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Chapter 18
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His Wicked Games series Chapter 19
TWO MONTHS LATER"What do you think?" I ask my dad.We're standing at the doorway of the gallery, surveying the hard work of the last few days. I was up half the night draping fabric from the ceiling and setting up tables, but the result is, in my opinion, absolutely beautiful."It's wonderful, sweetheart," Dad says. He's beaming, and I swear he hasn't looked this young in years.Tonight is our very first event since opening up the gallery for rentals. A couple is celebrating their fiftieth anniversary, and they wanted the whole package: decor, tables and chairs, even use of the temporary dance floor we put down for our ballet and jazz classes. The check from tonight will fund our afterschool program for the rest of the month.And it's not the only event we have scheduled this month. Next weekend we're hosting a Bar Mitzvah, and two weeks after that an awards ceremony for a local private high school. Assuming everything goes smoothly, I hope word of mouth will draw in even more ev
His Wicked Games series Chapter 20
I wake to a knock at my door.I roll over and rub my eyes. Isn't it a little early for visitors? My cell reads 9:13 AM, far earlier than I'd like to get up on a Saturday morning after a night of restless sleep.The knock sounds again, and I groan."Go away!" I yell at the unwanted guest. This crappy apartment is tiny enough - and the walls thin enough - that I have no doubt he or she hears me.It's only then that I remember the events of yesterday and the encounter with Garrett in the parking lot. I flip open my phone."You better get out of here," I say. "I'm calling the police."But it's not Garrett's voice that answers me - it's Calder's."Lily. Can I talk to you?"I scramble out of bed. What's he doing here?"Just a minute!" I say. I look frantically around the room for something - anything - that isn't the ratty T-shirt I'm currently wearing. I can't believe he would just show up at my apartment. Doesn't he have bigger things to worry about? I haven't heard from him in tw
His Wicked Games series Chapter 21
The house looks different, now that most of the furniture and décor is gone. It's lifeless and dead, and I wonder if seeing it like this makes it harder or easier for Calder to say goodbye.He takes me straight to the gallery. This room, with its high, empty walls, looks even more desolate than the rest of the house. The ornate wallpaper has faded in patches, and it's clear that some of the artwork was here for years and years.There's only one painting now, and it's leaning against the wall about halfway down the room. When we get closer, I see it's the Ludlam piece I admired the last time I was here."I didn't let them sell this one," Calder says. "I want you to have it."I gape at him. "I - I can't accept this.""You can. I see the way you look at it. You love this painting, more than anyone who might buy it. It's yours.""Calder, I - ""If you won't take it now, then I'll keep it with me until you're ready to take it. I'm not selling it. It belongs to you."My eyes start to
His Wicked Games series Chapter 22
BOOK TWO: TRUTH OR DAREI'm elbows-deep in invoices when a shadow falls across my desk."Just a minute, Dad," I say without looking up. My pen scratches across the paper, slashing through the numbers I spent all morning typing up. "Leda Collins called and changed her head count again. Now she needs twelve round tables and ten extra chairs. I told her there'd be a rush charge on the additional linens, but she said she was fine with that."I push a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I've been staring at this latest batch of invoices for so long that my eyes are starting to cross."Have you heard from the Robinsons?" I continue, turning to my computer. "They were supposed to call and confirm for the twenty-eighth. And we should probably figure out when we're doing the summer gallery show next year. I already have a bride who wants to use us for her reception in - "A hand grasps me firmly by the chin and tilts my face up. Suddenly I'm staring into a pair of dark, intoxicating eyes,
His Wicked Games series Chapter 23
I've only been to a few nice restaurants in my life. And by a "few" I mean, quite literally, two or three. Fine dining isn't exactly a priority when you're living off of the salary I am, but I've treated myself once or twice, when the occasion has called for it.But Ventine's makes all those other restaurants look like those cheap family chains - you know, the ones that offer "Two For" Tuesdays and $6 pitchers of margaritas on Ladies' Night. Ventine's is swanky with a capital "S." White linens, silver fixtures, soft golden light designed to arouse all sorts of appetites. The walls are covered in dark, glossy wood paneling, and there's a long, marble bar backed by a mirror with silver filigree along the edges.It's the grand opening, so the crowd is chic and lively and well dressed. I feel a little out of place among these people, even though I'm sure none of them will spare me a second glance. My dress might have come from a department store, but it's as sleek and classic as anything
His Wicked Games series Chapter 24
"What's wrong with you this week?" Morgan asks. "You seem distracted."She's brought me the supply list for her upcoming classes, and I've spent the last five minutes trying to find the master list on the computer. I can't remember the damned file name."I'm fine," I assure her, but Morgan's too astute for that. She plunks down in the chair across from me and props her elbow on my desk."Trouble with Mr. Hunky McBillionaire?"As promised, I talked to her the morning after my date with Calder. Once she realized who he was, she wanted to know everything. And I mean everything. I haven't told her the full story, of course - a girl needs to keep her secrets, especially when they involve sex games and mysterious mansions. I didn't tell her about the way our date ended, either. I'm still trying to process it myself.I mean, he spent all evening teasing me with his wicked promises, touching me and whispering about the things he would do to me later. He took my panties, for freak's sake.
His Wicked Games series Chapter 25
I sense that something is wrong the minute Calder picks me up for our date.He arrives at three o'clock on the dot, and in his jeans and fitted charcoal sweater he looks so sexy that I'm tempted to drag him into my apartment and jump him right there. He gives me a devilish smile and kisses me, but the minute I slip my hands beneath his shirt, he pulls away and teasingly shakes his head."A little eager, aren't we?" he says, his eyes gleaming. That's when I see it: a flash of something across his expression. It's gone before I can give it a name - regret? Sorrow? Guilt? - but whatever it is, I know that there's something, some worry, still lingering in his mind.He doesn't want me to know. He smiles and touches me and pretends that nothing's wrong, and for the moment, I let him.He takes me to a local park."It's nothing fancy," he says. "But my father used to bring my sister and me here when we were younger. I always thought it was beautiful." He sounds almost apologetic, and I re
His Wicked Games series Chapter 26
The car ride is awkward, to say the least.Honestly, I'm still a little aroused, but I know that this is no longer the time or place to tease Calder into some naughty misdeeds. He's distracted, and his knuckles are white around the steering wheel. I want to break the silence, but what do you say to someone in a situation like this? Oh, no one reads those gossip rags anyway! I'm sure it will all blow over soon! Ugh. It just sounds condescending.We're halfway back to my place when his phone goes off. Calder doesn't seem to notice at first - or maybe he's just ignoring it. Maybe he's afraid they found his number and are calling to harass him some more. The phone is sitting in the center console, and its vibrations rattle the plastic cup holders and the loose change he's started collecting there. On the third ring, I glance down at the screen."It's not one of them," I assure him. "It's Tim Renley."Tim - that's the guy helping him with all the financial stuff, right?Calder lets out
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His Wicked Games series Chapter 116
- CALDER -I wait until both Lily and the baby are asleep before I decide to sneak out. As much as I want to sit here with her in my arms forever, our conversation about her mother reminded me of a call I need to make.I look down at her before I leave. Her brown hair is in a messy bun on her head, and she doesn't have a stitch of makeup on, but I don't think I've ever seen her look so beautiful. I lean over and press a kiss against her forehead as I lift our sleeping son out of her arms.He's so tiny that I'm afraid I'll break him. But even though he was born a little early, the doctor told us he's perfectly healthy - and after hearing him scream this morning, I'm tempted to believe him. This little guy has quite a pair of lungs on him.I settle him gently in the bed the nurse wheeled in for him. I can see so much of Lily in him - and so much of myself. I knew I would love my son, but the intensity of my feelings is startling. When I think of how close I came to losing both of the
His Wicked Games series Chapter 115
- LILY – Two Days LaterThey won't tell me what happened.I remember the pain. The screaming. The fear.I remember hearing the first, sweet cry from my son's throat.I remember the miracle of Calder's voice, the proof that he was alive.But after that, there's only darkness.I woke up yesterday morning in the hospital. Calder tells me they were able to get an air ambulance out to us at the estate, but he won't give me any more details than that about what happened two nights ago after he made it to the house. And there's a desperate, hollow look in his eyes when I ask, so I don't press him for details.Honestly? I'm not sure I want to know.And truthfully, it doesn't matter. Calder is alive. I'm alive. And our son is here. So much has happened in the past couple of days, and none of it feels real.I look down at the tiny little human in my arms. He's perfect. Even though he arrived a couple of weeks before his due date, he's still round and healthy. He emerged with a thick cro
His Wicked Games series Chapter 114
- LOUISA -Just stay calm.Just stay calm.Just stay calm.It doesn't matter how many times I say it to myself - it gets harder with every passing second. I spend almost twenty minutes searching for my cell phone in the rain, but I can't find it anywhere. It's not in the car. It's not on the driveway. It's just gone. Finally, I force myself to give up the search and return to check on Lily - and I'm not a moment too soon.If I had any hope that we might make it through the night without this baby - after all, I was in labor for nineteen hours - it's fading fast. After five minutes at Lily's side, it's clear that her little one has no intention of waiting for help to arrive, and she seems to know it, too. Even if I thought I still had a chance of finding my cell phone, I can't leave Lily now.Both Ward and Calder are still out there somewhere. It's just me and Lily - and a whimpering Ramona, who's still clearly confused and terrified. I long to go over to my daughter, to pick her
His Wicked Games series Chapter 113
- LOUISA -Lily's face has gone white."Calder?" she says into the phone, her voice cracking. "Calder! Calder, answer me!" Her hand visibly shakes as she pulls the phone away from her ear."What's going on?" I ask her, running over and shifting Ramona in my arms. I've just managed to get my little girl to stop crying. "What happened?"She doesn't answer. Instead she hits a couple of buttons on the screen, presumably calling him again. I glance over at Ward, but he looks just as shocked and confused as I feel.After a moment, Lily drops the phone, her eyes wide with horror."What happened?" I ask again, my stomach sinking further with every passing second. Something is wrong. Something is desperately wrong. Ramona starts to whimper in my arms."Lily," Ward says firmly. "You have to tell us what's happening."Lily glances up, blinking, as if she's suddenly remembered she's not alone."Something happened," she whispers. "Something happened to Calder."She's in shock, that much i
His Wicked Games series Chapter 112
- CALDER -Lily is in labor. Lily is in labor.That thought drives out everything else - even the raw, gnawing feeling in my gut when I think about what Michelle has done - and suddenly nothing matters but getting to my wife.If I was a madman on the road before, it's nothing to how I drive now. I don't care about the rain or the traffic. I don't care if a cop chases me down for driving twice the speed limit. I'm getting to that hospital. Getting to my wife.I should have been there, I think. I should have been by her side when this started. But though the guilt eats away at me, I can't think about that now. I have one concern and one concern only - getting to her. Being with her as soon as humanly possible. Holding her hand as the pain comes. Even over the phone, I could hear the fear in her voice.I need to be with her.And if I have to kill myself to get to her, I will.. . . . .- WARD -Keep it together, man. They're counting on you.I hate that I have to remind myself o
His Wicked Games series Chapter 111
- LOUISA -It might be storming outside, but I'm determined to make today a little brighter."I have a surprise for you," I tell Ward.It took me half an hour to find him after I put Ramona down for her afternoon nap. Even though I've insisted that he take a break from his restoration projects, Ward has continued to work, and I find him retouching the paint in a bedroom in the eastern wing. He's currently perched on a ladder with a paintbrush in his hand.When he grins down at me, I know he couldn't be happier to see me."What sort of surprise?" he asks, and his expression makes my heart skip a beat. He climbs down the ladder and stands in front of me.I drink him in as he wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. His T-shirt has streaks of paint on it, and there's a new hole in his jeans, but somehow all of it works together to make him look irresistibly yummy. Something wells up inside of me as I admire him - and the way he's looking at me right now brings the blood rushi
His Wicked Games series Chapter 110
- CALDER -Less than two hours later, Michelle and I are in Barberville and I've got her set up at a modest little extended stay hotel just outside of downtown. I've prepaid for a two-week stay, and after that, I'll reassess the situation and figure out the best course of action. Michelle told Lily that she was looking for a job in the area, but since learning the truth about her health, I'm not sure whether that was an empty claim or not. Either way, though, now is not the time to be making any rash decisions. Lily comes first. We'll deal with Michelle after the baby is here.I'm getting ready to leave when a thought occurs to me."Lily will have lots of questions when she learns the truth. And she'll want you to start treatment as soon as possible."She starts to protest. "I still don't think I want treatment - ""At the very least, will you go talk to a doctor here in town? Explore your options? I'll pay for your visit, of course."She hesitates, then nods. "All right."I tur
His Wicked Games series Chapter 109
- LOUISA -I'm in the office on the south side of the house, working out some of the final details of my surprise honeymoon trip for Ward, when Calder stalks into the room."Good morning," I say - though you'd hardly know it was morning, considering how overcast it is outside today. When I glance up and see his face, my fingers freeze on the computer keyboard. "What's wrong? Is it Lily?"We had a bit of a scare yesterday, what with Lily getting rushed to the hospital. She'll be on bed rest for the duration of her term, but both mother and baby are healthy - or so I thought. Calder looks like he's hardly slept. There are dark circles under his eyes, and he seems agitated."We need to figure out what Lily's mother wants," Calder says, jerking a hand through his hair. "It's that woman's fault that Lily is in this state."I lean back in my chair and glance over at Ramona. She's in her playpen over by the window, and she's pulled herself up onto her feet so that she can watch her uncle
His Wicked Games series Chapter 108
- CALDER -That was too close.My jaw hurts from clenching. My mind won't slow down. I've been pacing the same spot on the floor for so long that I'm surprised I haven't worn a hole into the boards.It was only a false alarm, I remind myself. Lily is fine - for now - and the doctor said she was only having Braxton-Hicks contractions, probably made worse by stress. But even though she's now safe in our bed, I still can't seem to make myself calm down. When it comes time for the real thing... I don't even want to think about it."There's no need to be so worked up," Lily tells me. "Everything is fine. Come to bed.""Everything is not all right," I say. "Your mother upset you so much that you - ""It was my dad's fault, too," she says. "And it was a false alarm. I'm all right. No harm done.""Maybe not this time, but I'm not willing to take that chance again." I resume my pacing. "That woman needs to go.""I agree," she says. "And she's already looking for a place. But in the mean
