Gratifying Lines

  Gratifying Lines ~ Blurred Lines volume 8

  By

  Breena Wilde

  www.breenawilde.blogspot.com

  Gratifying Lines (Blurred Lines Vol. 8)

  Copyright © 2013 Breena Wilde

  Breena Wilde Books

  Digital Edition

  This book in its entirety is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard word of this author.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written consent of the author, Breena Wilde, P.O. Box 1408 Bountiful, UT 84011.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the creation of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by: Steven Novak

  Edited by: Clean Leaf Editing

  Dedication

  The final volume in the Blurred Lines series is dedicated to everyone who’s ever been screwed by love and lived to tell the tale.

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to all of my readers. You’re the best, most wonderful people on the planet. Thanks to MJ Heiser for editing. And a special thanks to Steven Novak for designing the amazing covers.

  Contents

  Cover

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Afterword

  Other Books By Breena Wilde

  Coming Soon ~ Traitorous Heart (vol. 1 Crushed Velvet series)

  Copyright Information

  Contact Information

  Before you get to the end you must start at the beginning. Any other tactic used to arrive at your destination is duplicitous. ~ John Zane

  Chapter 1

  Zane

  I search her beautiful eyes for any sign she’s joking. They’re like chocolate diamonds, sparkling in the hidden light. “You mean that?” I ask, surprised. “You would go into hiding with me?” I brush a piece of her dark hair from her eyes.

  She kisses my palm, rubs her cheek against it. A myriad of emotions break across her lovely face.

  I watch in awe, still surprised by the power of my feelings for her—this beautiful girl, my PFA, and so much more.

  Our bodies cling together, slick with sweat and the smell of our lovemaking. The pearls I gave her press against her creamy neck. She’s a gorgeous mess of tangled hair and slightly smeared makeup.

  The fucking truth is I want to be with her. She said the exact words I wanted to hear.

  “I’ll go where you go,” she coos, her thumb caressing my bottom lip.

  I know Lincoln still stands outside the door to the makeshift bedroom that’s actually a VIP room in a private club. Music from below thumps a steady bass in time with my heart.

  It’s technically still Cadence’s birthday, but it's well after midnight. She’s twenty-one. Officially an adult, even though I know she’s been more of an adult than most for a long time.

  I need to have a serious conversation with her. I need to tell her I want her with me, but it isn’t possible. I’m not ready yet. There’s a lot she doesn’t know about me, a lot I haven’t shared with anyone but Lincoln and Rita. I want to let Cadence in, but there’s one more thing I have to take care of. It’s a big thing, and I can’t or won’t be ready to move on until it’s finished.

  But she doesn’t complain. Never once have a heard a word from her that she feels sorry for herself. It’s incredible. She’s incredible. I still find it hard to believe this amazing, wonderful woman came into my life by way of a total asshole known as Fileze the Sleaze.

  Her job description when I first met her was that of a prostitute, making her living fucking men for money. She’d been exactly the kind of woman I wanted for the kinds of kinky shit I was into. With Cadence, though, I immediately knew she was so much more. A hooker by trade, but more of a lady than any I’d ever met. A cultured pearl. Perfectly unique.

  Not only is she special, she’s tough. Tougher than most men. Tougher than me, probably. A survivor. If I’d been put in the same situation, I wondered if I would’ve taken her brother’s path of self-destruction with drugs instead of finding a way, like Cadence had, to endure, persist, and continue to have hope. She’s a woman full of caring: a little hardened on the outside, but full of delicious goodness on the inside.

  Most people I know dress as though they’re sophisticated, their clothes depicting a lie confirmed the moment they open their mouths.

  Not Cadence, though.

  Cadence is better than any of them. Better than me, that’s for damn sure. And while I want to wrap her in my arms and whisk her away, I know that would be selfish. She doesn’t need another lame ass loser, feeding off her courage, using her bright light to keep afloat. She needs a champion. A man.

  I want her to love and respect me. I see by the way she’s looking at me that I have her love. That in and of itself blows my fucking mind. This amazing woman loves me. But I want her to respect me. I want to deserve her.

  And that means making some hard choices, like telling my father I want out of the family business. Not that what we do is totally illegal. It is shady and we make a lot of enemies. I need to cut those ties, live up to the love in Cadence’s eyes.

  “Zane,” she whispers, nudging my naked hip with her knee.

  I close my eyes, determined to do what needs to be done.

  “Cadence,” I begin, opening my eyes. “I want you to come with me. I do.”

  She senses what I’m going to say. She knows. I can tell by the way her features darken and the way her body tenses.

  I continue. “Please know that I love you.”

  Her mouth parts at the words. She’s surprised I’m saying them again. So am I, really. They aren’t words I say to just anyone. But those words are my only truth, that I love her. It's what I know better than anything.

  “It’s true,” I say, trying to convince her, wishing I didn’t have to, that she could see the love on my face the way I see it on hers.

  Maybe she does, but it’s too hard to believe. Maybe she sees the sincerity but doesn’t think it’s real. And I get that. How can I love her and leave her? It’s the dumbest fucking thing ever. I have to, though.

  I try again. “Cadence, I’ve never loved another person the way I love you.”

  She gasps. Looks away. I watch a tear trickle down her cheek and it shreds my heart.

  And I’m not ready to say good-bye. Not yet. My cock gets hard and presses against her supple thigh. “One
more time,” I whisper.

  She readjusts herself and rolls on top of me. Her exquisite eyes search mine and an understanding passes between us. She wants one more time, too. I open my mouth to say something, but she doesn’t let me. She covers my lips with hers and kisses me. Hard. Full of so much passion and longing and love and desire it nearly knocks me out.

  I groan, twisting my fingers in her hair, pressing my tongue against hers. The tip of my cock touches the opening of her ass and it makes me harder. I want to claim every part of her, every last succulent inch.

  Chapter 2

  Cadence

  I know what he’s going to say. He’s already used the big words, the I LOVE YOU words. They’ve imprinted on my heart and that’s where they’ll stay for the rest of my life—and now that he has branded my heart he’s going to break it. He’s going to fucking tell me I can’t go with him.

  I don’t understand why. And because he can’t trust me enough to let me be with him I can’t say the words back, even though they’re true. I would shout from the rooftops: I FUCKING LOVE JOHN ZANE, if he would believe in me, if he would fight for me enough to take me with him.

  He isn’t ready.

  I don’t know what happened in his past, but he can’t seem to cross that line. And I have to accept it.

  For now.

  So I take his tongue in my mouth. I suckle it. I nibble his bottom lip and think to myself that I need to memorize every touch, every outline, every one of his features. Because he said, “one more time,” and I know that’s code for good-bye.

  Fuck, I think and kiss him harder, hoping by some miracle I can love him into letting me be with him.

  He kisses me back and groans in my mouth. The sound makes my knees tremble.

  I push back, feeling his huge cock against my ass. I want him inside me, but first I want to make him feel… feel so good, so incredibly hot, he’ll never forget who I am and what I mean to him.

  I climb off his chest and lick my palm. He watches me, his eyes burning with lust. I wrap my wet hand around his cock and slide up and down his shaft slowly. He shudders and moans.

  “You’re amazing, my little PFA.” He reaches out and clamps one of my nipples between his thumb and first finger. I moan at the pressure and take his cock all the way in my mouth, swirling my tongue and my hand. I sense him tense and know I’m pushing him close to the edge, close to his orgasm.

  He pulls on my hair and forces me to stop. I search his eyes. He sits up, his taut, perfectly sculpted muscles flexing at the effort. I kiss each line up to his chest and straddle him, allowing my pussy to slide over his cock. I’m so wet and he feels so good inside me. I moan and shudder, enjoying the way he fills me. “God, you feel so good, Zane.”

  His eyes are dark, hungry. He places his hands on my waist. I know what he wants because I want it, too. I rock forward and back, riding him slowly. My eyes are locked on his. I want him to see how much I love him. I want him to know it without any doubt. He pulls me to him and kisses me. It’s hard and full of passion. My movements speed up. His hands skim along my shoulders, down my arms. They cup my breasts. His kiss deepens and it’s as though we become one—our bodies moving to an unheard rhythm. I gently push him back and lean forward, trailing kisses across his chest. I push him deeper.

  “Fuck, Cadence.”

  I rock him deeper still, then sit up.

  His release is close.

  So is mine. I can’t hold back any longer. I want to ride him hard. And I do. Moving fast. His hands circle my waist. I go faster and faster until I’m lost.

  I scream when my orgasm tightens and crests. His orgasm comes with mine and he lets out a groan.

  My movements slow and I rock on him slowly until we’re both satiated, then I lay against his chest, listen to his heartbeat. It’s fast, but as he wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head, I hear it slow.

  Contentment, I think, wishing it could be like this all the time, every day.

  But it can’t.

  I want to throw a temper tantrum, shout until he gives me my way, but I’m not that kind of girl. So I kiss his chest and wait. I sense our incredible time is about to be over. I take a deep breath and hold it.

  Chapter 3

  Zane

  “I… can’t.” I clear my throat. I have to be tough, even a little mean. It’s the only way she’ll let me go. “I don’t want you with me.” My heart races at the lie. God, I’m an idiot.

  She exhales and sits up. I’ve hurt her; it's so vivid in her eyes I nearly take it back. She swings her legs over the edge of the bed. Her back is perfectly sculpted.

  “I see,” she says, and stands. “Does this conclude our arrangement then?”

  My heart stops. Is she talking about the company? The money? The house? “Everything I put in that envelope is yours. All of it. Forever.” Just like my heart, I don’t add.

  “Not a bad trade,” she says coldly, but I hear the tremor in her voice, betraying her.

  “You’re worth so much more,” I respond, even though it sounds totally fucking lame.

  As she walks to her discarded clothes, I can’t help but notice the dimples on her lower back and the way her ass reminds me of an upside down heart. She bends over, picks up her dress and shimmies it on, running her hands down her body, helping it fall into place. She walks over to her shoes and steps into them, grabs her purse, and then walks to the door. Her hand touches her neck, fiddles with the pearls.

  “I won’t be able to wear these anymore. They represent a lie and I don’t like living that way.” Her bottom lip trembles. I clench the sheets in my fists, doing everything I can to resist going to her and telling her the truth. She unhooks the necklace and opens the door. Lincoln glances at her. There’s a hint of a smile on his face until she holds out the pearl necklace. He opens his hand and she places it in his palm. “Give these to your boss, Lincoln.” She doesn’t look at me. She doesn’t look at Lincoln either. Her eyes are locked on the floor in front of her. “Tell him I don’t want any more of his pleasure or his pain.” Then she’s gone.

  “Fuck!” I shout, allowing my head to fall against the pillows.

  Chapter 4

  Cadence

  I’m so fucking pissed I can’t see straight. How dare he? I head into the bathroom and check out my reflection. I look like I’ve been thoroughly fucked. And I have. And that makes me even madder. Because I love Zane so much I want to kill him for making me feel this way. I know he saw it. I know he knows. There can’t be any doubt. My broken heart feels like it’s taken over my body, every part of me. Every nerve ending. Every tiny piece of flesh. The pain is so hard, so real, so raw, I want to lie down and die.

  Except I can’t.

  I won’t.

  I didn’t give up when my dad died, when my brother died, or when my mom went to prison. I sure as shit won’t give up over a fucking man telling he doesn’t want me.

  But God, it hurts. It hurts so much I wish I could rip out my heart just so I won’t hurt anymore.

  When did I allow my feelings to get so out of whack? He’s a John, a kinky fucking John. Another man I screwed to survive, nothing more.

  I stare at myself in the mirror. Even the girl staring back at me knows I’m lying. I have no idea how it happened but dammit, it did. And I love him. I love him so much. I want to be with him.

  “Fuck,” I whisper, adjusting my hair, making it more presentable. I wipe at the makeup under my eyes and reapply my lip-gloss.

  After I use the bathroom I wash my hands. “Happy fucking birthday, Cadence. You have everything you ever wanted: money, the opportunity to go to college, and a job you never could’ve hoped for…” Tears fall like rain down my cheeks. “You got it all, except the one thing you never thought about.” I wipe at my face, dab my cheeks with a paper towel. “I’d trade it all to be with him.” The words piss me off worse than anything else. “Stupid fucking girl.” I pick up a chair and throw it against the mirror. It shatters into pieces, and I wat
ch them fall and almost recognize the pieces of my heart among the glass shards. “I will not fall apart over a man. Fuck,” I whisper, pleading with myself to get it together.

  There’s a knock at the door. “Cadence? Everything alright?”

  It’s Lincoln.

  A sob escapes before I get the chance to clamp a hand over my mouth.

  “Cadence?” His voice is louder, deeper. “I’m going to come in if you don’t answer me.”

  I take a deep breath. “I’m fine, Lincoln. Totally okay. Just…” I trail off, drop the chair, and swallow. “Go away. I don’t want to see you or your boss ever again.”

  “Understood.” His voice sounds closer, as though he’s pressed against the door. “It’s been good knowing you, Miss Norton.”

  Fresh tears build and fall down my face, but I don’t respond. What can I say? That it has been good knowing him too? Ugh. I want to scream and tear out my hair, but I won’t. I. Will. Not. Let. Zane. Do. This. To. Me. He has no power over me except what I give him.

  I wait another five minutes, dab at my wet cheeks, readjust my dress for the tenth time, and carefully open the door and peek out. No one is in the hall. The door to my party room is closed and I walk over to it.

  Chapter 5

  Cadence

  Before I enter, I rub my lips together and take a deep breath. Hopefully no one will realize I’ve been gone more than an hour. When the door swings open, music fills my senses. It’s so loud. The room is empty except for Scarlett.

  She is fucked up.

  Definitely too much to drink, I think as she wobbles over. Her eyes are glassy and glazed over. One stiletto shoe is missing from a manicured foot.