Eden's Pleasure (Pulse Book 1) (18 page)

Closing the door behind her, she looked around. This room was so cold and impersonal, not warm or inviting like a guest room should feel. Everything so white and wishy-washy. Even the en suite was bleak: a simple bath, toilet and vanity with a single sink, all stark white.
Why would this room be left untouched while the rest of the apartment is decorated to impress
? she wondered. No wonder he asked her to consider decorating it.

She dressed quickly, noting her blouse had been expertly ironed with a slight scent of white linen. How had Hazel gotten her clothes cleaned so quickly? She must have come in early before they woke and took them.
Holy shit!
Not only did Hazel hear them having sex in the shower, she saw them in bed all tangled together after a night of fabulous sex. She grinned at the thought.

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked like a new woman, a fresh blush in her cheeks. A new chapter had definitely been opened in her life. This submission thing wasn’t half bad. As long as she could overcome her need to control every situation, she’d like this.

He had, without a doubt, shown her a side of pleasure that she had only ever read about in cheap romance novels. She couldn’t help but wonder if it could always be like this. Her stomach ached at the thought that this could possibly have been a one-off. Only time would tell.

Chase was sitting on the bottom step when Eden came down the stairs. She sat beside him, and he took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, slipping a card into her palm.

She looked at the card. “What’s this?” she asked.

“The numerical code for the penthouse elevator.”

Her scowl told him she was confused. “Why?”

He laughed. “To get in, of course. Doesn’t open without the code.” He tapped his finger on the tip of her nose. “Many hours are going to be spent here; you need to get in. I may not always be here before you. I won’t have you standing in the street waiting.”

“I can always call first to make sure you’re here before I come.”

“Not that I don’t love to know when you’re going to come,” he said, grinning wickedly, “but I want you here when I want you here!”

“Yes, sir.” Eden saluted with a laugh. “It’s time I take off. Thanks for…breakfast.” She giggled and felt herself turning red.

“You have to go?” he asked.

“I do. I have things to take care of for work Monday.”

“Maybe I should order you to stay with me.” He grinned.

“You really are a control freak…but I need to take back control for now. I have work to do.”

He scowled. “Charge, not control.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “My driver, Neil, will take you home.”

“I can take a cab,” she offered.

“I don’t think so!” he declared abruptly. “I will see to it that you are properly taken care of, Eden. That’s not by being shuffled off in a cab like some cheap whore.”

“I’m sorry.” She was slightly taken aback by this overbearing side of Chase.

“Don’t be sorry. I told you from the start that I will take care of you.” His insistence should have made her uncomfortable, probably would have if it had been any other man, but it was Chase. She approved of his oh-so-alpha-male attitude; it gave her a sense of her own empowerment over him.

At the elevator, Chase punched the button, after calling his chauffer, and leaned her against the door, smooching gently at her lips and making sweet little sucking noises as he did. A chime sounded and he moved her into his hold, pulling her against him as the door opened.

“Until next time, baby.” He kissed her with a rough possession as he delivered her into the waiting elevator. He stepped back, reached over, and ran his thumb across her cheek.

***

Neil came around the luxurious Bentley Arnage and offered his hand to help her from the car. Her doorman stepped to open the lobby door. He looked flabbergasted at the sight of the gleaming vehicle that she had just exited from.

“Good Morning, Miss Fox,” he muttered.

She was still smiling when she entered her apartment. What a night she had had. She didn’t want to come down from her cloud. She just wanted to stay right there, flying high and free.

A knock at the door startled her back to the here and now. “Who is it?” she called through the door.

“A letter for you, Miss Fox.” She recognized her doorman’s voice and opened it immediately. “It was just delivered, so I brought it up right away.”

“Thanks.” She rummaged in her purse, handed the man a generous tip and closed the door as he walked away down the hall.

The plain white envelope was marked ‘Eden Fox’, handwritten. The writing did not look familiar to her, and she quickly ripped it open, sliding the single paper out. She opened the page to reveal the contents.

Eden’s mouth dropped open, and every bit of air left her lungs. She stood in horror, letting the paper slip from her fingers. It made its way to the floor like a glider, back and forth, until it landed. She stared in disbelief as her heart beat so hard she thought it would burst from her chest. Nausea set in and she had to fight the urge to throw up.

Blinking back tears in total disbelief, she moved closer to the paper and took in the words written in bright red ink.

I’m coming to get you dollface!

***

Amanda came bursting into the office, gleefully humming an Adele song, startling Eden and causing her to jump nervously. “Miss Fox. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that you were here already. I apologize for barging into your office.”

“It’s ok, Amanda. You couldn’t have known I was here,” she said as her secretary handed her a stack of envelopes and a parcel.

“Can I get you anything, Miss Fox?” she asked with concern in her voice.

“You know? I’d love a coffee, if you don’t mind, and only if you get yourself one.” She rarely drank coffee at the office, but this morning she definitely needed it.

She had decided to come into her office early since she never slept a wink Saturday or Sunday night. It was safe here and he’d never be able to get into the building. She was terrified at the thought that he had found her. How? Why now after all these years? She had been so careful. She could feel tears starting and quickly stopped herself. She wasn’t going to let down her defenses and turn into some kind of a sniveling coward.

Riffling through her mail, Eden came across a white envelope with only her name in familiar handwriting on it. A giant knot formed in her stomach as she tore it open quickly, almost desperate to see what it contained. It wasn’t a letter this time. Something else was inside. She spilled the contents onto her desk. They were photographs.

Each shot showed her in everyday activities. Walking on the street out in front of the firm, at the local deli, exiting
Pulse
the last night she helped out Mikala, even shots of her on the ‘Dean’ job site with Chase. It was so creepy she felt a cold chill run up her spine. In haste, she put the photos back in the envelope and deposited them in her desk drawer.

What the fuck am I going to do?

Amanda came in with her coffee, moving some of the mail aside, placed the steaming cup on the desk and looked at Eden enquiringly. “Miss Fox, are you alright? You look very pale.”

Eden hesitated for a moment, lost in her thoughts. “What? Sorry, I’m ok. Just need to splash some water on my face.”

Eden stood and walked to her powder room on shaky legs, like a zombie. Closing the door, she turned on the water and leaned her weight on the sink’s edge. Wetting a face cloth, she dabbed her cheeks, trying to force herself to calm down, to start breathing normal again.

Mik! She’ll help me!

Eden exited the powder room and practically flew across the office, hitting the speed dial and sitting to wait for a connection. She picked up her coffee and took an extra-large mouthful in a quest for calm. Her heart was racing violently.

“Good morning,
Pulse
,
how can I help you?” Carl asked politely.

“Hi Carl, it’s Eden. Could I speak to Mik please?” She was surprised at how calm she kept her voice while panic was taking over her body, causing her to shake uncontrollably.

“Hi, sweetheart, I haven’t seen you in ages.” Carl spoke full of too much cheerfulness for this time in the day. She knew he’d have worked late last night in the club.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy with work and all. I promise we’ll do lunch soon, but for now I really need to speak to Mik.” Eden hated to rush their conversation, but she was panicky and didn’t know how much more she could handle before she broke down, already on the verge of tears.

“Sorry, but Miss Mikala’s out of town for a few days on business. Can I help you out?” he asked.

Eden closed her eyes and squeezed them together, straining her face in frustration and rubbing her forehead. “Thanks anyway, Carl. I’ll see her when she gets back.”

“Ok, honey, I’ll let her know you called. And remember you owe me a date,” Carl said.

“Sure, Carl, bye for now.” She hung up the phone and finished the rest of her coffee in long gulps. She would stay in a hotel. Luckily there was one just down the street, within walking distance. She would wait until tonight, go home, pack a bag, and check into the hotel until she could talk to Mikala.

There was a knock at her office door, and for a brief moment, she watched it, scared to death of what lay on the other side. It opened, and Paul sauntered in with his slimy, little smartass face. She so didn’t want to deal with this jerk.

“Your secretary said you were in.” He moved closer to her desk. She never advanced from her seat, watching him make his way closer. This man couldn’t be trusted. She clenched her teeth together hoping he would leave as fast as he came.

“What can I help you with, Paul?” she asked dryly.

“I believe that you got my package by mistake.” He scanned her desk until he saw the package that he was seeking. He lifted it to read the label and tucked it under his arm. “Are you ok, Eden?”

“I’m fine.” She so didn’t like being rude, but rude was all this man understood. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a ton of work to do today.”

She froze as he slowly started around her desk towards her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she jumped to her feet. Crossing the room to the open door, she made a let-me-show-you-out gesture with her hand. He smirked and walked to the door, almost in animated slow motion. As he passed, he ran his fist across her cheek making her cringe. She closed the door and took a deep breath of relief.

***

Eden worked well into the night. She had been so distracted all day that the most minor jobs turned out to be major undertakings. Even sitting at her drawing table seemed to be an agonizing task. What could have been accomplished in a few hours had taken the entire day.

Taking her coffee cup in both hands, the warmth was welcoming and almost felt soothing, as she stood looking out the window at the city. Her world was crashing down around her, but the outside world just kept on going. How crazy was that? Her shoulders rose up as she yawned. Her body demanded sleep, but sleep was not going to come easily. She dreaded the idea of the dreams continuing. Anxiety tugged at her heart. She wondered just how long this would continue. She still needed to get a bag together and check in at the hotel. She tried to focus on moving but was at peace for the moment.

A flashback of the night Chase came to her at this very spot made her feel suddenly warm. His touch was so tender and attentive. She could use a little of that warm, safe feeling right about now, but she couldn’t go to him. How would she explain this mess? He’d run in the other direction screaming, for god’s sake. This was her problem and she’d have to fix it, but how?

She made her way to her car in the underground parking area, climbed in and locked the doors. Something she had never done before, but now there was a need. The engine started, and she headed out to the street. It was quiet now, nearly three in the morning. A few couples leaving late-night clubs staggered along the sidewalk. It was agonizingly quiet, causing her to feel the desire to rush, like she was suddenly exposed and vulnerable.

Eden scanned all directions for any signs of him, her heart pounding mercilessly. Arriving in front of her apartment, she charged past the doorman while informing him that she would be just a few minutes. That way her car sat out front, guarded as she hurried on, not wasting a minute to get upstairs.

Upon leaving the elevator, she scrutinized each direction of the hallway for any sign of movement before running to her apartment. She opened the door and threw the light on before proceeding any further.

“Holy fuck!” she spoke out loud as she stepped back into the hall and gazed over at the door number, making sure that she had the right apartment. A cold sweat ran over her, leaving her numb and devoid of any kind of emotion. She could only stand and stare, the sight before her was inconceivable.

She wanted to scream. Cry. Race away. But she was stunned, standing like a statue, unable to respond. Every muscle felt heavy and weighted. She was clearly in shock. A light down the hallway flickered, causing Eden to blink a few times. Instantly, she became aware of what had happened. She took her cell phone from her purse and dialed 911 as her body started to vibrate irrepressibly.

“911, what is your emergency please?” the operator asked.

“My apartment has been broken into,” Eden said calmly.

“Do not enter the premises miss. The suspect could still be inside. What is your address?” Eden was sure he was not inside. He would have grabbed her, she was sure of this. Still, she backed to the elevator and planted herself with her back to the wall, her eyes wide, gazing down the hall for any movement. Eden conveyed the information to the operator and waited patiently for the police to arrive.

When they finally did, she was shuffled out of the way in a flurry as a group of four officers drew their guns and made their way into her apartment. After several long minutes, they announced that the apartment was all clear and waved her to come in. She was told not to touch anything while they investigated. She wrapped her arms across her chest and slowly made her way inside.