The Gate (Dark Path Series) (13 page)

She swallowed, rooted by Max’s wounded eyes. “If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not working.”

“Because I opened my heart and soul to you, Miss Walsh?” he spat.

She found herself on her back with him looming over her. He tightened his hands around her still raw wrists, his knee ground into her mound.

She stared straight at his face. “You take the good with the bad.”

His grip bruised her skin even more. “You’re willing to take a chance with me? Is it because you feel sorry for me or want to be a bad girl and do all those things with a man your father warned you about? Or is this for the sake of the article you’re hoping will gain you recognition and respect as a real writer, not one who writes cheesy fluff because it pays well?”

She flinched on the inside. The game he played was one she could play also. She lifted her head, putting everything she had into her kiss. He didn’t respond at first, but when he did, he threaded his fingers in her hair then curled his body around hers.

He kissed her with such abandon. She responded with passionate licks and sucks, gyrating in his embrace until her robe was half off. His pants rode low on his hips, his cock poking her stomach. She grabbed him.

“Erika,” he groaned.

She stroked him, wanting to hear him say her name again. “Let me do something special to you like you did to me all through the night.” She was eager for him to screw her silly, but first she wanted to thank him for everything he’d admitted. For trusting her.

He moved to the side, allowing her to squirm down until her face was in line with his crotch, her feet almost off the bed with her front against his legs. He didn’t lie on his back to make it easier for her, but she wasn’t going to complain. . Her face hovering over his navel, she lapped lower until she moved to his groin hair, rubbing her nose there, inhaling his scent then nuzzling the length of his cock.

Hands dug into her hair, pushing her face over his dick. “Suck me.”

She licked and sucked, going as far to roll his balls in her mouth while she scratched and jabbed her nails into his waist.

He rocked into her mouth. “Faster.”

She did everything he demanded. When he came, he didn’t warn her, but shot his cum straight into her mouth. She swallowed it and breathed through her nose, pulling in much needed air.

It wasn’t until she removed his cock from her mouth, settling her cheek on his stomach, did he thank her. He didn’t return the favor, not that she minded. Her reward was having him rub her hair, whispering her name like a prayer.

Chapter Twelve

It had been a chilly day, which worked to Erika’s benefit upon choosing an ankle length turtleneck dress to hide her bruises. If her father saw them, he would ask what happened. It was one thing to say she bumped her arm, but the hickeys on her neck were pretty obvious in how she’d received them.

Heat traveled up her face. She missed him already even though she’d just left him earlier this afternoon. After they napped, she’d told him she needed to take care of some errands. He let her go, not that she’d expected him to ask her to stay. As they said their goodbyes, they’d shared a few hot and heavy kisses. He’d thanked her for staying the night and for the talk.

She knocked on her father’s apartment door. She could have just entered since she had free reign of his section of the brownstone, just like he had of the second story—although he’d always respected her privacy. He probably had no idea she’d been out the entire night and most of the day since she always took the back entrance up to her apartment. Most of the time, her father was at the office, working all hours, which had increased over the past months. But without fail every Friday at six, he shared dinner with her at home.

The door opened, and Patty, her father’s housekeeper of ten years, answered. They shared kisses and hugs.

“Something smells great.” Erika’s stomach growled. “What’s on the menu tonight?” She accompanied the older woman into the living room.

“Roasted ham with candied sweet potatoes and my green bean casserole you and your father love. I cooked extra since Chris was invited.”

She paused. “Chris is eating with us?”

Patty smiled, curving her arm around her waist. “Yes. Mr. Walsh wanted to discuss work with him.” She grinned. “You must be thrilled to see him. Maybe after the men talk, you can invite him upstairs for a sleepover.”

“Patty, you’re so bad!” She wanted to explain now that she had Max, her crush on Chris had vanished and she was fine with just being friends with him.

“Roger would love for you two to be together. He’s told me so on more than one occasion.”

She groaned, hoping her dad remained tactful and didn’t tell
him
how he felt. If he did, she’d kill him.

Male voices came from the living room. When she and Patty walked in, the men rose from the couch, smiling in welcome. They’d taken off their suit jackets, rolling up their shirtsleeves to their elbows. They both drank some clear liquid—gin and tonics probably.

“There’s my beautiful girl,” her father announced.

She gave him a hug and a kiss. “Dad, you look exhausted. Remember the doctor said all this stress isn’t good for your heart.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m just burning the midnight oil like I’ve done for the past forty years or so. Soon, it will all come to an end.”

She gestured toward her ex-crush. “At least you have Chris to take over, so you can relax after so many decades of hard work.”

“Speaking of burning the midnight oil, you look tired, too. Busy writing the next best seller?” The younger man raised his brow, apparently teasing, but the words came out stilted.

“I’m working on something different. I’m taking a break from the Tammy and Whiskers series. I thought I might try writing something for an adult audience.” She rubbed her palms together. “I’m hoping this project will be what I need to get the creative juices flowing.”

He didn’t seem impressed. The side of his mouth twitched. “You’ll have to tell me all about it.”

“Dinner will be served in a few minutes,” Patty announced and left the room.

“What would you like to drink?” her dad asked.

“Just club soda for now.” When he went over to the wet bar, she moved next to Chris. “Are you okay?”

“I have to talk to you about something important after dinner but not in front of your dad. We’ll go up to you place after dessert,” he ordered.

He didn’t smile or make a light remark, just finished his drink while staring at her in silence. The air in the room thickened, and she tugged on the collar of her dress. She almost told him to stop staring, but then her father came over with her drink.

With a twinkle in his eye, he raised his glass in the air. “To family and wonderful friends.”

“And to those we can trust and love, who would never hurt us,” Chris tacked on, tapping his glass to hers.

She shared a look with her father, but he just shrugged. She started to ask about their day, but then Patty announced they could sit down to eat.

Her father escorted the housekeeper out of the room while she and Chris pulled up the rear. He didn’t hold her by the waist or take her arm, and ever so often would glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

Before they entered the dining room, she grabbed his elbow. “Are you angry at me?”

Irritation floating in his eyes, he gulped down his drink. “I met with a photographer before I came here. He had some interesting photos of you at a restaurant with a man then leaving with that same man, going into a housing complex, and not coming out until early afternoon today.” He leaned down until their faces were almost in line with one another. “It was M.L. Crawford’s building.”

Tugging on her turtleneck again, she looked away. She refused to argue while her dad sat in the next room. “I think we should continue our discussion after dinner.”

“You bet we will.” He stomped away.

She didn’t follow. His voice rose in the next room, laughing when her father replied to something he said.

She took slow, deep breaths, trying to remain calm. She wouldn’t panic or run and hide upstairs. She’d soldier through dinner after which they would have their talk. She would hear him out, but she’d done nothing wrong. She had made a decision concerning Max and was sticking to it. She just needed to figure out a way to explain to her father why she wanted to be with his business competitor.

With one final deep inhale, she entered the dining room with a big smile. She sat down next to her father, ignoring Chris and complimenting Patty on the spread.

***

The men talked about work and some sports while she remained quiet, picking at her food. Her father didn’t seem to notice, but Chris gave her side looks, never engaging her in conversation. She wanted to fling her fork at his head. She was ready to leave the table with some excuse, but then her father took her hand in his.

“I’m so happy to have two of my favorite people in the world here with me tonight.”

“Hey, what about me?” Patty walked into the room and grabbed his plate.

He took her hand, kissing her knuckles. “And you of course. If I was a younger man—”

“Don’t start that again.” She kissed the top of his head then gathered the plates together before she left.

Erika giggled, catching Chris’s eye. He stopped laughing, his mouth thinning into a straight line.

Her father seemed oblivious to the tension in the room. He started speaking again but then coughed, tapping his chest with his fist.

“You okay?” she asked, concerned his face had reddened.

“Indigestion. If you two will excuse me, I need to use the bathroom.” He stood, leaving them alone.

“I can’t wait any longer for us to talk. Dad may be awhile. Let’s go into the living room,” she suggested.

Not taking any chances, she closed the door behind Chris and crossed her arms, waiting for him to start.

He slid his hands into his pockets and scraped the toe of his shoe across the rug. When he didn’t say anything, she slapped the sides of her legs.

“Why do you care who I see and whether or not I may or may have not spent the night with a man?”

The tick in his cheek became more pronounced. He thrust his bangs away from his forehead and stomped over to her. When he took her by her arms, she didn’t push him away.
Let him have his fit.
He would never hurt her in anger.

“How can you ask me that when we shared…?” He exhaled loudly through his nose. “You’re playing with fire. Crawford is dangerous. He’ll eat you alive and not just break your heart, but destroy every bit of goodness inside you.”

“I understand your concern because you don’t like him, but I’m a grown woman who can handle herself. As you can see, I’m all in one piece.” She lifted her chin, daring him to argue.

“He’s using you to get to me. You’ve fallen for him, just like Page did.”

Page, his older sister he never talks about?
She shook her head in confusion. “What does she have to do with Max?”

“He didn’t mention his fucked-up relationship with her? Of course not. If he had, you would run in the opposite direction.” He gave her a harder shake.

“Are you telling me Max and your older sister were together at one point?”

“She was screwing around with him on her husband.”

Her stomach dropped to her knees. “What? How?”

He gave her a bitter look. “It was six years ago. He destroyed her marriage and much more. Page was never the same after he cut her loose.”

She’d met Page a handful of times. They didn’t say more than a few words to one another. Now that she thought of it, Kim had mentioned how Page had moved with her parents to California because of her messy divorce. “I don’t understand—”

“Later tonight I’ll tell you everything about Crawford and how he….”

“How he what?” she asked in a hushed whisper.

Deep grooves bracketed his mouth, his eyes. “It would kill me if he hurt someone else I loved. If anything happened to you, I-I….”

His shallow breathing was the only sound in the room. Somewhere outside a phone rang. She stared, waiting for him to continue. When he leaned in, she turned her head, and his mouth landed on her cheek.

“It’s obvious you’re upset about my relationship with Max,” she whispered. He had been so honest about everything. Why hadn’t he told her this?

“I’ve waited for you for so long.” His thumb brushed over her lips then traveled down her neck. Before she could stop him, he tugged down her turtleneck. Cursing, he dropped his hands away as if burned. “He marked you,” he said in disgust, his mouth twisting.

She’d never seen him so angry. “Um, it’s a hickey. We got a little carried away last night….”

He balled his hands into fists, his chest expanding as he inhaled. “If he injured you anywhere else, so help me—”

“It’s just a love mark. It’ll vanish.” She shrugged. “Think of it like a pimple.”

Wiping his palms over his face, he sat down in a chair. He dropped his forearms on his knees and folded his hands behind his neck. “I could force you to stay and listen to what I have to say, but you won’t. Page didn’t either. Ask him about my mentally fragile sister. When he explains his side of story, come to me. I’ll tell you my end. I would put you on the phone with Page, but she might have an episode if she hears Crawford’s name.”

The ringing in her ears magnified. Whatever happened between Max and Page couldn’t be good. She’d be stupid to ignore it. Maybe she should hear Chris out first. Sitting next to him, she rested her palm on his knee. He dropped his hand over hers and sat back.

“Okay, tell me about Max and your sister. Don’t leave out any details. But you should know I’ll ask him about it.”

He nodded, squeezing her hand.

The door opened and Patty appeared. “Sorry to intrude, but Roger is asking for you, Chris. He got a call from the office and wants you to join him in the study.”

“I’ll be there momentarily.”

The older woman nodded. “Erika, join me in the kitchen. We can have coffee and cake. I’ll tell you about my niece’s wedding I went to in Sonoma.”

“Sounds great,” she said, and Patty left.

Chris started to stand, but she tugged on his hand. “You can’t leave me in suspense. Dad can take care of things without you.”

“But it could be important.” He helped her to her feet then tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. “Your father relies on me.”

“And I don’t? A minute ago you were livid about Max and me. Now, you’re just brushing it off for something that’s more of a false alarm.”

“As the future CEO, I have to be there. I’m guessing an hour at the most. By then, Roger will want to go to bed. I’ll join you upstairs where you’ll have me at your disposal. I’ll tell you everything. The truth.”

Not bothering to hide her agitation, she wrenched her hands away. He gave her a hurt look, but she didn’t care. “Go then. See what my father wants.” She backed away, hugging herself.

He didn’t apologize or try to plead for her to understand. He stood near the door, looking at her as if she was a work of art in a museum. With a nod, he walked out of the room. “I’ll be up to see you soon.”

She twirled a piece of her hair. It could be hours before her father and Chris finished with whatever was going with the company. She should barge in there and be a part of the discussion or meeting, but she would be in the way. She’d never intruded on her father’s business because he’d always managed things so well. With Chris as his right hand, she wasn’t needed anyway.

Having lost the urge for any sweets and no longer in the mood to talk with Patty about her vacation, she decided to get ready for bed while she waited. She needed to learn what horrible thing Max had done to Page.