Rush of Innocence (Rush Series #1) (8 page)

“I’m
sorry,” he said quietly.

She
blinked up at him, almost forgetting where she was. Shifting uncomfortably, she
said, “As you said… it was a long time ago.”

Leaning
forward, he set his wineglass on the glass table in front of the couch. He
picked up a remote and clicked a button. Suddenly, music began playing softly
from speakers hidden around the room. He rose and extended a hand to her.
“Dance with me,” he commanded in soft tones.

With
a small shake of her head to ward off the bad memories, she placed her hand in
his and he pulled her up until their bodies were touching. He gave her an
opportunity to set her glass down before tugging her into the middle of the
room. He captured her hands with his and slid them up behind his neck before he
moved his hands down to her waist. Her heart began to thud in her chest and
visions of the past slowly faded away.

In
slow, easy movements, he moved them in small circles in time to the music. He
moved one hand to her hip and the other slid up to cup the back of her neck.
Holding her steady, he gently forced her head back with his thumb against her
jaw. He lowered his lips and placed soft kisses down the column of her neck.
She inhaled sharply at the touch of his lips against her skin.

“You
have the softest skin,” he murmured.

He
raised his head to stare into her eyes, drawing her under his spell. She moved
a trembling hand to run it against his ruggedly beautiful face – a face that
could make angels weep. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. When she
ran her finger across his lips, he nipped it gently before sucking the
fingertip into his mouth. She gasped at the sensation.

Leaning
down, he captured her lips with his own. With a minimal amount of pressure, he
forced her mouth open to allow him access. With deliberately slow, soft
touches, he explored her mouth. She ran her hands down his chest and encircled
his waist. He placed her face within his hands and deepened the kiss. The silky
slide of his tongue against hers made her strain up into the kiss. She gasped
when he nipped her bottom lip gently. Fire began to burn in her belly as his
aggression grew.

Abruptly,
and with his chest heaving, he pulled his lips from hers and brushed them
against her temple. She felt the column of his neck move as he swallowed hard.
Stepping back from her, he caught one of her hands with his and slowly turned,
moved quickly to the dining room table, and extinguished the candles. Slowly,
he began to walk out of the room and down a hall. Her heart began to pound when
he led her into the master suite. She had only an instant to glimpse the blue
glow in the room which was lit by a massive fish tank. The backlight of the
tank caused shadows of waves to be reflected against three of the four walls.
Like the living room, the fourth wall was glass. The overall effect was surreal
and sensual.

He
led her to the bed and sat down on the edge and pulled her to stand between his
thighs. She placed her hands on his shoulders.

“I want
you,” he murmured.

Instead
of replying, she leaned forward and touched her lips lightly to his.

After
the brief contact and while maintaining eye contact, he slowly lowered his
hands to curve over her bottom to the end of her short dress. Sensually, he ran
his hands slowly up the bare skin of the back of her thighs until he touched
the edge of black panties. She gasped at the sensation. With deliberate
slowness he ran his hands down her legs and helped to remove her shoes. Being
out of her shoes put her closer to his level. Running his arms around her, he
unhurriedly unzipped her dress. Reaching up, he tugged at the halter tie at the
back of her neck. Sinfully, the silky material of the dress swirled around her
body, falling to the floor.

Slowly,
he lowered his gaze to follow the curve of her body: her breasts, her trim
waist, and then lower still. She trembled beneath his hands. He moved his eyes
back to hers as he ran his hands once more over her bared back and
panty-covered bottom. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against the soft
skin above her belly.

He
pulled her gently onto his chest as he fell back on the bed. He rolled her
until she was underneath him. The sensation of the cool bedding compared to the
scorching heat he radiated made her groan. He brushed her long hair out of her
face and gently traced the angles of her face.

“So
very beautiful,” he whispered.

He
pressed kisses behind her ear and then down her neck. He ran his hands lightly
over her breasts, causing her to arch her back at the intimate contact. His
lips followed the path his hands blazed. With soft, sensuous licks, he kissed
each breast. The fire in her belly which had begun as a small flickering flame
was becoming a blazing inferno. She grabbed his head and held it tight against
her. She groaned at the sensation of his soft, firm lips against her skin. Each
suck and pull of his lips against her breasts caused ripples of fire-hot desire
to zip through her body – starting from where his lips were, down to her very
core.

As he
kissed and nipped her breasts, he rubbed his erection over and over against
her. Even through his jeans and her panties, she could feel the hard length of
him and she shivered in need. Moving from her, he lay beside her and slowly
slid her panties down and off. She trembled with a variety of emotions as his
hand glided over her taunt stomach down to stroke her intimately, causing her
once more to arch off the bed. He moved his lips back up the column of her neck
and plunged his tongue into her mouth as she moaned and writhed under his
expert touch.

He
lifted his lips from hers and asked raggedly, “Are you on birth control?”

She
stilled and gave a small shake of her head.

“It’s
okay, I’ve got condoms here.”

Rising
quickly, he stepped to a side-table, slid a drawer open, and withdrew a
packaged condom from a box. He moved back to the foot of the bed and began to
strip his clothes off in the bluish glow of the room. He raked her body with
his eyes as he snatched off his clothes. His body was magnificent. His shoulders
were broad and his chest and stomach muscles were finely chiseled and
well-defined. She couldn’t believe this gorgeous man wanted
her
. He placed the condom package
between his teeth and slowly tore it open. His eyes were nearly black with
desire and his stare promised her salvation from the intense yearning filling
her body. With practiced ease, he applied the condom and climbed over her,
settling between her thighs. Her heart began to pound. This was really
happening. She swallowed against the nerves which threatened to overtake her.

He
caught her hands within his and raised them up above her head. As he positioned
his body against her, he leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly. “I hope
you’re as ready for me as I am for you,” he groaned. Her breathing was
laborious and her heart thudded almost painfully against her ribs.

She
swallowed hard when she felt him pressed intimately against her. Even though it
felt as if fire were being forced through her veins, a small fission of fear
began to thread its way through her. She pulled her hands loose from his,
captured his face, and pushed it gently away from her own. Breathing heavy, she
whispered, “Rush, I’ve never been… done… this before.”

His
body stilled and he stiffened immediately. Slowly, he opened his eyes to gaze
down at her with his jaw clenched. “You’re a virgin?” he asked incredulously.

She
swallowed against the near accusation. “Yes.”

His
chest was heaving as he struggled to rein in his lust. He swore softly.

Not
liking the distance now between them, she withered and whimpered beneath him.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and tried to bridge the distance between
their bodies. “Please,” she begged. “I don’t want you to stop, I just wanted
you to know,” she explained.

He
leaned his forehead against hers for a moment. Seeming to reach a decision, he
eased himself off of her. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” He turned and sat once more
on the edge of the bed, his back to her, as he ran brutal hands through his
hair.

Want,
need, frustration, longing, and unbelievable hurt flooded her. Embarrassment
came in as a close second to her other emotions. She sat up and drew her knees
up to help cover her nakedness. “I don’t understand,” she whispered.

Taking
a deep breath as he panted to regain his equilibrium, he said, “I… I just can’t
do this. In a dead voice, he said, “Please get dressed and I’ll take you back.”
He rose as he spoke and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Shame
and embarrassment flooded her. She scrambled off the bed, and while keeping an
eye on the bathroom door, she snatched up
Sundra’s
dress and shoes. She searched frantically for her panties. Not finding them
right away, she turned a panicked eye to the bathroom door and decided to just
forget them. Struggling to hold back tears of mortification, she stumbled into
the doorframe and into the hall. She snatched her clutch purse off the side
table and with hands that trembled she pushed the elevator call button. She
scrambled into the dress and was tying it at her neck when the door pinged. She
fell through the doors as they opened. With frantic hands, she hit all the
elevator buttons, praying the doors would hurry and close. She leaned back
against the gold handrail just as she had done earlier in the night. Her breath
caught in her throat as she caught a glimpse of a panicked, near naked Rush, as
the doors slid blessedly closed.

Because
of the way she’d hit the buttons, the elevator stopped at every floor. She
hurried out the elevator doors into the lobby. Shame colored her cheeks as she
walked out carrying her shoes. She could only imagine how she looked. She
avoided direct eye-contact with anyone she passed, humiliated at her obvious
walk of shame. She raised a hand to smooth her hair back into place and strove
to regain some control. She shivered against the cold when she stepped out into
the late night air and thought briefly of
Sundra’s
wrap lying across the chair upstairs. She walked quickly back down the sidewalk
that she’d previously walked on happily just hours before.

She
stopped trying to rein in the tears. Her chest burned with hurt from his
rejection. More than anything, she wished she wouldn’t have stopped him… not
told him. She entered the lobby of her own building and stood with her head
bowed at the elevator doors, praying they’d open quickly.

She
gasped when a hand whirled her around. An angry Rush Drayton stood before her.

“What
the hell are you doing?”

A sob
broke free from her lips, further cementing her shame. With an oath, he
gathered her against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t… just
don’t,” he whispered against her hair.

“Please
let me go,” she begged as she struggled to contain her scattered emotions.

The
elevator doors pinged their opening. He ushered her into the car. “Which
floor?” he murmured.

She
shook her head. “Please just go,” she sobbed.

“Which
floor?” he demanded between clenched teeth.

“Ninth,”
she uttered as tears streaked unheeded across her cheeks.

It
seemed to take forever to reach the ninth floor. He led her out and stopped.

“Which
condo?” he asked gruffly.

Trying
to shake off his arms, she cried, “Please just go. You’ve done your gentlemanly
duty. You can certainly sleep well tonight.”

With
a deep sigh, he murmured, “I promise you’ll thank me later.”

She
struggled to gain control of her emotions. She panted against the pain of his
presence. With
more calm
than she felt, she said
quietly, “I’d appreciate it if you’d just go.”

He
tensed next to her. After several long, agonizing moments, he released her arm
and turned back to the bank of elevators. With her head bowed, she moved
steadfastly down the hall until she reached the condo. She was happy to step
into the empty condo. She untied the dress as she walked. Numbly, she dropped
the shoes and let the dress fall. She turned on the shower as hot as she could
stand it and sank down to the shower floor. No matter how long she sat under
the scorching water, it never could penetrate the deep cold within her.

She
feigned sleep when
Sundra
came stumbling in later. As
she lay dried-eyed, she wished more than anything she’d stayed home. Maybe she
did actually need her father’s protection after all.

Chapter 4

It was noon before
Sundra
and her friends rousted themselves out of their beds.
Sundra
stumbled into the kitchen in dire need of coffee. Trinity was curled up in one
of the padded barstools, nursing her own cup. In the other bedroom, she could
hear the other girls laughing and jumping around. Had she ever been that
carefree? No, her father would never have allowed such exuberance.

Sundra
grabbed a cup from the cabinet and filled it with steaming coffee. As she
stirred in the pre-sweetened creamer, she grinned up at Trinity.

“So?
How was your dream date yesterday?”

Trinity
gave her a tight smile. There was no way in hell she was ever going to admit to
anyone what had truly happened. “It was okay, I guess.”

“Okay?
Seriously?
I mean, the man is a god!”

Trinity
cringed at the description, which so closely matched her own assessment.

“So?
Are you going to see him again?”
Sundra
asked.

With
a shrug of her shoulders, Trinity said, “No, I don’t think so.”

Sundra
banged her cup down on the counter.
“Why ever not?”

“We…
we were just not compatible. You know how it is sometimes,” she mumbled.

Sundra
stared at her for a long moment.
“Not compatible, huh?
No… I don’t believe that for a second. I saw how he looked at you at the club.
The man was seriously crushing on you.”

Trinity
gave mirthful laugh. “Crushing? I don’t think so. But anyway… it doesn’t
matter. I don’t want to see him. There’re lots of guys out there, right?”

“Not
like him… not like him. Wait. He didn’t do anything freaky or
anything,
did he?”

“Freaky?”
Trinity asked.

“You
know… tie you up, beat you.
That kind of thing.”

Trinity
glanced down at her coffee.
“No, nothing like that.”

An
extended silence had Trinity lifting her gaze back up.

“Did
you have sex with him?”
Sundra
asked incredulously.

Trinity
blushed. “No.
Of course not.
I barely know the man,”
she muttered.

“That
was a terrible mistake, my friend. Men like Rush Drayton don’t come along very
often. It’s probably better anyway. From what I could see, he’d be a hard act
to follow. You’d only be disappointed in the next guy… there will be a next
guy, right?”
Sundra
said with a grin.

A next guy?
Trinity didn’t know if she could take rejection like she’d had the night before
again. Rush had seemed to want her, but he’d just as easily called a halt to
things. Was her virginity that big a deal? Would the next guy be the same way?

“If
the right one comes along,” Trinity finally answered.

“Well,
we’ll have to be on the lookout for him tonight,”
Sundra
replied.

“Tonight?”
Trinity asked.

“Yep.
Hunter’s taking us to the Ski Village. It’s supposed to be the hottest club
around.”

“I…
don’t know,” Trinity said hesitantly.

“Don’t
even think about it. You are
so
going!”

Trinity
exhaled and lowered her gaze to her coffee cup. “What’s wrong with me, Sun?”

“What
do you mean?” she asked.

Heaving
a heavy sigh, Trinity said, “Nothing. I just don’t know if it’d even be worth
going out tonight or not. I’m not feeling much in the partying mood.”

“All the more reason to come out with us tonight.
It’ll be fun.”

Trinity
bit the inside of her lip and traced the rim of her cup. “I borrowed your
cellphone and called Andy Nelson this morning.”

Sundra
snorted. “So, what did the jerk have to say for
himself
?”

Still
gazing at her cup, Trinity said, “The real reason I left Savannah was I found
out my father had been having me followed. I found folders of all the guys I’ve
dated since high school, including Andy Nelson. At the bottom of the files was
the word ‘Eliminated’. I wanted to know what that meant.”

“What
did he say?”
Sundra
asked.

 
“Andy didn’t want to tell me at first. I think
he was frightened. But eventually he told me my father threatened if he
continued to see me, he would ruin him. He would dig deep and find something to
use against him… even if he had to manufacture it.” Trinity swallowed and wiped
a hand against the tears on her face. “I was so mortified. My father has been doing
this my whole life. Why wouldn’t he want me to find someone to be happy with?
What is wrong with him?”

Sundra
came
around the bar and wrapped her arms around her. “I don’t know. Maybe what
happened to your mother affected him that way. How creepy! I’m so sorry.
All the more reason for you to stay.
Don’t give in to him,
Trin
.”

“I
won’t,” she murmured.

***

Somehow
Sundra
convinced Trinity to allow her to ‘glam’ her up for their night on the town.
The slinky green miniscule dress barely covered her bottom – or her top, for
that matter – and the impossibly high-heeled shoes made her legs seem to go on
forever.
Sundra
put hot rollers in her hair, causing
it to cascade over her shoulders in soft curls. She also used a heavy hand with
the make-up, as well. Looking into the mirror, Trinity had to admit, she looked
sexy and wanton. It gave her the boast she needed after what she’d dubbed ‘
the Rush experience’
. She barely
recognized the woman staring back at her with her smoky, nearly black eyes, and
sultry red lips.

Trinity
felt further validated when she and the rest of the girls stepped out of the
elevator into the lobby and she got a low whistle from Hunter.

“Wow, girl!
You
look… there are no words,” he said with a grin.

Sundra
grabbed his arm and laughed. “Come on, horn-dog,
don’t
forget which girl you’re here with.”

“As
if I ever could,” he said as he wrapped his arm around
Sundra
and pressed his lips against her temple.

Sundra
grinned and linked her arm through Hunter’s.

Hunter
looked at Trinity and asked, “Is this the group or are we waiting for a special
someone?”

She
flinched a little at his words. He obviously wasn’t aware what happened the
night before… or didn’t happen, as was the case.

She
swallowed before replying.
“Nope.
Just
us.”

Sundra
jumped when her cellphone rang out. She dug it out of her purse and looked
curiously at the screen. “Hello,” she answered cautiously, obviously not
knowing the caller. “Yes, this is she. Oh, hi. Yes, of course. Hang on a
second.”

Turning
to Trinity, she passed her the phone. “It’s your dad,” she mouthed, rolling her
eyes.

Trinity
groaned and took the phone. She stepped away from the group for the ensuing
bashing she knew was coming. She took a deep breath and answered. “Hello, Dad.”

“Trinity.
Oh
thank God! I’ve been so worried,” he said in a rush.

“How
are you?”

“Worried
sick, that’s how I am. You need to be home. I want you to catch the next
flight. There’s one leaving in three hours. I expect you to be on that flight.
I’ll have one of Alex’s team meet you at the airport.”

She
closed her eyes in frustration. “No. I have a flight already scheduled for the
end of the week. I’ll be returning then.”

“Young
lady, you will do as you are told. Do I make myself clear?”

Anger
boiled up inside her. He still treated her like a child. “Oh, you’re clear,
alright. Let me be equally clear. I will not be coming home tonight. I’ll be
home as scheduled. When I get home, you and I will sit down and get some things
straight. I’m on my way out right now. So, I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight,
Dad.” With trembling fingers, she clicked the phone off without giving him an
opportunity to respond. Exhaling deeply, she turned and moved back to the
group.

“Everything okay?”
Sundra
asked.

Trinity
forced a smile on her lips. “Yes, great. You might need to leave your phone
off, though. I’m sure he’ll be calling back.”

Sundra
grinned, powered her phone off, and slipped it back into her purse.

The
Ski Village was a trendy nightclub with pulsating, lighted squares on the dance
floor and multicolored light ropes surrounding the room. The lights seemed to
swirl and pulse with the music. It seemed Hunter and
Sundra
were making it their business to ensure Trinity enjoyed herself. There was
always a fresh drink in her hand and a steady stream of guys to dance with.

They’d
been at the Ski Village for about several hours when Trinity was approached by
an incredibly attractive olive-skinned man who asked her dance. His dark hair
was longer than conventional and his dark eyes were piercing. It was obvious
he’d had several drinks as his manner was aggressive, demanding, and a little
frightening. She'd already begun to shake her head to decline the man’s request
when her heart fell down into her stomach. Standing at the bar, leaning with
his back against it, just as he had on her first night in Vail, was Rush
Drayton. He was watching her intently with a drink in his hand. His lips were
drawn into grim lines.

She
inhaled sharply. Pain, raw and vicious, ripped through her chest. Humiliation
burned a trail up her body. The need to vindicate herself – the need to feel
wanted when suddenly she felt very much unwanted – had her putting her hand in
the extended one of the olive-skinned man.

She
stood and the man eyed her skimpy attire with wolfish delight. Because of the
loud music, he was forced to lean in and said in her ear, “I’m Shay.”

She
leaned back to gain a little personal space and stumbled in the high heels.
Shay grabbed her hips to steady her, which only caused her dress to rise even
more indecently. She placed her hands on his shoulders to help gain her
balance. As she glanced up, she saw Rush stand straighter and glare at her.
Hurt, frustration, and resentment made her mouth tighten. She glanced quickly
away before stepping away from Shay. She bent and grabbed a drink from the
table and slammed it quickly. Her stomach churned against the burn of the vodka
in the cosmopolitan. Turning back to Shay, she grabbed his hand and led him out
onto the dance floor with its pulsating lights and music.

She
danced mindlessly with Shay through a couple songs. His eyes raked her body as
they moved in time to the music. Her initial pique faded and he began to make
her extremely uncomfortable. She decided to make her break from him at the end
of the current song. When the beat changed, however, he grabbed her hips and
pulled her close to him. He slid his hands up her back and
gyrated
his hips intimately against her. She struggled to step back, but he just
tightened his hold on her. When she looked up to warn him off, he leaned down
and plunged his tongue between her parted lips. She lifted her hands to his
chest and tried to shove against him, but again he just tightened his grip.
Panic had her clawing against him.

Suddenly,
Shay was snatched away from her and slung across the floor. A raging Rush stood
between her and Shay. Shay struggled to his feet and charged, but Rush had size
and rage on his side. Rush ended the fight with an uppercut to Shay’s jaw. Shay
went flying onto his back and slid unconscious across the floor.

With
his chest heaving, Rush turned back to Trinity. She stood with a hand pressed
against her mouth and eyes wide. Her legs began to tremble as the adrenaline of
Shay’s assault and Rush’s force of violence passed. She took a step to turn
away but Rush caught her and lifted her into his arms. With his jaw clenched
tight, he moved through the crowd. Once the initial shock of being this close
to him faded, Trinity began to squirm in his arms.

“Put
me down, Rush! Please put me down,” she begged.

“Be
quiet,” he commanded in a no-nonsense tone.

Embarrassment
at being manhandled caused color to rush into her face. He walked past the bar
and entered in through a door marked
Office
.
A brown leather couch sat against one wall and a glass desk against the other.
Rush set her down on the couch before turning to the desk. There was a young
man sitting at the desk in a hip grey suit, with a thin, black tie. His blond
hair was held back at the nap of his neck. He stood immediately at Rush’s
entrance.