To Love Again

Chapter Two

Claire

“ Who was he!?” Lucas screamed at me. “Why the hell were you talking to him, Claire!?” His big hands gripped my slight shoulders, shaking me roughly.

“I don't know, Lu! I was just waiting for you to pick me up and he came and started talking to me!” I choked out the lie, feeling horrible for acting like Micheal was just some random freak on the street. But it was safer this way.

Lucas's scowl darkened, “ He better have been. If I find out you've been sleeping around with gutter trash, you're dead. I don't need you ruining my reputation.” he flung me away from him, into the corner of an ornate dining table. I winced when it made contact with my hip. That would leave a mark for sure.

The thought of bruises made me think of Micheal. His reaction when he saw the ones Lucas had given me earlier to day made it clear he knew what had caused them. The shame ate away at me. My only relief was that I would never have to face him again. He was only one in a million people living in New York.

I returned my focus to Lucas. “I would never do that, Lu. I need you.”

His face lightened, “ Remember that.” he glanced at his watch, “ Melissa's going to get here in a few minutes. Go get us some drinks” I nodded, submissive.

I padded over to the huge kitchen. Beautiful marble counter tops and stainless steel appliances shinned at me. I opened the large double door fridge and hefted out a six pack of Lucas's favorite beer. I hated beer. Lucas was at his worst when he was wasted.

I carried the bottles into the living room, wondering why I was still here. I'd met Lucas over a year ago while I was working at a bar in Manhattan. He'd swept me off my feet with sweet nothings and his foreign charm. He acted the perfect gentleman until I agreed to move in with him. I'd quit my job by then, him having convinced me in was beneath me and his offer was to good to refuse.

After only a few weeks at his pent house, he started pushing me around. I didn't say anything about it, sure none of it was purposeful. Then he'd accused me of sleeping with a friend of his who's made a pass at me. I'd loudly denied it and he hit me.

I tried to leave. I interviewed at a few places, trying to get a job I could live off of. Lucas found out and was furious. He screamed and hit me, saying that no one would have a lying skank like me. The next day, all of my prospective employers called and said that they found me unsuitable for the position.

I'd given up after that. I went to all the parties Lucas wanted me to go to and acted like the good little girlfriend. There hadn't been any choice. I needed Lucas.

That was why what Micheal had said hit me so hard. He said he could help me but he really had no idea. Lucas Walker was one of the richest and most influential men in New york city. Poor Micheal from the bus stop didn't stand a chance.

I set the drinks down on the glass coffee table just as the door bell rang. A muffled, “Get that!” could be heard from across the house. I steeled myself for what could only be the arrival of the notorious Melissa Harper.

As soon as I opened the door she brushed past me, already bemoaning something.

“ Oh, Lucas! You wouldn't believe what Mikey did today! He totally canceled my trip to Paris.” I was left in a haze of expensive perfume and unkind thoughts.

Lucas appeared wearing a pair of designer jeans and a smoking jacket. “ Why, hello. You're looking ravishing this evening.” his gaze lingered on Miss Harper's rather exposed chest. I shuddered at where I was pretty sure this evening was going to go.

Melissa Harper was a lot of things. None of which were good. For the past couple months she'd been coming over, hooking up with Lucas and going back to her millionaire boy toy without a thought. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the boyfriend. I knew good and well what it was like to be blatantly cheated on.

The girl got away with it too. She was tall and voluptuous, landing her a spot as a quickly rising star in the modeling world. Bright blue eyes and golden blond hair attracted all kinds of men, including jerks like Lucas. And good guys like Mikey Cunninghan.

Mikey Cunninghan, though I'd never met him, was a philanthropist. Every three months he hosted a charity gala for various hospitals, earning millions of dollars. The strangest part was that he had only recently come into money. The paper read that at the death of his great grandmother, two years ago, he inherited over thirty eight million dollars.

I'd always wanted to meet him but he ran outside of Lucas's circles and where Lucas went, I went. Even with Lucas drooling over Melissa's heels, I'd never even seen her boyfriend.

“ Hey, Claire! Come here for a minute.” Lucas called from the living room, where he and Melissa had run off to. I reluctantly trudged in.

His jacket was hanging off one shoulder and his jeans were unbuttoned. She was even worse off. Her shiny halter top had slid down, showing enough to where I was feeling dirty, and her skirt was ridden up so high that I caught an involuntary and unwanted peek of her hot pink panties.

“ Dear, we need you to call Mr. Cunninghan and tell him that Ms. Harper has been called away for a photo shoot. Here's his personal number.” Lucas pulled me against him, gripping me around my waist, and nuzzled into my neck with his already swollen lips. A creeping hand found its way to my neckline and into my bra. I swallowed my revulsion.

“Of course, Lu.” I responded. He grinned and nodded. “ Wonderful. Hop to it.” With a patronizing slap on the butt, I was off.

As I rounded the corner I heard Melissa.

“ Lucas, why do you keep her around? I mean, I keep Mikey for his money, but that little slut doesn't have anything going for her.”

“ Sure she does. That girl will do anything I say. She's madly in love with me.” he chuckled and the next sound I heard was some strange slurping and I certainly didn't want to find out what that was.

I controlled my fury until I was in my room. The moment I crossed the threshold I lost it.

“ Agh! As if I could still be in love with him after all this!After all these bruises? I don't think so!” I kicked the bed post with gusto. The sharp pain quickly drained my anger, leaving me feeling dejected and ignored.

With a shudder of disgust, I pulled out the little slip of paper Lucas had slipped into my bra. The ten digit number glared up at me in his careful lettering.

It sank in that I was going to be calling a man to lie to him. A good man by the sound of it. The thought of it turned my stomach.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed. My trepidation grew with each tone. I half hoped he wouldn't pick up. No such luck.

“ Hello?” a rich, husky voice answered.

“ Is this Mikey Cunninghan?” I asked. If so, he didn't sound like I'd thought he would.

I heard a slight groan, “ Oh god, has that gotten around already?I really wish she'd stop calling me that.”

“Uh, Mr. Cunninghan, I'm calling to tell you that your girlfriend, Miss Melissa Harper, is at a photo shoot and that she asks you not to worry.” I quickly said what needed to be said. The man wasn't making sense.

“ Who is this?” his rough voice went flat.

“I'm Lucas Walker's personal secretary. He's the one hosting the photo shoot.”f I choked out the lie, hoping like hell it sounded convincing.

“ Yeah. Sure. That's what she's doing.” he sounded sad. I realized that he knew what Melissa was doing. Oh god.

“ Um, well, sir, I should be going now. Good bye.” I tried ending the conversation as quickly as possible. He didn't allow it.

“ No, wait! Could you tell her something for me?”he sounded thoughtful.

“ Of course.”

“ Tell her, that if it will make her happy, I'll go to Paris.” And the call ended.