Taste (Sovereign Book 2) (7 page)

He collapsed down on top of me, and we stayed that way for what seemed like forever. Our breathing slowly drifted from hard and fast to slow and steady, our bodies remaining connected in the most intimate of ways throughout it all.

With his face buried in my neck, he lifted his hand up and ran his fingers whisper-soft down my cheek.

“Stay with me, tonight. Whatever happens tomorrow, whenever you have to walk away from me, I want to always have tonight,” he whispered in my ear and incapable of speaking, the only thing I could do was nod against him.

It was like he knew what we had could never be.

Hours later, once he’d finally drifted off to sleep, I carefully crawled out of his bed and got dressed, allowing myself one last look at him. I committed all of it to memory, from his furrowed brow to his dark lashes down to his full lips and the graze of stubble that covered his jaw.

Then the inevitable guilt hit me like a sledgehammer.

I knew I had been weak. His smell, his touch, his taste—all of it had overwhelmed me, and unable to resist the temptation, I’d given in.

I knew that being with him, sleeping with him, giving in to him would irrevocably change me. But even knowing that, I’d barely put up a fight.

The choice I made was exactly what I needed but also posed the biggest threat to my future happiness. My actions bore consequences I did not want to contemplate, let alone experience. But that would be my cross to bear, and the penance I would have to pay.

Because in that moment, seeing Barrett at his most unguarded, in his most vulnerable state, he both took my breath away and tore at my heart.

A heart that I could no longer deny now belonged to two men.

End of Part Two.

Continue reading for an excerpt from

Feel – Part Three and the stunning conclusion to the Sovereign Series

Coming February 9
^th
2016

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Feel – Part Three and the stunning conclusion to the Sovereign Series

I’m in love with two men. One came crashing into my life like a whirlwind, equal parts thrill and destruction. The other is like a calm sea, weathering the storm with me, offering me comfort and stability and promising to fight for me until the bitter end.

I have to make a decision. Who do I choose?

Barrett Matthews is a force to be reckoned with, and he has made it his mission to win me over.

Aiden Lawrence has had a piece of my heart from the very beginning and has never let me down.

Both men can make me happy; both men can keep me safe.

In the end, my heart will break whoever I choose.

My only hope is that I can survive the decision I make.

Excerpt from Feel – Part Three of the Sovereign Series

It was the very next day after I’d snuck out of Barrett’s bed when my world was turned upside down.

I sat at my desk going over the cover proofs for the new magazine when I was interrupted by loud voices arguing outside my office. I lifted my head in time to see my assistant, Carrie, rushing through the door with Gavin and two of the company’s security guards following behind him.

“Ms. Jacobs, I tried to stop them but—” she started to say, but was interrupted by Gavin.

He stood in front of my desk and crossed his arms, a look of satisfaction on his face. “You’re no longer CEO of Jacobs Publishing,” he said, looking at me, before turning to Carrie and saying, “And you’re fired.”

I shot to my feet when my anger surpassed boiling point. “Gavin, you cannot waltz on in here and fire anyone. I’m the CEO, not you.”

“You were, Alyssa, but as of an hour ago, you are not.”

Carrie gasped in shock, and my mouth dropped open as my body went still.

“What are you talking about?” I whispered loudly.

“My wife and I share assets, which means what is hers is mine. Therefore, I now have the power to take over operational responsibility of Jacobs Publishing which I am doing, effective immediately.”

“You can’t—”

“You know, Alyssa, that this is absolutely possible—and legal.”

I grabbed hold of my desk and held on tight, my body vibrating with anger as I desperately tried to stave off the shock threatening to overwhelm me.

I reached over to grab my phone. “I’m going to call my mother. Just see what she—”

The dial tone went silent, and I looked up to see Gavin’s fingers pressed down on the base unit.

“Your mother won’t help you, Alyssa. I explained to her that you are young, too young to have such a responsibility weighing heavy on your shoulders,” he explained condescendingly. “This is a good business decision. You’d
hate
to disappoint her, especially since you said yourself that you’d never seen her so happy. You even gave me your blessing to marry her, remember?” His smile was wolfish and not at all friendly.

“So you’re just taking over?”

“I think it’s for the best, Alyssa. You can stay on, of course. Maybe you’d consider moving to the editorial department.” He crossed his arms and smirked at me and I struggled to stamp down the desire to slap him in the face.

I shut my laptop and picked it up but he interrupted. “No need for that. We’ll send any personal belongings to your new office.”

“You’re gonna pay for this,” I warned as the two security guards moved toward me.

“Oh believe me, I’ve already paid my dues. This is my reward.”

“What?” I frowned at him, confused.

“And Alyssa, just so you know, your forty-nine percent stake in the company is safe for now. But the minute you make any moves against me, I’ll see to it that your stake is so diluted you’ll be worth nothing.” He paused, lifting his hand to his chin and rubbing it, “or I could just buy you out.”

With that parting note, he spun around and walked out the door, and I was led out of my office and onto the elevator by the security guards with nothing but my purse.

I stood in shock outside the tall glass building that had my name—my father’s name—on it, and wondered what I was supposed to do. My father’s legacy had just been swept out from under my feet by a man who had—in the space of just over a month—alienated me from my only surviving parent.

I pulled out my cellphone and dialed my mom’s number, tears gathering in my eyes when it went through to voicemail. At the sound of the tone, I spoke. “Mom, I need to speak with you. It’s urgent . . .” I had to stop because my voice cracked. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and continued, “Gavin has just taken over and told me he has your blessing. I don’t believe you’d do that so can you please . . .
please
call me back.”

I hung up the phone and walked forward but stopped when the hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and I instinctively looked up to see a furious Barrett stalking toward me.

Just seeing a familiar—albeit not necessarily friendly—face made the tell-tale lump in my throat come back with a vengeance. All of the anger I’d been harboring toward Gavin rushed back to the surface.

“Alyssa, we need to talk,” Barrett demanded, as he came to a stop a foot away from me. Filled with rage, I leaned forward and jabbed my finger into Barrett’s chest.

“This is your fault.”

“What?” he asked, his brows knitted together.

“I asked you in Vegas to tell me what was going on with Gavin and you wouldn’t . . .”
Jab.
“Tell.”
Jab
. “Me.” Then I jabbed him one last time, extra hard. He didn’t even flinch; he just stood there and took everything I gave him.

His hands came up and gripped my biceps, holding me still while he lowered his head to look in my eyes. “What’s wrong, Lys?”

Then, as if right on cue, it started raining, but I was too far gone to care.

“It’s gone.”

“What?”

“All of it.”

“Lys.” His voice went soft. All of his anger seemed to have disappeared. “You’re not making any sense.”

“Gavin. He’s taken it all, now. My company, my mom . . .” My voice cracked but somehow I stood strong, Barrett’s grip on my arms steadying me.

“I was trying to protect you,” he said back. He let go of my arm and swiped a hand over his face to clear the water away. It was a fruitless effort though, as the rain continued to pour down, washing over both of us.

“Protect me?” I shrieked. “You didn’t warn me!”

We just stood there on the sidewalk. It was as if the world around us had disappeared and we were the only two people left standing.

He moved in closer and tilted his head, then I remembered his role in this. Investigation or not, he’d played his part. I still didn’t know what information he had about me. I didn’t know if part of his cover was to report back to Gavin on whatever the hell it was he was supposed to be doing for him.

It didn’t matter that he’d told me everything he could last night, or that he’d taken me to his bed. None of it mattered in that moment. As all of my thoughts crashed together in my head and I lost it.

“Instead of protecting me, look what happened! My mother got married without me and now I’ve just lost my company!” I yelled, not caring about the rain. My emotions were being pulled one way and then another, all because of this man standing in front of me. My anger boiled over and I made the decision to let Barrett Matthews have it all.

“It was my job, Alyssa,” he said, his voice full of regret.

“You were paid to lie to me. He paid you to find out everything about my life for what?” I said, throwing my hands in the air. “He’s taken everything, and I have no fucking idea why. What have I done to him? Why me? What more can he fucking want, Barrett? Tears streamed down my face, and I fisted my hands in his shirt and clung to him.

“I’m going to make this right, Alyssa,” Barrett vowed and he looked sincere, almost determined to make me believe it.

“Why, Barrett? Why does it even matter to you?” I cried.

“Because you fucking matter to me.” Then I was in his arms, his fingers fisted in my hair. The other hand circled my waist and pulled me hard against him just as he kissed me. His lips slammed down onto mine and his tongue slid into my mouth. My mind and body were at odds but I was powerless to stop it.

Then, as quick as it started, it was over because two arms moved between us and violently wrenched us apart.

My eyes snapped open and went wide as I gasped in shock when I saw a stony-faced Aiden glaring back at me. I stepped toward him, and my mouth opened to say something. Then I stopped, when I saw the look he directed toward Barrett.

“Lawrence, what the—” Barrett began but stopped when Aiden moved forward, reared his arm back, and slammed his fist straight into Barrett’s jaw.