Page 12 of His Beautiful Revenge
She ranted all the way to the motel. In the room, he realized she hadn’t even asked him what he had done to be arrested. He waited until she had finished admonishing him.
“Baby, I’m sorry. It’s a big mess anyway.”
“What did you do?”
“What they have accused me of,” he corrected, “is assault and rape. What happened is very different.”
She folded her arms. “So what happened? Who did you allegedly rape?”
Lucian sighed. “Norah. We had sex. I got a little rough and she cried foul.”
Tara stared at him. “You told me you two didn’t have sex anymore.”
“We rarely do. I was drunk and missing you …”
“So it’s my fault, is it?”
“I didn’t say that. Anyway, we fucked and then she bit me, so I slapped her. Lightly. Playfully.”
Tara curled her nose up. “She likes it rough?”
No.Lucian swallowed hard. “Yes,” he lied. Tara sat down beside him, and after a moment, brushed her lips against his.
“Fine, you’re forgiven. When is your court date?”
Lucian kissed her again. “I don’t know yet. Can we talk about something different? Or rather, now that we’re here,dosomething different?”
Tara smiled. “Lie back.” Lucian obeyed and she stripped his trousers and underwear from him, taking his cock into her mouth and sucking hard and long until he was rigid and trembling. She pulled her own panties down and straddled him, lowering herself onto his cock and moving her hips along with his. Lucian lost himself in the sensations and slowly his anger, fear, and sadness became numb.
Monday morning and Norah was beginning to feel like herself again. Well, not really, but at least she had her new job to look forward to. She covered the nasty bruise on her cheek with heavy foundation, which she hated, but made do otherwise with a light coating of mascara on her already thick eyelashes. She slipped into a yellow and orange sundress, which glowed against her dark caramel skin, and some flat pumps. She wanted to be comfortable, but she wanted to look good too—for a good first impression, she grinned to herself. Not for any other reason.
“You look gorgeous.” Zulika was approving and Norah flushed.
“Thank you, Zul. God, I’m nervous. Is it natural to be this nervous?”
“Well, when you’re going to work forAdonishimself,” Zulika grinned at her friend, whose blush deepened even further. “Try not to fuck him on the first day. God, Norah …I’m sorry. I didn’t think,” she said when she saw her friend’s stricken face, then quickly got up to hug her.
“It’s okay.” Norah’s voice was muffled. “We can’t dance around it forever. I need to move past it.”
Norah was pushing the rape to the back of her mind as she got into her car, but a second later she jumped out of her skin as Lucian knocked on the driver’s window.
“Go away,” she yelled, locking the doors and windows.
“I just want to talk,” Lucian called, holding his hands up. “Look, just open the window an inch so we can hear each other. That’s all I ask.”
“No. Anything you have to say to me, you can say to my lawyer.” She started the car and he backed off.
“Norah …I’m sorry. That’s all I wanted to say. I’m sorry.”
Norah watched him turn and walk away from her, getting into his car and driving off. She drew in a deep breath and started the car. The Conti-Tech buildings were out in Mountain View. She would have to drive past her old home.
Tears pricked her eyes then, but she pushed them away. “You don’t get to win this, Lucian. You don’t get to ruin my big day.”
She pulled the car away from the curb and drove towards her new life.
Seb came to get her at reception an hour later, grinning and nudging her with his shoulder in a conspiratorial way. Norah was already half-in-love with him and chuckled. “You look more excited than I do,” she said. “I’m really not that interesting.”
“I beg to differ,” Seb said, “I need a new pal around here.” He lowered his voice. “All the guys are sostraightand so nerdy it’s painful. And I told Jack the other day, he’s getting old now, so I need a new playmate.”
