Demanded by Him (Chosen by Him #7) (3 page)
Two nights in a row. Something wasn’t right. My gut was almost always right, more so in business than love, though. I dropped the dumbbells on the rubber padded floor and stared at myself in the mirror. My gray shirt was soaked with sweat and clung to my body. I had been pushing myself harder than ever and it felt good. It had been a while since I had put in two hours in the gym first thing in the morning. My head had been only focused on work and Summer, not necessarily in the order.
Summer surprised me by showing up in the morning. I hadn’t expected to see her or even hear from her until later. The hot air from outside blasted through the door and hit me in the face as I stared at Summer standing on the stoop.
“Hey, I’m kinda of surprised to see you. Come in.” I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss as she passed by me and made her way into the foyer. “Have you had breakfast yet? I was just headed to make something to eat.”
“Maybe,” she said as she turned and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the large living room. “Sorry about last night. I’ve just been really throwing myself into this thing. I’ve been trying to get everything just right. I don’t want to make any
mistakes.
” Summer smiled as she stood in front of me, playing with the hem on my sweat soaked shirt.
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine. I trust you.” I ran my hand up her bare arm and gently touched her shoulder. Her black sleeveless dress hugged her body and brought out the tan in her skin. I played with the sleeve, running my fingers just under material on her shoulder, catching the strap to her bra and exposing it. “Turquoise, I like that. Do that bottoms match?” I smiled and leaned in, kissing her neck. I felt myself growing harder as my lips touched her neck.
Summer craned her head back, exposing her neckline as I kissed her harder. I kissed up her neck, across her cheek and brought my lips to her mouth. My tongue danced across her lips as my hands found her waistline, pulling her closer.
“Mmm, I like that. I’ve missed you,” she moaned in between kisses.
I pulled her down on the couch as I slid my hand up her thigh, teasing her as my fingers played with her panties. “You never answered me about your underwear,” I said.
“Chase, stop! We can’t, not now.” Summer pushed my hand away and stood up, a frazzled look on her face. “I’m sorry, I really can’t be late this morning.”
“Is everything all right? You don’t seem yourself. You haven’t seemed yourself.” I stood, looking her directly in the eyes.
“It’s just…I have a lot going on and I can’t be late for class this morning, but I wanted to stop by and talk to you about this investment thing. They want to meet with you. They have some really promising ideas and–”
“That sounds wonderful. Give Jake a call and he’ll schedule some time to meet with them.”
“With Jake?”
“Yes. I’m tied up with this other project this week and Jake would be the best person to speak with them first.”
Summer took a step closer and ran her fingers through my hair. “Please? For me? I’ve worked so hard on this.” Summer nudged her leg inside of mine and gently brushed it against my crotch, teasing me. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
This wasn’t like her, teasing me like this, using sex to get her way. But I didn’t want her to see the suspicion I was feeling. “What about class?”
“Not now, silly. Tonight, or maybe this week when you have time.”
I could feel the tension I had just worked off creeping back into my body. “I’ll give them an hour. I’ll free up some time in a few days.”
“Thank you!” Summer quickly kissed me and then stepped back in a hurry, making her way toward the foyer.
“Are you sure you have to go? I could shower, you could join me? I could drop you off on campus.” On the outside, I was asking for her to stay. On the inside, I was begging. I needed her to show me that everything was fine between us, and fine with her. That the distance I was feeling was just in my head.
“Thanks, but I really need to get going. I’ll talk to you later!” Summer dashed out of the room and a few seconds later the sound of the large wooden front door shutting echoed throughout the house.
I sat on the edge of the sofa and grabbed my phone, still staring at the foyer where Summer had disappeared. I tapped out a text message:
She just left…yes…call me later.
I couldn’t get away from his house quick enough. I wanted him so badly, but I knew I couldn’t keep up the lie much longer. I opened up my squeaky car door and sank into the worn seat, barely able to catch my breath. I adjusted the rear view mirror and looked at myself. My hair was a mess and so was I, both inside and out.
The longer I let this go on, the deeper into trouble I was getting. I should have just told him the truth. I should have told him everything, but I knew he would have never trusted me again. I slid the key into the ignition and closed my eyes, silently praying for the car to start on the first try. Then I could blast the air conditioning before sweat began to soak my dress and flatten my hair. It worked. Three times in a row. It was a record.
“Fuck yeah!” I smacked the steering wheel and quickly turned the knob on the air conditioning controls, sending an arctic blast of air over my chest, face, and arms.
My phone vibrated in my purse, and I quickly grabbed it. I expected to see a message from Chase, begging me to come back and join him in the shower, but it wasn’t. An unknown number with a text message and a video.
Great Job!
I clicked the button and watched
the video.
“Please? For me?”
The video was of Chase and me, replaying the conversation I’d just had with him. In the video, I inched closer to him, begging him to take the meeting. I felt my stomach turn as the phone rang. I knew instantly who is was. “What?”
“Nice job. Way to get what you want, but you didn’t need to stop on my account. I wouldn’t have minded watching you two, but of course I’ve seen it all already.” Brandon laughed on the other end of the phone. “We need to meet so I can prep you on what to say. You need to sell this to him. My motel, tonight, 6 pm.”
“No way, Brandon, I got you the meeting. That’s all you asked me to do.”
“Until I get what I want, you’ll be doing what I want. Are we clear?”
“Uh-huh.” I leaned into the cool rush of air from the vent, attempting to cool my face from the anger and dry the tears that had begun to pool in my eyes.
“You remember the place. 6 pm at the Roosevelt.” The phone went silent.
* * * * *
I thought about the different ways I would kill him if I had the chance. They all seemed gruesome, but enjoyable. Well, not really, but I wanted him out of my life and knew I wanted him to pay for it in the worst possible way.
The morning and early afternoon had dragged by as I spent my time driving around. I stopped at a few bars, sulked in a few glasses of wine. Every place I turned reminded me of Chase, times we had spent together and things we had done. I wanted to reach out to Alyssa, but I asked her to give me a few days. I thought I was going to have all of this worked out. I felt so stupid. I’d truly believed that Brandon was just going to take the money and run.
Now, everything was flashing in front of my eyes. I thought about how I had confronted Chase the night I found out I’d been passed over for the internship. I remembered how I had poked him in the arm to get his attention and stood my ground. “He must have thought I was some crazy bitch.” I laughed to myself. I knew he hadn’t thought I was too crazy, because not much later I was in his arms.
I looked over toward the parking lot were we had first had sex as I drove passed it. The large group of trees at the back of the lot had provided some additional darkness, blocking the light from the campus that evening. I could still feel his touch and his smell his cologne. That evening I had crossed a line I never thought I would cross. I had been more daring than ever. That night, I had lost some of my innocence. Now look at me. I was taking tens of thousands of dollars from him and paying off my ex-boyfriend.
What kind of person had I become?
The Roosevelt was a cracked, gray stucco building far away from campus in the seedy part of town. The only time anyone was there was when they were looking for trouble or causing trouble. I wanted neither. A few trees drooped sadly in dirt beds along the building. I pulled into the lot and parked close to the stairs. I shivered as I attempted to erase the thought of Brandon and the things I had recently done and was about to do to Chase. I thought about our trip to Miami when I had told him I wanted a professional relationship. Had I kept everything professional, neither of us would be in this mess. I gritted my teeth and clenched my jaw tighter as I thought about how my selfishness was affecting so many people.
It was too late to turn back now. I looked up at the second floor. Room 221 was midway down the motel walkway. Last time I was here I barely took the time to look around and check out my surroundings. I had bolted toward the door and made my way inside to give Brandon the money. I wish I had taken that same approached as I scanned the area. The curtains were closed and a few men in baggy jeans and dirty t-shirts were hanging out at the far end of the second floor landing, smoking cigarettes despite the clear sign saying
No smoking within thirty feet of the building
. While I watched, one of the men stubbed his cigarette out on the sign. I shook my head in disbelief. Brandon couldn’t even get a nice motel room. Shit, I’d just given him thirty-five thousand and he was still staying in this dive. Maybe he liked being someplace where no one would ask questions.
At least my piece of shit car wouldn’t stand out too much.
I took a deep breath and made my way to the second floor. The white stucco walls of the motel had seen better days. Wads of gum were stuck in random places. Cigarette butts lined the walkway and I swear I saw a small stain that could have been blood. In my sleeveless dress and high-heeled pumps, I felt overdressed. I was overdressed.
The smokers at the end of the second floor landing stopped their conversation as I walked in their direction. I must have looked like a high-class escort. They smiled and nodded their heads. One of them beckoned for me to come over. “Where you going so fast?” he said, and the others laughed. Bruises dotted his arms. Maybe they were users. I didn’t want to be anywhere near them.
I clutched my purse in front of my chest and stared down at the ground as I quickened my pace to get to Brandon’s room. Standing in front of it, I took a deep breath and knocked.
As I waited, I could feel the men in the landing staring holes into my clothes. “Come on, asshole,” I thought to myself. “Open up.” Moments later, Brandon opened the door and as much as I didn’t want to be here, I was happy to see him because at least it meant I was out of sight of those other guys.
Brandon stepped outside and looked up and down the walkway as I pushed passed him. Although I was relieved to be out of the other men’s sight, now I was more anxious than ever.
“Yeah, thanks Hank. I know…it’s been a long day.” I switched my phone to my other ear and leaned back in my chair, staring at the sky. “Brown hair, six foot, slight build, that’s what he looks like? How long has she been there? Okay, keep an eye on her, don’t intervene unless you need to.”
I tapped the button and tossed my phone on the table in disgust. I was in shock as I listened to Hank, the head of my security team, provide the details of his day following Summer. I didn’t want to be suspicious, but I had leaned my lesson before. Now, it had been confirmed, twice.
“You’re right, she’s with him.” I stared across the patio table at Alyssa. “You were right to come to me. I know it’s not easy breaking your best friend’s trust like that.”
Alyssa bit her lip as she fidgeted in her seat. She was in yoga pants and a loose t-shirt, much less formal than I saw her at the office, but she’d come over in a rush. I was surprise she had called and asked to speak with me at home and not let Summer know. “Please, don’t tell her I said anything to you. She’d kill me.”
“Never. I’ll keep this between us. I had my suspicions and Hank confirmed it.” I took a sip from my glass of wine. “She’s in trouble and if you waited, it could have gotten worse.”
I exhaled as I imagined what Summer might be doing at this very moment. A sick feeling filled my stomach as thoughts raced through my head. How involved was she with this guy? All I knew was what Alyssa had told me and what I had sickly imagined. Her ex-boyfriend showed up from out of the blue and Summer has been acting strangely ever since. It wasn’t much to go on, but something didn’t feel right.
“Chase, we found three more, the office, bedroom and living room. That’s ten total.” Jake walked on to the patio from the main living room, a small nerdy looking kid behind him.
“And they’re still on?”
“Yes. Gabe, the IT guy, checked the network and said they’re still attached and sending data.” Jake smiled at Alyssa and then quickly turned his attention back to me.
I nodded at the kid as he stood nervously behind Jake. I took a long swig from my glass. “Good. Just leave them there.”
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Other books from Ellie Danes
It Takes Two, The Matchmaker Series
