Chapter 6 #2
“Thank you.” Robyn strokes over the front of the book reverentially. “This is perfect. I read it when I was a kid. Actually, when I was too young. I gave myself nightmares. It’s much darker than the movie with the giant spider, the woodsman cutting off his own limbs, and the cracked clown.”
“What about the wolves?” I hum in agreement. “I like it darker.”
“Wow, shocker. Don’t tell me that you also like the flying monkeys?”
“They’re the best part. Wouldn’t you like to have a flying monkey?”
Surely everybody would?
Robyn gives me a look that I can’t work out, before she flips open the book and happily studies the illustrations. “Dorothy also has silver shoes and not ruby.”
“Movies are never as good as the book.”
“Apart from The Godfather.”
I shrug.
Robyn stares at me in shock. “You’ve never watched it.”
“Shay was the one who watched television. I usually studied or read. I never went with him to the cinema.”
I hate the sense at movies that I can’t see the exit. In a room, I need to know that I can escape.
For years, both Shay and I wouldn’t close the door to rooms we were in because of the fear of feeling trapped.
Shay loves movies enough that he overcame that to go to watch them with his friends. But they weren’t my friends. And I didn’t want to go by myself.
“Then I’m planning some dates, and we’re having movie evenings of our own,” Robyn says, firmly. “Why did you choose The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for this week?”
“Cas suggested it.” I tilt my head. “He said that he’s planning something special, and I would…
” He said that it would make me look good with my sub to prepare her ahead of time by discussing the book.
I don’t want to tell Robyn that. I need some mystery.
“He’s reading it with the online Wonderland Book Club that he runs. ”
Robyn perks up. “That’s great. I didn’t know that you’re part of that.”
“I’m a lurker.”
When Robyn scrutinizes me, I shift, pulling her onto my lap.
“Cas is shy,” she says. “He doesn’t know many people around here. I’m glad that you two are becoming friends.”
“We’re not friends. We just bond over books.”
Robyn smiles. “Same thing.”
Is it?
Maybe making friends is easier than I thought.
Robyn glances down at the book in her lap.
To my surprise, a cloud passes over her face. “Leaving Freedom and following Wilder into his glamorous world of the NHL in Pittsburgh was like being Dorothy. I realized quickly that I definitely was no longer in Kansas, you know? But it took me seven long years to work out how to get home again.”
When I pull Robyn closer, she drops the book amongst the cushions, looping her arms around my neck.
I am distracted by her freshly showered scent. I could rest just like this with her quietly for the remainder of her date.
I am happiest with her in our study, when we are simply working side by side on our own work.
I share my silence with her, and she shares hers with me.
I am never more together with her than in those moments.
She lays her head on my chest.
“I love listening to the sound of your heart,” Robyn whispers. “I know that I’m here. I’m home.”
I’m sure that she must hear my heart jump.
I kiss the top of her head. “If you felt like Dorothy, then I was the Tin Man. I didn’t understand my emotions or feel like I had a heart until I met you.
” The words burn my throat, but I force myself to keep talking.
It’s hard, but this is Robyn, the only woman who I can talk to.
“I still struggle. But with you, I am beginning to feel like maybe I could have a heart.”
Robyn is the one person who I let down my mask around, apart from my brother. It’s difficult to be open like this.
My stomach churns.
Robyn squirms around to stare up at me.
Why is she looking serious?
“You know,” Robyn says, carefully, “isn’t the point of this book that the Tin Man had a heart all along?
He could love. He didn’t need a fucking authority figure like the Wizard to grant him anything.
None of us do. It’s the same with Dad — coach — for D’Angelo, Shay, or me.
We find what we need inside ourselves by facing challenges and supporting each other, right? ”
“But I didn’t have a Dorothy in college. When the Tin Man was alone, he couldn’t move or speak. He didn’t feel emotions.”
My throat closes up.
It’s too close to how I used to feel, struggling to speak or understand the world.
Robyn reaches to cup my cheek. “You’re not alone now. You’ll never be alone again.”
Then she kisses me, and I don’t need her words to know that she means it; the passion of her touch reassures and awakes me all at once.
I can speak.
Move.
Feel.
I growl into the kiss, reaching for the condom that I bring on these Book Club dates.
After all, it is a Book and a Fuck Club.
I drop my arms around Robyn’s shoulders to drag her close to me. Then I dominantly stand, and she wraps her legs around my waist.
She claws at my back.
Neither of us break the kiss.
It is primal. Desperate. My entire world.
I carry Robyn across the library. She is panting, pulling back to suck on my lower lip, before feathering kisses over my jaw.
Her eyes are wild with desire.
My cock is hard; my balls are aching.
She urgently edges one of her hands between us, pulling up both our t-shirts.
I groan, when Robyn pulls down the front of my underwear, freeing my hot cock. I rip open the condom and drop it to her.
We are both practiced at this.
Are there professional sex events? If there are, then D’Angelo would win. With his training, however, I’m not far from attaining pro status.
Robyn’s small fingers tease at my slit, and I hiss.
Then she slips on the condom.
Robyn would definitely reach the Sex Olympics.
“Robyn.” I press my back against the alcove, never looking away from her beautiful eyes.
She hurriedly pulls aside her panties.
“Now,” she urges, working her own clit.
Instantly, I slam into her pussy in one thrust.
She groans at the same time that I do.
Her pussy is tight, milking me. I barely hold back from coming.
Yet I don’t stop pistoning into Robyn like she needs, fast and deep.
“Harder.” Robyn’s cheeks are flushed. “Fucking harder.”
She trusts me not to drop her. I never would.
Robyn gasps when I twist her, slamming her against the shelves.
“Yeah, just like that.” Sweat glistens, trailing down the hollow of her throat.
I lean to kiss her, and she kisses me back just as passionately.
Her eyelashes flutter.
I drop my hands to Robyn’s hips, hiking her more firmly onto my cock as I pound into her. She howls on each thrust, tightening her thighs around me.
I turn again, until I am once again the one who is being smashed against the shelves rhythmically.
Pleasure is building in me.
I grit my teeth.
I’m going to…
But not before my Robyn.
She works her thumb in circles even faster over her clit, as her breathing speeds up. “I’m about to… I’m n-n-nearly… Phoenix…”
Suddenly, the shelves behind me crack.
Books rain down around us, offering themselves as sacrifice on the altar to our love.
I hunch over Robyn, shielding her.
The books bounce against my shoulders and head. I wince at the sharp bursts of pain.
Amidst the destruction, Robyn suddenly stiffens and comes. She kisses me deeply, scratching my shoulders.
I pant.
The tightening of Robyn’s pussy pulls me into coming as well.
My fingers bite into Robyn’s hips hard enough to bruise.
Hard enough to mark her as mine.
I thrust into Robyn a final time at the thought.
I catch my breath, finally coming down from the high.
When I slip out of Robyn, I take off the condom and drop it as far from my poor book babies as I can.
I will make it up to them.
Then I adjust my underwear and Robyn’s panties, although I regret hiding her gorgeous pussy.
Slowly, I lower Robyn to the ground next to me in the middle of the scattered books.
I drag off my t-shirt and lay it over Robyn for added warmth. She snuggles against my side.
“Okay?”
Robyn nods, sleepily patting a book. “This must be the smut section.”
“Or the closed door romance books fainting.”
When Robyn laughs, my chest feels warm.
Normally, it’s Shay who manages to make our Robyn laugh.
Unexpectedly, there is a whistle from the doorway.
Shay bounds into the library. “If this is what book clubs are — orgies in the middle of a pile of books — then I may actually attend yours.”
“It’s not an orgy,” I reply. “You need more than two people for that.”
Shay chuckles, swaggering further into the library. “Lucky that I’m here then.”
He is wearing his leather jacket and black jeans. He must just be back from the meeting with Silas. He smells of his favorite beer and oil from his Harley.
Anxiety surges through me.
Except, Shay looks like a puppy who is bouncing with enthusiasm because he has pulled off a new trick.
This must be good news.
I hope.
Shay snatches up a blanket from the nest, before he strolls to join us amongst the books. He cuddles on the other side of Robyn, making sure to tuck the blanket around all of us.
“Hey.” Robyn turns to kiss Shay.
“Hey, love.” Shay kisses her back. “Good date, yeah? Had fun demolishing the library?”
I tense.
Robyn’s lips quirk. “So much fun.”
“Brilliant. Because D’Angelo and I had fun kicking Silas’ arse.”
“Where is Jude?” I ask.
“He’s brushing his teeth and preparing for bed,” Shay replies. “I said that I would check on you. The big game is tomorrow, and I don’t think that he wants you to know how much this has taken out of him. Silas fucked with his head.”
“What happened? Robyn glances over her shoulder at Shay, and he slips his arm around her waist, snuggling closer.
“Silas was bloody furious. He made all these threats the moment that we sat down. But as soon as he saw the work that you did, Dee, on those files by laying out the evidence of mismanagement, which I bet Garcia could prove was fraud, he looked like he was going to faint. I’ve never seen anyone pale like that.
He almost vomited. Jude made a deal with Silas not to reveal his shadiness, as long as he doesn’t reveal anything about Noah. ”
Dubious, I narrow my eyes. “Do you think that he’ll keep the deal?”
“He has more to lose than Noah does,” Shay replies. “Jude thinks that Silas would be jailed.”
“Are we going to the cops with it though?” Robyn looks troubled. “Can we keep quiet about what we’ve found out?”
“We’ll destroy Silas.” My expression hardens. “He tried to hurt our family. So, we will take everything from him. The timing simply has to be right.”
“You’re scaring me again.” Shay peers at me over Robyn’s shoulder.
“Good.”
“Now,” Robyn squirms around, until she is facing Shay, “no more dangerous adventures or impulsive escapades.”
“Ehm, have you met me, love?”
Robyn kisses my brother, and it focuses him on her words like nothing else can.
“Tomorrow is the first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’re a tough team, who may be out for revenge after what happened with their captain, Wilder.
These next few weeks will be high pressure.
But I believe in you. It’s our best opportunity but also our greatest challenge. ”