CHAPTER 13
Addler
I come out of sleep at my usual time despite having a rough start of it. I should be exhausted, staying awake, keeping myself in check for half the night, but I’m not. There’s a sense of peace inside me that I’ve never known. I’m home, in my own bed, with the warmth of Elena’s body pressed against my side.
I smile into the darkness.
While I may have resorted to underhanded tactics to get what I wanted, I got her here. I turn my head slowly so I don’t disturb her. She seems peaceful and relaxed, unlike the tightly wound version on her I’ve been dealing with since I showed up at the office yesterday. As if the way she acted the day before was any better.
The blackout curtains are doing their job too well. Elena’s in shadow, covered with the sheet and comforter against the air-conditioning. Is that why she’s cuddled up next to me? Because if that’s what it takes to have her come looking for me, I might just bring the temperature down until the damn unit freezes. I grin to myself.
Even after all this time, I don’t have to see her face to picture it. The problem is the images in my mind are a lot more vivid now. The urge to touch her is a lot sharper.
My cock hardens beside the silky thigh covering my hip. Ah, temptation. It would be so easy to grab a condom, then turn, keeping her arms around me. I’d push her legs open to make room for myself between her thighs. Then, in one quick thrust, I’d bury myself into her slick heat. The thought of that sweet indulgence, of feeling that same wet heat I experienced yesterday, pulls at my soul.
I should end it now,stop playing this game and fuck her until we’re both senseless. It should be enough to get her out of my system. I could hit the highlights of my Elena fantasies. It would have to be enough because there’s no way I could bring each one to life in one weekend.
But that would mean not following through with my plan. That I’ve given control over to this thing inside me, and to her. On top of that, I’d end up letting her off the hook way too easily, and I’m nowhere near that nice a guy.
As if she knows what I’m thinking, Elena turns away. I feel the loss immediately, even as she’s burrowing under the covers, her breathing even.
Careful not to wake her, I pull back the covers and slip out of bed. A quick glance over my shoulders confirms she hasn’t moved, so I start toward the closet. Opening the door, I reach in, putting a hand over the sensor to prevent the light from switching on as I enter. I step in and close the door behind me. Only then do I uncover the sensor, otherwise the light would shine in Elena’s face.
I place a hand on each end of the drawer and pull slowly to minimize the noise. Grabbing some sweatpants, I toss them over my shoulder and move to the next drawer to grab a T-shirt. My standard outfit for being at home alone on the weekend.
Stepping in front of the door, I cover the sensor, flip off the light, step out, pull the door closed far enough to only leave my arm inside then pull my hand back so I don’t have to wait the two minutes to have it turn off on its own.
I exit the closet, watching her sleep. If I use the shower in the room, I might wake her up. I’ve never had to worry about how much noise I’m making here before today, so I have no idea how loud I’d be. I’m not even sure what to do about Elena. Should I wake her or leave her to rest?
No, I think I’d do well with some time to myself. It’ll give me a chance to see what else I can find on the computer. Elena might not know about anything else going on, but Derrick is convinced there’s something to find. And it’s big enough to rattle the entire Kelly dynasty and shake out the new family member.
Scooping up the clothes on the chest at the end of the bed, I bring her underwear up to my nose and inhale her scent. The next twenty-four hours are going to be torture. I put the underwear on top of her clothes.
I should let her sweat it out. To see what she’d do if I left her to run around naked for today. Better yet, it could be the rest of the weekend. The thought dies quickly. There’s no option for escalation, so maybe push it off for tomorrow. Then again, it would also leave me with a forty-eight hour hard-on. That’s not what I’m looking for. This is supposed to be torture for her, not me.
Rethinking things, I toss the folded T-shirt down on the chest and smirk. This will do for now. She’s absolutely going to hate it.
With that, I head out of the room and down the hall to one of the guest bedrooms for a shower.
* * *
Elena
I burrow under the covers, trying to escape the cold. Folding my arms under my breasts, my bare breasts, drags me from sleep. Why is it cold? My face, hand, and shoulder have gotten the brunt of the chill in the air.
As soon as I open my eyes, I’m hit with the sensation of being out of place. The white ceiling, with an inset and ceiling fan, goes on and on, unlike the measured width in my small room. Even the bed and the sheets covering me feel odd. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re so soft or because I’m not wearing anything underneath.
Addler. Going up on my elbows, I whirl around to find I’m alone in bed. Alone in his bed. Everything that happened yesterday comes back to me like a landslide of memories. Showing up late, working with him, arriving at his house, having lunch, getting caught. And the deal. No saying no.
I flop back onto the pillow and stare at the ceiling. What did I get myself into? I drag the sheet up to cover my face, which only reminds me I’m buck naked under it. Annoyed, I thrust my arms out, bringing the sheet down and tucking it in along my sides.
What he did last night, the way he brought me to orgasm, left me confused. He laid out a plan where I couldn’t say no. It left things open to a lot of possibilities he could jump on. Most of dinner, I agonized over what would happen once we got here. His words echo in my head, in the same smug tone. We’ll call it a night early and see what else I can come up with to impress you. The jerk knew what he was doing.
Well, the jerk knew what he was doing later, too. The orgasm broke the tension inside me and helped me relax enough to fall asleep. Something I didn’t think I could do while lying in bed with Addler de Marco.
My internal clock tells me it’s late, but the curtains are blocking out the sun. I close my eyes, concentrating on any little noise around me, but all I get is silence. Where is Addler?
I sit up in bed, holding the sheet to my chest with one hand. The cold air hits my back, making me shiver. Wow, his air conditioner is freaking fantastic. I push my hair back as I look around. I’m completely alone. I don’t know if that’s a bad thing, but I also don’t know how long it’ll last.