Bella's Choice (13 page)

He lifted a hand, and said with a grin, “Hey, when a lady says no, I accept it. The only pity is that you are taken.” He sighed. “You are beautiful,” he whispered. “Are you
really sure there is no hope for me?”

“I really love him, Charles.”

“He is one lucky guy.” With that, he walked away.

“You’re back early,” Thomas remarked the moment Charles stepped into his room.

“Yeah.” He shrugged his jacket off, threw it on the couch and plopped down.

“Didn’t you go out with that bombshell, Anabella?”

“Yeah.” He crossed his long legs before him and released a frustrated sigh.

“And?”

“And, nothing,” he hissed. “She’s as tight as a can!” He punched the cushion in frustration, but looked at Thomas with absolute determination. “But she will open. One of these days, she will open, and I’ll be there ready and waiting.” He grinned devilishly, turning his attention to the show Thomas was watching.

“Are you planning something?”

“I am. She will be in my bed before she goes home. I’ll just have to work better at it.” He smiled a crooked smile that promised a lot of action for him, but nothing good for Anabella.

“Need some help?” Thomas asked, eagerly.

His friend and teammate glanced at him, smiling once again. “I like where you are going with this.”

“She will be putty in our hands when we’re done.”

Both grinned, high-fiving in camaraderie.

“You want water?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Thomas walked to the small refrigerator. “When are you planning on having your way with her?” he asked, handing Charles a bottle of water.

“Soon. I want her soon.”

“In the meantime, do you want to get some?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Good. I saw a pretty blond booking in tonight. Let me work my magic and see if I can get her to join us.”

“Okay, but hurry up!” Charles yelled as Thomas stepped out of their room.

A frown appeared between his eyes as he thought about Anabella and the kiss they had shared for only a brief second. Charles growled in frustration, shouting to the now empty room, “You are mine, Anabella Anthony. You can bet your sweet little ass on that!” Lifting his bottle in salute, he downed the contents.

C
hapter Seven

A
nabella had just gotten back to her room when her laptop beeped with an incoming call on Skype. She rushed over to her desk and sat down with her heart in her throat. It was Aldrich on the line. His sweet, handsome face looked back at her; she almost cried. She had missed him every day.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he said, “were you out?”

“Hello, Aldrich. Yes, with friends.”

“You look beautiful.” He smiled.

She loved his smile. It was charged with adoration and it warmed her.

“Thank you, Aldrich.” She blushed under his appreciative stare.

“Where did you go?”

“A friend took me clubbing, but I didn’t like it, so we ended up at a restaurant instead. It was nice. I missed having you with me, though.” She didn’t want to have to explain to him how her night had gone, or the feelings Charles had evoked within her. He would end up thinking that she’d moved on, which wasn’t the case at all. In fact, it showed her that she was head over heels in love with him.

“I miss you too, sweetheart. You look good, Bella.”

She knew he wouldn’t miss anything up close. The down lights placed her in the spotlight, giving him a clear view. She informed him of her schedule, and their next couple of events. They talked for a further twenty minutes before he received a call. With a promise that he would watch her, they concluded their call.

He seldom missed any of her events, and although he didn’t say much, she knew he loved to observe her in and out of the pool.

Later, when she eventually made it to bed, exhausted from her day, his words entered her mind, making her smile. He’d assured her of his love for her, and she’d returned the same declaration. She really missed his quiet strength, and his solid, protective presence that put her at ease every time they were together. He was everything she wanted in a man.

“I love you,” she whispered, before she fell asleep. With her pillow tucked beneath her head, she slept peacefully. But all too soon the evening’s events took its toll, and she started to move around in her bed. Her dream became real, and she dreaded the effect it was having on her.

A hand brushed up against her inner thigh, parted her legs and she moaned with pleasure. Her lover’s mouth expertly kissed her. Her breath was sucked out of her lungs as she devoured the exploring tongue. It tasted divine; she could feel herself melt into the kiss, enjoying the feel of the hard body pressed against hers.

She felt her Pj’s being lifted and removed, the coolness easing the heat on her skin in the warm room. More hands joined in, which added to the already sensuous sensations she was feeling, her legs opening wider. She heard a groan the moment he touched her core. Her body lifting as hands played with her.

Arousal flared in her veins at the pursuit of tongues and hands, warm, hard bodies lying next to her and on top of her. The scene aroused her, but soon made way for panic as the hands turned to vice-like grips. She kicked out, but her legs were tightly constrained. Someone chuckled when she wiggled in an attempt to move away, the grasp becoming more determined, fiercer. She pushed, to no avail.

Finally, she screamed out loud.

“Anabella, wake up,” a small voice repeated several times, while she fought against the pillow and sheets.

“Anabella, it’s me, Tersia. Come on friend, wake up.”

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at the blond who hovered over her. Her big, blue eyes wide with fear as she shook Anabella’s shoulder.

“You scared me,” she said, in a low soothing voice, concern etched in her huge eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Anabella replied hoarsely, struggling to sit up straight. She switched on the bedside lamp, and looked at her clock, groaning. It was 5:00am.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Thanks, Tersia.” She met her eyes briefly, but no smile formed in her misty eyes. Tired and weary, they felt scratchy and Anabella rubbed at them.

“Try and get back to sleep,” Tersia suggested around a yawn.

“No, I might as well get up, it’s almost time to anyway.” Anabella swung her legs off the bed. “I’m going for a run.”

“Okay, see you later.”

She left as Anabella reached for her running clothes. Her thoughts were in complete shambles due to the dream. She always remembered the dreams she had, because they made such an impression and impact on her, dreams she would never forget.

Again, the same dream. What is wrong with me,
she asked herself.

This time, she enjoyed the dream, she knew it, and she could feel it
―her body was still aroused with the intensity she had experienced.

The dreams usually left her listless and numb, but this one had most definitely excited her. She knew they didn’t involve Aldrich. It was always someone else; someone whose face she could
never make out. Only this time, there had been more than one face, all unknown, but familiar all the same. She shivered, and her muscles throbbed with a need she was becoming accustomed to. She had never been with a man before, but the deeply embedded experiences she had witnessed whilst growing up had caused her body to crave the touch.

She quivered. As yet, she hadn’t spoken to the professional Aldrich suggested. She’d thought she had it under control. Apparently not, because they kept on coming back. It was time to talk with this person. Her resolve crumbled with each passing day.

When she returned from her run, and after taking a shower, she sent an email to Mrs. Smit, the councilor Aldrich had suggested. She explained her situation, and asked when it would be suitable to call her via Skype.

At 6am, Anabella was in the water before anyone else, and by the time the team arrived, she had done five laps.

The days moved on. Both Anabella’s and Aldrich’s thoughts never strayed too far from the other, but his workload and her practices kept them from communicating most of the time.

Giselle Etsibeth was determined to have Aldrich as her prize, inviting him to yet more ballets and dinner parties at her house. Somehow, she had gotten his address, and twice she’d arrived unannounced at his door. The last visit she’d paid him, she’d been scantily
dressed, again, making it hard for him to push her away.

Her case was finally coming to an end, since the plaintiff was willing to settle outside of court. For Aldrich, this was great news, which meant he would finally be rid of her. Meanwhile, he had to continue to listen to all her lame come-ons. Since the night she’d kissed him, he’d made it his mission to avoid any close contact with her. As often as he could, he made sure he was never alone with her, even on a so-called date. Her mouth remained a permanent pout of displeasure, but he allowed her no freedom.

Chaney was also adamant they go on a second date. Her actions started rumors in the office, which greatly annoyed him. She would invite herself to business lunches, making sure she was always seated next to him. Like the gentleman he was, Aldrich said nothing, but Tim noticed his friend’s tense posture throughout.

Tim had asked her out on several occasions in order to discourage her, but she was no fun to have around. She was empty-headed, and her life only revolved around herself. He thought that she could very well be great in bed, but it would, without a doubt, stop there. Some men needed more than just a good tussle.

A huge swimming event was taking place at the end of November, and Aldrich decided to spend the day with his father so that they could watch it on Super Sport. He was looking forward to seeing her, even if it was only in a live broadcast.

The last time he’d spoken to her, she’d sounded exhausted, but she assured him that it was all due to not getting enough sleep. Aldrich, however, knew that the nightmares continued to haunt her.

Because of the fact that she was overseas, Mrs. Smit was not able to council her efficiently enough, and although Anabella didn’t elaborate on her dreams and nightmares, he knew she struggled with sleep. With her vigorous training schedule and on-going championships, it didn’t help much.

On the last Saturday of the month, Aldrich and his father watched as she dove into the crystal, blue water; fit and beautiful as ever, but the lines around her eyes showed how tired she really was, and her usually glowing skin now seemed pale.

There was nothing wrong with her technique, or form, as it had all been drilled into the very fabric of her being. She glided through the water with swift strokes, her feet paddling behind her. At the turn, she was first and excelled in speed, ending with a win in the first heat. When she climbed out, her smile seemed plastered on her face as she waved to the crowd, and then congratulated the runner up.

The camera followed her to her seat, and that’s when Aldrich noticed a young man standing very close to her. He also couldn’t help but notice her body tense up, and then the camera moved to the next heat.

He looked at his father and frowned.

“What was that about?” Mr. Hagin asked curiously, having picked up on the exact same thing.

“Not sure, Dad, but I’m going to find out, and if she won’t tell me, I will call her coach,” he replied in a stern voice.

Why did she act that way,
wondered Aldrich.
Anabella loved swimming. It was her life. It always calmed her, but what he’d seen was completely out of the ordinary where she was concerned. Moreover, who was the young man fawning all over her, smiling pathetically, and touching her? One thing Aldrich was sure of was that she hadn’t welcomed the guy’s attention, hence the reason why her body had tensed up. Picking up his cell phone, he typed out a message and sent her the text. Then, he waited.

“Please leave,” Anabella hissed at Charles. The man was constantly at her side. For some reason, he didn’t understand what no meant, and after last night, she never wanted to see him, or his friend again.

She grabbed her towel off the chair and dried herself, unaware that the camera was still on her.

“No, sugar,” he said in a low voice, “you are mine.”

“I’m not yours, and never will be. Have you forgotten a very important piece of information I shared with you not so long ago? Someone by the name of Aldrich? The man I love? This conversation is over, Charles!” she hissed, walking away with another forced smile on her face as she waved to supporters in the arena.