On the Edge (The Grange Complex Book 1)

Sasha

He let me in and I went straight to the kitchen, wanting to see it for myself. All the containers were gone. He’d even gotten rid of the weed and whisky. He started opening the cupboards and drawers, showing me that there was nothing in them.

All right, so he was sticking to his medications, but drugs and buzz were just the tip of the iceberg. Depression didn’t just go away; it fed on a person, waiting for that one unexpected moment to strike back. I couldn’t just jump back into a relationship. We both needed more time, and if he wanted me, then he needed to show me that he wasn’t throwing out any empty words.

“Dexter, that’s great you’re not going back to your old ways, but–”

“Hold on; that’s not all. I need to show you something else.”

I followed him to the table. He typed something into his laptop. His elbow brushed over my stomach, accidentally, but I felt tingles running over the base of my spine.

“All right, so what do you want me to see?” I asked, feeling warm all of a sudden. All the windows were shut and it was humid outside. He winked at me and typed something else on the address bar. I leaned over when a new page popped up. It took me a few seconds to realise that I was staring at a support group website for people who suffered with bipolar disorder. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I was shocked, not quite believing that he would join something like that.

When I glanced at Dexter, he was watching me with nervousness in his eyes, like he was afraid that I would take his honesty the wrong way.

“What is this, Dex? What does this mean?”

“I’m going to go to this support group meeting. Sticking to meds is easy, but that asshole Bishop said that I could have relapses. I don’t want to screw this up.”

The emotions that started floating back to me were dangerous. I didn’t want him to see that I was moved. Dexter Tyndall and a support group. This was the last thing that I thought he would do. All this time, he didn’t want to let me in, pretending that it wasn’t a big deal when he saved Joey’s life. I didn’t want to believe that he would sit in a circle of other people discussing his private life. A warm tingle began crawling its way to my heart. Shit, I wasn’t expecting it. Dexter was trying hard, probably because of me.

“Have you got the date of the meeting set yet?”

We were standing so close to each other. Sweat broke out on the nape of my neck, and a slow burn spread across the skin on my breasts. My knickers clung to my wet pussy, building a familiar desire deep in my core. I was always so weak around him, but now it was torture, because I loved him. It was a bad idea, coming here. It made me realise that I needed to feel him inside me again, that I wanted him to devour my mouth.

“Barbie, I want you to come with me. You know how much I can’t stand being around people, but I want to be clean for you.”

Tears forced their way to my eyes, but I didn’t let him see that these words melted my heart. We were discussing the possibility of being there for one to another, not the possibility of spending life together forever. The reality hit me like cold rain on a humid summer day.

“Come here, you knob,” I said and brought him closer to me, needing to satisfy that craving for closeness. I didn’t want him to see through me, to sense that I had developed deep sincere feelings for him, and now he was wrecking me from the inside out. There were endless possibilities, many other men, but Dexter was the first one that restored the idea that I could be loved again.

He didn’t waste much time; he wrapped his arms around my waist and started brushing my neck gently with his lips, barely even touching it. He was too much; this whole thing was too much. My resistance against him, the steel fence around my heart began melting, like ice in Hawaii.

“Argh, fuck it,” I rasped, bringing his lips down to mine quickly. I needed to taste him again, feel him heat the blood in my veins. Dexter’s hands were in my hair, his lips tasting, caressing mine. I moaned into his mouth, rubbing my thighs over each other. I was soaking wet, throbbing between my legs. He cradled me closer to his lean body and grabbed my hand, directing it down to his impressive erection. I imagined him making love to me this time, rubbing my clit while I was on top of him. I knew that I had lost this battle when he grabbed my hips and sat me on the table, spreading my legs apart.

is fucking happening,” he stated and claimed my neck with his

forget about my own promises and resolutions. Dexter took off his T-shirt and pulled my trousers and knickers down, plunging his fingers inside me. I cried out with pleasure and the need for more.

mine again,” he growled. I bit his shoulder, feeling that I was going to come apart when I heard the tiny voice of sweet surrender, as well as the voice of

can’t do this. I’m sorry, it’s too soon,” I rasped out, pushing him away. He pulled back, breathing hard. His eyes were crazy hot. I tried to fix my

a slap would have been a great reminder that we were still working on this whole “fucked-up

me so much.” He chuckled, leaned over and blew air into my

that dirty talk. I never thought that I had it

moment of weakness, Dex,” I said, trying to laugh it off. “I’ll happily go to that

eyes steady on his eyes, not on his perfect, sweaty, muscular chest.

with me to have dinner at my mother’s this Sunday,” he prompted, handing me a

mother’s? Why?”

there. It’s part of the plan, you

annoyed now, and yet again, I was stunned. I needed to remember that Dexter was still himself and I needed to keep him on a short leash. This whole

Dexter

see that I was taking my illness seriously. The whole thing with the support group went better than I expected and I even had a chance to grip her superb toned body against mine. That was a bonus, but then she panicked and pushed me away. I dropped her at her home a few hours later, waiting for some news from Ronny, but he had nothing. It looked like, apart from the initial charge for assault and ABH, Sasha’s ex was clean. I was getting anxious, but Ronny hadn’t given up yet. I offered him more money and he asked me to give him a

had to make a huge fucking effort, which meant going out on dinner dates, the cinema, romantic walks and all that bullshit. I missed sex more than I

would drop her off. She knew how much I hated this whole dating thing, but she was testing me to see if I was good enough for her. Now I was beginning to understand why there were so many problems with women

die of blue balls. Sasha was a terrible liar, and I knew that she wanted

for my cock,” I said when she got into my car

was fastening her seatbelt, I took the time to check out her rack. We were made for each other. I kept talking dirty to her and

an interview the other day and I had a phone call today. They offered me a permanent full-time position in the Royal Infirmary hospital

you out. We

me in the complex, but we weren’t even a proper couple, thanks to my fuck-up from a few weeks ago. Besides, I wanted her to see her ex being punished, so

dinner to be spectacular, so in the morning I made some phone calls and secured a private table on the roof terrace in one of the best places in Edinburgh.

the middle of the night when I was alone in the apartment, I had been getting cold sweats. All my distraction and avoidance techniques had been taken away from me, so I was desperate to have her in my bed. Not just

stylish hotels. I wanted to have her to myself tonight, forgetting about nosy people around us. A couple

waiter that welcomed us with a glass of champagne. Earlier on, I’d reminded her to grab a change of clothes, because we were going to

on the top floor with our own apartment that I had hired for the night. I knew that I could forget

know what to

poured her a glass of vintage champagne and smiled. “We’re celebrating, Barbie. Just eat, drink and think about my cock. That’s all I’m asking,”

trying, huh? Thinking that all that dirty talk you will get you