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  WINTER’S ROLE

  By

  Alex Riordan

  Winter’s Role

  Copyright 2015 Alex Riordan

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author.

  Cover Photo By: KSD

  Table of Contents

  WINTER’S ROLE

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Prologue

  He sat quietly, watching as her eyes opened and she began to realize what was happening. The shot he’d given her had knocked her out for hours. Now, as she came back to consciousness, he could see the fear and panic in her eyes. Still unable to move, her eyes darted around the small room and he smiled. No one seeing it would ever say that it was a smile of happiness. More akin to the smile of a predator about to consume its’ kill, it was terrifying. Soon, she would be fully aware of exactly where she was and what was happening to her. By that time, it would be too late. She was already dead. The dumb bitch just didn’t know it yet.

  He had picked her up last night, outside the bar. She had approached him as he walked out, heading for his car. When he had agreed to her price, she had smiled and climbed in the passenger seat. It had been too easy. Every one of the women he’d picked up recently had been too strung out to realize that he was dangerous. Too desperate for drug money to be careful despite the warnings on the local TV channels.

  Vaguely, he heard the quiet alarm of his wristwatch, lying on the countertop to his right. Getting up, he stepped over to the counter and checked the time. “Well,” he said quietly, as if he were having a conversation with a friend, instead of his captive, “I guess we’ll pick this up later. I have an appointment to get to.” Seeing the panic-filled eyes barely register his remark, he smiled. Oh, yes. When he returned, they would most definitely pick up where they’d left off.

  * * * *

  “So, how’s things?”

  He rolled his eyes in irritation. “How the Hell do you think they are? I’m locked up, aren’t I?”

  “That’s because you chose poorly,” the other man responded quietly, making sure no one else in the crowded dayroom could hear their conversation. “How many times have I told you that leaving them alive just causes trouble?”

  He shook his head. “You know I’m not into that. Besides, I want her.”

  “What the Hell for? The bitch obviously doesn’t want you. She had her girlfriend, of all people, rescue her.”

  “That was a fluke. What were the odds that that bitch would come back?”

  “You should have taken her someplace safe instead of keeping her there,” his visitor chastised. “I thought I taught you better than that?”

  Still keeping his voice low, he asked, “So what would you suggest? I can’t do anything from in here.” He looked around pointedly at the industrial tan painted walls. The guards, he noticed, were beginning to move around the room in preparation for the end of visiting hours.

  “Just sit tight.” He looked at him then, scrutinizing him. “How are you feeling?”

  “What?”

  “It’s a simple question. How are you feeling?”

  Still confused by the odd question, he shrugged. “Okay, I guess. If you call being locked in a room, force-fed medication and forced to go to therapy twice a day, okay.”

  His visitor nodded. “Okay. Well,” he stood up. “Hang in there. I’ll see you in a week or so. Who knows? I might even bring you a little surprise.”

  His eyes lit up a little at the thought. A surprise from his visitor was always worth getting. Smiling slightly, he nodded. “Thanks. I could use a little surprise.”

  His visitor stood up then, as the guard came over to usher him from the visitation room. “I’ll see you then.”

  He nodded and stood up as well, joining the line of inmates leaving through the opposite door toward his next therapy session. He was feeling decidedly better now that he had something to look forward to. Yes, Jessie Drake was going to get what was coming to her. Now that Edward had returned, there was no doubt of that.

  Chapter 1

  “Jesus, Stephanie! I can’t believe you actually brought her back here with you,” Joanie Weiss said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “I mean, seriously. It’s one thing to have an affair while you’re out of town…But to bring her back to LA with you? What the Hell were you thinking?”

  “First of all, I don’t remember asking for your opinion. Second, aren’t you the one who suggested I have an affair in the first place?” Stephanie Winters huffed at her manager as the actress fastened her seat belt. Her day had been long enough without listening to Joanie bitch and complain. “And, while we’re on the subject…I don’t appreciate the way you treated Jess when you picked us up last night. You were nothing short of rude.”

  “To be fair, I did suggest you have a little affair. I did not tell you to fall in love, which happened far too fast, as far as I’m concerned…and then bring her home with you like a lost puppy! I just wanted you to loosen up and have a little fun. You’ve been so depressed since Tracy, I thought it would help you feel better. And, I don’t think I was being rude,” the woman responded.

  “Then what do you call all the questions you asked? My god, you actually asked her if she makes it a habit to sleep with all the new employees at her office! I was so embarrassed.”

  Joanie laughed. “I was doing my job, Steph. Besides, Jessie seems like she can handle herself just fine. She cut me off at the knees fast enough.”

  The actress bit down on the inside of her cheek, trying not to smile, and thinking about the way Jessie had reacted to Joanie’s rude behavior. “Your job,” she seethed instead, “Has nothing to do with my personal life.”

  “On the contrary: Your life, and how people see you, is my job,” Joanie responded as she wove through the late afternoon traffic. “Just make sure this little affair doesn’t end up on the entertainment shows. It’s easier to keep these things quiet than it is to fix them later.”

  “Just remember what I said,” Stephanie answered. “I won’t tolerate you mistreating Jess or being rude to her.”

  “As long as she’s good to you, I’ll be nice.”

  Stephanie blew out a breath. “Look, I know you think this happened too fast. But I swear to you Joanie, I love her. I can’t explain it. I don’t understand it myself. The only thing I know is that from the moment I shook her hand that morning, I just knew. There was something…a moment of recognition, a sense that we’d known each other before…I don’t know. I just knew that I wanted to be with her…to get to know her. It’s crazy, I know. But I can’t help how I feel.”

  Joanie stopped at a traffic light. Looking at the actress, she shook her head. “Wow. Okay. Did you listen to yourself just now? Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?” When Stephanie nodded, she went on. “I just want you to be happy, Steph. If Jessie makes you happy, I’ll try to get along with her. But I swear
, if she hurts you…”

  Stephanie smiled. “Thank you. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.” Tension finally broken, she sat back and visibly relaxed. The rest of the ride home went by quickly, and Joanie finally pulled up outside Stephanie’s house in Long Beach. Situated on a quiet, tree lined street, the house was a nice clean two story walk-up, with a full basement. Painted white with black shutters on the windows, the house fit in with every other house on the street. Humble and unpretentious, it was non-descript enough that no one would know a celebrity actually lived there.

  After thanking Joanie for the ride home, Stephanie unlocked the door and punched in the code for the alarm system. When she noticed Jessie standing in the doorway to the living room, a feeling of overwhelming happiness spread over her. Dropping her purse, she finally breathed out, “Hi.”

  Not one word crossed Jessie’s lips. Instead, she launched herself at Stephanie, pulling her into a searing kiss. When she finally released her moments later, she said rather sheepishly, “Uh…hi?”

  “You’ve been waiting to do that all day haven’t you?” Stephanie asked, keeping one arm wrapped around Jessie’s neck.

  Jessie leaned in and kissed her again, wrapping her arms around the slim waist. “You know I have.”

  “Come on,” Steph said, kissing her once more before sliding out of her grasp and taking her hand. “Let’s get dinner started. I’m starving.”

  “What’s on the agenda for this evening?” she asked, as Stephanie led her out of the foyer and toward the kitchen.

  “Well, I need to go over the script for tomorrow. We’re starting read-throughs and I need to be up to speed,” Stephanie answered over a bite of salad. When Jessie didn’t respond right away, she added, “I want to do and show you everything, Jess. I want you to be comfortable here, like I am at your place. But…spending time every evening going over the script for the next day is part of my job. I hope you don’t mind?”

  Slightly disappointed, Jessie shook her head nonetheless. “It’s okay. I know you need to work. How long should it take?”

  Stephanie shrugged. “About two hours?”

  “Okay. Two hours. I can find something to occupy my time while you’re working.”

  Stephanie stood up and leaned down, kissing the top of Jessie’s head. “I’m sure you can.” Carrying their empty dishes to the kitchen, she said, “I’ll make sure to make it worth your while when I’m done.”

  * * * *

  “So, how long have you lived here?” Jessie asked, lying on the bed and looking around the room at the boxes still spread about. “What I mean is…it doesn’t seem like you’ve really unpacked yet.” Like the rest of the house, it was decorated modestly, with rich, earthy tones. The furniture was all a natural, solid red oak, including the headboard on the king size bed.

  Stephanie flopped down next to her. “I just moved in about two months before I left for Ohio. Everything’s still pretty new. Actually, I don’t think I've even slept in here more than a few times.” At Jessie’s questioning look, she explained. “The nightmares. I thought I’d gotten rid of them, but they came back with a vengeance right before I left.”

  “Mmm,” Jessie said noncommittally. “They’ve stopped now, though…right?” At Stephanie’s nod of assent, she smiled. “Well then, I think…” Jessie said, licking her lips as she rolled over and pulled Stephanie close. “That it’s high time we break in this bed.” Stephanie shivered as Jessie trailed her hand up her side, leaving her with a pleasant tingling sensation. Propping herself up on one elbow, Jessie leaned over her. Using her free hand, she used a finger to trace Steph’s jaw line, her lips...her nose. “I’ve been thinking about this all day,” she said quietly.

  “Tracing my face with your finger?” Stephanie asked, teasing her.

  Jessie shook her head, smiling. “You…me…in your bed…memorizing each other. I’m sorry I was so tired last night. I didn’t think Joanie was ever going to leave us alone.”

  “Mmm, I know,” Stephanie answered, relaxing into Jessie’s slow caresses. “By the way, I wanted to thank you for the way you handled her questions. I’m sorry she treated you like that.”

  Jessie shrugged distractedly, intent on memorizing a particular spot on Stephanie’s neck with her lips. “You’d already told me she didn’t trust me, so I was expecting it. Besides, with my line of work I know how to handle people like her.” She moved upward slightly and caught Steph’s lips with her own. When she pulled away, she added, “She’s a lot like my mom, actually.”

  “I don’t think even your mom would have come right out and talked to me like that,” Stephanie said, wiggling under her.

  “Probably not, but she does have her moments,” Jessie acknowledged. Leaning down, she kissed her again, effectively shutting her up. After that, Stephanie didn’t have anything else to say about Joanie…or Jessie’s mother. As a matter of fact, her brain had pretty much shut down under the oral onslaught Jessie had launched. Her hands drifted down to rest on Jessie’s head as she pushed up her shirt and continued covering her entire stomach area with licks and tiny kisses. Writhing under her, she tangled her hands in Jessie’s hair. Her breathing becoming more and more labored, she pulled Jessie upward. “Jessie…Jess…more…”

  Looking up through a fall of dark bangs, Jessie whispered, “More what, Sweetheart? What do you want?”

  “Everything. I…I want…everything,” Stephanie stammered, her attempt to direct events failing utterly. The only thing she cared about or was even aware of, was Jessie’s mouth, her hands, her tongue…everywhere all at once. When she suddenly felt Jessie tugging at her jeans, she blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even noticed her unbuttoning or unzipping them.

  Moving on autopilot, Stephanie lifted her hips off the bed when Jessie whispered, “Lift up, Sweetheart. I need these off you.” As she did, Jessie leaned down and planted a kiss on each bared thigh. Then, the jeans were tossed to the other side of the room, and Jessie was at her feet, removing her socks and grinning madly.

  “I love you,” Jessie said quietly, as she knelt down and began running her tongue from Steph’s toes, all the way up to her knees. Suddenly re-joining her on the bed, Jessie knelt next to her. Still trailing her fingers up Stephanie’s body, she stopped, when she reached the underside of her breasts. Drawing circles with her fingers, teasing her, Jessie smiled. “I want to give you everything.” Not wanting to torture the other woman, she pushed the shirt upwards.

  Breathing heavily and moaning with pleasure, Stephanie swallowed hard when Jessie moved to take off her shirt. Still, she was coherent enough to help. Falling back to the mattress, she was helpless to do anything but plead for more when she felt Jessie’s mouth on her through the silk of her bra. Pressing Jessie’s head to her, she tilted her head back, gasping. She slid one hand down to scratch her back and realized that Jessie was still dressed. Tugging at Jessie’s shirt, she tried to get her to take it off. She realized then, that Jessie was shaking minutely.

  Memories came crashing into her like a tidal wave. The first night she’d stayed at Jessie’s, she had been shaking then, too. Scared of getting hurt again, afraid of falling in love, even though she was already hopelessly drowning, Jessie had suddenly stopped moving when Steph tried to do this same thing. This time however, she didn’t think that was the problem. They’d moved passed that. Jessie had come all the way to California just to be with her. She’d professed her love to her. Why was she shaking?

  The question drew her up short. No longer lost in an erotic haze, she stopped tugging at Jessie’s shirt. Instead, she caught her head between her hands. Quietly, she said, “Jess…Jessie…” When Jessie stopped kissing her and looked up, she smiled reassuringly. “Hey, why are you trembling?”

  “Am I?” Jessie asked, averting her eyes briefly, before looking deeply into Steph’s green ones. “I hadn’t realized.”

  Stephanie stroked her cheek and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Is there something wrong? Have I done something…?”
br />   She shook her head. “No. Nothing’s wrong. I just…” she stopped and licked her lips, considering what she wanted to say. How could she explain what she was feeling?

  Stephanie waited patiently. When it looked like Jessie wasn’t going to be able to voice what she was feeling, she prompted gently, “You can talk to me about anything, Jess. I love you.”

  Taking a deep breath, Jessie closed her eyes and nodded. She didn’t want Steph to doubt her feelings for her. She just wasn’t sure how to put what she was feeling into words. When she opened her eyes again, she said simply, “I know.”

  “Then what is it, Sweetheart?” She hugged Jessie close and rubbed her back. When Jessie only shook her head against her shoulder and refused to answer, she said, “Jess, you’ve helped me, and been there for me so much. But the only way this will work is if we’re there for each other. I want to be there for you, too. Please let me?”

  Hearing the fear in Stephanie’s voice reminded Jessie of their argument right before they left for California. Unwilling to put Stephanie through any more pain due to her inability to speak, she forced herself into motion. Propping herself up on one elbow, she looked deep into those green eyes. Grazing Steph’s cheek with her finger, she smiled. “I love you. I know you’re there for me and you always will be. And there is nothing bothering me.” She smiled shyly. “Except, of course, for the fact that you’re still dressed.”

  Stephanie rolled her eyes at that and play swatted her on the rear. “You are so bad.”

  “I know, but you seem to like it,” she shrugged, smirking.

  “I may like it when you’re bad, I’d never deny that, but I still want you to be comfortable enough with me to share everything,” she said seriously, refusing to be deterred by Jessie’s efforts.

  Jessie bent down and kissed her again. When she finally released those gorgeous, full lips, the look on her face was serious as well. “I am comfortable with you. I swear. There’s nothing wrong…nothing bothering me. If I’m trembling, it’s because I love you so much. I guess I just realized…This is all real, isn’t it? I mean, before…when you were in Ohio, it was hard to believe; me. With you. But now, here we are, at your place…in California. And it’s all real. It’s not a dream. As for sharing everything with you…” she leaned down and brushed their lips together once more. “I’m yours…body, mind, and soul.”