Chapter Two
Aaron
“Mr. Townsend, if you look at the quarterly and annual projections on page eighty-three of the annual report we provided, you will see–”
“Bob, is it?” I let my eyes slowly roll up from the documents before me to the man standing at the front of the room. I blinked slowly, waiting for an answer to my question.
“Y-yes,” he answered, clearing his throat.
“Oiltec’s quarterly net earnings last year were one-point-four million, one-point-three million, two-point-one million, and one-point-nine million, respectively. The document you’re telling me to refer to projects your quarterly net earnings will double despite the fact that your expenses have risen dramatically over the last year.” I paused, placing my elbows onto the shiny wood of the conference table, and leaned in. “What type of game are you playing, Bob?” My tone was hard, and afterwards you could hear a pin drop despite the fifteen or so people who were in the room.
“Well, uh …” Bob Lundy looked to his side of the table for answers.
“Mr. Townsend, we assure you that Oiltec is an extremely viable company. In spite of–”
I cut my eyes in the direction of the man who spoke. He sat opposite me. “I asked Bob a question. Not you.” I turned back to the President of Oiltec. “Oiltec is viable, yes, the numbers say so, but your projections are extremely overinflated. Your expenses are too high given output, and your marketing and research divisions are woefully inept when it comes to developing alternative energies. It will take Townsend Industries at least six months to get the newly acquired Oiltec’s R&D division up to speed, and that’s if everything goes smoothly. There’s no way we’re paying asking price for this acquisition. Make a better offer.”
I cut to the chase. It has been meeting after meeting to see through this acquisition. It was my duty as CEO of Townsend Industries to ensure we took on the best deal that would enable our company’s growth. There was nothing I took more seriously than doing my job right.
Sitting back in my chair, I watched as Bob’s eyes darted from one employee to another.
“We’ve been at this for hours now. How about we break for lunch and then return with clearer heads?” Bob offered.
“We’ll order lunch in,” I firmly stated. “While we wait, you and your team can come up with a better offer.” I watched as Bob went out to tell his assistant to order lunch for the meeting. He then came back and began discussing, in whispered tones, with his team. While that was going on, I conferred with my legal and financial team that I’d brought to this meeting.
We spent the rest of the day and well into the early evening going over price purchase per share until we finally came to an agreement. It was far less than Bob’s initial offer, but given his real numbers, it turned out to still be a profitable merger for Oiltec. Before we even exited the building, I was on the phone with my people in Williamsport, informing them of our next moves to get Oiltec up to speed and make sure this merger went as smoothly as possible.
I sat back in the town car as it began pulling off and blew out a steep breath. The weight of the months leading up to this merger were settling around me. The pressure from my job was nothing new—I thrived on it—but it was starting to feel as if there was something missing. I refused to let myself go there. Instead, I pinched the space between my eyebrows and inhaled while I waited for my cell to ring. Two heartbeats later and the distinct tone I’d set for this caller began to chime in my hand.
“Father.”
“Did you get it done?”
“Is my name Aaron Townsend?”
“Goddamn right it is.”
“Then it’s done.”
“My boy.”
I cleared my throat.
“When will you be home?”
“My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon. I should be home in time to make Mother’s family dinner.”
“Good. You know your mother lives for these dinners.”
I grunted.
“As do I. All my boys under one roof. Makes a man proud. You bringing anyone?”
I frowned. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“Just asking. Your mother thought it might be time. Since Carter married, she thinks you’re next.”
I let out a sigh. “And you didn’t do anything to thwart her nonsense notions, did you?”
“Why would I do that?”
I laid my head back against the seat.
“I want to see all of my sons happy.”
Here it came. Yet another speech by my father on the importance of family.
“A man can’t survive this world alone.”
“I’m not alone.”
It was my father’s turn to grunt. “You’ve got us, but you deserve more. And those one-night stands or dates you keep on standby for work events aren’t cutting it.”
Rolling my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose again. Ever since my older brother, Carter, got married, both of my parents have been talking about relationships more frequently. It was getting redundant but I didn’t dare interrupt my father. I just zoned out, making a mental list of everything I needed to do for business that evening.
As I hung up the phone with my father and readied myself to exit the vehicle in front of my hotel, a thought came to mind. My father’s talk of relationships had stressed me out more than the day-long negotiations.
“I’ll need you back here at seven to pick me up,” I informed the driver as I exited the car door he held open.
“Seven this evening?”
I blinked. “Is that a problem?”
“No, no, sir. Just checking to make sure I heard correctly.”
I nodded and then sauntered off, breezing through the door held open by the concierge. I deserved a night out and Chicago had just the right spot for such an occasion.
****
What the fuck am I doing here? That was probably the first common sense thing I’d asked myself since stepping out of the back of my town car. I glanced around the underground garage, and undid the button of my Tom Ford suit jacket.
“Would you like me to escort–” The chauffeur's question was cut off by the sharp slicing of my hand through the air.
“I got it from here.” I turned toward the metal doors of the elevator. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” I told him, not even looking over my shoulder.
“I’ll be right here, Mr. Townsend.”
I didn’t waste time acknowledging his statement. Of course he’d be there waiting on me. That’s what he was paid for while I was in Chicago on business. But as I slid the shiny black keycard into the slot next to the elevator, it was obvious that this little venture was anything but business. I’d spent the entire past seventy-two hours in business meetings and beating any adversary over the head with my strategy. I needed this outlet like I needed my next breath. Not that a quick blow job or a frenzied fuck would ever be enough to ease all of the tension rolling through my body, but it would offer a short respite.
I turned to the opposite side of the elevators upon hearing the dinging of the bell, and the doors spread open, revealing the comforts of The Cage’s fourth floor. Just as I stepped off, a long-legged blonde dressed in only a pair of leather shorts and matching pasties, with a leash around her neck, passed. Holding onto the opposite end of the chain, leading her, was another woman, this one with dark chocolate skin, shaved head, and dressed head to toe in a pinstripe black suit. I watched the pair strut down the hall. The bondage room. That’s where they were headed.
“Welcome back, Mr. Townsend,” the petite redhead behind the registration desk offered with a smile.
I returned her graciousness with a curt nod.
“Your table has already been set up for you. As promised, two women will be by shortly. We hope they are to your liking.” She smiled, revealing perfect, pearly white teeth.
I moved around the registration booth, past the leather loveseats where groups of twos, threes, and fours were in various stages of undress. Removing my suit jacket, I carefully laid it on the back of the loveseat, and sat down, picking up the glass of cola with three ice cubes that I always requested be waiting for me on my arrival. I took my fill of the club. Another couple made their way down the dark hall into either the bondage room or eating area. The elevator door opened and a pair of women stepped off, dressed in only short bathrobes. They must’ve come from the Wet Room on the third floor, I surmised.
I found myself watching the women as they moved closer, hand in hand, one finally catching my gaze. One was the color of cinnamon while the second had skin the color of sandalwood. Both average height, with small yet curvaceous bodies. They moved to stand in front of me, and I was pleased to see that my preferences had been noted by whoever sent these two.
“Mr. Townsend,” one of the women giggled, causing a frown to mar my face.
I glared at the two, over the rim of my glass, taking another sip of my drink.
“How are you tonight?” the cinnamon-toned one spoke up. When I didn’t move, she took that as a sign to move in closer, placing a knee on the loveseat and crawling toward me. These women were beautiful, but I’d had plenty of beautiful women. They’d be fine for the night, I guessed…until one slid her hand up my forearm to my elbow, pushing the sleeve of my shirt out of the way. She gasped and jumped, when my other hand slammed down over hers.
“Don’t touch me.” I tossed her hand away. “I do the touching,” I told both women, sternly. “Give me a dance while I finish my drink.”
They blinked, looking between one another, before slowly sliding off the loveseat to stand in front of the table. I sat back, arm outstretched with my drink in the other hand. I watched semi-bored as both women began stripping one another.
Movement at the elevators caught my attention. The doors slid open and a thirty-something Asian woman stepped off. She didn’t catch my attention, though she was pretty. It was her companion that made me sit all the way up, body going rigid.
****
Patience
How on Earth did I end up here? I was in a sex club for God’s sake!
“Patience, your I.D.,” Judy insisted, looking back at me.
I began shaking my head. “Judy, I don’t think I should be here.” My eyes bulged when I glanced over Judy’s shoulder to see a half-naked woman sitting on one of the leather loveseats, straddling a man who I could only see from the waist down.
“Patience, I told you to leave your prudish side at home,” Judy insisted, bringing my attention back to her five-foot-three frame.
“I can’t leave my prudish side at home. I am a prude. I’m a librarian for goodness’ sakes! And a mom.” I whispered the last part, ashamed to admit that I was a mother in a place like this.
“You weren’t such a prude when you were telling me about that little fantasy of yours. And your kids are all the way in Oakland. You’re in Chicago tonight. Live a little. You’ll be the same boring librarian and mother when you get back on the plane tomorrow morning. “’Kay?” With that, she snatched my wallet out of my hand, rifling through until she found my license. Then she flipped her long, dark, silky hair over her shoulder and turned to the hostess at the registration table.
I sealed my eyes shut and inhaled a deep breath. Maybe she was right. The kids were at home, in the great care of their nanny, while I was there on a work conference. I could just make myself comfortable at the bar, have a couple of cocktails and let that be that. I wouldn’t bother to tell Judy that there was only one person who’d ever brought out the non-prude in me. And that was a long time ago.
I sighed and blinked my eyes open, ridding myself of those memories.
“You’re still meeting Kevin here?” I asked Judy when she returned my I.D.
“Yup. He texted me. He’s on his way. Isn’t this place cool?” she questioned, looping her arm in mine and pulling me toward one of the loveseats that had a card at the center with the name “Russell” on it her fiancé’s last name.
“It’s cool all right,” I murmured. “Look, I know I told you about my fantasy and everything, but that was just all in fun. I’m not doing anything with any of these men...or women.” I plopped down on the loveseat, looking around. I’m sure my facial expression mirrored a damn deer in headlights. I still couldn’t believe I’d gotten drunk enough to share my fantasy of being tied up and spanked with Judy the night before. Now, here I was, at some place in the West Loop where I was certain most of the people in here had more than just read about rope play, as I had.
“You say that now.”
“I mean it!” I hissed at Judy.
She shrugged. “I said the same thing, when I first came. Then I met Kevin, and…” She just smiled and then giggled. “Oh, he’s here.” She pointed at the elevator and got up to greet her fiancé. I remained seated, still feeling so uncomfortable. When a man passed, throwing a smile in my direction, I returned it in kind but wished he’d keep moving. That wasn’t going to happen, apparently. He stopped.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Hello.” I shifted in my seat, looking around.
“You’re new here, huh?”
“Just visiting.” Saying I was new gave the insinuation that I was planning to return but that would not be the case. This would be my first and last time at this place. A visit was the more appropriate term for this situation.
“Have you visited the other floors yet?” He leaned his body against the loveseat, inching in just a tad bit closer.
I wanted to squirm away, but I held my ground. “I just arrived.”
“I’d love to take you to the Wet Room. A body like yours should never be covered up.” His pale green eyes slid down, stopping at the ample cleavage my black dress exposed. They moved farther down, pausing again at the sight of my exposed walnut-colored thigh. The dress had been Judy’s idea and I was regretting it. I shifted, pushing my long sister locks over my shoulders to cover as much cleavage as possible.
“Beautiful brown skin like yours…” He paused, moving his hand closer to my arm. Just before I could pull away a voice sounded.
“If you fucking touch her, I will break all two-hundred and six bones in your body.”
The deep voice sent shockwaves through my entire body.
It can’t be.
As the strange man stood, moving out of the way, I nearly passed out when my greatest fear was confirmed.
It was him.
Aaron.
He looked a little older, and still just as mean as ever. And that was his appeal, part of it, at least. The man was handsome, bordering on beautiful by conventional standards. With his dark hair, hazel eyes, square jaw, and perfect nose with a splattering of freckles across the bridge.
“This one yours?” the strange man asked, looking toward Aaron.
“She’s off limits…to you,” he snarled. “Leave. Now.”
Aaron gave the man a hard look and before I knew it the guy was backing off. Aaron’s gaze lingered on his retreating form for all of two seconds and then he pinned me with his gaze.
I felt as if I was being lifted, even though I remained seated. I couldn’t avert my eyes as all types of emotions swirled around in my gut, each fighting for dominance over the other.
Don’t be so sensitive.
That reminder, of his harsh words, allowed the anger I still held to reign supreme. I’d let my anger at him lead the way.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he growled, before I could speak. His words knocked all the wind out of my sails.
“I-I,” I stammered, but then caught myself. “Having a drink and minding my damn business.” I turned my head, to reach for the glass on my table that had been dropped off by the waitress, but my arm was caught in a steel trap. I dared to look down at his creamy hand, encircling my forearm.
“Get up,” he demanded, but didn’t wait for my compliance. He yanked me up out of my seat with one arm. Once standing, he pulled me tight to his body. With his free hand, he gathered my sister locks at the nape of my neck. His hard eyes moved from mine, down to my lips, face, neck, and stopping at my breasts. Unlike when the other man had done this same thing, my nipples began throbbing painfully against the cotton fabric of the dress.
“You’re not wearing a bra.”
Why did his simple observation cause a flood in my panties? I should hate this man. No. I do hate this man for the way he treated me.
“Let go of me.”
His jaw tightened along with his grip around my arm.
“You think you’re all grown up now? Think you’re ready for a place like this?”
“It’s none of your goddamn business what I’m ready for, you son of a–”
His free hand clamped around my lower jaw, and his lips crushed mine, pushing my angry words back down my throat. I didn’t want his kiss or his touch. I squirmed to break his grasp, but he was too strong and I was always too weak for him. I gasped in pain and pleasure when he bit my lower lip and pulled back, not trying to soothe the bite like he’d done in the past.
“Watch your fucking mouth. Let’s go.”
I stumbled over the heels I wore, which weren’t my own, when he began pulling me by my arm. I tugged and attempted to yank free. “Let go of me! Where the hell are we going?” I hissed, trying to keep my voice low to not draw attention from the surrounding patrons. Aaron didn’t even bother to turn and look back at me, pulling me easily toward a long hall.
We passed one room where tables full of food were set up.
“Aaron, where the hell are we–” My question was cut off when he tried the knob of one of the closed wooden doors. The knob turned and he pushed it open. I felt myself propelled forward, just barely able to keep on my feet when he tossed me inside, slamming the door behind him and then my back against the door.
His dark gaze seethed and a twinge of fear scattered up my spine just before he crushed his lips to mine again. Fear, anger, and all, it still felt good. Too good. I didn’t want to feel anything but hatred for him. I squirmed and twisted my head, ultimately breaking free of the hold of his mouth.
“Don’t touch me!” I yelled, pushing him away. He barely budged but it was enough distance that I was able to reach up and smack him across the face with all the anger I felt. The loud “pop” echoed around the dark room.
He took a step back, his hazel eyes burning an ominous stare into my eyes as his thumb reached up, swiping at the corner of his mouth. His eyes lowered and my chest heaved when I registered the drop of blood on the tip of his thumb. My stomach plummeted when he turned even darker eyes on me and a smile crept on his handsome face.
Aaron didn’t smile.
Crazy bastard.
That was my last coherent thought, before he invaded my space again, pushing me against the door with his entire body weight, mouth moving over mine, this time even more harsh than before. I tasted the coppery taste of his blood. The blood I’d drawn from him, and instead of turning me off, the way it should have, it caused a tremble in my thighs.
“Ah!” I yelled, when he pulled back and with his two hands ripped the dress I wore down the middle. My breasts spilled out. I went to cover myself, but he was quicker than I was. He grabbed both of my wrists, hoisting them over my head. I was too preoccupied with the feeling of my nipples rubbing against his chest, to realize that he tied something around my wrists, suspending them there. His mouth moved to mine again, and I felt his large hands travel down my body, cupping and massaging my breasts before they moved lower, shredding the rest of my dress. I attempted to push him away again only to find my wrists were bound.
“A-Aaron,” I panted. “What the hell? Untie me!” I tugged at the ropes, looking up.
“Don’t struggle. You’ll hurt yourself,” he growled. “It’s polypropylene rope.” He moved his head lower, to my neck, licking the spot below my left ear.
I shivered.
“The core’s been removed,” he continued in between biting and licking at my neck. “But pulling too hard can cause rope burn.”
I panted, my thoughts becoming hazy. My head fell back against the door. “Aaron,” I breathed, trying one last time to get him to release me, but it was my weakest attempt yet. I began to lose my reasoning as to why I shouldn’t just give in. Submit to him. I became really undone when he moved lower, his insistent lips blazing a trail from my neck to my chest, savoring and feeding himself at my breasts. His tongue rolled over one nipple while his fingers pinched the other. My hips bucked and he gave a devious chuckle at my obvious agony.
“You still come apart for me.” He moved lower, nipping and sucking at my abdomen until he reached the apex of my thighs, coming to his knees. “You thought you were going to give this to someone else tonight?” His angry eyes reached mine at the same time he cupped my sex. “Answer me!”
My eyes narrowed. “Yes! I had plans on giving it to the first man who asked!” I taunted, lying my ass off.
He made a deep, hard sound at the back of his throat just before he tore my panties. The lace fabric stood no chance in the face of his apparent enmity.
“Fucking mine!” he growled just before pushing my thighs apart and thrusting his face into my core.
“Ahh!” I screamed at the intensity at which he sucked and feasted on my sex. He lifted my right thigh over his shoulder and used his fingers to split me open, allowing his tongue full access to the most sensitive part of my body. My hips went wild against his face, my head lolled against the door. My hands tightened into fists, suspended in the air, tugging at the rope, but this time not to get away. It was the natural reaction to the devastation he was causing to my pussy. I screamed and creamed into his mouth and he fed off of it all. My yells and cries causing him to become even more insistent, driving me higher and higher to my climax. Just when I thought I was about to fall over the cliff, he pulled back.
“Fuck you!” I growled and tried to kick at him as he stared at me, amusement glittering in his eyes.
His deep chuckle caused my pussy to clench. My nipples ached painfully and my entire body was primed for an orgasm as he stared at me, rising slowly, flicking on a dim light. I blinked a few times, looking around, seeing a huge bed at the other side of the room, shiny hardwood floors, a walk-in closet to the right covered in huge mirrors. On the left, was a metal stripper pole. I turned back to Aaron to see him reaching up. When I felt his hands at my wrist, I figured he was undoing the restraints. I was going to punch him the first chance I got, though it might turn him on as my smack had done earlier.
Sick bastard, I thought again, even though I was just as sick as him remembering how turned on I’d become from the taste of his blood.
“You’re going to pay for your earlier comment.” I heard moments before I was yanked from the door. Unfortunately, I was still bound at the wrists, but I fought to free myself from his grasp, even as he tugged me toward the bed. We wrestled, but somehow, I found myself lying flat on my stomach against the bed, my hands stretched out in front of me, tied to the metal, shiny black headboard.
“Tell me, sweetness, what the fuck are you doing here?” His voice was lethally low next to my ear. His hand pushed my hair back out of my face so I could see him fully.
I hated the way my pussy clenched at hearing the term of endearment he’d become accustomed to using for me.
“None of your fucking business!” I yelled and turned my head, avoiding his gaze. It did too much to my insides. Let alone the fact that I was stripped naked on a bed, my entire body still trembling from the release it never got.
“Everything you do is my business.”
I tugged at the restraints once more, pissed all over again.
Smack!
I stilled when a sharp slap to my ass reverberated through me until it reached my core.
“Hsss!” I hissed at the intense wave of pleasure that rolled through my sex. My hands and feet clenched. I heard wrestling noises but still refused to look in his direction. When the bed dipped and I felt the heat from his body move behind me, I tried to kick at him, but his hand gripped my ankle, preventing me.
“I’m not yours!” I yelled, my voice choked with tears. It was a lie. He knew it and I knew it. But I fought to hold onto that lie as if it were my lifeline. Even as he spread my legs apart and his thick cock brushed against my aching wetness. I gasped when he roughly pulled my head back by my hair.
“You’ve always fucking been mine. From the very first time you put your lips on me. Your lips, your pussy, your ass, and anything else I want is mine.”
I whimpered at the feel of his hard rod at the apex of my sex, ready to breach me. He slid in easily due to the outpouring of my wetness for him. I tried to shake my head no, denying his words.
“Say it,” he growled in my ear.
I shook my head as much as I could with his hand still tugging at my hair.
“Say it!”
“I–” I broke off, shaking my head again.
“Say it!”
“I’m yours!” I finally let out, and when I did he made me his over and over again, breaching me. I screamed out, feeling every ridge of his cock when he pushed into me all the way to the hilt. I needed time to adjust. It’d been a long time since this part of my body had been invaded, but Aaron was relentless. Pushing in and pulling out before thrusting in again in rapid succession.
“A-A,” I panted, unable to get his name completely out of my mouth. His thrusts stole my words, and replaced all thoughts and memories with nothing but what he was doing to me at that moment. And my body took it all, weeping for more of him. My breasts ached as they bounced against my chest from his relentless pounding. My ass jiggled, high in the air, my hips were sore from the tight hold of his hands on them, and most of all, my pussy throbbed and rippled from the glide of his cock. I twisted my hands in the silk sheets of the bed, moaning loudly until my throat felt hoarse. I was close, oh so close. But again, before I could reach my zenith, Aaron pulled completely out of me.
“Son of a–” My curse was cut off by a hard smack at my ass. I cried out at the ripple of pain that moved down to my pussy, turning into another wave of pleasure I wasn’t sure I could handle.
“I told you to watch your fucking mouth!” he roared, undoing my wrists and flipping my body over.
I wanted to strike out at him but I was too undone and he was too fast. He retied my wrists and then pushed my legs at the knees high up, so they were bent and spread wide for him. My knees nearly came to my armpits. Blinking, I looked up at him, to see he was completely nude. My eyes zeroed in on the scars over his chest, but they paused at the ink I saw there. It looked like a Chinese symbol but I didn’t know what it meant.
Tattoos are useless.
I remembered his words plain as day. I thought maybe I was imagining things but couldn’t orient myself long enough before I was impaled again. My head thrashed against the pillows of the bed. With my hands bound and knees held up by his hands, I could only take what he was giving me. Again, he pounded me into the mattress, ferocious in the way he was taking siege of my body. I gasped, when he pushed my legs even higher and wider, allowing himself to go just another inch deeper. My head rose off the bed, the feeling of being impossibly stuffed. I glanced all around the room, my eyes wide, until my sight finally landed on his face.
He looked so in control. The lonely bead of sweat that moved down the side of his face was the only indication he was exerting himself. That, and his eyes. His eyes were so stormy and acute. He watched me. Took into consideration every reaction I had to his thrusts. He sped up his strokes and I lost my breath, and he still watched me intently—never breaking eye contact, and never allowing me to either. He slowed down his pace, pulling almost completely out of me, staring at me with just the tip of his cock inside of me. He reached down, let his thumb rub my clit at the same time he pushed all the way back in and sent me spiraling.
I finally broke eye contact when my eyes fell shut against the current. Wave after wave of overwhelming pleasure from built-up, unexpressed orgasms came over me. My body shook and I screamed and then gasped when I couldn’t scream any longer. I trembled, every muscle in my body tightening up. The orgasm was totally consuming and felt endless. And still, through it all, Aaron rode me, pounding as my pussy muscles clenched around him. His own grunts mixed with my moans and cries. It wasn’t until I was totally spent, weakened from my orgasm, that he pulled completely out of me again, and came himself, releasing his hot come all over my belly and breasts. He massaged his thick cock with his hand, squeezing out every last drop, making sure it covered me.
My legs fell limply to the bed. I was spent. I watched wordlessly as the last drops of his semen fell into my belly button.
“Like I fucking said, you’ve always belonged to me.”
****
I awoke, feeling groggy and disoriented. My mouth felt like it held a ball of cotton in it and every muscle in my body ached when I tried to turn over. The memories of the night before slowly came back to me. I closed my eyes against the shame and guilt I felt. I was never supposed to be in this position. Not with him. Again. I sent up a silent prayer that he wasn’t still in the room even though I knew he wasn’t there. I didn’t feel his presence.
Slowly, I sat up, blinking a couple of times to let my eyes adjust to the dimness and sure enough, he was gone.
“Ugh,” I moaned against the soreness between my legs and of my body as I stretched one leg and then the next over the side of the bed. With measured movements, I looked around the room for the clutch I’d brought with me. I found it on the nightstand next to the bed, sitting on top of a pile of folded clothes. I grabbed my purse, pulling out my cell, and gasped at the time. It was just after six o’clock in the morning. I had a nine a.m. flight back home. I needed to go. Just as I was about to rush to look for my clothes from the previous night, I remembered that the dress I wore had been torn to shreds
“Bastard,” I mumbled.
I went back to the night stand, remembering the pile of clothes there, and found a pair of jeans, T-shirt, panties, and bra. All were the correct size but they weren’t mine. However, he’d obviously left them to replace the clothing he’d destroyed. I briefly wondered how many women he’d done the same. Probably right here in this place. I needed to go.
I quickly dressed and hurried out of the room, down the hall toward the now quiet dining space. Save for a few stragglers who looked as if they, too, had spent the night, I was the only one there. I pressed the elevator and rushed on as soon as it opened. Once I made it into the ground floor of the garage, I opened the app on my phone to retrieve an Uber.
“Ms. Thiers?”
I glanced up and saw a tall, older man waiting by a Lincoln town car.
“Yes?”
He smiled. “My name is Joseph, I will take you wherever you need to go.”
I wrinkled my forehead.
“Mr. Townsend insisted I wait for you and see to it that you were delivered back home safely.”
“My hotel,” I corrected.
He nodded. “As you wish.”
“I have a nine a.m. flight.”
“We will pick up your belongings and I will get you to the airport on time for your flight.”
I didn’t have time to think. I just got in the back and allowed this man to take me to my hotel to gather my belongings. Once I was back in the car, I pulled out my cell and opened one of the three messages from Judy. I responded to her, telling her that I was fine and on my way to catch my flight. I left out any details of the previous night. Of course, she insisted that I call her as soon as I got home. I agreed and stuffed my cell back into my pocket just as we were arriving at O’Hare.
I refused to let myself even think as I charged through the elevator, thankful that I’d gone with the early check-in, saving me time. Thirty minutes after making it to my gate, my flight was boarding and soon enough I was on my way home. I tried to sleep but images of the previous night kept replaying in my head. I finally gave up the notion of sleep and instead pulled out my Kindle to get some reading done.
Hours later, I was greeted at my apartment door by my two shrieking children.
“Mommy’s home!”
“Yay!”
They both ran up to me, hugging my knees. The tension that I’d been feeling since I’d awakened that morning began to ebb just a little. I sank to my knees after smiling over their shoulders at Ms. Sheryl, their babysitter.
“Did you bring us anything back?” Kyle asked.
“Did you have fun, Mommy? Bring any books?” Kennedy chimed in.
“How about toys?”
“Did you meet anyone nice?”
My heart plummeted at Kennedy’s final question. Of course, I wasn’t about to tell my five-year-old daughter that I’d ran into the father I’d led them both to believe was up in heaven. Instead, I pulled my babies to me and then showed them the keepsakes I’d brought back for them.