Chapter 316
Blake’s POV
“You two enjoy your reunion!”
The kidnapper slammed the van doors shut with a bang, plunging us into darkness broken only by thin slivers of light through tiny gaps in the van’s exterior.
The smell was rancid and overwhelming. A seafood truck. The ice blocks meant to keep today’s catch fresh had melted into dirty puddles across the metal floor.
My suit was already soaked. I didn’t care. Not with Audrey unconscious in my arms.
“Audrey, wake up,” I said quietly, brushing my thumb over the angry red handprint on her face.
The engine roared to life, and the van lurched forward. I nearly fell, tightening my grip on her shoulders. Standing carefully, I lifted her completely into my arms and spotted a wooden crate in the corner. I made my way toward it, stepping through the filthy water.
After sitting down, I shifted Audrey and wrapped my jacket around her torn dress. The evening gown was too thin for the damp chill of the van.
“Audrey,” I whispered again, my voice breaking. “Please wake up.”
I kept talking as we bounced along the road. I told her about Snow, about my grandfather, about the months after her “death.” Things I’d never said before came out in that dark, stinking van.
After about thirty minutes, I felt movement in my arms. Then, almost too quiet to hear, she murmured, “Blake…”
My body went rigid. That voice. That exact tone.
It was identical to how she’d say my name in our most intimate moments. No one else said my name that way.
“Audrey,” I said, my voice unsteady. “What did you call me?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed my arm and nuzzled her head into my palm.
“So hot…” she mumbled, her voice thick.
I frowned. The van was cold from the remaining ice. She shouldn’t be feeling hot.
The kidnapper’s words echoed in my head: “When she wakes up, you gonna have yourself a real party.”
Warning bells rang immediately. Whatever drug he’d given her wasn’t just to knock her out.
“It’s so hot…” Audrey pulled at my jacket, trying to remove it.
Her strapless evening gown slipped down as she tugged, revealing pale skin. Even in the dim light, I could see the curve of her chest, the edge of her bodice threatening to expose her completely.
My blood surged instantly. I swallowed hard.
1/2
Chapter S10
Since Audrey’s death, my mother hadn’t stopped arranging women for me, but all had left empty-handed.
If I hadn’t made that arrangement with Rachel, my mother would’ve continued endlessly.
The truth was, I wasn’t without needs. But every time I considered being with someone else, crushing guilt returned. I’d caused the death of the only woman who’d ever truly connected with me. I’d destroyed the heart that had loved me more than anything.
What right did I have to feel pleasure?
I’d been certain I would never feel desire toward anyone again. Yet here I was, struggling for control.
“Audrey, calm down,” I said roughly, grabbing her hand to pull her dress back up.
1 misjudged the distance, and my hand pressed directly against her chest. She moaned softly, nuzzling my arm like Snow would when seeking attention.
“Continue…” she whispered, pressing my hand firmly against her and guiding it further inside her clothing.
I felt my mind unraveling, my self-control stretched to breaking. Blood rushed to my head as I fought the urge to kiss her, to take what she seemed to be offering.
With enormous effort, I pulled away and fixed her dress, wrapping her tightly in my jacket again, making sure she was fully covered.
I held her against me, probably too tightly given how she struggled. When she couldn’t break free, she looked up with such hurt that I nearly broke.
“Mrs. Knox,” I said coldly, deliberately not calling her Audrey. “Do you know your current identity? I’m Blake Parker!”
Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO
