Stripped (15 page)
Authors: Adriana Hunter
I
held him against me then, his body covered in sweat, breathing hard. We stayed
like that a long time, until he finally pulled away from me.
He
looked down, his eyes unreadable in the dim room. I saw him hold out his hand
and I took it, following blindly as he led me up the stairs to his own room.
We
crawled into his big bed, under the sheets and blankets, arms around each
other. I thought he’d fallen asleep; his breathing had changed, regular and
deep. But then he spoke.
“You
had other questions, didn’t you? About me, I mean. Ask if you want. I’ll tell
you what you want to know, everything, no matter what it is.”
I was
quiet a long time, long enough for him to say my name.
“I’m
awake. I’m thinking.”
His
laugh rumbled against my ear. “Okay. Just checking.”
“You
said you had a sub, but something happened. What happened?”
“She
fell in love with me. That simple. She wanted more than I could give her, way
more than I was ready to give. She came into my life at a time when I’d decided
I was never going to love any woman again. I cared about her, I did. But as a
submissive. I cared about her safety, her pleasure, her well being. But I
couldn’t love her. I finally told her she had to leave.”
He
took a deep breath. “Okay. Next question.”
“Did
you turn my cellphone off? The weekend we went to Paradise Ranch?”
“The
weekend I said you should be here all the time? Yeah, I did.” There was no
rumbling laugh this time.
“That
was a childish thing to do. I was a real prick to do that. I’m sorry.” He
squeezed me briefly.
“You
were off somewhere and I saw it in your purse. I wasn’t sure where you were at
with Jake in your sub relationship, but I saw how he looked at me at the club.
He was so jealous he was almost ready to chew through the ropes to get you off
the table. I knew any man who was that much in love with you was a threat. So I
just reached in and turned it off.”
Chase
shifted beneath me. “He was in love with you then, wasn’t he?”
I
didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. Chase knew.
***
Work
on Tuesday was agony. I’d gotten home at dawn, crawled into bed and gotten two
hours of sleep. Leslie brought lunch to my office, closing the door behind her.
“Abby,
you really need to figure out what you’re doing here.” She took a bite of her
sandwich, chewing for a moment. I pushed my salad around on my plate, aimlessly
trying to spear a tomato that resisted the tines of my fork. I was too tired to
make the effort to eat and pushed the plate away, the tomato safe for now.
“Yeah.
I know. Burke asked me today if I was sick.”
Leslie
nodded. “You look horrible. I know that’s not what you want to hear but you
really do look rough. Is this really worth it? I mean, one guy does things you
can’t talk about and the other guy forces you to have sex. Are those the kind
of relationships you want to have? With either of them?”
I
eyed Leslie over my iced tea. “Leslie, you’re not helping.” I pushed back from
my desk, grabbing my purse.
“I’m
going home. Sick day. If I look so bad, I should probably be home in bed.”
***
Home.
In bed. Covers pulled over my head. I’d unplugged the phone, turned off my
cellphone and set the alarm for the next morning. The world, as I knew it,
could just go away for the next eighteen hours.
But I
didn’t sleep. I dozed, tossing and turning, fragments of conversations with Jake
and Chase playing over and over in my mind.
Both
men loved me. Both men were flawed and broken in their own way, but then who
wasn’t? I certainly had my own share of issues to work through.
I
turned over, punching the pillow, muttering to myself. The cat fled the bed for
calmer seas.
Images
of both men rose up unbidden: my first night with Jake, the sensual massage
that turned into something far more than I expected, more erotic and sensual
than anything I’d ever experienced.
Chase:
our first time, indelible in my mind, tied and bound, with him between my legs,
sending me to that place I’d never been before.
The
differences between the two men flitted on the edge of my consciousness as I
fought for sleep. Chase, the rough and tumble cowboy. Jake, the urban and
sophisticated businessman. Different as night and day, but tied together by a
love of something deeper, darker, the exploration of being a dominant to my
submissive.
I
flung the pillow away from me, only to grab it, clutching it to my chest. I was
confused, so desperately confused. Nothing made sense, my emotions were as
tangled as the sheets on the bed and my heart was aching at the thought of
having to make a choice. I couldn’t…there was no possible way.
For
the first time in a long time, I cried myself to sleep.
~ * ~ * ~
In The Final Conclusion …
Abby never expected to find herself in such a gut-wrenching
situation. In love with both Jake and Chase she is forced to make a
decision: Stay with the rugged cowboy Chase Thomas, or leave him behind for the
savvy businessman Jake Meyers, who promises to love her forever.
In the final chapter of Adriana Hunter’s gripping series, “Guilty Pleasures”,
Abby finds herself faced with a difficult decision and she knows that no matter
who she chooses her life will never be the same again.
Look for the final story, “Submission” available now!
About The Author
Adriana Hunter writes stories for those who live to dream. Her
stories run the gamut, from romance, fantasy, paranormal to captivating stories
of seductive medieval nights, and wild, adult fairytales.
If you are fascinated by unique
tales Adriana will deliver on her promise to create spellbinding stories that
will tantalize your senses and provoke your imagination.