Chapter 5
FIVE
My patience was thin. Not because I hardly had any, but because I was in need of the person I was waiting for. There wasn’t much I anticipated in life, but I anticipated her visits. I hated to bring her into such an execrable place. It was my only regret in the entire ordeal.
Still, I waited for her to illuminate my darkness each visit. This one wasn’t different from our other encounters. Only this time, I was the first in the conference room, awaiting her arrival.
Bzzzzt.
The familiar sound brought me to my feet. I stood, anxious for the moment her pretty face appeared behind the germ infested door.
There she is.
There goes my Sunshine.
The gloom of the prison didn’t stand a chance with Range in the room. My troubles hid at the sight of her. She waltzed in, clad in cream from her head to her toes. On her arm was one of the bracelets I’d requested for her. She looked good in things I’d provided.
She’ll look better in diamonds.
The thought appeared and stuck to me like glue. I made a mental note to provide those, just as I planned to provide everything else Range needed.
“Good morning, Mr. Blackwood.”
I rounded the table, pushing her chair up as she sat down. When I made it back to my side of the table, her briefcase was open and her files were spread across it.
The air was different.
She was different.
Submissive.
Still dominant.
Accepting of her fate.
Our fate.
Her cream suit was her white flag. She was ready for allegiance. She was ready for partnership. She was ready. For everything. Anything. All things.
Her eyes penetrated me, tapping on my heart, requesting more access. More space. More square footage.
Silently, I gazed in her direction. She was unbelievable. And, she smelled divine. Like peaches and plums and vanilla and oranges.
And cherries.
“Did that answer your question?”
“What question is that, Mr. Blackwood?”
“Aren’t we past the formalities?”
She paused.
“Siah–”
My dick stood in my drawers, pressing against the fabric. I wanted Range in the worst ways.
Naked.
Vulnerable.
Submissive.
Calm.
Falling the fuck apart.
Soft.
Sweet.
Completely out of her fucking mind.
On my dick.
On my tongue.
Anywhere she wanted.
Any way she wanted.
“That’s it, baby.”
“What question, Siah?”
“How I’d fallen?”
She straightened her spine, quietly nodding.
“I feel like I owe you an apology.”
“Why, Sunshine?”
“That question was for selfish gain.”
Silence.
I leaned closer, needing more of her. She was inebriating.
“You can be selfish with me, baby. I’m all yours.”
A low gasp left her chest inflated and her eyes wide.
“How do you know my brother?”
Her question was valid… still personal, however.
“He’s been my mentor since I was in college. He’s always looked out for me in some way or another. Never around, but always around.”
“That’s Chemistry.”
“It is.”
“Are you involved with any of his affairs?”
I shook my head.
The surprise was evident on her face.
“Why does that surprise you?”
“Because, I’ve never cleaned for anyone but family or help. Someone detrimental to our realm. You are a stranger. An outsider. Someone who shouldn’t matter. Somehow, I’m here, proving you do.”
“I do?”
“Matter.”
“To you?” I asked, toying with her mind.
She released the breath she’d been holding and straightened her posture again. She was completely misaligned and unable to control herself.
“Siah–”
“Answer me, Range.”
Her gaze faltered.
“Yes.”
I sat back in my seat, scratching my beard. Everything felt good inside of me. Every fucking thing.
“I’m family,” I explained.
“How?”
I tipped my head toward her.
“Chem is no fool. He wants me free, to return to the real world just to change your last name, baby.”
“That’s not going to happen, Mr. Blackwood.”
“Back to Mr. Blackwood?” I chuckled, finding her amusing.
She nodded.
“You can’t change what’s destined. No matter how much you avoid it or change your mind about it. What is will always be.”
I scooted closer to the center of the table, stretching my hands underneath it. They brushed against Range’s knees. Her nostrils widened with confusion and curiosity.
“Understood, Sunshine?”
My eyes were still on her, demanding she part for me. She didn’t protest. Her knees separated, allowing my fingers to travel toward her sacred place.
“I don’t,” she admitted.
She was the warmest place in the room. Her furnace was pumping out natural heat. Range was no longer breathing. Those pretty eyes disappeared for a millisecond, every second. Disbelief was dismantling her quickly,
Underneath the pantyhose she wore, her skin was smooth. Flawless. Allowing them to go on for what felt like miles. No lumps. No tears. Not interruptions.
Range was losing herself. Restraint was becoming her greatest opponent. We shared an enemy now. Our bond was solidified.
“Your body is contradicting the words coming from your pretty lips.”
The distance between us was hindering. I ground my teeth together with disappointment as I pulled backward. I didn’t wait for my hardened dick to soften before standing.
Range needed to understand what she did to me. Range needed to know she wasn’t alone. Range needed to know I, too, yearned for her. Range needed another reason to think of me long before she’d left my presence. Range needed a reason to touch herself tonight. Tomorrow night. And, every night after.
I observed as her features changed. Her forehead pulled forward. So did her thick, tamed eyebrows. Her mouth widened, bottom lip falling along with her chin. Her spine was no longer straight. Her confidence was no longer apparent. Her desire was. I loved them both.
The chains bounding my wrists made their presence known as I turned around, leaving Range with her thoughts, questions, and concerns. I waited for the door in front of me to open. However, I didn’t wait for it to seal.
A baton against the bars awakened me from my sleep. Darkness hugged the walls. A radio played lowly in the cell next to me. The soothing sounds of Sade made it easier to stir awake from the slight coma I’d be in over the last eight hours.
My feet touched the slippers on the floor, a few inches shy of the bed. I stretched my limbs, waiting for the familiar sound of crepitus, usually a result of the swift release of nitrogen gas pockets in the joints or my ligaments and tendons popping. Either way, the quick release was satisfying.
“Mm.”
My shoulders were first. Then my back. Left side. Right side. My legs. And, finally my neck.
I stood over the toilet, dick out of my government-issued uniform, releasing the pressure from my bladder.
The sink was my next stop. In front of the bare wall, I poured water from the bottle on the sink onto my toothbrush.
I followed up with a thick strand of paste on the bristles.
Another coat of water before scrubbing my tongue and teeth.
9:08p
I hovered my bed after I was satisfied with the cleanliness of my mouth. I adjusted the sheet and removed the blanket completely. With the assistance of my chin and chest, I folded it tightly and stretched it across the end of the bunk.
The back of the mattress on the bed above me parted with ease, revealing my cell. I pressed the button on the right side, powering it on. My fingers moved of their own accord. I placed the phone against my ear once the call was initiated.
The longing in my chest was becoming a part of my reality. The best part of my day. I’d never wanted anything in life more than I wanted what was coming to me. Who was coming to me. I didn’t even want my freedom as much. Not before I stepped into the conference room to find Range Childers waiting.
“Hello?”
I brushed a hand down my face. Sunshine was determined to undo me. To completely rearrange me. Even a simple hello from her was inexplicably powerful. And, those goodbyes felt nearly impossible.
“You’re alone.”
There was no ruffling. No rushing. No tiptoeing. No echoing. No toilet seat. No closed doors. It was her. And, me. It was just us.
“I am.”
“Keep it that way.”
“Josi–”
“Don’t wait up for my calls.”
“I wasn’t,” she responded.
Her breathing changed. So did her tone.
“You’re not a good liar.”
Silence.
“It’s not healthy, Range, is all I’m saying. I need you to rest, not wait.”
Silence.
I pulled in a deep breath. She was moving shit around in my chest. And, I would continue to give her permission to do so.
Suddenly, a rush of air exited her mouth.
“What do you expect me to do?” She questioned, emotions high.
A pain ran through me entirely. Everything hurt at the sound of her discomfort. My stomach knotted. The room grew warmer than it was before.
Fall in love with me and never worry about another thing in your precious life, Range. That’s what I expect you to do. That’s it. That’s all. I’ll never ask for more.
“Understand that waiting is not necessary. I’m here. Not going anywhere.”
Silence.
“Goodnight. Get some rest.”
She didn’t reciprocate. She remained silent. Holding the phone. Breathing unsteadily. Thoughts running wild. Emotions out of her control. Nerves shattered.
“Range.”
“Yes?” She breathed out, voice shaking.
“I miss you, too.”
I lowered the phone and pressed the red button. The call ended. So do my sanity. The brief lapse accompanied a deep yearning. I wanted more of her. Of her voice. Of her nervousness. Of her neurodivergent ways. But, more than that, I wanted her well-rested.