Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ALORA
“Alora.” He pushes me off his lap and stands in a rush. “I have to go….”
Shit…too much, too soon.
“No. You didn’t eat your dinner yet,” I stammer in a panic. “If this is our last night together, let’s just enjoy it.”
He twists his lips as he looks around.
“Enough of the deep talk.” I hold my hands up. “I promise.”
He begrudgingly sits back down.
Stop making demands, you idiot.
“All you have to think about is how many orgasms I’ll have tonight.”
He gives me a lopsided smile. “That, I can do.”
DARKNESS
Glasses on, headphones secure, I aim the pistol at the target and fire.
Bull’s-eye.
I load the gun and take aim again and shoot.
Bull’s-eye.
Everything is falling into place, I’m nearly there.
Locked, ready, and loaded.
ALORA
The steam envelops us as the hot water falls from above.
My head is on Edward’s chest and his big safe arms are around me as we stand under the shower.
My legs still shaky, it’s late, and like every time we sleep together, more of the facade came down.
We always start off rough, fucking hard.
Feeding our bodies with an animalistic attraction, but then it turns into something else, something more.
The bad girl in me loves Mr. Doe in all his dark glory, but the soft girl in me is falling harder for Edward.
Mr. Prescott the powerful mogul seems a million miles away from us, which in itself is ridiculous because I know he’s the same man. But how do you reconcile craving a powerful sex maniac, while yearning for the softer, more loving man who is buried deep within him?
His lips are at my temple as he holds me in his arms and every now and then he kisses me softly as if he, too, is trying to make sense of this.
What started as a carnal attraction is developing into so much more.
“You need to sleep, Doe,” he says softly. “You’re exhausted. Let’s get you into bed.”
I smile sleepily, my favorite thing in the world is hearing him call me Doe. “Okay.” But I don’t move, because being here under the hot water with him is like being in our own little love cocoon.
Eventually we get out and he wraps me in a towel and dries me as if I am a child.
I’m not sure why he does this, but perhaps it’s to make amends for how hard he uses my body during sex. I smile sleepily up at him as he dries my hair.
“What?” He concentrates on his task.
“You know…. You’re a really, really great fuck.”
He chuckles as if surprised. “Just really, really great?”
“Like otherworldly.” I widen my eyes.
“Otherworldly?” He hangs the towel up and leads me into the bedroom. “How many other world creatures have you slept with?”
“Just you.” I smile as I lie down. “The others didn’t let me sleep.”
He chuckles and lifts the covers up as he tucks me in and turns and walks around my bedroom naked as I watch on. His large body is ripped, every muscle is proudly on display. He has that distinct V that leads down to his groin. His thick cock hangs heavily between his legs and damn….
I’m not even joking. Edward Prescott is a beast to behold. My body throbs for hours after. His size, his domination, his sheer will over my body, an addiction that I have no idea how I’m going to break.
This can’t be our last night together…. It can’t be. We are too good together; he will see it. I know he will.
He bends and gets a black velvet bag or something out of his bag and puts it in the drawer beside the bed and it’s then I remember what I heard earlier.
“Why do you need a gun?”
“For protection.” He turns down his side of the blankets. “There are no guards here, so just in case.”
“Hmm.”
He slides in behind me and pulls me close to his body, we lie spooned together and I feel myself relax again. “Good night, Doe.”
“Good night, my sweet Edward.” I put my hand up to cup his face over my shoulder.
I feel him smile into the darkness.
“What?” I smile too.
“I’ve never been called sweet before.”
“That’s not true. I’m sure your mother thought you were the sweetest little boy she ever knew.”
He falls silent and I inwardly kick myself, why did I say that?
Too far.
I love talking about my late mother, I love being reminded that she loved me, but it doesn’t bring everyone happiness, I need to remember that. He kisses my cheek as I hold his face to mine, his lips linger on my skin, and a beautiful intimacy holds us together.
Unspoken words hang between us; I can feel them in the air. Building, growing…. Manifesting into a tangible force.
This feels a lot like love….
Brrrrr, brrrrr, brrrrr.
I wake with a start and reach over for my phone to hit the alarm and lie back and smile sleepily.
What a night.
Hours and hours of time with him.
Wait….
I open my eyes to see his side of the bed is empty, and I sit up. “Edward,” I call.
Silence….
I can’t feel his presence, surely he wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye…. Would he?
“Edward,” I call again as I climb out of bed and grab my robe. I rush down the stairs. “Edward.” But I can already tell he isn’t here, perhaps he’s out in the garden.
As I get to the bottom of the stairs my fears are realized, he’s not here. Did he not want to wake me or….
Then I see it, a note on the kitchen counter.
Good Morning Alora.
As usual in your company I had a wonderful time last night, you are so very beautiful.
My heart sinks as I read on.
On greater reflection over our conversation last night I’ve come to the realization that we cannot continue on this journey.
Unfortunately I am not in a position to offer what you are looking for, if only I could, I promise you, I would.
I cherished our time together, and please know that I will never forget you.
I sincerely hope you find the grand love you are looking for and I wish you all the happiness in the world.
All my love
Edward.
XX
“Wow.” I puff air into my cheeks. “Here I was falling in love and there he was drafting a breakup letter.” I slump onto the stool at the kitchen counter.
I read it again and again. Disappointed but not surprised, and even though I thought I made a valid case last night I guess on some level I knew the writing was on the wall. The end was always near.
I’m not a princess or an heiress and obviously once he saw my humble abode, my love of simplicity and my beloved vegetable patch, he knew I wasn’t the girl for him. His words from last night come back to me: we come from different worlds.
The reality is, I know he’s right and this is probably for the best. Better to cut ties now rather than later when I’m hopelessly in love with him. Who am I kidding, I already am.
Fuck.
I make myself a cup of coffee and walk to the kitchen window, two blackbirds are sitting side by side on the fence. Chatting away and bouncing along together.
Happily oblivious to the complications of being human and the heartache it brings.
I watch them for a long time, my mind runs over the last two months.
Are you happy, Alora? You broke up your relationship for a man who didn’t even care about you.
Betrayal washes over me and my eyes well with tears.
I’m such a fool.
I walk into work with a spring in my step, I’m not going to cry over a man who doesn’t want me.
Screw him.
“So….” Helene’s eyes widen with excitement. “How did it go?”
“How did what go?” I take my scarf off and hang it up on the hook.
“Your night with Edward.”
“Oh.” I sit down and turn my computer on. “It was okay.” I shrug. “I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other again, though.”
Her face falls. “Why not?”
“I woke up to an it’s-not-you-it’s-me letter.”
“You did.” She drops into the seat opposite me. “But I thought-—”
“Doesn’t matter.” I cut her off. “I don’t want to talk about it and I don’t want to talk about him ever again.”
“Right.” Her eyes hold mine. “You okay?”
“Yep.” I force a smile.
Not really, I’m hanging on to my sanity by a thread, but damn it, I’m going to fake it till I make it. Like that motivational book says, I can do hard things.
“But there are two guards still out the front.” She frowns.
“I have to put a stop to that as well.” I open my emails.
“Do you want to film this morning?”
“Not today.” I can’t bring myself to act happy. “Tomorrow?”
“Sure.” She disappears out the front and I stare at my cold, hard and lonely computer screen as my heart sobs in silence.
He broke me….
Hard.
PHILIPPE
“Get out of my office,” Edward yells at the top of his voice. “Now.”
The door opens and a man practically runs down the hallway to get out of the line of fire.
Bang.
Something hits the back of the door.
“What the hell is wrong with him this week?” Stefan leans in and whispers.
“No idea,” I whisper back.
“Melissa,” he yells as the door comes flying open. “Where the fuck is my phone charger?”
Melissa comes running with a charger. “I have it here, Mr. Prescott.”
“What good is it out there?” he growls as he snatches it from her. “Don’t take it again.”
“Yes, sir.” She follows him into the office.
“What are you doing in here?” he bellows. “Leave.”
She closes the door as she walks out and widens her eyes at us. “Heaven help us.”
I bite my lip to hide my smile.
Ten minutes pass. “What do you mean?” he yells. “Why are you so fucking incompetent?”
“Who’s he talking to on the phone now?” Stefan mouths.
“Fuck knows, some poor bastard.”
Bang.
Something hits the back of the door again.
“What is he throwing in there?” Stefan frowns. “He’s going to break a window in a minute.”
More time passes, more screaming and more things thrown.
“I’ll go talk to him,” I murmur.
“Are you crazy?”
I knock quietly on the door.
“What?” he yells.
I tentatively open the door. “Mr. Prescott?”
“What do you want?”
“Shall I get the plane ready for a trip to London, sir?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he bellows. “Mind your business. I’m fine.”
“I know, sir.” I force a smile. “But I think a trip to London would be very beneficial.”
His eyes rise to meet mine and the look he gives me is sheer evil. “Get out before I fucking strangle you with this charger cord.”