Nick and Lilac Read online

  By the second page, Nick felt sick to his stomach, unable to stop it from churning, unable to keep himself from fearing for a fourteen-year-old Lilac who was slated to trust the wrong man.

  James Caruthers: Subject #2

  Code: S2

  Age: 17 at time of incident, 23 at present

  Background: Resided in same locale as S1. Hometown football hero, kicked out of college for repeated offenses of drug use and physical battery of another student – rumored to be his ex-girlfriend – but all records made completely confidential in exchange for S2’s quiet exit; impregnated at least 2 local girls; both did not name him as father; acquainted with S1 since they were kids.

  M.O. for S1: Volunteered as assistant in hospital, discovered S1’s reason for therapy, and offered to privately help with speech practice in his home

  By the third page, Nick had started to drink.

  Incident 1: S2 made S1 buy a Macbook Pro for him as an apology for accidentally “biting” him because of how she stuttered when he kissed her. According to his friends, S2 lied about this and boasted that it was all part of the “plan”.

  Incident 10: S2 is unable to convince S1 to have intercourse so settles for oral sex. She accidentally stutters when he speaks to her while doing it. According to his friends, S2 says he is “shocked” at how stuttering can make a blowjob feel so much better.

  Incident 12: S2 has convinced S1 to do it every day after school.

  By the tenth page, Nick had drunk half the bottle.

  Incident 23: S2 threatens S1 to tell her parents about what they have been doing if she does not give him a blowjob while he is working at a fast food counter. She was also made to stutter while performing oral sex.

  Incident 24: S1 breaks up with S2 when he visits her at school the next day. It is not amicable, with school security forced to take him away. The incident is reported to her parents.

  Incident 25: S2 breaks into her home. He is high on drugs and attempts to kill S1 for ruining his life. Parents and family security manage to save S1. S2 sent to authorities. All videos of Incident 23 have been collected and destroyed successfully. Present-day investigation confirms this.

  By the twentieth page, Nick found himself in a rage so livid his fingers ached to crush someone’s skull.

  Incident 34: Verdict is not guilty for S2 as he was also a “minor”. Subsequent research now shows evidence that the judge had received payment in exchange for verdict. Evidence is available in Appendix.

  Incident 37: S1 convinces parents to end her speech improvement lessons.

  Incident 39: S1 sinks into depression and younger sister convinces her to see Dr. Susan Petersen, who is an aunt of a schoolmate. S1 is still continuing therapy.

  Appendix:

  James Caruthers, current location still unknown. Client will be contacted immediately once new information has been verified about S2.

  ****

  “I have the most amazing surprise for you,” her thesis professor Lori Flynn exclaimed the moment Lilac entered her office. The older woman normally had a calm disposition, but now her face was flushed with excitement. She waved at Lilac to sit down and burst into speech even before Lilac had pulled her chair back.

  “We received an invitation to Briarwood,” Ms. Flynn revealed.

  Lilac’s eyes widened. Briarwood was the most famous Regency structure in the country, a hidden gem that slumbered within the pines of the Everglades. It had been built in the 1820’s but remained a well-preserved icon of 19th century architecture, funded as it was by its billionaire owner.

  She closed her eyes, and the vision of Briarwood from numerous photos online immediately came to fore. Lilac pictured its legendary arched and columned entrance, so majestic it rivaled even the greatest manors of England. It had balconies and balustrades all around, grand ballrooms, elegant drawing rooms, sprawling gardens, and even one famous zealously guarded pathway on which only horse-drawn carriages could tread.

  This, Lilac thought, was exactly what she needed to forget about Nick Christakos. An actual exploration of Briarwood alone was more than enough to fill her mind with weeks or even months’ worth of daydreams and research for her thesis and her novel.

  She grinned at Ms. Flynn, whose excitement was so contagious Lilac had to hold her chest, willing for her heartbeat to slow down.

  Oh, to explore such a place!

  Ms. Flynn grinned back. “Yes, I know. It’s incredible, isn’t it?”

  “I am…beyond words.” She rolled her eyes.

  Ms. Flynn laughed, aware of the intentional irony. Lilac’s parents had thought it necessary to inform her of Lilac’s condition, in the event that her student’s upcoming thesis defense would cause Lilac to panic.

  Lilac asked, “The place is…open to public now?”

  Ms. Flynn handed her a sheet of vellum paper, and Lilac took it with care, immediately noting the elegant fineness of the material. “It’s an exclusive invitation for a private viewing. As it turns out, once a year the owner carefully selects an academic student to write about the house to preserve its place in history. Their only request is not to let anyone know about it. You can note that you’ve been given private access to videos by the foundation associated with Briarwood.”

  Lilac glanced down at the invitation, and her heartbeat sped up to the point that she was almost breathless.

  The Master of Briarwood

  Requests the presence of your company

  For afternoon tea

  ~~~

  RSVP

  Lilac noted the date and time indicated at the bottom of the invitation and choked. “But…this is…today?”

  Ms. Flynn assured her, “I’ve spoken to all your professors and they’ve given you leave. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, my dear. Don’t waste it.” She checked her watch. “You still have about three hours to go back home and pack then someone will fly---”

  “Fly?” Something was starting to feel not quite right, but Lilac couldn’t put her finger on it. All she knew was everything was happening too fast once more, and it reminded her of someone she did not need reminding of.

  Ms. Flynn’s eyes sparkled. “My dear, your host is a reclusive billionaire. Of course, he’d send a chopper for you if he wants to. I’ve been informed that a cab…”

  Lilac relaxed. Surely…if Nick Christakos was behind this, he would never send a cab to fetch her? She recalled his derisive look when she suggested taking a cab home on her own. The memory was bittersweet, and her heart ached.

  He had been...a very good friend.

  It was just so unfortunate she was starting to need him to be more than that.

  ****

  A cab was at her doorstep at a quarter to ten, and she was quickly taken to the closest helipad. There, uniformed personnel resumed care of Lilac, their quietly deferential manner making Lilac shy and awkward.

  Once she was securely strapped in her seat, the chopper took off and took Lilac’s breath away was it. It wasn’t her first time to fly, but this wasn’t the kind of flying she was used to. In a plane, being thousands of feet above ground in an enclosed cabin was surreal. Inside the chopper, it was more than real, something that the whipping wind, the sometimes-eerie silence, and the queasy feeling in her stomach made more vivid.

  Lilac gripped the edge of the open door, and a feeling of exhilaration swept through her, prompting Lilac to laugh. That one simple act just made the ride more…incredible, in the true essence of the word. With her hand partially out, it was as if she was inches away from touching the fluffy-looking clouds, turning her into a goddess who could look down on skyscrapers and find the rest of the world so tiny.

  “Ms. York?”

  The pilot’s voice burst through the headset she had been asked to wear, making Lilac jump slightly in surprise. “Y-yes?”

  “If you look to your right, you’ll see Briarwood.”

  She looked to her right and her lips parted in a silent gasp of wonder. Even from a distance, Briarwood looked mo
re spectacular than Lilac could ever imagine, its pristine perfection transporting her to a world she only once dreamt of.

  The estate, with its gleaming walls and brick-red roof, was like a redheaded queen in white overlooking its vast domain. The acres and acres of lush greenery and beautifully landscaped gardens and walkways, its zigzagging manmade pond, with its shimmering surface and – Lilac shaded her eyes, squinting. Another silent gasp broke out from her at the sight of paddle boats anchored at one end, and her mind started to drift, imagining Lilia with a parasol as the duke paddled for the both of them using his strong arms.

  As the chopper started to descend, her heartbeat raced double, triple, and quadruple its regular rate. Lilac took several calming breaths, but it was no use. She was just too excited and she wished she could babble just like any normal girl would. This, Lilac was very sure, was the perfect moment to babble for a girl who lived mostly in the clouds, daydreaming of days gone by.

  As she undid her seatbelt, she heard the pilot jump out and report about the ride to another person. When Lilac heard the deep, dark voice that answered the pilot, she froze.

  Lud, she thought numbly. And just when her heart had started to calm down, there it went again. Her thoughts were all scrambled. Yes, no, yes---she just couldn’t make up her mind if she wanted it to be him or not.

  “Lilac?”

  Her heart fluttered. Inside her tummy, butterfly wings also fluttered. Her own fingers fluttered over her chest, unsure where to rest. And then the choice was being taken from her, Lilac’s hand encased in a strong warm grip.

  Lilac lifted her head.

  It was him.

  “Stop,” the duke commanded just as she was about to flee the drawing room when she realized just who her mysterious caller was.

  How was it that the duke was everywhere she went, Lilia wondered in despair. She had left London to escape him and yet here he was, showing up during her second night in Bath. What would a man about town like him – the Season’s most prized catch – do in a place like this?

  Here, the mornings and evenings were all the same, with old and young women having only brief chats in the public baths to look forward to and not much else. There were no balls that went on till the wee hours of dawn, no fashionable walks down Bond Street, no carriage rides in Hyde Park.

  So why was he here?

  “Lilia.”

  Slowly, she turned around, unable to ignore the beguiling command in his voice.

  “What’s wrong?” the duke asked very, very gently.

  She wanted to weep at his tone. “What’s wrong with YOU?” She could not believe she was Screaming. It was Unladylike. And yet, it was also proof that the duke should never have anything to do with her. “Why are you wasting your time with someone like me?”

  The duke took a step towards her. She stepped back. It went on until the back of her knees bumped into the settee and she fell upon it like a sack of potatoes.

  Before she could scramble to a sitting position, the duke was already there, helping her up, his hands gentle and caressing as they shaped her legs. His touch was so warm and familiar, reminding her of the times the duke had done the same thing in the past. Always, his touch would stoke the fires of her body and it was the same now.

  She was trembling so very badly when the duke finally lowered her skirts, smoothing them down. He held her hands, and she had a sudden silly urge to weep.

  Oh, how she longed for his touch but it just couldn’t be!

  “Why?” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand like a child, and by doing so she missed the tender amusement that lit the duke’s bright eyes. “You shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be seen with me. So I just don’t see why---”

  “My darling girl,” the duke said softly, and it made her look up, her heart beating hard as the duke knelt down in front her. “You are always asking the wrong question,” he chided gently. “It should be – always was – the other way around.” He tipped her chin up. His blue eyes were dark and indefinable as he asked quietly, “Why did you ever waste your time with someone like me?”

  The fantasy faded, but the feelings it evoked remained, and Lilac could feel a smile tugging at her lips because of it. A shiver came over her, brought about by the icy-cold fingers of serendipity weaving its magic around them, intertwining the threads of their lives closer and closer.

  Nick’s gorgeous face was tense as they looked at each other, both their gazes concealed behind dark shades. He was wearing Ray-Bans, she was wearing…his.

  Nick looked intimidating as usual, too beautiful and impeccable for words. He was dressed in a black polo, the first two buttons unbuttoned, its red-blue sailor stripes drawing attention to the slice of naked golden skin it revealed. He had paired it with slim-fitting navy pants and matching loafers. It was extremely preppy, but somehow Nick just made it look completely lord-of-the-manor-takes-casual-and-sexy instead.

  She sighed.

  A slight smile touched Nick’s lips at the sound.

  It tempted Lilac to sigh again.

  His grip tightened and then he was helping her out of the chopper. He whipped her – his – sunglasses off, making her gasp.

  Then he took his off, too, and looked at her again, as if wanting their gazes to meet unhindered. Blue met violet once more, and what Lilac saw in Nick’s brilliantly bright gaze made her swallow. But it was what he said after that broke her heart.

  “I want us to be friends, Lilac. I can’t promise not to want you, not try to make you want me back, but I can promise that I’ll try just as hard to be the kind of friend you deserve. But before we can become that – we need to be honest with each other.”

  Her heartbeat stilled when Nick paused, as if struggling to breathe. The torment in his face reached her. Lilac opened her mouth to protest, but Nick shook his head.

  “Lilac---”

  She had an urge to weep for no reason, just like Lilia wanted to do in her stories and daydreams.

  Nick paused, as if struggling to breathe. “When I was sixteen, I was raped.”

  Nausea hit Lilac, making it seem as if she was hearing someone distant speak the words. It hurt to think of the tall, strong, and handsome man in front of her to be the one saying them.

  Nick’s beautiful thin lips twisted. “Some might say it’s not even rape. They only managed to shove a bottle up my ass before my guards and the police caught up with us.”

  She tried reaching for him, but he shook his head and her hand fell. “Not until you hear everything,” Nick said in a savage tone. “Karla – she saw me being attacked. She called 911 at the risk of her own life. She saved me, in every way. She made me feel like a man even when I woke up crying like a goddamn baby every night because I couldn’t forget what happened.”

  Lilac bit her lip hard, stemming the words that wanted to leave her lips, words that would surely be imperfect and unworthy.

  “When we were nineteen – we had been going out for three years and it was the first time I was able to tell Karla that I…”

  Nick’s gaze turned dark and lifeless. “It was the first and last time I was able to tell her I loved her.”

  ****

  “Now, Nick, now,” Karla urged as she arched her back on top of Nick, head falling back, the tips of her long blond hair brushing against his balls.

  The accidental tickling contact made Nick curse and he pumped his hips more furiously, gripping Karla by the waist as he thrust up. “Ride me harder,” he growled. Her tits swayed above him, tempting Nick with her large rosy nipples.

  He rose partially up and drew one in, sucking so hard he made her cry out.

  “More,” Karla screamed.

  And then there were no more words to say. Only his grunts and her moans filled Nick’s sprawling bedroom as their senses were completely taken over by mindless rutting. The sounds of their bodies slapping hard against each other pushed Nick towards the edge. Words he thought he could never utter were torn out of him before he could even think of what he w
as saying.

  “I love you.” The words were like chains to his soul.

  Karla’s stunning face revealed shock before turning into triumph.

  Seeing it, Nick told himself that was fine – that he was also the victor here, having a girl like Karla in his life. The whole world saw her as the supermodel who had clawed her way out of poverty. But for Nick, she was Karla – the girl who gave him a reason to live.

  And then Karla’s face was all he could see. She was lowering herself onto him, kissing him open-mouthed, her tongue aggressively seeking his. “Yes, yes, yes,” she whispered as she moved lower. Nick growled as her pussy squeezed his cock tightly.

  “I love you,” Karla whispered, her eyes glittering just before he felt her hand drifting to the side of his hip.

  Her fingers slipped under his body and then she was wriggling one finger into his ass.

  “Karla, no, dammit!”

  But it was too late, his back curving like a bow. The rush of release swept through Nick like a fucking tsunami, making him black out for a second. When he came back, Karla was gripping his shoulders as she rode him wildly, lost in her own sensual release.

  Nick nearly pushed her away the moment he sensed she had finished climaxing, his skin crawling at the revolting memory of how hard he had come at being finger-fucked in the ass.

  “Nick, I’m sorry!”

  He whipped around to face her, fury marking his every movement, bitter betrayal turning his gaze into a fiery blue. “Why did you fucking do that?” Revulsion blanketed him as he realized just how weak he still was, unable to get over an incident that hadn’t even left a single mark on his skin.

  “I did it because I knew somehow it would make you feel good!”