Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ALORA
Is it possible to know too much about someone?
I would have thought no, but as I lie here in the dark as he sleeps beside me and I contemplate my life choices, I would have to say it’s a hard yes.
I want to erase my newfound information from my mind; nothing good can come of knowing how cold Edward can be.
For the first time since we’ve been together, Hermione is weighing heavily on my mind. Which is ridiculous in itself because I didn’t care that he left her for me…it was a fair game. But now that I know that she never stood a chance, I really feel sorry for her.
The thing is, I know what it’s like to be in love with Edward Prescott.
I know what it’s like to want to move heaven and earth to please him sexually.
The fact that she couldn’t, breaks my heart for her.
I can’t imagine loving him and everything being perfect on the surface and yet underneath in the shadows… . Him needing more than you are.
Is this a peep into my future?
We made love tonight, and while he was completely lost in the moment and whispering words of adoration and love, I was hovering up above, absent and detached. Wondering what he was really thinking. Gauging his every moan…. Trying harder to bring him undone.
I close my eyes, disgusted where my thoughts are taking me.
I roll onto my side and watch him in the darkness, he’s sleeping and relaxed. He’s relieved that I know, his dirty little secret not his to bear alone any longer.
The irony is I know that’s just the tip of his secrets.
My mind goes back to the charity ball and his three friends that he was with. Handsome, powerful, royal, and wealthy.
They all had beautiful women on their arms…but what goes on behind closed doors? They would never tell, I’m positive the secrets run deep.
I want to know how and when the attraction started?
Was he checking out Isadora while she was with his girlfriend, did his friends all know that he was lusting after his partner’s friend? Was he having thoughts about her when he was alone…. Was she his fail-safe? Was he just waiting for Hermione to suggest that he sleep with her?
I get a vision of Hermione sitting to the side as he went down on Isadora, and I know he would have because he loves it more than anything.
Hermione lying there…watching him enjoy her friend’s body, my heart constricts.
I can’t imagine that pain….
He stirs and opens his eyes, he blinks while he tries to focus his eyes. “What’s wrong, baby?” he whispers sleepily.
Everything.
My eyes fill with tears and his silhouette blurs.
“Doe,” he says softly as he pulls me into his embrace. “I told you that you didn’t want to know.”
I nod through the lump in my throat.
“Our relationship is different,” he whispers into the darkness. “Stop thinking about it.”
I nod, knowing he’s right. I do need to stop thinking about it, this is not good for my mental health.
“Promise me you’ll tell me,” I murmur against his chest.
“Tell you what?”
“If you…if you want someone else, promise me you’ll tell me first.”
“I won’t.”
“But if you do.”
“I’ll tell you.” He kisses me softly. “I promise. But only if you promise me the same.”
I nod.
We lie in silence, the hot tears run down my face and damn it this is the most unstable I’ve felt in a very long time.
He has my entire heart in the palm of his hands.
“When I tell you I love you, I fucking mean it.” He rolls me onto my back and comes over the top of me. “We. This…. What we have. It’s different to anything I’ve ever felt before.”
I stare up at him. “I so badly want to believe you.”
“You can believe it. And you can trust me.” He leans down and kisses me tenderly. “I looked for you for three long years. Don’t let something from my past hurt what we have.”
He’s right…. I can’t let this poison us; I’d be a fool.
“I love you,” I whisper through tears.
He nudges my legs open with his knee and rolls on top of me, his thick cock slides through the lips of my sex as his lips take mine. “Show me how much.”
He said it was time, so here I am.
Edward wants me to join him in his world and announce our relationship.
Last time I was here seems like a lifetime ago, so much has happened since then.
The car pulls into the Monte Carlo marina and I nervously glance down at myself. I hope I’m dressed okay. I thought I’d go all feminine and wear a pretty floral dress, but now as we pull up and I peer out to the sleek five-story black superyacht…I’m not so sure this dress was the right choice.
I should have gone sexy….
My breath quivers as I inhale and I have no idea why I’m so nervous but I am, and I feel sick to the stomach.
This is the first time since Edward and I have been together that I’ve been in his world, the Monaco one. The life so far removed from who am that it isn’t even funny.
The car door opens and Philippe smiles down at me. “Miss Sorenson.”
“Thank you.” I climb out to see Edward walk out onto the main deck to greet me.
He’s wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt; his hair is messed up. He looks up and sees me and gives me a breathtaking smile, and my heart stops.
My god…. How is he so perfect?
“This way, Miss Sorenson.” Philippe and another guard walk me toward the yacht, Philippe is carrying my overnight bag and another two guards in black suits are standing by the gangplank. “Hello, Miss Sorenson.” They nod.
How do they know my name?
“Hello.” I force a smile. Seeing him here in his natural habitat reminds me of who he actually is; up until now I’ve been living in a fantasy world with him in Nice, and it was easy to forget his past and his name and all that comes with that.
They usher me across the gangplank and Edward smiles and takes my hand. “Here she is.” He leans in and kisses me, his lips lingering over mine, and I discreetly pull back. Everyone is watching.
His eyes dance with mischief as if knowing exactly what I am thinking. “Place Miss Sorenson’s things in my bedroom. We can pull out now and will redock in the morning,” he tells them.
“Of course, sir.”
I swallow the nervous lump in my throat, we’re staying out to sea all night? What if there’s like an earthquake or a tidal wave or a damn tsunami for that matter.
I glance around, does this thing have a lifeboat? I make a mental note for later to find out how to work it just in case.
“Come.” He takes my hand in his and leads me inside and my stomach flips at the grandeur. Suddenly I’m taken back to the day when I came to visit him here and he told me I was his surefire and god, I’m so overwhelmed that I can hardly breathe.
“Hey.” Edward takes me into his arms and looks down at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
The engine on the yacht starts and I see people out on the deck undoing ropes. People seem to be everywhere doing everything at once.
He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “You seem nervous.”
“Maybe a little.”
“Why?”
“Just….” I give a subtle shrug. “This is just all new, I guess.” I glance around at the luxurious furnishings and this doesn’t seem real. That I’m here with him…. Doing this…that we’re officially together.
“Would you like a drink?” he asks.
“Yes,” I reply way too fast. “It’s a margarita kind of night.”
“It is.” He smiles, his eyes have a certain warm glow in them tonight. “It’s so good to have you here.”
I twist my fingers in front of me, I wish I could say it felt good to be here.
“Go put your purse down, sweetheart, slip into something more comfortable,” he says as he walks behind the bar.
Slip into something more comfortable.
Something about that sentence triggers me and I stare at him as I have an out-of-body experience, he’s said that before.
Many times.
Right here…on this yacht.
To how many women I can’t even imagine.
I begin to hear my heartbeat fast and hard in my ears and damn it, I don’t want to feel like this. Tonight is about celebrating us making it, the start of our journey together.
“I’ll just take my purse up to your room,” I murmur.
“Our room,” he corrects me as he pours the tequila into the glass.
I nod and take the stairs, he needn’t worry about putting tequila into a glass, I’ll drink it straight from the fucking bottle tonight, right before I jump overboard.
I climb one staircase, then another, then another and I hear music sound through the speakers down below.
A low chill-session vibe…is this his fuck playlist?
Stop it.
“What the hell are you doing, Alora?” I whisper as I get to the top level, and I know that if I keep feeling like this that I’m going to ruin the entire night. “Snap the hell out of this shitty mood.” I walk into his bedroom to see black lingerie laid out on the bed.
Suddenly what he wanted me to slip into becomes very apparent. My heart sinks, because normal Alora would put this on and vow to blow his mind, make him beg for mercy and then some.
But for some reason I’m not her tonight, I’m some weak insecure version that not even I want to be around.
I go to the window and watch on as we pull out of the port, people stand in crowds on the marina watching the grand yacht leave and I close my eyes.
Disappointed with where my thoughts are taking me.
Ever since I found out about Hermione and his past with her I’ve felt unsettled, like there’s a huge part of him that I don’t know.
I knew who he was, I knew this was his life. So why am I letting his past upset me?
It doesn’t change a thing between us in the here and now.
I know that tonight more than ever…. I need to fake it till I make it. I want to have a good night, I want us to enjoy each other and celebrate in style, maybe after a few drinks I’ll be able to relax and be more present. Let go of all this bullshit.
Yes…. Good plan.
I pick up the lingerie and look it over, I’ll come back up later and put this on.
“Okay.” I talk out loud to myself. “Let’s do this.”
EDWARD
“Serve dinner now and then I would like privacy for the rest of the night. You may all retire and I want nobody above deck,” I tell the server.