“So are you taking out the lovely Miss Rivers on a date? Are you going to use some of that Ky Crawford charm? Fuck it’s been a long time coming.”
My eyes shot open and my head fell to the side just in time to watch Ky’s shoulders tense and his knuckles turn brutal white as he gripped the steering wheel. The question obviously hit a raw nerve. The atmosphere in the car sped out of control. The air thickened and I couldn’t draw my eyes away from him. I was anticipating his response so desperately. Why? I had absolutely no fucking clue.
“You are on loud speaker, and Eden is in the car.”
“Hi Eden, I hope my dear brother is driving safely. So what are you two cool kids doing this afternoon? It’s not often that my dear brother leaves the office when the sun is still up. Fuck Eden, you are good for him.”
My mind expanded drastically trying to take in all of Josh Crawford’s words. Wasn’t this simply a ride back to the island? My hands fumbled in my lap and I shifted in my seat so my body was completely facing Ky. He still refused to look at me and the more his reluctance shone through the more my confidence roared to life.
“Well he is ignoring me at the moment Josh. This afternoon I am going back to my hotel and then I am catching up with Ashlyn at her apartment.”
“So I’ll be seeing you then?”
“If your name is Ashlyn then I guess you will.”
I shunted against the leather seat as the car screeched to a brutal stop. I looked up and focused on Ky’s unreadable face as he glared at me. What the fuck had I done to deserve that look? For once I didn’t feel fear being this close to a man. I didn’t feel the need to run screaming to the confines of my bed. I didn’t feel anything.
“Josh I will call you when I’m home,” Ky stated with little emotion.
With a loud click, the call ended without allowing Josh to have another word. Ky’s gaze never faltered, and it was only then that I realized we were no longer in traffic. Ky’s large frame leaned over from the driver’s seat toward me, and his eyes, which I was quickly learning had the ability to change right before me, continued to penetrate so deep in my soul that it was almost like he was completely devouring all of my innermost thoughts. His intrigued gaze, an endless pit of emotion, danced over every inch of my face; my blue eyes, my button nose, the freckle that sat in the middle of my cheek, and finally my gloss colored lips. I didn’t know what I’d do if he got any closer. I felt the buzz of an injection of panic flood through my veins. I didn’t like being this vulnerable. The feelings of being trapped like a caged animal warped my mind and my eyes slammed shut and my body completely froze.
“Eden,” Ky’s soft voice filled my ears, and I finally opened my eyes to find him looking at me completely in shock. “I was just going to get you a card with my number out of the glove box.”
It was an innocent move on his part yet I took it like a threat. What did I honestly think he was going to do? I unclasped the seat belt and opened the door and stilled. I turned back to look at him only to find his eyes still focused solely on me. I grabbed the business card he held out toward me and gave him the briefest of smiles.
“Thanks for the lift. I’ll see you when you need me.”
••••
TWO DAYS LATER
“You were made to be fucked. I’ve been watching you for a long time and I’ve wanted to have a taste of this pussy and now here we are. Get yourself on that bed and open up wide because my tongue wants your sweet juices.”
I woke up with a jolt, the sheets below me drenched in my sweat. My body shook in terror, my breathing was rushed and panicked. I repeated over and over again that it was just a dream but still I turned on my light and jumped out of bed. I thought the nightmares had ended but this one had been so real. I swear I could smell him on my body, latching onto my skin and claiming ownership once again. I tore my pajamas off in the middle of my room, ripping the fabric that seemed to strangle me, allowing his scent to penetrate me. I needed this off me. I ran to the shower and turned on just the hot water. I needed the feeling of burning, to feel like I was being completely destroyed by heat and steam that would get the feeling of him off my body. I scrubbed my body raw, using a whole bottle of my favorite body wash in the process and concentrating on the area between my legs. I needed him gone. My mind couldn’t comprehend that it had been four years ago, that the dream wasn’t real. My body slid down the tiled wall until I sat on the floor and I pulled my knees to my chest—this was so unbelievably real and here I was, alone.
I sat under the heavy stream of water until it turned ice cold and caused a shiver to run down my spine. Time was lost to me. I climbed out of the shower and wrapped my body with a towel and took a chance and looked in the mirror. The girl looking back at me looked scared, like she was beginning to withdraw from the world. I hated being on my own for so long. I always had Tori just a room away but here I was in a hotel room, in the town I feared the most, and I didn’t have anything to grasp on to.
My cell phone pinged on the side table beside my bed, causing me to look away from the girl I was becoming. It was almost midnight and though I went to bed relatively early so I would be fresh for my first meeting in the morning, I knew that sleep would now evade me. I looked at the bed and I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping there. The sheets were drenched, and I couldn’t think of anything worse than being back in that bed. I grabbed my phone and moved toward the sitting chair that was near the glass door that led out to the balcony. I guess that was going to be my refuge for the night.
A shocked smile filtered over my lips as I looked at the screen and saw Ky’s name. It had been two days since I fled from his car and this was the first time I had heard from him.
Ky: You ready for tomorrow?
Eden: I’m nervous so I can’t really sleep.
Well technically that wasn’t a lie.
Ky: Would I have hired you if I didn’t think you were the best?
Eden: Let’s just see what you think after the meeting.
Ky: I’ll take that as a challenge.
Eden: Who will be there tomorrow?
Ky: What? Am I not good enough?
Oh god!
Eden: I didn’t mean that. That’s fine. I’m sorry.
Ky: I was kidding Eden. Tomorrow you’ll be meeting with me and Simon Davenport who now runs the LA office of Anderson Publications.
Eden: Crap
I placed my phone on my lap. I was wide awake, and I knew sleep would continue to elude me. It confused me how a simple couple of texts from Ky had provided me with the sense of calm and peace I needed.
I looked out of the window at the midnight sky and wondered when the nightmares and constant panic would all end. I wanted to forget what happened, but I knew it would be with me always. Somehow I had to find a way to stop the horrible memories from ruling my life.
Being back here definitely wouldn’t help.
I had six weeks that I needed to survive and then I was gone.
Forever.