Delilah is busy on her phone, which is exactly why I picked this moment to approach her. I have no idea what Bassel looks like, so I kind of need her to show me so I can go pass on this message and get the hell out of here. Riggs told me exactly what I need to say, and the more time that passes, the more that is becoming a blur in my mind.
Delilah looks up. “That’s him.”
She points to a man standing by a tree, cigarette in hand, looking out over the lake. He’s on his own, so now is my chance. I walk over to him, hat in my hands, and stop when I reach him. He’s not what I expected. He’s young, maybe twenty-five or so, and though he looks rich as hell, his slicked-back, blond hair and pressed suit don’t suit the empty stare he’s throwing in the direction of the water.
He looks bored.
Like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“Ah, are you Bassel?” I say.
He startles, so in a trance he didn’t even see me approach. He looks down at me, confused. “Yeah, I am. Who are you?”
“I ah, I just have a hat you dropped and also Riggs wanted me to tell you seven pm, highway route one, second left, dirt road, warehouse. Come alone.”
Bassel blinks, and then with a sharp nod, he takes the hat off me. “Thanks so much for this, I wondered where it went.”
“No problem at all.”
I turn and walk away, heart racing.
Nobody seems to have even noticed our exchange which I’m grateful for, because that might just mean I got away with it. I go back to Delilah who is still looking down at her phone.
“Is everything okay?” I ask her.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I’m being rude. I’m just trying to send an email to someone and it’s not working. I’ll try later. Sit.”
I sit down, and I’m more than ready to go right about now. Delilah looks around, then exhales. “Want to get out of here?”
“Do I?” I laugh. “I can’t think of anything better.”
“Let’s go. I’m bored already.”
We take Star and wheel her out of the country club and to Delilah’s car. As soon as we’re away from it all, I feel myself relax. I text Hugh that the message has been passed on and then we head back to Delilah’s house for my final night with her before going back to live with Hugh for a week. It is tiring, and I do miss him when I don’t get to see him every day, but overall, I think it’s probably for the best right now.
“Did you decide what you’re going to do about the competition?” Delilah asks.
I exhale. “No, I have to make a choice by tomorrow.”
“It’s an incredible opportunity, Maggie. You’d be crazy not to take it.”
“I know that, but leaving Hugh, you, Star ... You’ve all come to mean so much to me and I don’t know if I’ll be okay just walking away from it all.”
“But will you be okay giving up that chance?”
I frown. “No, that’s the problem.”
“Have you spoken to Hugh about it? It’s only a year, you could make it work.”
“I haven’t, because I know it’ll break his heart. And it’s not just a year. I’m not certain I’d want to come back here after that, and Hugh isn’t going to leave the club.”
“Have you asked him? You might be surprised.”
“He won’t, I already know that.”
She gives me a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, I know it must be hard. I feel bad for submitting you, but at the time I didn’t realize you and Hugh were ... anything.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I say quickly. “I appreciate what you did. It’s the chance of a lifetime and I would have given anything for an opportunity like this.”
“Talk to Hugh. Until you do, you just won’t know.”
“Yeah, I will, I’m just avoiding it.”
Delilah laughs. “While that is a good method, it’s not always the most practical.”
I snort. “You think?”
We both laugh.
I’m building a great life here.
Will I regret giving this all up?
I honestly don’t know anymore.
21
“Tell me about the man who clearly broke your heart,” Hugh murmurs, running soap over my back as we soak in the bath.
After an incredibly intense fucking session, that is.
I love being here with him, and it is only making my decision that much harder. I have feelings for Hugh, deep feelings, feelings that aren’t going to go away anytime soon. I feel sick just thinking about the position I’m in. I should be grateful, and I am, but knowing that one way or another, I have to give up something I love is tough.
“He’s very...mind fucky.”
Hugh laughs. “Care to elaborate.”
I tell him everything I can about Dion, including how he’s still hanging around. I have received a few more calls, but mostly they’re fading away. Slowly, he will go away, but if I happen to run into him, it’ll all start up again. That’s how it works with him. It’s frustrating. Still, now I have Hugh, the thought of Dion just doesn’t scare me anymore. I know I’m stronger, happier and his tricks won’t work.
“What a fuckin’ dick,” Hugh mutters. “If he calls you again, you tell me. I’ll make sure he doesn’t come back.”
I laugh. “Noted. I think he’ll move on, I made it all pretty clear. He just likes to be in control, in charge. That’s what men like him do.”
“Well, he can come try and control this all he likes. I’ll fuckin’ bury him.”
I take his hand, placing it between my legs. “Such a hero.”
Hugh grunts.
Then his fingers swipe through my pussy. I moan and close my eyes, dropping my head back onto his chest as he begins to gently rub. He brings me to orgasm easily, and it only makes me want even more. I turn around, putting my legs either side of him and lowering myself onto his hard cock. He groans as I sink down.
The water around us, warm and lush, only makes this feel so much better.
I ride him slow, rocking my hips and enjoying the expression of pleasure on his face. Water splashes over the side of the bath as I slowly pick up the pace, sliding up and down on his cock, moaning as yet another orgasm comes to the surface. Hugh growls, gripping my hips, fingers digging into my flesh as he moves me harder, faster.
He cums with a grunt, pushing me over the edge. The very look on his face is enough to make me weak at the knees. I cum, too, crying out as my body trembles. I press my face into the crook of his neck and inhale the masculine scent. He’s perfect, and my heart aches. Oh, it aches. I don’t want to be without him. I don’t.
What am I going to do?
I slide off and turn back around so he can’t see my face, so he can’t see the pain in my eyes. He wraps his arms back around me, leaning down to press his lips to my neck. I need a distraction, otherwise I’m going to lose it and start crying, and when I cry, I get ugly and spill everything I’m feeling.
I can’t be doing that.
“How is everything with those dickbag men going?” I ask.
“We got some valuable information, enough to blow this wide open. Can’t tell you much more, it ain’t worth the risk, but just know soon, it’ll be over.”