BETRAYED: A Hollywood Alpha Billionaire Romance (Los Angeles Lights Book 3) Read online

  3.

  The next morning, I was awakened by the strangest scratching sound coming from the bedside table. My head was spinning from the copious amounts of wine we had consumed the night before, and my body was aching from sleeping so heavily. As I turned, I saw a shadow standing at the edge of the bed digging through a drawer. I sat up.

  “Babe, what are you looking for?” I asked, wondering why Zack was up so early.

  “Nothing at all,” responded a tired voice behind me.

  Panicking, I turned to find Zack was still in the bed next to me and when I looked back the shadow was racing towards the door. I screeched, prompting Zack to jump from the bed and shift immediately into wolf form. He sprinted towards the door after the shadow who was likely already flying down the stairs. Growls filled the air as well as a few loud slams, presumably from furniture being knocked over by the brawl. I then heard a loud shot, heavy footsteps, the back door slam, and noticed Zack’s snarls grow quiet. My heart stopped in my chest as I stared out our bedroom door, desperately waiting to hear more noises from Zack.

  A few long moments passed in silence, as I tried to remember how to breathe.

  “The master is hurt!” one of the house staff shouted from the floor below.

  “He's bleeding,” shouted another.

  I jumped from the bed, blood pounding through my head, and met the staff out in the downstairs hall where Zack was sprawled on the carpet. Immediately, I started barking orders for warm water and cloths so I could have space to examine his wounds. His beautiful summer coat was matted with blood over his shoulder as well as the area around his snout. I leaned over, and he shoved his cold nose into my neck, his breathing growing quiet. I'd never seen him injured like this before, nor had I ever seen him shift out of pure anger or defense. The intruder must have been as surprised as I was, for him to have brought out his gun. There is something seriously wrong with America.

  I inspected his wounds closer, pushing back his fur around the bloodied areas, looking for where the bullet hit. Luckily it seemed to have just skimmed his shoulder, and while it was bleeding a lot, it didn’t appear to be life threatening.

  “I'm sorry, Zack,” I whispered gently while rubbing his fur. “You'll be okay. I'll get you healed up quickly.”

  From previous conversation, I knew it was incredibly difficult for Zack to shift back into his human form when he was in any sort of pain. I attended to his wounds with ease and then had the house staff carry him back to the bed where they laid him out on the cushioned pillows.

  “What a mess that blood will leave,” commented a maid.

  “Those satin sheets will surely get stained,” said another.

  “They'll be fine,” I snapped back over my shoulder. “His health is more important right now.”

  The maids turned to bow their heads, apologizing quickly for having made unnecessary comments and offered their personal services to us as he was healing. I sent them off to bring some meat from the fridge. Protein would be of great help to him, especially since his stomach was currently empty. I looked down into his big, beautiful eyes that were shining against the dimness of our room. When the maids returned, I had them pull open the curtains a bit to allow the sunlight through. The shorter of the maids handed me a hot cup of coffee, saying I'd probably need it while tending to the master.

  “Thank you,” I replied genuinely. “You two are very kind. Please stay close in case we need anything else.”

  “Yes, Mistress,” they replied and left the room.

  I still hadn’t gotten used to having house keepers and staff around, but I was truly grateful they were here now.

  I sipped the delicious coffee slowly, savoring the warmth it brought to my entire being as my headache began to subside. After a few deeply satisfying sips, I set the cup down and tended to Zack's wounds that were healing relatively fast despite their depth. One of the benefits of being a shifter, I guess. I continued to rub his ears until he calmed down, his chest heaving slowly up and down with the rhythm of my strokes.

  As soon as his wounds stopped bleeding, I left him for a few minutes to splash cold water on my face and brush my teeth. When I came back into the bedroom, Zack had changed back into human form and was lying back up against the headboard. I curled up next to him and stroke his hair, my heart slowly returning to its normal rhythm.

  “Are you alright?” I asked after a few moments of soaking in his warmth.

  Zack's eyes fluttered open and then closed for a long moment as he gathered his words.

  “It was a reporter for one of the local papers. He took some of our photographs from the bedside table,” Zack explained.

  “That seems such an odd thing to steal. Why would he--?”

  Suddenly, it dawned on me which photographs Zack was talking about. I looked over at the bedside table that still had its drawer jutting out at an odd angle. Those were the photos he had taken, the ones Zack and I had snapped months ago in the bedroom during our menage night. He had bought me a new outfit that was incredibly sexy and wanted to photograph me, so he invited one of his photographer friends over to document our little escapade, and it turned into an extremely hot, yet unintentional interaction. Confidence brimmed from every bit of my exposed body, boosting my ego with every snap of the camera.

  Gawking still, I stroked Zack's hair until he sat up. He took my hand in his, but I pulled it away and jumped from the bed. Pacing was the only way I could function at this point and walked back and forth from one end of the bedroom to the other in silence. I waved my hands, trying to come up with words or a scream, something that would express my disgust and vulnerability. I turned to him with tears in my eyes, my arms crossed firmly over my chest. I felt so bare and exposed. Why was the media bullying us like this? How had that bastard even gotten into our home?

  “We're calling off production,” Zack stated simply. “And we'll go somewhere far away to take a break for however long you want. We can even disappear for a month if you really want to. Name the place and we'll go.”

  I shrugged and laughed nervously.

  “Does it matter where we go? I'm sure someone will follow us and ruin our escape.” I would have cried if I hadn’t been so shocked, and my eyes burned from the lack of tears that they so desperately needed. “Why is this world so cruel? Why can't we have privacy? Why…?”

  Frustrated, I collapsed into the bedsheets and muffled a scream into Zack's stomach that was still stained with dried blood. He massaged my scalp for a moment, temporarily putting me at ease and relaxing my heavy breathing. Once I was effectively calm, he grabbed his cell phone from the bedside table and made a few professional calls to halt production of our film as well as set our retreat into motion. We were to go to Aspen for a week – maybe even two weeks – for a mental breather away from the dramatic chaos that surrounded us daily. Before I could even ask what we were going to do afterwards, Zack had sprung from the bed and encouraged me to shower before packing.

  I could hardly focus on my relaxing shower as I was too excited about traveling. LA was just kind of blah during the winter months so it would be a lovely reprieve from the dreary streets covered in moistened soot. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but everything looked gray to me while I was in such a terrible mood.

  When everything was packed, we jetted out to the airport and got lost in a movie on his private jet that lulled me into a light sleep. I awoke to the sound of the plane landing on a private strip, and we were escorted up the mountain to a beautiful cabin hidden deep within the woods. It was so stunning that I wanted to cry, seeing at that seems to be what I do lately. It reminded me so much of my forested hometown, and I suddenly felt sick with nostalgia.

  After unpacking, Zack built a warm fire in the fireplace and began to cook us a homemade meal, something he hadn't done in a very long time. I was surprised to see him bustling about the kitchen with joy and vigor, renewed suddenly by the fresh, Aspen air within the cabin. What a lovely and secluded place to be away fro
m the drama of Los Angeles. I felt immediately at ease and sank into the cushions of the couch to unbutton my thick winter coat.

  When I had settled myself mentally, I walked over to the fireplace and curled up next to the comforting flames as they danced inside the brick. I traced my finger along the hearth, imbibing the heat that was hugging my body. A plate of food appeared in front of me, and I gratefully took it, realizing that I was ravenously hungry.

  Zack and I ate in silence, listening to the sound of the crackling fire and the wind gently blowing against the logs that made up the exterior walls of the cabin. It was more of a chalet, really. An exquisitely luxurious chalet.

  I watched Zack as he chewed and felt lucky to have him there with me. The thought prompted me to reach out and touch his leg that was wrapped in blue jeans, the fabric rough against my fingers. Zack smiled and set down his empty plate.

  “Are you finished?” he asked sweetly.

  I nodded and handed him my dish, licking the last of the delicious meal he had made me from my lips. Part of me wanted to stand up and help him clean, but the fire was so warm that I couldn't move. I felt frozen in place by heat. It seemed silly. Zack returned and wrapped his arm around me after sitting down, pulling me into a firm embrace. My legs were tangled up in his and I could feel a tug in my lower abdomen. It started as a small pinch and then grew into a longing, that feeling I usually get when it's been far too long between love sessions with Zack. I turned to bury my nose in his neck, eliciting a contented sigh from his lips.

  “Yes?” he murmured into my ear, nipping at the lobe softly with his teeth.

  Instead of responding, I nuzzled his skin and took a small bite, nibbling on his warm flesh. He groaned. We hadn't made love since before organizing the production team which was a number of weeks ago. Our meeting with Rita had turned me off to the point where the idea of getting intimate reminded me of them having sex. Now I could feel my desire growing to an intense level, like a primal response to stress. I wanted him to bury himself deep inside my delicious peace where he could get lost in the warmth of my fields.

  I pulled him on top of me and between my legs, discarding his sweater and ripping at his undershirt which he gladly removed. Sweat decorated his collarbone and chest where he was beginning to overheat from the fire. I liked away the liquid and trailed my tongue up his neck, planting a kiss firmly on his chin.

  “Oh...baby...” he whispered. “Do you want me?”

  I moaned in response, nodding as I started nipping along his shoulder and digging my nails into his back. He rocked his hips into my thighs, his member hot and hard against the front of my leggings that were beginning to form a wet spot over my vulva. I pressed into his erection while lying back to peel off my sweater to reveal the exquisite black bra underneath. I'd worn my best for this trip in anticipation of love and I hoped it pleased him. Delighted, Zack took my breasts into his hands and squeezed, admiring how the perky pears plump beneath the gorgeous lingerie.

  “You're so beautiful,” he moaned between kisses.

  Before I could thank him, he devoured my lips with his and wrapped his arms around me to unhook my bra, throwing it away from our tangled bodies. He trailed kisses down to my breasts where his plush tongue lapped at my pink nipples that were standing erect waiting for his mouth. This feeling was like an opiate I had no wish to kick, a growing pressure that pushed between my wet lips and made me want his creamy seed to fill me. I arched my back as he licked, pushing his head down in an attempt to transfer his lips somewhere else. Obediently, Zack licked the center of my stomach down to the hem of my leggings that he dutifully peeled from my body to reveal a sparkling gold thong just waiting to be removed.

  Excited, Zack looked up at me with a smile as he plunged his tongue beneath the fabric, teasing me with his eyes and his mouth. He sensually pulled the thong aside with his teeth to reveal my pink lips glistening with my fluid which he lapped up immediately like a thirsty dog. Blood hummed through my veins as he dove deeper, his lips caressing my clit and rolling his tongue over it in circles. I bayed up towards the ceiling, my eyes half mast in a fit of blissful pleasure as his mouth took me by storm. It had been so long since our last session that I wasn't sure how long I would last. I twisted my fingers in his hair and tugged, causing him to hum and bury his mouth down into my warm chasm that was twitching with pleasure.

  Before I climaxed, Zack released his ardent hold of my lips and came up to kiss me, the taste of my delicious peach still covering his lips. I licked the fluid away from his face, loving the way I tasted on his skin. As he allowed me to clean his face, he pressed his rod against my aching vulva that was now swollen with desire. I couldn't bare the teasing any longer. I felt like I was about to explode at the simplest touch, his fingers tracing every inch of my upper body and causing me to shiver. He wrapped one arm around my back and pushed my knee down to the wood floor with the other to expose my leaking fruit that he was preparing to plow.

  Zack continued to tease me with his wand, sliding the length of it over my lips and clit while I groaned louder with each stroke. I begged him to take me, pulling his shoulders as he continued to roll his hips in heated strokes. His flawless skin sparkled in the light of the fire, the scar I had come to know by touch somehow more prominent in this moment. As I reached up to trace it as I so often did, Zack pushed his cock inside me and I yelped as pleasure flooded my system. I tried to move my hips, but he held me firmly in place, determined to give me every bit of pleasure himself. His girth filled me, reminding me of how adventurous we used to be when I first moved into the mansion. The flexing muscles in his chest and legs bulged as he pumped, sitting up to better see how my body bounced against his hips.

  I laid my arms above my head in joyful splendor, allowing his rock hard cock to plow deeper as I arched my back. My mind was going up in smoke, my own thoughts becoming a mess as I focused on the fullness of him inside me. Another moan escaped my lips and I caught Zack's eyes, the fierce glare of a man on the edge of explosion as he admired every bit of my body in the firelight. I bit my lip and smiled, enjoying all the attention I was receiving now that we were completely alone. Zack grunted over the roar of the flames and started pounding harder in rhythm with my panting. Ignited with hunger, he pulled my knees up to his chest and started slamming into my body in a frenzied fit. The length of him as hitting my g-spot, inspiring my body to convulse as the tingling sensation in my gut grew to a full explosion.

  As I cried out, Zack buried his wand as deep as he could and howled, his orgasm causing him to grip my thighs and shake uncontrollably. My mouth was stuck open as I twitched and tried to grip the wood beneath my hands. When my body finally stopped, I smiled through my panting. Zack's long hair fell into his face as he leaned forward to meet my lips in blissful achievement, still shivering from the success of our humping bodies. He stroked my face while smiling.

  “We both needed that, didn't we?” I asked, nudging his fingers with my nose.

  “I believe we did,” Zack responded, still winded. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I said while gripping his hand. “I'll always love you.”

  We continued to kiss in the diminishing heat from the dying fire, splendor filling our bodies with joy and satisfaction. Nothing could touch us here. Nothing could bother us. We were one in this moment.

  4.

  The cabin we had rented for the week was so romantic and wonderful that I don't think I ever plan on returning to the reality of our home. I still wanted to make my movie, but from afar where I didn't feel as stressed about it. I thought of this as Zack and I were recovering from our intense love-making session in front of the fire. As the embers burned gently next to our still naked bodies, I heard my phone ringing from my bag. I really should have turned that off. I moved to stand, but Zack stopped me.

  “No, darling. We're on vacation. Don't worry about your phone.”

  I smiled in response and relaxed into his sweaty arms, the bulge of his muscles coaxing
me to go for round two. Just as I was about to suggest it, my phone rang again. I turned to look in the direction of my bag that was still next to the door. Don't answer it, Skylar, I told myself. It's just a trap to suck you back into LA. Leave it. Try as I might to pretend like it didn't bother me, I couldn't help but feel the itch of paranoia at the back of my throat. What if it was something incredibly important? What if that was my mother calling?

  At the tenth ring, I gave in and jumped across the room to retrieve my ball and chain. Zack's phone rang as I was checking my messages which set me into full panic mode. The same foreign number had been calling, not leaving a voicemail. My phone started ringing again and I answered it immediately, walking into the next room to talk to whoever it might be. It was a nurse from a local LA hospital.

  “Is this Skylar Jones?” she asked.

  “Yes, it is.” I said in response.

  “This is Maura, a nurse at LA Medical. Your friend, Maya, has you listed as an emergency contact. I'm afraid she's been in a horrible altercation which caused her some serious injuries. She's not looking too great at the moment. Are you able to come in and fill out some paperwork for her?”

  Utter silence. I could feel the walls around me crumbling underneath the weight of my defeat. There was no way I could escape the city of LA, not now when Maya was in need of my help. She was one of the only real friends I had and now she needed me. I had to go to her. I told the nurse I'd be on my way as soon as I could and got off the phone to run to Zack who was standing dumbfounded in the middle of the room, his eyes glued to his phone.