AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I push him, but this time he doesn’t let me go.
“I want you to leave,” I say once more.
Instead, he bends his head to kiss me.
I turn my head to the side, banging on his chest. “Cole! What the fuck! Get off me.”
In response, he takes both my hands and pins them against the wall with one of his, then grabs my chin with the other and holds it, crushing his lips to mine. He presses up against me—oh jeez, he has a hard on.
Any affection I had for him rapidly dissipates. I don’t want to hurt him, but I’m going to have to if he doesn’t cease. “No!” I say firmly. “Stop!”
Chapter Two
Damon
Karori is one of New Zealand’s largest suburbs and often gets congested, even when it’s not rush hour. I set off at 2:15 to get to Belle’s place and end up arriving at 2:50.
Checking the GPS, I pull up near the address Alex gave me and turn off the engine. It’s a pleasant enough neighborhood, well-kept, the large houses containing decent-sized gardens. The owner of Belle’s house has obviously decided to rent it out to students, and I know she’s sharing it with three other girls. Belle’s mother is mega-rich, and Belle could undoubtedly afford her own flat closer to town, but I guess she enjoys living with her friends.
Although I fly to Christchurch about once a month to work with Alex, Belle only goes home during the holidays, and I haven’t seen her for over a year. I saw quite a bit of her when I was younger, though, and we’ve always got on well, so when Alex asked if I’d consider driving her down for the wedding, I was happy to agree, even though it’s a long journey.
It’s quiet and oddly misty, and I turn up the collar on my jacket as I cross the road and go up to the front door, knock, and wait.
Just a few seconds later, it opens to reveal a young woman with short black hair and attractive green eyes.
“Hey,” I say, “is Belle there? I’m Damon.”
Her brows draw together, and she glances over her shoulder before looking back at me. “Come in. I’m Jo.” She moves back and closes the door behind me as I pass her.
I walk forward a few steps, find the living room empty, and turn to face her. “Is she here?”
She nods. “I’m a bit worried—her ex turned up.”
My eyebrows rise. Alex told me Belle had broken up with him a couple of weeks ago. “About fucking time,” were his actual words to me, along with, “The guy’s an arsehole. I didn’t like the way he treated her.”
“They’re in her room,” Jo adds. “He wanted to talk to her alone. I told her not to go, but she wouldn’t listen.”
I frown. “What’s the problem? She knows we’re leaving at three, right?”
“Yeah, but I heard raised voices. He’s a bastard, Damon, and he treated her like shit. And I’m sure I smelled alcohol on him when he walked past.” She gestures with her head for me to follow her and crosses the living room.
I hesitate, not wanting to stick my nose in. I’m sure the last thing Belle wants is someone interfering in her relationship. But Jo stops and beckons to me, so I follow her into the corridor to the bedrooms.
We pause there, a few feet down from a closed door. I can hear a guy talking now in a low voice, “Aw, Belle. I’ve missed you. Your soft body. Your beautiful breasts. Come on. Let’s go to bed, and let me remind you how good it was.” Jesus, what an idiot.
“It wasn’t good!” Belle snaps, her voice clear through the thin wall. “It was shit. You treated me like a sex doll—something you could use when you needed relief.”
My eyes meet Jo’s, and she winces.
Cole murmurs something in a low voice. Belle replies, clearly, “I want you to leave.” Then, after another few seconds, “Cole! What the fuck! Get off me.”
Okay, so this is turning from an argument into abuse.
“You want me to go in?” I ask Jo softly. She swallows and nods.
There’s a thump, then Belle yells, “No! Stop!”
Immediately, I open the door and go in. Cole has her up against the wall, her hands pinned above her head, and he’s kissing her, even though she’s squirming and trying to break free.
