TRUTH Page 17

  Stepping off the elevator back at the office, I noticed the new CFO waiting with the finance manager outside my office. Neither looked very happy, so I was hoping they didn’t have bad news.

  “Hello, Michael. Sheila.”

  “Sorry to catch you just coming back from lunch, but we needed to talk to you.”

  “Sure. Let’s go in my office.” I motioned for them to go ahead inside while I instructed Jamie to please hold my calls.

  Sheila appeared rather nervous when I entered my office. Michael’s expression was more confused. I took a seat behind my desk and waited for one of them to start.

  “We were going over some of the numbers for the second quarter. Specifically the ones allocated to the fall fundraiser.” Michael handed the papers to me. “The highlighted parts are what I’m most concerned about. We’re going to go over the numbers again, but there’s money that can’t be accounted for.”

  I looked over the figures in front of me. It wouldn’t be obvious unless one compared the pages carefully. “Have you double-checked the first quarter reports?”

  He nodded. “So far we haven’t found anything, but we’re still looking.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Coleman. I should have caught this before. All the reports had to cross my desk before they came upstairs.”

  “I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose, Sheila. Do you think you’ll be able to track down the source?”

  “Given enough time, yes. I’ll need to work with the IT department and see if we can figure out whose computer made the changes.”

  “Do what you need to do. If it was Karl Walker, then we’ll pass the information along to legal and let them deal with him. But if not, we need to find out who and if they are still working here.”

  “Agreed.”

  “Do you mind if I keep this?” I asked. “I’d like to look over it a little more. I can bring it by your office before I leave.”

  “Of course.”

  I spent the rest of my day reading over the report. The more I went over the numbers, the more I was convinced it was Walker. All the withdrawals coincided with those Lily made but in roughly half the amounts. It’s no wonder Sheila hadn’t noticed them. Anyone would think they were payments for supplies. The only thing that signaled that wasn’t the case was the account number the money was charged to. It was a single digit off the one Lily used.

  A knock on my door caused me to look up. It was Jamie. “Sorry, Sir. I thought you’d like to know it’s almost five.”

  Glancing over at my computer, I realized she was right. I thanked my assistant, laid the report aside for a moment, and checked my e-mail. Unfortunately, there were a handful that needed my attention before I could leave. Once they were taken care of, I shut everything down, slipped my jacket on, and grabbed the report from my desk.

  By the time I made it to Michael’s office, he was already gone. Laying the report directly in front of his chair, I left. After the day I’d had, I couldn’t wait to get home to Brianna.

  Brianna

  While Stephan was at work, I spent some more time exploring his toy drawer. The rope was soft as I wound it around my hand. I remembered how Stephan secured it at my father’s wrists and wondered if he’d do the same thing to me.

  There was a man at a party Ian had taken me and Alex to who had tied intricate knots all over this woman’s body, and then he’d used even more rope to hoist her up into the air. I hadn’t gotten to see what happened after that. Ian hadn’t been happy I was watching and forced me to spend the rest of the party with my head on the floor under his boot. I refused to think about what had happened later.

  A chill ran though me as I pushed the memory aside and glanced up at the ceiling to see if there were any signs of hooks where ropes could be attached. There was nothing.

  Moving on, I picked up what to me was the scariest thing in his drawer. It was shaped like a penis. I held it in my hand, trying to remember what Stephan told me. It was just a thing.

  As I touched it, I realized it didn’t feel all that much like a real penis. I knew male parts came in all shapes and sizes, but this was harder, stiffer. There was no give to it. When I touched Stephan, I could feel him pulse in my hand. This . . . thing . . . was lifeless.

  After spending over an hour looking at his toys, I wasn’t as scared as I had been. I still wasn’t sure about his using them on me, but he was right—they were just things.

  I was a little nervous what would happen after dinner. For the last two nights, Stephan had made me write in my journal about very unpleasant things. Last night, I’d had a nightmare about a time I’d been with two of the men Ian had loaned me out to. I’d been chained to a bench, unable to move. The two men took turns ramming their penises down my throat while spitting on me and calling me names. I was a thing to them. Just a thing.

  When I’d woken up screaming, I’d thought I was there, tied to that bench. It was only Stephan’s soothing words that brought me back to the present and calmed me. He always made everything better.

  I was setting the table when Stephan walked through the door. He looked like he’d had a rough day, and as soon as he saw me across the room, he hurried toward me. Before I knew it, we were kissing, and I almost burnt dinner.

  To my surprise, Brad showed up at seven. He usually came only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so I was shocked to see him. He was there to show us some self-defense moves. Stephan had mentioned it, but I hadn’t expected things to happen so soon.

  Stephan and I changed into workout clothes and then headed upstairs to the gym.

  “We’ll start with something simple. Stand facing each other.”

  We did as instructed, and Brad came behind each of us and adjusted our positions slightly.

  “Now, Stephan, grab hold of her wrist as if you are going to try and drag her away.”

  Even though I knew it was coming, I gasped when Stephan wrapped his hand around my wrist. There was a combination of uncertainty mixed with excitement. The memory from the night before of his hand holding my arms down as he’d thrust into me had me thinking of things that had nothing at all to do with self-defense.

  “Anna?”

  When I glanced over at Brad, he was looking at me with a knowing smirk on his face. I blushed.

  He chuckled and shook his head.

  “I want you to twist your wrist, like this.” He demonstrated using his own hands.

  I tried what he said, but nothing much happened.

  “Good. Now put your whole body into it. Watch me.”

  Again, he showed me what he wanted, although the person holding his wrist was purely imaginary.

  It went on like this for a good twenty minutes before he was satisfied I’d gotten it. Even then, I’d only been able to free my wrist twice.

  “You’ll get it, Anna. It just takes some time and practice. Plus, if you ever have to use it, your assailant won’t have the advantage of knowing it’s coming.”

  I nodded but didn’t say anything. Stephan hadn’t taken his eyes off me the entire time, and it was beginning to make me think I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to do.

  “One more thing, then we’ll call it a night. Stephan, wrap your arms around her waist from behind.”

  Stephan pulled me tight against him. I could feel every inch of him. Closing my eyes, I relaxed. If I fell, he would catch me.

  For the next half hour, Brad tried to show me how to run the side of my foot down the front of Stephan’s leg and stomp on his foot. I couldn’t do it, though. No matter how many assurances both of them gave me, I couldn’t hurt Stephan. I couldn’t.

  Stephan finally called an end to it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Go wait for me in the bathroom. I’m going to see Brad out.”

  I hurried into his bathroom and removed my clothes.

  Not sure what to do with myself while I waited, I sat down on the bench. I knew he must have wanted to talk to Brad alone, or he wouldn’t have sent me in here.

  The sound of running wate
r made me look up. Stephan stood beside the large tub completely naked. He was leaning over, testing the temperature of the water. “I thought we’d try something a little different tonight.”

  “Okay.”

  “When was the last time you had a bath, Brianna?” he asked, walking to stand in front of me.

  He offered his hand. I took it and stood.

  “Not since I was with my mom.”

  “None when you were older? A teenager?”

  “No.”

  Stephan glanced down, heat in his eyes. Warmth pooled between my thighs.

  He ran his hand from my neck, down between my breasts, over my stomach, and then down between my legs. I jerked at the contact. Stephan smiled.

  Lowering his mouth to mine, he rubbed his hand back and forth between my folds. He used his other hand to massage my breast. Every now and then, he’d take my nipple between his fingers and pull, causing almost an electric shock directly beneath where his other hand was rubbing. I held on to his arms, trying not to lose my balance. His hands felt so good. They always did. It was easy to forget everything else when he touched me like this.

  “Mmm. I think our bath is ready,” he whispered against my lips. I swayed from the loss of contact as he stepped back, but he steadied me.

  The warm water engulfed us as we lowered ourselves into the bath. He sat behind me, much as he had on the floor the previous two nights. A shiver ran through me.

  “Are you cold?”

  “No.”

  He kissed my shoulder and then leaned back. “Place your hands behind my neck and lace your fingers together.” I did what he asked. “Good girl. Keep them there.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded.

  The position caused my breasts to jut out, and Stephan placed his hands on top of both of them. He began kneading and pulling on them. At first, it was gentle, but soon there wasn’t anything soft about it. The strange thing was it felt good.

  “Your tits are absolute perfection, Brianna.”

  He took hold of both of my nipples, pinching and pulling at the same time. I arched my back, not sure if I wanted more or if I wanted him to stop. Pressure built between my legs. How was this happening?

  “That’s it. You like that, don’t you?” All I could concentrate on was the feel of his hands and fingers as they continued to tug and push and pinch. “Answer me.”

  Just the sound of his voice, firm and sure in my ear, sent a tingle down my spine and to the spot between my legs. “Yes.”

  “Such a good girl you are.”

  Suddenly his hands were gone. I opened my eyes. Where did his hands go?

  His entire body vibrated beneath me as he chuckled at my reaction. He kissed my cheek. “No worries, sweetheart. I’m not nearly done with you. Lift your legs and put them on either side of mine.”

  Moving first one leg and then the other, I positioned them as he’d instructed, with a little help from him since I didn’t have the use of my arms. My legs were spread wide, pinned to the sides of the large tub by his legs, and I could feel his erection pressed up against my backside.

  “You are to stay in this position until I tell you otherwise.”

  I nodded.

  He went back to playing with my breasts. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against his shoulder.

  Just when the buildup began again, he released my breasts. This time, however, his right hand snaked down my stomach and between my legs. He ran his fingers up and down several times before thrusting two fingers inside. “We are going to have to explore some more breast play, Brianna, if this is how wet you get when I play with them.”

  He continued to move his fingers in and out of me. My breasts ached, wanting to be touched again, but at the same time I didn’t want him to stop what he was doing.

  Then I felt something between my legs that wasn’t him. I opened my eyes again and looked down.

  “Keep your hands where they are, Brianna.”

  His voice startled me a little, but I tightened my grip around his neck and tried to breathe. What was he doing? What was that thing?

  It began buzzing, and I realized it was a vibrator. I shook my head. No. I didn’t want that. I didn’t . . .

  “Stop. It doesn’t go inside you. It’s only going to sit on either side of your clit and vibrate. It will feel good. I promise.”

  I didn’t know. I just . . .

  Closing my eyes, I answered. “Okay.”

  “Open your eyes and look at me.”

  I did, and he placed the vibrator back where it had been. It seemed to have two little arms.

  The sensation was strange at first, but eventually, once I began to relax again, I realized just how good it felt. The vibrations increased the building pressure, as did his fingers as they continued to work their magic from the inside.

  Somewhere along the line, I’d allowed my head to fall back against his shoulder again. The sensations were too much. Before long, I was climbing higher and higher toward climax. I was so close.

  Stephan kissed my neck and added a third finger inside me. “That’s it, Brianna. Let it go, pet. Come for me.”

  He licked and sucked where my neck met my shoulder. The vibrations increased their intensity, and then I couldn’t take any more. My eyes rolled back in my head, and my back arched as a silent scream left my mouth. Every muscle in my body shook with my orgasm.

  Stephan flattened his arm against my chest. He held me up because I no longer had the strength to hold the position without the use of my legs. Then again, I wasn’t sure how much help they would have been.

  The first thing I noticed as I came back to myself was Stephan touching and kissing me. He lowered both of our legs so I was no longer spread wide open and vulnerable. “We need to wash and get out, sweetheart. The water is getting cold.”

  I nodded but didn’t move.

  He laughed.

  “How about you just lie there, and I’ll take care of the cleaning.”

  Without waiting for my response, he picked up the shower gel, placed a soft kiss on my temple, and began washing both of us.

  Chapter 18

  Brianna

  I couldn’t believe Cal was coming over tonight to have dinner. He was bringing his girlfriend with him. He’d mentioned her a few times during our phone conversations, but I didn’t know much about her other than they’d been going out for almost a year. I didn’t know what she knew about me or Stephan either. I could only hope that she was nice, and that Stephan and Cal didn’t get into one of their staring contests.

  Stephan came home a little after four to help me get everything ready. He appeared to be in a good mood as we worked alongside each other in the kitchen, touching and kissing me every chance he got. At one point, I almost dropped the eggs I had in my hand. He’d come up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and proceeded to kiss his way down my neck, over my shoulder, and then along the length of my arm.

  It was always difficult to concentrate when his lips were on me like that. By the time he reached the tips of my fingers and kissed each one, my whole arm was tingling. He just smiled, released me, and smacked my behind, leaving a slight sting.

  I stood motionless for a moment, not knowing what to do, but more importantly, I was still trying to recover from his kisses. It didn’t make any sense to me. No matter where he touched me, whether with his mouth or his hands, my skin came alive from the contact, and I felt that stirring in the pit of my stomach.

  “Those eggs aren’t going to crack themselves, you know.” He nodded to the eggs cradled protectively against my chest.

  I blushed, lowered my head, and got back to work on dinner. Cal and his girlfriend would be there before I knew it. My anxiety was already building. Everything needed to be perfect.

  A few minutes before six, the phone rang and Stephan went to answer it. I suddenly felt cold. What if she didn’t like me? Dr. Cooper didn’t. Samantha didn’t. What would happen if Cal’s girlfriend hated me? Would he stop talking to me? Stop
coming around? My hands trembled, and the knife slipped from my fingers.

  “Come here.” Stephan’s arms circled around me, pulling me against his chest. “I’ll be right here with you, sweetheart. Everything will be fine.”

  I shook my head. “What if she doesn’t like me? What if—”

  “Shh. Deep breaths, Brianna.”

  Doing what he said, I let his scent permeate my senses. By the time a knock sounded on the door, I had myself mostly under control.

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  He brushed his lips along my forehead before lowering his mouth to mine. “You’re welcome. Are you ready to greet our guests?”

  “Yes,” I mumbled against his lips.

  Stephan gave me a squeeze before opening the door.

  Standing in the hallway was Cal and a beautiful woman with long blond hair. I assumed she was his girlfriend, Jade. She glanced at Stephan and then me. She seemed . . . curious.

  “Ross.” Stephan nodded and then turned his attention to Jade. “You must be Jade. I’m Stephan Coleman. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to her.

  She hesitated for a moment before accepting. “Thank you.”

  “Please, come in. Dinner is almost ready.” Stephan took a step back, moving me along with him, to allow Cal and Jade into the condo.

  The door was closed, and Stephan paused. He appeared to be waiting for something. When nothing happened, my anxiety began to rise again. Sweat formed on my palms, and my stomach churned with unease. Why wasn’t anyone saying anything?

  Stephan sighed. “Jade, I don’t believe you’ve met Brianna.”

  “Um. No. I haven’t.” She turned her attention to me. “It’s good to finally meet you, Anna. I’ve heard so much about you from Cal.” Jade paused. “Or do you prefer Brianna? Cal always calls you Anna, so . . .”

  I didn’t like being put on the spot, but I knew I had to answer. “Anna’s fine.”