Lane One: Seduction Read online

  Lane One

  Seduction

  Justine Elvira

  Edited by: Eileen Proksch

  Cover by: Robin Harper

  Wickedbydesigncovers.com

  Published by Justine Elvira

  Smashwords Edition

  ©2015 Justine Elvira

  [email protected]

  All rights reserved. This book contains material under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any Unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

  Cover image used under license from shutterstock.com

  Table of Contents

  Note To My Readers

  Seduction

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Lane One: Obsession

  Justine Elvira's books

  About the Author

  Note To My Readers

  This series is something special for me and I'm so glad you're along for the ride. The prologue at the beginning of each book is leading to Lane One: Devotion (Book Four). You will get answers, so please do not let this part of the story confuse you. I promise it will all make sense in the end :)

  Happy reading!

  Seduction:

  The act of persuading someone to have sex with you.

  Prologue

  Cassie

  "Are you ready to head down to the gym, Ms. Ward?"

  Ms. Ward.

  Why doesn't even the sound of my name spark any recognition?

  I know the man standing over me in my bed is only doing the job he was assigned to do. Standing at well over six foot, his shaved head, rough face and muscular body scare me and intimidate me. You'd think that Theo would hire someone a little more comforting to handle my rehabilitation.

  Three times a day he comes up here to bring me to the gym that is on the main floor of the condo I'm currently staying in. I'm told it's where I lived before the accident. I guess I still live here. It's hard to picture myself in such a large place, surrounded by so much white. There aren't many personal touches to the home and the thought saddens me.

  I look up at the large man standing over me, still waiting for an answer. "I'm kind of tired. I think I'm going to take a nap. Could we do this a little later today?"

  His eyes are void of any emotion as he crosses his arms over his large chest. "You're on a strict schedule, Miss Ward. When Mr. Rosely comes home from London he'll want to know that you followed the best routine for recovery. And Dr. Beasley will be here in a little over an hour to check on you so we need to get your walk and stretching in before he arrives."

  Even with all I've been through you'd think there would be someone to take a little pity on me, but my physical therapist refuses to feel bad for me at all. Not that I want people to pity me, but a little understanding wouldn't hurt. I've been through some major trauma. He could let me rest a little and wallow in the depression that's taken over this past week.

  Waking up in a strange home, not remembering how I got here is hard enough. Then realizing I don't remember anything about my life or even my name, it completely sucks.

  The door off to my left opens while I'm in a staring contest with the burly man who calls himself my physical therapist and I turn my head to see who it could be. In walks the most gorgeous man I've ever seen, and that's easy to say because I don't remember all the men I've come across in my lifetime.

  But I know nothing about him and looks only get you so far.

  The man walks towards me, his dirty blond hair untamed, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar and his tie loose around his neck. The bags under his eyes reflect the little sleep he must have gotten in the time he's been gone. I think he's been gone two, maybe three days.

  He lays his dress jacket along the chair by the door and then places his briefcase on top of it before strolling over to my bed. His arm reaches out to touch me and I flinch at the movement. He stops mid-air and lets his arm fall to his side. I can tell he's hurt that after his short trip I still have no idea who he is.

  I wish I could remember him.

  I wish I could remember something, anything.

  "How are you feeling?" he asks. His voice is both soft and rough at the same time, yet in a way it's extremely soothing and comforting.

  I want to believe everything he told me about us before he left for his business trip. He seems like a trustworthy man and he's extremely attractive and attentive. I would be lucky to be dating a man like him. But I don't remember.

  It would be easy for me to believe and comply with everything he said if something in his home triggered a memory, but there's nothing personal here to indicate that I even lived here. My doctor says that some personal things can help produce memories, but Theo says I wasn't into material things and had very few possessions.

  It's very inconvenient.

  "Tired," I answer, looking up into his piercing, sky blue eyes. I could get lost in his eyes. "I really want to take a nap but he won't let me." I point to the big, beefy man on the other side of the bed.

  I'm ready for Theo to argue with me. To tell me that physical therapy is a necessity to my recovery, but to my surprise he dismisses the ogre next to me and then it's just the two of us left in this big, empty room.

  Without my permission he slowly raises his hand until he brushes it against my forehead. I don't flinch this time and allow the contact. A little human touch might help stir up some memories. At least that's what Dr. Beasley says.

  "Get some rest. I'll wake you once the doctor gets here." He brushes the back of his palm against my cheek and then let's it fall back to his side before turning around slowly and walking towards the bedroom door.

  "Theo," I call out.

  He turns around and looks at me expectantly. I don't know what he's hoping for me to say, but I instantly feel remorse because I know whatever I say is not going to change the fact that I don't have a single memory of him from before the accident.

  "Why hasn't anyone come to visit me? Where's my family?"

  This has been bugging me since the moment I woke up. With the exception of Theo, Chris, Molly, and a little girl named Alyssa, the only people I've seen have been doctors, therapists, and medical professionals. Maybe if I was able to speak to some of my family I would be able to remember more. Surely my mother could tell me some stories to help fill in all of these blanks.

  "You don't..." he stops, closing his eyes as he takes a deep breath in and out. "You don't have any blood family, Cassie." The pain that is clear in his eyes makes me regret asking him. Of course I don't have any family. Why else would no one show up to visit me?

  Theo sits down on the chair that's piled with his jacket and briefcase. "You and I came to a beautiful realization a while back. Do you want to know what that was?"

  As much as it may hurt to hear, I do want to know what it was. I want to know as much about me as possible. I want to know everything about my life so that hopefully, one day, I can continue living it.

  "What was it?" I ask.

  "We'd say 'who needs family when we have each other? We can be our own family.' And we were, Cassie. You and I were a family of our own."

  One

  Three months earlier

/>   Cassie

  This entire day has gone to complete and utter crap. I had made the complicated mess of a relationship between Theo and I even more complicated, which I didn't even think was possible. I should have just thanked him for the car and then walked away. Instead I threw myself at the man, the first man I've every truly been interested in, and he rejected me.

  It must have been all about the chase for him. Now that I was showing interest, the intrigue and fascination was gone for him.

  I let my eyes wander over the dashboard of my new Lexus and there are far too many buttons and dials to figure out. I haven't even considered playing with the touch screen in the center of the dashboard. This car has too many add-ons and luxuries. I only need a vehicle to get me from point A to point B.

  Pulling out onto the street after leaving work for the day, I start my drive over to Father Carmichael's church. It's been a few days since I've been there and I'm already feeling a little homesick. While it's just a church to the average man on the street, it’s the place I feel most like myself. I'm not catholic but I definitely have a relationship with God and I'm most comfortable when I'm in a place of worship.

  The drive doesn't take as long as it usually does on a Friday night so I'm pulling into the church parking lot and shutting off my car earlier than normal. The parking lot is empty, which is exactly what I was expecting. Friday nights are when members of the church do their youth outreach in the suburbs. No one will be back here until tomorrow.

  I use the key Matt gave me and open the front doors of the church before slipping inside and locking the large wooden doors behind me. The church is located in a good neighborhood, but anyone who lives in Chicago knows that the quality of the neighborhoods change here every few blocks. I can never be too safe–even in a church.

  The inside of this place is gorgeous. Beautiful, stained glass windows line the walls of the sanctuary. Dark burgundy carpet covers the floor that the rows of light oak pews sit on. The burgundy carpet continues to the front of the church where the white alter is laid out with candles and flowers. I take in a deep breath and sniff the smallest hint of sage in the air. It always looks and smells the same every time I'm here and I love it. I find the smell comforting.

  I approach the front of the church where the alter is and walk up the three small steps, walking towards the back. I reach a table with a beautiful flower arrangement on top and bend down, slowly lifting the white tablecloth and revealing a dark wool blanket and white cotton pillow.

  I grab the pillow and blanket and make my way down the alter and to the first row, placing the items on the pew and sitting next to them. I kick off my white Chucks and stare at the stained glass skylight above me. It's of Mary holding Baby Jesus. Out of all the different stained glass in this church, this skylight has always been my favorite one. The story of Jesus and how much Mary loved him has always pulled at something in my heart. Maybe it's because I was abandoned by my mother as a baby or maybe it's because of the promise Jesus left us before his death, but I could stare at this window forever.

  I reach into the pillowcase and find a bottle of coke, my favorite granola bar and a banana. There's a note taped to the coke and I pull it off to read.

  Aren't you glad you chose this church instead of a Mormon place to worship? At least here you can feed your coke addiction. Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning. ~Matt

  Matt is always thinking and taking care of me. He's the greatest friend I could have ever asked for, which is good because he's also my only friend besides Alyssa. I thought I would maybe be able to add Theo to that list, too, but it's pretty clear that he will never be in the friend column for me.

  I open the bottle of coke and take a nice long sip, instantly relaxing as the bubbly caffeine trickles down my throat. Tightening the cap on the bottle, I look up at the skylight and talk to the only father I've ever known.

  "Well, today has been a bust. I know you're probably disappointed with the way I've been behaving lately, lusting after a man who only wants me for one thing. It's just that.... he is so hard to resist. He's completely charming, he usually knows just the right things to say, and then follows it up with the absolute worst things in the world to say, but even when he is being a complete asshole... Oops, sorry for the asshole thing," I quickly add, winking up at the ceiling. "Even when he is being a complete jerk, it's hard to shut out the feelings I have for him. They're completely irrational feelings because I barely know this man, but I've never had this kind of connection with anyone. It's like we're two magnets and the minute I met him our magnets connected, refusing to be pulled apart."

  I look down at my feet, trying to think of what to say next, although God knows exactly what I'm going to say next. "You see, God, I've had many men interested in me before, especially when I was younger, but the last several years I've been on my own. It was easy to ignore men because they ignored me, but Theo isn't ignoring me. The way his eyes wander over my body–he's doing the exact opposite of ignoring me. Matt's at least subtle about his interest in me and it's easy to ignore the way Matt feels about me because I've never been interested in him like that, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in Theo. I am interested in him. Every inch of my body lights up when I'm around him and I'm feeling things I’ve never felt before."

  I fluff my pillow and then set it down on one end of the pew. Lying down on my back, I place my head on the pillow and then cover my body with the wool blanket. The glow of the moon outside lights the skylight and casts colorful rays inside the church building. I’m ready to get a good night sleep before my busy day tomorrow.

  Closing my eyes I let out a deep yawn before opening them back up and staring at the ceiling.

  "I just need a sign that you're okay with this. I know I'm mad at Theo right now, but I also know that if he were to decide to pursue me again then I'd be putty in his hands. I need to know that you're on team Cassie, no matter how stupid of a decision this might be.

  "I'm going to focus on my responsibilities this weekend, but I'm asking you to show me something, anything, letting me know that my feelings for Theo are real and that I have your blessing to be with him. While I'm sleeping, think about it. 'Night."

  ***

  "Rise and shine, sleepy head."

  I groan, arching my back as I stretch my arms above my head. I peel my eyes open and Matt is standing above me with coffee in one hand and a paper sack in the other.

  "Why is it you're so happy in the morning?" I ask him. His chirpiness is something I will never get used to.

  "Maybe I'm just happy because I get to see your beautiful face this morning."

  I roll my eyes at him and sit up in the pew. Matt's freshly showered. His light blond wavy locks are hanging at the sides, and he's dressed casually in a pair of jeans and red fitted shirt.

  I've known Matt for a few years now. Ever since he caught me in this church one night. He's the nephew of Father Carmichael and he threatened to call the police on me, but then abruptly changed his mind and we've been friends ever since.

  "There's nothing beautiful about my face in the morning, Matt. I have bags under my eyes, drool on my chin, and knots in my hair."

  "Are you trying to tell me you're not a morning person? Lucky for you I already know this, hence the coffee and bagels. The bagels will give you fuel for the day and the coffee will keep your butt awake."

  I smile sweetly up at him. "Two creams, one sugar?"

  "Oh, ye of little faith. I've never gotten your coffee order wrong."

  He hands me the disposable cup and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee overwhelms my senses. I take a few sips and am ready to start my day.

  "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to go."

  I head towards the back of the church and through the small door labeled for clergy members only. In there is a private bathroom with a white wooden vanity. I walk in and open the vanity's cabinet to retrieve my overnight bag. I leave it here in the church for the nights I sleep here. I change into
my Saturday volunteer clothing, which is a pair of denim skinny jeans and a red shirt. Then I brush my teeth, brush my hair, and pull my hair back in a ponytail, ready to tackle the day ahead of me.

  When I walk back out in the open sanctuary, Matt is sitting down and devouring a chocolate chip bagel. He reaches in the bag and I know if I don't get over to him in the next five seconds he'll start to eat my bagel as well.

  "Hands off, Matt. I need that fuel."

  He grins up at me and says, "I was only checking to make sure they got your order right. I would never eat your food."

  "Yeah right. " I huff, snatching the bag out of his hands and reaching in for my Asiago cheese bagel. "Just like last week you didn't eat my chocolate muffin while I was changing."

  "I didn't. The cafe must have forgotten to put it in my bag."

  I nudge him with my shoulder as I take a bite of my bagel. The warm bread mixed with cream cheese is delicious and satisfying. It only takes me a few minutes to eat the entire thing and Matt waits for me in silence.

  He's always so patient with me.

  "You ready to go?" I ask him as I swallow the last bite of my bagel and chase it with another sip of my coffee.

  "Yep. Let's drive separately though. I have plans afterwards so I won't be able to drive you back to your car."

  We walk out the doors of the church and Matt locks up. The bright sun is shining down on us. We're ready to begin our Saturday morning.

  "Do you need me to drive you to your employer's house to pick up your car on the way?'