Cut Too Deep (45 page)

“I promise you, I’m okay.”

“I was worried,” Miller admitted, the hesitation in his voice clear.

“Truthfully, so was I. When I went to bed, my mind was full of questions, but as I drifted to sleep, I decided none of them needed answering. I thought of you and our future. Nothing that happened before I found you matters. It’s from here forward that counts. For too long, I let my past control me, my fears dictate the choices I made, and him to own me. I’m done. I won’t let my past keep me from love. You’re love healed me, like your letters promised.”

Her words made his eyes water, though Miller wouldn’t admit they were tears. He kissed her quickly and dipped under the water. When Miller surfaced, Hadley heard him call her name from behind the waterfalls.

Hadley swam close and ducked under the falls, rising next to Miller. They were trapped between the cliff and the falls, waist high in water. It felt as though they were encased in their own little bubble. Hadley never wanted to leave.

She threw her arms around his neck and began kissing behind his ear. Her hot breath set his blood ablaze, every nerve ending exploding. A heated charge pulsed through his entire body. When her legs tightened around his waist, Miller palmed her butt, bringing her closer. Her breasts pressed against his chest made him groan from deep in his throat. Sexual electricity permeated the atmosphere of their little bubble. Her hands were in his hair, pulling and tugging, her lips inching closer to his mouth.

“Love, you’d better stop.”

Hadley pulled away to see his gaze was as serious as his tone. Her mind began to race with thoughts that Miller couldn’t be with her intimately after what he heard last night. She lowered her legs from his waist, standing firmly in the rough sand beneath her feet.

Miller squeezed her face and tilted her head back. “Stop thinking the worst. I want you, but I don’t have a condom with me.”

Hadley felt delightfully relieved. Duwatski was careless with her most of the time, and Hadley feared pregnancy. As an unwanted child, she took precautions when she was eighteen. Her prevention plan was good for ten years.

“Did you use condoms before me?”

“Mostly.” Miller averted his eyes. “But, sometimes no.”

“Do you have a clean bill of health?”

Miller looked directly at her now slightly affronted. “Yes, I get checked regularly.”

Hadley smirked. “Good, so do I.”

She enveloped him in her strong legs once again and traced her tongue along his jaw, stopping to kiss the skin behind his ear.

He wanted her, but one small detail remained. Miller wouldn’t take advantage of Hadley without clarifying. The last thing they needed to deal with was an accidental pregnancy, not that eventually Miller wouldn’t want children with her. In fact, he would like a houseful of them.

“A clean bill of health doesn’t prevent pregnancy, Love.”

Hadley sent him a wicked grin. “No, but an IUD does. Now if you’d be quiet, I’d like you to make love to me under this waterfall.”

She stared up at him and waited. Miller looked at her like he did that first time in the elevator, sending a jolt of raw pleasure through her. Hadley loved elevator Miller. He didn’t hesitate to cover her mouth with his and lift her on to him.

Amongst the sounds of nature in the clearing, echoed the passionate cries of a couple deeply in love.

Harold Duwatski rested on a bed in a cheap, grimy hotel, fighting to stay awake after drinking a fifth of discount whiskey. He spent the better part of the day plotting his revenge against the bitch that ruined his life.

His career was finished; his wife repulsed by him. Ironically, his wife had been the one to toss him out on his ass. Harold chose to believe Barbara threw him out so the police wouldn’t find him as an act of mercy.

He was running out of time. The Lorino family was searching for him. Harold couldn’t comprehend how a man of Miller Genetti’s status fell for a slut like Hadley Walker. It defied all social statutes. He was high-class, and Hadley—trash. If Miller hadn’t told him of their relationship himself, Harold wouldn’t have believed it. The visit Mr. Genetti paid him fueled his need for revenge. Hurting her would be the ultimate payback for the way Mr. Genetti humiliated him.

Hadley would be guarded, but Harold had a plan to penetrate her protection. He spent a good chunk of his savings to purchase her. She was his property, and only he would say when he was ready to give her up. When he was done with her, Miller Genetti wouldn’t touch her, no man would.

His revenge would be a matter of opportunity. He sold his car to a chop shop in Brownsville that belonged to a former ward of his, one that knew his place in the armpit of society, unlike this cunt that thought she deserved a better life. After paying for the room for a month, buying a carton of cigarettes and a case of whiskey, Harold had a few hundred bucks left. Enough to keep himself fed for a while. In the meantime, he would watch patiently and wait for her to slip up.

Harold heard garbled voices on the other side of the door and quickly turned off the table lamp. His skin itched, probably bed bugs from the smutty mattress. The voices trailed off as whomever it was passed his room. His torturous thoughts lulled him to sleep, the familiar fear emanating from Hadley in his mind, making him hard. He took care of himself and then his eyes closed.

The sun set behind the mountains. Amber rays shot toward the sky as darkness set in. Miller and Hadley nestled together on a lounger in front of the fire place on the back deck, enjoying the spectacular view.

Miller stroked her hair, the scent of her shampoo tickling his nose. The citrus fragrance as familiar to him as her body.

“This is perfect.”

“It is,” Hadley agreed. “I wish we could stay right here forever.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Hadley laughed. “Right, my boss would love that. As would my biggest client. He’s very difficult, and if I don’t get back to managing his account soon, he’ll be very grumpy. I’d do anything to keep him happy.”

Miller rolled her beneath him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and bit her gently, playfully.

“Your biggest client prefers you manage his account from this position.”

Hadley looked at him seriously. “Who said I was talking about you?”

“In that case, you’re fired,” Miller said, trying hard not to laugh, but his dimple gave him away. Her laughter could be heard for miles as Miller tickled her mercilessly before slowly removing her clothes. He made love to her under the dark, summer time sky, the only light from the stars, the fire place embers, and a few distant fire flies.

Miller’s voice filtered into the room, waking Hadley. She got up and listened from the bottom of the stairs.

“Mr. Schiller, I certainly understand the urgency to meet in person to discuss the terms, but I won’t be back until Wednesday… Yes, I’m very well aware of how long I was away… Again, tomorrow morning will not work for me.” Miller looked up to Hadley’s face, her hair a ruffled mess. She smiled, eyes still heavy from sleep. “Let me call you back.” He dropped the phone on the counter.

Hadley sauntered toward him, chewing her fingernails. Seeing her in his shirts always pleased him. He hauled her into his arms and set her on the counter, splitting her thighs with his body. His mind flashed back to the previous evening when they made love out back in the warm night air. Miller kissed her neck.

“If you need to work, we should head back.”

Miller lifted his head and stared at her. “Schiller is an arrogant jerk. I promised you a couple of days.”

“If we leave tonight, that’s two days. You won’t break your promise.”

He frowned. “I don’t like it.”

“Honestly, it’s fine. This was exactly what I needed, and I love that you did it for me, but I have a ton of work myself. Plus, I have some phone calls to make.”

“To whom?”

She sighed. “Sascha, for starters. She’s left me a couple of messages.”

“Does that mean you are taking her up on her offer?”

“It means I would like to discuss it further. If I do decide to audition, I’ll need to find studio time to practice, and that means seeing you less. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but the audition is only a month away and I need to prepare for it.”

“We’ll make time. Dancing for the ballet is your dream. I fully support you going for it.”

She smiled. “God, I love you.”

“I’m pretty loveable.”

Hadley shook her head. Most times, Miller was handsome in a rugged way, but when playful, he was simply adorable.

Her forehead wrinkled before she said, “I’m also going to call Valentina.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I think so. I didn’t give her a chance to speak. I’m not certain if I’ll ever forgive her, but I want to make my peace with every part of my past.”

“I can go with you.”

“Thank you, but I think I’d like to go alone.”

Miller smiled. “If I haven’t told you, you’re an incredible woman.”

“Don’t be proud of me, yet. Peace is still a long way off.”

“It’s your fight I’m proud of. You’re willingness to try is amazing.”

“Yeah, well as Dr. LeClair would say, it’s the healthy approach to resolving my problems.”

“Speaking of which, your appointment is Thursday. Would you like me to go?”

“I do. I know understanding all of this has been difficult for you and you’re angry. It will be good for us to talk about it.”

“Okay, then I’ll go. I hope you realize that I’m not angry with you. It’s him I want to murder.”

“I know, but I don’t want to see it eat away at you. He’ll get what he deserves.”

Miller went back to kissing her neck, which soon led to making love on the kitchen counter, and then the living room floor, and later in the shower under multiple streams of scalding hot water. Her trust in him grew every day, knowledge Miller treasured.

W
hen they arrived home that evening, Hadley met Regina, Miller’s housekeeper. Miller worked in his study, leaving the two women to chat. Regina was kind and shared stories of her trip to Venezuela with Hadley while cooking dinner.

“You know, Miss Hadley, it’s nice to have a lady in the house.” Hadley assumed Regina meant to add ‘again’, since she knew Miller had plenty of
ladies
around before her, including a wife. “He’s been a lonely man.”