“I don’t want to leave you. Eden, listen. There’s this clinic. I think they can help you.”
“Okay. Maybe. Let me hear what Mitch has to say first. Then I’ll come home, and we can talk about it. I won’t stay the night. Maybe Jolie can drive me.”
He gripped her hands in his. “Okay. Make sure she stays close to you the whole time.”
“You got it. I’ll be stuck to her like Elmer’s.”
“Crazy.”
She arched an eyebrow and grumbled, “Thanks.”
He chuckled and gently lifted her chin. “I meant the glue—Crazy Glue. Elmer’s takes too long to dry.”
When his lips met hers, she blinked and then closed her eyes. He hadn’t kissed her in a long time, like, a long, long time. She knew this was his way of claiming her, and she let him. He deserved more than she could ever give him. She wished it wasn’t that way, but it was. One kiss was the least she could do.
But something about the kiss brought everything to bare—she was leading him on. She’d been using him, purposefully ignoring his desires. Because she was afraid that once she actually said the words, “I’m never going to feel the way you want me to. Never,” that he would leave her. And she’d be alone. What kind of person would do that? What kind of person had she been this whole time?
She let him kiss her, knowing that it was goodbye. She needed to push him away—not physically, but emotionally. But it would take a big push. And she knew exactly how to do it.
He pulled back and rubbed his lips together as if he was still tasting her. “Thank you.”
She nodded, saddened by the fact that while he was kissing her she was thinking of another. Not for her—for him. She thought about the beautiful woman whose hip she planned on spending the evening attached to. Maybe Jolie would be able to give him more than she could. They’d obviously been attracted to each other—Eden had seen it when they met. Maybe it was six years too late, but she would step aside and get him to focus on his own needs for a while. She smiled at him. She’d make him find his own happiness and be someone else’s rock. It was the twenty-fifth hour.
He gave her hand one last squeeze and headed down the driveway. “Be safe, Eden. And stay close to Jolie. She’ll protect you.”
“I will.”
It was encouraging that he seemed to click with Jolie so well. Yep, Jolie was the perfect choice for him. Once he’d turned the corner and she couldn’t see him anymore, Eden turned back to the door.
Jolie was standing there, watching her. Or watching them. And whatever she’d seen didn’t seem to have made her happy. The scowl on her face left Eden unsure if she’d have a friend tonight.
Eden made her way back to the house. “Did I do something wrong?”
Jolie walked away from her. “Come on.”
With a glance up the stairs, wondering why they weren’t going back to Mitch, Eden followed Jolie into the kitchen like a puppy without a home. The caterers had left their gear and extra food on the counters. Jolie must have been screaming. Eden ate a shrimp puff.
“Jolie?”
“It's nothing personal, Eden. I just don't know why he's telling you at all.”
“Since I have no idea what’s going on, maybe we should go check on him and ask.”
“In a minute. I want to get a drink first.” Jolie grabbed an open bottle of champagne and a tall glass from one of the cabinets. “You want some?”
Eden gaped as Jolie filled the glass to the rim. “Sure, but a little less than that—like only a half a gallon.”
Jolie shrugged, grabbed a small cup and filled it half-way. “Here. You’ll probably need more though.” She took a large gulp.
Eden took a sip. The bubbles hit her nose and she tossed her head, trying to shake them out.
“Not a big drinker, huh?” Jolie asked.
“Not really. Never tried champagne either.”
Jolie turned the bottle around and looked at the label. “Nice one to start with.” Then she tipped it over and let the remainder drip into her glass. “So . . . tell me about yourself.”
“Um . . .” Eden thought about what she could tell this woman, who obviously didn’t like her, something trivial but that sounded important. “I’m starting law school this fall.”
Jolie coughed on her bubbly. “Law school?” She laughed. “Really?”
“Yeah. Is that funny?”
Jolie’s smile faded. “No, not particularly. It’s just so . . . ordinary. Are you going to chase ambulances?”
She hadn’t even started school and lawyer jokes were old. “Nah, I don’t run fast enough.”
“So what kind of law are you going to do?”
She knew Jolie didn’t really care, so she kept it simple. “I haven’t decided.”
Jolie yawned. “What else?”
Eden didn’t know what to offer up that wouldn’t bore Jolie further. Then she remembered what she’d been considering a few minutes before. “Carter’s funny. He’s nice too.” She looked at the other woman expectantly.
“Yeah, he seems like he is. Have you been together long?”
“We’re not really together. Not in the traditional sense, at least.” She traced a finger around the rim of her glass. “We have a weird relationship.”
“Sounds familiar.”
Eden didn’t know what that meant, but continued. “We’re friends—best friends. We met during a tough time for both of us and have each other’s backs, you know what I mean?”
“Exactly.” Jolie finished her glass and went to the fridge in search of another bottle. “Damn, those people can drink.”
Eden glanced behind her and saw a cardboard box stamped with the same name that was on the bottle. She peeked inside and pulled out a full bottle, holding it up like a prize. “Ah-ha! We might need to ration it though, there’s only one more in the box.”
“Warm champagne—my favorite.”
When Jolie grinned, Eden joined her, happy she’d broken through a chunk of the ice that stood between them.
“I really shouldn’t let you drink too much. Mitchell wouldn’t be happy.” She covered the bottle with a cloth towel and popped it open, sending a spray of champagne foam into the towel and onto the floor. Looking at the mess at her feet, she whispered, “I won’t tell if you won’t,” and winked.
Eden followed her into the living room where Jolie topped off both their glasses, sat down and put her feet up on the coffee table.
“Make yourself at home. I do.”
Eden sat back into the leather couch, brushed off her bare feet and awkwardly put them on the table. “Do you spend a lot of time here?” she asked, wondering why she felt a competitive clench in her chest.
“I practically live here. I’m more like his wife than his assistant.” Jolie cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head. “Minus the sex, of course.”
Eden covered her sigh of relief with an, “Oh.”
“We're kind of like you and Carter are, I guess. Friends without benefits. But Mitchell and I have very few secrets between us,” Jolie said.
Eden’s cheeks heated. What did Jolie know about the secrets she kept from Carter?
They drank in silence, Eden taking tiny sips and Jolie emptying her own glass at least two more times.
“So, do you think Mitch is feeling better now?”
Jolie furrowed her brows. “Feeling better? You really don’t know, do you? Oh boy, are you in for a surprise. Shall we go check on him?” She stood, shook the empty bottle and then set it back down. They went to the kitchen to grab the last bottle before heading upstairs.
Eden held the banister for balance. She had no idea how Jolie could be in heels and not need something to hold onto. They passed Mitch’s bedroom and stopped in front of the third door down—the one that was always locked.
Jolie put her hand on the knob and her ear to the wood, listening. “Yep, he’s ready. Are you?”
“Ready for what?”
Jolie swung the door open, giving Eden a full view of t
he interior of the only room in Mitch’s house that she hadn’t been into. Her mouth fell open when she saw the cage. Seven or eight-foot tall bars, each one over an inch thick. “What the—”
Jolie crossed the almost barren room and peered through the bars. “Shhh. Let him get a little sleep, would ya?”
Eden slowly walked past the armchair toward the cage. Mitch was sleeping, his arms and legs strapped down to each corner of a metal bed. And he was absolutely naked. She looked away, thought how ridiculous she was acting in the face of something so totally bizarre, and looked back.
The first question that popped into her mind was beyond stupid, but she asked it anyway. “Why is he naked?”
“He hates to rip up his good clothes.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see.”
“See what?”
“Shut up and sit down. The show’s about to begin.” Jolie backed up to the armchair a few feet away from the cage and then patted the upholstered arm. “Only one seat. We’ll have to share.”
“If this is some freaky sexual thing, I am so not into that.” She turned to leave.
“Get over yourself. Sit down.”
With denial becoming a rapidly fading oasis, Eden perched herself on the thick arm of the chair obediently. A small wooden table was on the opposite side. It held a keychain with two keys—probably belonging to the padlock on the door of the cage and the cuffs—and a large syringe filled with clear fluid. Eden suddenly felt nauseous. How did she get mixed up in all this? All she wanted was a simple, boring life—no craziness, no drugs, certainly no split personality. That shouldn’t have been too much to ask for. To expect her life to be.
Mitch’s body started to jerk, his back arching and his chest billowing out as if he was trying to breathe but could only gasp.
Eden leaned forward, blinking uncontrollably, as her mind tried to reconcile the image of his muscles growing and gaining more definition.
“I love this part,” Jolie said breathlessly.
Eden flipped her attention to the woman beside her.
Jolie looked like all she needed was a box of popcorn and a soda. Her eyes were rapt and shiny. She must have felt the weight of Eden’s gaze because she glanced at her. “What? I like watching him. Sometimes I spend all night looking at him.” She smiled and shrugged. “Is that weird? It’s not like he remembers anything when he changes back.”
Changes back? Eden turned toward the cage when she heard a moan. “Oh my freaking God.” She stopped breathing.
Mitch had grown. Inches. In every direction. Less of the mattress was visible as if he’d gotten taller. The normal definition of his muscles had become almost bodybuilder-like, veins barely contained by his skin. His enormous biceps clenched as he pulled against the straps binding his wrists. Then his quads gathered to tug at those on his ankles. His moan turned into a growl.
“Ta-da. Are you impressed?” Jolie clinked the bottle to her glass, and then skipped the middle man and took a swig straight from the bottle.
Eden couldn’t feel her body. “He changes—” She stopped, wondering if Mitch had told Jolie about Chastity. Until she knew for sure, she’d kept her mouth shut. “What is he?”
Jolie’s eyes roamed around Eden’s face, studying her. “He calls it his ‘Hyde’. Like Jekyll and Hyde.”
The book. This is why he’d given her the book. Which meant that Chastity was . . . “How often?”
“How often does he come out? One night. Once a month or so.”
“Is it like a moon thing?”
“You mean like a werewolf?” She laughed. “No. It’s a Saturday thing. Every-fifth-Saturday thing. Doesn’t cripple the social life too much.”
This is what he wanted me to pack an overnight bag for. To see this. “Wait. It’s Friday.”
“Yes, it most definitely is Friday.” Jolie’s tone showed her frustration.
“So it varies? But you said—” She shook her head. “I don’t get it.”
“That makes two of us, kid. I’ve known him for almost fifteen years and him”—she nodded her head toward the writhing creature in the cage—“for a little less. It’s never happened on a Friday before. Or a Thursday. Or Monday. Or any other day of the week. Until now.”
“So why’d it change?”
“You’ll have to ask him about that.” Resentment or anger made Jolie’s lips tight and her voice staccato, so Eden decided to drop it.
It felt so strange to be talking about him as if he wasn’t in the room. “Does he always chain himself up like that?”
“Yep.”
He yanked against his bonds, letting out another growl.
Eden fought her inclination to take a closer look, her body swaying back and forth with the effort. “He looks like he’s in pain.”
“I don’t think it’s pain, just rage.” She slapped Eden’s leg. “Why did he want to show you?”
“He didn’t tell you why?” Eden asked.
Head shake. “You’re not going to tell me either, are you? Fine. We all have secrets, don’t we, Eden? From each other. From ourselves. Ain’t life grand?” She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “You are pretty. Now I see why he likes you so much.”
“He hates me.”
“Oh. Right. I guess I must have read that wrong.” She leaned back and took a long swig of champagne.
Eden looked back at Mitch. Or, at Hyde. In addition to an increase in muscle mass, another part of him had increased in size. His erection stretched to his belly. She looked away, feeling guilty for her invasion of his privacy and wondering what Chastity would be thinking if she was here. God, was this what she was like? Was this what Carter hadn’t wanted to tell her?
“Is he always naked?” Eden asked. “Couldn't he wear sweats or something?”
“Maybe he doesn't like how his ass looks in sweats. Are we done with the stupid questions now?”
A voice came from the cage. “I can smell you.” Not Mitch’s voice. Nothing like Mitch’s. This one was lower, gruffer, meaner-sounding. “Sex.” A long sniff. “Two sexes. One different. Niiice.”
Eden’s stomach took a free-fall to the floor.
“Release me so I can be close to that glor-ri-ous smell.”
Jolie’s cheeks were flush, her chest lifted. When she saw Eden looking at her, she relaxed and scratched her temple.
“Let me go, lambs. I’ll be gentle. I’ll take one of you. Then the other. All night. Let me go.” He waited for a response that both women didn’t give—one because she was terrified of what was in front of her and the other perhaps because she knew that he was lying. “Fine. Leave the straps. Just come in here and keep me company. Sit on my cock and let me come all over you. Fuck. Me.” The base in his voice echoed off the ceiling and sent vibrations through Eden’s body.
Eden felt Jolie’s hand clutch the fabric she was sitting on. The woman rose on her seat like she wanted to go to him. How can she possibly be turned on by that? The only hormone flowing through Eden’s body was adrenaline.
He sniffed the air again. “Fear. Could do something with that, too.” He jerked against all four cuffs, contracting every muscle, again and again and again. “Let me go! I’ll fucking tear you apart! Let me go, cunts!” He strained his neck, using all his force and slack in the straps to lift his head.
When she saw the color of his eyes—like glaciers, like shadows on a snow-covered peak, an only slightly-darker color than she’d seen in her own eyes just a few days before–Eden flinched back, falling into Jolie’s lap. But she kept her stare on the monster in front of her.
“Oh. My. God.” She’d never sleep again.
CHAPTER XXII
“Before you yell at me for calling—I don’t have a computer handy, so deal with it.”
“Are you drunk?”
“Not completely. But I’m on my way.”
“This is extremely unprofessional.”
“No, telling you that you are a sniveling, little worm of a boss who is asking me
for the impossible would be unprofessional.” Laugh. “Oops.”
“I’m hanging up on you now, Cabot. If you are very lucky, I won’t tell the board about this conversation. Call me when you’re sober. No, email me when you’re sober.”
“Wait! Don’t you want to know what they’re doing right now?”