Breaking Free (Invitation to Eden) Read Free

She pulled it shut behind her, and the old hinges groaned like a wounded animal and cut through the unnatural silence in the hallway before the lock clicked into place.
    She stepped into the long corridor and followed the dim path leading to the shower area. The coldness of the tile seeped into her bare feet, and as the blackness in the hall enveloped her, her thoughts once again returned to her father and how distant he was with her. But thinking of him instantly darkened her mood and stirred the sense of loneliness that had long ago taken up residence inside of her.
    She hated how little he had to do with her, how easily he dismissed her, sending her to an out of state college and insisting she earn a business degree—no doubt so she could help cook the books when she returned home. Except accounting was the last thing she wanted to do.
    Truthfully, she wanted to be a dancer, a performer of sorts, but the man she called daddy—when he happened to be around—cared nothing about her wants or needs. No, the man who didn’t deserve the title of father, the man who had wanted a son, not a daughter, cared only about what was best for him. And it wasn’t like she had a mother to turn to. Marilyn Rossi had skipped town years ago, never to be heard from again. As a child, her disappearance had hurt deeply, but as Alaska grew older, she realized that any mother who would abandon her little girl and leave her with a man who was as cold as the snow covered streets outside her window wasn’t someone Alaska wanted around anyway.
    Sure, her father had secretly hired a bodyguard to detail her every move, but she knew it was his way of shielding himself. The man had enemies, so if Jesse was watching out for her, then no one could get to the all-powerful and mighty Franco Rossi through his one and only offspring.
    If only she could get out from under his control, go somewhere where she could simply be Alaska Rossi. Although she honestly had no idea who that girl really was, considering she’d never been given the opportunity to really find herself.
    Not wanting to dwell on those disheartening thoughts any longer, she padded quietly down the empty hall. She had only taken a few steps when a familiar sensation came over her. Slowing her pace, she angled her head and held her breath, straining her ears for some telltale sound in the darkness. She stole a glance over her shoulder, half expecting to find Jesse lingering in the distance, watching her with those hard, piercing eyes of his. Her body stirred to life, and warmth invaded her nether region as she thought about the intense way he watched her. He reminded her of a predatory animal, patiently watching its prey, waiting for the right moment to pounce and claim its prize. The thought of being claimed by him brought heat to the valley between her thighs and had her thoughts careening in an erotic direction.
    She searched the hall, but when her glance came up empty, the vixen inside her wondered where her bodyguard was hiding tonight and what it would actually take to get him to act on the heat between them. 
    She stepped into the common area. Since modern dorms had little privacy, the area housed a big mirror and dozens of sinks where both guys and girls could attend to their hygiene simultaneously. To the left, behind a high partitioning wall, the girls shower area awaited her. The same set-up could be found to her right, where a ‘boys only’ sign went ignored. While she’d never personally broken that rule, she knew many girls who showered with the guys, two or three at a time, actually. A strange quiver moved through her as she visualized that delicious scenario. Of course, the ‘girls only’ sign also went unheeded. Many guys crossed over into female territory, but unfortunately, none had ever come looking for her. Then again, Jesse had crossed it that night six months ago when she was alone in one of the open stalls, deep under the hot spray, utilizing the shower nozzle in