Emma

It’s dark.

There’s a curved pathway from the front door all the way to the bedroom, lined with the soft glow of candlelight. Somo plays in the background, singing about all the ways he wants to control her body. I wonder if that’s a hint. I follow the path to the room, but still don’t see Alex.

Lying on the bed in front of me is a black box wrapped in a bright red ribbon and a pair of black heels. Louboutin’s. I’ve never in my life owned a pair of shoes this expensive. Next to the black box is a small, white card- “For your new beginning. Celebrate with me.” Alex appears in the doorway of the master bath, leaning against the frame. His white dress shirt is untucked and his tie is loose. He looks like he’s had a long day too. I want to make it better for him. I want to make him forget.

“Put them on,” he orders, his voice smooth and commanding as he lifts a glass of scotch to his lips.

God, this man. Just the sight of him makes my body burn. I walk over to the bed and grab the heels. He ticks the roof of his mouth with his tongue and shakes his head.

“Only the shoes and what’s in the box.”

So, I’m supposed to undress? I bring my hand to unzip my skirt, looking at him for approval. He nods, so I go on, untucking my silk blouse then slipping out of the skirt. He watches closely as I unbutton every tiny button, making sure I take the time to tease him. I don’t think he minds. He knows what’s coming next.

When I am fully naked and on display for him, I pull the ribbon from the black box then pull back the lid. Inside is a breathtaking strand of gorgeous white pearls long enough to wrap around my body at least twice. So, I do. I drape them over my neck once, then again, letting the remainder of the strand hang low between my breasts. Then, as instructed, I slip on the heels. The cool pearls feel so good against my scorching skin.

“Turn around.”

I turn to face him, allowing him to admire the beauty of his gifts. I’ve never been comfortable in my nakedness until Alex. He makes me feel sensual, beautiful, confident. He moves from his spot against the door and my body reacts with a shiver. He walks up behind me and with his body pressed against my back, he gently kisses my neck. He senses my reaction.

“My lips just made you quiver. Can you imagine what my tongue can do?”

Show me. Please.

He reaches around, bringing the glass of chilled liquid to the valley between my breasts. My breath catches in my throat. “Look at me, Emma.” I turn my head, bringing our mouths centimeters apart. I can almost taste the scotch on his breath. “Take a drink,” he says, holding the glass up for my taking. I drop my gaze to grab the cup from his hand. “Eyes up here. I want to watch you.” I lift my eyes to meet his as the liquid pours over my lips and over my tongue. In an instant, his mouth is on mine. Devouring. Claiming. Starving.

“I think I prefer my scotch this way from now on,” he says, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

I think I like it this way too. “The pearls, they’re beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” he counters.

I need him. My body is humming with desire for him. I reach to loosen his tie, my movements careful and calculated. When I’ve undone the knot, he takes the silk fabric from me, wrapping it around his fist, reminding me of the fighter in him. His shirt sleeves are rolled up, exposing tattooed forearms as he grips the tie. My core throbs just thinking about all the possibilities that lie ahead.

“Do you trust me, love?”

Implicitly.

“Yes,” I breathe.

“Then close your eyes.”

I do as I’m told, seconds later feeling the silky smoothness of the tie in his fist being wrapped around my head, barring my sight. The palm of his hand glides over my breast then across my stomach, rolling the long strand of pearls with it. The beads awaken my senses as they dance over my skin. Fiery, tingling sparks shoot through me when his palm guides the pearls across my clit then back again. Rolling them back and forth. Over and over in slow tortuous movements.

“Alex, please…” I don’t even know what I’m begging for. I just… need.

He picks up the pace, pulling harder on the longer loop, bringing the second loop of the necklace tighter around my throat.

Harder.

Tighter.

Faster.

Tighter.

I can’t breathe but the delicious friction against my clit has me shuddering, so I don’t care. I inhale through my nose, bringing air into my lungs. I try to cry out, but I can’t. It’s all too much. The pleasure. The pain. Every cell in my body is alive and bursting with ecstasy. I can’t take anymore. Tears sting the back of my eyes beneath the blindfold.

Then, it’s over. The pearls release their grip on my throat. Alex moves his palm from my clit, taking the rest of the pearls with it. The electric thrumming slows to a dull ache between my thighs.

“So fucking beautiful,” Alex hisses, while he unties the makeshift blindfold from my eyes. In seconds, he’s peeled off his shirt and climbed out of his trousers. “Lay down, babygirl. Let me worship you.”

And he does. No inch of my body is left untouched by his tongue. Then he slides into me like he’s doing it for the very first time. I wrap my legs around his waist, my heels digging into his backside as he moves in, then out again. Tempered. Smooth. As his fingers dig into the flesh of my hips, pulling me forward into every thrust.

His growl, low and quiet, caresses my ears as his body tenses and jerks on top of me. He leans forward, his teeth against my neck, and I reach the edge right along with him.

“If you’re trying to convince me to stay, it might be working,” I tease, letting my fingers float over the ink on his arms. I’ve come to memorize every line, every curve, every intimate detail of the artwork. As I lay here on his chest, regaining feeling in my legs, I lock these moments in my memory bank. I keep them there for the days the hours at work seem extra long or the time we have to spend separated.

“Oh? And I was just about to tell you about a great place down the street,” he fires back.

My head shoots up, waiting for the punchline. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. But since I’ve convinced you to stay here…”

I throw the comforter off and hop out of bed. “Alex,” I shriek, “You have to show me.”

He lifts his side of the comforter, eyeing his naked body. “Now?”

“Yes, now.” He doesn’t look excited. “Please?”

“Do you really need a Uhaul for this?” Alex asks, as he steers the big truck down the interstate.

Is he serious?

“You do realize we’re going to IKEA, right?”

He takes his eyes off the road for a second to question me. “What is that?”

What is that? Did he just say, “What is that?” First the Cuban food, now this. There’s so much he has to learn.

“That’s it,” I say, throwing my hands in the air. “Turn around. We’re breaking up.”

There’s a confident smirk in his wide smile when he looks over at me again. “So, we are dating?”

Well, duh. I thought that was a given. I don’t know where he comes from, but where I was raised after three weeks of complete sexual bliss, you’re dating. “We were. Until you dropped the IKEA bomb.” I can’t look at him. If I do, the tough gal routine falls to pieces, and I know I’ll have to laugh.

“Anything a guy can do to get a second chance?” he asks, reaching over to stroke my leg.

Keep looking straight. Don’t look at him. Don’t do it. “I’m immune to your charm,” I reply, placing my hand on top of his, stopping him just before he reaches the top of my thigh. “But, there might be some way for you to work your way back in…”

Two and a half hours, four bags, and sixteen boxes later, Alex has had a proper introduction to the world of IKEA. “How are you with power tools?” I tease, as we haul our first load into the freight elevator of my building.

“I prefer using my hands. But, if you’re into that sort of thing…”

I mentally palm my forehead. “Well, you are good with your hands,” I flirt, “but we have to put the bed together first.”

We’re nearly finished with all the bedroom pieces when my cell phone rings. Weird. The only people with my new number are my parents, Kylee, Alex, and work. Kylee is in Cancun with the piggy-back boyfriend I met at the party and I just spoke with my mom this morning.

“Hello, this is Manuel with Remote Securities. We were given your number in case we couldn’t reach Mr. King,” the man informs me after I answer.

Remote Securities is the alarm company for Cameron Incorporated. Andrew told me he’d listed my name as a contact. I just never thought they’d use it. “Is everything okay?”

“We’ve checked the cameras, and everything seems to be fine. But any time the alarm is set off, we require an employee to come down to the premises.”

Seriously? Now? I’m elbow deep in nuts, bolts, and Swedish instruction manuals. “Of course. I’ll be right there.” I walk over to Alex, who’s been watching the conversation with interest. “The alarm at the office went off, and the security company can’t reach Mr. King. So, they need me to go down and take care of it.”

“Do you need me to go with you?”

I lift up on my tiptoes and give him a quick kiss. “I can handle this one. Why don’t you take a break?”

Alex has adjusted to not arguing with me when I ask to do things on my own. It was hard for him at first. He did everything from fixing my dinner to washing my hair. But eventually, he let go of my hand and let me start finding my own way. I can tell by his expression he doesn’t like it, but I haven’t given him much of a choice.

“Why don’t I make us lunch while you’re gone?”

By “make us lunch” he means order take out, and I’m fine with that. “Yes,” I reply, as if it’s the best idea I’ve heard all day. “I’m starving. Chicken salad from Panera would be heaven.”

He feigns offense. “How do you know I wasn’t cooking?”

“Were you?” I challenge him with my eyes.

“Maybe,” he quips.

I slide my hands up his arms and over his shoulders, finally wrapping my arms around his neck. He’s shirtless, and so damn sexy. He’s making it hard to leave. I let the tip of my tongue trace his bottom lip, earning a low growl from deep in his chest. He takes a handful of my hair in his fist, pulling my head back and forcing me to look at him. “Hurry back,” he demands, “I’ve been dying to see how you look tied to that headboard.” His mouth claims mine in a hungry, greedy kiss and I’m starting to wonder if the alarm company can wait. He chuckles quietly against my lips when he pulls away. “Take my car. You’ll get home faster that way.”

I hate the thought of driving his Range Rover in Miami traffic, but he’s right. There have been times when I’ve had to wait twenty minutes or longer on an Uber. And I am ready to finish what he’s started, so I accept the keys from him and head out the door.

I wait in the lobby as the security guard makes his round through the building. My body is humming in anticipation of my return home. I will never get enough of Alex. He has consumed me, body and soul, and I’ve never been happier.

“All done here, Ms. McClain,” the older bald gentleman in the dark green uniform announces as he approaches me from the elevator. “I just need you to sign here, please.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry you had to come out.”

“Just doing my job. These things are tricky. Sometimes all it takes is a little thunder and lightning to set them off.”

I flash him a smile and shake his hand. “Thanks again.”

“My pleasure,” he says with a tip of his cap, on his way out the door.

I reset the alarm and head back to the parking garage, relieved the whole thing was just a fluke. I would never let Alex know, but from the minute I got that phone call, I’ve had a bad feeling. I suppose part of me will always be waiting for Bastain to show up out of nowhere. I can still see him sitting there, gun in hand. The way the cold steel felt as he held it against my temple. The anger in his eyes when he told me he wanted me to know what it felt like. Sometimes it keeps me up at night when I’m alone. I find comfort in my prayers and the knowledge that my happiness doesn’t belong to him anymore.

All the buildings on this block share two parking garages. It’s almost noon and the garage closest to Cameron is already packed, leaving me parked on an upper level. The bright yellow height bar that hangs at every curve makes me nervous even when I’m in a small vehicle. So, I flinch every time I pass underneath it in Alex’s large SUV. There’s a big, white truck behind me, gaining speed every time I slow down to make the turn to the next level. Slow down, asshole. This isn’t Tokyo Drift.

Wait. Something’s not right. They’re going too fast. I speed up. They speed up. Until they’re right on my tail. My eyes bounce from the path in front of me to my rearview mirror, then to my side mirrors. It’s a man. I can tell by the outline of his bearded jaw and the way he wears his baseball cap. I press my brakes, hoping he heeds the warning of my tail lights. He doesn’t. He’s going faster. Why isn’t he slowing down? My tires squeal against the concrete as I make the next turn. My heart races as my hands grip the wheel, white-knuckled and focused. Oh, God. I’m going to hit the block wall. I’d move out of his way but there’s nowhere for me to go. Breathe, Emma. Two more levels and I’m out of here and away from him.

He bumps the rear end of Alex’s Rover, causing me to lose control for a second. What the fuck? I know he sees me. Why is he doing this? I have no choice but to speed up. Another height bar. I flinch. He speeds up. My heart races. I’m gonna hit the wall. I have to get out of here. One more level. I can see the traffic on the street outside. The lift gate. I can’t slow down, let alone stop and wait for it to rise. Think, Emma. I can’t. I can’t think. I try but there’s nothing but static. I just want to get away from this truck. He speeds up, bumping me again and making me swerve.

I’m almost there. The traffic. The gate. The maniac behind me. It swirls and twists through my head like a wind storm, leaving nothing behind but a pile of debris. I don’t know what to do.

In that moment, I know. I know this is it. The storm quiets. The chaos settles slowly, like leaves falling from the trees. And peace calms my soul, like the whisper of a mother’s breath in her newborn infant’s ear. It’s going to be okay. I’ve spent so many years running from death, hiding from it. And I think that’s because I wasn’t finished yet. I wasn’t done living. I’m not angry with God that I’ve just begun to live. I’m thankful. In such a short time, I’ve experienced something most people wait their whole lives for. Happiness. Everything that was once spinning out of control now moves in slow motion. I take one more glance in my rearview mirror at the truck coming at me at full speed, then look at the busy street in front of me. I close my eyes and breathe it all in, as I hold my foot on the gas. Alex’s smile finds me in the darkness and I am content.

Tires screeching. Burnt rubber. The sound of metal crumpling beneath metal. The air bag explodes, smashing and crushing my lungs. My arms flail in front of me, reaching for something, anything to hold onto. My upper body jolts from one side of the car to the other, my seat belt slicing through the flesh of my abdomen as another vehicle crashes into me. I fall forward, my forehead colliding with the window just before it shatters. Then, I’m tumbling again as the SUV flips on it’s side after another forceful impact. Fiery sparks shoot through the broken window as the steel skims the pavement. The scent of burnt oil and chemicals fills the cab, forcing me to hold my breath. It hurts. Everything inside me feels shattered. My head is heavy, my tongue coated in a coppery pool of blood. A piercing silence rings in my ears. Then it all goes black.