Unyielding (Tortured Love Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter Seven

Merrick woke to his damn phone chirping. It was Dean, asking him when the hell he planned on coming to the office to finish transferring the company. “Hang on a minute.” Merrick put the phone on the nightstand and glanced around.

What the hell time was it?

He heard voices, so he shrugged on his sweatpants and followed them. Three members of his security team were in the dining room, eating breakfast. When they realized he was in the room, they shot him guilty looks.

“Sorry, boss,” said Deke. “We all got hungry. The front desk said to call down when you want breakfast and they’ll send it right up.”

“Call down for me then.”

“Sure thing.”

Merrick returned to his room and was about to step under the shower spray when he remembered Lynda.
Fuck
. He turned off the water and went across the hall into her room. His heart nearly stopped. The room was empty. No Lynda, no luggage, and no sign that anyone had slept here last night.

He turned around, intending to return to his security staff, but Leo was already behind him. “She was up three hours ago. Said she needed to transfer the company this morning, and asked someone to drive her to your attorney’s office. Sounded legit, so Nate drove her. Did we fuck up?”

Merrick ran a hand through his hair then realized how that looked, so he put on his neutral face. He had a lot of practice doing so, but under these circumstances it took extra concentration. “No. No, you didn’t. I’ll need that breakfast to go. And lots of coffee.”

When he returned to his room, he realized he’d left Dean on the phone. The call was disconnected, so he texted Dean, saying he was on the way, and to have Lynda wait for him. Merrick took a long shower to collect his thoughts, and to try to wash away the scent from their lovemaking. Though he had a pretty damn good idea already that a shower would never erase last night from his memory.

He’d never had sex like that, and he meant no disrespect to Theresa’s memory. But Lynda had shocked him with her responsiveness and her capacity for orgasm. Was there any feeling more powerful in the entire fucking world than making a woman come? She’d had three or four, by his count, though there hadn’t been much blood left in his brain by the end so he might have imagined that last one.

When he’d first tried to enter her and realized he was hurting her, he’d felt like shit. He hadn’t been thinking. She was so damn sexy and
alive
, he’d just tried to force his way in instead of remembering how long it had been for her.

But then it was better once he’d helped her relax. And it kept on getting better the longer he held back his own climax. Next time, he’d use lube and a condom so he could fuck her in that round ass.

He wondered if she’d mind being spanked. He wanted to hold her down against the bed or a table or something, and paddle that fucking gorgeous ass until it was red. Then he’d fuck her into next week.

Damn.
His cock was ready right now, but that would have to wait. He had a company to acquire. Obviously that was the only thing on her mind as well, because she hadn’t bothered to wait until he was up this morning to take off for Dean’s office. She wanted to take care of it right away. Had Todd called her, or was this her own doing?

Well, what did you expect? She knows that’s why you married her. This was what you wanted.

So why did he feel so conflicted over it? Why couldn’t he seem to forget the look on her face when he asked if she wanted him to sleep in his own room? What had
that
been about? Had she wanted him to stay there? No. Why would she? She wasn’t in this for the romance. She was in it for the money, right?

Mulling over her response brought back the memory of what he’d almost said. He’d almost told her he didn’t do romance, at least not anymore. He’d almost let something about Theresa slip out. He’d have to be careful. In his defense, he’d had very little blood in his brain at the time, but still. She wasn’t stupid. She’d pick up on it if he kept slipping up like that.

Once his shower was done, Merrick got dressed then asked Leo to pack for him. He wolfed down some food and coffee, then nodded in appreciation as Deke handed him a full cup of coffee in a Styrofoam cup. The three men were more than his head security detail. They doubled as valets, errand runners, and anything else he needed. He trusted them with his life.

It was nice to be back in his own car again instead of the rented limo from yesterday, but he swore he could smell Lynda’s perfume. She’d never been in here, so the smell must be in his head. The woman was already under his skin, and he didn’t understand why. It’s not like he’d never had sex before and then left in the morning, or sometimes that same night, and simply went on with his life.

Sure, this was different because he was married to her, but that didn’t mean he had to act like a lovesick teen. He didn’t do romance. Not anymore. Not since Theresa.

Merrick began to feel like his usual self as soon as the car pulled up outside the building that housed the firm where Dean was a senior partner. He was used to working on Sundays, as was Dean, so it seemed perfectly normal to stroll into the building and toward the bank of elevators today.

He inhaled the familiar scents of polished wood and floor cleaner, and then took another long inhale once the doors opened on the tenth floor. Yes. Everything here was well-known to him, and none of it reminded him of the way Lynda had looked with her blonde hair spread out on that pillow. The dark leather furniture looked nothing like her big blue eyes, gazing up at him with lust and awe as he fucked her silly.

The pictures of sailboats and polo ponies that adorned the walls didn’t resemble that plump, luscious ass as he slammed into her from behind. And the tasteful brass plaque on Dean’s door, indicating whose office it guarded, had nothing to do with her voice, so full of passion and surrender.

He burst inside, half expecting Lynda to be gone, but she wasn’t. She stood next to the windows with Dean, talking like they were old friends. Both turned and smiled at him, as if this meeting on a late Sunday morning was the most normal thing in the world.

Lynda looked stunning, clad in a cream-colored blazer and slack set, with just the barest hint of her lavender tank top, peeking out above her cleavage. She wore simple gold jewelry, and matching sandals that showed off her recent pedicure. She had very pretty feet. He hadn’t told her that. He really should have.

Dean walked over and shook his hand. “Well, it’s about time. Your wife called me hours ago, then faxed over the paperwork.” Dean gestured toward the table. “Sit down. Let’s get this done.”

Merrick glanced toward Lynda, who looked cool as a cucumber. “May I speak to you alone for a moment?”

Dean’s gaze faltered. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing. I need a few minutes alone with my wife.”

Dean put up his hands. “Fine by me. It’s your dime.”

Merrick waited until Dean left, mentally laughing at the expression. Dean used it a lot, and it was hysterical because he billed three hundred and fifty dollars an hour for weekend work. Lynda started to speak, but Merrick held up a hand. “Me first. How did you find his number?”

“It’s in your phone.”

He blinked a few times, unsure he’d heard her correctly. “You were in my room and didn’t wake me up?”

“I tried to. You were out pretty deeply.”

Moving closer, he studied her face in the dim light streaming through the blinds. Her eyelids were puffy, and it was now obvious she hadn’t had much sleep. He’d fucked her good and hard her on their wedding night and then left her alone. How long had she been awake?

Nice one, Merrick. First class, all the way.

She wasn’t a casual fling. She was his fucking
wife
. He’d do well to remember that from this point on.

“Did you have the papers with you, then?”

“Yes. There’s a fax machine in the hotel suite.”

Her voice was cold and hard, and her jaw was set. She was really pissed off at him, but this wasn’t the time or place to have a conversation about last night. “Have you eaten breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“Did you not realize I needed to be here to sign as well?” This was very awkward. She wasn’t offering any information, or trying to explain herself. Merrick didn’t like feeling as if he was the one on the wrong end of anything. “You should have waited until I woke so we could come here together.”

She shrugged.
God damn
. She actually shrugged, as if it didn’t matter at all! “Lesson learned. Next time I will.”

It finally hit him that she had no intention of apologizing or offering a reason for her behavior. To belabor the point would make him look childish. “Fine. It’s done. The papers are here and so are we. Let’s finish this.

She smiled, but it was forced. “Okay.”

“Lynda, why didn’t you wait for me?”
Pathetic
. He sounded like he was begging.

“I don’t know, Merrick. I had no ulterior motive. I simply wanted to take care of this because I said I would. I realized once I arrived that you needed to be here, too.”

“Didn’t Dean ask you why we didn’t come together?”

“No, actually, he did not.”

Merrick knew Dean wouldn’t ask. He had too much discretion. “What were you two talking about?”

“Football.”

“Excuse me?”

“We were discussing pro football. Your attorney is a huge Giants fan.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn’t realize you were, though.”

“I’m not. My father is, and I grew up listening to him rant about them.”

He glanced over her outfit again. She really did look nice. “Is that new?”

“I bought it recently, yes.”

So she had it packed in her suitcase. Why? “Where had you planned on wearing it? We didn’t decide to take care of this until last night.”

“I wasn’t sure what we’d do the day after our wedding. Most people go on a honeymoon, so I wanted to be prepared for any occasion.”

Her voice trailed off by the end of the sentence until it was barely above a whisper.
Holy shit.
She had hoped he’d take her somewhere. That’s why she had so much luggage. And that’s why she had such pretty underwear, and this very stylish outfit, packed inside it.

Instead, they were spending the day after their wedding taking care of business matters, and doing a lousy job of making small talk. Merrick had to say something, but he had no clue what. They both turned at the sound of voices in the hall, and Merrick realized he was paying a shitload of money to stand here and feel uncomfortable talking to his wife.

He strode over and opened the door, then asked Dean to come inside. He would talk to Lynda about this later. They had the rest of their lives to talk, and it wouldn’t cost him any money to do so.

Chapter Eight

Lynda couldn’t help gawking as Merrick led her on a tour of the apartment that would now be her home as well. He had a small staff, and they had quarters on the first floor near the service entrance. The main entrance was on the opposite side of the apartment, and it was only accessible by a private elevator that required a code. He explained he changed it every month, and encouraged her to memorize it rather than keeping it written down somewhere.

He had added the cell numbers of his security staff to her phone during the ride from Dean’s office to the apartment, and then asked her if she’d be more comfortable with a female bodyguard.

“Bodyguard?”

“Yes. You need one. But don’t worry. You’ll never know he or she is there.”

“Let me think about that for day or so. I’ll let you know.” Who the hell was this guy that he kept such tight security around him? She hadn’t realized it would be like this.

The décor in the apartment was a bit dark and brooding for her taste, but nothing was so outrageous she had the impression he threw away money. Rather, it exuded a taste for fine things and very comfortable surroundings, but not to the point of extravagance.

The main entrance boasted a curved ceiling, adorned with decorative gold tiles. To the right was another hallway that led to the kitchen, and behind that room were the staff quarters, back staircase, and the service entrance. To the left of the main entrance was a great room with a two-story ceiling and an entire wall of windows, overlooking the park.

Lynda wandered over to the grand piano in the corner and picked out a quick tune. “Do you play?”

He smiled. “I used to, but not so much these days. Obviously you do.”

“Not as often as I wish I could.”

“Well you can now. Every day if you want.”

Yes, she could. Although she’d need to leave a trail of breadcrumbs when she walked through this place the first few times or she’d never find her way back.

Next to the great room was the dining room, with seating for thirty people. Beyond that was a library. The smell reminded her of the library at Columbia, and Lynda was impressed with his collection of books. “Have you read them all?”

“No, I don’t think so. I’m not in here very often.”

“You don’t play the piano anymore, you don’t read for pleasure—what do you do for fun?”

“I’ll show you. Follow me.”

He led her to the back of the apartment, near the staff quarters. Across from them was yet another hallway, and this one led to a full bath plus a workout room. Her jaw dropped. The city skyline was spread out below, viewed through three walls of windows.

“No one can see inside,” he said. “The glass is specially tinted. In fact, the entire apartment is like that. You could walk around in here naked with all the lights on, and even with a telescope, no one in the neighboring buildings would be able to see you.”

“I’ll have to remember that.” She walked slowly around the perimeter of the room, touching the free weights, the cardio machines, a squat rack, and other weight machines with which she was only vaguely familiar.

She stopped in front of two hanging bags and a rack filled with various gloves and pads. “You’re a boxer.”

“I do a lot of things to stay in shape, but this is my favorite.”

That explained his strength. “Did you ever do it professionally?”

“No. It’s strictly for working out and anger management.”

She forced a smile to her face. “Should I be worried?”

He looked at her as if she’d asked him whether he might consider poisoning her one day. “I’ve never hit a woman, and I never would. You have nothing to fear from me Lynda.”

“I’m sorry. I was only joking, although it probably didn’t come out that way.”

“Thank you for telling me it was a joke.”

They stared at each other for long moments. There were so many conflicting emotions running through her mind. She had made a rash decision this morning to proceed to Dean’s office on her own, and now realized how stupid it had been. Of course he would need to sign the papers as well. She had only been angry from the night before, but that was a childish response. They were two separate issues.

As for last night, she needed time to analyze her response before broaching the subject again. This morning’s escapade, she could take care of right now. “I won’t do that again.” She forced her gaze to stay on those dark, intense eyes. “I mean this morning. Going to Dean’s office without letting you know. It was pointless.”

He looked surprised for a second, then an apologetic expression graced his handsome face. “And I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to be quite so abrupt. I simply thought you should know where I stood, but I should have stayed with you. It was our wedding night.”

Lynda touched the row of boxing gloves again so she had something to hold onto. She was stunned by his words. “Thank you.” She hardly knew what to say. “You were honest about your feelings, and no one should ever have to apologize for that.”

“This is a huge adjustment for both of us.”

Finally! Something they could agree on. “Yes, it is.”

“I want us to communicate with each other, Lynda. Don’t be afraid to tell me anything.”

Was he talking about the little bit she’d confessed about her past, or something else? “I won’t be, but you know it works both ways.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I know.”

There was that edge to his voice again. She’d touched a nerve, but which one? Was there something lurking in his past that he hadn’t told her about? He had a lot of secrets. She imagined there were many things about Merrick Dalton’s life she knew nothing about.

They stood there, staring at each other, as the silence grew awkward for Lynda. Memories from last night crowded in, but she pushed them away. If she let herself think about that, her resolve not to let him have sex with her again would crumble. Why did he have to be so damn good-looking?”

“Would you like to see the rest of the apartment?”

“Yes. Good idea.” At least that would give them something to talk about.

He led her back to the main hallway. “You’ve seen all of the main floor. Off the kitchen is a screened-in balcony, but it’s the staff who mainly use it. They grow a few things out there like tomatoes and herbs.”

They went up the main staircase, which was as elaborate as any she’d seen, and she smiled at all the light in the hallway. An enormous skylight, inlaid with stained glass, spanned most of the length.

“Wow. That is gorgeous.”

“They’re scenes from the Caribbean, my favorite place on earth to visit.”

“I’ve never been there.”

He stopped walking. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. My father is the globe-traipser, not me.”

He watched for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. “Then we should go. We’ll make it a delayed honeymoon.”

She was too stunned to speak.

“Would you like to do that?”

“Yes. I’d love it.”

“Then it’s settled.” They began walking again while Lynda processed what he’d just said. Did he do this on purpose? This flip-flopping, heart-stopping rollercoaster shit?

He stopped before a set of double doors at the end. “This is my suite.” Inside, it was everything she’d expect it to be, and it smelled like him. The scent brought back memories from the night before, and this time it was more difficult to push them away.

How bizarre was this? She was in a marriage for no other reason than the company she’d transferred to him this morning. This apartment was big enough for half a dozen people to live in and never see each other if they so chose. She could do her designs, read until her eyes crossed, and work out as often as she wanted. He probably had instructed the staff to give her anything she wanted to eat, and she had a car plus a bodyguard at her disposal.

If she had grown up embracing all the trappings of this same life her father had offered, his apartment would be perfect. The ultimate luxury. But she had shied away from them on purpose. This wasn’t her. She had simple needs. And whether she wanted to admit it or not, last night her husband had touched a need she had long buried.

He’d awakened passion inside her once more, and Lynda wanted to explore that. She longed to find out whether it was possible one day to get beyond what had happened to her. She’d never seen anyone about it. Maybe she should? But then, she’d have to tell Merrick. She doubted she could have regular appointments with a psychologist and not have him find out.

A sudden urge to tell him everything was strong, so she distracted herself by walking around the room, pretending to look at each item. She barely saw them, except for the bed. It was impossible to ignore. Enormous, it dominated the center of the room. A canopy covered the top, and sheer drapes hung from the four posters, tied around them in a provocative way.

Would he let her sleep in it with him?

“What do you think of my sanctuary?”

The pride in his voice was evident, but it almost made her laugh. It was only a bedroom, for heaven’s sake. “It’s an amazing room.”

“Thank you. When I’m home and working, I have an office up here, too. Let me show you where it is.” She followed him through a narrow hallway and into a large office with plenty of sunlight. “This also opens into the main hallway, and there’s a balcony out here.”

They walked onto it, and Lynda couldn’t stop staring out over the city. It was breathtaking. “Do you come out here a lot?”

“I like to come out here at night, mostly, when the sky is clear.”

She glanced up. Yes, that would be beautiful. Would they walk out here together one evening?

When they went back inside, he showed her where his bathroom was located, and she eyed the sunken tub. That would be fun. It had jets in it, and was surrounded by tiles that matched the scenes in the hallway ceiling. “It looks very relaxing.”

He shocked the hell out of her by stroking her hair. The gesture sent a shiver down her spine, and she almost moaned out loud. “It is. Why don’t you join me in there later?”

She swallowed hard as erotic images raced through her mind. “All right.” So much for refusing to have sex with him again.
You’re an oak. Not.

“Good. Now let me show me your suite. If you don’t care for the decorating, you may change it to suit your tastes.”

And there was the rollercoaster ride of emotions again. Right on time.

She tried hard not to be disappointed. It’s not like he hadn’t told her last night who he was. He’d married her for the company, and now that he knew she’d have sex with him, it would be difficult to take it back off the table.

Lynda followed him down the hall, trying to think of a way to say what she’d decided last night. That it would be a cold day in hell before she’d fuck him again. But she knew she’d end up in that tub with him later, and she knew they’d have sex again. What bothered her more than anything was how much she wanted that.