Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1) (23 page)

When I walked out of the bathroom Alec was sitting on the bed, his arms crossed, his foot tapping. “It’s about damn time,” he snapped.

“Seriously, Alec,” I snapped back. “What’s your problem?”

Alec looked up, deep wrinkles lining his forehead. When he noticed me, he looked away but it was too late. I’d already seen the torment in his eyes. “He was here, baby. And he wasn’t just here to hurt you either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The security team uncovered a stash of drugs hidden in the stairwell. It contained enough ketamine…” He pulled his hand through his hair. “He was here to kill you.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “I’m sorry, Alec. I should’ve listened to you.”

Quickly getting to his feet, Alec pulled me into his arms. “Yes, you should’ve, but we’ll deal with that later. Right now we need to get you out of here.”

“Where are we going?” I asked when we got to the airport. Alec said he was taking me home but we’d driven to the here instead.

“Oh no, Isabella, I’m not about to trust you with that information right now.”

I folded my arms. “I said I was sorry, Alec. I have a right to know where you’re taking me.”

“Are you pouting, Isabella?”

Shaking my head, I stared out the window. Mr. Control Freak was back in full force now, but was I really about to get on a plane with him without knowing where we were going? Without telling anyone I was even leaving?

Before I had a chance to fully consider what I was doing, Alec was escorting me aboard the plane. A woman with short, black hair was waiting to greet us. She looked surprisingly similar to Ms. Jet Black, but I couldn’t be sure it was her. “Welcome aboard,” she said in a kind, soft voice, and I knew at that moment that it wasn’t her.

“Thank you, Tina. Did you bring the contracts I asked for?”

She handed him a manila envelope. “Yes, sir.”

Alec helped me into a seat then sat down beside me. Emptying the contents of the envelope, he quickly flipped through the pages, initialing each one as he went. After signing in a few places, he handed both the packet and envelope back to Tina. “Dinner?”

“As you requested, sir.”

“Excellent. That’ll be all.”

Tina nodded. “Thank you, sir. Have a safe flight.” Alec nodded too then Tina moved toward the exit.

“Bye,” I called out before she stepped through the exit.

Turning to face Alec, I asked, “Now will you tell me where we’re going?”

“Buckle up, Isabella. We’re about to take off.”

“I want to know where you’re taking me first.”

He took my hand in his. “You can’t always get what you want, Isabella.” He was using my words against me yet again. Rolling my eyes, I complained, “
Ugh
! That’s not fair! I have a right to know where you’re taking me.”

Leaning toward me, Alec kissed me on the cheek, a smile on his face. “Did you just roll your eyes at me?” He didn’t wait for me to answer before continuing. “I guess I have to punish you now.” I bit my lip, nervous and excited all at the same time.

• • • • •

“Would you like another glass of wine, Ms. James?” The flight attendant asked.

Alec shook his head. “No. Bring her a pillow and a blanket.”

“Yes, Mr. Payne.” She took our dinner plates and    disappeared behind the partition.

“But I wanted another glass.”

“Later, baby.” He kissed me on the forehead. “You should rest now. You’re going to need your strength later.” My insides began to tingle as I considered what he could possibly have in store for me later.

The flight attendant quickly returned with the pillow and blanket Alec requested. Resigned to his decision, I reclined my seat and closed my eyes, too exhausted to argue with Alec anyway.

My mind began to drift. What am I going to do with you, Isabella? I’ll make you think, ‘yes sir’. Why do you defy me? What’s mine is mine, Bella. You are mine. Pain, there was so much pain. That smell, alcohol, tobacco, and gardenias? I couldn’t breathe.

“Wake up, Isabella.” My eyes flew open, my heart racing. Alec. He was shaking me gently. “Fasten your seatbelt, baby. We’re about to land.”

I had no idea how long I’d been asleep or where we were landing but I was beyond thankful that it had only been a dream.

Alec led me off the plane and straight to the waiting car. The airport was unfamiliar and provided no clues to our whereabouts other than the humid air. We were close to the water. The question was where.

When everyone was securely buckled into their seats, Preston pulled the car away from the airport. My heart began to race as the realization set in. I’d put my life in the hands of this man, this man I’d known for such a short time. I let him fly me away to some unknown place. No one even knew where I was. What if he was the psycho that had been trying to hurt me? He said he wanted to punish me. And he was so mad at me when he found out I’d told Spencer where we were. My breathing quickened at that thought.

The warmth of Alec’s hand rested on my leg and it made me jump. “Are you okay?”

Forcing a smile, I nodded, but on the inside I was anything but fine. Was I safe? Could I trust him? I’d trusted him so far, and he hadn’t let me down, but what if he’d been lying to me this whole time? Spencer lied to me. What if getting me alone was Alec’s plan all along? I stared out the window, my body trembling.

The car came to a stop in front of a large iron gate. Preston typed in a code, and slowly but surely, the gate began to open. I rolled down my window to take in the night air as we drove down the long palm tree lined driveway. The sky was dark, making it difficult to see much, but I heard the unmistakable sound of water breaking on the shore. And when I breathed in the salty air I was immediately reminded of home.

Preston pulled around the circle drive, coming to a stop in front of an enormous three story house. Alec helped me out of the car then led me up the stairs to the front door.

“Welcome home,” Alec whispered in my ear.

“Home?” I asked, confusion clouding my mind. He’d told me he lived in New York, plus there was the condo in Tampa. Did he own a beach house too?

“You said you missed your beach. So I rented you this house for the summer.”

My mouth dropped open. He’d rented me a house on the beach. When? Where? How? The questions spun through my mind, but before I could gather my thoughts enough to ask the front door opened, and a woman I’d never seen before stepped out.

“Good evening, Mr. Payne.”

“Mrs. Peters,” he replied warmly. “This is Ms. James.”

She pulled me into a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ms. James.”

I wondered how long she’d been waiting, and how she even knew who I was, but I didn’t ask. I’d been too busy trying to wrap my head around what Alec had just said.
Home?
Not a hotel but a home, a gorgeous house on the beach. “Please, call me Izzy,” I said, finally recovering my voice. A silent smile crossed her face.

Alec led me inside, Mrs. Peters close behind. We walked through a huge foyer and into an oversized great room. Three large sofas arranged in a U shape filled the space with a chair on each side of the stone fireplace. Floor-to-ceiling windows on the outside wall offered an amazing view of the moonlight as it danced on top of the waves. I paused to take in all in.

He tugged my arm. “This way, baby.”

We came to a stop in the house’s state of the art kitchen, all stainless steel and marble. Mrs. Peters wasn’t far behind. “Would you like something to eat, sir?”

“No thanks, Kim. We had dinner on the plane.”

“Is there anything you need before I turn in then?”

“No, I’ve got it from here.”

“Very good, sir, enjoy your evening.” Flashing a smile in my direction, Kim disappeared through a door at the back of the kitchen, leaving us in the room alone.

Alec pulled a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. I recognized the label immediately. It was the Riesling he ordered at Oishi the day we met. When he removed two wine glasses from one of the cabinets, I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been here before. He seemed too comfortable with the surroundings, seemingly knowing where everything was—the kitchen, the wine, the glasses.

Without saying a word, he led me back to the great room and through a sliding glass door that opened to the pool deck. We walked down a paver covered path, past the pool, and toward the sound of the ocean, stopping just before we reached the water’s edge.

“Sit,” he commanded, the tone in his voice all business now. I hesitated but only for a quick second. The sand was soft beneath me. It felt like home.

Alec sat beside me and propped the two glasses up in the sand, filling each one with the wine he took out of the refrigerator. He handed me a glass. “Drink,” he commanded.

There was no hesitation that time. I lifted the glass and took a long drink, doing my best to calm the anxiety that was building. I’d forgotten how good it tasted, maybe too good. I took another drink, adding just the right amount of courage. “Why did you bring me here?” I asked.

Alec sipped from his glass, his wicked grin slowly returning to his face. “Because you miss your home, because I want you to be happy.” He took another sip. “It’s the same reason I moved you to the Sandestin, to keep you safe, to protect you.” He shook his head as if trying to clear some awful memory. “But you compromised your own safety by disobeying me.”

Great. Not that again. I emptied my glass, the liquid courage taking immediate effect. “How many times do I have to apologize for that, Alec? I said I was sorry, and I meant it.”

“Well, I said I was going to punish you, and I meant that.”

“Oh, you’re very funny, Alec Payne.”

“That may be, Isabella, but I still intend to spank you.”

What?
my inner voice snapped. He couldn’t be serious. Could he? Gently, he took the glass out of my hand and set it upright in the sand then lunged toward me. Before I knew what was happening, I was lying in the sand, my arms pinned above my head, Alec’s body pressed to mine.

He placed a soft kiss on my lips. “I’m really going to enjoy this, Isabella,” he whispered, his breath brushing over my lips. My sex tingled, excitement and fear simultaneously rushing through me.

In one swift move Alec rolled over me and was sitting on the sand with me sprawled across his lap. “I’m going to spank you now, baby.” His voice was gruff, not at all the playful Alec of just a few seconds ago. I tried to squirm free, but he held me firmly in place then swatted me on the butt.

“Ouch,” I cried out, half laughing. He hit me again, then again. “That hurts,” I protested, but truthfully it didn’t hurt that bad. He swatted me again. That one really did hurt. “Alec! You’re hurting me.” Another swat.

“It’s a spanking, Isabella. It’s supposed to hurt.” Again and again he continued. Eventually, I stopped squirming, using all my energy instead to absorb the sensation. Pain mixed with pleasure, an erotic sensation I’d never felt before. When he finally stopped, my breathing was so ragged I could barely move.

“The next time you roll your eyes at me, I’m going to spank you even harder, and not for your pleasure either, Isabella. Do you understand me?”

Still breathless, I couldn’t speak. Alec swatted me again. “Answer me.”

“Yes,” I panted. Another swat. “Yes what?”

“Yes, sir.”

He helped me off his lap onto the sand beside him. I winced when my butt hit the ground. “I hope you remember that feeling should you decide to roll your eyes at me again.” I sat silently, stunned by what just happened but more so about how turned on I was.

Alec refilled my wine glass and handed it to me. “We’re on Siesta Key,” he said. “And I expect you to keep that to yourself this time.”

We’re in Florida. A smile crossed my face. At least I was close to home.

Alec wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tucked me into his side. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“You needed a good spanking did you?”

My cheeks heated. “Well, probably, but that’s not what I meant.” I crossed my arms, feigning insult.

“I’ll be happy to put you back over my knee if you want to pout, Isabella.”

Quickly, I uncrossed my arms, my butt still stinging. “I meant thank you for this.” I waved my hand toward the house, the beach, the ocean. “Thank you for protecting me, for caring about me, for everything you’ve done for me, for my kids, even for Spencer. Alec, I can’t thank you enough.”

“I told you, Isabella, anything for you.”

We sat in silence for a long while, enjoying the sound of the water as it crashed against the shore and the warmth of Alec’s embrace. “I liked spanking you,” Alec said out of nowhere. “And I can’t wait to do it again.”

“So you’re expecting me to defy you?”

“No, I expect you to do as I ask, to trust that I’m only looking out for your safety.” He kissed me hard on the mouth. “That spanking wasn’t because you disobeyed me. It was for rolling your eyes at me, but don’t think I’ve forgotten about you telling Spencer where you were after I specifically told you not to.”

The thought of me lying across Alec’s lap while he spanked me again made me squirm. What did it say about me that it turned me on?

“It seems like you enjoyed that a little too much. I guess I’ll have to do a better job next time.”

“You didn’t want me to enjoy it?”

“Yes. And no.” That wicked grin returned. “I went easy on you this time, but you won’t be so lucky the next time.” Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I rolled my eyes in an exaggerated fashion, liquid courage hard at work. Alec kissed me hard on the mouth then pulled away. “Keep it up and I’ll use a belt to make sure you understand how serious I can be.” My whole body stiffened, thoughts of my nightmares, those images, came rushing in faster than the tide that was about to wash over us.