Yes, regularly. In fact your product starts every one of my mornings. Sometimes, I need it several times a day. You never know when you’re going to need that extra pick me up.”
Silence fills the space and I wonder if we’ve been disconnected. But that smooth dark chocolate drips over me. “I agree. I’m told our best-selling products have the perfect amount of buzz.”
“It must be true since everyone I know uses your product. I haven’t met a person who’s disappointed with the quality. You know it’s good when you feel it all day.”
“Wow, that is good.” A slow low chuc
kle begins and ends abruptly. “The position is for a quality control representative. Which means you’d have to…”
“I’m perfect for that position.” I shouldn’t have cut him off, but the caffeine is coursing through my body and my mouth is going ten miles faster than my brain. “I’m a detail-oriented professional who will stay plugged in until I reach my goal.”
“So, you’re good with testing the products? You must be willing to try to reproduce product failures based on client claims and test new products that are in beta. We understand the sensitivity of this work.”
He confuses me with that statement. How often do bean grinders fail? How sensitive can that information be? “If you’re worried about customer confidentiality, then you have nothing to be concerned about. Everything I do will be kept behind closed doors.” I make a lip-zip motion he can’t see but it makes it all the more real for me.
“Closed doors are important.” He doesn’t sound all that convincing. “Listen, my plane is boarding.”
Here is where he tells me he’ll consider my application. I hold my breath hoping for something different but know it won’t come.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Stark. I appreciate the opportunity to interview for the Grind.”
In the background an announcer calls for all passengers on Flight 4235 to San Francisco.
“You know what, Janey? I like your candor. I like that the product does not embarrass you, and that you're willing to…what did you say? Stay plugged in until you reach your goal. That’s the type of girl I’m looking for.”