Someone smelled very good as they touched me. I could smell the spice and feel the weight of a hand on my shoulder. But the fear rose up anyway. The blast of terror that brought me screaming into consciousness arrived right on schedule. I knew what it was, but still the panic ruled me. I should know. The feeling had been with me for years now.
"Brynne, wake up."
That voice. Who was it? I opened my eyes and faced into the blue intensity of Ethan Blackstone not more than six inches away. I pushed back into the seat to make more distance between me and that gorgeous face. I remembered now. He bought my picture tonight. And took me home,
"Shit! I'm sorry I-I fell asleep?" I fiddled for the door handle, but I didn't know this car. I scrambled blindly to get out to get away. Ethan's hand shot over and covered mine, stilling it with a firm touch. "Easy. You're safe, everything's fine. You just drifted off is all."
"Okay... sorry." I panted some deep breaths, looked out the window, and then back to him still watching my every move.
"Why do you keep apologizing?"
"I don't know," I whispered. I did know, but couldn't think about it at the moment.
"Are you okay?" He smiled slowly with a tilt of his head. I swear he liked the fact that he rattled me. I wasn't sure if I didn't. I so needed to get away from this situation right now, before I agreed to all manner of things. Something along the lines of Take off your clothes and stretch out in the big backseat of my Range Rover, Brynne. This man had a way with control that severely unnerved me.
"Thank you for the ride. And the water. And the other stu—”
"You take care of yourself, Brynne Bennett." He pressed a button and the lock clicked. "You have your key ready? I'll wait until you're inside. What floor is it?"
I dug my key out of my purse and replaced it with my phone, which was still on my lap. "I live in the top studio loft, fifth floor."
"Roommate?" "Well, yes, but she's probably not in. Again, wondering what loosed my tongue in sharing personal information with a virtual stranger. "I'll look for the light to come on then." Ethan's face was unreadable. I had no idea what he was thinking. I pushed the door open and got out. "Goodnight, Ethan Blackstone." I left his car at the curb and headed up the steps of my building, feeling the stare of his eyes as I walked. Sticking the key in the door, I looked back over my shoulder at the Rover. The windows were so dark I couldn't see inside, but he was in there waiting for me to get in my building so he could leave.
I opened the foyer door to five flights of stairs ahead of me. I slipped off the heels and did it barefoot. The second I entered my flat I hit the lights and locked up. I literally collapsed against the wooden door for support. My heels dumped on the floor in a clatter, and I exhaled a huge sigh. What the hell just happened?
It took a minute to heave myself away from the damn door and head over to the window. I pulled back the drape with a finger to find his car gone. Ethan Blackstone was gone.
*******
A five-mile run was just the ticket to help clear my head of the fog from last night's- Alice in Wonderland down a friggin' rabbit hole-trip. I seriously felt like I'd done the whole "Eat Me" and "Drink Me" thing too. Jesus, had the champagne been drugged? I'd acted like it. Allowing an unknown man to drive me in his car, drop me at my home and take over control of my food? Well it was stupid, and I told myself to forget about it and him. Life was complicated enough without borrowing trouble.
That's what Aunt Marie always said. Picturing her reaction to my modeling made me smile. I knew for a fact that my great-aunt was less concerned about the nude pictures than my own mother was. Aunt Marie was no prude. I set my iPod to shuffle and took off.
Pretty soon the awkward encounter from last night had been pounded onto the London pavement of Waterloo Bridge. It felt good to push myself physically and just run. Must be all the endorphins. Cursing inwardly for another sex reference, I wondered if that was my problem, and the reason I allowed Ethan so much leeway last night. Maybe I needed an orgasm. You're so screwed. Yeah, and I could just imagine the literal and figurative versions of that statement.
I forged ahead and crossed over onto the Thames path that followed the great river. My iPod helped too. Music had a way of resetting the brain. With Eminem and Rihanna battling out lying for the sake of love in my ears, I kept a steady pace and admired the architecture I passed on my route. The history in such an ancient city as London was vast, yet it contrasted with the bustling, modern world player in a perfect balance. Duality. I loved living here.
Modeling wasn't my only job. All students enrolled in the graduate program for art conservancy at the University of London were required to do practicum duties at the Rothvale Gallery in Winchester House. The Duke of Winchester's seventeenth-century mansion had housed U of L's Department of Art for about fifty years, and in my opinion, a more beautiful location to study certainly did not exist anywhere else.
Heading in through the employee entrance, I flashed my badge for security, then again for the conservation studios.
"Miss Brynne, good day to you." Rory. So proper and formal. The back room guard greeted me the exact same way every time I came in. I kept hoping that one time he would say something different. Shag any millionaire control freaks last night, Miss Brynne?
"Hey, Rory." I gave him my best smile as he let me through. I stayed focused and sharp during my work. The painting was a stunner, one of Mallerton's early works, entitled simply Lady Percival. An absolutely compelling woman with nearly black hair, a blue dress to match her eyes, a book in her hand and the most magnificent figure a female could ever hope to have took up most of the canvas. She wasn't so much a beauty as expressive, I very much wished I knew her story. The painting had suffered some heat damage during a fire in the sixties and never been touched since. Lady Percival needed a dose of tender loving care, and I would be the lucky one to give it to her.I was just about to go for a break when my phone went off. Unknown caller? It struck me odd. I didn't give my number out, and the Lorenzo Agency who represented my modeling had strict disclosure rules."Hello?""Brynne Bennett." The sexy cadence of a British voice washed over me.It was him. Ethan Blackstone. How, I have no
Benny's beautiful brown skin looked marvelous against the pale yellow shirt draped onto his muscled frame. Confidence poured out of Benny in every aspect of his life. Totally optimistic. I wish I could be more like him. I was giving it my best shot, but let's just say my best shot at it sucked."So this Ethan bloke is trying to get all up in you, huh? I saw how he watched you, Brynne. He never stopped looking," Ben muttered, "not that I blame him." Benny's always been sweet like this. My go-to guy when I need a shoulder. He's nosy, though. I'd tried all night to keep the conversation focused on his photography and gallery show, but he kept steering the talk back to Ethan."Yeah, well he has a way of getting the upper hand, and I don't like it, Ben." I dipped my French fry that I refuse to call a chip into some ranch dressing and popped it in my mouth. "And thanks for making an honest woman of me tonight." I ate another fry. "I told Ethan I had plans, which was a total lie until you ca
I sent the text to Ethan as Marco looked through the images. I'd worked with Marco one other time and I liked him a lot. Based in Milan, he liked classic poses reminiscent of the thirties and forties. "You are magnificent in these, bella," Marco told me with that beautiful Italian purr. "The camera is your friend."/ "It was nice. Thank you, Marco."I still had to get ready and headed for the dressing room. I tried not to fuss over my appearance, but Ethan was so damned handsome. I was just... më. I knew I had a decent figure. I kept it that way, and my body was my livelihood at the moment, so I took care of myself. And I'd had plenty of attention from boys growing up. Too much attention. But I wasn't beautiful. I had long, straight, light brown hair, nothing special. My eyes were probably the most unique thing about me. The color was odd-sort of a mixture of brown, gray, blue and green. I'd never known what to put on my driver's license back home. I went with brown.I opened my bag an
Vauxmoor's Bar & Grill was trendy but not boisterous to the point where we had to shout to talk. I mostly just enjoyed my view anyway. Seated over his plate of steak, Ethan was the picture of polite English gentleman. One supremely hot English gentleman. Gone was the heat and promise of sweaty sex we'd shared at the elevators. He'd turned that off just as quickly as he'd turned me on."How did an American find herself at university so far from home?"I picked at my steak salad and went for a sip of cider instead. "I ..... .. I struggled for a bit after high school", I closed my eyes for a moment after responding. "I was a mess actually, for a lot of reasons." Taking a breath to calm the nervousness that appeared whenever I had to answer this question, I said, "But with some help to focus my attentions, I discovered an interest in art. I applied to come here and by some miracle got accepted at U of L. And my parents were so thrilled to see me motivated they sent me off with hearty bles
"Don't be, Brynne. I try to avoid my hand to get off, especially if there are other, more lovely, options."His fingers tugged on my chin. I felt my body heat up as I let him lift my face. Whoa... breathe, Brynne, breathe."Like you." He whispered the rest. "I want the real thing. I want you underneath me. I want to get off with you?" His blue eyes never left mine. He did not let go of my chin either. He held me firm and made me acknowledge his words. "Why, Ethan?"His thumb flicked out and brushed my jaw. "Why does anyone want any- thing? It's just how I react to you." His eyes rolled over me and got that smoky look in them. "Come home with me. Be with me tonight, Brynne. Let me show you.""Okay." My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could hear it. And just like that I agreed to something I knew would be life changing. For me, it would be. The instant the word left my lips I witnessed Ethan close his eyes for just the briefest flicker. And then it was all a flurry of activity and p
I pushed his fine white shirt off him to the growing pile on the floor. I looked at his bare chest for the first time and nearly wept. Ethan was tight with muscles and washboard abs that melted into the most erotic V-cut I'd ever seen on a man.I leaned forward and touched my lips to the middle of his chest. He put his hands on either side of my head and held me to him, like he would never let go. His strength and dominance were pretty clear. When it came to sex, Ethan was the one in charge. And strangely, it soothed me to understand this. I was safe with him.He moved down to kneeling, his hands sliding down my hips and then my legs. When he got to my shoes, he tugged at first one and then the other and removed them sweetly from my feet. His hands skimmed back up to the waist of my linen pants. He pulled the string and loosened the tie and then dragged them to the floor. He steadied my legs while I stepped out of the crumpled heap of linen, and then he kissed me right above the waist
Ethan still kept his eyes on me. Even after we settled down from the rush of the sex, and after he'd left my body. He pulled off the condom, tied it and got rid of the evidence. But then he was right back, facing me again, his eyes moving over me, looking for my reaction to what we'd just done together."Are you all right?" he asked, brushing his thumb over my lips, tracing them ever so gently. I smiled at him and answered in a slow voice, "Uh-huh.""I'm not even close to being finished with you yet." He dragged his hand down my neck, over a breast, across my hip to rest on my stomach. “That was— so amazing, I don't .... I don't want this to be over." He left his hand splayed there and leaned forward to kiss me slowly and thoroughly, almost reverently. I could tell he was going to ask for something. "Are you on birth control, Brynne?""Yes," I whispered against his lips. I was right. He would be surprised at the reason, but I wasn't sharing that information tonight."I want... I want
He stroked over my head, trailing his fingers through my hair. I couldn't fight him. Not after tonight. The security felt too wonderful, my body too drained from all the orgasms, his hard strength too comfortable for me to battle him on the issue. So I slept. The terrors are real. They come in the night when I sleep. I try to fight them, but they nearly always win. Everything is dark because my eyes are closed. But I hear the sounds. Cruel words about someone, disgusting words and names. And terrifying laughter... They think it's funny to degrade this person. My body feels heavy and weak. Still I hear them laughing and replaying all of the evil they have done... **** I woke up screaming and alone in Ethan's bed. I figured out where I was when he came crashing into the bedroom, eyeballs wide. I started crying the minute I saw him. The sobs just got louder when he sat on the bed and grabbed me. "It's okay—I've got you." He rocked me against his chest. Ethan was dressed and I was still
A Gift for the ReaderA Christmas Story-Ethan and Brynne's Very First Meeting24 December 2023LondonThe street was remarkably sparse considering it was Christmas Eve. Probably because it was so damn freezing cold outside people were smart enough to stay in. It was totally clichéd to be shopping for a gift at this late minute, but here I was pushing my way through the doors of Harrods in hopes of something really perfect for my aunt Marie. I knew I'd better get my ass in gear too, because I would be spending the day with her tomorrow and had nothing to show up with!Marie was hard to buy for because she was so unique and unconventional; it was ridiculously difficult to top her lifestyle. She also had money enough to get anything she desired. She reminded me of Auntie Mame from the movie in a lot of ways. From the exotic travels to the rich dead husbands to the fantastic dresses in her wardrobe.After three quarters of an hour I gave up and started to head outside, stop- ping for a mo
"Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, okay?" I parked the car and went over to Brynne's side to help her out. "No peeking, Mrs. Blackstone, I want to do this right.""Eyes are closed. Mr. Blackstone," she said, standing before me. "My package. Give it to me, please."I retrieved it from the seat and placed it carefully in her hands. It was light, just a flat black box tied with a silver ribbon. "Ready?""I am." she said."Okay, keep them closed, and I'm going to pick you up and carry you.""Sounds very traditional," she said."I like to think of myself as a traditional guy, baby." I scooped her up, careful to arrange her dress so it wouldn't drag, and started walking up the gravel drive of Stonewell Court. The rocks crunched under my feet and you could hear the sound of the waves on the rocks far below us. It looked amazing and I hoped she liked it. The whole place was lit with torches in old urns and candles glowing inside glass luminaria on the ground. Even the upper
Strong arms wrapped around me from behind and familiar whiskers brushed at my neck. "Mrs. Blackstone, are you hiding in the garden at your own wedding party?" "Pretty much," I said leaning back into him in deep contentment."Awww, Christ in heaven! Not my mum too!" Ben growled at the dance floor where Simon was now doing a very lewd rumba with Mrs. Clarkson for a cheering crowd."Go get 'em. Ben." Ethan and I laughed at Ben's retreating back as he went off to rescue his mother from Simon's undulating hips.. "As insane as Simon looks right now, that crazy boy can dance," I said, still laughing. "I am not quite over the fact that you hired him to do our photos."Ethan smuggled into me a little deeper. "Don't remind me, please. He black- mailed me, you know. Said he would forgive the whole mess if he could secure the wedding photography for us. I figured that would be okay, so I agreed. Then he sent me the contract. Trust me when I say that your friend Simon has been well compensated for
Brynne had mentioned how the whole place was eerily quiet and that she'd never seen another person at the hotel, which made no sense with the Games happening. So that pretty much confirmed there were people involved at the highest levels. U.S. Secret Service, most likely. Westman was a dead man before he ever took Brynne from the flat. The senator had protectors in high places apparently. Westman had overstepped in his attempt at blackmail, and paid the ultimate price.Disaster averted, but still, far too fucking close for my comfort. This whole mess had happened for a reason. Very strange, but true. If Westman hadn't started stalking her, we wouldn't have met, or ever gotten together, or be about to marry and have a baby. It was all just a bit much to rationalize sometimes, even if it was our reality. I tried not to think about that part. Brynne was free to live a regular life now, with nobody out there plotting to take her away, or harm her, or bother with any aspect of her, and thi
Four weeks later..."So I hear that congratulations are in order for the two of you." Dr. Burnsley looked up from between Brynne's legs, where he was using the banana probe on her again. I realized I was definitely jealous of the probe. That fucking thing was seeing more action than my cock lately. Brynne wanted to keep things chaste in the bedroom for the previous couple of weeks to make our wedding night a little more special. The most goddamn ridiculous notion I'd ever heard of, but hell, I just did what I was told. Mostly."That's right. By our next visit she'll be Miss Bennett no more. It'll be Mrs. Blackstone from here on out." I gave Brynne a slow wink.She mouthed the words Love you. I love you too, my beauty. I thought my words."Lovely news, then," Dr. Burnsley said, now looking at the monitor as he found the black blob on the white blob with the beating heart, except our blob had grown considerably and didn't look even remotely blobish anymore. My eyes were transfixed-I cou
My attempt at killing him had obviously failed, because he now had a sharp blade pressed up against my neck, shocking me with its coldness, forcing me to stop struggling. The disappointment I felt was a bitter pill to swallow, but even worse was the heartbreaking sight of Ethan's face in the twilight. He stood not less than ten yards away from me. So close, but not close enough. Ethan's flat-out run had come to a screeching halt, his arms splayed out in surrender, his head shaking back and forth in a silent plea to Karl not to cut me. This....would be Ethan's undoing. His fear of the blade would propel him into any kind of negotiation to free me. I knew it. Ethan would sacrifice himself to keep me from having my throat slashed. Karl could not have chosen a better trigger for Ethan's fear in all the world.Events and sequences had come together in near-perfect harmony, but near was not enough for my needs right now and wouldn't be until I had her safe in my hands again.My dad had know
My first instinct was to rip the lamp out of the wall and start bashing Karl on the back of the head with it. I don't know how I didn't. I wanted to hurt him, make him suffer in agony for a long, long time before he died. The evil my mind imagined for him was not fit for anyone to ever know. I'd have to keep it buried inside me forever. No problems there.It took some time, but we got there eventually. Karl got bored in our small prison and started texting someone or playing a game. I couldn't tell. That's how I knew he had his phone and where it was. I would have to get it from him at some point and use it to call the only phone number I could remember-the phone number I'd had since my move to London four years ago. I did not know any other numbers by heart but I knew that one.I thought about how I could get to Karl's iPhone. In time I realized the only way was for me to dig deep into my psyche to where I was willing to go all in, as Ethan would say. To bet everything. To carefully
He gripped my chin roughly and pinched, turning me back to him. "Don't think you can play hard to get with me, Brynne," he said in a cruel voice, before he slammed his mouth over mine, his tongue pressing in and trying to invade me.."Karl. I'm pregnant-no, please stop, please!" I begged between gasps for air."Ugh... that bastard's spawn growing inside you is not the nicest thought, my dear, especially when I'm trying to fuck you. You really know how to cock block, you know," he complained, "but fine, have it your way. I can wait."Karl heaved himself off me and leaned on the wall, his eyes roving over body with lust. He adjusted himself at the crotch and sneered at me."Are-are you going to kill me?" I tried not to think about his motives and what would happen if he succeeded. I fought to stay calm and not run. I needed Karl to trust me a little for what I hoped I could manage to do. Not running from him would be the first step."I don't know yet. Maybe I will and maybe I won't." He
I checked my watch, wishing I could leave Lord's Cricket Ground right now, but I knew I had at least another hour here. Ivan had just finished announcing the archery and the media crew was done with their telecast, but the stands were still being cleared, and I knew that would take some time. I was giving my cousin the personal treatment, the same as I did for members of the royal fam ily, and so far, so good. The men's individual elimination had proved no great surprise, and I could think of nothing I wanted more than to get home to my girl, and back into her good graces. I had some humble pie being served to me this evening and I was good with that.Ivan was making his way over to me when my mobile went off. I hoped it was Brynne. She'd never replied to my text from earlier. I smiled when I saw her name... but I read what she had typed in her message. And then my whole world collapsed.I can't do this anymore with u. Ethan, u killed us last nite. My Old life is what I want back now.