Lured In (Dark Paradise, #1) (21 page)

“And your point is?”

“My point? Oh, little girl. I haven’t made my point yet. But surely, being the president of this company, you can use your brain to figure out why I’m here,” she said.

“As a little girl, I’m telling you to be the woman I’m sure you are and tell me about this ‘expected’ visit. Surely lying to security is something that only a little girl would do. And as a mentally stable woman, I’m sure you will never find yourself showing up at a little girl’s place of business to talk about a man who is no longer interested in you.” I sat back in my chair, crossed my legs, and placed my fingers over my lips in a steeple. It was a habit I’d picked up from Zach, and she knew it.

She crossed her legs, tilted her head to the left, and countered,” So you do know why I am here. Now what makes you think Zach is no longer interested in me?”

“You.”

“Me? How’s that?” she asked.

“Mrs.—ha-ha—McConnallay, it is?” I laughed again. “Let’s not waste any more of my precious time. If Zach were the least bit interested, you would not be lying to get into my office to talk about him.” I tilted my head.

“I see Zach hasn’t been very truthful with you. And to answer your question, yes, it is Mrs. McConnallay. I am and will always be Mrs. Zach Austin McConnallay. We got married in 2010—May sixteenth, to be exact. You see, you’re just like all the other poor, unsuspecting girls. You let him fuck what little brains you have out your skull—which, let’s be honest, he does very well—but then he’ll dispose of you like the filthy garbage you are.”

I didn’t have a response for her. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Zach was married to this bitch, and he’d never told me. I know I must’ve looked as stupid as I felt. And that smirk—the look of victory across her face—was evidence enough of the fact. When that bitch saw I was down, she kicked the hell out of me. While I was still dazed from what she had just said, she stood up and traced my face with the back of her small, cold left hand.

I slapped her hand away from me and stood. She put the skinny, cold index finger of her right hand over my lips, which I slapped away also. She smiled and said, “You are strikingly beautiful. A gorgeous little bitch. Soft, smooth skin even—a natural beauty. I’ll give Zach an A for that. It would be such a shame if something ever happened to you or that beautiful, flawless face of yours. It would also be a great tragedy if something happened to your equally beautiful daughter. She has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. Green from you and blue from Gabriel. He’s really great in bed. A real charmer. You should have married him. Then you wouldn’t be fucking someone else’s husband,” she said coldly.

Forcefully I pushed her away from me and pinned my hair up with two pencils from my desk. “Bitch, have you lost your fucking mind? Don’t you ever come into my office and threaten harm to my daughter. I’ll kick your fucking ass.”

She came close to me again and said, “My point is, stay the fuck away from Zach. He’s mine. And I’m not going to tell you again. Understand me?”

I looked at her and said, “If you ever go anywhere near my daughter, I will mop the floor with your blood. Do you understand me? Now get the fuck out of my office. And stop ruining your knees for every man you meet with money.”

“Oh, I hear you flapping your lips, Abigail, but I hope you’re smart enough to take heed to what I just told you.”

I pointed to the door. “Use it if you’re smart. And I don’t make threats. I make promises, bitch. So if you don’t mind shedding blood, I’ll be glad to stomp your ass.”

She grabbed her purse and left my office.

I closed the door behind her, took a deep breath, and gulped down my smoothie. I grabbed my cell and called Zach immediately. He answered on the first ring.

“Abi, Baby. How’s my love and better doing?”

“You are a lying, manipulative, womanizing, son of a bitch. This is exactly why I resigned—to get the hell away from you and your drama. When were you going to tell me?”

“Abi, I…I should’ve told you about Henry when I first found out. I’m sor—”

“I’m not talking about that fucking rapist pig. And to think I was even worried and scared for you because you had to live under the same roof as him.”

“Then why the hell you are verbally lashing me, baby?”

“Don’t baby me, you fucking scumbag. Your wife paid me a visit just now and threatened harm to me and my daughter.” Tears had begun to fill my eyes at the thought of that bitch harming my daughter.

“Bab—Abigail, calm down. I’m on my way home, and I’ll be there in less than three hours. And for the record, I don’t have a wife. Now who came to the office and threatened you and Gabrielle?”

“You don’t know who you married? Who Mrs. Zach Austin McConnallay is?”

“Abigail, please calm down, and don’t ask me questions while I’m asking you questions. I’m trying to gather as much information from you as possible. Now tell me who came to the office and threatened to do something to you and Gabrielle.”

“So you’re telling me that you’ve had so many women that you don’t know which one would retaliate after you dumped them? For breaking their hearts? How many women have you left broken?”

“Goddammit, Abigail! Would you just answer my goddamn question already? Now who the hell threatened you and Gabrielle?”

“Your wife, Zach. Your wife, Taylor. You know, the—”

“Abi, I’m on my way home. OK?”

“I can handle her, so stay whe—”

Click.

“Where you are.”

You lying pig. Now you’re hanging up on me? Ugh…I hate you, Zach McConnallay!

I went back to work and tried to have a productive day despite Taylor’s visit, but my nerves were shot until Zach walked in my office around 5:43 p.m. He sat on the edge of the chair near me and with great concern asked, “How are you doing, love?”

Love? So now you’re addressing me as “love.”

“How do you think I’m doing after your wife came into my office and threatened to do something to me and my daughter?”

He asked, “Why can’t you just answer my questions first and then ask your questions afterward?”

I asked another question with his question, and he got really frustrated and said, “Dammit, Abi. You keep doing it. Do you know how frustrated it is trying to get an answer out of you when you are always asking questions with a question? Do you?”

I looked at him and shrugged my shoulders as if to say I didn’t give a damn how frustrated he was with me. He looked at me, closed his eyes, shook his head, and took a deep breath.

“Now, back to my original question. How are you doing right now?”

“You could’ve stayed in Pittsburgh and finished whatever or whomever you were doing. You didn’t have to leave before your scheduled time,” I said, crossing my legs, sitting back in my chair, and steepling my fingers over my lips like he always did.

He smirked at me imitating him and pulled my chair closer to him. Licking his lips, he looked at me intensely and said, “Oh, baby. I’m where I want to be and with whom I’d rather be doing. You got that?”

My God, he smells so good and looks so goddamn sexy. Mmm, the smoky grays are pulling me in again.

I bit my bottom lip and inhaled deeply through my nose. Timmie knocked on the door, and Zach and I sat back in our chairs. I called for Timmie to enter.

“Mr. Mc—C—Connallay, sir. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Mr. Goldstein, and you?”

“Fine as well, sir. Abi, I’m heading out for the evening. Is there something I could do for you before I leave?”

“No. Thank you, Timmie. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to finish up this spreadsheet and give it to Mr. McConnallay so I can get out of here myself,” I replied.

“OK, then here’s your day’s end report, and I will see you tomorrow. Good evening, Mr. McConnallay,” Timmie said.

“Good evening, Mr. Goldstein,” Zach replied, looking at a blank computer monitor like he was deep in work.

“See you in the AM, Timmie.” I nodded at him. From the look on his face, he probably thought Zach was there to harass me again—professionally, that is.

Timmie left, and Zach got up behind him to lock the door. He came back over and leaned so close to me that we were practically inhaling each other’s breath. We kissed, and it felt amazing. I’d missed the softness of his lips against mine and the way he rubbed his forehead against mine just before we parted our lips to take each other’s tongues into our mouths.

Oh no. I’m falling for him again. Why is it so hard for me to stick to my guns when it concerns him? No, Abigail. What are you doing? Don’t let him woo you. Don’t let him back in to hurt you again.

I pulled away from him just before I lost myself in him.

“What is it, baby?” he asked, panting softly and sweetly with his hands on the arms of my chair. Our foreheads were pressed firmly against one another.

“I can’t, Zach,” I said. His lips were soft against mine.

“Why, Abigail?” he asked, still kissing my lips softly and making his way around to my neck.

I tried to push him away from me so that I could stand and escape his rapture, but he didn’t budge.

“I need to get away from you. Please move away from me.”

He removed his hands from the armrests, stepped back, and continued to look at me. I got up from my seat, and he quickly wrapped his arms, tightly, around my waist. Pulling me close to him, he whispered in my ear, “Abigail, I’m sorry. I miss you so much, love. I want and need only you. Please. Please let me make it right. Give me a chance to make it better, baby.”

I miss you too, Zach. But why should I give you another chance to hurt me again?

I tried to break loose from his tight grip and enchanted fragrance that had awakened all of my Zach senses I had desperately tried to bury. I closed my eyes, but I still smelled him. It reminded me of his taste. And when I was reminded of how amazing and satisfying he had tasted, I began to remember how he felt. He felt so right, so perfect, so amazing in my hands, in my arms, in my lap, in my bed, inside of me, and most importantly, in my life. His smell called out my name.
Abi-gai-lll
. It was hypnotizing. He was breathing hard, and it reminded me of the sounds I heard whenever he called or moaned my name, how he laughed, and his domineering voice. I heard him whisper and utter sweet sounds into my ear. And when I opened my eyes, I saw him. I saw the man behind the expensive, tailor-made suits. I saw the man I had fallen in love with in such a short time.

Zach put his mouth over the sensitive spot on the left side of my neck, parted his lips, and let his warm breath kiss my neck. My body involuntarily loosened up and relaxed to familiarity. Zach loosened his grip on my waist when he felt my body respond to him. He drew my eager neck into his equally eager mouth, and my body melted into his. I wrapped my arms around his waist and under his blue piqué polo shirt. I roamed my hands up his strong back and across his shoulders and traced down his back with my fingernails. His penis jerked against my stomach as he began to respond to my touch.

He put his big, strong hands on my ass and squeezed it tenderly. Moving his hand up to the zipper on the back of my gray wool midrise skirt, he released the zipper, pulling it down, and put his hands down the opening of my skirt to fondled my bare ass cheeks. He played with and traced his fingernail alongside the bands of my black G-string. He turned me around so that my back rested on his chest. I loved the familiar feeling of his hard dick against my lower back. I threw my head back to him, and he seduced my neck and put his right hand down my skirt. He caressed my wet pussy with his middle finger. I moaned and put my right hand over his right hand that was stroking my little kitty—making it purr. He pulled his hand from my skirt, pulled it up to his mouth, sucked his middle finger, and told me, “I’ve missed your amazing taste.”

I grabbed his left hand, pushed it down my skirt, and moaned, “Don’t stop.”

“As you wish, my love,” he said tenderly against my right cheek. He grabbed my right breast with his right hand and squeezed it just right.

“Shit!” he yelled out to the ringing of my cell phone. I went to pull away from him to see who was calling, and he pulled me back to him tightly and closely and whispered, “Let it ring, baby.”

“I can’t. It might be Gabi.”

“OK, but quickly.” He sighed and bit my right earlobe.

I grabbed my phone and saw that it was Carmen.

“Holy shit, Carmen. I’m sorry. I got caught up at work.” I started fixing my clothing and continued, “I’m on my way. OK? Bye.” I looked at Zach. “I promised Carmen that I was going to meet up with her at six. It’s now 6:12 p.m., and she just called to tell me that she is waiting.”

He looked at me and said, “Baby, don’t leave right now. I promise to make it quick.”

“Sorry. I have to go. Later?”

He looked at me, and everything about him said no, from his smoky gray eyes and the way he pouted to the way he slouched in disappointment. I knew he wanted me to stay, but instead he said, “Yes, later.”

I grabbed my purse, keys, and cell and rushed to the door. Zach caught hold of my elbow, pulled me back to him, and said, “Are you going to leave without kissing me good-bye?”

I kissed him hurriedly on his lips, but he still pouted when I pulled away.

“You call that a kiss?” he asked dryly, pulling me back into his embrace. “This is a kiss.” He kissed me with a sense of want, longing, and languid desire.

Mmm. Oh, baby. You sure know how to get to me. Don’t you? You really want me, I see.

“Now, we can leave,” he said after releasing my tongue.

I looked at him, panting, and he kept his eyes on me as he opened the door to the office.

“After you,” he said. He winked his left eye.

I walked out in front of him, and he closed the door to my office behind him. We got on the elevator together. He pressed G1, and I pressed L. He looked at me and asked, “I thought you park on G1?”

“I do. I thought your driver waits for you in front of the building?”

“He does. But I’m seeing you to your car,” he said.