Page 84 of His to Possess
I wanted to see his composure unravel, to witness the raw passion that lay beneath the icy exterior he so carefully cultivated. I wanted to see the man behind the mask, vulnerable and laid bare by pleasure.
“That’s it, Rex,” I encouraged, pushed back against him. “Let go. I want to feel it.”
I felt his arousal pulse inside me, thick and hot. I wanted to draw it out, make him beg, but my own need was too great. I wanted to feel him come undone, to know that I had reduced him to a state of raw, uncontrolled desire.
“Please, Rex,” I pleaded. “I want to feel you. All of you.”
His response was a harsh cry as he released inside me, his body tensed with the force of his release. His hips shuddered against mine, his breathing was ragged as he spilled himself into me, marked me as his one last time, surrendered completely in a way he rarely did.
His hands released me, became caressing as he buried his face in my neck. I could feel his heart pound against my back. Slowly, he pulled out, his length twitched as he did so, his seed dripped down my thighs. I felt a pang of loss at the absence of his warmth.
His lips pressed one last soft kiss to my shoulder, and I closed my eyes, a smile played on my lips, tried to memorize every sensation, every feeling, every emotion, locked them away preciously.
Still trembling, Rex gently helped me onto the bed. His touch was tender, a stark contrast to the raw passion we had just shared. He pulled a blanket over me, covered my naked body. The care in his actions made my heart ache.
I watched as he turned away, quickly dressed himself. My eyes traced the lines of his body, committed every detail to memory. This was the last time I would see him like this. The thought sent a wave of sorrow through me, settled heavy in my chest.
He turned back to me, his eyes softer than I had ever seen them. There was a vulnerability there that caught me off guard. He moved closer, sat on the edge of the bed.
“Laurel,” he said. “I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you if you are in trouble. No matter what you need, no matter when. You just have to ask.”
His words wrapped around me like a warm embrace. I wanted to reach out, to touch him one last time, but I held back.
“Goodbye, Laurel,” he murmured, his voice filled with a tenderness I had never heard from him before. “Be happy.”
Before I could react, I felt his lips press gently against my cheek. It was a chaste kiss, but it carried more emotion than any passionate embrace we had shared before. The sweetness of the gesture nearly broke me.
I watched as he retrieved his coat from the chair, his movements slow and deliberate. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of relief and an unexpected ache as I realized he was actually leaving. He walked to the door, his tall frame filled the cramped space of my studio one last time.
At the threshold, he paused. His hand rested on the doorknob, and for a moment, I held my breath. Part of me wanted him to turn around, to come back and hold me again. To tell me everything would be okay, that he would fix this mess I had gotten myself into.
But he didn’t.
The seconds stretched out, felt like an eternity. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the slight tremor in his hand as it gripped the doorknob. Was he fighting the same internal battle I was? Did he want to stay as much as I secretly wanted him to?
Just when I thought I couldn’t bear the suspense anymore, he opened the door. Without looking back, he stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him with one soft, dreadful, click.
Chapter 28
Laurel
I dragged myself into the Galerie, my body aching from the sleepless night and the emotional whirlwind of the past twenty-four hours. The weight of Alain's abuse and Rex's bittersweet farewell sat heavy in my chest, making each breath a struggle.
As I scanned the room, relief washed over me when I realized Alain hadn't arrived yet. I exhaled slowly, savoring this brief moment of peace before the storm I knew was coming. My fingers unconsciously traced the bruise on my wrist, a stark reminder of Alain's cruelty.
I settled at my desk, trying to focus on the tasks at hand, but my mind kept drifting. The warmth of Rex's embrace still lingered on my skin, a stark contrast to the cold dread that filled me when I thought of Alain. I wondered if I had made a mistake letting Rex go, if I should have told him the truth about my situation. But what could he have done? This was my mess to clean up.
As I sifted through papers, my eyes constantly darted to the entrance, anxiety spiking with each person who entered. I knew it was only a matter of time before Alain would arrive, and the thought of facing him after last night made my stomach churn.
I thought about the evidence I had gathered so far: scraps of information, inconsistencies in the books, whispered conversations I had overheard in corridors. It wasn't enough, not nearly enough to bring Alain down or free myself from his grasp. The realization that I might have to endure months more of this torment, of his unwanted advances and threats, made me feel hollow inside.
I watched the clock, my heart pounding with each tick. Alain usually arrived late when he had been out with clients the night before. The Galerie was buzzing with activity, but it was all concentrated on the first floor where a new shipment was coming in. My palms grew damp as I weighed my options.
This might be my only chance to access Alain's office for more than a few minutes.
Taking a deep breath, I slipped into his office, closing the door behind me with trembling hands. The room reeked of his cologne, making my stomach turn. I pushed down the nausea and started rifling through his files, my movements frantic but careful. I couldn't leave any trace of my search.
Drawer after drawer yielded nothing useful. Frustration built inside me as I sifted through mundane paperwork and correspondence. Then something caught my eye: a receipt for a storage unit rental, paid for under the Galerie's name.
