Time for Change Read online

  “How?”

  Chris looked at her. “Do you really want to know the answer?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Fine, I went to Vegas for several weekends. Instead of going to conventions for doctors, I went to the tables in high risk gambling.”

  Okay, as an answer that surprised her.

  “I gambled on everything I had.”

  “You didn’t lose?”

  “No, I didn’t lose. I won the rest of my fucking life in peace. I’ve got more than enough to keep me for several lifetimes,” he said.

  “No one can win that much.”

  “Yeah, how do you think I afford so much?” He was telling the truth. “I work because I spent so much of my life studying to be a doctor. It’s who I am.”

  The towel he’d been wearing dropped to the floor. “Now, are you mine, or are you going to walk away from me?”

  Walking away wasn’t an option for her. If she could walk away then she would have done it when he’d brought the first woman back to the apartment.

  “Are you going to hurt me?” she asked, looking up at him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Will there be other women? Will I have to slink off back to my own apartment when you’re fucking other women?” She couldn’t look at him right now.

  He placed a finger underneath her chin, forcing her to look at him.

  She opened her eyes and looked deep into his.

  “No, there will never be another woman. I won’t look at another woman. You’ll be mine, and I’ll be yours.”

  “But you’ll wear the trousers?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  ****

  Chris waited for her to respond. There would never be another woman. Rachel would be all of his, and he’d show her right away what he wanted from her. A part of her was suited to him. The other part, the one that acknowledged him as her dead sister’s husband, was holding her back. Claire would want them to be together. He knew his wife better than Rachel.

  Standing at the counter, he waited for her to give him her answer. Nothing was going to hold him back. Rachel was his woman, and no one was going to take that away from him, least of all Rachel. He’d fight her every step of the way.

  They were doing this.

  “I don’t know if I can do this,” Rachel said.

  Taking hold of her hands, he kissed each palm before laying them on the edge of the counter. He reached around her, gripping her ass and bringing her to the edge of the counter. In one quick move he slid deep inside her. Rachel’s arms went around his neck holding on to him. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. “I think you can do this. I know you can do this.”

  Her wet cunt gripped him tightly. He’d never been with someone who was so responsive to him. Rachel kept her gaze on his at all times. Gripping her ass, he pulled out of her warmth, watching her reaction only to slam back inside.

  She flung her head back letting out a moan. This was what he’d been missing. No other woman could compare to Rachel. She alone made him feel alive, and for the last three years whenever she wasn’t around, he felt like he was dying. Going to Vegas had been a desperate point inside him that had actually worked for him to be better off than he ever imagined. When he thought about the life he could have had if the Vegas trip went sour, he felt fear all over.

  Rachel didn’t deserve someone unsteady. She needed to be grounded, and he’d finally become his old self. Nothing was going to stop them from being together. This was their fresh start together with nothing holding them back from each other.

  “You’re mine, Rachel. We both know this.”

  “I’m scared,” she said, dropping her head against his neck.

  He held her tightly, closed his eyes and fucked her hard but slow. Chris felt her walls tremble around his shaft. She was so wet for him. Rachel was a dream come true. Her passions were the same as his. The other men she’d been with were clearly fucking idiots. No one deserved to be with her. He’d cherish every moment they’d spent together and would never take her for granted.

  “It’s good to be scared. I’m scared, too.” He held her tightly. When she leaned back, edging back onto the counter, he dipped his head taking one of her large red-tipped nipples into his mouth.

  “Chris,” she said, moaning. Her fingers sank into his hair, pulling on the strands.

  “Tell me yes. You know you’ve been mine for a long time now.” He pulled her hands away from his head and stared into her eyes. Chris held her hands on top of the counter. His cock was deep inside her but not moving.

  She struggled underneath him for a long time until finally she settled, looking at him.

  “The answer is right in front of you.”

  “You’re making this harder for me.”

  “Because you’re fighting me for the wrong reasons.” He let out a sigh. If at any time he thought she was fighting him because she didn’t want him, he’d have left it alone. As it was, he knew she had feelings for him, possibly even loved him. She was fighting him because of their past and how she thought she couldn’t be with him. “If you don’t love me, tell me now. If you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with me, loving and caring for you, then walk away, Rachel. But I’m telling you now, you walk away, there’s no coming back.”

  She gasped. “You’d cut me off like that?”

  “Yes. I’m not into playing games or dealing with pathetic drama. This is my life as well as yours. Make your decision.” He withdrew from her body, mourning the feel of her instantly. “I’ll be waiting in my bedroom. You make that decision, and if it involves a future with me, then come to me. If not, get out.”

  He stormed away going to his room. Chris pulled back the covers and seated himself against the pillows. He picked up the crime book from his stand, flicking through the pages. The minutes passed, and when he thought he couldn’t stand it any longer, Rachel stood in the door way.

  She looked nervous, and all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and hold her.

  “I don’t want to leave you. You’re right. I do have feelings for you, and they might be love.” She stopped to look at her feet. “I don’t know what they are, but I do know when I’m with you, I feel alive. You make me feel alive, and I never want to lose what that feels like.”

  Rachel took another step into the room.

  “This is it, Rachel. You’ll be mine.”

  “I’ll learn to deal with everything. I promise.”

  “Good.” Pushing the blanket off his lap, he tapped the bed. “Come here.” She walked by his side and made to climb in beside him.

  He shook his head. “Straddle me.”

  She hesitated for a second. Chris waited, and then she settled over him, straddling his hips. Gripping his shaft, he eased his way back inside her. His cock hadn’t gone down from being inside her. Around Rachel, he was in a constant state of arousal.

  Their moans mingled on the air.

  “What happens now?” she asked.

  “You move in with me.”

  Cupping her back, he went down to grip her ass, groaning as he did. She was so snug, and he couldn’t wait to explore everything with her. Rachel wouldn’t get just a part of him. She’d get everything he hid from Claire.

  “I have to move in here?”

  “Yes, you’ll quit your job.”

  She nodded.

  “And then we’re going to see where this leads.” For him it was going to lead down the aisle with a ring on her finger.

  “Okay, I can handle that.”

  “Good,” he said, sinking his fingers into her hair. “Now I’m going to make love to you for the rest of the night.”

  Chapter Seven

  Rachel stared down at Chris’s sleeping form. She’d wiggled her way out from underneath him, taken a shower, and changed into a pair of spare clothes he kept in her room. Over the years she’d collected quite a few clothes in his apartment. Tucking some of her brown hair behind her ear, she walked out of the bedroom
. Last night had been pretty surreal to her.

  Yes, she’d been in love with him for a long time. Was it the kind of love a man and woman should have for each other? She’d never been in love with a man before and had nothing to compare it to.

  Leaving the room, she grabbed a scarf, some gloves, and a hat along with her coat and made her way out of his apartment. She passed a couple kissing, and she smiled at them, not recognizing either person. In the elevator, she folded her arms, trying to figure everything out in her mind.

  Chris was a dominant man without the whole BDSM stuff. She knew about it because of the hype surrounding that kind of literature at the moment. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her once before, and she’d bought plenty of fiction books about it. Chris was not into spanking or domination like that. He was simply the guy in their relationship.

  Relationship? She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself about that. Wow, her life had taken a huge turn.

  She’d slept with Chris, and now they were considering being in a relationship together. No, not considering, they were in a relationship together.

  Rachel jumped as the elevator pinged startling her.

  Taking a deep breath she left the elevator, nodded at the security guard and ran out into the cold. She’d never been much of a runner, but she needed to get as far away from Chris as she could. He didn’t help her to think. All he did was confuse her, and then he’d order her, which only turned her on.

  What kind of woman was she to be turned on and to feel safe when her man was ordering her around? Well, ordering was the wrong word. She entered the first coffee shop and ordered a strong black coffee to go.

  Back to walking, she knew where she was going without even thinking. Her sister always knew the answers to her problems. It was probably silly of her to think of Claire right now, but she was the only person Rachel trusted. Maybe talking to her in some way would help with her indecision.

  I’m losing my mind.

  Sipping at her coffee, she circled the cemetery gate. Several people were walking around the small graveyard. She didn’t wander around. Instead, she went straight toward her sister.

  Staring down at the stone marking Claire’s resting place, Rachel felt tears fill her eyes and fall down. Whenever she let her guard down she recalled everything she’d lost in the world. Her parents, her sister, her niece, all the loss came rushing back to her.

  “Hey, Claire,” she said, staring down at the stone. In her mind she saw her beautiful blonde haired sister looking back at her.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing. I feel like I’m all over the place.” She grew silent as a couple passed her. Bringing flowers had been the last thing on her mind. Wiping away the tears she pushed aside her feelings and focused entirely on Claire. “Did you know what you were asking back then? Is it really okay for you with me being with your husband?”

  Looking up at the sky, Rachel felt exhausted, frustrated, and wished with all of her heart that she’d stayed in the warm bed with Chris.

  This was something she needed to do more than sleeping.

  “I can’t help but think you’re happy with what’s happening and at the same time, annoyed that I’m sleeping with your husband.”

  “Enough, Rachel,” Chris said. She jerked, spilling coffee down her jacket. He cursed, taking the coffee mug from her fingers. “Be careful.”

  She stared up at him, surprised that he was stood before her, glaring down at her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “What does it look like I’m doing here?”

  “I don’t know.” She’d been really quiet on her way out of the house.

  “You’re not going to get your answers here.”

  “I need to know Claire is okay with this.”

  “She’s okay,” Chris said, tugging her away from the scene.

  “How do you know if she’s okay with it?” Rachel asked.

  “I knew her, Rachel. I knew what she wanted.”

  “What did she want?” She stared at him, hoping he’d give her the answer she wanted.

  “She wants us both to be happy. We’ll be happy together. We both want this, Rachel. Stop fighting it, and please, accept what you want.”

  Rachel looked down at the gravestone. Chris would make her happy. She knew in her heart that he’d be perfect for her.

  “Okay, I’ll be happy, and I’ll do whatever you need me to do.” She nodded and let him lead her out of the morbid graveyard. The air was freezing. He walked with her all the way back to his apartment.

  “I’m sorry for leaving you like that this morning. It wasn’t fair of me.”

  “No, it wasn’t fair, but I knew why you did. Being around me can be a little too much.” He held her hand as they made their way into his apartment. “Go and change. I’ll get some breakfast ready. We’ll handle the rental on your apartment and deal with your work. I don’t want you returning to them.”

  She agreed and left him alone. In his bathroom, she removed her soiled coat. The coffee had spilt all the way through to her white shirt. Typically, she’d worn her only white shirt to go out, and now it was ruined. It was just her luck.

  When she was naked, she stood in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection. Bruises were underneath her eyes from lack of sleep. What startled her more were the fingerprint marks on her hips. Chris’s handprints were on her.

  ****

  Letting out a breath Chris set up some pans on the hob. He was going to make her some sweet French toast. Hearing the shower run, he started to dip the bread into some beaten egg before putting it into some melted butter. His thoughts were on Rachel and her fears about what her sister would think.

  Claire wanted them both to be happy. He truly believed her sister would be happy regardless of whom he fell for. Their happiness was for each other.

  She walked out of the bathroom five minutes later wearing a bathrobe. Her brown hair was wet from the water. Serving up some toast on a plate he smiled over to her.

  “I’m sorry for leaving you this morning.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I knew where you were going.”

  “Is that because you know?” she asked. Her tone sounded bitchy, and he looked at her harshly. “Sorry, I guess I’m nervous about us being together.”

  “We’ll work through it.”

  Rachel nodded, grabbing a knife and fork. He poured himself some coffee then handed her another slice of French toast.

  “Are you going to eat some?”

  “Yes.” Sitting opposite her, he started to eat some toast all the time watching her, waiting for her to freak out on him. “When we’re done you can go and get dressed, and then we’ll go and settle your apartment and job.” He wanted to deal with Richard himself. She could be talking to the management while he was having a word with the man.

  “Sure.”

  They ate in silence. After minutes passed without another word spoken Rachel started to relax. She was like a deer caught in the headlights, waiting for him to explode.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, meaning it.

  “I know you’re not going to hurt me. I’m sorry. I’m not used to this at all.”

  “Haven’t you been in a relationship before?” he asked. Chris had always assumed she’d been intimate with men. In fact, he knew she had. How far had that intimacy gone? Claire never talked about her bringing men home or talking about men. Whenever he asked her in the past about men she’d chuckled and brushed his curiosity aside.

  “I’ve not been in a relationship before.”

  “At all, dating, flirting, making out?” At forty-two years old he’d done his fair share of making out.

  “No. I mean, I’ve had sex before. None of it was as good as last night.” Her cheeks were bright red, and her words stroked his ego a little bit.

  “I’m not talking sex. We have something special.”

  “No, I’ve never felt like I do with you with other men. Claire asked me to bring dates
home, but it never felt right. I didn’t want to bring them into my world with you guys.” She looked down at her hands. Her plate was empty. Standing, he took the plate from in front of her and placed it in the wash bowl.

  “Were you embarrassed by us?” he asked.

  “No, not at all. I didn’t want them to get close to me. After Mom and Dad died, I didn’t want anything to do with other men. Bringing them close would mean I had to talk about everything all over again.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. “I wasn’t going to open myself up like that.”

  “I already knew about everything. It was easier for you to spend time with people who wouldn’t open old wounds?”

  “Yeah. Then when I got over it, the guys didn’t appeal to me.” She shrugged. “So I guess I’ve never been in a relationship. I never finished college, and for some reason, I can’t hold a steady job.” Rachel looked at him. Her bottom lip wobbled. “I sound pitiful.”

  “You’ve had it easier than most but harder than others. I can’t turn round and say you’re pitiful. Death, no matter in what form it happens, hurts.” He licked his lips. His throat suddenly felt dry. “I lost my parents a long time ago. I learned to deal with the life I was handed.”

  “How did they die?” she asked.

  “They were shot in a bank robbery gone bad. I was ten years old and was taken into care. I had a rough eight years until I got out on my own. I was smart, and I had excellent grades. My life has been a lot better than when I started. I’m handling my own,” he said. Chris was shocked to realize he’d never once told Claire about his family. When she’d asked he’d simply told her he had no family.

  “I’m so sorry.” She wiped the tears from under her eyes.

  “Don’t be sorry. We’ll figure everything out together.” He rounded the counter, pulling her into his arms. Chris was strong enough for the both of them. He’d teach her how to deal with him as a man in her life. “Now, promise me you’ll talk to me about everything on your mind. I never want to wake up with you gone again.”

  “Okay.”

  He leaned down claiming her lips underneath his. “Good, go and get dressed. We’ve got some work to do.” He watched her go, checking out her ass as she went. Fuck, her body was pure perfection to him. Every curve called to him, and he couldn’t wait to explore his wild side with her.