Merediths Awakening (10 page)

We have to find Marcus.” He tried to focus on the fact she’d asked for what she wanted, when what he wanted to do was scream out his outrage at how she’d use his full name, the name she used when they made love, to get what she wanted. How she thought she had to use that name to get what she wanted.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he gritted out, frustrated and pissed beyond all words.

“And then I’ll give you your phone.”

“Fine,” she snapped. She took advantage of the moments her explanation took to yank on her clothes and run distracted fingers through her hair.

“I need to call Matt,” she concluded, and he reluctantly surrendered her phone. She refused to meet his eyes as she hit yet another number on speed dial, and added “and I need to get to my car.”

His refusal was instinctive and instant. He’d claimed her, and now she was pulling away. The animal in him, the part that hadn’t progressed much beyond the primordial ooze, was roaring at him to keep her, bind her, never let her go. The reasoning man had a bloody battle on his hands, trying to consider what his woman needed from him.

In the end, he knew he had to let her go. Forcing her to stay would undo every bit of trust he’d built over the last twenty-four hours, and if something really was wrong with her brother, she’d never forgive him.

Resigned, he pulled on his jeans and a t-shirt while he listened to her on the phone with the other brother.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, Matt. I just know he yelled at me, and he’s not answering either of his phones.” By the time Meredith was telling Matt she’d wait for his call, Tony was leading her downstairs and boosting her into his truck.

She didn’t look at him, or even speak until they pulled into the construction site and he parked next to her Saab. She started to climb out of the truck without a word, and he caught her arm, compelling her eyes with his.

“We aren’t anywhere near through, Princess.” He hated the grit in his voice, but he was desperate to keep her.

“We have to be through, Tony.” She laid one slim, soft hand on his bristly cheek. “I can’t afford you.”

Slipping free of his grasp she slid out of the truck. She was already on the phone again as she pulled out of the parking lot, taking a good portion of his heart with her.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, staring blankly into the construction site when he saw the shadow flicker in his peripheral vision, but he seized on the distraction like the lifeline it was.

* * * *

Meredith sat at Marcus’ desk, hands pressed to the polished mahogany, and stared blankly around the room. Worthington had always been her solace, her tower of comfort when life got too overwhelming or scary.

Today, the Worthington magic was absent.

She thought about Marcus, his need for control, his relentless dedication to the company. Pulling this sort of disappearing act was so incredibly out of character for him that she didn’t know what to think. Dropping her head back onto the rich leather chair, she closed her eyes. Matthew hadn’t been able to find him, only an unlocked door and a mess of food flung around the kitchen. Meredith didn’t know what to think, what to do.

All she could do was hope Marcus was okay. That he was safe, and Matthew would find some clue to where he’d gone.

Trying to distract herself from her worry, she let her thoughts wander to Tony.

Unfortunately, that subject was every bit as troubling. She tried to focus on the foolishness of getting involved, if that’s what they were even doing, with him. There were so many stumbling blocks. He was an employee of her family’s company. He engaged in sexual practices she’d spent the last five years condemning. He brought out emotions and impulses in her that left her both exhilarated and terrified.

But, God, for every negative, her traitorous body and fragile heart came up with a positive. He was ambitious and driven. He made her body sing in ways no other man ever had. He made her smile, and fight, and feel alive for the first time in five long, barren years.

Huffing out a sigh, Meredith ran shaky fingers through her spiky hair. She felt totally helpless. There was nothing she could do about Marcus, and there was nothing she could bring herself to do about Tony. She hadn’t been kidding when she’d told him she couldn’t afford him. He shattered her control, and without it Meredith didn’t think she would be strong enough to survive.

Shaking her head in self-mockery, she booted up Marcus’ computer, pulled up a file, and went to work. At least this was something she could control.

*

Tony wasn’t sure how long he stood in the doorway watching the sunlight slanting through the window, bathing her in a golden glow. He just knew the sight of her, eyes locked on the computer screen while slender fingers flew over the keyboard, made his heart soft and his dick hard.

It had caused him actual physical pain to watch the relaxation and enjoyment drain out of her when she’d answered the phone. He’d given her time to regroup, to do what she needed to do for her family and for the business. Now it was time for him to do what he needed to do. And he needed to take care of her.

Leaning against the doorframe, he deliberately cleared his throat, and winced a little when she jumped violently. Silver eyes flew to meet his, but instead of relaxing when she recognized him, her shoulders seemed to tighten up even more.

*

“How did you find me?” Meredith knew her voice was thin and tight, but she couldn’t help it. Just when she’d managed to put him out of her mind, find blissful numbness, he appeared like a fantasy in the doorway.

“Where else would you be?” He didn’t leave the doorway. It was as if he could sense her discomfort, and was trying to put her at ease. Then his words sank in. He barely knew her, had only spent a handful of hours with her—and very few of those were spent talking—and yet he’d known just where to find her. She doubted anyone but Marcus would have known so automatically.

“Well, you’re here, you might as well come in and sit down.” She indicated the wide leather couch that was slanted to face the window, giving a breathtaking view of the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit River. She knew she didn’t sound particularly gracious, but his presence touched her deep inside. She just didn’t know how to express it.

“Only if you’ll come sit with me.” He walked to the desk and extended one large, rough hand. “I know good and well you’ve been hunched over that computer for hours,” she cut her eyes away wondering again how he knew her so well, “and you’re as tight as a guitar string.”

Slowly she reached out and took his hand, allowing him to pull her from her seat.

She let him lead her to the couch, the whole time wondering what on earth she was doing.

Hadn’t she decided being with him was a bad idea? Hadn’t she decided the emotions and impulses he called up in her were too dangerous to pursue? All of this was true, but somehow she found herself seated sideways on the couch while he knelt behind her.

She cast a questioning look over her shoulder, and met his eyes and reassuring smile.

Gently he directed her face forward again, and laid those huge, hard hands on her shoulders. She expected a caress, for him to slide those hands around and begin working on her buttons, but what he did was so much better. So much more destructive to her walls of ice.

Tony began to knead her shoulders, at first softly but then as her breath drifted out in a sigh, with more force. He spread his hands around the base of her neck, feathering his fingers down and over her collarbone while his thumbs massaged a path up her nape, leaving tingles in their wake.

When she gave a low moan and let her head sink forward he rewarded her by drawing his knuckles firmly down her spine. She felt every muscle of her back unwind just a little, and then a little more as his fingers began a deep, kneading walk up her back.

His hands were so big, her back so narrow, that when he spread his fingers, they wrapped around her ribcage. When he reached her shoulders again, he spent long moments working the remaining tension from them before sending his hands on a deep, squeezing journey down her arms. He even massaged her fingers.

Meredith felt her eyes sting and fought the tears viciously. It was just that no one had ever taken such care of her. No one had ever touched her without an ulterior motive before.

Finally, with her eyes closed to hide the emotion and hold back any wayward tears, she laid her hands over his where they rested on her shoulders.

“Thank you.” Her words came out as a whisper, mostly because she was afraid if she tried to speak out loud, the words would come out as a sob.

He cupped her face in one hand and turned her head so their eyes met.

“No,” he brushed a thumb tenderly over her lower lip. “Thank you for not shutting me out.” He didn’t give her a chance to answer, which was just as well because she had no clue what she would have said. Instead, he lowered his lips to hers in a kiss so filled with tenderness, so filled with compassion, it melted her heart.

Moving her easily, but as gently as if she were the finest, most fragile crystal, Tony shifted until he was lying along the couch, and she was stretched out over him. She waited for the come-on. For the sex. His erection dug into her middle, and it was clear from the tenseness of his body he was more than ready. And while a part of her yearned for it, another part was disappointed. They’d shared such a beautiful moment, and the idea of sex now just seemed to tarnish it.

But Tony surprised her again. When she lifted her face to look at him inquiringly, he just pressed her cheek back to his chest, kissed the top of her head, and murmured, “Try to sleep for a little while. You didn’t get nearly enough last night, and it’s been a rough day.”

And though she would never have thought it possible, she slept.

*

Tony sat in the big leather chair and watched her sleep. She’d obviously been exhausted, pale with huge bruises under her eyes. She’d been sleeping now for almost three hours as the sun set over the water, flooding the office with fiery golden light.

He’d used the time to consider what he’d found at the construction site, which hadn’t done anything to improve his mood. The shadow had been a person, of course, though he couldn’t identify who. He’d tracked the person into the building’s shell, and then out again, losing the intruder when he climbed into a ratty, mud-caked little sedan.

He hadn’t really been surprised, then, when he’d found the drugs stashed in one of the few finished rooms in the building. What he’d been was enraged. Enraged someone would use his company to distribute this filth. More, they’d use a job he was doing for Meredith’s family.

He’d called in a favor, and contacted Dorian Jenner, an acquaintance from the club who happened to be a narcotics cop. Jenner and his brother Morgan were two of the most successful and least-known undercover cops in Detroit’s many task forces. Once the man had agreed to investigate Tony’s suspicions, Tony had known he could relax and dedicate all his attention to caring for his woman.

His woman who, at this very moment, was blinking herself awake.

*

Meredith woke feeling warm and soft and confused, like her brain was wrapped in cotton. Squinting in the dim light, she pushed up on the deep leather couch and looked around in vague confusion. Suddenly the day came back in a rush. Waking in Tony’s bed, Marc’s terrifying and out of character phone call, Tony’s tender care of her…

As the flood of memories ended, Meredith shot her eyes around the room again, locking on Tony where he sat in Marc’s impressive leather desk chair. He was slouched low on his spine, legs splayed to display the growing bulge between, hands steepled over his abdomen. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a quirky half smile, and his warm, chocolaty eyes were fixed on her.

Meredith was torn. She needed to regain her composure, her control. But she wanted nothing more than to crawl into his lap and let him hold her some more.

If Tony was aware of her turmoil, he wasn’t letting on. He sat silently, still smiling a little smile, watching her like a tiger about to pounce. She wished he
would
pounce. It would take the decision out of her hands, and give her what she wanted without guilt or regret.

*

Tony felt his smile widen a bit. His Princess would be mortified if she knew how transparent she was. Her thoughts might as well have been tattooed on her forehead for the world to see.

He wanted to rescue her, to give her what she wanted, but he knew by taking the decision away from her, he’d lose whatever progress he’d made. There would be time enough for overwhelming her later, once she’d admitted she was his.

Finally, when the tension had stretched to the breaking point, he relented and put her out of her misery. When he stood, her eyes widened, and damned if he didn’t see anticipation simmering beneath the unease. Shaking his head at them both, he offered her his hand. To his satisfaction, she took it without hesitation and let him draw her up off the couch. Pressing a teasing kiss to the tip of her nose, he finally spoke.

“You’re beautiful when you sleep.” She gave a ladylike snort of disagreement and he grinned. “You are. You look like an innocent little girl.” She looked up, meeting his eyes.

To his delight her eyes were filled with dry humor.

“How attractive,” was her wry comment.

“It is,” he insisted, pulling her closer with the hand he still held. He lifted his free hand and smoothed her spiky hair. “I kept thinking of all the ways to corrupt that innocence.” He laughed a little when her eyes widened, and hugged her. Her body went stiff for a moment, not in rejection but in surprise. It made him ache for her a little bit. No woman, let alone one as responsive as Meredith, should be so unaccustomed to affection.

Then she relaxed into him, her body melting into his. They both sighed at the sensation, and he felt a thrill of victory when her arms slowly crept around his back. She didn’t see his triumphant smile as he held her tighter.

*

Meredith couldn’t remember the last time she’d been held. Maybe her mother before she’d died? And now Tony had held her twice in one day, seemingly with no ulterior motive. True, she could feel the erection pulsing behind the fly of his jeans, but he seemed disinclined to do anything about it, content to hug her close. She closed her eyes and buried her face in the hollow of his throat. Who knew when she’d find such comfort again? She was determined to soak in every last moment.

She stifled her disappointment when he finally pulled back. Disappointment which quickly evaporated at the look on his face. His eyes glowed with fire and possession, raking over her face with heavy lidded sensuality. Here it comes, she thought waiting for his flushed mouth to swoop down and take her own. The sex would be the price of the cuddling, and really, she had nothing to complain about on that score. After all, she knew she’d enjoy it.

But he didn’t kiss her. Instead he drew back and took her hand again. “Come on,” his voice was a little rough, but he gave no indication he was about to pounce as he led her to the office door. She looked at him in confusion, but let him guide her out of the office and out of the building.

“You must be starving.” He finally spoke as he boosted her into the seat of his truck.

She spared a thought for her car, sitting forlornly in the parking garage, and then let him close the door.

“I didn’t mean to sleep so long,” she commented when he joined her in the cab. She rolled her eyes a bit. “I didn’t mean to sleep at all.” He shook his head. “You needed it,” he responded firmly. “You got almost no sleep last night,” she flushed at the reminder and was grateful his attention was occupied with navigating the parking structure, “and then had a pretty stressful morning.” He shot her a look, frowning at her troubled expression.