Unravel Me

Muffled voices filled the background. I strained to hear what they were saying.

“I swear to you. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m at my parents’ house. Let me come over—”

“The photos, Nathan,” I shouted. “The envelope of photos that was waiting for me at my door. Who do you have following me this time?”

“Nobody,” he answered quietly.

Rage shook me to the core. I hated him. I hated his lies.

“I don’t believe you.”

A long, exasperated sigh cascaded through the phone. “You’re going to have to trust me on this one. I don’t have anyone following you. All the things I told you at dinner were true. I want this to be a time for us to heal. Why would I do something like this? I have my faults but I’m not that arrogant.”

Tears bullied their way out of my eyes, rolling fast down my cheeks. He sounded so goddam sincere. I couldn’t think straight.

“Lia, let me come over. Let me help you.”

“No.” I ended the call.

CHAPTER TWO

I navigated the streets of downtown Orlando in a fog. The loud blast of a truck’s horn jolted my attention. I swerved sharply, avoiding a collision. Sitting at the red light, I shook from fear and anger. By the time I arrived at Stephanie’s condo I needed a stiff drink.

She opened the front door as I trudged up the walkway.

“Jesus Christ, Lia.” She ran out, grabbing the overnight bag from my hands. “Were you followed here? Are you alright?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come inside. I already have wine poured.”

Smiling a bit, I followed her into the kitchen. The table was set for a romantic dinner for two. Raising my brows, I glanced at my best friend. Her jet-black hair, which she was letting grow out, sat perfectly arranged in a low bun. She looked fresh off the pages of Vogue in her lime green tank dress.

“Am I interrupting something?”

“Um, well.” She blushed. “Sorta. But don’t worry about it. This is more important.”

“You had a date?” I sat down and took a sip of wine. “Stephanie Ann Tempe, are you keeping secrets from me?”

She rolled her eyes, sitting down. “Not really. He’s just some guy I met last week. We’ve gone out a couple times. Nothing to get all excited about.”

“Last week? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were busy with Alastair. I didn’t want to intrude.”

“For crying out loud. Telling me about a date isn’t intruding. Stop being ridiculous.”

“It’s not important.” She waved her hand. “What are you going to do about Nathan?”

I took a long sip from the glass. Dealing with Nathan wasn’t my main concern. Telling Alastair about this weighed heavily on my mind.

“I think— I’m not sure if he’s the one behind it.”

“Are you nuts? This is his dirty work. I have no doubt.” Her ice blue eyes flashed with determination and anger. She despised him almost as much as I did.

“That’s the thing. It does reek of him but it’s too perfectly arranged. I mean, really. Is he cocky enough to invite me to dinner under the false pretense that he has some big juicy gossip about someone only to scare the shit out of me by leaving an envelope filled with pictures at my doorstep? He’s an asshole but he’s not that twisted.”

While Stephanie droned on about Nathan’s ability to manipulate various situations, I thought back to the birthday party I went to at Sydney’s. I thought I’d seen something flash in the sunlight. A car windshield? A camera lens? My head pounded.

“Have you told Alastair yet?”

I snapped out of my reverie and looked up.

“No. It’s, like, three in the morning over there. I’m not waking him up.”

“You have to tell him.”

I bristled at her tone. Honestly, one minute she’s warning me about him and the next she’s pushing me to run to him for help.

“I will, I will. Relax.”

“Before you go see him this weekend.”

“What are you, my mother?”

“I’m only trying to help.”

“Really? Then mind your own business for once, please. I’m not a defenseless animal who needs rescuing.”

We stared at one another for a minute, tension billowing through the kitchen. Sometimes being her friend tested my patience. I knew her concern came from a good place and I appreciated it, my only problem was she didn’t know when to back off.

“Fine.” She sighed. “You can stay here as long as you want. Have you thought about going to the police?”

“Yeah. I just don’t know what they can do. There wasn’t a threatening note or anything. A pile of pictures in an unmarked envelope doesn’t exactly scream mortal danger.”

Stephanie pursed her lips. “You were followed. I think you should at least file a complaint or something. That way it’s on record and if something else happens they’ll know this is a recurring problem.”

Rubbing my temples, I nodded. Working in the news enabled me to establish good contacts at the police department. I knew who to call if I decided to go down that road. Exhaustion creaked through my body.

“I’m beat. Thanks for letting me stay here.”

Stephanie circled the table and hugged me. Even though I had a flesh and blood sister, she was as close to me as Dayna. We could fight like cats and dogs or have disagreements but our bond remained unbreakable. I could always turn to her, no matter the circumstance.

“The guest bedroom is all made up,” she said, squeezing me tight. “Seriously. You can stay here as long as you need.”

That was as close to an apology as I was going to get for the time being.

Once I snuggled under the blankets, I reached for my phone. I wanted to call Alastair but I didn’t want to worry him. He’d probably flip out and fly back here. His little quirk about always needing to know if I was safe was no joke. Telling him wasn’t an option until I knew all the facts. He didn’t need added pressure, especially with everything he was dealing with at work.

And then there was Nathan. What am I going to do about him? Anxiety churned through my body. I tossed and turned forever before finally falling asleep.

The next day was uncomfortable to say the least. I was jumpy and paranoid. I nearly suffered a panic attack in the afternoon walking to the bathroom at work when I heard footsteps behind me.

“Hey, Lia.”

I spun around, my heart beating a mile a minute. Katie Vitale, our morning show reporter, stood next to Edit Bay One. Her eyes widened at my blatant display of fear.

“Didn’t mean to startle you. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. My mind is just littered with a zillion things.”

She grinned, tossing her strawberry-blonde hair over her left shoulder. “Ugh, I know the feeling. They’re having me cover the Malone trial starting tomorrow. I’d rather stay on the motel explosion.”

“I think we’ve milked that one for all it’s worth.”

“Well,” she huffed, “I guess. Hey, are you going to be around this weekend?”

“Nope. I’ll be out of town.”

Folding her arms, Katie sized me up with a shrewd glance. “Visiting the competition?”

Her slightly sarcastic tone irked me. Not everyone at my station was dazzled by that fact I was dating our biggest rival’s newly minted CEO. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I’m visiting my boyfriend, yes.”

“Must be nice to get all this time off. I asked to use a vacation day next Monday so I could go to Panama City for the weekend. I was told I’m needed in the area just in case something new breaks in the motel story, which you so succinctly described as being ‘milked.’ Obviously, Bruce sees it differently. But you get to flitter off to Scotland. You have Singleton wrapped around your finger, don’t you?”

Funny how a few snotty words from someone could turn me from being paranoid to exasperated in less than ten seconds. I clenched my fists in an effort to control whatever response was about to be unleashed.

“I’m not taking any time off, not that it’s any of your business. I switched my schedule with Louise.”

Giving me her best whatever stare, Katie turned on her heel and sauntered down the hallway. This wasn’t the first time she’d voiced her opinions on my love life. When I dated Nathan she’d made it clear I’d landed the biggest catch since Kate nabbed Will and I should marry him immediately. Sometimes working in a newsroom was like being in high school.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon reordering stories in the rundown and editing scripts. Sydney and I chatted about her upcoming cookout bash at the lake house. She and her husband, Ray, have been throwing this late summer party for as long as I’d lived in Orlando. Aside from the massive fireworks display at Lake Eola on the Fourth of July, the Makeeda family soirée was the biggest event of the season.

By the time I settled into the control room for the broadcast, I’d managed to push aside my annoyance over Katie and my trepidations over the photos.

I decided to stay with Stephanie one more night and headed home on Thursday. Everything looked exactly as I’d left it. Pictures were still scattered across the living room floor. I shoved them back in the envelope and tossed it on the kitchen table.

I peeked out the window. There were still another couple hours of good sunlight. A long, hard jog would be beneficial. I changed and drove out to Cranes Roost Park. Drowning out the world with music, I ran around the lake until my legs begged for mercy and the July humidity saturated my lungs. Running in this sweltering heat drained me but I loved the escape. At no other time did I feel more alive than when I ran. Once I arrived back home, I filled the tub and soaked my sore muscles. Exhausted, I collapsed into bed.

* * *

“Hello?” I mumbled into the pillow. I think the phone was at my ear. The ringing finally stopped. Squinting at the clock on my nightstand I learned it was barely five in the morning.

“Did I wake you, kitten?”

Blood sang through my veins as I heard Alastair’s velvety English accent through the phone. I smiled. “You’re five hours ahead of me. You know you did.”

His low, throaty laugh curled my toes. I half expected to turn and see him lying next to me.

“Sorry. I wanted to hear your voice. I don’t like waking up alone.”

“I know the feeling,” I said, sliding my hand along the cool sheets where his body should have been. “Are you working from home today?”

“No. The office. I’m in between meetings. I have about seven minutes to give you my undivided attention.”

I laughed, stretching my legs. “Well, well Mr. CEO. A whole seven minutes? How do you plan to spend this time?”

“Enjoying the sound of your voice,” he answered, lowering his tone. “I like hearing you first thing in the morning.”

I closed my eyes, amazed at how quickly my heart was beating. Goose bumps rippled across my skin. The effect he had on me transcended an ocean and several time zones.

“Are you trying to seduce me over the phone?”

“Only if you want me to. Although I’d need more than,” he paused, “six minutes.”

“I doubt that,” I muttered, kicking off the blankets. My internal body temperature was off the charts. Another one of his deep, sexy laughs quickened my pulse.

“Patience, love.”

“I’m barely awake. You’re a tease with a gorgeous accent who knows how to push my buttons. Thin ice, Holden, thin ice.”

“I should wake you up early more often. Which buttons am I pushing, exactly?”

Christ. I could almost see the smile on his lips. Shifting on the mattress, I curled up on my side. The pillow he’d used still smelled like him. I inhaled deeply, wishing I could wrap myself around him.

“Patience, chief.”

“Fair enough.”

I squeezed the phone. Hearing his voice unhinged me a bit. I wanted to tell him what happened this week. More than anything I wanted to feel him next to me. Steeling myself against the unwelcome onslaught of emotion, I took a deep breath.

“You’re awfully quiet. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just a little tired seeing as someone thought it would be funny to wake me up at the crack of dawn.”

There was a long pause.

“You’re sure there’s nothing else bothering you?”

I hated lying to him.

“Only that I miss you like crazy.”

He sighed heavily. “I can’t wait until you get here. I have a few things planned for you.”

“Oh?” I sat up, leaning against the headboard. “What things?”

“A lesson, of sorts.”

My erratic pulse skipped a few beats. “What type of lesson?”

“Something I’ve been wanting to teach you. A curiosity of mine, really. I’ll ease you into it, until you get a feel for what you’re doing. Then, I want to see you take control and show me what you can do.”

I squeezed the pillow to within an inch of its life. In all honesty, whatever he just described made my ovaries move. I swallowed hard. “I think it’s safe to say I’m intrigued.”

“Good. I have to go, love. Think of me today.”

“Obviously.”

He laughed good and loud. “Have a safe flight. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

A smile remained plastered to my face all day. That early morning phone call was the perfect remedy for my weeklong jitters. Not even a barrage of breaking stories derailed my good mood.

“Are you humming?”

I looked up from the computer screen and was greeted by Sydney’s smiling face.

“Uh, maybe?”

She laughed. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’d hum too if I were heading for a weekend of naughtiness with a hot Brit.”

I grinned, feeling my cheeks heat up.

“Seriously, Lia. That man is too gorgeous to just cuddle. The illegal things I would do to him,” she smiled.

“Sydney!”

“Hypothetically speaking, of course.” She winked. “I only have eyes for Ray.”

My desk phone rang, mercifully ending the over-sharing session.

“Lia Meyers.”

“Do you have a minute?”

I clenched the receiver, wishing I hadn’t answered. “What do you want, Nathan?”

“Rachel Jameson is behind the pictures.”

“What? How do you know?”

The length of the pause was torture.

“I don’t want to get into that right now.”

My stomach rolled. I swallowed, trying to keep a serene tone. Sydney might be working but her ears had sharpened.

“I’d appreciate it if you could go into a little more detail.”

“Not over the phone while you’re at work. I debated whether or not to call but felt you should at least know that. Let me come by when you’re home and we can talk.”

“I can’t. I’m going straight to the airport from the station.”

“Shit,” he hissed. “Don’t go visit him.”

Any shred of the good mood I’d enjoyed all day disappeared. I glanced over the partition separating my cubicle from Sydney’s. She had headphones on to listen to a press conference. Turning my chair so it faced the back of the newsroom, I lowered my voice.

“I don’t know what little scheme you’ve cooked up with Rachel but it needs to stop. I should have known she was in on it when she showed up at dinner. You’re a piece of work, Nathan. How many times do I have to say it? This is over. We’re done. Don’t call me again.”

I pulled the phone away from my ear only to hear him yell for me to stop. I didn’t know what possessed me to listen.

“You’re not giving me any choice here, Lia. This isn’t how I wanted to tell you.” He almost sounded apologetic. “Rachel was hired to follow you. She’s being paid to dig up dirt from your past and to keep an eye on you.”

Panic seized my heart. “Who hired her?”

“I don’t want to do this over the phone.”

“Who hired her?” I asked through clenched teeth.

Nathan sighed. “Money was wired to her from an account in the United Kingdom.”

My body went cold. All the lively sounds of the newsroom faded into oblivion. Immense pressure squeezed between my ears. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Lia.” He paused. “The authorizing signature was from Jason Holden.”

Dropping the phone into its cradle, I stood up abruptly and somehow walked to the restroom. One of the editors was washing her hands. She smiled as I brushed by and locked myself in a stall. The cool stainless steel door did nothing to soothe the heated skin on my forehead. For the most part, I was numb. So much had been thrown at me over the past few months and this new revelation didn’t deliver the massive blow I would have expected. Partly because I didn’t believe a word coming out Nathan’s mouth and partly because I refused to accept what I was told.

Alastair’s uncle isn’t financing a tabloid reporter to dig up dirt on me. That’s ridiculous.

I leaned against the door. My heart pounded so quickly that the inside of my ears hurt. We were barely three weeks removed from the biggest breakthrough in our relationship. He had opened up. He told me everything. Or did he?

No. I wouldn’t allow my insecurities to run rampant. This was all part of Nathan’s sick, twisted plan to win me back. Anger roiled my stomach. Straightening, I walked out of the stall, did a quick check in the mirror and went back to my desk. I zeroed in on nothing but the rundown and various scripts that needed tweaking. The broadcast flew by in a nanosecond. The next thing I knew, I was in the sanctuary of my car.

Gripping the steering wheel, I forced myself to breathe. I had a nine-hour flight to endure. The last thing I wanted was to spend it pissed off. I drove more aggressively than usual through the traffic. My only goal was to get to the airport lounge and try to unwind. Since I didn’t have any luggage, I zipped through security.

Once I was settled in the lounge with a glass of chardonnay I felt better. Not great, but better. Of course I flirted with the idea of getting back in my car and going home. If his uncle really was behind all this nonsense, visiting Alastair was the last thing I should do. It hurt my heart to even consider the possibility. All of this could be cleared up quickly if I asked him. Oh yeah. That will go over well. Hi, Alastair. Is your uncle stalking me? Oh, he is? Amazing.

The ridiculousness of that scenario made me laugh. A couple of passengers looked at me funnily. I smiled at them and sipped the wine. By my third glass, a nice fuzzy calm settled my nerves. The Holden family wasn’t investigating me. They had no reason to.

CHAPTER THREE

A sizable group of family and friends were gathered near the arrivals entrance at Glasgow International Airport to welcome weary travelers home. I assumed Alastair’s driver, Paxton, would be picking me up. I scanned the crowd for a tall broad-shouldered man in his forties with salt and pepper hair. All I saw was a young guy in jeans, black t-shirt and backwards baseball cap with his back to me.

Shuffling past him and another group of people I wondered if I’d have to take a taxi. The thought annoyed me. Plus, I was cranky because my period decided to show up early thanks to the high altitude while flying.

“There you are.”

I turned toward the familiar rich voice and wound up staring directly at the guy in the ball cap. Seeing Alastair always hit all my hot buttons. The casual look didn’t mask his aura of powerful elegance at all.

“What the hell is on your head?”

Alastair laughed. “You don’t like it?” He turned the hat so it faced the proper direction. It made him look slightly younger than his thirty-one years. The letters HWM were embroidered on the front.

“It’s cute.”

“I was trying to be incognito.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret. Don’t wear a Holden World Media hat if you don’t want to be recognized.” I grinned, wrapping my arms around him. Feeling his athletic body pressed to mine set everything straight. His energy really had become an extension of my own. When we shared the same space, I felt more alive, more aware. Just…more.

“I need to get you out of here and back to my house so I can welcome you properly,” he said, draping an arm across my shoulders.

He whisked me off to the parking lot and drove back to his neighborhood in Bearsden like a man on a mission. The tree-lined street was quiet and pretty. His light gray sandstone house sat on a pristine lot with a manicured lawn and vibrant patches of shrubbery and flowers.

Still so perfect on the outside, like him.

Most of the world only saw the stoic, successful young businessman who’d recently been named CEO of his grandfather’s media empire. He handled his business dealings with the cool precision of a surgeon. As much as I craved him when he was in CEO-mode, peeling away the hard exterior to expose the vulnerable man who only showed himself to me was a drug I would never quit.

I’d barely walked through the front door when he lunged, pinning me against the wall. At the mercy of his lips and tongue, I gasped, inhaling sharply. The rim of his hat knocked into my forehead. I ripped it off his head, throwing it across the hallway. He kissed me with such ferocity I thought he might bruise my lips. Circling each of my wrists with his hands, he held them firmly against the wall and pushed the weight of his six-foot frame into me. I liked it when he was untamed. His passion for me was a turn on.

“I missed you,” he said, biting my bottom lip.

“It’s only been four days.”

“Felt like an eternity.” Gripping my wrists tighter, he flexed his hips into mine. The friction sent a pleasurable wave through me.

“I want you. Now. Against this wall.” He kissed me again, this time slower and deeper. Each stroke of his tongue was matched with a tantalizing thrust of his hips. He knew exactly how to get me firing on all cylinders. Heat blossomed and spread through my body. Maybe he was right. Four days did feel like an eternity.

He grazed his teeth down the side of my neck, setting off a barrage of goose bumps. Releasing my wrists, he slid his hands down my body and started unbuttoning my jeans.

Shit.

“Alastair.”

He looked at me, his green eyes cloudy with lust. I brushed my thumb over his mouth.

“We have to stop.”

A sexy grin curled his lips as he pushed down my jeans. “Not into hallway sex?”

“No. I mean, yes but…oh! What the…”

He lightly stroked the sensitive skin along my tailbone. The tingling sensation was euphoric, shooting up my spine, into my throat and back down to my toes.

“We won’t limit this to the hallway. I plan to have you in every room.”

Each caress heightened my arousal. No one had ever touched me there before and it was phenomenal. He pinned my arms against the wall again, holding on tighter. The overwhelming strength, both physical and sexual, was too much. I tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

“Ah, Lia,” he said, his breath warm on my cheek. “Stay still. As much as I like it when you want to take charge, it’s my house. My rules.”

That dominant stare was not of this world. I’d seen variations of it before but never so raw and focused. The veil he usually kept locked in place vanished, unleashing a torrent of want. I loved it. My heart raced as though I’d just finished running a marathon. Flexing his hips into mine once more, he grinned lasciviously.

“This look” - he kissed me - “will never leave your face this weekend.”

Being caught in his seductive bubble was proving to be too much for me to handle. I considered going full force with him, monthly lady visitor and all. Thankfully, that thought only lasted a split second.

“I have my period.”

A blurted phrase like that certainly alters the mood pretty damn quick. The world snapped into focus. Alastair paused, stared at me for a few seconds and stepped back. Confused, he cocked his head to the side.

“Now? I thought you said it wasn’t due until Monday.”

“I think being on a plane expedited the process.”

“No hallway sex then.”

The coy grin on his face stoked the inferno deep inside me. My mouth watered.