Second Chance Mine, page 5
Unable to resist, I peered around the massive area, getting a good look around. His room oozed masculinity and dominance, adding to its intimidating feel. A huge, black armoire was positioned on the right wall, almost taking up the entire room. The vast sliding glass doors on my left led out to the balcony, overlooking the city lights of Kentucky with an array of colors blurring in the distance.
His suite was three times larger than the guest room, which was quite impressive in itself. The walls were painted a dark shade of gray with expensive black-and-white art spread evenly around the walls. There were two black end tables on each side of his bed with detailed wood carvings along the edges that matched the bed frame.
My toes immediately curled into the soft, shaggy, black accent rug that lay directly beneath his bed as I ran my fingertips along the polished wood of the frame. I couldn’t help but wander toward his immaculate walk-in closet.
Dozens of collared shirts hung on multiple racks on one side, dress pants and suit jackets on another. Ties of all colors and patterns were on the far wall while dress shoes of every kind lined the floor. The man didn’t own one piece of casual attire.
Not one T-shirt.
Pair of jeans.
Sneakers or even sandals.
My fingers skimmed over his collared shirts, running the tips along the soft fabrics. I don’t know what got into me, but I found myself pulling off one of his white collared shirts from the hanger and bringing it up to my nose. I clutched it tight against my chest. Inhaling deep, I wanted to drown in his scent which was suddenly giving me this sense of comfort and relief.
As I walked back into his bedroom, a picture caught my eye on his nightstand. It was the only photo I’d seen in the entire penthouse. Step by step, I didn’t stop until I grabbed it in my hands. The image of us made it hard to stand upright. I had to sit on the edge of his mattress to catch my bearings. There before my very own eyes was the reality of our past staring me right in the face.
It was a picture of Cade, Adrian, and me.
I was standing in the middle with their arms wrapped around my waist. I must have been sixteen at the time. I didn’t remember taking it or why this picture was significant enough for him to frame it and place it on his nightstand where he’d see it every day.
Just when I thought I figured him out, he ripped the rug out from under me. The sound of his shower shutting off brought my attention back to the present. His footsteps quickly followed. I didn’t have to spin around to know he was standing behind me by his bathroom door.
With the photo still in my grasp, I finally turned. Only to find Adrian Drake…
Clean.
Wet.
Naked.
Eight
Paige
There in all his glory, water glistened off his chiseled physique. Unable to resist the temptation that was this man, my gaze shifted from his face to his chest, to the place I had absolutely no business looking.
His dick.
Holy shit. Did it get bigger?
I sucked in a breath.
When my lustful glare finally met his, I noticed the smuggest grin plastered on his devastatingly handsome face. It instantly washed away all the desire I was feeling for him.
“I see you still have no modesty.”
“You’re in my room, and I have no modesty?”
“Don’t play that game with me.” I rolled my eyes. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”
“I don’t know what you’re implying. I showered in my bathroom.”
“How about you cover your cock?”
“What can I say?” He shook his head. “I prefer to air dry.”
“Adrian.” I threw the blanket on the bed at him, and he caught it. “It’s time for me to leave.”
“Try to run, Cherry. Let’s see how fast I can still catch you.”
“You’re the worst.”
“Sweetheart, I’m the best you’ve ever had.”
“You mean in comparison to the twenty guys I’ve been with? I’d say you come in at a close nineteen.”
His jaw clenched. “Well you’ll always be number one for me.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
He made his way over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of gym shorts. I looked the other way while he stepped into them.
“My cock is away now. You can stop staring at it.”
“I wasn’t… You know what, it doesn’t matter.” Lifting the picture frame, I asked, “What’s this about?”
“It’s a photo.”
“I know what it is. Why do you have it?”
“I have several pictures of us, Paige. We grew up together, remember?”
“Stop playing coy. You’re no good at it. We didn’t grow up together. I grew up with your brother, with you there occasionally.”
“What moments would that be? When you were riding my cock or sucking it?”
I ignored his question. “This is the only photo you have in your entire penthouse. Why this one?”
“Don’t ask questions you’re not ready to hear the answers to.”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t ready.”
“Have I told you how beautiful you are when you’re playing Nancy Drew?” Eyeing me up and down, he grinned. “You still read those smutty books?”
“How many times do I have to tell you there’s a solid storyline? They’re romance books.”
“That you fuck yourself to?”
My eyes widened. “Stop changing the subject. Why this picture? I don’t even remember taking it, so what significance does it have to you?”
“I already told you. When you’re ready, you’ll hear it.”
“What do you want?”
“To tuck you in my bed every night.”
“I’m not sleeping in here with you.”
“Then what are you doing snooping around in my room?”
“Doesn’t feel nice, does it?”
He raised his arms in a surrendering gesture. “By all means, Paige. Poke around. I have nothing to hide.”
“You say that with certainty?”
“I meant it when I said what’s mine is yours.I have nothing to hide”
“It doesn’t matter how much you butter me up. I’m not sharing a bed with you.”
He leaned back against his dresser, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is that what I’m doing? Buttering you up?”
“Adrian…”
“I love it when you say my name like that.”
“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“I will. Eventually.”
“Whatever.” I spun to leave, but I wasn’t fast enough.
He grabbed my wrist, and dragged me back to him. Using my momentum against me, my chest collided with his.
This was the first time in ten years I was touching him, and it made my heart seize.
All I could do was order, “Let go of me.”
He leaned in close to my mouth. “Never.”
“I can’t do this with you for the next six months, Adrian.”
“But it’s so much fun.”
“Fun? You torturing me is not my idea of fun.”
“But you used to love it so much.”
“I hardly call crying for you love.”
His eyes dilated. Before I knew what was happening, I was laying on his bed with his body hovering above mine while the picture frame fell beside us.
I gasped, feeling his hard dick against my core.
“Feel that, Cherry? It’s what you do to me.”
I lied, “I don’t feel a thing,” trying to push him off.
Within seconds, he tore the tie out of my hair, and wrapped my wrists with it. Placing my arms above my head, he held them there. In a flash, my mind was in another place and time where he’d done this to me.
“Bound by my mercy,” he rasped in the same tone he did the first time I was at his will.
“You always did have a thing for bondage.”
“Sweetheart, you have no idea.”
“This is so unprofessional, Mr. Drake.”
“Mr. Drake? Is that what you call me when my cock is on your pussy?”
Meeting his intense, brazen stare, I threatened, “I could report you to HR for this.”
“When it comes to you, Paige. I’m the only man you report to.”
“You wish.”
He growled, flipping me over. Pinning my hands above my head, he gripped my ass.
“This was always one of my favorite positions to fuck you in,” he rasped into my ear from behind me. Where’s my good girl? You remember, Cherry? How you’d claw the sheets, begging me to fuck harder, faster…until your pussy gushed for me?”
Turning my face to meet his eyes, I spewed, “There’s not a chance in hell that’s ever happening again. It shouldn’t have happened the first time.”
“What about the dozens of times after? Or did you forget I practically lived inside of you?”
Not holding back, I spit fire. “You mean when you were betraying your brother by using me?”
Checkmate.
He jerked back, immediately getting off me like I knew he would.
Game over.
I quickly sat up and stood.
Never expecting him to order in a stern tone, he said, “Get out.”
“Adrian, I—”
“Now!”
I jolted, rushing out of his bedroom.
Immediately inhaling a deep breath, I darted back toward the guestroom and shut the door behind me. Leaning against it, I stayed there for a few minutes.
Why did I feel bad for what I said?
“Ugh!” I exclaimed, going to take a shower.
I needed to get rid of his scent.
His touch.
The memories only he seemed to stir inside of me.
I swear I moved on autopilot, spent with what just happened between us. I blinked and I was standing in the shower, welcoming the heat against my tense frame. I allowed the hot water to burn into my skin, hoping it’d relax the strained muscles on my back and neck.
Pressing my hands against the shower wall, I leaned my forehead against the cool, stone tile. I closed my eyes, still feeling his strong, callused fingers all over my flesh. His body on top of mine, hearing echoes of his dirty words along with his hurtful ones.
No matter how much I tried or how much I wanted to push away the unrelenting questions with no answers, it was no use. My mind ran wild. I couldn’t get my memories to stop; image after image flew through my mind, playing out right in front of me like a movie.
“Bound by my mercy.”
I stayed in the shower until the water ran cold over my body and finally got out. After drying off, I threw on my tank and panties before sliding on my blue, silk robe. Just in case, I double-knotted the sash after tying it in a bow.
Once I was done brushing my damp hair, I went about with my nightly routine until I was finished. Taking another second to inhale a deep breath, I walked back out to the guestroom. I shivered when the cool air hit my warm skin, instantly noticing there was still no mattress on the bedframe.
“Of course there wouldn’t be one. Such a fucking asshole.”
Feeling utterly defeated, I slowly opened the door as if there was a grenade on the other side waiting for me.
And in a way, there was.
Silence.
The darkness of the night made the hairs on my arms stand at attention. Even after all these years, I was still very much afraid of the dark. More so now with having a stalker.
I walked into his living room, deciding to just sleep on his uncomfortable couch. Turning on the lamp on the end table, I felt a little better when the light shined over his daunting penthouse. I must have fallen asleep fast because the next thing I knew, strong arms were carrying me up off his couch.
I didn’t have to wonder who it was or what was happening.
“Mmm…” I stirred awake, locking eyes with none other than Adrian Drake, who was now carrying me bridal style toward what I assumed was his bed.
He wasn’t letting up, determined for me to recall all of the memories. The number of times he’d carry me from their apartment couch to his bed wasn’t lost on me.
It was his thing.
I was exhausted, tired of putting up a fight with this man and we’d only just begun. I was in for a rough six months if this was any indication of where we were headed.
“What are you doing?”
“You know what I’m doing.”
“You can’t keep doing this to me. It’s not fair.”
“I need you at your best tomorrow. All I’m doing is making sure you get a good night’s rest.”
“That’s not the only thing you’re doing, and you know it.”
“No more talking about the past, Cherry.”
“Then put me down.”
“I will once I lay you on my bed.”
“Is this how it’s going to be? You remove all the mattresses in the hotels we stay at besides yours? Just so I have to sleep in your bed?”
He shamelessly replied, “I’m glad we’re finally on the same page.”
“I see you’re as controlling as ever.”
“You don’t get to where I am in life without staying in control.”
“I just want the record to show I’m beyond drained and it’s the only reason I’m allowing this tonight.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he walked into his bedroom, and then kicked the door shut behind him. Gently, he laid me down on his bed and hovered above my small frame.
It was only then I smelled the whiskey on his breath.
“Did you hear what I said? You can’t—”
“Try to stop me, Paige.”
My body melted into his mattress. I could see it in his heady gaze—he wanted to kiss me. It didn’t matter how hard he tried. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
I hit him where it hurt.
It was the only card I had to play that I could win.
I viscously spewed, “If your brother could only see you now.”
He growled, pushing himself off the bed. We locked eyes for what felt like an eternity until he turned and left me there.
While I pretended…
I didn’t crave his touch.
Adrian
I rushed into my gym to hit my punching bag, needing to get my fucking head on straight. If I didn’t, I’d fuck her right then and there just to remind her who she still belonged to. I struggled to remain calm and gain my composure, but my temper wouldn’t allow it.
For the next hour, I hit the bag until my knuckles felt raw through the gloves as sweat dripped off every inch of my body. Over and over, I took out my frustrations the only way I could. Loathing the fact she was bringing Cade into our connection anytime she felt threatened. She knew he was always my biggest weakness when it came to her.
As much as I wanted to pretend like he was no longer an issue in our lives, he always would be. Her timing was impeccable, making his presence known when I least expected it. Cade and I didn’t have the best relationship. If anything, it was worse than what it had been in the past.
The only time we saw one another was during the holidays at our childhood home and even then, things were strained between us. Paige’s mom remarried, moving shortly after everything between us came to a head. He couldn’t forgive me, and I didn’t blame him. I did betray him in the worst possible way.
Although, we’d never been close, to begin with. It didn’t matter. Paige was off-limits and I always knew that, but I couldn’t help myself. I never could with her, and she was proving it hadn’t changed. Now I was in a war with a woman I couldn’t forget, never had. All I knew was I couldn’t lose her again. I wouldn’t survive it a second time, I barely did the first.
Making my way back into my bedroom, I scoffed a chuckle when I saw the lamp on the nightstand was on. Then I noticed the barricade made of pillows she had set up down the middle of the bed.
Rubbing my face, I shook my head. At least she was passed out, strategically sleeping on the left side of the mattress.
My side.
She may have thought she was keeping me away, but her snoozing on my pillow attested otherwise. Whether she wanted to or not, she was drawn to me. There was no hiding from our connection.
Her hair was cascading around her face, reminding me of all the times I watched her sleep while she was in my arms. Careful not to wake her, I jumped in the shower again. Cleaning off the sweat from my body before I lay down next to her.
There was so much I wanted to say, so much I needed to tell her, but I didn’t know where to start. She was finally back in my life, and I was determined to keep her there. I still had hours of work ahead of me and all I longed to do was hold her in my arms the way I used to. Instead, I shut my eyes and dozed off for an hour. I had to wake up early to finish looking over the reports for tomorrow’s meeting. I was used to sleeping a couple hours a night, it wasn’t anything new to me.
Paige.
Cade.
Her stalker.
It all intertwined.
It was up to me to get to the bottom of who was pursuing her. One way or another, I wouldn’t stop until she was safe.
I just hoped.
Prayed.
There might be a future for us after all this was done. Until then, the memories of our past continued to haunt me.
Starting with…
The night she first came to me.
Nine
Paige
Then
“Ithink a celebratory shot is in order for us after nailing our exam,” Cade remarked, nodding to the bottle on the counter at the party we were attending.
I was settling in nicely at school. My classes weren’t as difficult as I imagined they’d be. I was making new friends and loving every second of it. Truly, I was trying to live the college experience as much as I could.
