Chasing Love (Dark Love Series)

It has been the day from hell.

I know the consequences of not attending the shareholder meeting at the Hilton but being here with Charlotte has definitely been worth it.

It’s three in the afternoon the following day, and I have just gotten off my final conference call, the fourth in a row to be exact.

Kate’s sitting with me, letting out a breath when the call ends. “Mr. Edwards, I know it’s none of my business, but may I ask what called you to Manhattan so urgently?”

I stand, walking toward the window. Placing my arm against the glass, I lean on it for support. “There was someone I needed to see, someone who meant a lot to me once upon a time.”

Kate glances at me, bewildered.

Yes, that’s right, Lex Edwards actually has a heart.

He wasn’t born a cold-hearted prick.

“Um, sure, okay… I… uh… how long do you expect to stay here with her?”

“I don’t know. It’s complicated.”

“I understand. I’ll organize for you to be set up here indefinitely. Would you like me to assist you here or fly back to London and be your point of contact there?” She quickly jots down some notes on her pad, that I have no idea what, but I seriously need to give her a pay rise.

“Let’s play it by ear. Can you get the office here fast-tracked? Regarding any designing aspects, please liaise with my sister.”

She finishes writing more notes and packs up her laptop, advising me she will work on everything immediately. As she begins to walk out of the suite, I call out to her, “Kate?”

“Yes, sir?”

“I apologize for leaving you to deal with the aftermath of me not attending the meeting.”

I can’t believe I apologized, especially to an employee. Lex Edwards doesn’t apologize for anything or to anyone. I continue to gaze out the window at the city below.

“Is she worth it, sir?”

Unable to deal with all the emotions that come with having Charlotte back in my life, I let out the breath I’ve been holding in a long drawn out sigh. I control everything I do and usually everyone around me.

I just can’t comprehend that everything I’ve grown accustomed to is slowly slipping away. I’m scared of losing control, terrified she’s holding on to every piece of me, and with just one flick of her finger she will break me.

“She always was.”

“What do you want?” I answer, flatly.

“Nice way to greet your only sister. Listen, I had some pieces sent to your office here, and I need you to approve them ASAP.”

“Adriana, I’m exhausted, and have so much work to do. I’m sure it’s fine. I trust your judgment.”

I don’t have any fight left in me. My emails are piling up, and I have to haul some serious ass if I want to get through this mess I have created. Many employees and associates are angry at my reckless behavior, and I don’t blame them either.

“It sounds to me like you need a breather. Look, the office is a ten-minute cab ride from the Waldorf. Please… go have a look. Anything you don’t want has to be returned first thing in the morning.”

I haven’t left the suite all day. As much as I nagged Charlotte to take a break via texts, I can’t find the time either. Thankfully, she’s too busy, but it disappoints me that I don’t get to taste her today. I agree to go but tell Adriana to stop bothering me for the rest of the night.

As I take the cab to the office, my mind drifts off to last night, specifically the elevator.

How could I not stop the elevator? As she bowed her head with a smirk on her face, I pressed the button. She knew why, and she was more than ready. I lifted her against the wall and pushed her panties aside. Within seconds, I slid my cock inside her. She roughly tugged on my hair while smashing her lips on mine.

“Make me come again, Lex. Fuck me hard,” she screamed.

I spread her ass cheeks, gripping onto them tightly as I slammed into her. She was so fucking wet. She had already come twice tonight, plus I had already blown inside her. The sound of my cock pounding her pussy was sending me over the edge quickly.

“Lex,” she murmured.

With my head buried in her neck, the sound of her calling my name was like heaven on earth. The smell of her skin was intoxicating. I constantly found myself inhaling the air around her. It was like a sweet floral smell mixed with sweat. Sweat that she was covered in because I was fucking her so hard.

“Lex, look at me,” she demanded.

As I looked into her eyes, the depths of chocolate brown were full of lust, desire, and something else I couldn’t quite decipher.

“Always look at me when you’re fucking me,” she commanded.

Well, fuck me, that sent me hurling into a fucking orgasmic finish. I don’t know how long I came for, but it felt like minutes. Then, I slowly pulled myself out and grabbed her body as she stood there, legs shaking. We fixed our clothing, then I pressed the stop button again to activate the lift.

“I thought you had to be in London?”

Adjusting my tie, the grin on my face was obvious. “My plans changed.”

I didn’t let on to the fact that I was in deep shit for the spontaneous decision I’d made, or that I was this close to losing a fifty-million-dollar deal.

“For how long?”

I could almost see a hint of hope in her eyes as she waited on my response.

“Indefinitely.”

I break out of the trip down memory lane, annoyed the cab is at a standstill due to the peak- hour traffic. Irritated, I text Adriana one after the other with messages full of profanity, and cursing her for making me take this trip. The sound of my email keeps pinging, and I reluctantly open my inbox to find an email from Victoria Preston, Executive Director of Preston Enterprises, informing me they declined our tender due to my absence at that meeting. She’s also quick to mention that she is staying at the same hotel and would like to discuss our proposal in further detail.

Victoria Preston is one hell of a manipulative ball-breaking bitch. Of course, we want the contract, it’s worth fifty million dollars. I avoid dealing with her after her attempt to seduce me at the last governor’s ball in London. She’s a spoiled brat who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

I pinch the bridge of my nose knowing there’s no way I can get out of meeting with her. It infuriates me that she’s staying in the same hotel because I know it’s no coincidence. Responding to her email, I mentally prepare myself for a long night ahead. We have a lot riding on this, the reality of which is settling in and enveloping me whole.

As I quickly ride the elevator up to the floor that is to be our new office, my phone buzzes. No fucking shit, it’s Adriana. I clench the handset ready to have it out with her.

“Fucking hell, Adriana, I’m here!”

“And what do you think?” she calmly asks.

I walk through the doors with my phone still glued to my ear. I abruptly stop at the entrance to my office. “Adriana, I need to go.” I end the call, not even waiting for a response.

Sitting in my enormous leather chair is Charlotte, dressed in a trench coat, pantyhose, and those famous Louboutins. My cock stirs at the sight of the trench coat. I’m hoping it’s just like in the movies—nothing underneath. Her legs are crossed, and I can just barely get a glimpse of the garters around her thigh.

She stands, slowly walking over to me. I’m speechless, and hard as fucking hell, quite possibly ready to blow in my pants like some horny fifteen-year-old boy at any moment. Grabbing my hand, she pulls me over to the desk, then sits me down in the chair, standing tall in front of me. I ache to reach out and run my hands along her smooth skin, but I wait.

“This is the thing, Mr. Edwards… I don’t appreciate unexpected visitors in my office. Gestures like that will lead to serious punishment.”

I can’t resist, raising my hand and placing it on her thigh. Slowly sliding it down, I make my way under the coat and cup her perfect ass. “I’m all for following rules.”

She undoes the knot in her belt, opening the coat. Underneath it, she’s wearing a strapless black corset with the garters attached to her pantyhose. The fabric of her French-cut panties so sheer, I can see the moisture building against the fabric. My woman is fucking wet as hell waiting for me. As I pull the coat off her shoulders, she straddles me in the chair.

“Let me think of the ways you need to be punished… hmmm.” She slowly grinds against my cock. With both my hands on her ass I struggle to compose myself, caressing them, hard. “My problem is that every time I sit at my desk at work, I’m reminded of what you did to me. As you can imagine, being the workaholic I am, it seems to have interfered with my day. So, I think it’s only fair that if I have to deal with that, then so should you.”

Charlotte slowly stands then sits on my desk. She slides back, opening her legs wide in front of me, then slides her fingers down, slowly rubbing her clit in circles.

This is gonna kill me.

Watching me watch her, she pushes the fabric aside making contact with her bare flesh. She whimpers as she speeds up, arching her back when she slides her fingers inside her.

Fuck. Me. Dead.

I quickly unzip my pants, releasing my cock. I stroke it slowly as I watch her, savoring every moment. Her eyes hungrily watch my cock as I increase my strokes, spreading the pre-cum all over my hands. She takes her fingers out of her pussy, inserting them in her mouth, tasting them one by one.

My chest is pounding, and pulling her roughly toward me, my lips crush against hers. The wait is killing me, my patience growing thin by the sheer desire running through my veins. I flip her over, unable to wait anymore. With her ass in my full view, I spread her legs as far as I can, slamming my cock into her.

The ache causes me to groan. Shutting my eyes tight, I hold back from finishing too early. Fucking control yourself. Taking small breaths, I manage to stop the climactic finish and slam my hips against hers. She begs for me to fuck her harder, moaning as my cock goes in deeper.

“I want you, baby. All of you,” I whisper in her ear.

She knows what I want, and goddammit, she’s more than willing. Dirty words escape my mouth, brushing against her ear as she moans softly through the intensity, pushing her ass further into me. Her beautiful sounds push me, warning me to control my movements and slow down.

I lean over with my cock still inside her. Pushing her hair aside, my teeth graze her ear. I remain still for a moment, listening to her heartbeat, admiring the glow of sweat lingering on her skin. Her breathing slows, but I know she’s anxious. Her tight pussy is wrapped around my cock, and I know she’s almost there, holding back just like me wanting to take this further.

“You want me, Charlotte. You want my cock to touch every part of your body. You want to scream my name in your dreams, wake up achingly sore, remember how hard I make you come so that no one will ever fuck your little pussy or ass again but me.”

Her body shudders as I say the words. Pulling my cock out, she rubs it against her ass.

A breath escapes my lips, my jaw clenching tight at the thought of entering her ass right now. We did this, only once, so I tell myself to be gentle.

Spreading her cheeks wide, I admire the beautiful sight before me. I slowly slide myself in as she rubs her clit, listening to her moans and attentive to her movements. Her ass is so fucking tight with no chance of me holding back any longer.

Her back arches, the grind slow but gaining speed, sending me into a frenzy. I’m doing everything in my power to hold back, take it slow and not hurt her, but the more I clench the harder she slams into me.

Wrapping her hair around my hand, I tug on it forcefully until her body begins to tense.

She’s close.

“Lex please… fuck me… harder.”

Charlotte’s pleas are cut short, the familiar warmth contracting around my cock causing me to push deeper. Shouting a string of profanities, the heat rises until I’m seeing stars, incoherent as I ride out the orgasm.

Both of us remain silent, catching our breath from the intense fuck. I slide my cock out slowly, rubbing the small of her back as I do so. She collapses on my desk which causes me to chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” she asks, reaching for her coat.

“Can’t handle the intense workout?”

“I’ll have you know that I do Yoga and Zumba, and I run most days.”

Her face is flushed a beautiful shade of pink as I pull her into me. I kiss her softly, a far cry from the usual intensity that passes between us. Her lips are soft, and her tongue caresses mine slowly before she abruptly pulls away.

“Lex, we’re just fucking. Friends with benefits. Fuck buddies. Whatever you want to call it.”

I don’t have the strength right now to argue. If that’s what she wants, then I’ll let her believe that’s all it is, but I know better than that. Charlotte doesn’t do fuck buddies. She isn’t the type. And she’s always worn her heart on her sleeve being unable to hide her feelings.

However, the questions still remain.

Why is she still with him?

Why is she still marrying him?

So, what? The fucker took her to movies and dinner and shit.

But she’s mine.

She just needs to realize it.

“If that’s what you want, Miss Mason.”

We move in silence, exiting the building and standing on the sidewalk. I ask her what plans she has for the rest of the night.

“Just chill out and read,” she replies casually. “I need to be up at the ass crack of dawn tomorrow. You?”

“Work, of course. Pulling an all-nighter. Feel free to join me if you get lonely.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she says, amused.

As she attempts to say goodbye, I grab her one more time, kissing her deeply. I want to let her know exactly how much I need her.

But once again, I feel the resistance.

I let it go.

For now.

The morning flies by as I sit with Kate discussing our meeting with Victoria Preston. My phone buzzes, and not recognizing the number, I pick it up. “Lex Edwards.”

“Please don’t hang up, Lex.” I recognize Samantha’s voice immediately.

Fucking hell, I don’t need this complication now.

How did she get my fucking number?

“What do you want, Samantha?”

“Please just listen to me, then I’ll leave you alone. I’m sorry for my behavior at the club. I had no right being that drunk and forcing myself on you and causing a scene.”

I listen, but I am fucking angry as hell. Kate sits silently overhearing every word I say. Why this bitch thought she has the right to come back into my life when Charlotte has is beyond me.

“Things haven’t been good between Chris and I, and… wait before you say anything, I just wanted to let you know that I saw Charlie. I wanted to apologize for what I did to her.”

“Excuse me?”

I. Am. Fucking. Livid!

She had no right contacting me, and she especially had no right speaking to Charlotte.

“Lex, she forgave me for my mistakes. Why can’t you? We were all young and stupid at the time.”

“Don’t give me young and stupid, Samantha. You fucked up my damn life!”

I slam my finger on the end call button and throw the phone on the couch. Pacing the room, I try to calm down, wondering why Charlotte never said anything.

Is she lying to me?

What else is she not telling me?

Kate prompts me of the time and my meeting downstairs. We grab our briefcases and head down to the restaurant until Kate informs me she’s forgotten something, so she heads back to the room leaving me alone with the wench.

“Mr. Edwards… a pleasure to see you again,” Victoria greets, purposely exposing her chest like the whore she is.

“Ms. Preston.”

“Please, sit. Would you like a drink?”

The waiter stops at our table, takes our order, then scurries off. Victoria gazes at me, taking a sip of her wine. She purposely licks her lips, parting them slightly while holding my attention. She has really large lips, the kind that would chase you in your nightmares wanting to drown you in saliva. I guess they would be good for head, though.

Argh, I’m only thinking this way because I am furious at Charlotte for holding back important information like Samantha visiting her.

Kate arrives armed with the proposal documents, so I introduce her to Victoria. Of course, Victoria being the stuck-up bitch she is, puts on her fake greeting followed closely by a condescending look at Kate.

“So, Mr. Edwards, the main proposal was highly praised, however, during the initial startup, we’ll require you to be very hands-on. As you can imagine, your absence did question your dedication to us as your client, which is why we originally declined the offer.”

Bitch. One fucking time, seriously.

She makes it sound like I am at home scratching my balls all day watching MTV.

“Ms. Preston, I assure you that our dedication to this project is above and beyond what you expect. I apologize for my absence, but it was due to an emergency situation that needed to be taken care of here in Manhattan.”

“Look, Mr. Edwards, my team will only sign this proposal if you can commit to your side of the contract. We also now request that the majority of the work be done in London.”

Fuck! My gut had me thinking it would boil down to this, with long fucking hours at their main headquarters. How am I ever going to see Charlotte if I’m in London?

Maybe Charlotte doesn’t actually give a fuck about me?

Maybe she just needed a retribution fuck?

Maybe she was me two weeks ago? The Lex Edwards who would sweet-talk ladies when he needed a quick fuck. The type who would disappear in the middle of the night without even a quick goodbye or “thanks, I had a lovely time sticking my dick in your pussy.”

But then I think of the times when she’s let her guard down.

When she asked me to look her in the eyes. How emerald green is still her favorite color. And when she told me there would be a next time.

There’s hope that she still feels something.

“This is a one-year contract, Mr. Edwards. Do we have your commitment that this will be carried out in that specified timeframe?”

A fifty-million-fucking-dollar business deal, and I question it because I don’t want to leave the States. She hands me the papers with a pen, eyeing me, waiting for a reaction. I hesitate, looking at Kate who’s watching me puzzled by my delayed reaction. I grab the pen and begin signing the documents, the weight of the world now resting on my shoulders.

Kate announces that she’ll make copies and return in ten minutes. Leaving me alone with Victoria, I dread where this conversation will lead.

“It will be nice to have you back in London,” she beams, playfully. “We should have dinner when you’re back to discuss any other ideas you might have.”

“Look, Victoria, this is strictly business. You know I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

“Oh, please, Lex, like you haven’t fucked your little assistant, Kat, Kathy, or whatever her name is,” she sneers.

“Her name is Kate, and no, she’s a valuable employee. I meant what I said. Don’t play games with me.”

Kate returns with the copied documents. We wrap up the meeting with Victoria advising she’ll email me a confirmation of when the project will begin.

Walking up to my suite in small steps, I hang my head with an empty feeling inside of me. The last twenty-four hours have been heaven and hell in equal measures. I want Charlotte so fucking much, yet I can’t overcome the rage over Samantha, Julian, and the fact I’m still second best.

“Mr. Edwards, you look exhausted. Let me take care of things for the rest of the day. I suggest you have a good sleep,” Kate offers.

She has a point. Even though it’s close to lunchtime, I have no problem getting some sleep. I’m never this worn out, but right now, I’m no nearer to answers to the questions that are remaining. And working until three this morning has only made matters worse.

I have to refocus with a plan of attack.

Jesus Christ, I’m treating this whole Charlotte thing like a goddamn business proposal. But maybe I need to tackle it that way? The only thing I’m sure about is that she’s mine, and no one is going to take her away from me.

Not now. Not ever.

Still, I can’t shake my hostility toward her for forgiving Samantha.

Why did she do it?

What about me?

Why won’t she forgive me?