Her face falls just a little bit. “They died in an accident when I was very young. A car accident.”

  “Oh, that’s a real shame.” I barely know what to say here. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  She offers me a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s not the worst. Some people had much harder lives than me. At least I know that they cared about me before they died. It isn’t always the case, believe me.”

  “I bet. It must have been hard to grow up in an orphanarium.”

  “I guess, but I got some strength from it as well. It’s made me who I am. Not that I really am anyone at present… I don’t know if I’ve exactly made my parents proud at this moment.”

  “Oh, I bet you have! Look at you, walking away from something that makes you unhappy.”

  “I’m not out of the woods yet, I still have a long way to go. Lots of fight to suffer. He won’t make it easy.”

  “But you’ll get there. You will. I know it might seem a long way right now, but you will.”

  She smiles at me, soaking in the reassurance like a sponge. “Thank you so much. With your help, I will.”

  “Yeah, you will.” I wonder if the time is right to show her the pictures I have of her husband kissing another woman, but I guess there isn’t any point. She knows what he’s like, I’ll go through it when I have some more to show her. “I do have the ball rolling on everything, I hope you know that.”

  “Oh, I trust you. You don’t need to worry about that. You’re a great lawyer.”

  I want to let her in just a little bit more, so she understands me and why I do what I do. I don’t usually make this public knowledge because I don’t need my clients to know, but with Nova, I want to be vulnerable.

  “You know, my mom was in an abusive relationship… with my father.”

  “She was?” Nova looks a little nervous as she asks this. “I didn’t realize that.”

  “Yes, he was very violent to her, it was awful. But she got help. I presume from a charity, a bit like the one who referred you to me, and she managed to escape him.”

  “Wow, that’s incredible, she must be a very brave woman. You must be really proud of her. And she must be proud of you too. All the hard work you do to help other people just like your mom.”

  “I am. She is, and you are too. You’re breaking free from it.”

  “I just hope I survive it alright. Where is your mom now? Is she much better these days?”

  “She’s living in Paris with a man she loves very much, so she had a happy ever after in the end.”

  Nova nods slowly. I wonder if she’s envisioning something similar for herself. I can’t stop myself from wondering if I’m in that image in her mind, even though I know I definitely shouldn’t think that way.

  “So, where would you like to live or visit in the world? If you could go anywhere?”

  “Ooh, I don’t know, that’s a good question.” She takes a big swig of her drink. “Maybe Japan. I’ve always wanted to go there. And Hawaii as well. That’s supposed to be very beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Hawaii is somewhere that I haven’t been either, but I’ve always wanted to. Those white beaches, the blue skies, the hot sun… it’s like a dream place, isn’t it? The ultimate fantasy vacation.”

  “Ever since I watched Lilo and Stitch, that’s where I’ve wanted to go,” she laughs. “So, yeah, I know what you mean. It really is a dream come true… or it would be if I could ever get there.”

  Again, I have to quash my natural instinct to offer to take her. I don’t want to push and freak her out. I have to force myself not to behave like I want to because it’s not what she needs.

  “Ah, I see. I now know what caliber of movie you like! Animated aliens.”

  “Oh, well what movies do you like, if you’re so cultured?”

  This leads to an animated conversation about our favorite movies and books, and as it turns out we have a surprising amount in common. There are a lot of differences as well which make for some very amusing arguments, but the things we share are awesome. The more we chat and drink, the more we laugh and share things, the deeper I tumble, the more my head spins. She’s really doing something to me.

  “You make me laugh, Nova, you really do. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.”

  “No,” she replies quietly. “I haven’t met anyone like you either.” She parts her lips and I wonder if she’s going to say something to kick things up a notch. There is definitely something floating between us that neither of us has directly acknowledged quite yet… “Would you like some dessert?” she asks instead. “It’s chocolate.”

  “Oh, sure that sounds amazing, but I don’t know if I have any room.”

  “I’ve been baking, you have to try what I’ve made.”

  “Yeah, I will.” I rub my stomach. “Let’s do it. Chocolate sounds delicious.”

  I’m disappointed, but I nod. She was brave enough to say what she did yesterday. She basically made the first step, I can’t exactly expect her to do the same again. I watch as she sidles into the kitchen, shaking her ass as she goes. I don’t even think she knows how tempting she is, how beautiful she is, how much sex appeal she holds. She’s so sweet, so cute, things not normally associated with being sexy, but she manages to cover that as well.

  13

  Nova

  “So, the food was okay then?” I ask anxiously as Zane finally puts his fork down. “The cake was okay?”

  “It was amazing. Honestly, I think it’s the best cake that I’ve ever eaten.”

  I know that he’s just saying it to make me feel nice, but it works. It does really boost my spirits. So does the way he’s looking at me. His piercing blue eyes makes my inside shiver with anticipation. I want him again, I know it. Sleeping together once can just be a ‘getting it out of my system’ type of deal, but another time it might be dangerous. That doesn’t dull my need though, I just want him more. I’m almost out of control.

  “This wine is lovely as well.” I raise the glass. “So, thank you for that as well.”

  “Shall we head into the living room? Put on a movie or something?”

  “Sounds perfect. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a movie.”

  “I don’t know if I have any animated ones though, which is a real shame.”

  “Hmmm, well I guess I’ll just have to cope then. You do need to buy some for next time though.”

  “You think there’s going to be a next time?” he asks teasingly. “I like the sound of that.”

  Zane holds out his hand to me and I take it without even thinking. It’s just so natural for us to hold hands like we’re a couple. It’s as if his hand was made exactly for mine. I love the way he can be affectionate with me, it’s not something that I’m used to, and that makes it much more special.

  It’s so weird how two days with Zane feels more real than years spent with Jeremy.

  We take a seat on the couch and he put his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him. I go willingly, snuggling happily under his arm pit. There’s a movie on the TV, I can see and hear it, but none of it’s going in. I’m too acutely aware of every inch of Zane’s body. The masculine smell he emits, the heat of him, the way that his finger is trailing up and down my arm, brushing over my skin. It’s hard for me not to shiver, but I’m really trying my best not to show any physical reaction to him because it might make him stop.

  “Do you want another drink?” Zane practically whispers. “It looks like you’re done.”

  I definitely don’t, my head is spinning enough. I don’t need to add more booze to that. Right now, I’m in the happy, comfortable and almost tipsy stage, which is absolutely perfect for me.

  “Not wine. Can I have some water, please?”

  He takes the glass from me and keeps it aside. I can’t drag my eyes away from him as I watch him leave. I soak in the sight of his tight butt, his broad frame, the thick muscles in his shoulders… plus the way he makes me feel. Around him, I’m a blooming flower, I’m worthy, I’m attractive. The space dust exploding in my stomach is almost too much, especially when it fizzles all the way down to my core. I squeeze my thighs together, trying hard to block that feeling well before I end up doing something crazy again, but it only makes it worse.

  When he comes back into the room, he’s wearing a smile so bright it lights up the whole place. I can’t help but join in. Zane is a ray of sunshine, and I’m used to living in the midst of a storm.

  “Here we are. Water. I put some ice cubes in it. I hope you like ice.”

  “Thank you, that’s really nice of you.” Such a small gesture, but a touching one to me.

  After a sip, I realize that all I can hear is my heart beating. It’s pounding so loudly in my ears and throat, almost consuming me entirely. I wonder if Zane can hear it too…

  “I’m sorry,” Zane announces, shocking me from my thoughts. “I just have to do this…”

  He stuns me completely by curling his hand around my cheek and pulling to me for a kiss. His soft lips send me flying, the way he presses them gently into mine is phenomenal. The kiss is even better than last night, there’s something even more special about it. Maybe it’s because it isn’t hurried, and it definitely can’t be construed as a reaction to anything. This is simply us expressing our feelings for one another.

  “Should we talk about what’s going on here?” he asks me quietly.

  “I don’t know, should we…” I shrug, all coy now. “Or should we just enjoy it?”

  “Are you okay with that? I don’t want to do something you aren’t comfortable with.”

  God, this is amazing, of course I’m comfortable with it. I just don’t know if talking is a good idea because we’ll end up having to cover things with Jeremy and I don’t want to talk about him right now.

  “I want this.” I tug him closer to me. “Trust me, I know what I want here.”

  “Good.” His eyes run all over my face. “That’s all I need to hear.”

  He rises from his chair and then holds out his hands towards me. I take it, happily and willingly allowing him to pull me up too. Then he pulls me back to him and we kiss once more.

  “You have no idea how happy that makes me, Nova. I just want you to be happy.”

  “You do.” I nod encouragingly. “You do make me feel happy…you have no idea.”

  I fall back against the wall and the kiss intensifies. His hands work up into my hair and mine run up and down the length of his back. We take the time to touch each other all over and I love exploring his body. His muscles leave me gasping, panting, desperate for more. I need to feel him inside me again.

  Spur of the moment, I slide my back down the wall, pinned between Zane and the hardness behind me. I grip his thighs as I fall to the ground, glad to be trapped in this sexy trap, it makes my entire body throb with need. As I fiddle with the zip on his trousers, Zane’s hands slap against the wall above me.

  “Oh, Nova.” His voice rasps with need. “You’re killing me here.”

  His erection springs free, almost knocking against my cheek. I can’t help but groan gleefully. From this angle, he looks even bigger than I remember which is a very pleasant surprise. I grip him between my fingers, holding him for a moment before I slowly glide my hand up and down his thick length.

  “Nova.” His face contorts in pleasure with each movement. “Oh, that feels so good.”

  My other hand almost reaches between my legs to touch my own slick heat. I’m pulsing, needy, gagging for him. But before I do that and lose my head, I blow a hot breath down his length to test the waters. Again, he calls out my name, seducing me, torturing me because he isn’t inside me yet.

  I can’t hold back anymore, my mouth is full of saliva, I desperately need to taste him. I wrap my lips tightly around him and suck him all the way into the back of my throat. He tastes salty and sweet, it’s delicious.

  As I drag my lips up and down him, he feels more mine than ever before.

  “Oh, fuck, this is too much. This is too much…”

  He knots his fingers up in my hair and guides my rhythm. I flicked my tongue all over him, which judging by the agonizing grunts that fly out of his mouth, he likes. I love causing that sound, I adore him desiring me.

  “No, stop…” he eventually pulls me off him. “I can’t… I want to…”

  I would be frustrated, but he doesn’t give me a moment. He scoops me up into his arms and he carries me into his kitchen. He sits me back on the table where we ate meal just few moments before. My thighs part, inviting him inside, and he presses his thick erection against my panties.

  “You have no idea what you do to me,” he growls with his hand protectively on the back of my neck. His eyes flash with thick desire, it creates powerful butterflies. “You drive me crazy. You’re just so… perfect.”

  “Perfect?” I scoff. “Not a chance in hell. I’m the furthest thing from it.”

  “To me, you are.”

  I kind of see it. He really seems to feel that way which is crazy. This is a whirlwind, we’re caught up in something so powerful that it whips like crazy around us. It’s out of our control, but we don’t want to control it. I’m more than happy to just go with it and it seems that Zane is too. Regardless of the consequences.

  His fingers curl around the waistband of my panties and he yanks them down, grazing the sensitive skin at the top of my thighs as he does. I squeal desperately, shuddering with need.

  Zane’s mouth connects with my throat, his tip teases my entrance, but it isn’t enough. I arch my back, trying to roll my hips towards him, needing every damn inch of him.

  “I need you,” I beg while clawing at him back. “Don’t tease me, I can’t handle it.”

  “You need me? God, it feels good to hear you say that.”

  “Then give me what I want!”

  I grab his butt and pull him into me. Thankfully, he doesn’t need any more convincing, he comes willingly, filling me up. I damn near explode with bliss as he does. I can feel words and sounds vibrating in my throat with every intense thrust, but I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m flying high, soaring above myself, swimming in the pleasure. The tingles race through my veins, the butterflies transform to birds, I cave to every bit of the sensations he’s giving me. My nails pierce his skin, I can only feel him, Zane is the only thing connecting me to the planet…

  Then the orgasm hits me hard, like a powerful tsunami, and it washes over me in waves. I crumble and buckle through the pleasure, loving Zane more than I should with every fiber within me. My cells explode like fireworks, I scream loudly, my chest vibrating with every delightful moment. Especially when Zane’s body succumbs to the bliss too, and we share some of the powerful releases together. I never want this to end…

  Bleep, bleep.

  “Oh, God, is that my phone?” I pull apart from Zane reluctantly, never wanting to leave his embrace, and grab it. “Might as well pop to the bathroom now I’ve moved. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll get us something to drink. More ice water...”

  I shoot him a smile, almost forgetting about the message until I open it, which means I’m alone when I see the words that my husband has so carefully crafted for me. The number might not be the one I know, but the words are.

  Unknown Number: I’m coming for you.

  Then, attached, is a picture of Zane’s business card that the women’s charity gave me in the first place, which he must have found in the stuff I left behind. I glance backward, wondering if I should tell him and ruin this magical evening. I don’t want to, but maybe it’s for the best.

  Unknown Number: Keep this warning to yourself, or there’s no telling what will happen.

  Oh God, maybe I shouldn’t. Perhaps I need to figure out a way to deal with Jeremy myself, I’m the one who knows him best after all. Or I should, being his wife. This divorce would also end things quicker too, so I could always focus on that. Then I can be free to live my life without him…

  14

  Zane

  The loud knock at my office door alerts me to something new. This isn’t a typical visit from one of my clients, nor is it my receptionist. It’s bad, I can just tell. I get an immediate ice-cold sensation in my gut. I bolt into a standing position, waiting to see who the hell is going to burst through that door. Memories of the message run through my brain, the threats from some unknown source, someone very annoyed by me.

  “Who… who is it?”

  The door bursts open, and in come the police, complete with uniforms, guns, and dogs.

  “Zane Black?” I nod mutely. “We have a warrant to search your office…”

  “What?” I throw my hands in the air in confusion. “What the hell are you going to search my office for?”

  “Drugs.”

  The officer lets the dogs roam free and the sniff everywhere around. This is ridiculous like a nightmare come true, I don’t even know what I’m seeing, my brain can’t process it.

  “What are you talking about? Why would there be drugs here?”

  “We’ve had reports that you are involved in the Vegas drug ring.”

  “The Vegas what?” This cannot be happening! “Drug ring? I don’t know any drug ring.”

  The officer sighs and stares at me like I’m a piece of dirt under his shoe. “We have had multiple complaints about you and your business. You are a known associate of shady people…”

  “What shady people? I don’t know any shady people. That isn’t me. I’m a lawyer, a well-known lawyer who works with the local women’s charity. I don’t have any time to get involved with shady people.”

  “The amount of times we hear from criminals that they ‘don’t have time’ is ridiculous.”

  “But I don’t, just look at my schedule.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Black, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

  I want to argue, there are so many things that I want to say, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea to argue, so I force my head to hang low and I exit my office. My blood burns hotly through my body, taking a very angry temper with it. I just don’t understand where this has all of a sudden come from. I haven’t ever had trouble with the law before, because I’ve never done anything to invite it in. So, why now?