I startle awake, and chills sweep up my spine. I'm still sore between my legs from Jax fucking me the other night, and I shift uncomfortably as my eyes adjust to the dark. But the second they do, I jump and scream.
Edwin’s at the foot of the bed, one hand on the footboard, his dark eyes locked on me. “Didn’t mean to startle you.” A smile flickers over his face. “But we need to write. The inspiration’s just hit, and it’s…” A soft laugh bubbles from his lips. “Well, it’s the most inspired I’ve found myself in such a long time.”
There’s a long moment of silence—maybe minutes—because the one thing I’ve grown certain of over the past day is that Edwin is not stable. And while I don’t want to be near him, it’s probably in my best interest to appease him in any way I can.
“Uh, yeah, okay.” I toss off the covers and plant my feet on the cold hardwood floor. “Sure…”
His smile deepens before he turns and opens the door. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I stumble into the hallway after him with my stomach in knots. Edwin goes straight to the desk and turns on the lamp, then he pulls out my chair for me.
“After you, my dear.” He brushes his cold hand over my shoulders as I take my seat, and my skin prickles.
I turn the computer on and wait for the program to boot up. The entire time, I feel him staring at me. I swallow before turning to face him.
“You are beautiful, Miranda.”
“Thanks,” I whisper as I direct my attention back to the computer screen.
“Beautiful little Miranda…” A short, ominous laugh rumbles from his chest, sending my heart into a panicked sprint. The program pops up on the screen, and Edwin begins to type. “Now, pay close attention.”
She has no idea the ways in which the universe has lined up. No idea what a trivial piece of the puzzle she actually is. And that is exactly the way I want it. I want her to wonder whether I intend to kill her or whether I want to keep her. Forever. And ever and ever….
The typing stops. I can’t force myself to look at him because I can literally feel him staring at me, so I keep my eyes trained on the screen. On that flashing cursor. On the word “ever.”
“Dear Miranda… tsk, tsk, tsk, what ever shall I do with you?” The legs of his chair scrape over the floor, and I cringe. “Water?” he asks as he makes his way through the living room toward the kitchen.
“Uh, yeah.” I clear my throat and make a conscious effort to keep my voice from shaking. “That’d be great.”
I watch as he rounds the corner, and the very moment he disappears, I open my email and type Jax’s contact into the recipient line.
Please come get me. Edwin’s scaring me.
I press Send, but the email remains on the screen, the cursor now turned into that little blue circle that keeps cycling around. I hear the door to the fridge shut. Footsteps. My heart is in my throat, pounding so hard my vision pulses. Come on. Come on. I attempt to close the browser, but the entire screen is frozen.
“I think we’re at the climax of the story and we can—” He stops mid-sentence.
I close my eyes, wanting to burst into tears because I know he’s seen the email message that is still centered on the screen.
“Well.” He places a bottle of water in front of me. He doesn’t say another word, simply turns around and crosses the room. He stops at the front door, pulls a key from his pocket. It’s now that I notice there’s an exterior lock on the inside of the door, and a knot forms in the pit of my stomach. Edwin locks the door. “You just don’t understand, Miranda Cross. You really don’t.”
And with that, he disappears down the hall.
“R&R”—The Classic Crime
Leave it to me to find the type of woman who's going to sneak out on me in the middle of the night. I've sent a few texts over the last two days, an email too… still nothing. I try to tell myself not to relentlessly check my phone and inbox, but it's a losing battle.
It couldn't have been the sex. I'm talented at very few things in this life beyond police and military work, but sex is definitely one of them.
I read her breathing patterns, her facial expressions, how her toes curled. I made sure to get it just right. Slow when I needed to go slow, when she was just about there, hard and fast to take her the rest of the way. I'm all about satisfying the women I'm with. Seeing them come and puddle into the mattress in a state of complete euphoria is everything. Them getting off gets me off.
So no, I won’t even entertain that thought. My best guess is that she just played me like a dude. Fucked me and left me. Back to writing. Back to EA.
He's a legend, beyond rich, and considering she only spent one night with me, I guess he’s a better lover too.