Always A Choice (The Choices Trilogy #2) Read online

  Always A Choice (The Choices Trilogy Book # 2)

  Copyright © 2015 Dee Palmer

  Published by Dee Palmer

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in an form, including but not limited to electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book 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 person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase to, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Warning: This story is on the filthy side of smut and isn’t suitable for those who don’t enjoy graphic descriptions that are erotic in nature, but for those that do, enjoy ;)

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  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

  Acknowledgements

  The People who make it all happen.

  Choices Playlist

  About The Author

  For My Husband—All My Love, Always

  “BABY, BABY, WAKE up, wake up baby.” His calm soothing voice filters into my subconscious moments before I am aware of his strong arms pulling my waist into the curve of his strong body. His lips are close to my ear and his words are barely whispered but they wake me, before I can recall where this particular nightmare was planning to take me. My heart is racing and I can feel the sheen of sweat covering my body chill as I am cradled into Daniel’s arms and lifted from his bed. He kisses the top of my head, walks to the en suite and places me on my feet, leaving me for the briefest moment to turn the shower on. He carefully strips his t-shirt I am wearing, which is now soaked and I notice his gaze darken as he takes in my naked body. Even when we are both nearer to sleep than awake his look sets my pulse on fire. It has been the same for nearly two weeks, since I was discharged from hospital after my sister’s failed attempt to force me to overdose on sleeping pills and three weeks since her driver, Clive, had attacked me. The bruises have gone only to be replaced by this unwelcome nightly routine.

  “It feels very like musical beds.” I tell Daniel with softly sleepy speech as he lays me down in one of his guest rooms, into a freshly made bed after my quick shower and change. He climbs in my side and folds his large body over mine. I am completely caged by his immense frame and I relax.

  “Mmm I’ve not played that one but any game that involves you and a bed sounds good to me.” His hand sweeps up my neck and his fingers spread into my hair while he kisses the nape sending a million shivers across my skin.

  “Nancy must hate me for the amount of washing she’s had to deal with?” Daniel’s housekeeper is friendly, so kind and would never say that any of this was any trouble. But that doesn’t stop me from being embarrassed that I am the cause of her work load tripling.

  “I’d fire her if she did.” He replied as a matter of fact. I twist in his arms with shock.

  “You wouldn’t!”

  He laughs. “No I wouldn’t.” He kisses a line from just below my ear to my collarbone. “Because Nancy could never hate you. She is actually quite fond of you and she’s very fond of me so how about you stop worrying about the laundry and tell me what you were dreaming?” Nightmares are not new to me. I have suffered with them on and off since John, my best friend was murdered just after my sixteenth birthday. Typically only talking about them allows me to ever return to sleep and reduce their frequency but since the attack they have returned with vengeance. Daniel however, has a knack of interrupting just before they manifest into anything I can remember let alone analyse. I turn fully in his arms and look up into his intense blue eyes.

  “You know you woke me before anything happened.” I smile and lean to kiss him. “You saved me, again.” His lips are warm and soft and despite his grumble at my comment he returns my kiss. He pulls back cautiously and I know where this conversation is going and I’m just too tired for it. “Don’t please,” I kiss him again. “You couldn’t have known and at the time I sure wasn’t sharing. You did save me.” I place my hands on his face, his stubble scratches the soft surface on my palms. “Daniel, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. I’m just sorry these fucking nightmares keep reminding you but they will get better, I promise.” His brow is furrowed and I know he is struggling. He always maintains the utmost control in every aspect of his life and for a short period he didn’t. I nearly died and he won’t accept that there was nothing he could’ve done. But he did, in fact, save my life. It is exhausting. He lets a deep frustrated sigh escape into the darkness and gently kisses my lips. He has been treating me like I’m made of glass since leaving the hospital and for some reason tonight I have had enough.

  I pull back and narrow my eyes and before he can register my mood I push heavily at his shoulders. He is much, much stronger than me and could easily have resisted but falls back on to the bed. I slip my leg over his hip and sit a stride him. My naked heat on fire against him and I can instantly feel his erection pressing against the cheeks of my bottom. I pull his fresh t-shirt from my body and fix my eyes on his. His desire is fiercely reflected in his heavy lidded eyes and his chest rises as he draws in deeper breaths. I can feel his body vibrate with the rumble that escapes his mouth. He stares at my now naked frame, the room is dark and our bodies are all shadow and scent. I take his hands and place them on my breasts; he needs no further encouragement as he firmly squeezes the soft full flesh. He shifts the weight to lightly pinch my nipple but I grab his wrist before he can and I lean forward to put his arms above his head. I am not sure how this is going to work, he is so much bigger than I am and I have to stretch, shuffling my knees along the bed. I can see his grin and I try to manoeuvre him into position. He is being kind and helping but I am now hovering with my breasts just above his face as I place his hands on the bed frame. I can feel his warm breath and despite the heat, my nipples are hard aching peaks, desperate for his mouth but I pull just out of reach as he tilts his head and angles his soft wet lips.

  Honestly, there is nothing I want more than to feel his lips and mouth suck and tease me but this is about getting him to react, to force him to react. I know I am out of my comfort zone trying to get him into his zone, but I miss him. I love when we make love but I love when he is hard and demanding too, pushing me, driving me insane with need and desire but lately its felt much too sedate and more like driving miss daisy. I lean to kiss his jaw and he turns to take my lips but I move back out of reach. I do this several times all the time gently rocking my hips just nudging the tip of his erection with my soft cheeks. I can see his jaw tick and his grip is all white knuckles but he hasn’t let go. I lean forward and sweep my tongue along his parted lips, dipping it in and dancing lightly with his tongue. I can’t hold back the moan that escapes my throat and I sink deeper demanding a similar heated exchange from his tongue. I drag in a deep breath and sit up and arch my back holding my heavy breasts.

  “Fuck!” He growls and his hips jerks tipping me forward slightly.

  ”What do you want Daniel?” My voice is breathy.

  “I want to make love to you.” His voice is deep and strained. I can feel his tenuous control and I’m counting on its precariousness.

  “Wrong answer.” I moan out the soft words as I suck my finger and trace it down my torso. I am so turned on right now, I didn’t realise I would enjoy being out of my comfort zone so much. Daniel’s eyes narrow as they follow the line of my finger, not sure he is enjoying the switch in roles quite so much. My finger reaches the top of my sex and I lift slightly to give myself better access.

  “Fuck Bethany!” With lightning speed he sits and scoops his arms around my back and throws me on to the bed, his thighs have mine pinned wide. I am pure liquid heat and my body starts to tremble in anticipation. “I am responsible for your pleasure.” I can feel the tip of his erection at my entrance, slick and hot. “Me . . . do you understand? Do I make myself clear!” He growls through gritted teeth. He pushes into me, only the tip and only gently. My core starts to quiver but it’s not what I want.

  “Maybe,” I sigh and clench my inner muscles down on him. He grunts and throws his head back. r />
  “Wrong answer!” He launches forward with the deepest down stroke causing a high pitched scream at the back of my throat but before he can temper his movement I scream again.

  “Don’t stop, please arhhh!” I catch my breath because he hasn’t stopped not for a second. He thrusts and pushes me higher up the bed, grabbing my leg behind my knee he lifts and presses it in to the mattress and continues his tortuously deep thrusts. The sudden shift and rotation of his hips sends me spiralling, gasping for breath, my hands gripping his back as his muscles flex and roll. Passionate urgency courses through our bodies, this is going to be quick, deep and dirty. Our slick bodies move together as one and he follows my release with a final push and I am left trembling with my head buried in his chest. He rolls on to his side and pulls me in to his embrace.

  “Well, that won’t be happening again.” He firmly kisses my head as mine snaps up to question him.

  “What! No! You’ve been treating me like I’m made of glass. Sometimes its nice, but not all the time, you can’t—” He laughs as he interrupts.

  “Oh, that’s what that was about. Well, Bethany, you have made your point. No more glass girl. Got it.” He kisses my hair, “But I meant no to you . . . topping me. That won’t be happening again.”

  “Oh really?” I pout and give him a cheeky grin, “I thought it was quite good, I mean I could probably use a few pointers but—”

  “—Ha, you are funny!” He grabs my chin and fixes me with a serious and heated stare. “Not negotiable Miss Thorne. You are mine. You’re pleasure is mine and the next time you top me, if there is a next time, it will be because I have told you to, understand?” His tone is deadly serious.

  “Not really.” I snuggle into his unyielding muscular chest and feel him collect me tighter to his side. I sigh, I don’t care, I got what I wanted and he didn’t seem too upset by the whole thing.

  “You will.” His voice is seductively soft and I drift off to sleep encased in his warm strong arms. I know I won’t have another nightmare. “Now, go to sleep.” He squeezes me tight into his body. I can feel that his rock hard arousal hasn’t diminished in the slightest and it’s a testament to how these broken nights are affecting him that he is not capitalising on it. I think maybe its time to mention my intended move to Marco’s new place. Understandably shaken by recent events I have quietly let Daniel take charge and I can’t say it’s not completely wonderful to feel so totally taken care of. But I’m fully recovered now and its time to get some balance. My life, my decisions and I have to be sure that they are my choices and I am not being completely overwhelmed and seduced by the completely overwhelming and seductive Daniel Stone.

  I can feel his warm breath on my neck and from the sound of his relaxed breathing I know he has fallen asleep but now I am wide awake. That briefest thought about moving in with Marco has me thinking about the night I was packing boxes to move out of my apartment, just a few weeks ago. The night Kit tried to kill me. Although I had kept my call to Daniel live, the phone was in my back pocket and he said he couldn’t hear what she had said. My head was swimming with the drugs so when I try to remember it is all very fuzzy. I keep trying to think, she hated me, that much she made pretty clear, she blamed me for Dad leaving. No that wasn’t right, she blamed me for her Dad leaving. I can feel my head start to ache as I try and recall all the details. What had she said about my Dad? She’d seen him, she knew who he was. Why didn’t I know who he was? Why didn’t he come back? It’s not like we moved around, we lived in that house my whole life. I lift Daniel’s arm, which is a dead weight in his deep sleep state. I slip from the bed and make my way to the kitchen.

  The milk is starting to warm in the pan and I smile when I see the fresh nutmeg next to the coffee pods. I had casually mentioned that warm milk and nutmeg helps when I can’t sleep and low, there it is on the side. “So, think Bets, focus on the bits you do know.” I give myself a pep talk, Kit could’ve just been fucking with me. A likely possibility, given her penchant for cruelty but Mum did say something about my real Dad too. Just one time but—“Ahh!” I grab the handle, from the heat just as the white foam reaches the lip of the pan, nice save. Mug filled and nutmeg grated I gently blow on the now, too hot to drink, milk. What now? Where would I start to look for information? Kit has disappeared, not that she would be forthcoming, and Mum, well, she had been unable to remember much of anything for so long. Her brief lucid memory was just that, brief and just before she died. I can’t help feel a sudden flood of unbearable sadness wash over me. I have so many questions and no one left to answer them. I have never had a problem with being alone but just right now I feel terribly lonely.

  I walk back toward the living room when I notice the door to one of the other bedrooms open. It’s where Daniel has put all my boxes from my apartment, waiting for me to unpack, probably. I flick the light and place my drink on the side. I know I have nothing that will shed light but I do remember the care home giving me a small box with my Mum’s personal belongings. I hadn’t bothered to unpack it, after all it was me that had packed for her when she moved there. So it’s unlikely there will be anything that I haven’t seen already. I lift a few lids from the boxes before I see the one I am looking for, it’s grey and light, slightly bigger than a shoe box. I sit crossed legged on the floor with the box in my lap and lift the lid, releasing a thick dusty smell of lavender and damp. Twenty minutes later and I am none the wiser There are some letters to Kits’ father, mostly begging for forgiveness. There are some photos, one taken on a beach somewhere. We didn’t take holidays so I’m guessing it was a day trip, I was still a baby and Kit must have been six. The next I do remember, Kit has her arm over my shoulder and we are both smiling proudly. That day had been really hot and we had spent hours clearing the garden shed, and then we had spent hours filling it with grass cuttings. Not just from our garden but also our neighbours too. We were convinced that our Mum would get us a pony, now that it had somewhere to sleep. She didn’t and she was furious. The next week Kit refused to help clear the mess we had made. I was so worried that I would get grounded I spent the whole following weekend cleaning the rotting grass from the shed, God it stank. It was slimy and there were so many bugs. John helped but would tease me, because I hated the bugs.

  I sip my milk, there are a few business cards and some trinkets, nothing of value. My great-grandmother’s wedding ring, a gold heart locket, some hospital bracelets and nothing that is screaming ‘This is your dad!’ with a big old X or an arrow. I feel the prickles on my neck just before I notice the door open. Daniel takes my breath away, stealing my thoughts from the past to the now. His feet are bare and his lounge pants are hung low on his hips, his naked chest is firm, ripped and with clean cut lines of hard muscle. His hair flops messily over his eyes which look tired. Now I feel guilty, again. He steps into the room and quickly sits behind me lifting me into his lap. His body is warm and sets mine instantly on fire, sweeping my hair from my neck he kisses and I can’t help but moan.

  “If you keep interrupting your sleep like this Miss Thorne I will have to chain you to the bed.” His tone is stern and I shift a little at this.

  “God Daniel, I’m so sorry I woke you, you do look tired. I just got thinking and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

  “Shh, it’s all right baby, it’s a problem with a simple solution.” His grin is wicked against my skin.

  “Daniel, you can’t chain me to the bed.” I gasp but my heart is pumping with the potential.

  “Really?” He kisses my neck. “Think that, if it gives you comfort.” His teeth graze my neck and he sucks hard and bites down causing a red hot searing fire instantly at my core.

  “Oh God!” I cry but he stops and chuckles when he feels my body deflate.

  “Now, what have we here?” He points at the array of material spread before me.

  “Mmm, What?” I struggle to come back from my Daniel induced daze and he inhales as he digs his nose into the hair at my nape, not aiding my focus.

  “Playing detective?” He removes his warm breath from my neck, tilts his head and nods toward the messy pile before us.