10. Blake
Blake
She’s trying to kill me.
“Callie, maybe now isn’t the time,” I warn her as she rolls me to my back and straddles me.
“You hurt me, you broke my trust, and then you held yourself back from me because of the knowledge you obtained. You know what you didn’t do? You didn’t talk to me. I’m a big girl, Blake. I make big girl decisions all by myself, and I sure as shit don’t need you or anyone else telling me how I should be feeling or acting.”
Fuck. She’s right.
She continues to speak before I can. “Part of me wants to walk out that door, climb in my car, and never come back.”
I grip her hips hard at that, as if holding her to me will prevent her from leaving.
“The other part of me isn’t ready to walk away from you yet.”
I yank her down and kiss her hard, filled with equal parts relief and trepidation.
“Which part is winning?” I ask, pulling away to look into her lust-filled eyes.
“That depends on you—” Her words cut off as I flip her over and press my body over hers.
“What do you need from me?” I ask, willing to do just about anything to fix this.
She lifts her head and bites down on my earlobe, making me grind my hard cock into her before she whispers, “I need your hands on my body, your lips on my skin, and your hard cock inside me.”
Fuck. Yes.
“Oh, Callie,” I growl, “All you had to do was ask.” Fisting a handful of her hair, I pull until her graceful neck is exposed. “What else do you want, Callie?” Dipping my head, I kiss behind her ear, making her squirm. “You like the idea of being spanked?” I tease, remembering her reaction.
She wiggles underneath me, which is an answer in itself.
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried it before, but I like to read, and I think I’d like to try everything once before I write it off, you know?” She gasps when I bite down on her ear and tug before releasing it.
“What else?” I echo, skimming my hand over her ribs before sliding it under her top. I want to hear her tell me all the dirty things she wants me to do to her.
“Erm…” She stalls, her blush intriguing me.
“Tell me,” I cajole before rubbing my fingers over one of her pebbled nipples and pinching it through the lacey material of her bra.
“I want you to tie me up,” she admits, making my already hard cock turn to steel. Jesus, she’s fucking perfect for me.
“There is something about giving over complete control to someone, trusting them not to abuse the power you give them, all while relying on them to give you pleasure. I… I wouldn’t trust just anyone to do that to me,” she adds, letting me know that despite the damage I caused with my thoughtless actions, beneath the anger, she still trusts me.
“The thought of tying you to this bed is like waving a red rag in a bull’s face,” I snarl at her, shoving her top and bra up roughly, exposing her peaked nipples to the cool air. “If you don’t want this, say so now,” I tell her. If she needs me to walk away I will, but it will be directly into a cold shower as I beat myself off to images of my cum painting her body.
“I want this,” she whispers.
That’s all I need to hear. I tug her T-shirt and with a little help on her part, slip it over her head and throw it to the floor. The bra follows before I dip my head and suck a nipple into my mouth, biting down softly before soothing away the sting with my tongue.
“Jesus, I could get addicted to the taste of you,” I breathe, slowly trailing kisses down her body, dragging my lips over her slightly rounded stomach, circling her belly button with the tip of my tongue, making her squirm with laughter.
I lift my eyes to look at her, burning the image of her smile into my brain as her hair fans out around her on the pillow like a halo.
I hesitate, but she must anticipate my question as she lifts her hips, allowing me to slide her shorts and underwear over her ass and down her smooth thighs. I toss them over my shoulder, not giving a single fuck where they land, and spread her thighs wide.
As soon as my tongue makes contact with her clit, she arches off the bed.
“Holy motherfucking dickballs!” she gasps, making me laugh against her, which in turn makes her moan and grip my hair hard.
I swirl my tongue around her clit before dipping inside her, savoring the taste of her honey on my lips.
Each flick of my tongue makes her gasp as I lick, suck, and worship her. When her legs begin to tremble and her breathing picks up, I slide two fingers inside her slick heat and suck hard on her clit. She comes hard, a scream spilling from her lips as her pussy squeezes my fingers tightly.
I drink in the rest of her before slipping my fingers into my mouth and sucking. She feels like heaven and tastes like sin, a seductive mix of innocence wrapped up in dark promises.
Her pupils dilate, and a red flush spreads over her cheeks.
“I think I have a new favorite thing to eat,” I admit as I climb over her and nestle my denim-clad cock between her legs, pressing down against her sensitive clit.
“Well, I wouldn’t want you to go hungry. You’re welcome to eat me anytime you like,” she tells me saucily.
I almost sigh in relief at the knowledge she’ll let me back in, that this isn’t her fucked-up way of saying goodbye.
“Oh, now that’s a deal I can’t refuse. So sweet,” I whisper against her lips, letting her taste herself. “Better than apple pie.” She freezes at my words, making me pull back so I can see her face.
“What is it?” Fuck was this too fast?
“Oh my god. Please tell me your grandmother isn’t still here.” She looks so horrified I can’t help but laugh.
“My ego is taking a blow here, Callie. I’m not sure how to feel about the fact you’re thinking about my grandmother right now,” I tease. When I see she looks genuinely uncomfortable, I rush to reassure her, not wanting anything to tarnish the moment. “You’re fine. She left when I got here.”
“Oh, thank god. I would never have been able to face her again. So, can I… um, do you want me to return the favor?” she asks softly, biting her lip, which makes my cock twitch. I do, I really fucking do, but… I can’t. My balls are going to hate me for this.
“Not today. Today isn’t about me, it’s about you,” I tell her as my cock throbs in disagreement.
“But—”
I silence her with a kiss. If she pushes, I’ll have her legs over my shoulders and my dick plowing in and out of her sweet pussy before either of us has time to consider the consequences.
I need to give her a moment to regroup. I don’t want this to be something else she regrets later.
“This was just for you. There will be plenty of time later for you to do whatever you want to me. Let me give you this,” I add when I feel her start to protest once more, until eventually, she relents. Taking advantage of her capitulation, I roll off her and move so her back is pressed against my front, loving how we fit together. I’ve never been one for cuddling, always leaving when the sex is over, but now I want nothing more than to lie with her and soak her in.
I grab the blanket and pull it up over us both and hold onto her as gradually she relaxes further and further and her breathing evens out.
I hold her tight until she falls asleep again, then carefully climb out of bed so I don’t disturb her. Heading to the bathroom, I wash my face before making my way back downstairs on silent footsteps, praying when she wakes up that she still wants me.
I creep down to the sitting room, where I find my grandmother looking worried.
“I thought you were gone?”
“I was too worried to stay away. I’m sorry—” she begins, but I cut her off with a shake of my head.
This isn’t on her, it’s on me.
“It was my fault. I should have said something to her sooner. The longer I went without saying anything, the harder it got. I’m not sorry I know the things I do, only that I took away her chance to tell me.” I sigh and run my fingers through my hair before pulling out the chair opposite my grandmother.
“So, what is she running from?” she asks me, her expressive face lined with unease.
“Truthfully? Her demons, I think.” I swallow hard at the knowledge of what that man did to his little girl, making bile rush up my throat. “Someone hurt Callie. He’s dead now, but from what I can gather, it wrecked the relationship between her and her mother too,” I hedge, not wanting to say too much and break Callie’s trust again. Fuck, that was probably still too much.
“That just breaks my heart. Horrible circumstances have a way of tearing families apart. But, lord, wouldn’t it be nice if it pulled them together sometimes instead?” She shakes her head with a sad sigh.
“It happens this way more often than not. You know that. From what little Callie has said, I get the impression that she’s very much in the denial stage of her grief still. That takes its toll on more than just the person affected. I can’t imagine what that would have been like for her mother in this situation. The guilt she must feel… hell, Callie likely sees her as the bad guy. And until she gets past this stage, she’ll never place the blame with whom it belongs.”
We both sit in silence for a moment, letting the cloud of sorrow engulf us before I stand up and shake it off. I’m feeling too wired and restless. I need to get out of here before I smash something or go back upstairs and fuck it out of my system.
“I need to head back to the office for a while. I dropped everything to get here when you called. Will you be okay to stay for a while?”
“You don’t even need to ask. I have my book in my bag. I’m going to sit out there on the porch and read until you get back.”
I lean forward, place a kiss on her cheek, and squeeze her shoulder. “Thank you,” I whisper, and I’m not just thanking her for staying.
“Boy, don’t you know I’d do just about anything for you?”
“If she asks, make sure you let her know you went home and came back,” I tell her, remembering my conversation with Callie about my grandmother not being here anymore. I don’t want Callie to think I lied to her, and that my grandmother was sitting down here all along listening to us.
As if she knows where my thoughts have gone, she laughs, “I’ve been having sex far longer than she’s been alive. Not much shocks me anymore.”
I manage to hold back my gag, but only just. “Nope, I don’t need to hear this.” I shake my head, but she just frowns before swatting me away.
“If you don’t want me to talk about it, then don’t do it close enough for me to hear your name being called in the throes of passion. Nice work, by the way, she seemed satisf?—”
I cut her off before I throw up my dinner. “Lalalalalalala, not listening to any of this. Love you, I’ll see you later.” I rush outside like my ass is on fire. Climbing into my car, I look up to the room Callie’s sleeping in.
She has been under my skin since the first moment I laid eyes on her but hearing her today tugs on places in my heart I had thought died long ago. What started as something fun is rapidly turning into something more, and I’m man enough to admit I don’t know if I’m ready. Opening myself up to someone after everything I’ve lost is far more than I ever anticipated. I hold back the dark parts of my life, even though I know I’m hurting her by doing it. But Callie has been touched by darkness too much for me to consider shrouding her with mine.
I drive back to the office on autopilot, my thoughts still very much on Callie. Pushing through the door to the office, I find the main reception area deserted with the exception of Kellen, who is on his laptop at my grandmother’s desk. He looks up with a frown when I enter.
“Everything okay? You tore out of here like the hounds of hell were on your heels,” he states as I walk over to the thankfully-full coffee pot.
“Yeah.” I don’t offer up anymore, but Kellen stares at me, waiting, and I know the stubborn fuck won’t back down until I give him something more than that.
“June let it slip to Callie that I ran a check on her. She wasn’t happy,” I admit.
“Hmm… I get that. I know you meant well, but if you flip the tables, I can’t imagine you liking her digging into your history so soon after meeting. Plus, you took away her opportunity to tell you. I’m sure, given her history, trust is a big issue for her, and because of the way you went about things, her trust in you has taken a blow,” he explains, reminding me of all the ways I’ve fucked up.
“Jesus, don’t hold back, will ya,” I answer him with a glare.
He shrugs, not fazed by my anger. “When have you ever known me to pussyfoot around? I’m just calling it like I see it.” He slaps me on the shoulder before grabbing his laptop and heading back toward the office.
“I have faith in your Casanova skills, boss. I’m sure it’s nothing a little groveling and a grand gesture won’t fix.” He leaves me to consider his words.
I can’t say I wouldn’t do it again if given a second chance. I had to know if she was in danger or running from someone, especially with her living next door to my grandmother, but I could have asked her. At the very least, I could have been upfront about the search I did right from the start. Instead, I kept quiet and now the trust we have built between us has sustained a blow.
“Fuck,” I grumble, sipping on my coffee as I mull over Kellen’s words.
Groveling and grand gestures. Do multiple orgasms count? I’m sorry I fucked you over, but here let me fuck you over the table until you forget what a dick I am.
Shaking my head, I finish my drink and place my cup on the counter before making my way back to the breakroom. Thinking of grand gestures is hurting my brain, and something tells me that’s not Callie’s style. Now groveling, on the other hand, I’m sure she would appreciate. If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. Anything to get me back in her good graces.
All the guys are in the break room, but nobody asks me any questions when I enter, so I’m guessing Kellen has filled them in.
Thankful that I don’t have to go over it again, I pick up the file on top of the pile scattered around the table and thumb it open.
“Matilda Carson?” I question. Her name sounds familiar.
“Former child star turned Hollywood darling. She disappeared from the public eye two years ago after she was attacked. A man named Andrew Summers was convicted even though she was unable to identify him. He admitted to stalking her first, his obsession convincing him that they were in a relationship,” Arlo tells me from memory.
The man is like an encyclopedia. His ability to read something and recall it at will makes him a huge asset here.
“That’s rough. So, what, he got out already?” I don’t know the ins and outs of the case, but the sad fact is cases like this don’t always come with a lengthy jail sentence fitting the crime committed.
“No, he’s still locked up. But it seems despite her keeping a low profile, Matilda has, somehow, snagged the attention of someone else,” Arlo replies.
“Fucking hell. She can’t catch a break, can she?” Kellen mutters, taking the file from me.
“What are the police saying?” I question.
“Not much. Apparently, their hands are tied until this escalates, but it seems they are dragging their feet on this one,” Arlo says with some agitation.
“Seriously? After what she’s already been through, she must be terrified,” Marcus adds, crossing his arms over his chest in disgust.
“That’s just it. They think she might be imagining it. They haven’t found a shred of evidence to support her claim, and what’s more, she’s convinced that it’s the same person who hurt her before.”
“Andrew Summers?” Banner questions with a frown. “That’s impossible if he’s still locked up.”
“Like I said, Matilda never saw her attacker and couldn’t identify them. Andrew turned himself in and made a confession, but, according to Matilda, she wasn’t convinced it was him,” Arlo tells us with a frown of his own.
I get to the point. “Okay, what does she want from us?”
“She’s hired a security team, but she wants someone to be her close guard and move in with her until this guy is caught.”
“Why us? If she already has a security team in place, why not pick one of them?” Felix, who had been quiet up until now, asks.
“Trust,” I answer for him, thinking about Kellen’s words to me about Callie. “Security is just a job to most people and not necessarily a well-paid one. They’ll do their jobs to an extent, but would they take a bullet for her? I’m guessing she heard about the work we do and feels a camaraderie with the victims we protect.”
“So, are we going to take it?” Arlo asks, looking around at the guys, knowing this is a big job that will mean someone being away for an indefinite amount of time.
“That’s going to depend on if we have anyone willing to take the case. If not, I can bounce it to Edwards.” Edwards is an old friend I met at boot camp who has a similar setup.
“I’ll do it,” Aiden speaks up from where he is leaning quietly against the far wall.
“You sure?” I ask.
He hasn’t been himself since his break-up with Cora. I’m not sure where his head is at.
“Yeah, I could do with a change of scenery anyway.”
I nod, knowing that with the shit his ex has been giving him, this might be exactly what he needs—something to focus on and the chance to get away.
“Okay then. Get with Arlo and find out when you need to start, and we’ll get you the first available flight out there. You keep in touch, and if anything seems off to you, you call us, got it?”
“Yes, Dad,” he says with a laugh, making me scowl .
“Right, what’s next?” I ask, running through the files, hoping for a call from Callie at some point throughout the afternoon, but it never comes.