28. Summer
”Get in the car.”
I looked up from my screen, where I”d been researching the application process for Netherveil University and the courses I would need to take. It was an activity of futility, as I quickly learned—I couldn’t afford it. But, a girl could dream.
It had been a week since I’d been at Rook’s house, and yet, I’d never felt so distant from him.
At least before, he’d send demanding texts or show up unannounced. But now—aside from controlling what I ate and making strong suggestions on what I wore—he skirted around me like he was afraid to catch a disease. I spent the days mostly alone, though quickly becoming obsessed with all things Rook, digging into anything and everything I could. The only places left untouched was anything locked—his office and the nightstand on his side of the bed.
I went to bed and woke up alone, though I often woke in the middle of the night pressed into him, his chest against my back, his arm around my waist, his face tucked into the crook of my neck.
It was confusing but made me feel protected and safe in a world where I was the smallest, most vulnerable creature.
And now, I stared up at him, studying him. Taking in his tired eyes, the stiffness to his shoulders, the way his gaze bore into me.
Did he watch me as much as I watched him?And, if he was so interested in me, why did he stay away for so many hours during the day?
I glanced towards the windows, where I was surprised to see that it was already dark. We’d eaten a few hours earlier, but he’d disappeared right afterwards, leaving me alone. Again.
“Where”re we going?”
He pressed his lips into a thin line, a sign that he was annoyed with me. ”Aren”t you supposed to do anything I ask?”
”I didn”t--”
“Without question?”
Now it was me who pressed my lips into a thin line, mirroring him. I stood from my spot on the floor, placing the laptop on the coffee table, and gave him a deep bow. ”Yes, Master.” I couldn’t keep the snark from my tone.
”That”s ‘sir’, to you.”
“Oh that’s right,” I hated the reminder of the time I’d fucked myself in front of him, after which he’d dismissed and embarrassed me. I bowed again, making sure to go as low as possible. “Yes, sir, master.”
He walked off, grunting. “Just get in the car, woman.”
Grumbling, I followed behind him, grabbing my purse and phone. I shot off a text to Amara, complaining about him. Jerk-face is so bossy.
She didn”t answer, so I shoved my phone in my purse, following him out the front door. He opened my door to his fancy-pants Phantom Rolls Royce and I climbed inside. He didn’t answer my surprised question when we pulled up to the valet of a large, brick warehouse. You could hear the boom of loud music from the parking lot. I could only stare at it, anger rolling through me, as he came around to open my door again.
“Seriously, Rook. I’m not dressed for this,” I said as he took my hand, tossing my purse back into the car and pulling me out.
In an act of rebellion, I’d changed from the dress he’d asked I wear, and was in one of Rook’s large, black, button-up shirts, a pair of leggings, and black flip-flops. My hair was in a messy bun on the top of my head, and I had on no make up.
His hand still on the car door, the valet patiently waiting in the driver’s seat, I once again felt the stark intensity of Rook’s attention on me. The way he starred at me, it made me feel like I was the only person on the earth.
The sensation hooked into my chest, pulling me towards him.
He leaned down and, to my complete and utter surprise, his fingers hooked into my leggings. He slid them down, his fingers slowly trailing down the skin of my legs, leaving heat unfurling in my stomach and in between my thighs.
“Lift.”
Self conscious, I raised one foot, then the other, as Rook took off my flip-flop, then one leg of my leggings, then moved to the other leg. He worked methodically and gently—taking care so I wouldn’t lose my balance. Lastly, he gently pulled out my hair band. Pocketing it, he slid his fingers through my hair, massaging my head.
My eyes closed, my shoulders relaxed, and he tucked me into him. His body was firm and warm, his touch soothing and relaxing.
His tenderness made me bite my lip to keep my emotions at bay.
Ever since dad’s death, I’d built up my defenses, afraid to show any weakness.
But I was tired of being strong.
Of making sure Benson was getting enough to eat and taking his meds.
Of making sure Callie was taken care of at school.
Of talking Amara through her problems.
Of the constant barrage of threatening texts from Saul.
Worrying how I was going to rebuild my home.
Being the strong one.
And this—this tenderness, this care, such a small act, but it—it would be my undoing.
Brushing his lips over my cheek, he said, “You’re beautiful as you are.”
How could the man be so aloof and yet, so sweet and caring?
I pulled back, trying to keep my feelings in check. Grabbing my hand, he guided me past the line and towards the front door. Both he and the bouncer ignored the complaints about us cutting in, and with a respectful nod to Rook from the bouncer, we slipped inside.
Women in tight, tiny dresses filled the dance floor, grinding against men in button-up shirts and ties, making me more self-conscious. Soft blue lighting and strobing water lights dancing off the walls and ceiling made it feel like we were underwater. The flooring was a dark hardwood with leather furniture dotting the landscape.
The music which had been booming before, was now overwhelming. The bass moved through me, settling into my bones, as we made our way through the maze of people, headed straight for the crowded bar.
The bartender, a skinny, black man with a nose ring and a sleeve tattoo immediately gave us his attention.
“I’ll take a Patron, salt and lime, for her, and my whiskey,” Rook said.
Again, there were complaints from several people waiting for their drinks, but the bartender ignored them, quickly serving us.
“Lick,” Rook put the shot glass to my lips and a sensual buzzing raced across them as my tongue darted out. “Now drink. In one gulp.” The liquid slid over my tongue, burning as it went down my throat. “Bite.” Rook’s dark eyes stared into mine as the tang from the lime wedge sparked my taste buds.
Tension buzzed between us, heat blossoming from my belly and flowing through my whole body. The feeling spread as I watched him drink his own, his gaze still on me.
At his heated look, eyes dark and soulful, I felt like the most beautiful woman in the room.
My insides tingled, my heart quickened as his fingers intertwined with mine once more, guiding me onto the crowded dance floor. Then, his hands found my hips, his lips brushed my ear. ”Close your eyes,” he rasped. “Surrender to the music.”
I obeyed, and the world darkened around me. His grasp steadied me as the music surged through my veins, mingling with the frenetic energy of the writhing crowd.
I let go, mesmerized by the chaotic energy in the room, and abandoned myself to live and breathe the music surrounding me, feeling relaxed for the first time since the news of dad’s death. I moved with the beat, the press of bodies against me, and Rook”s possessive hold on me.
We danced like that for a long time, wild and chaotic, until the music changed, replaced by a slow beat. The mood shifted to sensual, sexy, and tantalizing. Rook pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around my waist, his fingers tightening into my skin. And then we were dancing together, his chest warm against mine, his lips pressing against my cheek, kissing it softly.
I opened my eyes in a dreamlike haze, my head tilting upwards, watching him as he watched me. His eyes were half-way lidded, like he, too, was drunk on the energy. He slid his hands up under my shirt, his fingers gripping my ass, sending a tingle up my spine. My lips parted, the breath between us mingling, the world around us falling away as we danced, the two of us the only people in the crowded club.
The loneliness I’d felt earlier dissipated, replaced by a burning sensation filling my chest.
Despite everything, I was hungry for more, starving for all things Rook.
“Kiss me,” I breathed, my lips burning with my desire.
His eyes went to them, his tongue brushing against his own. And then he was bending down, the scruff of his stubble rough against my skin as he rubbed his cheek against mine. His eyes closed, his voice a deep husk, “I want to.”
“Then do it.” I was pressing into him, my hands clasped around his neck, a thrill shooting through me as his whiskers burned my skin. He grabbed my leg, hiking it up over his hip, yanking me upwards until we were eye to eye. “I don’t know if I should.” For the first time, his voice was uncertain, his gaze open and vulnerable.
“Why?” My heart was pounding along with the music, seeing this new side to him.
“Because. I’m too old for you.”
“And yet, you brought me here to dance with you.”
“I gave you alcohol. You’re not yourself.”
“It’s worn off by now.”
“I’m…I’m afraid.”
My lips parted in surprise at the admission. “Of what?”
His throat bobbed with doubt. “I’ll corrupt you. Your dad would be ashamed of me.”
“My dad would’ve loved you.” At this, he glanced away, and once again, I wondered about Rook’s involvement in my family. At the secrets they’d obviously been keeping.
“I’m supposed to protect you, not seduce you,” he finally said.
“You are protecting me.”
“By bringing you here?”
“By taking me into your home, even when you didn’t want to.” It hurt to say the words, knowing that they’d forced his hand.
“Truth is, I wanted to,” he contradicted, his gaze burning into me.
“Then why did you turn me away?”
“Because I—” he glanced away, his throat bobbing once more as he stared out at the dancing crowd. The song changed and a wave of energy went up from the crowd as the beat became faster. His jaw tightened, his eyes flashing as he looked back at me. “Because I wanted you too much.”
Wordlessly, I stared at him in surprise, feeling his chest pressed against mine as he inhaled a deep breath. Was he telling me the truth? Or was he trying to placate me?
Only one way to find out.
I leaned upwards, pressing my lips to his.
They were surprisingly soft but firm. He didn’t react and, for a moment, panic struck.
I froze, my heart kicking up more, fear seizing me.
He wasn’t going to kiss me back.
Then his eyes closed, a low groan pulling from his throat, his arms tightening around my waist as he gave in.
My whole body blazed with sensual heat, blossoming from his tongue brushing roughly against mine, flowing into my mouth and down my throat. His touch was a flame licking my skin, his fingers digging into my ass, his dick growing thick against my belly as the kiss grew deeper, stronger.
The world around me turned hazy, and I was falling into a hole of nothingness except for the feel of Rook against me.
Ever since I’d met the enigmatic stranger, he’d haunted both my waking and sleeping dreams.
I’d obsessively wondered who he was, what kind of things he thought about, what were his hidden desires.
I’d wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed by him, wrapped up in and around him, lust sinking into me like an evil spirit, possessing me.
The reality of it slammed into me, overwhelming my senses until I was full of him. His smell, his touch, his heat, his burning sensuality. I wanted to be owned by this man, to sell my soul to his darkness.
Growling, he drug me upwards, wrapping my other leg around his waist, my arms tight around his neck, our kiss breathless and full of want and need.
We were pressed together so tight, there was no ending of him or beginning of me.
Pushing me up against a wall, his hands traced a path of longing along my skin. My body reacted, back arching into him, nipples tightening. His lips moved from my mouth to my jaw and neck. His fingers sliding up under my shirt, to my side, feeling, touching, stroking, holding. A low moan loosened from his throat, rumbling through his chest. Thumbs flicked across my nipples, his lips suckling on my neck and down my collar.
“I want you,” he rasped and I could only gasp as he shoved his thigh between my legs. I was wet and needy and burning everywhere.
“Please.” All other words fled my mind, “Please, Rook. I want…”
“Yes,” he hissed, his palms sliding up under my panties, tightening and squeezing my ass. “I want, too. Crave every inch of you. Want to worship at the altar of your sweet cunt, Summer. You have no idea how badly I want. You”re an irresistible temptation. The hunter inside me wants to capture and cage you. Eat you night and day. Tame and control you. Hurt you until you’re begging me to let you come.”
“You’ve already caught me,” I groaned, breathless, grinding against his muscled thigh. “But will you keep me?”
He pulled back, his gaze dark, his chest moving quickly in and out. His eyes were that of a wild predator, ready to hone in on his kill. The animal in him barely holding back.
I liked it.
No, I loved it.
Loved the sense that I made Rook feel things he’d never felt before. That maybe, possibly, he was becoming as obsessed with me as I was with him. It was an addictive feeling, like a drug I never wanted to quit. And I wanted him to be just as hooked.
We stayed like that for a long moment, the intensity building and swelling—electric and buzzing. Lust, connection, desire—and yet…something more.
Then Rook’s jaw tightened and he finally looked away. It broke the connection between us, and my heart shattered, fear quickly filling me.
“Come on,” he said, placing me on my feet. I winced at the stickiness under my toes—I’d lost my flip flops somewhere. Scowling, he picked me up and carried me through the club. “We need to go.”
The seriousness in his tone made anxiety tighten my chest, and I was silent as we left the club. My anxiousness heightened as I noticed that we were driving the path that would take us to my house. Was he done with me so quickly? One kiss and we were over?
“What’s wrong?” He said as we drew up to the gate, punching in the code. I shook my head, frustrated that he was dropping me off, and annoyed that he somehow knew the new code.
“Nothing,” I bit out, staring out the window, trying not to show the disappointment swelling inside. His hand went to my thigh, his thumb brushing across it softly, but I ignored it.
I wasn’t going to open up to him anymore.
I’d already done enough of that, and was now realizing what a silly, little girl I was.
And then my mouth dropped open, my mood quickly shifting from hurt to absolute astonishment as we pulled up the circular drive. “What’s this?”
“A gift.”
I jumped out and began walking towards the house, but he quickly rounded the car and grabbed my hand, holding me back. “It’s not safe, yet.”
He tucked me into him, my back to his chest, his arms around my stomach, his chin settling on my head.
I could only stare in complete shock.
White pine stood like skeletal bones, new framing replacing the once black and crumbled walls. The sheet rocking had begun in the section near the study. Shingles replaced the charred ceiling.
A newly constructed frame and roof covered the blackened bookshelves, still filled with old knick-knacks from my past.
“Oh my god.” My throat was thick with emotion, my eyes burning with tears, my chest filling with overwhelming gratitude. “Oh my god, Rook. Why?”
He didn’t answer, instead pointed towards a large portable storage. “I tried to save some of your stuff. I think some of it is salvageable.”
I swirled in his arms, and clasped his face, tugging it down so he would look at me. “Why, Rook? Why are you doing all this.”
He didn’t speak right away, but only stared at me; the silent, resolute man slowly warming to me, finally answering, “Because I wanted to.”
I slid my hand down to his chest, over where his heart would be, pressing it there, feeling so grateful that I would’ve done anything in that moment. Somehow I felt that Rook knew me better than I ever understood. That, maybe, possibly, he was closer to me than I ever knew.
Because he’d always paid particular attention to my house, from the very beginning. Either trying to get me to leave it, or buy it from me, or fixing it up.
My house wasn’t just a house to me.
It was my home, even though I’d practically grown up at Crestmont Prep.
It was memories, packed full of a mother who loved me. A father who cherished us. Where Callie and I had played together. Where my dad would tell us bedtime stories. Where we spent so much time in the garden or out by the swamp, watching the wildlife, the smell of saltwater filling our noses.
It was the heartbeat of my family.
And, as I watched him take pride at the work his men had done to restore the house, somehow… somehow, I felt that Rook had been a part of that once, too.
And now, I was determined to find out exactly how.