Chapter 8

It was an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere. The area around the building was shrouded in darkness, with only a lone streetlight piercing the deep shadows. She felt anxious until she noticed his car parked in front of the building.

It occurred to her that he did not want them to be seen together. Parking next to his vehicle, she got out and secured the alarm. He was waiting for her at the entrance of the iron doors.

"This gives discretion a whole different level."

"It's safe here," he told her briefly. "There are hidden alarms all over the place. I turned it off when I saw you coming. There are sensor lights and triggers." He waited until she was inside the building before pressing a button to shut the door.

"What will it be?" She asked, looking around the practical space.

"Vegetable and fruit farming. To supply the cruise line." Walking over to the padded bench in the corner of the room, he gestured her forward. "Have a seat."

"Am I going to be condemned again?" She had taken off the strappy sandals she had worn for the event and was wearing a pair of tennis shoes she always kept in the car.

"Depends."

"You spoke to your mother."

"I did." His jaw tightened as he waited for her to sit. "You both decided what should happen in my life."

She avoided the blaze of his green eyes.

"I had no choice." She whispered.

"Oh no." He laughed harshly. "You did."

Her head snapped up, and she glared at him. "I was sixteen, and she confronted me with the fact that she could take away my brother's scholarship and told me that I would be ruining your life in the process."

"Something you did not tell me. You decided on your own that it was your right-" His hands balled into fists. "Your responsibility to decide for me. We shared everything! Or at least I thought we did. And you cruelly destroyed my life by writing me that letter.

But you did not stop there, did you?" He said bitterly. "You drove the nail into my coffin by telling me that you were just toying with me, that the sex was good, but you wanted something much more."

"And I have been paying for that since that day." She whispered.

"Have you?" His lips curled in disgust. "How?"

"I suffered-"

"Stop it!" His hand slammed into the wall next to him, making her jump. "Don't you dare lie to me." Dragging out his phone, he swiftly typed in her name. Hunkering down next to her, he brought up her photos.

Several were with her posing with Jacques, and a few were where she was sunbathing on a yacht. Then there were ones where she was at parties and another with her spread out on a magazine cover, wearing nothing more than a thin cashmere shawl.

"That's you suffering. You looked distraught."

"It was work." She said defensively.

"Want to know what I was doing here?" He pointed to the date stamped on the bottom."Wallowing in misery. And here?" He jabbed a finger at the one where she was posing with Jacques. "Getting drunk. And here-"

"Enough." She whispered achingly. "I was doing the best I could to forget you. I did what I thought was the right thing to do."

"You could have come to me." He rose and moved away as if he could not bear beside her.

"You could have said something. I would have found a way to work things out. But you decided for me. You and Mother made the decision- one that led to my excruciating pain. You chose your career over me, and that you cannot deny, can you?"

"Nothing I say to you will make you change your mind." She whispered achingly. "I love you-"

"Stop it!"

"I love you," she continued determinedly. "And I am willing to do anything to prove that I do. I made a mistake, but I was sixteen! Surely, you cannot hold that decision over me. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Anything?" He asked her softly.

"What?" She stared at him in confusion.

"You said you would do anything to prove how much you love me."

"I would."

"We have an attraction to each other. That much is true. I want you and have decided that it is no use trying to fight it. In bed, we are combustible, and the sex is mind-blowing." Shoving his hands into his tan dress pants pockets, he rocked back on his heels, his gaze insolvent.

"I am marrying Madeline because she will make me a good wife and mother of my children. I am sure that a woman like you would not be against playing the role of a mistress. I will provide for you, of course-" He paused when she stood up, golden-brown eyes blazing.

"You can take your offer and shove it-"

"You did not honestly expect me to offer you marriage again, did you?" He asked her mockingly.

Turning toward the door, she fought to keep the tears from falling. Damn him! She was done trying to get through to him. She was reaching for the button when his hands clamped on her shoulders.

"Let go of me."

"I want you." He gritted, spinning her to face him. "And you owe me."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Owe you?"

"Yes." His hand clamped around her throat, eyes burning. "You ruined me, and I cannot- I cannot stop wanting you." Shoving her against the steel door, he crushed his lips to hers.

She fought him on principle, but it was a losing battle. Realizing that she was near to capitulating, he gentled the kiss, his lips persuasive, moving over hers in a slow, hypnotic motion that was drugging her senses.

With a helpless moan, her hands came up around his neck as her lips parted. He swooped in, triumphantly claiming her tongue and drawing it into his mouth.

The kiss became wild and untamed as the passion immediately exploded between them, sweeping them in its wake. His hands drifted to her sides, along her rib cage and her hips, where he hiked up the hem of her dress.

She swallowed a strangled groan as he realized that he was feeling her bare skin. Pressing himself against her, he settled snugly into her thighs, rubbing against her so that she could feel the rigid hardness of his cock.

Reaching between them, he palmed her pussy, his fingers tangling in the curls before stroking the sensitive flesh there.

She writhed against him, her kiss demanding satisfaction. He gave it to her, his fingers dipping into the warmth and moistness of her tight flesh. Her body stiffened and then exploded as the climax slammed into her viciously.

Her fingers dug into his flesh as she arched her body in tune with his fingers.

Removing his fingers, he eased the zipper down to take out his swollen shaft, and without ending the torrid kiss, he lifted her so that her legs were wrapped around his waist.

He drove into her so forcefully that he slammed her against the door, and only then did he lift his mouth from hers. His face was hard and taut with passion, his breath coming in gasps, his body shuddering.

He was furious that she had this much power over her and that he could not stop wanting her. "Damn you." He whispered against her mouth.

"Damn you to hell." He drove into her again and again, his mouth buried in hers as she came again, body arching against his. He came then, fingers digging into her hips as he poured himself into her.

Ending the kiss, he held her limp body against his, knees shaking and heart thundering inside his chest. His expression was grim as he held her tight against his chest. As soon as he found the strength, he put her away from him, easing out of her slowly.

Turning his back, he stuffed himself back inside his underwear and zipped up his pants. Striding over to a panel, he deactivated the alarm.

"You are free to go." He said quietly without turning to look at her.

"That's it?"

He turned to face her then and felt his weakness invading him as he stared at her. Her lips were swollen, and her golden-brown eyes were luminous from the passion they had just shared.

"What do you expect me to say?" He forced sarcasm into his voice. "That you are forgiven and we should pick up the pieces and move on? Sorry, that's not going to happen. Think about my offer, and if you are in agreement, you know how to get in touch with me."

"Go to hell."

"I am already there," he told her hollowly.

Without a word, she punched the button and ducked under, not waiting for the door to open properly. Rylan strode to ensure she was safe and stood there even when her taillights had disappeared. Leaning against the door jamb, he closed his eyes wearily. He could not resist her or get her words out of his mind.

How he wanted to believe her! But she had torn his heart right out of his chest and ground it into ashes. He could not afford to ever feel that way again. With Madeline, he was sure of what he was getting into. She would be a good wife and certainly was not expecting love. She had accepted that he would never open his heart that way again.

He cared deeply for her, and he respected her. She was beautiful and gracious and would never stir up these raging emotions inside him. The passion between him and Celeste had almost destroyed him.

He was older and more mature now. Enough to realize that he wanted a calm and peaceful life. Leaning his head against the cold framework, he closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat.

Their relationship had been tempestuous and incendiary. And that had not changed. He could still feel her wrapped around him, pulling him deep inside her. He had not wanted to come back out, and even now, he was still aching for her. If she accepted his offer to become his mistress…

Shaking his head, he realized that would not be a good idea. He had said that to hurt her, and it had. Lifting his hand to drag over his face, he caught her scent on his fingers and unconsciously put them into his mouth, savoring her taste. With an agonized sigh, he dropped his hand and headed out.

*****

He was in the middle of a conference call with China when he glanced at the TV screens in front of him. He was about to respond to something Yaka Moshi was saying when he caught the headline running against the screen. "Supermodel Celeste Campbell assaulted while jogging in Tulip Park."

He felt his blood freezing inside his body. Hanging up the phone without saying goodbye, he gestured to his assistant, who had been taking notes. "Turn it up!"

His fingers gripped the edge of his desk as he listened to the blonde reporter giving the details. "Ms. Campbell has been rushed to Mercy General-" Without waiting to hear the rest, he was up and dragging on his suit jacket.

"Sir, your meeting-"

"Reschedule it," he ordered harshly as he headed for the doors. "Or have my mother sit in."

With that, he was gone.

*****

"It's just a bump at the back of my head." She argued.

"We need to do an MRI, and you might have some bruised ribs." Dr. Calloway said patiently as he looked at Colin for support.

"The doc is right," Colin said firmly. When he received the call that she had been attacked, he had left in the middle of prepping a witness and came straight here.

"That park is supposed to be safe." She muttered, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

"They caught the guys. There have been a slew of attacks and rapes over the past couple of weeks, and those two were the perpetrators."

She shuddered. "Rape?"

"Yes." He came to sit in the chair next to the bed while the doctors performed their checks. "You are fortunate."

"I fought back. When I fell to the ground, one of them rolled me over, and I pretended to be out, and then I struck. I caught the bastard in the crotch and fought like hell."

"Good for you."

They both looked up at the sound in the doorway.

"Well, look who is here," Colin muttered.

Rylan stood there framed inside the doorway, a frown touching his brow. "I will wait-"

"We are just finishing up.' Dr. Calloway told him, nodding in greeting.

"And I need to make some phone calls." Leaning forward, Colin kissed her on the forehead. Giving Rylan a cool look, he left and closed the door behind him.

"I did not expect to see you." She whispered.

"I saw it on the news." He stood just inside the doorway, hands shoved into his pockets."How are you?"

"I have a tough head."

"How many?"

"Two, and I managed to fight them off and maced one of them. Some good Samaritan called the police."

"What were you doing out?"

"I was jogging. Why?"

"From what I gather, you have a fully equipped gym inside your apartment."

"It so happens I like to feel the fresh air on my skin."

"And no doubt you had earbuds in both ears."

"I did." She gave him a defiant look.

"You were that stupid."

She bristled at the insult. "The park is supposed to be safe."

"You have that on good authority, don"t you?"

"Are you here to make me feel worse?" She demanded.

"I don't know why the hell I am here." Striding over to the bed, he sat on the edge and stared at the bruises on her forehead and cheeks. Lifting a hand, he cupped her cheek with such gentleness that she almost felt weeping. "What are you doing to me?" He asked hoarsely. "Why do you have so much power over me?"

"Rylan-"

"Shh." Bending his head, he brushed his lips over hers. Celeste felt as if everything inside her was melting. Lifting her hands, she wrapped them around his neck, ignoring the pain from the attack as she held him to her.

His tongue drifted into her mouth, the kiss so potent, so tender that it had the tears burning at the back of her eyes. When he took her hands from around his neck, she masked the disappointment as he rose. "I just came to see if you were okay." His voice was brisk, his face expressionless. "Stay out of the park in the future."

Before she could voice a response, he was gone, leaving her trembling, breathless, and hopeless.

*****

He told himself that he had no business calling her. He had resolved to stay away from her after leaving the hospital, but he was inexorably drawn to her. He knew she had been released from the hospital because Calloway had told her when he called.

And she was home. He had asked the doctor why she was released after a day. The man had told him that she had insisted on leaving.

"The MRI came back clear, and we did not have anything to keep her there aside from the bruised ribs, which she insisted on being healed quicker if she was at home."

He had spent the day trying to concentrate on the meetings, catching up, and apologizing for the abrupt end to the call he had been on when he saw the news.

They had a cruise ship to restore to its former glory, and he needed to concentrate on that. He had still not forgiven his mother and had ignored her overtures. He was not willing to forgive her yet.

He had made preparations to have dinner with Madeline at her place the next night and wondered how he would pretend that he did not have another woman occupying his thoughts.

Reaching for the phone, he dialed her number, his fingers tapping on the desk.

"Hi."

He closed his eyes at the sultry sound of her voice in his ear.

"You discharged yourself."

"I did. I felt like a fraud. I feel fine. I just have a slight headache, and I am taking my meds. You called."

"Yes."

"Are you coming over?"

His heart jolted, and he realized how much he wanted to say yes. "No."

"I could use some TLC."

"I am sure you have any number of men you could call."

"I want just one."

He closed his eyes as he battled with the tremors whirling inside him. "Take care of yourself."

"Don't hang up." She begged.

"I have nothing more to say." He lied.

"Then just listen. Rylan, don't you think I have been punished enough?"

"No." He bit out. "And I am not punishing you. I just-" Suddenly, the weariness crashed on him with force. All the emotions raging inside him were taking their toll.

He was not sleeping well and could not get her out of his head. He had rushed to the hospital when he heard that she had been hurt and had wanted to find the bastards and pay them back in full.

She occupied his every waking moment, and his treacherous body yearned for hers at night. That night at the warehouse, when he had taken her by the door, had been so intense that he relived every moment.

"I want you out of my head," he admitted slowly.

"Is that possible?"

"I am going to give you a chance to hurt me again, Celeste," he warned.

"That's not going to happen." She told him softly. "I was a foolish child who thought what I was doing was right. Things are different now."

"I am with someone." He told her foolishly.

"Are you, darling?" She asked him whimsically. "When you made love to me-"

"Shut up!"

"I love you."

"I am hanging up now." He told her grimly.

"I know you don't hate me; if you do, I want to change that. Let me help you forget-"

"No. Damn you! Why the hell won't you leave me alone?"

"Because we belong together. We have something special-"

"What we have is sex; it will fade. There will come a time when it won't mean a damn."

"You don't believe that."

"I have to go."

"Will you come by later? I want to see you."

"Goodbye, Celeste." He hung up before he could say yes and sat there, staring at the phone with a frown.

*****

"You didn't have to come by, you know." She rolled her eyes at him as he took off his jacket and placed it carefully over the arm of the chair.

"Where else would I be?" He asked her mildly as he came to sit on the edge of the bed. "I brought Chinese. Do you feel up to going downstairs?"

"I just have a mild headache and a large dose of self-pity."

"Braithwaite giving you hell?" Colin peered at the bruises dotting her face with a frown.

"He is stubborn." She said with a sigh. "He called me today to check on me."

Her brother's eyebrows lifted. "Does that mean that things are progressing?"

"I would like to think so." Leaning back against the pillows, she blew out a breath. "He said he spoke to his mom, and I thought that would do the trick, but he doesn"t trust me. He thinks that I chose my career over him."

"Did you?"

She gave him a dark look. "No. I don't need my own brother doubting me, either."

"Honey, you have to realize how it looks. You went off to have a lifetime career, after all."

"And that's exactly what he is looking at. He showed me pics of myself, and it looked a hell of a lot as if I was having the time of my life. And I was. I loved the excitement and the opportunities my career offered.

Yes, I was grieving over him, and I stayed away from relationships because I was still in love with him. When I started with Jacques, I thought I would finally get on with my life, but I was just fooling myself."

"If it's any consolation, the look on his face for that unguarded moment when he was looking at you in that hospital bed says that he is not over you."

"And that's what I am counting on."