Chapter One

2159 Words
I spread my palm over the steamed glass that was the result of my long hot shower so that I could look at my reflection. That shower was exactly what I needed after the three, and a half, hour flight from San Francisco to Houston, Texas.   The black cotton towel was still wrapped around me. My auburn waves of hair fell in torrents of streams down my shoulders dripping warm water over the line of my neck to the lining of the cotton. I sighed out a bit of tiredness from how long today had been after my shift at the hospital and then the flight. I was now at the Park Regency, and about to take a helicopter flight to meet my partner; Damien Cole.    He had sent first class tickets to my work at the hospital in San Francisco for my twenty-eighth birthday. I was surprised at his idea of the whirl-wind romantic trip and put in for leave at the hospital straight away. There was no issue there, I was a hard worker and very rarely took time off from the emergency department I was now positioned at. After my shift at the hospital, in just a few hours I had the rest of my shifts for the next week and half covered. I closed up my apartment and made my way straight to the airport with a simple text to Damien to let him know I was on the way.    I was really looking forward to seeing Damien. He works rather high up in a mining company his father, Derek Cole, is the CEO of, called Cole Enterprises. Damien’s main office is in San Francisco, his father’s is in Russia where he handles things on the European front. They deal in everything from dirt to marble. The long distances, and how often he has to travel for his work has been hard on our relationship. And this latest spout has left us physically apart for over two months.    I smiled devilishly to myself in the mirror as I started to put on some makeup. I am really looking forward to making those two months up with some physical effort in just a few hours. I left the hotel room, all on his bill though he knew that I could afford this trip given my vast inheritance left by my deceased parents, and decided to pick something sexy to show up in. Something that would be easy to remove.    I opened my brown leather luggage and pulled out a tight white linen dress that would be reasonably cool to the warm Texan air. It had a slit up the leg on the left and a small pocket on the right hip. Gorgeous black four-inch stilettoes were perfect. And an attractive contrast of color that drew a lot of attention to my favorite asset of my body; my long slender legs. I had been an avid dancer as a hobby for most of my life and loved going to long walks around the city of San Francisco. The result were my sculpted long legs.   I fixed my makeup with an auburn-red lipstick, black mascara and eyeliner to highlight my light sea-blue eyes and a silver eyeshadow. I grab my purse and pull out just my credit card and about five hundred dollars. I don’t think I will need it but I have never walked around without money before. I think about taking my phone but I don’t really want to be interrupted by unwelcome calls. I decide to leave it behind making this officially a vacation with me totally cut off from the world.    I look sexy, I think to myself, as I hear the stilettos click under me while I make my way towards the helicopter pad at the agreed time that Damien was supposed to send a helicopter to pick me up.    As intended, the helicopter was there waiting. A man in a white suit with a black leather belt was standing there. His hair was blond and long to his shoulders, but his beard was bushy and red. He wasn’t only physically strong but was also daunting with intimidation.   We took off into the air as I tried to ignore that firm looking presence sit down next to me. His skin is pale, and his large brown eyes were devoid of emotion. Muscular lines of human mass are intermingled throughout his large physique. The form doesn’t say a word. He does not need to. His strict and prickly demeanor sets him as a silent scary like soldier and I have no interest in sparking up a conversation. Rather, I dug my attention towards the incredible scenery of the of the Texan dessert beneath us as we moved over land.    A two-hour ride later, we landed in an area that was ready for Damien’s contract that he was setting up. A gorgeous old-style ranch was set up on a field of red dust and clay. I smiled loving the scene immediately. I also noted the slit in my dress. I really do not fit in to this old country ranch style setting at all. I look the part of a wealthy heiress out of San Francisco indeed. Maybe I should have opted for comfort instead of extravagance, but it was too late now. This dress was meant to seduce Damien on the spot and I was not planning on wearing it for very long.    We landed and there was a sparsely put together old rusted jeep splattered with red and black peeling paint without a roof. The man from the helicopter, who still hasn’t said a word in my direction, walks over and starts up the engine. I know that he is escorting me to Damien but I am still not comfortable in his presence. I try to continue to ignore that unease as I get in the vehicle and he turns the engine. It’s a bumpy ride along an unkept dirt road on some property in the middle of nowhere.     This is an austere welcome, Damien, I think to myself. We drive up to an old looking barn. It is speckled dark red painted wood. There is an old truck was squeaking in the wind with a comfortable looking sheep dog resting on its torn-up leather upholstery. This country home is warm and welcoming, though oddly quiet.     I walk in and recognize Damien’s back as he stands huddled over a desk covered in paperwork. The barn appears to have been formatted into a makeshift office for him. Damn he looks great. I regain my composure and start to head over to him. The scent of his cologne that is a mixture of sandalwood and vanilla crosses over to me is an instant turn on. Get ready Damien, you are about to have the week of your life while I am here.     He is wearing a loose black cotton shirt. His thick brown hair is cut back perfectly with a bit of sweat from the muddy humid weather here. He is in dark green forest pants with a black material belt. I am really looking forward to ripping those clothes off in just a few moments.    “Too busy at work to meet me in person Damien?” I demanded trying to sound like I was disappointed, which I was, but only a tad.    Damien spun around and I caught that delectable smile incited over his features as he looked over the slit in the dress straight away.    “Vanessa, finally!” he said dropping a pen on the table in front of him and striding over to greet me.    “Damn you look like a fresh oasis of water my love.” He said taking hold of my shoulders.    The instant he touches me I want to touch him back. I lean against his chest and lift my lips to his. He kisses me back. Oh, how I have missed him. He pulls away breaking contact first. Hmm, I want more.    He has recently been calling me ‘his love’. For the most distant reason I feel like it is not genuine, but rather like a pet name he has for me, not actually that he is in love with me. I have never repeated the statement that I loved him. Maybe, one day I would but that is not how I feel about him, not yet anyway.    I have not dated a lot in my life. In fact, I considered it a bit of a fault of mine that I only looked for something long-term and always made that clear to whoever showed interest, which often did not go well on a first date. I wanted long term stability, not flings. Damien had reached a new record at just over a year with us officially together.    “I have to go make an important phone call Vanessa. I won’t be long.” He informed me pulling away towards the entrance of the tent.    “I just got here!” I say now actually feeling upset.    I know he is here on a job and still has to work, but come on, I just dropped everything and flew here from San Francisco to see him and I am only here for a little over a week. This was supposed to be a vacation for my birthday.    “And where is here anyway?” I ask having no idea where his mining site actually is in Texas as I try to peak at the paperwork he was just studying on that table.    “We are on the outskirts of a quarry that my father is trying to purchase and the owner is being freaking ridiculous. He will just not let his business go. I just have to make a quick phone call. Stay here, I will be back in just a few minutes.”   “Fine. How long are you going to be on your call?”   “Just a few minutes I hope. I will be right back. Just stay here.” He said turning to leave the barn and looking at his expensive Roger Dubuis black and blue watch as he did.    I like when he looks at that watch. It makes him look so sophisticated in a piece of technology like that which was probably worth a quarter of a million dollars.    “Fine.” I said rolling my eyes.    “I mean it Vanessa. Stay here.” He ordered me again firmly and it is not having the same nice feeling as before.    I ignored that. I don’t follow orders in that tone ever. I am starting to feel more riled up then before as he left the barn.    Fifteen minutes later and I am already bored looking around. The barn is pretty sparse. There is a bit of hay in a pile. A couple of unused old horse pins are dirty and unused. A dark wood side table is by the entrance. It has a pitcher of water and a glass. Light wooden rattan chairs are placed periodically around the table in the center of the barn with the paperwork sprawled over it.   I move over to study those pieces of parchment a little more. I spot a name; Mr. Briggs, is highlighted in red. I surmise that name of the man who owns the quarry site that Damien is here in Texas to purchase. I have never really asked Damien about his work contracts. I am not really interested in mining. Our relationship is based on, well the physical side of things.    I stalk impatiently to the entrance of the barn and peered out. There is a fence along a perimeter that is being guarded by three or four serious looking men. Behind the barn it looks like there is a private reserve park. I can spot the waterline of a lake in the distance. Whatever this quarry situation was, it was a big endeavour. I know that he is stuck here longer than he has wanted to be because there is a problem with the purchase of this site and he has been frustrated over it. He has been wanting to return to San Francisco, and so have I.    I decide to walk out and find him. Whatever this phone call was I don’t care, I just want to be around him. I heard his voice around the corner of the back of the barn. I start to walk up to let my presence known but then I heard him yelling and decided to slow down a bit.    I am not at all prepared for what I am about to hear.    “Then kill him if he won’t sell.”   My stomach just dropped.    “I said do it… I will not take no for an answer. I want that contract signed by the end of the business day with Mr. Briggs either dead or alive.” 
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