Read All In Page 12


  Paul started with a P as well, I thought. I was quite certain I’d never forget his name though.

  “Having trouble remembering her name?” Brynne asked.

  Yes.

  “What color was her hair, hmmm?”

  Strawberry blonde au naturale. I do remember that much.

  “Were you going to fuck her again, Ethan, if you hadn’t met me?” she kept taunting.

  I didn’t answer. I started the car and pulled out into traffic, just wanting to get home and maybe back to where we’d been just a few hours ago. I hated arguing with her.

  “Why did you slip out?” I managed finally. “After last night, you just ditched me this morning?”

  “I did not ditch you, Ethan. I got up, used your treadmill, took a shower and wanted a mocha coffee. We go to that shop all the time and I knew you were tired from…um…last night.”

  So she was thinking about last night too. I didn’t yet know if this was to my advantage or not but I hoped so. I pulled into the garage of my building and parked the Rover. I looked over at her hissing mad in the seat.

  Brynne wasn’t finished chewing me out apparently. “It’s something I do most every morning. It wasn’t raining and the day was perfect for a short walk down to the corner.” She threw up her hands again. “I had my run on the treadmill and wanted to get a white chocolate mocha. Is that such a crime? It’s not like I busted into The Tower and nabbed the crown jewels or something.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Baby, do you have any idea what it was like for me this morning to find you gone? No message, no note, no nothing!”

  She threw her head back onto the seat and looked up. “God help me! I left you a note! I did. I set it on my pillow so you’d see. It said: Went to get coffee at Java. Be back soon. I used your gym and took a shower before I left. Doesn’t that speak to what I was doing? Nothing covert going on, just having a normal morning, Ethan!”

  Not the kind of normal I want to wake up to ever again, thank you very much!

  “I didn’t get your blasted note! I rang you and got voicemail! Why didn’t you pick up if you were just in line for coffees?” I got out and wrenched open her door. I wanted her back in the flat in private. This public brawling sucked.

  She shook her head at me and got out of the car. “I was talking to my aunt Marie.”

  I stabbed at the lift call button. “At that hour of the morning?” I ushered her into the lift and backed her into a corner, my arms caging her in where I could get a little more influence over her. She was a loose cannon at the moment. The sound of the doors closing us into privacy was the most welcome sound I’d heard in the last minutes.

  “Aunt Marie is an early riser and she knows I am up in the mornings to run.” Brynne looked at my mouth, her eyes darting as she read me. I wished I knew what she was thinking. What was in her heart. I’d pushed up very close to her body, but didn’t touch. I just wanted to absorb the fact that I had her back in one piece.

  “Don’t do that again, Brynne. I’m serious. Those times of going off on your own are over.”

  The lift doors opened and she ducked around me to get out. I followed her down the hall and unlocked the front door to my flat. As soon as we were inside she let me have it. Her eyes flared and got sparkly. She was very, very pissed, and utterly beautiful in a way that got me hard as stone. “So I’m not even allowed to go down to Java’s and get a coffee?” she demanded.

  “Not exactly. You are not allowed to go alone and especially without telling anybody!” I shook my head in exasperation at what she’d done, threw down my keys and scrubbed my head. “Why is this concept so fucking difficult to comprehend?”

  She stared at me oddly like she was trying to figure me out. “Why are you really so angry, Ethan? Going for coffee in the light of day with people all around could not have been that much of a risk.” She folded her arms beneath her breasts again.

  “For all I knew, you’d broken off with me again and gone home to your place!” The truth is evil sometimes. Did I just say that out loud?

  “Ethan! I wouldn’t just do that.” She glared at me. “Why would you think that I would?”

  “Because you’ve done it before!” I yelled. There was that evil bastard truth again, worming his way into places and having a field day with my insecurities.

  “Fuck you!” she hissed, hair flying as she spun around and fled into the bedroom, slamming the door as she went in.

  Fucking hell, she so needed a good shagging. I could think of a few things that would shut her up. You’d think after last night she would wake up soft and obliging like a sleepy kitten. No such luck. I had a spitting mad, feral cat on my hands.

  I realized I’d left the coffee she’d bought me sitting in the drink holder down in my car. Fuck the bloody coffee, I needed a bottle of Van Gogh and about a dozen ciggies.

  I also needed a shower and to make a few things perfectly clear to my utterly frustrating female. Christ, she was a handful when she got like this, but a shower first and then maybe I could sit her down and attempt some logical reasoning. I went the back way to the bathroom rather than in through the bedroom because I imagined her dressing for work in there, and figured some privacy would be appreciated considering she’d just told me to sod off. I ditched my shoes and shirt and stepped in.

  And had to reach for my eyeballs as they bugged out of my head and rolled around on the floor. Brynne stood there half-naked in some really fucking sexy lingerie, doing her make-up, or hair or something.

  She twisted and gave me a look that spoke volumes about how angry she still was. “I found the note I left for you.” She picked up a piece of paper from the vanity. “It was under the sheets where you shoved it,” she smirked, let the paper fall, and then turned back to the mirror, flashing her gorgeous backside in some decadent, black lace knickers that made me feel certain my optic nerves were shot.

  I thought about her ass and last night. What we’d done, and what we hadn’t done…

  Her eyes caught mine in the mirror just before she looked down, her chest flushing pink over the curves of her breasts in that black lace bra I was insanely jealous of.

  That’s my girl.

  She was remembering too. Some things between us might be fucked up right now, but in the sex department we were solid.

  “We are not even close to being done discussing how the security works in regards to you.” I stepped up behind her, bringing my hand up to her hair and grabbing a handful. She inhaled deeply and flared her eyes up to mine in the mirror. “And you are in so much trouble right now.” I tugged her head to the side and bared her neck so I could get at it.

  “Ahhhh,” she breathed heavier. “What are you doing?”

  I descended on her neck and dragged my lips up the slim curve, nipping with my teeth. I bit just enough to get some sounds out of her. She smelled so good the scent intoxicated me to the point I was not going to maintain much control for long.

  “Not me. You’re going to be the one to say. You’re going to tell me what to do, baby. What am I doing to you first?” I kept one hand in her hair and brought the other one to her flat stomach and splayed it out, pressing hard as I lowered it down beneath the fine lace.

  She squirmed but I held her tight, my middle finger sliding right between her folds and over her clit. “This?” I moved my finger back and forth, lubricating her, getting her good and wet for me, but not penetrating. She would have to work for it.

  “Oh, God,” she moaned.

  I tugged her hair a little. “Wrong answer, my beauty. You didn’t tell me what I’m doing to you yet. Now say, ‘Ethan, I want you to…’” I removed my hand from between her legs and brought the finger that’d been sliding around her quim up to my mouth. I sucked it clean with plenty of show. “Mmmmm, like spiced honey.” I nipped at her neck again.

  She was frustrated and hot and needy and I was enjoying punishing her for what she’d done. She leaned into me and squirmed her ass cheeks against my cock. I pulled my hips back and
laughed low at the sound of her protests when I did.

  “Ethan…”

  I clucked at her and tugged on her hair again. “Such a defiant little thing today. I’m still waiting, baby. Tell me what you want from me.” I brought my free hand down to her ass and gripped the cheek roughly. “You started this little game and you know it, so tell me what I’m going to do to you.” She gasped when I dug my fingers in and tried to thrust back against my cock again. “Nope. You’re not getting that until you ask nicely for it.” I hauled my hand back and brought it down onto her ass with a smack. She yelped and stiffened up on her toes, arching like the beautiful goddess she was.

  “Ethan, I want you…” she softened and tried to turn her head against my chest.

  “Mmmmm, so you liked getting smacked on your gorgeous ass, yeah? Shall I give you another?” I whispered right up against her ear. “You deserved that little spanking, baby. You know you deserved it, and you still haven’t done as I’ve asked, you naughty thing. Tell me what I’m going to do to you up against the sink.”

  She cried out a lovely, submissive sound that had my heart pounding and my cock about to blow.

  “Tell me!” I smacked her ass again, holding my breath as I waited for her response.

  “Ahhh!” She rose up in an elegant arch and opened her mouth in a gasp. I knew I’d won, I knew she’d tell me, and the thrill was like nothing I’ve ever known when she said the words. “Ethan, you’re going to fuck me up against the sink!”

  “Bend over it and hold onto the edge,” I ordered, backing off her to wait for her compliance. She trembled a bit but got into position just like I’d told her to, looking so sexed it was nearly impossible to wrap my brain around this mind fuck we were indulging in, but man it felt too good to stop.

  I shoved my fingers under the elastic of that skimpy black lace and tore it down, pushing her legs apart as she stepped out. I could smell the spice of her arousal, her need for me, for what only I could give to her. I dragged the waist of my joggers open and took cock in hand. I slid it over her wet cleft and rubbed right on her clit but still no penetration. “Is this what you’ve been wanting, my love?”

  Brynne writhed her pussy over the bell end and tried to get down on my cock. I gave her points for effort but I was the one calling the shots and I needed more from her yet. My girl had a little more work to do before she got her reward.

  I returned to her hair and took another handful, stretching her neck back elegantly. “Answer the question, baby,” I said softly. Her beautiful throat moved beneath her swallowing as we looked at each other in the mirror. The hair pulling was a trigger for her. I never jerked hard enough to hurt, just to maneuver her body and dominate during sex. It made her wild and if she hadn’t got off on it I would never do it. I was all about pleasing my girl.

  “Yes, I want your cock, Ethan. I want you to fuck me with it and make me come! Please!” She was trembling against my body, absolutely simmering with heat.

  I laughed and licked up her neck stretched out for me. “Good girl. And what is the truth, baby?” I rubbed over her very sensitive clit some more and waited, loving the taste of her skin and the smell of arousal coming off her.

  “The truth is…I’m yours, Ethan! Now please!” she begged, filling my heart to bursting at the sound of those words.

  Absolute perfection. “Yes you are, and I aim to, baby. Pleasing you, pleases me.” I positioned the tip and impaled myself as far as I could go. We both made cries when our bodies connected.

  I kept hold of that silky hair as I fucked into her so I could see her lovely eyes through the mirror. That’s my thing. I don’t know why, but with Brynne I need her eyes when we fuck. I want to look into them and see every sensation, every thrust and pull of our sexes grinding and gripping, driving us forward toward the end, until we lose ourselves in a feeling that can only arrive between the two of us together.

  There’s a truth to looking into your lover’s eyes when you come, and drowning in Brynne’s eyes when it happened was a thing so powerfully connective, it bound me to her in a way that meant something important and real. The intensity of what was going on between us scared me actually. It made me extremely vulnerable but it was too late now. I had already fallen.

  Her inner muscles pulled in around me as she contracted into orgasm, crying out my name and shuddering. I kept pumping into her depths, feeling every clench and grab of her cunt as I fed her my cock. She felt so good convulsing around my shaft it made my eyes sting.

  Brynne’s body was made for the act of sex, but it was her that mattered. It was her that I loved. The seconds just before I climaxed, I thrust into her as deep and as far as I could and put my teeth down on her shoulder. She cried and I registered the sound of her, but couldn’t know if it was from pain or pleasure. I didn’t mean to hurt her but I was nearly out of my mind in that instant, just wanting to hold onto her, keep her with me, fill her up with my spunk, to make her mine.

  As the stuff spilled out of me and up into her, I told her again.

  “I…love…you…”

  I looked into her eyes, at the mirror when I said it.

  We didn’t make it to work anywhere close to on time. Didn’t matter. Some things are more important. We were both shattered from the sex and could barely stand after, so I picked her up and took her into the shower with me. I washed her all over and let her wash me. We didn’t talk. We just stared and touched and kissed and thought. After the shower I wrapped her in a towel and took her back to bed; it was only then, with her stretched out beside me all soft and content, that we spoke about things.

  “It’s not safe for you to go out alone. You can’t anymore. We don’t know the motives and I won’t risk you.” I spoke soft but firm, I wasn’t budging on this point and it needed to be said. “That’s it.”

  “Really? It’s that bad?” She looked surprised and then that fearful look I’d seen before appeared on her face.

  “It’s not known what’s going on in Oakley’s camp or his opponent’s. We have to assume Oakley’s got his eye on you, Brynne. He knows where you’ve been these years, where you work, where you live, and probably your friends too. I need to have a talk with Gabrielle and Clarkson soon. They should be briefed in the event they are approached because of their connection to you. Your friends know everything, right?”

  She nodded sorrowfully. “I just don’t see why people would want to hurt me. I didn’t do anything and I certainly don’t want to bring up the past. I just want to forget it ever happened! How is this my fault?”

  I kissed her forehead and rubbed her chin with my thumb. “Nothing’s your fault. We’re just going to be careful with you. Very—very—careful,” I said, kissing her on the lips three times in succession.

  “I don’t want anything from Senator Oakley,” she whispered.

  “That’s because you’re not opportunistic. Most people would exploit him for money to keep it quiet. You haven’t done that and they are watching to see what you might do. And I’m certain they are watching to see if Oakley’s enemies try to get to you. And truthfully, his political enemies are who concern me more. The video and Oakley’s knowledge of it, makes him culpable, bottom line. His adult son and friends committed a crime and he covered it up. Oakley’s opponents would find this information a political treasure trove. Not to mention a really sordid news story to sell lots of papers.”

  “Oh, God…” She rolled from her side to her back, throwing her arm up over her eyes.

  “Hey now.” I pulled her right back to facing me. “None of that, okay? I’m going to make sure they leave you alone for a lot of reasons. It’s my job for one thing, and you’re my girl for another.” I held her face close. “That hasn’t changed for you, has it?” I didn’t let her go because I needed the reassurance. I had to know. “Last night was…fucked up—”

  “My feelings haven’t changed,” she interrupted, “I’m still your girl, Ethan. Last night didn’t change anything with me. You have your dark place and I
have mine. I understand.”

  I rolled her into the covers and kissed her slow and thorough, letting her know just how much I needed to hear those words from her. Still, I wanted more from her though. Always more. How could I ever get enough when she was so sweet and beautiful and lovely?

  “I’m sorry about this morning,” she said, tracing my bottom lip with her finger. “I promised I wouldn’t leave you like that again, and I meant it. I’m sad that you thought I would do it too. You scared me when you woke up from your nightmare, Ethan. I hated seeing you hurting like that.”

  I kissed her finger. “The selfish part of me was so glad you were here. Seeing you was such a relief, I cannot even express the emotions that went through me when I saw you safe beside me. But the other part of me hated what you witnessed.” I shook my head. “I hated you seeing me like that, Brynne.”

  “You’ve seen me after a nightmare and it didn’t change how you feel,” she said.

  “No, it didn’t.”

  “So how is it any different for me, Ethan? And you won’t share with me…you won’t let me in.” She sounded hurt again.

  “I—I don’t know…I’ll try, okay? I’ve not spoken to anybody much about what happened. I don’t know if I can…and I know I don’t want to subject you to that dark place. It’s nowhere I want you to go, Brynne.”

  “Oh, baby,” she drew her fingers over my temple and stared into my eyes. “But I would go there for you.” She searched me. “I want to be important enough for you to tell me your secrets, and you have to let me in too. I’m a good listener. What was that dream?”

  I wanted to try to be normal for her, I just didn’t know if I could. I guess it was something I’d have to face up to if I wanted to keep her. Brynne was stubborn and a part of me knew she wouldn’t just let this go because I said I didn’t want to talk about it.

  “You are important enough, Brynne. You’re all that matters.”

  I traced her hairline with my finger and kissed her again, sweeping deeply with my tongue, savoring her sweet taste and loving her gentle acceptance of me. But the kiss had to end eventually and there was still my monster to face.