Decisions of Desire 3: Dominance or Deception

DYLAN

What just happened? I found myself standing alone in the office, still reeling from the shock. ~How did she flip the script on me so fast?~ I was sure I had her cornered, but she turned the tables on me.

Now, I was the one left standing here, aroused and bewildered. I couldn’t help but grin. My dark angel had some fire in her.

This was going to make our little game all the more exciting when I finally won.

“Mr. Rochester.” Joanie’s voice broke my train of thought.

I turned to see her standing in the doorway.

“Joanie, you can still call me Dylan. I may not work here anymore, but nothing’s changed between us.”

She blushed. Joanie deserved better than Harvey. Why she tolerated his crap, I had no idea.

I would have guessed it was for the money, but she had been with him for a long time. I didn’t think that was the reason. Not anymore.

“Evelyn asked me to schedule another meeting. She had to leave unexpectedly,” Joanie informed me.

I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, she seems to have a habit of doing that.”

This was the second time she had bolted on me. At least this time, I had my pants on.

I pulled out my phone to check my schedule. After giving Joanie a few potential dates, I made my exit.

The last thing I wanted was another run-in with Harvey.

As I headed to my car, I tried to think of a distraction. I tossed my briefcase in the backseat and climbed into the driver’s seat.

Pulling out my phone, I texted Lexi. Hey! What are you up to? Can I come over and see the kids?

The reply came quickly. Of course! Asher just ordered pizza. Hungry?

Starving! I replied, a smile spreading across my face. I loved kids.

Their innocence was a refreshing contrast to the corruption of the world. Plus, the Anderson twins were too adorable for their own good.

Growing up, my best friend had a younger sister. Their parents died when we were young, forcing him to grow up too soon.

He made some bad choices and fell in with the wrong crowd. When he realized he couldn’t undo his mistakes, I promised him I would look after his sister.

I would ensure she had the childhood she deserved. I loved them both like family.

There was nothing I wouldn’t do for them. But thinking about them always brought a wave of sadness. I pushed the thoughts away.

There was no changing the past.

EVE

“Fuck!” I yelled into the empty apartment, then winced as my voice echoed off the bare walls.

The place was still pretty bare, with only a few pieces of furniture. Since I was only here temporarily, I hadn’t fully unpacked.

Thankfully, I found a place that offered a month-to-month lease. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be working for Harvey, and I didn’t want to commit to a specific timeframe.

Plus, I was hoping to save up and move somewhere nicer. This place wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t where I saw myself long term.

I dropped the case file onto the table, papers scattering everywhere. I collapsed onto the couch, letting out a frustrated sigh.

I couldn’t get him out of my head. That meeting did not go as planned.

I’m not even sure it could be called a meeting. We didn’t even discuss the case.

We just discovered each other’s identities before I left. But it didn’t matter.

Given the way things were going, we wouldn’t have been able to have a serious, professional conversation anyway.

Before I left, I managed to get Dylan’s contact information from Harvey’s assistant. For scheduling purposes, of course.

She insisted she could handle it, but we both knew how much Harvey relied on her. I used that to my advantage, telling her she probably had more important things to do.

So now, here I was, sitting on my couch, staring at his number. I had no reason to call or text him.

What would I even say? I put the phone down and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

This is ridiculous. I wasn’t the type to pine over someone, especially someone I had just met.

Not that I had many opportunities to pine. I had a few boyfriends over the years, most of them jerks.

I was always too focused on my education and career. I told myself that’s why my relationships never worked out.

But when I really thought about it, I realized I’d never had a truly honest and genuine relationship.

Maybe that said more about me than them.

My last boyfriend was a real piece of work. He was charming; I’ll give him that.

I’d thought we had had a real connection. By the time I saw his true colors, it was too late.

I was already caught in his web. His “friends” were always getting into trouble, but he’d assured me he was different.

I’d believed him. I’d thought I was in love with him. But it hadn’t been love. I know that now.

He’d known I wanted to be a lawyer and used me for information. He’d ask about hypothetical situations, asking for my advice.

Had I thought it was strange at the time? A little. But I’d thought he was just interested in my life.

Now, I know how naive I had been. The last time I’d seen him was a night I’ll never forget…

Thump. Thump. Thump. My heart nearly stopped when someone started pounding on my door late at night.

I wasn’t expecting anyone. I peeked through the peephole and saw my boyfriend, soaked from the rain.

I quickly unlocked the door, and he pushed his way inside. That’s when I saw the blood.

“Owen! What happened?”

“I need your help, babe. I think I’m in deep shit,” he said, locking the door and peering out the peephole.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, noticing the blood dripping onto the floor.

He shook his head. “No, I’m fine. This isn’t my blood.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. “Whose blood is it?”

He shook his head again. “Doesn’t matter. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Maybe we should get the cops involved.” I reached for my phone.

“No!” Owen snatched it before I could dial. He hurled it across the room. It crashed into the wall, leaving a dent.

“Owen! What the hell?!” I rushed to retrieve it, but it was beyond repair. The screen was a spiderweb of cracks, and it refused to power on.

“I need to clean up first. This looks bad. I can’t let the police see me like this.”

“But you didn’t do anything wrong.” I was struggling to understand his logic. “There are laws, protocols, and guidelines. They exist for a reason. Cleaning up makes it look like you’re hiding something.”

~Suddenly, Owen had me by the throat, pressing me against the wall.

“What are you implying? Are you calling me a liar?!”~

I stared at him, wide-eyed. “What? No, not at all. I’m just trying to help.”

~I made small, choking noises as his grip tightened.

I was frozen in a mix of shock and fear. Owen had never been violent with me before.~

I guessed he was scared and didn’t know how to express it.

~He finally loosened his hold.

“You want to help? Remember this name, Zeek Becker.”~

~I tried to recall if I knew the name.

I didn’t.

If Zeek was a friend of Owen’s, he’d never mentioned him.~

~He let go of me.

Then he began to kiss the spot on my neck where his hand had been. I took it as his way of saying sorry.~

Owen was never one to admit when he was wrong.

“I’m going to clean up. Join me in the shower in ten minutes?”

“Sure,” I managed to croak out.

~I waited until he was out of sight before I slid down the wall.

I rubbed my neck discreetly, fighting back tears. I was clueless about what had just transpired.~

Owen had shown me a side of him I’d never seen before. I prayed it was the last time I’d see it.

~The next morning, I was awakened by persistent knocking at my door.

I rolled over to find Owen’s side of the bed empty.

I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled to the door.~

~My heart sank when I saw the police through the peephole.

I let them in, and they asked me questions, mostly about Owen. I answered truthfully, as I didn’t have much information.~

~But I did share the one thing I knew.

I gave them the name Zeek Becker.~

I had buried that memory deep within me.

I had no idea why it was resurfacing now.

If I was subconsciously trying to distract myself from thinking about Dylan, this was a terrible way to do it.

“Ugh! Stop thinking about it,” I scolded myself.

“It’s a closed chapter that needs to stay in the past.”

I decided to go out and grab a much-needed drink.

I couldn’t stand being alone with my thoughts any longer.

I needed to clear my mind of both these men.

I peeled myself off the couch and headed to my bedroom closet.

The only thing I had unpacked was my clothes. I had spent a lot of money on my wardrobe. I wasn’t about to let them stay in a bag and wrinkle.

I chose a black skirt and a black and white top. My cute black heels were the perfect finishing touch.

Now that I was satisfied with my outfit, it was time to glam up.

I usually wore minimal make-up to work. I felt it was more professional.

But that also meant I could go all out at night.

The combination of dark eyeliner and gold sparkles made my brown eyes pop.

I completed the look with a touch of mascara and red lip gloss.

Next, I focused on my hair.

Normally, my straight black hair flowed down my back. But tonight, I decided to wear it up.

I styled it into a messy bun with loose strands framing my face. I added a little extra glam by curling the loose strands.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror.

“I look damn good!” I could feel my confidence growing.

I was hoping to run into him. Just so he could see what he was missing.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

Who knows, maybe I’d meet another handsome stranger.

Deep down, the thought of another man touching me made my skin crawl. That scared me more than anything.

Dylan Rochester was my enemy.

His words, not mine.

If that were true, why couldn’t I get him out of my head?

Why was the memory of kneeling before him the only thing on my mind?

I shook my head as if I could shake the thoughts of him out. Then I gave myself one last look and headed out for the night.