The Alpha’s Darkest Secret

2.

Fifteen minutes later, I was walking down the hallway of his hotel, toward his room. As he bent over his lock and slid the key in, my gaze drifted over his broad, muscled back. The second the door swung inward, we were all over each other. To my shock and surprise, I was the aggressor. Pulling him in close, I locked my lips to his. Arms wrapped around me, hands cupped my ass, and lifted me. Our breaths came in sharp, desperate gasps as he laid me on the bed. I unbuttoned my blouse as he pulled my skirt and panties down my legs, then threw them across the room.

Without warning, he buried his tongue in my p***y. My mouth dropped open in a gasp as his tongue flicked back and forth, making the blood rush to my head. Already, I was on the verge of a climax. I wrapped my legs around his head, pulling him closer as I unhooked my bra and freed my breasts. His hand slid up and palmed my breast, gently pinching my n****e. An explosion of pleasure rocked me as the orgasm rippled through my body, stronger than any I could ever remember.

He rose from between my legs, quickly shed his own clothes, and then kneeled above me as I tried to catch my breath. I couldn’t even speak when he kissed me again. Slowly, I regained my composure as I ran my hands through his hair, my desire already building again.

Gaze intent on mine, he slid into me. My eyes rolled back as his massive length filled me, and I came again. I bit into his shoulder, trying not to scream. My hips involuntarily thrust up to meet him, desperate for him to keep going.

He rested his weight on his hands and ground himself into me. I ran my fingers over his muscled chest, my fingertips gliding through the sheen of sweat. This man was gorgeous, and he didn’t seem to be even close to finishing. The idea thrilled and terrified me at the same time. I wasn’t sure how much I could take, but I was ready to find out.

Nearing another orgasm, I hissed out a breath when he pulled out and flipped me over. He plunged into me, his heavy breath on my ear sending goosebumps along my shoulders. A hand snaked under me and clutched at my breast, another wound gently into my hair. He f****d me, and I loved every minute of it. All my sadness, depression, and shame evaporated beneath him.

Finally, he started moving faster, deeper, groaning into my hair. I went over the edge at the same moment he shuddered and gasped. We came together, and I collapsed on the bed, gasping—literally gasping—for air. It was like I’d run a marathon. The room was spinning, and a satisfied warmth filled me, almost like a thick heavy blanket covered me. I didn’t even remember falling asleep, but I did.

When I woke up in the morning, my head throbbed from the hangover. My body ached, in a not unpleasant way, from the activity of the previous night. I sat up and looked around the room. The stranger was gone. Christ, I didn’t even know his name. A quick search of the room showed he was truly gone. No luggage, toiletries, phone charger. Nothing.

I sat, naked, on the edge of the bed. The night before played back through my mind. Some of it was fuzzy; I’d been more drunk than I thought. One thing slammed home in my mind and sent a shock of distress through me. We hadn’t used a condom. A cold sweat sprang out over my body as I covered my face with my hands. How could I have been so stupid?

After freaking out for twenty minutes, I pulled out my phone. I found an STD clinic near my home and booked an appointment on their website. That done, I gathered up my clothes and went to the bathroom. There was a note stuck to the shower door.

Had a great time last night. Early flight. Stay as long as you want, but check out is at noon.

Still no name. I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. At least he’d left a note, so he wasn’t a total d**k. I glanced up at myself in the mirror and almost laughed. I looked like a strung-out hooker. My hair was a rat’s nest, my make-up smeared and faded, and my face was slightly puffy from drinking too much.

I gave my reflection a stern look. “You can’t do this again, Harley, you can’t be reckless. You have to think about your daughters.”

I made myself a promise to be more careful. The girls would probably be worried sick about me. f**k, what a mother I was. Even though they weren’t little kids—Mariah was sixteen and Jordyn was fourteen—and could take care of themselves because they grew up in New York, they would be worried if they woke up and I still wasn’t home. With a shake of my head, I got dressed, then rushed out the door and hurried home.

Thankfully, it was Saturday morning, and I was relieved to find that my two teenagers lived up to the cliché. It was almost eleven a.m., and both were still asleep. For all they knew, I came home after they went to bed. Sighing in relief, I took a shower. By the time I was dressed, Mariah was awake.

She was eating a bagel and cream cheese in the living room when my phone rang, Luis’s name lighting up my screen. s**t. I was in no mood to answer, but it was best to get it over with. I went to my room, and closed the door before hitting the green button.

“Hello?”

“Harley? Where the hell were you last night? I texted you like ten times and called twice,” Luis snapped.

I sighed and rubbed my temple with my free hand. “Luis, I told you yesterday, we’re done. I don’t have to answer your calls or messages.”

“That’s bullshit. You know it is.”

Doing everything I could to control the volume of my voice, I hissed, “No, Luis. What’s bullshit is that you’ve been f*****g every woman you can find, and I was too stupid to realize it.”

Luis barked out a laugh. “Harley, I’m the best thing that has ever happened to you. I pulled strings and got your girls into that private school you liked, and I paid off your credit card. I think that grants me a little leeway.”

I sucked in a breath and gritted my teeth. Luis had money––lots of money––even though he didn’t seem to have a steady job and was always cagey about what he did for work. I always felt guilty whenever he gave me anything. The police life insurance policy from Sam’s death and my salary as a web designer was enough, but he would offered and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Now he was holding it over my head? Rage boiled inside me.

“Luis, just because you gifted me something doesn’t give you the right to cheat on me. You understand that, right?”

“Listen, Harley, you are mine. Nothing is going to change that. You understand that, right?”

I bit back a scream as I hung up on him and blocked his number. f**k him and his money. I squeezed my eyelids shut and held back the tears threatening to escape. When they didn’t spill, I composed myself enough to go about the rest of my weekend with the girls. I managed to slip away for an hour for my STD test, which, thankfully, came out clean after an agonizing wait of a couple of days. Other than that, the weekend ended up being very plain and lazy.

All that ended Monday morning. When I walked the girls to their school, I saw Luis standing at the corner in front of the school gate. The look on his face was one of anger and petulance.

Jordyn pointed and said, “Hey, it’s Luis.”

He smiled and waved. “Hello, ladies.”

Clenching my jaw, I handed Jordyn her lunch box and pushed her and Mariah along. “Go on, girls. Have a good day.”

I waited until they were through the gate before turning around and walking toward Luis. “Why are you here?”

Several seconds ticked by as he chewed at the inside of his cheek and looked me up and down. Finally, he said, “Have you had a chance to think about your little temper tantrum?”

I put a hand to my head. “Oh, my God. Are you serious? You’re out of your mind. You know that, right?”

The look on his face went from irritated humor to… something more sinister. I’d never seen that look on his face before. It made me take an involuntary step back.

He pointed a shaking finger at me. “This is your last chance. When I’m done with you, I’ll tell you I’m done. No one, no woman, dumps me. I refuse to let that happen.”

The words came out as a hiss. He sounded like a snake. I glanced around, suddenly scared to be around him. Luis had always been intimidating, which I’d found kind of sexy and attractive. But this was different. I could finally see what I’d been blind to all these months. Luis was dangerous. I was terrified to learn what it was he did for money.

I backed toward a cluster of parents seeing their kids off. “Leave us alone, Luis. I’m sure you can find someone much better than me.”

I spun on my heel and walked away as quickly as I could without running. My breath was ragged and harsh, and I kept looking over my shoulder until I got to my townhouse. I locked every door and called the super to schedule getting the locks changed. I never gave Luis a key, but the rage I’d seen on his face made me paranoid.

Instead of letting the girls walk home on their own after school, I was there to meet them. They both seemed surprised to see me. Surprised, but happy. I put on a good show, and didn’t let my face show the panic when I saw Luis was still near the school. He was sitting at an outdoor café and waved nonchalantly at me as I walked away with Jordyn and Mariah.

The next several days were torture. I kept getting text messages from unknown numbers, but the content told me it was Luis.

I watched you sleep last night.

Are you ever going to respond to me? I’m getting pissed. You really don’t want to see me angry.

You know, Harley, all the times we f****d, we never did any rough stuff. I’d like to try choking you the next time I have you. Maybe I’ll squeeze extra hard. AND extra long.

Maybe I need to talk to the girls? Get them to talk some sense into their mother.

That last text made me hurl my phone across the room. Thankfully, the floor was carpeted, and the screen was only slightly cracked. I called Sam’s old partner, Maddox. I needed some advice. Luis could threaten me all he wanted to, but going after my girls was too much.

Maddox answered after the third ring. “Hello? Harley?”

Letting out a breath, I said, “Maddox? I need you. I need advice, cop advice. Can I meet you somewhere?”

The panic in my voice must have been evident. I could hear him talking to someone, probably his wife, Julie, before he spoke into the phone again. “Yeah, Harley, name the place and time. I’ll do whatever I can.”

We met at a coffee shop off East 37th Street. It only took about ten minutes to explain everything. At first, he seemed confused, then shocked, then angry. I sucked down the coffee that had gone cold.