"I'm right here, baby." I took her hand in one of mine. "Were you dream- ing?" "Yeah... it was weird." She left the bed and went into the loo. I heard water running and a glass being set down on the counter. I waited in bed for her to come back, and after a couple minutes she did.Boy. Did. She.She slinked out stark naked with a look in her eyes that I'd seen before. A look that says, I want sex and I want it NOW. "I think you know," she said in a sultry voice as she climbed on top of me and looked down, her hair falling forward like a pleasure goddess intent upon ravaging me."Brynne? What's going on?"Oh. fuck yes!My hands went up to her breasts without a thought. God! I cupped all that soft flesh in my hands and drew it toward my mouth. She arched and began grinding over my cock, which was now as wide awake as my brain. I forgot about her being out of commission because she sure wasn't acting like she was out of commission.I got my mouth over her nipple and sucked it in deep. I
"The US papers," Frances said, setting the stack on my desk. "There's an inter- esting article in the Los Angeles Times on members of Congress with children in active military service. Guess who they interviewed?""He must be one of the very few. Oakley will milk it for everything he can. Thanks for these." I tapped the stack of papers. "What about the other thing?" Frances looked very pleased with herself. "Picking it up when I go out to get lunch. Mr. Morris said it restored beautifully after so many years in the vault.""Thank you for seeing to that for me." Frances was a gem of an assistant. She ran my company office like a tight ship. I might organize the security, but that woman kept my business sorted, and I didn't underestimate her worth for an instant."She's going to love it." Frances hesitated at the door. "And did you still want me to clear your schedule for Monday?" "Yes, please. The Mallerton thing tonight and then we leave in the morning for Somerset. We'll drive back M
A call came through just then, pulling me out of my woolgathering moment and back into the very demanding and very urgent present situation of my job responsibilities. The day flew, and before I knew, it was time to get moving. I called Brynne as I was leaving the office to tell her I was on my way. I ex- pected to get a breathless rundown of everything that needed to be done before the thing tonight and our impending trip. I got voice mail instead. So I sent her a short text: On my way home. Need anything? And got no response.I didn't like it and realized right then and there that I would always worry about her. The worry would never go away. I'd heard people say such things about their children. That they didn't know what real worry was until they had someone in their lives important enough to measure the true essence of what it meant to love another person. With that love came the burden of potential loss-a prospect too uncomfortable for me to think much about.Remembering the env
"Ahhh, so you're just using me for my excellent bathroom amenities then?"She giggled and moved her hand down between us to grip over my hard- ening cock. "Excellent amenities all the way around as I see it." I laughed and groaned at the same time, sweeping off her and into the bathroom. "I'll get the hot water started... and I'll be waiting for you in there."I didn't have long to wait before she joined me naked and mind-bendingly sexy as usual, rendering me utterly captive and raging to claim her body with the dominating sex I couldn't seem to control when we were together. My ulti- mate reward and my greatest fear all rolled into one. I'd joked about the gala tonight and sharing her with others, but the statement held far more truth than I wanted to admit. I loathed sharing her with other men who admired her far too much in my opinion.But it was the reality of Brynne, and if she was my girl, then I'd have to learn to take it like a man.We made very good use of the time in that ho
The National Portrait Gallery is a magnificent venue for events and one I am well acquainted with, having been there many times before: working security. sometimes as a guest and once or twice with a date.But never like this.Brynne brought a whole new meaning to the idea of possessiveness. At least for me she did. I thought I might be dead by the end of the night from keeping up with all the people who wanted a piece of her.She looked so beautiful and perfect in her periwinkle lace dress and silvery shoes; every inch the model she was outwardly, but inwardly, that artistic mind of hers was brilliant and respected for the work she did in her field. My girl was a celebrity tonight. It damn well helped to see my gift around her neck too. She is mine, people! Mine! And don't fucking forget it either!The display of Lady Percival was indeed a hit. She'd been set up as a tutorial on the conserving process, as her restoration was only partially complete. And Brynne, of course, was credite
"Hello, Ethan. It's so nice to see you here tonight. I was just asking Ivan about you the other day.""Is that so?" I nodded at her, desperately wishing I remembered her name. "Drink... um...?" I looked down, feeling like an asshole and wanting to be anywhere else at this moment."Priscilla."Well, I got the first letter right. I snapped my fingers and pointed at the ceiling. "Right-Priscilla, can I get you a drink? I'm just about to head back up to the Victorian Gallery." Please say no."Yes! I'd love a Cosmo," she gushed, her eyes lighting up as she perceived some interest on my part. She gave me a thorough looking over and I found it more than uncomfortable. This was something I'd put up with for years from women. I'd done it for the sex, of course. I mean, who will shag you if you don't at least let them admire and pretend to be flattered by their attentions? But re- ally, I didn't like it, and it had been nothing more than a game for me. Before Brynne much of what I'd been doing
"I need to have something along the lines of what you're having." He waved off and left for the bar.I nursed my vodka for a few more minutes before deciding a smoke would be just the thing. Brynne was still too busy to be interrupted, so I found Neil and told him where I was headed. I located an exit door down at street level, propped it open just enough so I could get back in the same way I'd gone out, and stepped into the cool, fresh night.The clove tasted so fine I think I got a tad hard. Just a few more hours and we'd be on our way out of London and I'd have her all to myself. The city lights and sounds were a comfort swirled with the scented smoke that wrapped around me like a cloak. As I stood there and indulged in another coffin nail. I wondered how I'd ever get off the smokes completely. I was really trying to limit my consumption, but I'd been at it for so long, I just didn't know how to let go completely. Addiction was a powerful component of the body and the spirit. And t
"I'm here," came a weak reply, but praise the angels, it was her!"Baby! Thank Christ..." I tried the knob again. "Let me in. We have to go!" The door latch clicked and I wasted no time wrenching open the final barrier between me and my girl. I would have torn it off and thrown it if I'd had the ability.She stood there looking pale, with her hand over her mouth, sweat dotting her forehead, in her beautiful periwinkle dress. The most gorgeous color in the whole bloody world right now! Maybe forever. I didn't think I would ever forget how I felt in this moment. The stark relief at finding her just about took me to my knees in thankfulness."What's going on with the fire alarm?" she asked. "Are you okay?" I wrapped my arms around her, but she pressed a hand to my chest to keep a distance. "I just threw up, Ethan. Don't get too close." She kept one hand over her mouth. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Thank the gods I remembered about this bathroom being so close by. I was in here ben
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.