Incite (Sphere of Irony 1)

I watch as her head snaps up and her eyes dart around, searching. I can tell the exact moment she finds me because her hands fly to her mouth, phone and all, and she starts crying, nearly collapsing on the walkway.

I disconnect and close the final steps, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’ve got you, Sweetheart. I’m never leaving you again, I promise. No one will take you away from me. Without you, I’m nothing.”

We stand there, holding on to each other for minutes, hours, days… I don’t know and I don’t care. All I know is that I have my girl in my arms and I finally feel complete. The hollow ache in my chest is gone and I can see a future.

“Adam,” she sobs, “I didn’t leave you.”

“I know, El. I know.” I let her cry into my chest while I stroke her back and press my face into her soft hair and thank God that I’m being given the chance to make this right.

Still weeping, Ellie pulls back and tilts her head so I can see her face. “I’ve missed you,” she whispers, sniffing to try and contain her tears.

“Me too.” I take her face in my hands and reclaim what should have been mine all these years. Our lips brush together lightly at first, hesitant after being apart for so long. Then something changes, the primal bond that we’ve always shared becomes stronger, our bodies instinctively remember each other, and our kiss becomes deeper, more significant. Tongues twist together and our hungry mouths ache to savor each other. My fingers skim down her sides and tighten on the silky fabric of her dress, pulling her hips against mine.

A gasp from Ellie has me ready to throw her into Gemma’s backseat and have her right here.

“Ellie,” I moan, “we have to stop. Your mum, the wedding…” My head is spinning, intoxicated her scent, her body, her taste.

Reluctantly, we separate, but never lose contact completely. I throw my arm over her shoulders and she slides hers around my waist. “Let’s go see my Mum get married,” she says, grinning. “We can catch up later.”

I look down at my girl and smile back. “We have all the time in the world, El. Like I said, I’m never letting you go.”

chapter 40

Ellie

The hire car drops us off in front of the Warren Hotel after a long, but fun evening at my mum’s wedding and reception. Adam got mobbed by guests all night, naturally, but otherwise we had a brilliant time. We danced and ate and drank and Adam was reacquainted with my mum and spent some time with Miles, her new husband. Mum was thrilled to see him, she always did love him.

Being alone with Adam, however, is what I’ve been waiting for all night, and now that it’s about to happen, I’m bloody nervous. I haven’t been with Adam in years, and we still have to talk about what happened after I left his hotel room that ill-fated day.

“What’s wrong Sweetheart?” Adam asks as he opens the door to his suite. His beautiful face is twisted with what I can only describe as concern. He removes his suit jacket and tie and drapes them over a tall chair, then unfastens the first few buttons at his throat and does the same for his cuffs, rolling them up to his elbows.

I shuffle past him and drop my coat and bag on the floor, kick off my killer heels and make my way over to the well stocked bar. “Drink?” I ask, my voice sounding hoarse.

“No thank you, I don’t really drink much these days. Why don’t we sit?” Adam gestures to the nearby couch. I flush with embarrassment, of course he doesn’t want a drink, he has alcohol issues. Abandoning the liquor, I join him on the plush sofa, my hands twitching anxiously in my lap.

“Look at me El,” he pleads. “What are you thinking?”

I twist my hands together, forcing myself not to chew on my poor fingernail, determined to finally break that stupid habit. Reluctantly, I raise my chin just enough to make eye contact with Adam. He slides over until our thighs touch and puts his hands on either side of my face, leaning in to touch our foreheads together. We’re so close I can see every fleck of green and gold in his expressive hazel eyes.

“Adam… I don’t know where to start. I didn’t leave you, after the hotel,” I have to stop and swallow, my mouth suddenly very dry. Adam’s going to lose his mind when I tell him what happened, but I have to tell him.

“You texted me. Said we were done then blocked my number, El. That’s pretty final,” he says wryly.

My head jerks up at his words and Adam flinches back at the sudden movement. “I most certainly did not text you!” I shout. “In fact, I was in hospital and unconscious for four days, so that’s not even possible. Besides, when I woke, James said that my phone was broken…” My sentence dies off when I realize what must have happened. That controlling bastard! “James,” I whisper. “He must have texted you, not me.”

“What? Why were you in hospital? And why on earth would James text me?” Adam asks, the confusion on his face apparent.

As I tell Adam what happened, my brain is scrambling to put the missing pieces together. “The day after I saw you I went to work and then took the tube home. When I got there,” I tense up, steeling myself for Adam’s reaction, “Callum Murray drugged me and tied me up in my flat.”

“He did what?” Adam bellows.

My hand shoots out and grips his knee, determined to keep him seated until I finish talking. “I heard him on the phone, Adam, while he thought I was unconscious. It was Danny, he’s the one who sent him. He wanted pictures… of me, of my injuries, so he could send them to… to you.”

“Fucking hell.” Adam shoves his hands into his hair and starts yanking on it, clearly having a difficult time restraining his anger. “What did he do, El. Tell me.” His eyes are clenched shut, unable to look at me as I finish my horrific story.

“He, ummmm, he bashed my head on the floor. I guess I started having seizures. Then James came in and arrested him, nearly beat him to death,” I whisper. “Callum is still in jail. Will be for a long time I’m told.” I fidget while I speak, focusing intently on the plush beige carpet of the suite so I don’t have to see Adam’s reaction to hearing of his brother’s involvement.

“Did he… did he touch you, El?” Adam asks, his eyes still screwed shut tightly and his mouth contorted as if he’s in agony.