Font Size:  

Chapter Two


At exactly eight the next morning, someone knocked on the door of my motel room.


My overnight bag was packed for the weekend—but then again, it had always been packed. It was the same stuff I’d taken with my when I’d run away from Jacob and my old life in Maine.


All I saw when I peeked through the peephole of my door was a dark uniform. A blinding panic took over.


My hands went numb and my entire body shook.


Oh god, how did he find me?


I backed away from the door. There was only the one window in the front of the room. How was I going to get out?


The knock came again, louder now. Then...voices.


A harder knock. “Ms Kinsey, if you don’t get your as**s out here in thirty seconds, the deal is off.”


Relief so sweet that I almost melted into the dirty puke green carpet. It wasn’t Jacob—It was Madden. I inhaled air into my lungs and tried to get my racing heartbeat under control.


I was still safe.


I pushed the chain out of the lock and opened the door to find a very irritated Madden Cross with his arms crossed over his broad chest.


“In the future, Ms Kinsey, when I knock I expect you to answer immediately.”


In the daylight, he looked even larger than life looming in the doorway. I reached down and grabbed my bag. He took it from me and handed it to a man in a navy blue uniform standing next to the door.


“And how high would you like me to jump? Just so I’m prepared and all,” I snarked. I’d gotten maybe three hours of sleep while tossing and turning imagining the thousand ways I might die this weekend after agreeing to go away with a virtual stranger. Then I’d remember what I saw him doing to that woman in his office, how he made me feel with just a touch, and just like that my body went from cold to burning hot.


Adding to all my confusion was the fact that I had no money and motel instant coffee and day old donuts were almost worse than nothing at all. I was irritable to say the least.


“You’ll jump as high as I want,” he said. Amusement danced in his tone and I looked up at him. He seemed more relaxed this morning, softer, if that was possible for such a chiseled body and face. Instead of a business suit, he had on a black button up short sleeve shirt and jeans today. It made him seem more approachable, but it also accented the muscles in his arms that rippled with every movement. Strong enough to hold a woman in place…


We hadn’t even left the motel parking lot and I was already getting all hot and bothered. I knew what the deal had been for, I wasn’t some naive country girl. He was bringing me with him for sex.


I just didn’t know when he expected it.


“Are you ready, Ms Kinsey?” Madden put his hand on my lower back and guided me to the enormous limo waiting in the parking lot. The man in the uniform opened the door and I ducked inside after a slight encouraging pressure on my back.


“Skylar,” I said absently as Madden slid in across from me. Holy god. I had never in my life seen anything like this. “Wow.”


Madden chuckled and I realized that I must have said it out loud. But really, this was amazing. Polished chrome gleamed in the lights running along both sides of the inside of the roof, flanking a moon-roof that was closed. A glass-top bar took up almost one whole side of the car and there was so much room I could have laid down on the floor.


I glanced over at Madden who had sat back and was watching me with that smirk on his lips. A rise of heat climbed up my neck. Maybe it was the first time I’d ever been in a limo, and yes, I might be a little wide eyed at it all. I straightened my shoulders and leaned back against the soft black leather seat. Then I tilted my chin up and met his stare.


“It’s okay I guess,” I said in my best nonchalant, bored voice. “But I thought these things always had hot tubs in them or something.”


Madden threw back his head and laughed. The sound, thick and rich like expensive whiskey, warmed me from the inside. As soon as he got into the car, it seemed to shrink. He had a presence that no one would deny. This man was an enigma already. Last night he’d been harsh and demanding and I’d responded to it like a desert flower to water. Today, the arrogance was still there, he wore it as easily as that shirt, but he seemed more relaxed.


“So we’re going where?” I asked. The limo glided forward and I watched as we passed my little grey Mini Cooper. I used all my money to pay for the room for two weeks, so it should be okay parked there for the weekend.


“I’ve recently purchased a resort that is currently under renovation. I need to go over several things with the foreman and a meeting with one of the investors, but after that…” His intense gaze pierced mine and my breath stuttered. Nothing more was said about after, but his glance kept moving between me and his phone.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like