“Yeah, our family has a cabin out in the woods, beautiful with a waterfall.” He lays it on thick. Asshole. Ignoring my glare, he continues. “You could leave Saturday morning. Come back on Sunday night. Ask your aunt and see if she’ll allow it.”
“I’m sure she won’t mind. But I would like that.” Arabella’s voice is filled with excitement, and even though I’m tempted to squash it, I know I can’t because I want her to be happy. Which is ridiculous because I wanted her to pay for her father’s sins. But, once again, I wonder if he is still alive, and if he is, that may be a hinderance to what I’m developing with her.
“Sure.” Even though I’m not sure she even knows where he is, I can use her to lure him out. “I’ll drive us up there this weekend.” And as the night wears on, my mind continues playing out scenarios of just how I can finally get my revenge.My brother is fucking ridiculous with his bright ideas. Taking her on a romantic weekend getaway isn’t going to change the fact that we’re just fucking. Forbidden with benefits. But when he brought it up at dinner a few days ago, Arabella seemed so excited to get out of town, and we haven’t had time alone together. Maybe I can finally confess my reasons for being here, for knowing her. But if I did tell her the truth, there’s no doubt she’d hate me.
And why would I have a problem with that? I don’t fucking know.
Each day that passes, she’s burrowing herself into my life, into my mind. And even though I know I can’t fall for her, something’s happening. The need to protect her has overtaken me, and I want to lock her in my bedroom and keep her there.
My phone buzzes as I make my way to the garage and I notice my call ahead to have the cabin stocked with food and drinks has been completed. I haven’t had time to go up there in a while, and I know the place had been empty for a couple of months.
At the car, I shove my bags into the trunk and shut it before heading to the driver’s door. Once I’m seated, I start the engine and head down the drive to the gate. My plan is to take Arabella to the cabin. It’s our family’s private residence, and we’ll have some quiet time to get to know each other.
The night she got arrested seems to be a block for her, but more than that, I have a feeling she may know where her dad is. If she does, I’ll hopefully be able to coax it out of her while gifting her with endless orgasms. All I need to do is remind myself she’s nothing more than a pawn in this game.
When I pull up to the house, Arabella is standing at the gate, her face a picture of worry as I come to a stop and she races toward the car. She shoves the small suitcase into the trunk before pulling open the passenger side door. The moment she’s beside me, her breath whooshes from her lips.
“What the hell is wrong?” I stare at her, taking in the anxiety etched all over her pretty face. I can’t deny she’s beautiful. It’s not something I should be noticing, but I’d have to be blind not to see it.
“Nothing,” Arabella breathes before she offers me a smile. But it doesn’t meet her eyes, and I know something is wrong.
“I don’t like lies, little deviant,” I grit out, my fingers squeezing the fucking steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white.
“I just … it feels like someone is watching me,” she finally admits, and I can’t deny my blood burns hot. “And …” Her words taper off when she twists her hands in her lap, sending my rage through the fucking roof.
“And fucking what, Arabella?”
“The other night, after dinner,” she starts, lifting those stormy eyes to mine. “Well, the next morning, I found … I mean …” I’m about to grab her and shake the information from her, but then she whispers, “I found a mess in my underwear drawer.”
All I see is red. My rage is at boiling point. “What?”
“It’s as if someone … It was all dried, but it wasn’t something I’d dropped in there.”
Starting the engine, I pull out onto the road, the tires squealing against the tar, and we shoot forward, zero to fucking sixty in a milli-fucking-second.
“Elian,” Arabella tries to call to me, but I’m too enraged to think straight. My focus on the road ahead blurs, and I know I should pull over, but I don’t. Instead, I race for the highway which will take us out of Black Mountain and up toward the cabin. She doesn’t try again. She doesn’t touch me. We just sit in silence as I simmer at what she just said.