Breathless (Meadowlarks) (11 page)

I nod
ded again, and closed my eyes.

“Dane's a dead man,” Alex breathe
d and lifted my dress up. His eyes glared at me when I didn’t move my arms so he could take the dress off all the way. “Riley, I'm going to wash him off of you.”

I look
ed down to my feet, they were dirty and pieces of grass were still stuck between my toes. I lifted my arms as he pulled my tunic off, then turned me so he could unclasp my bra, it fell off my breasts and I kicked it off my foot when it landed on it.

Alex squirt
ed body wash into his hands and started to wash my body, I leaned forward and pressed my hands against the dark tile, letting him clean my body.

“Turn,” he
said quietly. He undressed. “Tell me,” Alex said. “Do you still love me?”

“Of course I do, Alex. You're my whole world.”

“You’re mine. Don’t forget that. I’m going to make you forget he ever existed,” he said, stroking himself with his hand. Alex pulled me against him and raised me up with his hands underneath my behind. “Wrap those beautiful legs around me, baby.”

I curl
ed my fingers in his hair and entwined my legs around his waist, as he positioned himself beneath me and slowly pushed his tip into my aching heat.

“I want you, all of you,” I whimper
ed and lowered my body down, engulfing him completely.

Alex
kept his promise and made me forget all about Dane Sullivan, well, for the moment anyway. His thrusts were so deep and hard that I lost my breath with each pump of his body, my nails dug in to his back.

Chapter
Seven

“The doctor will see you now, Mr. Harrison,” the sweet older receptionist at the doctor's office
said.

“Thanks, Barb,” my dad smile
d at her. “Let's go, girls.”

My mom and I each
took one of his hands and followed him into the doctor's office. Alex smiled and gave me a thumbs up while he stayed in waiting room to give us some privacy.

“Clive, good to
see you. Mrs. Harrison...” the young man behind the desk smiled and greeted my parents. “And this is?”

“Doc, this is my daughter, Riley,” my dad
said. “Riley, that's Doctor Stone.”

“Hi.” I smile
d and sat down on the large leather couch in his office.

Doctor Stone
spoke with my parents about my father's condition. Basically that yes, there was a mass on his prostate and they were going to start radiation treatment very soon. My mom started to cry, and leaned her forehead on my dad's shoulder.

“Annie, it's okay, my dear,” Dad
said softly.

“Mrs. Harrison, I assure you we are going to
do everything in our power to help your husband. I am almost positive we've caught this early,” Doctor Stone said kindly.

“So what can we do in the meantime?” I ask
ed.

“Well, Riley, you can make your fat
her's life comfortable and easy. No added stress,” the doctor said, dryly.

“Anything else?”

“Remain positive, and trust us.”

“Gotcha,” I sa
id, and smiled up at my father. I excused myself and left my mom and dad to talk more with the doctor, I headed out the door and find Alex still sitting in the waiting room. “It's seven thirty in Wyoming, want to call the kids?” I asked.

He nod
ded as I reached into my purse to get my phone, but I couldn’t find it. I sat down beside him to root through my bag. “I can't find my phone.”

“Where did you have it last?” he ask
ed.

I
froze.

“Oh,” he
said and cleared his throat. “Use mine.”

Alex hand
ed me his phone and I blushed when I took it from him. “Sorry, baby.” I scrolled through his contacts and pushed Addison's name on the list.

“Hello?”

“Hey! Sorry it's so early.”

“Hey, I am so glad to hear from you. I was getting worried,” she
said.

I frown
ed. “Sorry, I think I lost my phone. How are my babies?”

“Oh, they're good. Scarlett's still sleeping and Isaac is eating breakfast. Today is the trip, so he's been up since about five.” Addison laugh
ed. “Here, he wants to talk to you.”

Isaac's sweet voice flow
ed through the earpiece and I almost cried on the spot. “Hi, mom!”

“Hi, baby! I am so happy to hear your voice. I miss you!” I sniffle
d, forcing the tears away.

Alex rub
bed my back and leaned over the arm of the chair to kiss my shoulder.

“I am going to Yellowstone today, and Addison is letting me take her camera!” Isaac gushe
d.

“Okay, baby! Well you take lots of pictures for mommy, okay?”

“I will,” Isaac said. “How's papa?”

“He's okay, buddy. We're at the doctor's right now, and they're going to fix papa right up, kay?” I sa
id, trying to reassure my son and myself at the same time. “I love you, Isaac.”

“Love you, mom! Bye!”

“Bye, buddy.”

I look
ed at Alex and smiled, then got up and walked across the large waiting room to look out of the window on the eleventh floor.

Addison
took the phone back from Isaac. “Hey.”

“Addy, I have so much to tell you.”

“Everything okay? Is it your dad?”

“The doctor said the
y are confident they got to it fast, but this is different. It's Dane.” I turned and looked back at Alex who was watching me intently. “He's back in Maine. I saw him again.”

“Oh, Ry,” Addison sigh
ed. “Call me when you can talk, okay?”

“I will. Thank you, and love you.”

“Love you.”

Barb, the receptionist ma
de another appointment for my dad for next week, and we decided to have lunch in Augusta before heading back home to Bangor.

When the elevator open
ed and we stepped inside. I absentmindedly smiled at the lone occupant of the elevator, not really looking in his direction.

“What floor?” the man ask
ed.

“Oh, main floor. Please,” my mother
said kindly.

“The lobby,
buono
.”

My heart thud
ded loudly in my chest and I glared over at the man. It was Aldo, Dane's personal assistant. I could feel the bile rising in my throat.

“You okay, babe?” Alex ask
ed, tangling his fingers in mine.

“I’
m good.”

The ten floors below us d
id not come quick enough and when the elevator door opened I clambered out in front of everyone, dragging Alex behind me.

My parents trail
ed behind us, arm in arm, and I quickly rushed to a large directory that was hung on a vast floor to ceiling marble wall. I touched the listings with my fingers to find Doctor Stone's name, floor, and office number.

The lower I
went down the list, the higher the floors and bigger business names get. At the very bottom of the directory, in bold and stark white letters
Dane Sullivan, CEO DS Industries
was listed for the fifty-first floor. The only occupant on that floor, his office spanned the entire space.

I turned to my Dad. “Let's go to lunch. I’
m sure you're hungry.”

While we walk
ed toward the parking lot we passed the underground parking and the gate rose. Slowly a red Mercedes Benz drove up the exit and eased to a crawl when we briskly walked by. The windows were too dark to see inside, but I would have bet my life that Dane was behind the wheel.

The engine roar
ed in the Benz and once we were out of the way and almost in the above ground parking lot, the car squealed its tires and roared past us, nearly hitting a city bus.

“Crazy drivers,” my dad
said. “No respect for anyone.”

If you only knew, dad.

**
*

Lunch was delicious, and Alex cheerfully paid for the bill.

“Please, let me,” he said, taking the check out of my dad's hand.

“Well, I'll never argue with a man over free lunch,” my dad
said before taking a sip of wine. “Where to next, ladies?”

My mother look
ed at me expectantly. “What do you want to do today, darling?”

I shrug
ged. “Shopping?”

Alex roll
ed his eyes, and I kicked him with my shoe underneath the table.

“Why don't you and your mom go shopping and we can go golfing, how does that sound, Clive?” Alex
said.

“Alex, you don't golf.” I smile
d, trying not to laugh.

“Riley,
then I’m going to teach him!” My dad said, sitting up in his chair, very eager to get going.

“Okay, well. Have fun, boys.” I smile
d. “You take the car, Mom and I can walk.”

“Clive, you take it easy, p
lease. Don't tire yourself,” Mom said affectionately before kissing the top of his head.

I regret
ted wearing heels about a block into our shopping expedition. I managed to flag a cab and we climbed in.

“The mall, please!”
             

We
found the first footwear store we find and I headed right for the sneakers. I found a pair of size nine's, a colorful pair of Asic's in hot pink and blue.

“Where to next?” Mom asked
.

I hook
ed my arm through my mom's and we walked down one section of the mall, my feet praising me for the well-deserved change in footwear.

Mom headed into Pottery Barn.

I lingered into Victoria’s Secret.

I let my fingers gingerly trail along the selection of lingerie once I
was inside the store. I touched the silk and satin, the ribbon and lace, and envisioned myself wearing each item. Posing and seductively undressing for Alex, or letting him undress me. The idea sent tingling ripples into my belly.

I select
ed a few bras, and on the way to find an associate in the busy store, I grabbed a garter belt.

“I'd like to try these bras on, please.”

“Of course,” the friendly dark haired woman behind the counter said.

I follow
ed her to the fitting rooms and she opened the door, placing the items inside for me. “My name is Ally, if you need anything, let me know!”

“Thank you, Ally.” I smile
d as she closed the door, locking me in with my dirty little secrets.

I undress
ed and wrapped one of the new bras around my chest. As I stood and clasped the back of the bra, I held my head down. That’s when I felt the hands. Dane stood behind me. His emerald eyes almost shattering the mirror.

“Da
—” I tried to say his name, but his hand covered my mouth and my words were muffled.

He
brought his long index finger up to his mouth and placed it against his full lips. “Shhh.”

I breathe
d deeply and tried to cover my still exposed breasts with my hands.

“Can you be a good girl and keep quiet?” he whisper
ed in my ear, his lips brushed against my skin.

I nod
ded, and he slowly removed his hand from my mouth. I turned to face him, and punch my fist against his rock hard chest. “What are you doing here!?”

Dane touche
d his fingertips on my arm and let them run down my skin, he inhaled deeply through his nose and his chest puffed out. “You forgot your phone in my car.” He reached into his pocket. “Oh, no, that's the wrong pocket. That's something else you left, but those are mine.”

I gape
d at him. “My underwear. You still have them?”

“I'll take these ones too, please.” He grin
ned and ran his thumb along my waist, on top of the silk panties I was wearing.

“Dane, get out!” I
said softly, but aggressively. “How did you even get in here? Aren’t these things locked?”

“I know the manager.
I know how to get in here.” Dane smirked. His voice was loose and guttural. “I can get in to a lot of places if I wanted to.”

“Did you know about my dad being sick?”

He smiled. “Yes, now his doctor is sitting pretty in one of the nicest buildings in Maine. I am sure your dad will be well taken care of.”

“You knew I was there today?
Could you see me?”

“I have surveillance on every inch of that building. I saw you before you walked in, I saw you in the elevator, in the waiting room with that little bastard, and I saw you see Aldo. Your face was priceless.”

“Did you send him down in the elevator?” I asked, my heart racing.

“Nothing is a coincidence, baby.”

I stepped away from him, collecting my dress from the chair and holding it up against my body, shielding his eyes from licking my skin with his stare.

“That's okay,
Ry. The back is a pretty sweet view too.”

I turn
ed and realized that I was in front of the mirror, and I may have covered my chest, but my back was fully open to his penetrating green-eyed glare.

Dane slip
ped my phone into my hand, between my palm and my breast. He leaned down and softly kissed my cheek. “Told you I would see you again.”

When he
left I fell back into the plush chair, thankful for its existence as I didn’t think I would be able to stand any longer. I put my own bra back on, slipped into my dress and left all the items I was considering purchasing in the fitting room behind.

“How did everything fit?” Ally ask
ed me when she noticed me walking out of the store.

“Not my size,” I
said dryly, and kept walking.

I
found a bench and sat. My phone was fully charged. Swiping the screen, my background photo lit up with Scarlett and Isaac's beautiful faces. I almost started to cry. I miss them so much it hurts, and I hope Isaac is having fun on his class trip.

My text messages have been wiped, and so have all my recent calls, so I can't t
ell if anyone has tried to get in contact with me since I was last in Dane's limo.