Stolen Fate (13 page)

We’re riding in the elevator together in complete silence, yet again. He makes me come in with him, although he assures me it won’t take long. He doesn’t trust me to remain in the car all by myself and to a point, I don’t blame him. I mean, I know I’m not going anywhere because, simply put, I don’t have anywhere to go. But
he
doesn’t know that, and I’m not going to tell him. I don’t need yet another thing for him to hold over my head.

All of a sudden, the elevator car comes to a screeching halt, throwing us toward each other and knocking us both off balance. He reaches out and grabs me before I can fall, pulling me deep into his protective hold.

“What the hell happened?” he mumbles, more to himself than anything. “Are you okay?” He’s looking me up and down, trying to access if I am truly all right.

I shrug his hands off me and take a step back, holding onto the railing before looking back up at him. “Yes, of course I’m okay,” I spit out at him, more anger in my voice than there needs to be. Actually, I’m not sure why I’m angry with him at all; he’s only trying to help me.

“Fuck, Essie! You make it so hard to be nice to you. You’re such a bitch sometimes.”

“
Sometimes
?” I make a loud tsking noise. “Well, then apparently, I’m not doing it right. I mean to be a bitch
all
the time. Especially to you.”

My words strike a chord with him for some reason. “You weren’t a bitch to Eli when you met him, were you?” There it is again. That certain something weaving its way through his every word. Is he jealous?

He is!

“What’s the matter, Drayden? Are you jealous?” Oh, this little revelation makes me so happy, giddy even. I found something I can use against him whenever I deem it necessary. But I’m also inwardly happy because it means he actually feels something for me. I’m not sure what it is yet, but there is something lying just below the surface.

“What?” He sounds almost offended. “You’ve got to be kidding me, right? I’m not jealous, not of anyone.” He dominates the space between us, moving toward me and trying to intimidate me. “I think its shameless how you flirt with another man, knowing you’re pregnant with my child. You’re wasting your efforts, woman. You’ll never have another man inside you, not as long as I’m in the picture.

What the hell?

The car starts to move again before I can even respond to his ludicrous statement. Once we reach his floor, he pulls me out behind him, practically dragging me toward his office.

“Get that damn elevator looked at, Delores,” he snaps out as we pass his secretary. The look on her face is telling. She’s shocked he yelled at her, an incident which apparently doesn’t normally happen.

“Okay. I’ll call maintenance right now. But Mr. Warner?” She’s clearly trying to stop him before opening his office door, glancing over at me in confusion. Does she remember me from that day? If she does, she doesn’t reveal it.

Taking a breath and trying to calm down a bit, he turns back around to face the poor woman. “What is it, Delores?”

“Miss Stone is waiting for you in your office. She insisted, sir. I couldn’t keep her out.”

His expression darkens for a split second and if I wasn’t studying his face, I would have missed it. “That’s fine. Thank you.” He gives her a quick, strained smile before opening the door.

His hand is still tangled with mine when she comes into view. I suck in the only air not suffocating me at the moment, taking her all in. She is simply breathtaking. I think I’m attractive, but this woman in front of me puts me to shame. She has long, black hair cascading down her back in large, wavy curls. Her eyes are a beautiful pale blue and her face is perfectly etched, almost as if she’s had the effects of plastic surgery, but hasn’t. Her body is to die for, thin but curvy in all the right places. I’m suddenly very self-conscious of my little baby bump, although like Drayden said before, no one can see it unless I’m naked.

My hand is released and I’m instantly pushed toward the couch to take a seat. “Sit down,” he says to me under his breath, letting me know he’s still quite upset with me.

The mystery woman is sitting on the edge of his large desk but starts making her way toward Drayden the instant we walk into the room.

“Dahlia, what are you doing here?” He looks annoyed, which makes me relax a little. But his moods usually switch so fast, I’m not sure if annoyance is even his true emotion right now.

Once she’s standing directly in front of him, a little too close for my taste, she simply glances over at me and asks, “Who’s she?”

“Nobody.”
Wow, that one kind of hurt.
“Now, what can I do for you?” Is she one of his lovers? Is she a girlfriend? No, that can’t be it. Drayden Warner doesn’t do girlfriends.

“Sweetie, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the past few weeks. And when I couldn’t, I decided to pay you a little visit.” Her hand is caressing his chest in the way a familiar lover would do. She’s clearly fawning all over him. It is actually quite pathetic, really. Has she no shame? I mean, come on. I slam myself back on the couch and let out a big sigh, making enough of a noise to garner his attention.

Drayden glances over at me and must see some kind of look on my face because he smirks at me before returning his attention to her. “Sorry, baby, but I’ve been really busy with work.” He touches her hand and pulls her closer. “Let me make it up to you, tonight. I’ll pick you up at nine at your place.”

“Sounds perfect,” she says before she’s enveloped in his embrace, his lips making their way toward her needy ones.

I’m not going to sit here and witness this shit. I hastily rise up from the couch and make my way out of his office, slamming the door before he has a chance to react. I pass his secretary with a pissed-off look on my face. Taking a few more steps, I end up pushing the button on the elevator.

“Maintenance is working on the elevator, Miss. You’re going to have to wait until they’re done, or you’re going to have to take the stairs.”

“Take the stairs? Aren’t we like fifty floors up?” I’m starting to get even more frazzled debating my escape from this place.

“We’re on the twenty-second floor,” she says as she turns her attention away from me and back to the computer screen in front of her.

“Stairs it is,” I whisper, more to myself, before rounding the corner to find the exit. I’m almost free when a strong hand catches hold of me and tugs me backward. “What the hell?” I yell before I see who it is. Drayden starts dragging me back toward his office, not paying any attention to the fact I’m trying to escape from him.

“Knock it off, Essie. You’re not going anywhere until I say so.”

He slows down when he realizes I’ve stopped resisting. “Where’s lover girl?” I ask, not holding back the contempt etched into those three words.

His answer to me is an aggravated look in my direction.

Once we’re safely in his office, I peer around quickly to make sure she isn’t still in here. After I deem the coast is clear, I breathe a small sigh of relief. But before I can do or say anything more, he shoves me back toward the couch again. “Sit,” he barks at me, yet again. When he sees I’m actually going to comply with his demand, he makes his way back over to his desk, ruffling through some papers.

“Are you really going out with her tonight?” I throw it out there, my insecurity rearing its ugly head. I can’t help it; I have to know.

He stops moving and looks at me. His penetrating eyes are trying to read me, possibly even mocking me. He rounds his desk and inches closer, stopping only when his leg makes contact with mine. I look up at him before he speaks and it’s a grave mistake. I see anger in his face, and I know it’s all directed at me. I should be used to this by now, but this is a different situation. Before, it was just him and I throwing punch for punch with our words. Now, there is another woman involved in the equation and I’m not sure how to handle it.

“What do you care?” He takes a step back to emphasize his next words. “What? Are you jealous of Dahlia? Are you upset with the fact I’m going to fuck her tonight? Are you thinking about her crying out my name as I stamp my claim on her?”

“Fuck you,” is the only thing I can think to say to him right now. Am I jealous? No.

Maybe.

Hell yes, I’m jealous.

I’d been secretly hoping he would take me again, but all hopes were lost when I laid my eyes on her. There is no way in Hell he’s going to ever visit me in that way again, especially since from now on I’m going to get bigger and bigger, forever turning him off from being attracted to me.

It’s just another part of my reality slapping me in the face.

“Fuck me?” he shouts back, his shoulders tensing with anger. But then he takes a deep breath, leans forward so I don’t miss the look on his face, and arrogantly asks, “Don’t you wish?”

That’s it! I can’t take any more of this today; there have been too many ups and downs for me already. I was hopeful today would have been a nice day out, but that turned to crap at the restaurant, and everything after has just compounded the ugly truth. Although I carry his supposed miracle child, I will never be anything more than the deceitful bitch who tried to trick him.

I get up from the couch in anger, fisting my hands so as not to physically lash out at him. “No, I
don’t
wish. Not anymore. So go, go and sleep with that clueless bitch as many times as you want.”

“You’re
so
jealous, Essie. I must say, it’s quite endearing. Really it is,” he says before retracting his body and heading back over to his desk.

The rest of the time at his office is coated in silence, neither one of us making eye contact with the other. Whatever Drayden works on takes just enough time for the elevator to be fixed, which is convenient because I’m not sure I would have had the strength to contain myself enough from shoving him down the stairwell.

I’m can only take a much needed breath when I’m finally able to slam my own bedroom door this time, separating my desperate, angry self from his arrogant attitude.

“Are you even going to tell your family I’m pregnant? Or better yet, are you even going to tell them about
me
? You know, I’m past the safe zone now. You can tell people with reduced risk.” We’re sitting at the dining room table having dinner together, a rare occasion due to his late-night work hours and the simple fact we annoy each other.

He glances up from his plate for a brief moment before looking back down to stare at his steak. “What do you mean ‘safe zone’?”

“The book says it’s pretty safe to start telling people about the pregnancy after the first trimester. The first three months. Before that, there are too many things which can go wrong, I guess. I’m fourteen weeks today, so you can tell people if you want. It’s all I’m saying.”

“Fine.” He moves his fork around his plate, not really looking like he’s hungry after all. He looks stressed, but then again, it’s a common look for him now. His dress sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, as if to appear more relaxed than he is. His whole body is tense.

“
Fine
what? What do you mean by that? Are you going to tell them about me, about your future child? Or are you going to keep us hidden away forever? The dirty little secret you don’t want anyone to know. The bitch who tricked you and your bastard child.” I’m pissed. He is so blasé about the whole situation. I know this isn’t conventional in any way, shape or form, but I’m a living, breathing person. Plus, didn’t he mention once before he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks?

He hangs his head and lets out a deep sigh. When he speaks, he’s unnaturally calm, “Not tonight, Essie. I’ve had such a shit day today. I can’t handle any more drama on top of it.” He goes right back to picking at his dinner, completely dismissing my little outburst.

“Shit day?
You
had a shit day? Try being cooped up in this house all day long, trying everything to entertain yourself so you won’t go crazy.

“You have full run of the house now. I told you that. You just can’t go beyond the grounds without me or Hedge.”

“I know. But still.” My eyes start to fill up with impending tears because I’m beyond frustrated. He isn’t hearing me, not at all. “I’m so bored. I have no one to talk to, and I don’t know how much longer I can stand this.” All of my anger and frustration travel down my arms and comes shooting out through my hands. I flip my plate over in anger, sending my uneaten food flying to the floor. I get up from my seat, dead-set on escaping to my room.

“What the fuck, Essie?” he yells before jumping up from his seat. “Can we have one Goddamn day where you’re not throwing a hissy fit over the stupidest thing?” He makes his way around the table and catches me before I’m able to leave the dining area.

“Let me go, Drayden. I don’t want to be anywhere near you right now.” His face is so close to mine right then, threatening to be my undoing if he leans down and kisses me. Why am I even thinking these thoughts? Why? Because I’m slowly going insane, and I have to come up with crazy scenarios in my head just to remain seated on this planet.

I continue to struggle against him when all of a sudden, he picks me up and carries me outside toward the pool. My eyes get wide when I realize what he’s thinking about doing. “I think your whole problem is that you’re hot. And when you’re hot, you get overly cranky, sweetheart. So I think a nice dip in the pool will do you some good.”

Then just like that, he launches me in the pool, turns around and walks back toward the house. I fly through the air, limbs scrambling to find solid surface to save me from the grips of the water, but of course there is nothing. I hit with a splash, instantly sinking right toward the bottom of the deep end. I come up sputtering water, blowing out what went right up my nose.

The bastard tried to drown me. Okay, I know I’m being dramatic, but what the hell just happened? If he thinks I was out to get him before, he better watch out and sleep with one eye open from now on.

I
will
get him back for this. I make a promise to myself not to let him get away with treating me this way. What is good for the goose and all that.

And get him back I do, a few days later. It’s almost dusk outside and he makes the mistake of being out by the pool. He’s talking on his phone--quite heatedly, I might add--still dressed in one of his designer suits. He doesn’t hear me slide the glass door open and walk up behind him. When I know he’s going to be extra distracted, yelling into the phone at whomever he is speaking with, I run at him and shove him in the pool.

He makes this weird loud noise, as if he’s surprised and scared all at the same time, his emotions plastered all over his face when he pops up from underneath the water. I throw my head over my shoulder, yelling something about tit for tat before making my way back inside. I close the door behind me but not before I’m audibly subjected to the longest string of expletives I’ve ever heard in my entire life.

I laugh all the way back up to my bedroom.

~~~~

The next few weeks pass by pretty much without incident. Drayden and Hedge have stopped bringing me my food, something I have to admit I kind of miss. Ever since he gave me full run of the house, I venture out for my own breakfast, lunch and dinner. And of course, any snacks I’m craving at any given moment.

Oddly, I’m adjusting to my new life here in his massive home. I still see him when he comes home from work, but our conversations are short. He always asks me how I’m feeling, obviously only concerned about the baby, and I always answer I’m fine. When I try and lengthen the back and forth between us, asking him about work or his family, he is always curt in his answers, dismissing me quite often.

As my belly grows, so does my love and adoration for my unborn child.
Our
unborn child. I never thought I would ever feel this way about anything, so the revelation is quite a shock to me. Whenever Drayden catches me rubbing my belly, something which has become instinct now, I think I see a look of happiness pass through him. But it’s so quick I convince myself I imagined it.

He still hasn’t introduced me to his family, letting them in on the biggest surprise of his life. I’m seventeen-weeks pregnant, just over four months. There is no doubt I am with child. My belly definitely popped out, taking with it my security. I’ve always relied on my looks and my body to get what I wanted, not all of it good. Obviously. I still have my looks. Actually, I think they are a bit more enhanced due to the pregnancy, which makes me feel good. My hair is longer and thicker, no doubt from the vitamins I take every day. And I do have that glow which was predicted. Thank goodness for my pregnancy books. My survival guides. They help me to remain calm while my body shifts, changing to accommodate the new life growing inside me.

But because of my ever-expanding belly, I feel fat most days. My body is retaining a bit more water than I’d like. In a weird sense, my body is betraying me. I can’t strut around half-naked in front of Drayden, vying for his attention. I can’t entice him to notice me, to want me. I gave up trying to get him to visit my bed. It’s useless and I’m not going to degrade myself for him any longer.

I stop pressing him about meeting his family, though. He can’t keep us a secret forever. The truth will come out eventually and when it does, I’m not going to be the one who has to deal with any fallout. He does.

I find myself often taking naps during the day, sometimes for many hours. I know I’m overly tired due to my condition, but sometimes I think I sleep out of boredom, willing the next day to arrive. The closer I get to my due date, the better. I start to picture my life outside this house and although it’s hard to do, I dream of a day when I will have my own place. Just me and my child. But then my thoughts waver back to the realization Drayden won’t let me live too far from his watchful eye. Will he even let me leave at all? Will he take possession of my child without me? There are too many questions still lingering, and I’m not ready to find out the answers.

So I never ask him.

One night, I’m overly exhausted so I head to bed early. Drayden hasn’t even come home from work yet, so I eat dinner by myself, something I’m not unaccustomed to these days. I think the bigger I get, the more he stays away from me. I know I’m probably disgusting to him, even though his lifeline grows within me each and every day. One day, I’ll have my life back, even though that day seems forever away right now.

I awake to someone’s hands on me, tracing the outline of my inner thigh. I continue to sleep naked, especially since I’m more apt to become warm than not. The covers have been removed from my now-aroused body. The touch is so feather-light, I think I’m surely imagining it.

Maybe I am.

Maybe I’m dreaming.

I part my legs, silently pleading for some sort of release tonight. My back arches off the bed, causing my breasts to push into the air. My hands travel down my body, slowly inching toward my aching need. My core is swollen with my desire, and whatever fleeting touch I just felt sets my body on fire. I push my hips into the air again, begging for another touch, but there is nothing. My hands snake back up my body, resting on my breasts, kneading and twisting my overly-sensitive nipples. I release a moan which has been pent up for what feels like ages. The rotation of my hips fuels my need for relief.

Then I think I feel a flicker of a tongue, warm breath cascading over me. But I quickly realize the excitement is my own hand, hovering over my most private area. Getting my fingers wet, I trail them back down to my need, teasing my tight bundle of nerves until I start to feel the familiar pull deep within me.

And there it is again. Warm breath. It’s quite the contrast, blowing on me. Wet need mixed with an intoxicating warmth. I’m slowly spiraling out of control. My fingers find their way inside me, thrusting and teasing my poor body. I know how to please myself, have been doing it for a long time. So I know exactly what to do to get myself off, to do it as quickly as possible. But tonight, there is no rush. I want to enjoy this. I want this to last for as long as possible.

I picture Drayden’s mouth on me, sucking and licking my desire away. I imagine his hands roaming all over my swollen body, bringing me to the depths of release in only the way he can. I envision his lips on mine, tasting me, devouring me. Claiming me. I want nothing more than to be filled by him, his fingers deep inside me only to be replaced with his massive cock, rocking back and forth, thrusting deep until I convulse all over him.

My thoughts spur me closer and closer to flying off that cliff. My hips gyrate. My fingers tease. My core clenches. And when my fingers find my clit again, I rush to my much needed escape. A bolt of electricity shoots through my body, causing every muscle to tighten and convulse, sending a shockwave of pleasure through me. I moan. Loudly. I call out his name, willing him to come to me.

I know he never will.

I know it’s all just a fantasy, something which has to remain locked up in the recesses of my own mind. But it’s okay. At least this way, he won’t hurt me. He won’t devastate me with his words, or with the look he bestows upon me which tells me he hates me.

No, this way is much better. Much safer.

As I’m about to drift off into a satisfied slumber, I think I hear the faint click of my door being closed. I still and wait for more. Nothing. I don’t hear footsteps in the hall or anything else remotely indicating what I’ve just experienced is anything more than my own doing.

My own release at my own hands.