AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, I am.” I shifted closer, crowding my legs around his thighs. My mouth watered at the sight of his thick bulge. “Let’s get a few things straight, oh powerful king. My life was all about working long hours, never enjoying the two friendships I managed to develop in spite of spending all my time devoted to my career. A career, by the way, that I could live without and be perfectly happy. The men are assholes who think just because they have a cock between their legs they are more powerful. The women aren’t any better, prima-donna bitches carrying fifty-thousand-dollar purses, condemning me for not keeping up with the Joneses. While I adore Elizabeth, she has a life of her own and doesn’t need me crying on her arm every Friday night over ice cream and wine.”
“That sounds…” I adored the way his lip curled when he was trying to be cute.
“Terrible. I know. As far as men, which you didn’t mention, the last date I went on I think the dinosaurs were still roaming the forests. Then I met a man so insanely gorgeous, exuding sexuality in every step he took, every smile crossing his face, that I realized all the men I’d bothered to look at paled in comparison.”
“Who is he? I’ll kill him.”
He wasn’t kidding.
I pressed my finger across his lips, giving him a sultry look of my own. “In other words, I’m not certain I’ll be the best at understanding or tolerating the life I’ve chosen to live, but I have the distinct feeling you’re going to ensure I follow the rules in any case.”
“You are right about that.” His smile faded seconds later. “But this is your choice. However, if you return, I will not ask you again. In other words, you will be mine until the end of time.”
“Only that long? I’ve made up my mind. You’re my life.”
The look on his face changed entirely, the darkness that had sucked me into his world in the first place returning with more need than before. He pulled me closer, wrapping his long fingers around my hair and tilting my head so our lips were almost touching.
“An prospathíseis kai tréxeis, tha se vro. Eísai dikós mou.” His growl sent dozens of vibrations dancing all the way down to my toes.
“What does that mean?”
He hovered his mouth near mine, his heated breath creating wetness between my legs. “That means if you try and run, I will find you. You are mine.”
As he crushed his mouth over mine, the tightness in my chest floated way, replaced with another beautiful wave of love and need. I could never get enough of this man.
He was my rock.
My savior.
And soon he would be my husband.
* * *
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to let the pilot know he can take off.” Phoenix raked his heated gaze down to the floor and I swooned.
Yet as he walked away, I glanced at the envelope on the table. Someone a long time before had said that time heals all wounds. Whether or not that was true I’d learn in time. I missed my father, a man I didn’t know and had refused to allow into my life. Even in my guilt, I would try to honor his legacy of caring about a family that he’d felt close to.
Enough so to lose his life protecting them.
I selected the last letter he’d written dated the day of his death. I’d been determined not to cry, but as I peeled away the flap, tears slipped past my lashes, staining my cheeks.
“Dear Whitney,
There are so many things I want and need to tell you, things about your mother that you might not know. But I’ve accepted there isn’t enough time, nor do you need to hear any more about the pain that has never left. I do want you to know how much I loved you and your mother. She was the only woman I ever truly loved, the only person who saw through the ugliness of what I’d become as a man.
You’ve been in my heart my entire life, the only truly good thing I’ve ever produced. While I fully realize you’ll never forgive me for leaving and staying away, know that it was best in order to keep you protected from the people I’d made the mistake of working for.
You are my daughter, my special star, and I hope you’ll find someone to give you all the things you deserve.
I love you.
Your father.”
I read the letter twice before tucking it safely away. Then I turned my head to stare out the window at the waning afternoon sun. I’d spent so many years hating him that I was strangled by the emotions I felt. Maybe the experts were right, and I needed time. I’d found a bank statement from an account that Phoenix hadn’t found in his investigation, the information and amount laid out in a copy of the will I’d also discovered. He’d saved his money for me.
I allowed a single tear to fall, wiping it away slowly, no longer considering it blood money. However, maybe I’d put it to good use, investing in something special.
As Phoenix approached, I allowed myself to admire the chiseled creature who’d stolen my heart. He wasn’t just, nor would he alter his nefarious ways, but he was the perfect man for me.
