The Private Serials Box Set(29)

"Christ, Lena," he growled.

We kept pace, each of us working to find that cliff we could both dive  off together. His hands moved around my body, holding on to different  parts, trying to get even deeper still. He gripped my hips, pulling me  backward. One hand moved to my shoulder, gripping me, forcing me on to  him. He even wound his hand through my hair, holding it firmly at its  roots. That single act, feeling his hand woven through the length, using  it to bring himself gratification, it was possibly the most erotic  moment of my life  –  the most sexually fulfilling experience. It wasn't  intimate  –  I couldn't even see his face  –  but it was. Weirdly so, in  fact. His hands on me, my need to feel him in the deepest part of me  possible; it screamed intimacy. I couldn't see his eyes, but I didn't  need to in order to know what they looked like in that moment. They'd be  dark and glassy, and they'd be focused on me.

His speed picked up and I worked to match him. When I felt him grow even  harder inside me, when I heard his breaths speed up, then stop all  together, I knew he was close. I pushed my ass back toward him again,  but when I felt him seated in me fully, I added a swivel to my hips and  ground back onto him.

He groaned, expelling his breath, but picked up his speed even more, keeping a punishing pace.

We continued this pattern a few more times, each thrust pushing both of  us up that hill, until finally I found my release, only spurred on by  the sound of his. His loud grunt coupled with a guttural moan was all I  needed to follow him into bliss.





Chapter Six

I woke the next morning to my alarm with no arms wound around me, no  warmth enveloping me, and no Preston to be found in the bed. I opened my  eyes and listened for the shower, but heard nothing. Rolling onto my  back, images of the night before flashed through my mind. Preston's  ankles spreading my legs. His hands touching every part of my body. His  mouth. I rolled back over and groaned into the pillow.

I was in trouble.

Every part of my body was sore from use. Sore from enjoyment. I'd be  lying if I said I didn't love it, didn't love feeling as if every time I  moved for the rest of the day I'd feel a reminder that Preston was deep  inside me the night before. That he'd used my body to make himself  come. That he'd brought me to my peak over and over again.

I was definitely in trouble.

I managed to climb out of bed and head to the bathroom, each slightly  painful step another reminder. I hoped a hot shower would loosen me up,  bring me a little relief. I found a note on the bathroom counter and I  smiled as I picked it up.

You looked so beautiful sleeping, and so tired, too. I couldn't bring  myself to wake you. Please make yourself at home. There's coffee in the  kitchen and some fruit or muffins for breakfast. Your keys are on the  counter in the kitchen, and your car is parked out front. I expect you  to come home to me tonight. I'll be waiting.

I smiled because he had thought of everything. My smile never left until  I found myself at my desk, trying to focus on a job that was quickly  losing its appeal. I'd taken this job because it allowed me to use my  business degree and because it was close to home. Derrek's company had  also done work with the company I worked for, so it seemed like a good  fit when I'd started right out of college. I'd worked hard, climbed the  ladder, made strides, but with everything in my life up in the air, I  found it difficult to harness the drive to do the work I was tasked  with.

My phone buzzed in my top drawer and I pulled it out to find a text from Sam.

**Still on for lunch today?**

I typed my response immediately.

**Definitely. Want to meet at the food trucks?**

**Sounds great! See you there!**

When I came upon Sam at the food truck driveway, a smile took over my  face and my cheeks bunched up for the first time since I left Preston's  house. I walked toward her with open arms and she opened hers to me and  took me in, just like she always did. We hugged and then backed away  from each other, but her hands never left my shoulders.

"You okay?" she asked, her face strained with concern, a large wrinkle forming between her eyebrows.

I nodded and smiled sincerely. "Nothing a plate of noodles won't fix."  She turned to stand next to me and threaded her arm through the crook of  my elbow, propelling me toward our favorite Yaki Soba noodle truck.

"I've been craving these damn noodles, too."

We grabbed our plates and found an open table, sitting across from one another.

"All right, woman. I think I've been more than patient. Now it's time to spill. What's going on?"

I took a deep breath in and then thought about where in the world I was  supposed to start my story. I decided that perhaps the best place was  the beginning.

"Friday night I went with Derrek to a charity gala." I hadn't even  gotten through an entire sentence before Sam started making fake gagging  noises. I smiled at her open disgust for my husband. "Everything was  fine until he introduced me to his mistress." I paused for dramatic  effect.

"He. Didn't." Sam said, noodles suspended in midair, halfway to her mouth.

"He did. Her name is Jessica Fahey, and she most definitely knew I was  her boyfriend's wife. She loathed me." I shrugged. "Honestly, it was  kind of fun meeting her, because I totally got to fuck with her. I even  asked her if she wanted to try on my wedding ring."

"You. Didn't."

"I did," I said with a smile. "Anyway, I was a little pissed off he'd  been so brazen and practically shoved his mistress in my face, and when I  excused myself to go to the restroom, Preston pulled me into a closet."

Sam's eyes widened, but her fork continued to her mouth. "Then what happened?" she asked around the noodles in her mouth.

"Things of a sexual nature." My eyes drifted down to the fork twirling on my plate and I could feel my face start to heat.

"No!" She gasped.

I went on to tell her all the sordid and fantastic details of our  weekend together, giving her the specifics a woman only shares with her  best friend. The kind of toe-curling details one has to make sure no one  else is eavesdropping on. The particulars which made Sam fan herself  with her napkin. Details that made us both blush, that made me ache to  get back to Preston even more.

"Shit," was Sam's response.

"Indeed."

"Okay, so why did Derrek call me yesterday and freak out on me?"

My face fell as my mind fluttered to what had happened in the shower.  "Derrek knows I never came home over the weekend and I needed an alibi. I  told him I was with you." I looked up to meet her eyes, which were  filling with rage as she put two and two together. "Thank you for  covering for me."

"What did he do to you?"

I shook my head. "Nothing like you're thinking. He was just angry. I managed to get away. Preston won't let me go back."

"Good for him," she said firmly. "Even if he hadn't fucked you senseless  all weekend I'd like him." All I could do was nod in agreement. "So  what's the plan, then?"         

     



 

"He said I'm not to go back to my house. He packed a bag for me and  brought all my stuff to his house, and he says he's going to find a way  to prove Derrek's cheating. He's on a mission, it would seem."

"Well, Jesus. I wonder why the hell it's taking so long."

We were both startled by the sound of my phone ringing in my purse. I saw it was Preston and answered with a smile.

"Hey," I said sweetly.

"Hey, babe. You busy?"

"Just having lunch with Sam."

"Well, I have news. But it's bad news, unfortunately. I was looking into  Derrek's bank accounts, hoping to find some trail between him and  Jessica. I found the accounts he has with you, but I couldn't find any  others. I thought that was strange, considering how much money the  company makes. I expected IRAs or 401Ks, investment accounts  –  anything.  But I found nothing."

"So, you're saying he doesn't have an account with her?"

"Right. But there's more."

"Great," I said with mock enthusiasm.

"Since I couldn't find another account for him, I started looking into yours. You have hardly any money, Lena."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "That's not true. There's money in there."

"There was money in there. When's the last time you checked your balance?"

"Uh, a while ago," I stammered. Sam's face became worried and she stopped eating her noodles.

"Well, a while ago, Derrek started moving money directly from your  savings account into an offshore account in the Cayman Islands. But this  started a really long time ago. Nearly five years ago."

"What?"

"Yes. He's slowly been siphoning all your money out of the bank. But,  I'll give you three guesses as to whose name is on the account I found  in the Caymans."

"Jessica," I seethed.

"You're not only sexy as hell, but you're sharp as a tack, sweetheart."