Page 60 of The Charmer's Gambit
I picked up my phone and thumbed through the myriad of text messages with a growl.
Glad to see your flight arrived safely. Love you.
Did you get my flowers?
Where are you?
Why are you ignoring me?
The messages went on and on. I read them in a daze until a random photo message appeared from a private number. A short note accompanied it.
He’s still in Chicago. –MK
I studied the photo of Ryan and showed Will. “That’s him outside his building. He’s not in Paris.”
“Did Mark send that to you?”
“Yeah.” I had no idea how he captured the image, but if he said Ryan was still in the United States, then I believed him. “That doesn’t explain the note.” Which left me a little uneasy, but at least my insane ex wasn’t lurking in Paris somewhere.
“You’re sure it’s his handwriting?”
“Absolutely.” His penmanship haunted my nightmares. “He wrote it.” I scrolled through the rest of the messages, looking for anything work related, and turned it off when I found nothing. Not responding to Ryan felt right. He hated it when I ignored him, and usually ramped up his efforts in contacting me as a result, but he couldn’t touch me here. At least not anytime soon. Or maybe ever.
Telling Mark and Will this morning about Ryan was one of the hardest moments of my life, yet confiding in them had changed me on a fundamental level. It hurt at first, a lot, but as the pain subsided, a sense of lightness came over me. My conscience was finally clear, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t alone.
I met Will’s gentle gaze and felt the final piece of ice crack deep inside of my chest. This man, this stubborn, confident man, had set me free. He managed to chip away at my chilly demeanor with his calm consistency. I may have started as a challenge for him, but somewhere along the way, this bond between us grew roots and created something beautiful.
His thumb wiped a tear from my cheek that I hadn’t felt fall. “Rachel . . .”
I pressed my finger to his lips. “Don’t say anything. Please. I need this. I need to feel.” Because I’d gone so long without it. Ryan had terrified me into a level of submission I never quite escaped, until today. Until I picked up my phone and called Mark. Until I confided in Will.
It felt like a lifetime ago even though it was this morning. But this change was a long time coming. The process started when I called off the engagement, but then I sat in a stagnant state until I met Will. He challenged me on a level no one else ever had, and then he’d patiently waited for me toseehim. To understand what could be between us, if I let it.
Despite his endless flirtation, he never pushed me into anything I didn’t want, and was even willing to walk away from me and the firm when he sensed his meddling had gone too far. It pissed me off at the time, but his relentless pursuit relit the fire in my soul, reminded me of who I was, and gave me something worth fighting for. And with it came the courage I needed to finally break Ryan’s control. Because that’s what happened this morning. His initial attack shoved me to the ground, but I picked myself up and decided to help myself instead of wallow, and earned my freedom in the process.
And now, I could feel again.
Wholly.
Completely.
Endlessly.
I wrapped my arms around Will’s neck and went up onto my toes to kiss him. Everything I felt, all the happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and pent-up passion, went from my mouth to his, and he accepted it all. His hand slid into my hair, holding me to him as he returned the favor with his tongue, telling me without words that he understood.
He lifted me off the ground and set me on the table. My knees spread as he stepped between them, bunching my skirt up along the way, and devastated me with his mouth. It hadn’t taken him long to take control, not that I minded. Caving to his commanding touch felt right. He knew what I wanted, what I needed, and I trusted him to take me there.
My legs tingled as he trailed his fingers up the hem of my stockings to the garters. He didn’t unfasten them, but he explored them thoroughly. The brief strokes against my inner thighs weren’t enough. I craved friction several inches higher, and my breasts were begging for release. Too many clothes separated me from him. I needed to feel everything he had to offer.
I hooked my calves around his thighs to force him closer and ran my hands down his back to his firm ass. When I squeezed him, hard, he chuckled.
“Feeling impatient?” he teased.
I bit his lower lip in response and slid my palms to his lower abdomen. He said nothing as I unbuttoned his dress shirt and pushed it from his shoulders. That left him clad in a tight white undershirt that showcased all his delicious muscle. I groaned in frustration when he caught my wrists and planted them on either side of my hips against the wood.
“My turn.” The words were spoken against my neck as he started to kiss his way down to my blouse. His eyes held mine as he deftly unfastened the first button with his teeth.
Holy wow, that’s hot. He continued his descent all the way down my abdomen, never faltering. When the last one popped open, he released my wrists and slipped the fabric down my arms before tossing it to the floor.
