Closely Guarded Secret (18 page)

He reaches toward the phone at the exact moment the elevator pings. Out comes Mara, followed by Charles. Her eyes burn into mine with pure hate, like she’s trying to crush my existence. As she begins to walk past me, she raises her hand toward my face. I react like lightning, moving away from her assault. She cries out as I grab her arm and twist it behind her back.

“Get your hands off of me. I’ll sue you for everything you own,” she yells, and I release my grip.

“Sue me? I was defending myself from your assault. I don’t know what your problem is, but if you ever approach me again like that, it won’t be your arm that’ll be hurt. Do I make myself clear?” I’m using forceful words to try to take control of the situation.

Her arm comes at me again, this time with a knotted fist. She’s underestimated me, which is her first mistake. I move out of her line of fire, blocking her second attempt to make contact. She loses her balance and falls to the floor. Charles helps her up, pulling her toward the door. She glares at me over her shoulder as she stumbles after him. Charles looked shocked that I deflected her attempt to hit me. The attendant is still standing there, phone in hand, mouth open.

“I won’t need to go to the penthouse today after all,” I tell him. “Thank you.” I take deep breaths to calm myself as I leave.

As I lower myself into my car, I tell Trina the shoot has been put off indefinitely. She looks at me with questioning eyes, but I pretend not to notice. Bryce calls, but I don’t want to talk to him in front of Trina, so I let it go to voice mail.

Jodi comes storming into my office, slamming the door behind her. “What in the hell happened out there? I just got off the phone with Ms. Sharp’s attorney and they are talking about suing you and us. They claim you hit her?”

“What?” I screech. “That’s not what happened at all. There are witnesses to what really happened.”

“Why would she say you hit her? Why wasn’t Trina with you?” Did she not hear what I said?

“I didn’t hit her. Jodi, I can’t get into this now.”

“The hell you can’t. When an attorney calls and threatens a lawsuit, you better get into it.” She’s livid.

Now I have to confess what I’ve wanted to keep private. “It’s a mess. What’s going on is a big, huge mess,” I say as I rub my temples.

“I don’t think ‘mess’ is the word I would use to describe this situation,” she snaps at me.

I let out a heavy sigh. Here goes nothing. “Bryce and I are seeing each other.”

Her mouth drops to the floor as she falls backward into the chair opposite me. “What? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s only been a few weeks, and I wanted to keep it to myself until I knew if it was going somewhere.”

“Where does Mara fit into all of this?”

“As you know, she’s one of the many girls he’s dated over the past year or two. According to him, she’s bat-shit crazy and won’t leave him alone. After what happened, I have to agree with him.”

“Stalker,” she interjects.

“Exactly. He’s told her repeatedly he doesn’t want to be with her. She keeps showing up to events he’s attending. She even showed up to his function last night in L.A.”

“So that’s why she cancelled yesterday.”

“Apparently so. When you told me the location was changed to Bryce’s penthouse, I called him and he told me not to go over, but I was already there. Anyway, Mara was being escorted out of the building when she walked over and tried to hit me. I defended myself. That’s all that happened.”

“How does she know about you two? It’s not like there’s been anything in the news. I would have known myself if there had been.”

“I think she’s having him followed, but I’m not sure. It’s the only logical explanation.” For once in her life, Jodi’s speechless. “So, you see,” I continue, “it's a mess.”

“I would say so. Ali, she’s rich. Extremely rich, and she’s going to use her Daddy’s money to drag us through the court system. We don’t have the influence or the funds to prevent it or to fight back.”

“I’m sorry, Jodi. I didn’t know getting involved with Bryce was going to cause all this trouble.”

“What are you apologizing for? It’s not your fault he has a crazy stalker who won’t leave him alone.” She smiles at me, “I’m sorry your first relationship in forever is a mess.” If only she knew.

“I’ll speak to Bryce. Maybe he can talk her out of suing us.” The thought of that talk leaves a bad taste in my mouth. She may back down, but at what cost to him?

“Thanks. Be warned: people like her don’t go away. You need to watch your back.”

Today’s events brought past emotions to surface. It’s been years since I’ve had to worry about a threat. “I will. I’ve got my back covered, but right now I’m more worried about the magazine.”

“Let’s wait until you talk to Bryce before we worry too much. Go ahead and take the rest of the day off.”

Instead of going home, I grab my camera, deciding to walk around downtown to clear my head before I call Bryce. I love wondering around the city, getting lost in a sea of people, not worrying about crazy stalkers or doctors or nightmares. It’s clear and warm, a perfect day for ice cream. I select my favorite, find a bench, get lost in thought and watch the world go by.

My phone vibrates a text from Bryce. Make that five texts, eight missed calls and three voice mails, all from him. Shit. Ready or not, it’s time to talk to him about today’s events.

“Ali, are you okay? I’ve been trying to reach you. Where have you been? Charles confirmed Mara was at my penthouse and you were there in the lobby. I told him I didn’t want to hear about it until I talked with you first.”

“Yes, I’m okay. When I got back to the office, I had a shit storm to deal with.”

“Shit storm?” he chuckles.

“Yes, and the shit storm thunderhead is a big turd named Mara,” I say with no emotion, but he finds it humorous.

“I’m sorry you’re caught up in this,” he says in a serious tone.

“Have you heard from her?” I want to know.

“She’s called several times, but I haven’t taken her calls. What happened?”

“Jodi heard from her. Well, not her, but from her attorney. Mara’s threatening to sue the magazine. And me.”

He’s shocked. “Sue the magazine? Sue you? For what?”

“Assault.”

“What do you mean, assault?” He’s astounded.

“I saw Charles drive into the garage, and after a while, there wasn’t any activity, so I went into the lobby. While I was talking to the door attendant, Mara came out of the elevator escorted by Charles. She walked up and tried to slap me.”

“Did she hit you?” He sounds mortified.

“No, I moved out of the way.”

“Okay, so where is the assault charge coming from?”

“When she came at me, I grabbed her arm and twisted it up behind her back, but I let go when she screamed. She tried again with her fist. When I dodged her swing, she fell to the ground.”

I don’t hear anything. Is he mad? Then I hear laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“It sounds like kung fu fighting. I would love to have seen that.”

I deflect by saying, “Charles looked shocked.” Bryce laughs again. “I’m glad I can still entertain you,” I say, thinking of the magazine incident before the flight from New York.

“That you do. I like when you make me laugh. I’m glad you’re not hurt. I’d never forgive myself if you were. Don’t worry about the lawsuit. I’ll take care of Mara.” Abruptly, he adds, “I have to go. There’s an important meeting I’ll miss if I don’t leave now.”

“Okay. Call me later?”

“You can count on it.”

After we hang up, I think about my reaction to Mara. That was the first time I’ve ever had to use any of my skills on a person I wasn’t training with. It’s nice to know I didn’t falter in a time of crisis. I’ve been sitting here, lost in thought, while the Earth’s been spinning me out of the sun’s warm light and into the shade of the surrounding buildings. Looking at my phone, I see I’ve been here an hour and a half.

Today’s events continue to roil around in my mind, distracting me. I couldn’t even say how I got home until I notice I’m in my driveway.

I freeze mid-step, my mouth falls open and I let out a moan. There before me, a Greek God stands in my yard, hands in the pockets of his navy blue pants, a bright white dress shirt, his head slightly tilted, looking directly at me. My heart leaps into my throat and some force sweeps over me. I drop my bag and run to him top speed. He catches me as I jump into his arms, almost knocking us both to the ground. He holds me firm against his chest, my legs wrap tight around his waist.

“Bryce,” I squeal like a teenager. “But how? When we last spoke, you had an important meeting.”

His eyes light up. “You’re my important meeting. I had to hang up to get to the airport in time to catch my flight back to you.” Covering my mouth with his, our tongues dance in a sensuous harmony.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispers, his warm breath caresses my ear.

“I’ve missed you too. Let’s go in the house. We’ve given the neighbors enough of a show for one day.” With me still clinging to him like a spider monkey, he leans down, picking up my dropped bag.

Once inside, he releases me, and my quivering body slides down his firm, hard torso. He caresses my face with the back of his hand, his fingers tracing the outline of my lips. A heavy sigh escapes me and I try to not let the stress of this week show on my face, but I fail.

“What’s wrong? I know today wasn’t a great day for you, but I’m here now,” he says, taking me in his arms. This is what I’ve wanted all week, to be here with him in his arms.

“This whole week’s been stressful and today was the cherry on top. I missed you. Oh god, I missed you so much. This missing and caring about someone – you - is all so new to me. Is it normal to feel this way so soon?” There, I’ve said it.

“I feel the same, except for the ‘so soon’ part. I’ve never had such a strong connection with anyone else. Ever. All I know is it feels right. I don’t want to over analyze or fight it.” He smiles at me. “I’m drawn to you.” Rocking me gently back and forth, comforting me like only he can, we sit for a while in complete contentment.

“I’m hungry, are you?” He asks. “We have reservations for tonight if you want to go.”

“Yes, that sounds perfect. What time?”

“Seven-thirty. I need to go home and change.” He lets me go and gets up. “I’ll be back in an hour, so be ready,” he says with authority as he walks to the door.

“I will.” I bring his face to mine and kiss him deeply. “I did miss you.”

“I can tell. I’ll see you in an hour,” he says with a broad smile.

After a hot shower, I pull my hair into a high ponytail and slide into my black and white wrap-around dress: the first dress he ever saw me in, the night at The Fairmont. As I run the lip-gloss along my bottom lip, the doorbell rings. Right on time. I race down the stairs, struggle to slip into my high-heeled sandals, then smooth my dress before opening the door. Standing in front of me is the most gloriously handsome man I’ve ever seen.

“Hi gorgeous.” His slate-blue eyes hungrily roam over my body, claiming it as his own. Oh, hell.

Right on cue, my body reacts, every muscle twitches and the dormant smoldering embers flare up. Just as lava flows toward the sea this heat spreads slow downward toward my sex. My only hope is the wetness I feel between my legs will be enough to cool this burning desire.

“Hi yourself,” I stammer, moving my appreciative eyes over his god-like physique.

A wry grin crossed his face, “Ready?”

“Yes,” I manage to whisper. After locking up, we walk to his car, hand in hand.

If Mara is having us watched, I hope she gets an eyeful.

“
W
here are we going?” I ask once we’re in the car. I love that he picked me up tonight alone.

“It’s a surprise,” he answers. It’s not long before Bryce drives into a parking garage. The temperature outside is just right, as we stroll hand in hand downtown. “Here we are,” Bryce announces as he looks up. I follow his eyes and the irony isn’t lost on me as I see the name - First Crush.

He angels his body toward me at the same time I tilt my head upward to meet his brief kiss. We’re shown to our table immediately once we enter. There’s a chair on one side and a long booth, which other patrons share, on the other. The tables are close together but the space doesn’t feel cramped.

Bryce orders Robert Sinskey Pinot Blanc. “Only a half bottle since I’m driving,” he explains when the waiter leaves.

I show my hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t say a word,” I say jokingly. His fingers rest on top of mine as his thumb strums across the top of my knuckles. Every nerve ending tingles with his touch. One of these days, I’m either going to short circuit or get electrocuted.

“Do you know what you want?” he asks.

“Matter of fact, I do,” I reply, lifting my eyes to his with a naughty gleam.

“I’ll have what you’re having.” He replies huskily. I’m about to melt into my seat at his words.

A smile appears on my lips. “I don’t think it’s possible.” Never breaking eye contact, he licks his bottom lip, bites it, and then slowly releases it from the clutches of his teeth.

It’s hot in here. If we were in private, I’d jump him right now. My pulse races with every throbbing beat of my heart. My thighs clutch together on instinct, and I shift around in my chair as a familiar twinge radiates to my clit. The pleased expression on his face tells me he knows I’m in agony.

Hmm, so that’s his game. He likes getting worked up in public places. Why didn’t I see this before? It’s sexy and a turn on, but I don’t know how to play this game or what the rules are. Since we’re in public, I’ll take charge and have a normal conversation.

“Why do you have a driver and bodyguards?”

“Charles is also my bodyguard. On occasion, there are a couple of others who tag along.”

“Really? Why?” I ask.

“My lawyers suggested I have them. Some people want what you have and will take desperate measures to get it. I didn’t feel it was necessary, but I pay them too much not to take their advice.”

“Do the bodyguards go everywhere with you?” I want to ask why Charles wasn’t with him in L.A., but decide against it.

“Not all the time. Nothing calls attention more than walking around with a ‘posse’ surrounding you. The point is to avoid attention, not attract it. I didn’t need them when I was in L.A.” Did he read my mind? I look around but don’t see any ‘men in black’. Hushed conversations and the occasional clinking of glasses go on around us.

He beckons me with a wiggle of his finger. I move to meet him half way in a conspiratory huddle. He glances from side to side. “They know how to blend into a crowd, but tonight it’s me and you,” he whispers, totally amused.

His warm breath against my ear fuels my insatiable lust for him as it simmers below the surface. I can’t resist, and press my mouth against his, capturing his lower lip between my teeth. The cool taste of wine on his tongue mingles with mine as a slight moan rumbles in my throat before I pull back. The look on his face is incredulous but only for a moment.

His eyes alight with desire, and never breaking his gaze, he lifts his glass to me. My eyes focus on his mouth, on his tongue licking the rim before taking an excruciatingly long, sensuous drink. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down while he drains the clear liquid from his glass. “Touché.”

Oh my god. I want to lie beneath him, his mouth roaming all over me, his face between my legs, taking me to the boundary of insanity. I want his eyes looking down at me while I suck his cock, delivering him to the threshold of ultimate pleasure. Bryce has brought forth an untamed beast within me. The second it’s fully unleashed, there’ll be no turning back.

“I believe you’ve made your point.” I breathe out in a husky whisper and am rewarded with his full on Hollywood smile. “We’d better reel ourselves in before we get arrested.” I clear my throat, looking around to see if everyone is looking at us. No one seems to have noticed, thank goodness.

I move on to a different topic. “This new project you’re working on, how soon until it’s ready to unveil?”

“If things go as planned, it should be within the next six months.” I think he’s saying that to throw me and get me off this subject.

“Why did you decide to keep your company privately owned and not have investors?”

“You’re full of questions tonight.”

“I want us to get to know each other better. Isn’t that what people on dates do? Talk? Ask questions?”

“Yes, but not so many at once.” A crooked smile appears in the corner of his mouth. “The U.S. economy looks to big businesses to help create job growth, and that’s what I’m trying to do. A lot of big company investors push to outsource jobs, but I won’t. I’ve worked too hard for others to come in and break apart what I’ve built.”

“I think it’s a wonderful way to run a business, Bryce. You’re driven to succeed. That has to have come from somewhere. Usually there’s a deep-rooted reason.”

“Back at ya,” he winks.

“We’re not talking about me right now. I want tonight to be all about you. So, tell me about your childhood.” I clarify.

“I’ve told you I was bullied when I was a child. Being small for my age, and overweight, probably made me a target for bullies.” My heart sinks with sadness hearing him say this. With a distant look, he hesitates before he continues.

“My parents worked a lot when I was a kid, so I was enrolled in a lot of after school activities, one of which was Cub Scouts. When I was seven, some of the older boys thought it would be fun to see how long I could hold my breath underwater. I was terrified of water afterward and had nightmares for months. Even taking baths became a challenge.”

I reach out and cover his hand with mine. My anger toward those bullies rise as my protective instincts kick in. In my imagination, I hunt down the adults they are now and hurt them for what they did to Bryce. I know what it’s like to be bullied.

“There’s no need to rehash all the other stories,” he says, squeezing my hand. There’s a slight, bitter edge in his voice. “It took a while, but my parents convinced me to take swim lessons. Swimming became my outlet, along with running, so I joined the water polo team in high school. Like I said, when I was sixteen, my height shot up and my body filled out. I guess you could say I came into my own.”

“That must have changed things,” I say.

“It did. Girls followed me everywhere ,and guys who never talked to me before, wanted to hang out. I even went on a date with a girl who used to make fun of me.”

“Oh? How did that work out?”

“It didn’t. It was awkward and I was probably too much of a geek for her. At the time, I didn’t know how to have a conversation with a girl. Are you sure you want to hear all this?”

“Yes. I’m fascinated.”

“I’ve never talked about this with anyone else. I want to earn your trust and the first step is honesty.”

“I appreciate that.” I’m such a hypocrite.

“In college, I focused on getting my project up and running. After The Raindrop launched, I became famous, which naturally garnered me a lot of attention. I was well aware of the effect I had on women. I’m a guy, after all,” he says with a devilish smirk. “At the time, I never thought they’d be attracted to my money first, and to me second. I guess I didn’t care. For the first time, I took control of my life and the outcome. While I didn’t need to prove anything to those who used to beat me up and make fun of me, mentally, I think I was giving them the middle finger, saying, ‘look at me now.’”

“Yes, you’re a Greek God, and that’s an attraction in and of itself.” He gives me a shy smile. “But some women can’t see anything past the dollar signs.” He couldn’t have been that naïve. “You seem to have changed your view. How did that happen?”

He continues, “The older I get, the more I see that what I’ve been doing leaves me feeling empty.”

“Like all things, change is inevitable but in six months, who’s to say you won’t go back to your old ways?” This conversation turned serious, fast.

A sober expression crosses his face as he says, “There’s only one woman I want in my life. Don’t you understand how I feel about you? I thought if I explained the how’s and why’s, you’d understand.”

“I do, but I need to know you’re as invested in this as I am.”

“I’m invested in us, Ali. You balance me and challenge me to be a better man, which is something I need. Like I told you before, I only agreed to the Forbes photo shoot when I learned you were the photographer. I saw my chance and took it. Meeting you was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” My heart just melted a little more.

His confession takes me by surprise. “You also challenge me, more than you know.” He tenderly kisses the back of my hand, and that’s perhaps one of the most romantic gestures ever. Over dinner, he tells me about his trip to L.A., leaving out details about Mara.

On the drive home, we talk about how lively, eclectic and animated the city seems to be all the time, and how much we both love living here. He pulls up in front of my house and turns off the engine, but leaves the radio playing softly in the background. He turns in his seat to face me.

“Dinner was great. Thank you, Bryce.”

“What made it great was the company,” he says.

“Even with all the probing?”

“I like probing,” he says in that sensuous way as he has, as he interlaces our fingers.

“I’m glad you answered my questions,” I say.

“I’m an open book. I told you my secrets. Next time, it’s your turn.”

“One day, but I don’t view them as secrets.” Am I trying to convince Bryce, or myself?

“I want you to know you can trust me.”

“I’m beginning to,” I answer honestly.

“There’s so much I want to share and experience with you. You’re worth the wait.” He can turn me on with just words or a look.

At that moment, “Just Kiss” comes on and we sit and gaze into each other’s eyes. Lyrics have the ability to convey strong meanings and emotions when we can’t find the words ourselves. Taking my hand in his, we lean in at the same time, his warm breath close to my mouth. Our lips meet in a soft, and sensual kiss, which rocks me to my core. He stops and looks into my eyes like he’s searching for something.

“We’ll take it slow and I’ll give you as much time as you need.”

Our mouths seek each other, and I feel a tremor quake through my entire body. Everything about him intoxicates me. His natural scent mixed with his cologne, the taste of his soft lips against mine, the feel of his hands as they caress my skin. His body. His mind. His words. How can he do this to me? I want to wrap my arms around him and pull him close to me. I want to wrap my legs around him and pull him into me. I’m aching. I want him so much. Plain and simple, I want this man. I want him inside me. I want his mouth to be mine. I want us to melt into each other.

The song ends, but our kiss continues, his mouth on mine, neither wanting to break the spell of this intimate, precious moment. Finally, I move my lips against his left cheek and whisper, “It’s late. I should go inside.”

Reluctantly, he pulls away from me. We sit for a moment, looking deep into each other’s eyes, neither of us wanting to make the first move. We both smile at the same time and open the car doors. As we walk toward the porch, he takes my hand in his, kisses my palm then intertwines his fingers in mine.

We’re all over each other like teenagers and all of my senses are awakened. His hands grab my ass, holding me against his body, his hard erection begs for release. I don’t care if the neighbors are watching. I don’t care if we end up on the news. All I care about is this out of control burning lust, fueling my desire.

Feeling bold I ask, “Do you want to come in?”

He lets out an agonizing groan. “As much as I want to, I have to say no.” It takes a second but I feel the sting of rejection. He swipes a curl away from my forehead letting his fingers trail down the side of my face. “I want you so much Ali, but I want our first time together to be intimate. Alone. Not that I don’t like your roommate . . .” I follow his line of sight and only then do I notice Steven’s car.

“Tonight’s been perfect. Thank you for being honest, for everything. When we kissed, I think the earth moved.”

“Considering where we live, it’s a possibility,” he laughs. He leans down, his lips close to my ear, and without touching me, he whispers, “Until next time,” his voice, velvety and husky at the same time, penetrates and heats my soul to its depth.

The sensation of him being so close, but not touching me, is overwhelming. He lightly brushes his lips across mine and I shiver as the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I turn from him and go inside, leaning against the closed door. My mind is reeling. What was it about that kiss that made it so different from the others? The fresh images flash through my mind as I touch my lips where, just moments ago, his mouth had been.