The Prince of New York (Book 4 of the Forbidden Series)

4

It was late in the evening before they arrived home. From the boutique, they had gone to a meeting with Dane’s production label to discuss the upcoming album Dane had been writing. He was only two songs away from being ready to lay down tracks. He wanted to start production within the month. They spent two hours working out the details of the contract.

Then they moved on to an interview he had scheduled with Elite Magazine. Then dinner with the representatives of the inner-city youth clubs to discuss a charitable donation. Nadia was taking calls, jotting down date, and donation figures; filing contract papers while taking names and phone numbers all night long. She had not realized just how busy his life was. After dinner, Dane decided to make an appearance at a local party and mingle. Networking he called it, explaining to Nadia the importance of meeting people, making friends and being seen was good for one’s career.

Nadia had stayed glued to his side as Dane introduced her to the other side of New York. They stayed until last call before calling on Felix to take them home. As they walked through the door, Nadia felt as if she might collapse she was so tired. She could not understand how Dane still appeared to be so alert and lively. “You don’t look remotely tired.” She complained, removing her coat and draping it over her arm.

Dane offered her a sympathetic smile, took her coat and hung it up in the closet with his own. “You’ll become accustomed to the hours.” He promised. “You must remember I have a lifetime of experience on you. I have been keeping these hours since I could hold a guitar.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this. I’m so tired. Is every day like this?” Nadia asked walking into the living room.

“No.” He promised. “Some days are busy.” Dane teased drawing a nasty look from Nadia. His playful smile was infectious, and Nadia found herself smirking. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. She was sore and tired; her feet were aching from those blasted high heels. She just wanted to go to bed. “The heels getting to you?” He asked as if able to read her mind.

She looked at him with surprise. “How did you know it was my shoes?” She asked kicking off her white four-inch heels.

Dane laughed. “There are enough women in my family, and they all complain about their shoes. After twenty hours in her heels, my mother always starts complaining about how ‘the man that invented these infernal things should be dragged out into the street and shot.’” He said walking over to her Dane took the bag from her hand and placed it on the floor. Stepping behind her he placed his hands on her shoulders and Nadia flinched. “Easy.” He said softly, his voice silky and soothing.

Nadia tensed up and bit her bottom lip trying to control her apprehension. Since she had not pulled away Dane’s hands moved over her shoulders firmly rubbing the soreness and stiffness from her muscles. At first, she was anxious with his hands on her but the tension soon melted away as he worked the stress of the day from her neck and back. His hands were like magic as they moved down her back.

“Besides I’d be less worried about how I know about your shoes and be more worried about how your boyfriend will deal with you living here.” He said. “Believe it or not men don’t take it too well when they find out I’m alone with their women.”

Nadia smiled. “There are no worries there.”

“Not the jealous type?”

“Not any type. I don’t have a boyfriend.” She admitted. “I never have.” She sighed as she felt her muscles relax, but then she had a feeling that he had already suspected as much.

Dane grabbed Nadia by the shoulders and turned her to face him. They stood less than a foot apart as he stared down at her. His muscular form towered over her by nearly a foot without her heels on. “Are you saying you have never in your life had a boyfriend?”

“No.” She answered staring up at him. Normally this closeness would send Nadia running, but something about Dane rooted her to the floor. “I’ve never dated. After… what happened…? I saw no point?” She said choking back her bitterness. That night had robbed her of so much. Her attacker had stripped her of her virginity, of her innocence, and of any chance at a normal future. He had left her battered, broken, and damaged. What man would want her now?

Dane watched her in quiet awe. “Are you saying outside of your assault, you’ve never been with a man?” He asked with disbelief.

“The first time was less than pleasant; I don’t care to repeat the experience.” She said firmly.

“Nadia,” he breathed, her name sounded seductive as it rolled off his tongue, “what happened to you was tragic, but it’s not always like that. You can’t judge all men on the bad acts of one.” She was beginning to feel uncomfortable again. Nadia tried to look away, but Dane’s hand caught her chin and tilted her face up toward his. Dane lowered his mouth to hers capturing Nadia’s lips in a soft tender kiss. Nadia tried to pull away, but Dane stepped into her pressing his hard body against hers.

His tongue gently probed her moist lips open. Dane’s scent flooded Nadia’s senses a fresh, clean unmistakably male scent, and her resistance began to fade. Her lips parted, and Dane’s tongue invaded her mouth, she could still taste the sweet rum he had drunk earlier that night. His kiss deepened, and Nadia began to feel light headed. A desperate need she had never known had begun to fill her. Suddenly Dane broke off their kiss and smiled down at her. “Wasn’t that nice?” He whispered against her lips.

Nadia cleared her throat. She could not find her voice; it had been lost in her throat somewhere. She nodded trying to regain her composure.

Dane smiled. “See sweetheart; you are missing out. Goodnight Nadia.” He said releasing her. He picked up a few of the bags that contained her new wardrobe and started down the hall.

Nadia was left alone in the living room her trembling fingers touching her damp lips. She had never been kissed like that. She had never realized such a simple contact could be incapacitating.

Stunned and dazed Nadia picked up the last of her bags and carried them to her room. She found the bags that Dane had taken already waiting for her. She looked down the hall at Dane’s bedroom door to see it was closed. Nadia went into her room and shut the door resting her back against it. He had kissed her, but why? To prove a point? If so what point? That he could? Or that she was somehow missing out on something? Either way, his kiss had left her shaken.

Trying to put it out of her mind Nadia began to unpack the bags they had brought in, hanging up her new wardrobe in the marvellous walk-in closet. She tried to focus on her task, but her mind kept wandering back to Dane’s lips on hers. Nadia forcefully closed the closet door frustrated with herself.

“It wasn’t that good of a kiss.” She scolded herself as she stripped off her clothes to change for bed. She dressed in a pair of dark pink pyjama pants and a light pink tank top. Placing her clothes folded neatly on top of the hamper, Nadia then turned off the light and climbed into bed. She slid down under the covers relishing the way the bed felt. So comfortable and relaxing she was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

***

“Take off your pants.” His low voice demanded from behind her pressing her face hard against the brick wall of the alley. Nadia whimpered her pulse racing with fear. The blade of his knife pressed firmly against her throat.

“Please let me go.” She begged.

“Shut up and do as you were told or I’ll cut that pretty little throat of yours.” He whispered against her ear. Suddenly he yanked her away from the wall and dragged her farther down the dark alley out of view. He pushed Nadia to her hands and knees and started pulling her pants off. Nadia struggled to get away but he was too strong for her, he overpowered her easily. The attacker flipped her over and pinned her to the damp, filthy concrete beneath him. With one hand he pinned her hands down above her head, and with the other, he tried to remove her clothes.

Nadia stared up at him learning his face. He was much taller than her. Broad shoulders and very strong. He must have been about twenty. With blond hair and blue eyes. He would have been attractive under other circumstances, but to her, he resembled a monster. Nadia tried again to fight him off. Crying and thrashing as hard as she could without freeing herself. Nadia screamed for help, but help never came.

***

Dane rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head trying to ignore the sobs of the annoying woman in bed with him. He hated the whiners. He tried hard to fall back to sleep when a disturbing realization hit him… he had gone to bed alone. So where was the sobbing coming from?

Dane tossed his pillow to the side. He rolled onto his back and listened for a moment hearing nothing. The sobbing had stopped. Perhaps he had just been hearing things? Then he heard it again, a faint sobbing sound from another room. Was that Nadia?

A scream split the night, and Dane threw back his covers leaping from the bed. He rushed out of his room and down the hall to Nadia’s bedroom. Not waiting for an invitation, he opened the door and went inside. The room was dark. The only light was from the moon pouring in through the window.

Nadia was in bed, and there was no one else in sight. Her hands were held out, and she was thrashing about, but she appeared to be asleep from where he stood. Dane came farther into the room to view Nadia. She was having a nightmare that she could not wake herself up from. Dane knelt on the bed beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders, giving her a shake to wake her up. “Nadia.” He called to her.

She screamed, thrashed and swung her arms as if she were trying to fight something off. He shook her again and called out her name trying to wake her up. Suddenly she screamed again, and her fist flew up and punched Dane hard in the jaw snapping his head back, but the pain did not stop there as Nadia’s knee came up hard between his legs and connected painfully with his manhood. Dane fell to the floor; the wind knocked out of him. The pain was excruciating, and he lay curled on the floor groaning.

The altercation had woken Nadia. She shot up in bed and gasped at the realization of what she had done. She jumped from the bed and knelt at Dane’s side on the floor. “Oh my god Dane, I’m sorry. Please don’t fire me.” She begged.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He barked furiously still overwhelmed by the horrific pain.

“I’m sorry, I was frightened.” She tried to explain herself.

“I was trying to wake you up.” He growled. “And I get my butt kicked for the trouble.” Fighting her discomfort, Nadia laced her arms under his and helped Dane to his feet.

“Let’s get you some ice,” Nadia said helping him limp out of her room and down the hall to the kitchen. The pain had begun to easy as he walked around. Nadia helped him to a barstool and Dane took a seat. He watched her take a dish towel and wrap ice from the freezer in it. She then came over to Dane and looked awkwardly at him. Her dark eyes moved from his aching jaw to below his belt as if she could not decide which injury required the ice more.

Dane took the towel of ice and placed it against his jaw. He was sure it would bruise. Nadia could hit surprisingly hard for such a small woman. “You got a hell of a right hook.” He commented noting how uneasy she looked standing there looking at him with those apologetic doe eyes.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. Am I fired?” She asked meekly.

“No.” He sighed. “It was an accident,” Dane said understanding that he had probably startled her from her nightmare. “Do you always have night terrors?” He inquired wondering if this would be a regular occurrence.

She shook her head. “No, not really. Sometimes but not as often anymore.” Nadia promised. “It’s just adjusting to many changes at once. It makes me very insecure.” She explained.

Dane removed the ice pack from his jaw and carried it to the sink then turned to face Nadia. “There is no serious harm done.” Dane walked over and took Nadia’s hands in his and this time she did not pull away. She looked so cute almost like a child waiting to be punished by a parent as she stood there barefoot in her pyjamas. “I promise it will get easier.” He said placing a chased brotherly kiss to the top of her head. “Go back to bed Nadia.” He then turned away and headed back toward his room seeking the comfort of his bed.

Entering his room, Dane shut the door and crawled back into bed. He pulled the blankets up around his shoulders and buried his head under his pillow. Nadia was going to pose some interesting trials, at least it seemed things wouldn’t be boring, he thought, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.