Turbulent Waters (Billionaire Aviators 3)

Nick fell forward, his body still connected with hers as he ran his fingers through her hair. They were both damp and spent. With a moan, he pulled from her, and she whimpered her disapproval. He sat back on the chair, tugging on her until she lifted up.

He pulled her into his arms and cradled her, his hands running softly up and down her back as he sucked on the tender skin of her shoulder.

“You are amazing,” he said in awe.

She couldn’t even form words to describe what had just happened. As the aftermath began to wash away, she tried to tug against his hold.

“No.” His word was firm. She stilled in his arms. “You aren’t running away this time.”

She settled down in his arms and wondered what she was going to do. She wasn’t quite sure. In the moment, it felt so right. But after she was satiated, she remembered who he was. No, he wasn’t the monster she’d once thought he was, but his family was the enemy. Her father would never approve of her being in a relationship with him. Chloe didn’t know what to do.

“We’re going to go to bed together without any regrets,” Nick told her.

Chloe wanted to do exactly that, but she couldn’t voice her opinion aloud. He gently pushed her from his lap and then he stood. Taking her hand in his, he began walking slowly, leading her through the house to his bedroom.

She hesitated only a moment before entering his quarters. She stopped fighting as he pulled her into his bed. When she was tucked securely into his arms, her eyes drifted shut, and she fell into a deep sleep.

The next day Nick didn’t allow her to pull away from him, and she appreciated it. That night, she again went to bed, falling asleep in his arms after they were both sated. It’s how the next few days and nights went and those regrets Chloe felt she should be feeling never came.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Chloe was trembling as she hid beneath her bed. Terror filled her as she heard the footsteps coming closer. The only sound was that of deep breathingâ??controlled, almost excited.

She shook as she tried not to make a sound, but it was no use. The chattering of her teeth were like shotgun blasts, and her falling tears sounded like splashes in the lake, clearly giving up her hiding position.

Scooting back, her body scraped against the hardwood floor, and she had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from whimpering as the footsteps stopped at the edge of her bed. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. The feet turned and she sighed in relief. Then he quickly dropped to the floor to check under the bed. She screamed when his face appeared, an evil smile overtaking his lips.

She struggled to get away from him as his hand reached for her. Pain was promised in his expression, and she kicked as she resisted. Normally she just accepted it, but this time, she wasn’t going to cave so easily. She was stronger now, bigger. She didn’t have to allow him to hurt her.

“Please, no!” she shouted. “I haven’t done anything. Please.” Her words turned into a sob as he pulled her from beneath the bed and pinned her to the ground, holding her arms in place. She kicked at him, bit down on his chest when he leaned into her.

“Dammit, stop!” The thundering voice shook Chloe as she snapped from sleep. Her eyelids lifted. Her body violently shook. Her vision was blurred by tears and she blinked several times, trying to focus. The man before her came in and out of her hazy focus.

“Please don’t,” she begged, half in and half out of sleep. She couldn’t distinguish between her dream and reality.

“Chloe . . . Chloe . . . you need to wake up. It’s me.”

Tears streaking down her face, Chloe continued fighting, but her movements were growing weaker. She couldn’t hold him off. “It’s me. It’s Nick,” he said, his tone soft.

The voice finally registered as the last of her nightmare faded away. “Nick?” she said, the single word coming out as barely a whisper. “Nick.” She said it again, trying to stabilize herself.

She felt immediately that it didn’t matter how angry Nick was with her, he’d never hurt herâ??not physically at least. She was safe. She was safe. She was safe. She repeated that phrase over and over again in her head. She was safe.

Finally, the shaking in her body stopped, her tears dried, and she focused on the face hovering above her. He was looking down at her as if she were a rabid animal. Maybe she was. Years of abuse would do that to a person.

“What in the world happened in your dream?” he asked. He was still holding her. She wondered what she’d done to him that he was afraid to release her.

“It doesn’t matter. It was just a nightmare. I’m okay now,” she told him. “You can let me go.”

He eyed her mistrustfully. “You hit me a few times. I’m not sure I should,” he told her. His lips tilted up the slightest bit in a teasing grin. He was lucky he hadn’t released her because she might have slugged him for that.

“I told you I’m fine. Let me go,” she demanded, though her voice was still weak.

“What happened?” he repeated.

“It was nothing, just a nightmare,” she said as she turned away. There was no way she was telling him she’d been reliving a real momentâ??the time she’d decided to defy her father.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “That appeared to be more than just a nightmare. I have the wounds to prove it.” He pointedly looked down to his naked chest, and she saw the bite mark there. She was horrified she’d done that. Her cheeks flushed as she looked away. fell forward, his body still connected with hers as he ran his fingers through her hair. They were both damp and spent. With a moan, he pulled from her, and she whimpered her disapproval. He sat back on the chair, tugging on her until she lifted up.

He pulled her into his arms and cradled her, his hands running softly up and down her back as he sucked on the tender skin of her shoulder.

“You are amazing,” he said in awe.

She couldn’t even form words to describe what had just happened. As the aftermath began to wash away, she tried to tug against his hold.

“No.” His word was firm. She stilled in his arms. “You aren’t running away this time.”

She settled down in his arms and wondered what she was going to do. She wasn’t quite sure. In the moment, it felt so right. But after she was satiated, she remembered who he was. No, he wasn’t the monster she’d once thought he was, but his family was the enemy. Her father would never approve of her being in a relationship with him. Chloe didn’t know what to do.

“We’re going to go to bed together without any regrets,” Nick told her.

Chloe wanted to do exactly that, but she couldn’t voice her opinion aloud. He gently pushed her from his lap and then he stood. Taking her hand in his, he began walking slowly, leading her through the house to his bedroom.

She hesitated only a moment before entering his quarters. She stopped fighting as he pulled her into his bed. When she was tucked securely into his arms, her eyes drifted shut, and she fell into a deep sleep.

The next day Nick didn’t allow her to pull away from him, and she appreciated it. That night, she again went to bed, falling asleep in his arms after they were both sated. It’s how the next few days and nights went and those regrets Chloe felt she should be feeling never came.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Chloe was trembling as she hid beneath her bed. Terror filled her as she heard the footsteps coming closer. The only sound was that of deep breathingâ??controlled, almost excited.

She shook as she tried not to make a sound, but it was no use. The chattering of her teeth were like shotgun blasts, and her falling tears sounded like splashes in the lake, clearly giving up her hiding position.

Scooting back, her body scraped against the hardwood floor, and she had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from whimpering as the footsteps stopped at the edge of her bed. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. The feet turned and she sighed in relief. Then he quickly dropped to the floor to check under the bed. She screamed when his face appeared, an evil smile overtaking his lips.

She struggled to get away from him as his hand reached for her. Pain was promised in his expression, and she kicked as she resisted. Normally she just accepted it, but this time, she wasn’t going to cave so easily. She was stronger now, bigger. She didn’t have to allow him to hurt her.

“Please, no!” she shouted. “I haven’t done anything. Please.” Her words turned into a sob as he pulled her from beneath the bed and pinned her to the ground, holding her arms in place. She kicked at him, bit down on his chest when he leaned into her.

“Dammit, stop!” The thundering voice shook Chloe as she snapped from sleep. Her eyelids lifted. Her body violently shook. Her vision was blurred by tears and she blinked several times, trying to focus. The man before her came in and out of her hazy focus.

“Please don’t,” she begged, half in and half out of sleep. She couldn’t distinguish between her dream and reality.

“Chloe . . . Chloe . . . you need to wake up. It’s me.”

Tears streaking down her face, Chloe continued fighting, but her movements were growing weaker. She couldn’t hold him off. “It’s me. It’s Nick,” he said, his tone soft.

The voice finally registered as the last of her nightmare faded away. “Nick?” she said, the single word coming out as barely a whisper. “Nick.” She said it again, trying to stabilize herself.

She felt immediately that it didn’t matter how angry Nick was with her, he’d never hurt herâ??not physically at least. She was safe. She was safe. She was safe. She repeated that phrase over and over again in her head. She was safe.

Finally, the shaking in her body stopped, her tears dried, and she focused on the face hovering above her. He was looking down at her as if she were a rabid animal. Maybe she was. Years of abuse would do that to a person.

“What in the world happened in your dream?” he asked. He was still holding her. She wondered what she’d done to him that he was afraid to release her.

“It doesn’t matter. It was just a nightmare. I’m okay now,” she told him. “You can let me go.”

He eyed her mistrustfully. “You hit me a few times. I’m not sure I should,” he told her. His lips tilted up the slightest bit in a teasing grin. He was lucky he hadn’t released her because she might have slugged him for that.

“I told you I’m fine. Let me go,” she demanded, though her voice was still weak.

“What happened?” he repeated.

“It was nothing, just a nightmare,” she said as she turned away. There was no way she was telling him she’d been reliving a real momentâ??the time she’d decided to defy her father.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “That appeared to be more than just a nightmare. I have the wounds to prove it.” He pointedly looked down to his naked chest, and she saw the bite mark there. She was horrified she’d done that. Her cheeks flushed as she looked away.