Four Shades of Recovery: Boxed Set (12 page)

MEGAN’S POV

I spend the week at Matt’s place. We make love nearly every night. He’s an amazing and solicitous partner. I could get addicted to his sort of attention. I’m also quite productive with the rather heavy workload that my editor forwards to me. Matt heads to the office reluctantly each morning but makes a point to return early every afternoon to spend time with me. He cares about me so deeply and I’m beginning to feel the same way about my lovely CEO. Time is clearly on our side.

On Monday of the following week, Renee texts me with a request to meet with one of our writers. Normally, we could work out the issues via email but this writer needs a bit more handholding as she’s one of our most successful columnists. She’s got writer’s block and a looming deadline. I need to give her attention and motivate her… Perhaps I’m also a budding psychologist.

We agree to meet at the newspaper in the mid-afternoon. I take Rush with me for protection and text Matt about my plan. The face to face with our columnist goes well and she leaves feeling confident about meeting her targets. I pat myself on the back for using my intuition about anxiety to defuse her conundrum. Spending so much time unraveling Matt’s issues makes me sensitive to vulnerability in others. It’s after five when we part. Rush waits for me across the street from my office in a small diner. He’ll drive me to Matt’s place. I wave goodbye to Renee and make my way to the exit.

In the darkened vestibule of my building, a figure lurks in the shadows. I look carefully to determine who it could be. I groan when I see the obsessive expression in his eyes. Michael leans casually against a nearby wall. The sight of him sends a chill through me. I haven’t texted anyone yet about my location. Matt and Rush think I’m still working. I’m going to simply deal with this situation.

Michael could be totally unpredictable and I’m afraid of him. I hate not knowing what will happen next. We stare at one another for a microsecond until Michael pushes off the wall and comes toward me. He looks strange. Tired. Determined. Possessed. His face has a pinched expression on it.

He smirks, “Well, Megan,” he begins as his eyes rake over my body, “you fill out that blouse well.” I cross my arms to shield myself from his invasive glare. Michael behaves like a predator. I stand tall and raise my face to his. I refuse to indicate how uncomfortable he makes me feel. I’m quaking beneath my calm exterior.

“Is there a reason you’re at my place of employment, Michael?” My voice sounds imperious.

“I’ve come to reason with you, Megan,” he claims but his mouth trembles. “It’s difficult to track you down these days. Haven’t you missed me?”

I avoid answering to his ridiculous question. “There’s nothing to reason about. I want to move on with my new career and life in Portland, Michael,” I assert. He might as well face the truth. It’s a shame that he’s not being rational.

“We had great times in Miami, Megan. I want you to think about all that you’re forsaking,” he insists with the notion that we are somehow going to get back together.

“I’m going to leave the building now.” I turn away from him and toward the exit door. He falls into step beside me. As I attempt to push the door open, he inserts himself between me and it. I push my hands against his chest.

“Don’t try to resist me, Megan,” Michael commands and then grabs both of my arms in his much larger hands.

I don’t reply. I simply start to glare at my stalker. We face off in silence. Michael blocks me from exiting.

“Why did you leave me, Megan?” he growls but his voice sounds vulnerable.

I know an honest reply would be futile at this juncture. Therefore, I shrug.

“We could leave here together. I could take you to Hawaii again. You liked that vacation so much, I seem to recall.”

“Michael, this is ridiculous. Can you just leave me now, please?” I request.

“So you don’t want to go swimming with the turtles, try some scuba diving, perhaps?” Michael thinks he’s tempting me. He relaxes his hold on me a bit.

I pull my arms free from his grasp and move away from him, “No, I don’t want to travel with you!” I yell.

I’ve apparently done the wrong thing now. Michael grows quite angry. He steps forward and looms over me. I take a step back in fear. Then I decide to plant my feet and stand my ground.

“You are acting like a spoiled child, now,” he shouts in my face. I smell alcohol on his breath and shudder. His hands lock around my shoulders. I attempt to yank my arms free. My move is fruitless. My fate looks frightening. I’m losing hope that I’ll be able of dealing with the situation on my own. I look around to see if anyone can see us.

However, I’m surprised to look up and see Matt, of all men, appear outside the door to work. We make eye contact. Matt’s facial expression looks truly frightening. Michael turns to see who I’m looking at. Matt yanks the door open with force and enters the small lobby.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Frazier to the rescue!” Michael snarls with sarcasm. “I knew the two of you had a history. Jacob filled me in on your little affair, once Megan disappeared from our radar last week.”

“Fuck off, Kingsfield,” Matt hisses. He stands next to me and puffs out his chest.

“She’s a cold-hearted little bitch,” Michael spits out with venom. “You must be getting a lot more pussy than I did from Miss Priss, to go toe to toe with me.”

The contest begins as Matt growls. “She’s in my bed every night dude. Keep your hands off of Megan. She’s mine, asshole.” I cringe when I think of how enraged Michael must feel at the news that Matt has been sleeping with me.

Michael’s face registers shock. He scowls at me and finally turns to Matt. He scoffs at the claim that Matt made about me, “She won’t be yours for long. Can’t you see that she’s all about cheap thrills? She’ll get bored with you, too.” Michael’s absurd idea sends Matt over the edge. It speaks to his deepest fears. I hope he doesn’t believe Michael’s arguments about me.

Matt inserts himself between Michael and me. He assumes a kick box stance and quickly delivers two blows with his feet. Michael’s gut and shoulder take the brunt of his moves. He falls backward on the tile floor of the entry to the newspaper building. Michael’s head hits the floor and blood spurts from his head wound. These kinds of wounds that always bleed most.

Rush enters as the commotion at the door has finally been noticed. Their confrontation continues when Michael tries to rise from the floor. Rush restrains Matt since he appears poised to throw himself at Michael once again.

I run to Matt and cradle his face between my hands. I’ve never seen Matt behave in such an aggressive way before. It’s a bit scary to see him so violent. I hope he realizes that Michael’s comments about me were a desperate attempt to play to his insecurities.

“Move out of my way, Megan,” Matt commands. He’s glaring at Michael who’s now groaning on the floor in pain.

“That’s enough, Matt. It’s over!” I try to point out. Rush gives Michael a hand up and walks him away from Matt. Michael pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and presses it to his head wound.

“It may be over for now but…I’ll be back!” Michael promises with a maniacal look on his face. Rush looms over Michael and motions for him to leave.

“I’ll fucking kill you, if you come anywhere near her again,” Matt threatens. Michael walks away looking angry and bitter.

I look at Matt whose eyes now look obsessed with aggression. “Can we go home now?” I ask in a soothing voice. He nods as we head toward his car and condo. Matt’s quiet and tense on the ride home but he puts his hand on my thigh in a possessive gesture.

I wish I knew more about his current state of mind. I’m now fearful that Matt is upset with me. He should be, since I brought Michael into our lives.

When we walk into the condo, Matt sighs dramatically and drops down on the love seat. He looks at me with consternation on his brow.

“Are you going to become bored with me, Megan? Is this affair about cheap thrills for you?”

“Matt, he was pushing your buttons. It was a pissing contest. I want you, not him…Michael has no claim on me,” I assure my gorgeous, forlorn looking man. Then I sit down next to him on the couch and hold his hand.

He huffs, “At least Michael knows that I’m getting what he never could from you.”

“I hope you don’t think I’m little Miss Priss,” I chide.

A smile works its way across Matt’s lips. “You’ve never been Miss Priss around me, baby.”

“You bring out the best in me Frazier,” I wink.

“That bastard needs to get his paws off of you. I’ll teach him a lesson.”

I roll my eyes in exasperation. I get annoyed with the ownership issues that intrigue these two men.

“Marking your territory, eh?” I joke instead.

“Damn right. Your ass Is mine,” he quips He’s quite serious as he makes his claim.

I try to change the subject and focus on the outcome of the pissing contest. “Well, your kickboxing workouts came into good use tonight. You should let your trainer at the gym know how well your moves worked in a live confrontation with a real threat.” I smile with pride at the way Matt saved me tonight. I don’t know how I would have escaped from Michael’s attempt to take me with him.

He nods his head in agreement. “The training took over when I needed it. My trainer, Max, has done a good job of preparing me for action.”

“Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up to protect me?” A cold chill runs through me at the thought that I could be on a plane to Georgia tonight instead of sitting next to my savior on the couch.

Matt narrows his eyes at the idea and attempts to loosen his tie. He’s struggling to undo the knot. I turn to help him by pushing my finger through it. I give the tie a firm tug and then begin undoing the first couple of buttons on his white shirt. Matt takes my hand and stills it. He kisses my palm. I let out a long breath of relief. Then, I kiss his tense neck and shoulder.

“What cued you in on the idea that I might be in trouble?” I ask as I take my hand and massage his shoulder.

“I tried texting, emailing and calling you…all in the space of five minutes. When you didn’t respond to any of my communication, I drove to your office without another second’s hesitation. I called Rush when I arrived outside.” He explains with a hoarse voice. Matt must have been panicked.

“Your timing was impeccable, Matt. My standoff with Michael got tense within seconds of our contact. He meant to kidnap me from that lobby. You saved me, baby.” I kiss Matt’s cheek as I speak.

Matt fumes. “Why can’t he accept that you no longer want to be with him?”

“I think Michael never recovered from the sudden death of his wife. He somehow convinced himself that I was going to come to my senses and assume the role that she left behind. I feel sorry for him,” I explain with sympathy.

“He needs therapy. I hope we’ve seen the last of him but I don’t think so!” Matt adds.

“I’m concerned now that Michael knows about you. He could try to make trouble for you with loans, business deals and that type of thing,” I comment and shake my head at what I’ve heard about the ruthless economic methods that Kingsfield uses in Georgia.