“Not bad.” I laughed.
“I’ve been practicing all week.”
Relaxing into his embrace, it hit me that this was first time in a long while that I’ve been able to enjoy an innocent moment with a guy and not be afraid of any repercussions.
“What is it you do in Glasgow, Brent?”
“Real estate. Rather boring stuff, but it keeps me busy. I own a few properties in the city and have plans to open a new ultra lounge. Actually, that’s coming up soon. Two weeks from now.”
“Wow. That sounds exciting. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” he said, turning us so I faced the band. “Listen, this may not be my place to say, but be careful with him.”
I stiffened. “You’re right. It’s not your place.”
“He uses women, Lia. He treats them like objects and when he’s done, he throws them away.”
“I know all this,” I seethed. “Not that it’s any of your business—“
“He fucked my sister for years and when she fell in love with him, he told her to bugger off. She hasn’t been the same since.”
My lungs collapsed on themselves leaving no room for oxygen.
“You don’t know him like I do, Lia. He’s cold. He has no regard for anyone’s feelings.”
We weren’t dancing anymore. People swayed and moved around us while I remained caught in a prickly bubble. I didn’t want to process anything Brent said. Backing away, I uttered a weak goodbye and blindly made my way back to the table. I grabbed two champagne flutes off one of the trays a server was carrying, knocking each one back. Relieved to see the table empty, I sat down heavily.
Rubbing my temples, I scanned the crowd for Alastair. He’d disappeared. So had Darren and Stephanie.
A light floral scent appeared out of nowhere.
"Hello, Amelia."
Ugh, not now.
I looked up to see Emma leaning against the chair.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," I answered in my most sugary sweet voice.
She sat, politely folding her hands in her lap. “How did you do it?”
“You’re going to have to be a little more specific,” I said, annoyed.
She half-smiled. “How did you get him to call you his girlfriend? I’ve known Alastair since we were teenagers. We have…history." A cunning smile crossed her overly glossed lips. “In fact, it was just a few weeks ago that I was in his bed.”
I wanted to vomit.
“I’m the closest thing to a girlfriend he’s had,” she bragged, leaning in. “Not Olivia, not you, not that clingy bitch Sarah. He comes back to me. Always.”
The dark recesses of my mind spread its poison fast and furious. I wanted to scream at her, but I was paralyzed by dread and insecurity. The champagne swirled in my stomach like a witch’s brew.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” I responded, much stronger than I expected, “but he’s with me. If you had any class whatsoever, you’d go back to the hole you crawled out of now.”
She laughed. “He used his charm with you, didn’t he? It’s rather infectious. No wonder so many women think they’ll be the ones to change him or break down his defenses. You’ll never get him to love you back.”
“So why do you bother with him, then?” I bit out. “He’ll never love you either.”
“He’s a great shag, as you no doubt already know. And he’s attentive. I don’t need his love, just his body.”
An intense ringing in my ears echoed through my head. I sat still as a statue, not able to breathe or move.
“Emma. A word. Now,” Alastair snarled from behind me.
"Of course," she said, her eyes frosting over. "It's been a pleasure, Amelia."
Alastair held her by the elbow and guided her away from the table. Still in a daze, I watched their heated conversation. He looked furious. Every bone in my body ached.
When the discussion ended, Emma walked away brusquely, but not before shooting me a smug grin. Alastair lowered himself to one knee in front of me, holding my hand.
“Talk to me,” he insisted.
Wetting my lips, I met his gaze. He was completely shielded. There wasn’t a trace of emotion on his face or in his eyes.
“I think maybe it’s time I found Steph and Darren and went back to my sister’s.”
Air pushed out of his lungs rapidly. “Okay. Before you do, will you walk with me? Please?"
“I don’t—“
“It’ll just take a moment.”
Locking his fingers through mine, he pulled me up from the chair. We stole away to the opposite end of the reflection pool, away from everything. A cool breeze coasted over my bare shoulders, making me shiver.
“She was out of line.”
“But she didn’t tell me anything that wasn’t true, did she?”
“No,” he answered, a marked coolness to his tone. It reminded me of something.
“That night at the cocktail party, when you took off to take care of something. It wasn’t about any photographs, was it? It was Emma. She was there.”
He paled under the moon’s silver glow. “Yes,” he said in a strained whisper.
“Why didn’t you just tell me that you already had a date that night? It’s no—“
“I told her not to show up. The night I asked you, after I left the hotel, I called her and told her not to show up. I didn’t know she was there until she walked into the lounge. She’d already checked into our room—“ He stopped short, regret seeping out of his pores at the slip of the tongue.
“Your room?” I asked, shaking.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t bring women to my house and she has a…Why does it matter anyway,” he groused.
“Because up until half an hour ago I didn’t know you still socialized with your former fuck buddies,” I attacked. “Especially ones who think you belong to them.”
He winced, backing away from me. I kept laying it on thick.
“This is the messy part you said you were ready for, Holden. These are the ups and downs in a relationship. I’m not some pawn for you to label as a girlfriend just to make another woman jealous. I’m. Not. Interested. I can deal with your hang-ups about dating. They’re workable. But I will not be the ace in your pocket to show when it’s convenient.”
I only stopped because I needed to breathe. I was so wound up I wouldn’t have been surprised if sparks shot off my head. Alastair stared in disbelief, then without warning, lunged at me, kissing me so feverishly I lost my balance and fell to the ground. Arms, legs, lips and tongues tangled in an unruly mess on the cool grass. It would have been comical if I hadn’t been so aroused. This was not a gentle kiss. This was crushing. Lip-bruising. I didn’t want it to stop.
“You make me lose control, Lia,” he panted. “But it feels so good with you.”
Our mouths collided together. My mind was a scrambled mess floating somewhere in oblivion. I clawed at his back when his hips started grinding into mine. Pulling on his hair to yank our lips apart, I gasped.
“There are hundreds of people in that tent. Do you want to give them a show on your first official day as CEO?”
The untamed gleam in his eyes dulled briefly. “Fair point. I’m taking you inside.” A sexy grin spread across his mouth. “Then, I’m taking you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
My dress hit the floor a second after we got into his bedroom. Moonlight spilled in from the windows bathing the room in a soft silvery glow. The serenity of the light clashed with our desperate movements.
Tossing his jacket and tie to the side, Alastair unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off. I froze in place. His physique was glorious. Toned, cut muscles defined his chest, arms and stomach. I took a breath before lowering my eyes to his hips. The way his pants were hanging, I could just about see the enticing v-shape of his lower abdomen.
I practically mauled him, unbuttoning his pants to shove them down. An inescapable urge to run my fingers through the reddish-bro
wn smattering of chest hair took over. It tickled my nose as I kissed and nipped his skin. He exhaled slowly, trembling a bit. I lightly ran my fingernails down his stomach. He unclasped my bra, freeing my aching breasts. Cupping them, his tongue circled one nipple, then the other.
Kissing me with ravenous desire, he pushed me against the wall.
"Tell me what you want," he ordered. The hot stiffness of his erection pressed into me. I reached down and felt him through his boxer briefs.
“This. You.”
He finished undressing himself and me with great finesse. Pinning me to the wall again, he flattened his chest to mine. His lean, athletic body felt so good against my softer, curvaceous build.
“You are stunning, Amelia. Absolutely stunning.”
His hooded, calculating stare gave me a rush. I parted my lips, ready for whatever came next.
“This look,” he whispered, running his knuckles down my cheek.
“What are you going to do about it?”
Eyes burning with lust, he wrapped my left leg around his hip. “We’ll start here,” he declared, pushing himself into me. The sudden fullness and pressure made me cry out. He slid into me possessively, staking his ownership over my body with authority. His thrusts were fluid and deliberate. The only sounds echoing through the room were his groans and the soft thudding of my back against the wall.
All I could do was grab his hair. I locked onto his feral eyes, astonished that he was being so wild and untamed with me. Keeping our bodies connected, he pulled me from the wall and sank onto the bed. His heat and heaviness blanketed me. I was immobile.
In one swift motion, he pulled out, kissing and licking my breasts, my stomach and my inner thighs. A delicious mess of ecstasy and desire clouded my brain in the best way possible. The smooth skin of his cheek brushed against mine.
“My Lia,” he murmured, guiding himself back inside me inch by delectable inch. My toes curled as he pushed in deeper. I sank my nails into his back, reveling in every flex and twitch of his muscles. Unleashing a guttural moan, he thrust harder and faster, panting heavily into my neck. I grabbed at every available inch of flesh on his back, finally wrapping my fingers around his perfect ass, pulling him into me.
This was far more carnal and raw than what we had done in my living room. He was claiming me, possessing me. I went limp beneath him moments before blazing heat seared through my body. I surrendered to each sensation, burning, clenching and tensing as I shook with anticipation.
“Look at me,” he ordered, teasing my body with slower, methodical thrusts. I could barely open my eyes. When I did, I saw all of his energy and attention centered on me. Our connection at this moment was so much more than physical. He let himself go with me, just as I did with him.
Surrendering to him, body and soul, I lost myself to the increased rhythm of his movements as he ravaged me on the bed.
The world around me ceased to exist. I was weightless, floating. My body convulsed in an explosive wave as a mind-blowing orgasm surged through me. I shouted incoherently, quivering from head to toe. Awareness flooded back as Alastair abruptly stopped his feverish pumping, sliding in and out with deliberate, measured intensity. He cried out my name, swelling inside me, before collapsing in a panting heap on me.
We remained entwined with each other until our breathing slowed and temperatures cooled.
“I can’t move,” I marveled.
Alastair rolled onto his side, studying me with an astute eye. “Good.”
His lazy, crooked grin accelerated my already frantic heartbeat.
“Glad you approve.”
He curled his body into my side, draping his arm across my stomach. “Get used to it.”
“You want me immobile and useless?” I teased.
“Not quite,” he smirked, tracing the curve of my breast. “My goal is to keep this look on your face permanently.”
“I could say the same about you.”
His post-coital reverie stuttered, then smoothed out, accompanied by a warm glow behind his eyes.
“So this falls under the ‘amazing sex’ category, then?”
“It was alright,” I shrugged, trying to hide a smile.
“Wow,” he chuckled. “Do I at least get another chance to redeem myself?”
Laughing, I straddled him and kissed along his neck. “You can have as many chances as it takes, Holden.”
Fisting his hand in my hair, he pulled it gently until I met his white-hot stare. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you look right now?”
I swallowed hard and shook my head.
“You’re an angel,” he whispered, cradling the back of my neck. “My angel. My Lia.”
* * *
I ran my fingers along the cold piano keys. For the time being, I was alone in the sitting room. Peeking out the window, I could see the last guests waving goodnight. We’d missed the remainder of the party after going another round in the bedroom. I was more than happy to put on some comfy clothes and relax. A satisfied ache hummed along my hips and thighs. Taking one last look out the window, I saw Darren and Stephanie sitting by the reflection pool, chatting.
"Do you play?"
I whirled around at the sound of Alastair's voice. "Again with the sneaking."
"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly. "So, do you play?"
"Um, not technically. I've never taken lessons or anything, but I can sort of play by ear."
"How so?"
"May I?"
Alastair nodded and motioned for me to sit. Closing my eyes, I thought for a moment. A disjointed melody echoed in my memory. Focusing harder, the melody sharpened, becoming clearer. I remembered it being soft and soothing then becoming a little louder, but not too intense. The notes were gentle. Placing my fingers on the keys, I started playing the opening to John Field's Nocturne Number Five. It wasn't perfect by a long shot, but it was decent. I played about thirty seconds of it, stopped and opened my eyes.
Alastair stared in wonder.
"How do you do that? It's incredible."
"Not sure, really. I've always been able to just pick out a tune and duplicate it. If I hear something enough times part of the melody sticks with me. Sadly, I can't read music so that's as far as my alleged talent goes."
A clattering of shoes and laughter echoed from the main hall. Darren and Stephanie burst into the sitting room.
“Uh oh, Lia’s at the piano,” Darren teased. “Up for another round of My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean?”
Clapping my hand to my forehead, I laughed. “I totally forgot about that. Where were we that night?”
“City Walk,” Stephanie answered. “It was Two For Tuesday and you had triple that amount.”
Alastair straddled the piano bench, hugging me into this chest. “Two For Tuesday? Is that what it sounds like, Meyers?”
“Exactly,” Darren and Stephanie responded in unison.
“Thanks guys. You’re all aces.”
“About tomorrow,” Stephanie started, plopping on the couch, “um, would you be severely pissed off if I went back to Glasgow with Darren to get ready for my interview?”
“When is it?”
“Monday morning. When Cassie found out I was over here, she asked if I could come in for it.”
“You don’t have your portfolio or anything with you,” I cautioned.
“She knows. She just wants me to get in there and meet a few people.”
“Okay,” I shrugged. “Go for it.”
“What are you two doing tomorrow?” Darren asked.
“We’re going to Stonehenge,” I answered.
“Plus something else that only I know the answer to,” Alastair said with a smug grin.
“Good luck keeping it from her,” Stephanie laughed. “Lia’s a pain in the ass when she wants answers.”
"So I've learned. She is quite the curious kitten, isn't she?"
A ridiculous grin almost split my face in half. Darren and Stephanie exchanged glances. I flushed from the nuanced way he str
oked my back and arms. Much too potent.
“Okay, well, you two go on then. Thanks for the invite, mate and for letting us stay here.”
I stood up to hug Darren goodnight.
“If your girl gets this job, you best be coming out to visit,” he grinned.
Stephanie tackled me. Sometimes her hugs were a bit too dramatic. “Of course she will. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Right? Right.”
We all said our goodnights and retired to our respective bedrooms.
* * *
The cool, hard wall calmed my flaming skin. I wrapped my arms around his neck, waiting to welcome the exquisite fullness. Grasping his thick, unruly hair, I pulled his head back to gaze deep in his eyes. Dark, liquid emerald irises met mine. He was so beautiful, so perfect. And then, he wasn’t. Chocolate-red hair faded to dirty blond. Verdant eyes darkened to a threatening sapphire. I was trapped, held hostage. He shouted and raged at me. I couldn’t squeeze my eyes shut to block out his fury. The plaster cracked and shattered next to my head. Dust billowed and circled around me.
Shivering, I opened my eyes. Silky strands of moonlight pooled on the carpet. I tried to keep from gasping, forcing the air to move in measured bursts through my lungs. The gentle sounds of slumber floated from the mattress. Propping my head up so as not to wake him, I watched Alastair for several minutes. His face was the one I wanted to see in my dreams.
Climbing out of bed with great care, I grabbed my cell phone. The bright green notification light was flashing. Locking myself in the bathroom, I checked it. Twenty-five unread texts. It’s starting again. Clutching the sink, I choked back a sob. I refused to let him ruin this.
* * *
The circular formation of ancient stones stood silently in the middle of a field. Faded gray rocks imprinted upon lush green grass. Mist hovered above the ground, adding to the mystical aura of the surroundings. I couldn’t help but walk with reverence, absorbing every last detail on the stones. Some were covered in moss, others were shattered on the ground. Light gray clouds mixed with blue sky, casting a peaceful gloom over Stonehenge.
"You're very quiet,” Alastair mused, standing behind me with his arms around my waist.
“I’m just taking in the view. I had no idea it was so mystical. And it's smaller than I thought." A little twinge of jealousy pinged in my heart while gazing at the stone’s self-assured stance in the world.