Their Twisted Love (The Twisted Mosaic - Book 2) (23 page)

I gasped and trembled. "If you'll pull my hair like
that when I do."

"With pleasure." His fingers curled into my scalp,
and I sighed as he nibbled my neck.

"Will you take me back to your place now?"

He rolled off me and sat up. "Pack some clothes and
your laptop. I expect you in the office on time tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Master."

He shook his head. "Don't call me that. It doesn't work
for us."

"Oh good." I got up and tossed a fresh blouse and
skirt into a bag. "I like it when you call me slut, though."

"Ha. You own that title."

"Damn it, where are my clean panties?"

"Skip 'em."

"At work?"

He nodded, a permanent grin painted over half his goofy
face.

"All right." I'd gone without panties at the
office before, so I didn't expect the idea to excite me. But when his eyes lit
up, I realized that doing something for no other reason than to make Alex happy
gave me a thrill nothing else ever could.

***

Long shadows crept in through the French doors of Alex's
bedroom as a spectacular sunset painted the western sky, mixing purple tones
and orange-gold highlights on the Rockies' towering palette.
So beautiful.

"I see why you wanted to settle down here. This view is
breathtaking."

Alex moved behind me and slid his arms around my waist.
"Just wait till you see a thunderstorm roll in over the mountains. I sit
out on the patio and watch the lightning strikes. Awesome."

I leaned back against him and crossed my arms over his. He
rested his chin on my shoulder, and for the first time in my life, I wanted
nothing else.

He flicked his tongue in my ear. "Come to bed with
me."

I turned and kissed him as he pulled me away from the
windows. He backed into the bed and we tumbled down, rolling and kissing,
stripping away all the barriers between us—our clothes and our past. We
wrestled, not for control, who got what, but we fought over who could give the
most.

I licked his nipple because he loved that. He kissed my
breasts and smiled when he heard me sigh. I turned my back to him and offered
whatever he wanted, and he gave me exactly what I needed—wild excitement and
firm love. He fell asleep with his arms wrapped around me, and I stroked his
hair while he snored on my shoulder.
Now I know what content is.

So why can't I sleep?

Alex slid off me and curled up with his pillow. I turned and
stared out the window into the dark. My body needed rest, but my damn brain
wouldn't click off.
Might as well put it to good use.
I sat up and felt
around for something to put on, but only came up with a shoe, not even mine.
I'd had sex on the patio in broad daylight. I could work naked in the living
room.

I crept down the hall and switched on a small lamp next to
the couch. My laptop case lay on the coffee table so I opened it, booted up the
computer, and went straight to my email.
Yes!
The message I'd waited for
all day confirmed what I'd suspected. I sent a fast reply and then forwarded it
to another source to double-check the information. My heart pounded and my
throat went dry so I snuck into the kitchen for a bottle of water. The proof
Alex needed to win his case was within my grasp, but I wouldn't tell him
anything until I was one-hundred percent certain.

Now what?

I finished my water and went back to the computer. No
answer.
Not in the middle of the night, dummy.
I sank into the couch and
pulled a blanket over me as shivers of the future raised goose bumps on my
skin. No doubt tomorrow my job would be finished.

Do I have to go back to Chicago?
I grabbed a legal
pad and scribbled a list of reasons to go: my job, my family, my apartment...
Will. Then I wrote down the reasons to stay: Alex. Only one.
But is he the
right reason—or the wrong one?

I crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the laptop case.
Scribbled notes did me no good. I needed something definitive, solid evidence
that would prove once and for all where I belonged.

But how?
I retrieved my wadded-up list and smoothed
it out, trying to think of more weight to add to the Denver side to tip the
scale in Alex's favor. I circled his name, then Will's, and then I drew a
double-ended arrow linking the two. After I crossed out all the other
meaningless reasons, the list balanced. I wrote 'Talia' centered between them
and tore the list in half, straight down the middle, splitting my name evenly
in two.

Well, that was helpful.

Divide myself between two men?
I'd tried that before
and failed miserably.
But what if we all joined together and....? No.

The impossible fantasy faded as a course of action formed.
My proof was out there, but it wasn't going to just appear. I had to search for
it.

But as I stared at my shredded list of reasons—both right
and wrong—one more consideration shifted the balance.
This decision is
bigger than me.

If I loved him—real love, not just amazing sex—I'd choose
the right thing for both of us.

I picked up my cell phone and typed a message.
Can I tell
him something like this with a text?
I had to. It couldn't wait. I pressed
send and tossed my phone into the laptop case, not wanting to see his reply.

My brain finally crashed and I crawled back in to bed,
careful not to disturb Alex. But one lingering thought kept me from sleeping:
Are
you sure?

***

"I found the payment! I have proof!" I threw open
the conference room door and ran into the empty lobby. "Damn it. Where is
everyone?"

I scrambled over to Claire's desk chair and read her
calendar. Alex: court, 10:00 a.m. Claire: research, 9:30 to noon. I couldn't
contact Alex, so I grabbed my phone and texted his assistant. Her bottom drawer
buzzed. "She left her phone in her purse!"

The elevator doors were sliding closed as I broke my heel
and tripped. "Wait!"

A sharp-dressed attorney inside slapped the open button and grinned
as I flung my shoes down the hall and scurried inside. "Which floor?"

"Fourth. Law library." I leaned back against the
wall and caught my breath, watching the numbers change as the elevator climbed.
My harried thoughts focused on getting the proof to Alex. The doors slid open
and I bolted down the hall.

Claire started as I spun around a row of bookshelves and
grabbed her shoulder. "Jesus! What happened? Is the office on fire?"

I waved her off and panted for breath. "Contact Alex. I
found the money."

She jumped up and grabbed her notepad. "Give me the
details."

I filled her in as we ran back to the elevators. "The
payment was laundered through an old shell corporation owned by Holland
Spencer."

"Who?"

"Alex knows. The company, Lost Heir Limited, was shut
down shortly after Holland went to jail, so no one in your accounting
department followed up on it. But it was still operating when McCloskey hired
Caine. I should've recognized it sooner! I worked that account when I was
Holland's assistant."

"Wow." Claire jumped off the elevator. "I
have to go to the courthouse and find Alex. Are those your shoes?"

"Yep." I snatched them as we scrambled to the
office. "I'll print out everything he needs and email you the digital
files."

"Send them to my phone." She grabbed her purse.
"I can't wait for the printer. Find a courier when you have the documents
ready." She ran out the door while I printed everything I had to convict
that wife-killing sonofabitch.

The courier arrived as I was scribbling Alex's name on the envelope.

"He needs this now."

"Yes, ma'am."

I need to breathe.
My knees buckled but Alex's chair
caught me. My job—the reason I'd come here—over with the quiet whisper of a
laser printer.

I sank into the fine, warm leather, letting it hug my aching
shoulders. I'd worked hard on this case. Even without the distractions and
drama from Alex, tracking down that payment had challenged me from the
beginning. I deserved to celebrate.

By myself?
I could wait for Claire and Alex to get
back, but that might take forever.
Maybe I'll treat myself to lunch.

***

Claire called while I was searching for local restaurants
online. "I gave him the documents. As soon as Alex entered them into
evidence, the defense asked for a plea bargain."

"He's got the case wrapped up then."

"Sure does."

I heard the smile in her voice. "Good."

"I need to run some errands while I'm out. I'll be back
later."

"Okay."

I went to the conference room and collected my belongings
with shaking hands.
Why am I so nervous?
I'd made my choice—the right one
for us
.

Us. So that's what scares me.

My stomach growled, but I decided to wait for someone to
come back before going to lunch. I needed to share this victory.

Alex burst through the door while I was packing up my laptop.
"He changed his plea to guilty! You did it, baby!" A rush of air
caressed my bare bottom as he swooped me up in his arms and kissed me.
"Let's go celebrate." He set me down and tugged at my hand.

"Whoa." I straightened my skirt, peeking around
his shoulder to see if Claire had come with him, but her desk was deserted.
"I need to tell you something first."

"Um...." He looked at me as if I'd cast a funeral
shroud over his moment of glory. "Okay. What's up?"

Say it before you change your mind.
"Now that
I've finished my job, you don't need me anymore."

He grabbed my shoulders and crushed me against his chest,
his heart hammering with mine. "Yes, I do. Talia, how can you
think—?"

I pressed my finger to his lips. "I'm staying."

He staggered back and the color returned to his face.
"You could've started with that."

I giggled and rubbed my sweaty hands on my skirt, but my
heart fluttered like a brand new butterfly. "Sorry. I wasn't sure how you
felt...."

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" He grabbed a
legal pad and a pen and scrawled
I love you, Talia
across the entire
page.

I ripped the paper off the pad and folded it up. "I'm
keeping this." Then I tucked it into my bra next to my heart. "I, or
maybe we, should go back to Chicago at some point and pack up my stuff—"

"Move in with me." He pulled me against his body
and slipped his fingers under my skirt.

I squirmed to keep my ass covered. "That's rushing
things a bit."

"Okay, then stay with me until you find a place."

"I intend to." I lost the battle with his wayward
hand and quivered as he groped my naked flesh.

"But first," he cupped my butt and lifted me onto
my tiptoes. "First I'm going to take you out and spoil you like a Goddamn
queen."

"Mmm... you know exactly what I want."

"And I'll give it to you. Every." He kissed my
cheek. "Fucking." He kissed my lips. "Day." He plunged his
tongue in my mouth and his finger in my pussy.

The room spun around us, but I held him tight, smiling while
he kissed me. "Let's get started."

He bent me back. "I can't believe I haven't fucked you
on this table yet."

"Mmm...." But my empty stomach took priority. I
shoved against him. "I need food."

"No, you don't."

"You do, too." I dragged my hand over the ridge in
his pants. "Trust me."

His eyes glittered. "Ah... I see." He grabbed my
hand and pulled me up. "Come on."

"I want mushrooms!"

"You'll get them, and a big hunk of meat, too." He
winked and I laughed as we walked out to the lobby. Alex stopped short in front
of me, and I slammed against his back.

I struggled for balance, hanging onto his shoulder. "What
are you doing?"

He paid no attention to me. Instead, he crossed his arms
over his chest and planted his feet. "What are you doing here, Will?"

Will?

He brushed past Alex and backed me against the wall.

"What did you expect me to do when I got this?" He
held up his phone with my text from last night displayed on this screen.

Alex snatched it from his hand and read out loud. "I'm
staying in Denver. For good. Please go to my apartment and turn off the water
and AC until I can come back and pack up. Thank you for being there for
me." He chewed his lip and moved beside Will, trapping me between them all
over again. "He's right. What did you expect?"

Will handed his phone to me. "I've got one question for
you, darlin'. Are you sure?"

---THE END---

The final piece of the twisted mosaic,
His
Twisted Choice
, available July 23, 2013.

Many people helped me to make this book a reality. Among
them are....

My husband and daughter for their patience, and for putting
up with my rants while going through editing.

Joseph McNamara, Mara Brandon, and Liz Borino
, for their guidance in D/s relationships.

Lori Whitwam, for pointing me to Liz, and for her unending
support and encouragement.

My beta readers, Wendy Lee Graham and Mara Brandon. This
book would not exist without your contributions.