Dark Without You (6 page)

“Tell me where she is. Now.” He stepped forward, glaring daggers down at Madison.

“Baby, she left. She couldn’t handle being on the road like this,” she said, rubbing her breasts with both hands now. “But I can handle it. I’m back now, just for you.”

Lies. He fought to control his temper. If he got his hands on Rich anytime soon, he’d beat him to a pulp. Taking a deep breath, Andy said, “I’m with Alice now. Even if I wasn’t, you’re the last woman I’d want in my bed.”

Madison stuck out her lip, pouting. “I’m sorry I stole from you. You can punish me if you want. Give me a spanking.” She rolled onto her stomach and wiggled her butt.

Andy shook his head in disbelief and stormed out of the room. He banged on Rich’s door until the prick opened it up. Despite trying to remain calm and collected, one look at Rich’s stupid face caused Andy to snap. He punched his
friend
square in the nose, causing him to fall flat on his ass.

“Hey, that hurt!” Rich cupped his hand over his nose, staring up at Andy. “What the hell, man!”

“Where’s Alice?” Andy was frantic. He had to find her. Had she already hopped a plane back to Maryland?

“At the airport. I found Madison for you, so I told Alice her job here was finished. Her flight left an hour ago.” Rich struggled to his feet.

She’s in the air. She’s not here.

Andy felt momentarily dizzy and his chest tightened. He wondered what horrible thing Rich could’ve said to make her leave without a good-bye. But then his mind honed in on something Rich had said.
Job
. “What did you mean by her
job
here is finished?”

“I-I asked her to come to the tour to keep you happy so you wouldn’t quit.” He smiled sheepishly and shook his head. “I didn’t know she’d do such a good job, sharing your bed and all. I finally tracked Madison down and sent Alice packing. No harm done.”

Andy clenched his fists and turned away from Rich. The little man had become a monster. While Andy disbelieved Alice had been pretending to keep him happy, a seed of doubt had been planted in his mind. She hadn’t resisted his advances at all, nor had she batted an eye at his peculiar tastes. It killed him that she’d left without a good-bye—without any explanation at all. Andy glanced back at Rich. He’d never forgive her brother for his part in this, even if Alice had only been pretending.

Anger and betrayal consumed Andy. His head pounded and his ears rang. He looked coldly into Rich’s eyes. “I’m done here.”

He left the hotel with only the clothes on his back and hailed a cab to the airport. He had no desire for another pointless conversation with Madison while he packed his suitcases, plus it would only delay him further. He was broken inside. He’d lost a childhood friend, had a close encounter with the ex-girlfriend he despised, and his future with Alice hung in the balance.

A storm delayed his first flight to Maryland, and Andy sat in the terminal with a cup of hours old coffee in his hands, nursing an aching heart. If Alice’s original purpose on the tour had been to keep him content, he hoped her love hadn’t been feigned. She’d seemed genuinely happy during the past few weeks. Andy swallowed hard and his mind drifted further into the blackest night he’d ever known.

Alice
.

It was dark without her.

Chapter Six

Rain trickled down the windowpanes as Alice stared outside. Everything was gray, the world outside as well all the corners of her mind. She trudged upstairs to pack another box in her bedroom. Already she had ten boxes lined up in the foyer, set for loading into the U-Haul truck she planned to rent tomorrow. Half of them would go into storage, and the other half would go with her to the little apartment she was fixed to lease tomorrow. Her first two month’s rent would be paid up front, but she’d need to find a job soon if she didn’t plan on asking Rich for money. Finishing up school and working at the same time would be difficult, but she’d manage.

It would be a cold day in hell before she asked Rich for a goddamn thing. He was dead to her. Andy was dead to her too. She’d thought he loved her, but he’d invited Madison back to the tour. Rich had been the one to break the news. He’d urged her to return to Maryland, saying her job was finished. He’d stood there with Madison while she’d packed her suitcase.

It had been so humiliating.

Her trust in Rich and Andy had been shattered in one swift, painful moment. She felt used and dirty, especially when Madison informed her that Andy wanted her help opening up a music store after the tour ended.

A fucking music store. Just like he’d wanted to open with Alice in Salisbury. Now the idea he’d shared seemed like a cheap pickup line.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The first time she hadn’t run away from a relationship and this was what happened. She really was better off alone. Even her brother was a slimeball. He’d invited her to the tour, only to kick her out when choice number one in his design to pacify Andy showed up. The friendly way he’d treated Madison broke her heart, causing a dreadful sense of abandonment to wash over her.

Seeing the groupie up close only made Alice feel worse. Madison was gorgeous. She had long locks of wavy blonde hair and a body to die for—not to mention her picture-perfect face. She looked like a movie star, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why Andy liked her. Alice saw the pair of them together every time she closed her eyes.

She sighed and looked around the bedroom that had been hers since she’d been a baby. As much as she hated leaving the house her parents had built, it no longer felt like home. She wondered if she’d drift through the rest of her life never recapturing that sense of home, no matter where she went or what she did. It was a bleak outlook, and Alice felt as if she were trapped in a tunnel with no light at the end, only black as far as the eye could see.

The lights flickered. The storm was growing worse, and she decided to prepare in case the electricity went out. In the kitchen she gathered matches, a couple of votive candles, and a large flashlight. The lights flickered twice more, so she placed the candles strategically around the house and lit them—one in the bathroom, two in her bedroom, two in the living room, one in the kitchen, and one in the foyer.

She recalled how she would slip into her parent’s bed during a thunderstorm when she was a child, and a she smiled at the memory. This house was full of memories, good and bad. Mentally and physically exhausted, she curled up with the flashlight on the couch and tried to focus on the good ones. She finally drifted to sleep, dreaming of her mother’s singsong voice and her father’s warm brown eyes.

When she awoke several hours later, the strong smell of fresh-brewed coffee caused her to bolt upright on the couch. She held the flashlight out in front of her like a weapon, her eyes flitting around the room until they met with angry blue ones.

“Andy?”

“Alice.” His voice was clipped. He rose to his feet and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned with a cup of coffee and placed it in her hands. “Drink it.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You know I don’t like coffee.”

He looked down at her crossly. “We need to have a conversation, Alice. I want to make sure you’re awake. Drink. It. Now.” The clenching of his jaw perplexed her as much as it frightened her. What right did he have to be mad?

Despite this, Alice found herself taking a sip of the coffee. It wasn’t so bad. He’d added plenty of cream and sugar. He stood guard above her until she’d finished half the cup. If it hadn’t been steaming hot, she would’ve hurled the beverage in his face.

When he finally sat in the nearby chair, his angry expression melted into one favoring disappointment. Alice stared back and had the sudden inclination that she’d done something wrong, but she shook the feeling away. She’d been used and tossed away like a paper plate at a picnic. He was in the wrong—not her. But why the hell was he sitting in her living room?

Andy drew a deep breath. “Did Rich ask you to join the tour to keep me happy?”

Oh God. Alice felt herself crumble inside and gazed at the floor. What a fucking mess her summer vacation had turned into. Most of her friends were soaking up the sun in Ocean City—well, when it wasn’t raining—and here she was getting her heart trampled on and having the blame thrown her way at the same time.

“Answer me, Alice. Is it true?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“So it was all a game for you, then? Nothing between us was real?” Anger had crept back into his voice, and Alice couldn’t decide who she hated more—herself or Rich.

“It wasn’t a game!” Her eyes shot up and she held his gaze in challenge. “It was real and it was wonderful—
to me
. You can still go live your life though. Go open your stupid music store with Madison.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t want anything to do with that girl. She was a mistake.”

Alice snorted. “I met her, Andy. She came looking for you at the hotel. She said you’d called her and begged her to come back. She told me all about the plans you two made together for after the tour.”

Andy shot out of his chair, causing Alice to flinch. “I’m allowed to have a past. Yes, I was with Madison for a few weeks. And yes, we talked about the future, but those plans died when she left. I didn’t beg her to come back. I’ve had no contact with her whatsoever. Rich found her and convinced her to come back. Your brother fucked up big time, Alice. And
you
—I can’t believe
you
left Memphis without even saying good-bye.”

Say good-bye? Really? Like she’d wished for further humiliation. Shooting up to her feet, Alice hurled the now-lukewarm coffee into Andy’s face. She realized her mistake too late.

Eerie silence, like the calm before a terrible storm, permeated the room. He stood deathly still for several seconds before wiping the liquid away with his sleeve. Then he invaded her personal space, his intense eyes driving fear into her gut. She shivered and inched back until her legs hit the couch. Cornered and guilty as sin, she trembled as she waited for retaliation. A moment passed and he hadn’t yet laid a hand on her, and she felt incredibly stupid and ashamed. Despite all that had happened and despite the fear she felt, deep down she still trusted him with her life. He wouldn’t hurt a hair on her body, spankings not included.

Alice’s eyes grew wide and she shook her head. “I—I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I did that.”

Andy lifted her chin with one finger and raised an eyebrow. “After we make up, young lady, I will punish you for that.”

“Make up?”

“This is all a big misunderstanding, don’t you see? Your brother probably had good intentions, but I don’t think he put the bottle down long enough to truly consider his actions. Tracking down and inviting Madison back was outrageous.” Andy cupped Alice’s cheeks with his large, warm hands stroking her skin with his thumbs.

“I came to the tour because Rich asked me. He said you’d had a crush on me years ago and thought my presence could keep you from quitting the band. But I wasn’t faking anything between us.” She paused and her head shot up. “You have a show in Memphis tomorrow night. How are you going to—”

“Shh.” He placed a finger over her mouth. “I’m done with the band.”

“Oh.”

A smile formed on his lips. “So where were you running off to with all those boxes, young lady?”

Alice explained about the apartment she’d planned to lease on the other side of town. He understood, but wouldn’t hear of her living by herself. She agreed to move into his little townhouse. The hurt feelings between them healed as they curled up on the couch together and spoke further about the preceding days. Alice couldn’t begrudge Andy for having a past with Madison—Lord knows she had plenty of notches on her own belt. She believed his accounts, and they pieced together Rich’s deceptions until the full picture appeared with the two of them painted as victims in a desperate man’s plot.

It was hard for Alice to feel truly happy, even as she lay comfortably in Andy’s arms, because of the dark shadow her brother had cast. His betrayal was like another family tragedy to her, one that she should’ve seen coming years ago. Always obsessed with money and appearances, he’d only helped her when it bolstered his image. He’d made sure she had nice clothes and a car to drive. He’d made sure she had any material possessions she’d needed. Alice had always assumed it was his way of showing love, but now she knew better. Despite this dreadful epiphany about Rich, she’d always feel a certain amount of gratitude toward him. She suspected they might have a reckoning between them one day, but not today.

Today was about starting her new life with Andy—the man who’d spent years standing on the sidelines ready to step in each time Rich failed.

She lifted her head off Andy’s chest and stared into his eyes. “Can we leave now?”

He kissed her forehead and tugged her closer. “Yes, baby, we can leave.”

* * *

“This is the last box,” Andy announced, setting it down next to the others. He’d borrowed a truck from a friend to relocate Alice’s possessions into his townhouse. Now that everything was moved, a sense of warmth and finality settled upon him.

Alice looked up from the books she was unpacking and smiled. “Thank you.”

He helped unpack her things and even cleared out one side of his closet for her clothes. They worked amicably side by side for several hours until the job was finished. Everywhere Andy looked he saw a piece of Alice. His heart swelled knowing she was under his roof and protection for good.

“Everything looks perfect,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder.

Andy wrapped his arm around her, leading her toward the bedroom. They’d made up and moved forward with their plans to start a life together, and he intended to ensure they started off on the right track. Alice might’ve forgotten she had a spanking coming her way for throwing coffee in his face, but he hadn’t.

It was time to clear the air.

Andy sat on the bed and positioned Alice standing between his legs. “Do you remember what I promised would happen once we made up?”

She gulped and lowered her head. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Let’s get this over with.” He tugged her down across his lap. “Tell me why you’re getting this spanking.”

“I-I threw coffee in your face.” Her voice wavered.

“That’s right. You behaved badly, Alice. The next time we have an argument about something I’ll expect you to conduct yourself respectably. Do you understand?”

He felt her body tense up. “Yes, Sir. I’m so sorry.”

Rubbing slow circles on her bottom, he said, “I know you are. Now I want you to be a good girl and take your punishment. No fighting me, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, a hint of fear in her voice.

Andy pulled her black yoga pants and panties down in one swift movement. He began spanking immediately, driving his firm hand down against her soft bottom cheeks without mercy. He didn’t pause once as he punished, slapping her thighs with as much force as her buttocks. Once her flesh had turned a satisfactory deep shade of pink, he stopped. He rubbed her back for several moments before arranging her on his lap for a lingering embrace. A deep sigh escaped her lips, as if she’d been holding her breath. Examining her face, he noticed one lonely tear rolling down her cheek and brushed it away with his thumb.

The love in her eyes melted his heart and stirred his carnal needs. He captured her mouth in his while grinding his erection up against her freshly punished bottom. Her soft moans were music to his ears, drawing him further over the precipice of raw passion.

“Take off your clothes and get on your hands and knees,” he said in a voice hoarse with desire.

He stripped off his clothes while she obeyed his instructions, offering herself to him on the bed. It was his favorite position for her, especially when her bottom bore evidence of his discipline. Fisting his rock-hard cock in his hand, he crawled up behind aching to plunge between her pink folds. Her legs were spread slightly, giving him a glimpse of the moisture pooling between her nether lips. He delved his fingers inside, spreading her honey around until her sex glistened beautifully. When she tried to grind against him, he smacked her ass and commanded her to remain still.

A thought occurred to Andy as he brought his cock to her pussy. Her bottom hole had missed two days of plug time. As he spread her cheeks apart and glimpsed her tiny rosebud, his intentions changed. She’d taken the plug without too much trouble.

“Wait here,” he said.

He retrieved a bottle of lube from his dresser. She shivered as he applied a generous amount to her untouched hole, letting it drip down her crack and using his fingers to prepare her for his invasion. Because he needed to ease the aching of his throbbing member, he thrust his length into her pussy and began to pound steadily into those inviting silken folds. As he rode her hard, he slipped first one finger and then two into her bottom hole, stretching her for his thick cock.

He stilled his movements and put his mouth to her ear. “You belong to me, Alice.
This
”—he abruptly pushed another finger inside her tight entrance—“belongs to me too. I’m going to fuck your ass now, and I want you to be a good girl and relax for me.”

“Yes, sir,” she said between quick breaths.

He withdrew his cock and fingers from her, giving her a moment’s reprieve. The submissive stance of her body as she awaited his invasion tugged at his heartstrings. She was no doormat, yet she let him lead, gave him the control he desired to exercise in and out of the bedroom. She was willful and opinionated, but she was also sweet and strived to be obedient. If he scoured the Earth for another woman like her, he’d come up empty-handed.