Twenty
TWENTY
Greyson
“What a day.”
That was certainly one way to put it.
From the moment I’d gotten that text from Cierra with the pictures of her garden in complete disarray, until I picked her up from work this afternoon, I’d been on edge.
The feeling eased slightly once she was with me again and she’d gone with me back to Harper Security Ops for her training session, but the heaviness still lingered in my chest. Cierra might have been coming in for self-defense training, something I was more than happy to continue to provide for her, but I’d have been lying if I said I didn’t feel the weight of responsibility for her protection resting heavily on my shoulders.
It was just as I’d said to her the one night that I’d taken her out. The things I taught her to do to be vigilant, the training she’d been doing, would be there for her when I wasn’t around. But she didn’t need to be on guard when she was with me. Sadly, after what happened today, I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to manage having her out of my sight for too long.
There was a feeling of utter helplessness that moved through me the second I’d gotten those pictures this morning and watched the camera footage from her house. I was in one place; she was in another. And while it had been a relief to get to her, to see her safely to work, that feeling didn’t ease.
The sense of dread and despair lingered. To occupy myself and perhaps trick myself into believing I was doing something useful and productive to fix this situation, I had the footage from the cameras reviewed by a couple of guys when I got to work.
But even having taken some action and being reasonably confident she’d be safe while at work, it had been a struggle to get through the day.
It wasn’t until this moment—Cierra at my place, the two of us having showered and had dinner together, and her now in my arms as we laid in bed with the television on—that I felt any real sense of peace.
Nobody would get to her here.
Nobody would hurt her as long as she was with me.
Beyond the discussion we’d had this morning when I arrived at her place to take her to work, Cierra and I hadn’t spent much time talking about what had happened. I’d showed her the video footage before we started our self-defense lessons this afternoon, but that had been the extent of it.
And ever since, I’d been hesitant to bring it up.
The truth was, not only had I been on edge about all of it throughout the day, but it became clear how much it was impacting Cierra, too. She was rattled this morning, seeking answers I couldn’t give her. And as she watched the video of her garden being destroyed, I paid attention to her reaction to it.
Cierra’s entire expression changed, and while there was a bit of fear that lingered there, some other emotion had gripped her, something I hadn’t been able to place. But it was profound enough for me to notice and sense that it wasn’t good.
For that reason, I’d decided it’d be best to do what I had to do to keep her safe, and if she wanted to talk about what happened, she could bring it up.
It seemed that now that we’d made it here, she was ready. Whether it was because we’d been going through the motions and this seemed the next logical step or she simply wanted to fill the silence, I didn’t know. It was entirely possible there was another reason. Maybe she felt some sense of security being here, much like I felt having her here, and that’s what gave her the confidence to talk about it.
I was on my back in my bed, a couple of pillows propped up beneath my head and upper back. Cierra was beside me, cuddling close with the front of her body pressed against the side of mine. Her leg was hooked over my thigh, her cheek resting on my chest, and her arm draped across my abdomen. I had a hand covering the one she had on my stomach, and my other arm was wrapped around her, holding her close, while my fingertips traced random patterns along the skin on her lower back, hip, and side.
“Yeah, it certainly has been a day. How are you feeling about all of it?”
Beneath my hand, her fingers stroked absentmindedly against my skin. “I’ve been a mess all day, if I’m honest.”
My arm tightened around her. If there was one thing I knew with absolute certainty, it was that I didn’t want her to be worried about her safety. I was going to do everything in my power to keep her from harm. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Cierra. I hope you know that.”
“I do. The thing is, I’m not sure that’s what’s really upsetting me. In fact, I’m certain that’s not what this is about at all.”
I found this news to be surprising. When I thought back on the woman who’d walked into Harper Security Ops several weeks ago, there was nothing but fear in her eyes. Cierra had been terrified for her safety then, so hearing that it wasn’t her physical well-being that was weighing on her was shocking.
“What’s upsetting you?”
“My flowers.”
“The flowers?”
Cierra lifted her head from my chest to look at me. Tears had filled her eyes, the sight of them having me wishing I could find the guy who did this to her.
“I sat outside last night after dinner,” she shared, her voice strained. “I’d finished dinner, looked out into the backyard from the kitchen window, and I saw the flowers there. Since the weather was nice, the sun hadn’t set yet, and I didn’t have anything pressing to do, I grabbed a book and went outside to read and enjoy my garden.”
“When I called you last night, you said you talked to your mom.”
“I did. She called me just a few minutes after I’d gone outside. So instead of reading my book and enjoying my flowers, I talked on the phone while I looked at them.” She looked away and attempted to blink back the tears. “I’ve looked at those flowers every day since they were planted last weekend, and they’ve made me smile each time. That’s always happened to me every year, but this year it was just a bit different. I wasn’t smiling because they were pretty and made me happy to see. I was smiling because looking at those flowers there reminded me of you, of us planting them together. Now, they’re destroyed.”
Something squeezed in my chest, and I lifted a hand to cup her cheek, urging her to look at me again. My eyes roamed over her beautiful face and the sadness etched into every feature. “He destroyed those flowers, but he didn’t destroy those memories, Cierra. We’ll plant the flowers again. I’ll do that with you as many times as I need to for you to be able to enjoy them. He’s not taking that away from you.”
“We don’t know if it’s him for sure, though,” she reminded me.
No, we didn’t.
Unfortunately, despite the clear camera footage, we never got to see his face. But it seemed more likely that this was a targeted attack on Cierra, because when I’d arrived at her house this morning and as we left, I took in the state of her neighbors’ homes. From what I could tell, nobody else had experienced any destruction to their landscaping like they had with the slashed tires. It was possible the two situations were unrelated, one being a random act of violence. Or, there was the chance that the initial attack on the tires was done by the same guy, and he’d simply added the neighbors’ cars into the mix to throw us off. Either way, too much had happened to Cierra for me to deem it random any longer. I wholeheartedly believed Richard Lynch was behind this. And with what happened to Cierra’s garden, I was no longer willing to take any chances.
“You’re right. But in all the years you’ve lived at that home, have you ever had your tires slashed or your garden razed in such a short time frame?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never had anything like this happen at all. Ever.”
I sent her a sympathetic look. “I figured as much. That’s why I said that. We don’t want to accuse someone of doing something they haven’t done, but we also don’t want to pretend that what’s happening is normal or even reasonable, because it’s not. There’s a reason you decided to get self-defense lessons.”
Nodding her understanding, she sighed. “You’re right. I guess there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to believe this is really happening. For now, I just need to be grateful that he didn’t try to come inside and mostly seems interested in taunting me. I’m glad to be here with you, because I feel safer.”
Smiling at her, I shared, “Well, if I haven’t already made it clear, let me do that now. I would love to have you with me whenever you’re not at work. I guess that’s the silver lining in all of this. I don’t mind having the extra time with you.”
Cierra’s body seemed to melt deeper into mine as a look of contentment washed over her. She held my gaze for several beats before she lowered her cheek to my chest again and went back to tracing random circular patterns on my chest. Following several comfortable beats of silence, she spoke softly. “I feel so lucky to have met you, Greyson.”
I covered her hand with mine. “The feeling is mutual.”
She huffed. “Oh, I bet this craziness is your idea of fun.”
“I’m not going to lie and say I’m thrilled about what you’re going through, because I’m not. But I’m absolutely enjoying every second I get to spend with you. Don’t doubt that for one minute. I’ve also been thinking about having you in my bed for a while now, so this is more fun than you might think.”
I could feel her smile against my skin before she pressed a kiss to my chest. “I’m really tired. I think this wore me out today.”
“So, let’s call it a night tonight. I know how much you love your sleep, and the last thing I want is your first night at my place to be anything less than enjoyable.”
Without giving her the chance to respond, I reached out to the nightstand and turned off the light. Then, keeping an arm around her, I shifted in the bed enough so that my mouth was able to seek out hers. After giving her a kiss where I allowed my lips to linger a bit longer, I urged her to roll over, so her back was pressed against my front.
Once she was settled there and I had a moment to relish the feel of her tucked safely inside my hold, I whispered, “Goodnight, pretty lady.”
“Goodnight, Greyson.”
I could hear the sleepiness in her tone.
And it wasn’t more than a minute later when her breathing evened out, indicating she’d fallen asleep. I was there just a minute or two behind her.
Cierra loved her sleep.
A Saturday morning was her opportunity to take advantage of not needing to rise early to head into work.
And for the last couple of weekends, she’d given that up, so she could go to Harper Security Ops for her self-defense training sessions with me. I still often thought about that first Saturday morning, about how adorably sleepy she’d been. I recalled the sound of her raspy voice and the slight irritability she displayed. The one thing that had stuck with me ever since that morning was the desire to have her in my bed so I could wake up to that.
Wanting to pamper her, especially after what she’d been through yesterday, I crept out of bed not long after I’d woken up. I went downstairs, prepared breakfast, and brought it up on a tray for her.
After setting the plates down on my side of the bed, I rounded it to her side, sat on the edge, and pressed several soft kisses to her cheek, temple, and lips. “Wake up, pretty lady.”
“Mmm,” she moaned.
That sound.
There was little that could compare.
“Breakfast is ready,” I whispered, stroking my hand along her thigh and up toward her hip.
She groaned again, her body moving in protest this time, but she ultimately opened her eyes to look at me.
I smiled at her. “It’s time to get up.”
Her eyes drifted shut. “How do you have so much energy?”
“I’ve been up for a bit. I made you breakfast already.”
“I don’t think I have the strength to walk just yet.”
I chuckled, loving this side of her. “There’s no need. We’re having breakfast in bed this morning.”
Her eyes opened again. “We are?”
Nodding, I confirmed, “We are.”
I stood and rounded the bed again, climbing in on my side. Once I was there, Cierra rolled to her back, stretched out her body, and sat up. I propped a few extra pillows behind her back. She reached for her glasses on the nightstand, something I still hadn’t gotten used to but loved more than I thought I would have.
Then again, Cierra looked flawless, no matter if she just woke up and had her glasses on or if she was dressed professionally and ready to work.
“You really brought me breakfast in bed?”
“I did.” I held the plate out to her, and after she took it from me, I reached for the mug on my nightstand. “This is for you, too.”
She took the mug, placed it on the nightstand on her side of the bed, and murmured, “Thanks.”
“One more thing.”
Cierra’s jaw fell open as she reached for what I had in my hand. “How did you get this?”
“After I took you to work yesterday, I made sure to order the paper, so you’d have it here this morning. I didn’t want you to miss out on it simply because you weren’t home.”
Her features softened, and any of the irritability that had been lingering there had dissipated. “This was really sweet of you to do, Greyson. Thank you.”
“I already took the sports section. I hope you don’t mind.”
She shook her head. “Not at all.”
With a nod of approval, I said, “Enjoy your breakfast and your newspaper.”
Cierra offered a small smile in return. Then she focused her attention on her food and the day’s news.
We sat in a comfortable silence, reading the paper and eating breakfast. It was nice, and I enjoyed being in that space with her like that, knowing she needed quiet mornings to just wake up, eat her breakfast, and read her newspaper. I liked being able to give that to her.
It was about ten minutes after Cierra had put her empty plate on the nightstand when she finished the last of the newspaper and set that off to the side. She turned her body toward mine and scooted close.
“Breakfast was delicious.”
“Yeah? You liked it?”
She nodded, pressing a kiss to my bare chest. “I did.”
Relishing the feel of her soft touch against my skin, I asked, “All caught up on the news?”
Cierra smiled and pressed another kiss to my chest. “Most of it. How about your sports teams? Did they win?”
It was an effort not to burst into a fit of laughter. She didn’t even know what teams to ask about. She likely wasn’t sure what sport to question me on. “Nobody won anything.”
She tipped her chin up. “That’s awful. Maybe you need to pick better teams.”
“Mmm. Maybe. I don’t get worked up about stuff like that. It’s a game, no matter the sport. There are far more important things in life.”
Cierra’s fingertips trailed lightly down my chest and abdomen. “Well, then I guess you deserve some other kind of reward.”
“Reward?”
Her lips spread into a slow smile. “You made me breakfast in bed, and you saw to it that a newspaper was here for me this morning. I think that deserves a show of appreciation.”
I had no plan on turning her down, but I felt compelled to set the record straight. “I’m not declining, but I think you should know that I have enjoyed every second of my morning with you. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, without the expectation of anything in return.”
She swung a leg over my body, her thighs straddling me, and she began peppering kisses along my chest and down my abdomen. Cierra squirmed on top of me as she continued her descent, and I found myself struggling to contain my excitement.
“Would it be okay with you if I offered you my gratitude using my mouth?”
“I can’t imagine a world where I’d not ever be okay with that.”
Licking her lips, Cierra tipped her chin down and batted her seductive eyes at me.
It was a good thing I was already sitting down, because I’d never met another woman who had the power to bring me to my knees with just one look. Not until now, not until I met her.
Cierra made quick work of removing my underwear and repositioning herself between my thighs. Curling her fingers around me, she squeezed and pumped her fist along my length.
My hands balled into fists, a groan escaping.
A victorious grin spread across her face. “Do you like that?”
“Your hands are on me, and your mouth is inches away from my cock. What is there not to like?”
She stroked again. Then she parted her lips and wrapped them around me. Her tongue swirled around the tip before she took me in deeper and ran it along my length. Cierra’s grip held firm as she worked up a rhythm.
That rhythm, however, was not steady.
Though her effort was consistent—she never slacked—Cierra’s pace alternated throughout. Slow and controlled to fast and wild. All of it was more than good. Excellent. And when her free hand drifted lightly across my abdomen as she moaned, it took extraordinary effort not to ram my hips up and fuck her mouth hard. I didn’t trust I wouldn’t lose control in the midst of it and wind up hurting her in the process if I gave in to my basest desires.
So, I did what I could to just enjoy the experience for what it was, for all that Cierra gave.
The feel of her mouth, warm and wet, and the sounds that came from her obvious enthusiasm for what she was doing to me nearly undid me.
Cierra took me in deep, pumped her fist at the base of my cock, and hollowed her cheeks almost every time she pulled back.
The sight of her hair draped over her back, shoulders, and across my thighs and hips had me giving in to some of what I’d been feeling. My hand drove into her hair, gripping it firmly at the back of her head.
“Fuck, Cierra. Your mouth is unbelievable.”
Cierra hummed and continued to work me over, never once relenting. She built me up, doing it almost effortlessly, and when I felt myself approaching that point of no return, I tugged back lightly on her hair.
“Come here, pretty lady.”
She pulled back slowly and released me from her mouth. “Is it okay?”
“It’s amazing. But I’m not going to come before I take care of you, so I need you to come here and let me eat you.”
A shiver ran down her spine.
I scooted myself down a bit as Cierra shimmied out of her panties and crawled up my body. A moment later, I had my mouth on her—licking, feasting, devouring.
Cierra’s hands drove into my hair, her grip indicating just how much she enjoyed what I was giving her. She didn’t hesitate to work her hips over my face, seeking the pleasure at a frenzied pace.
As sweet and feminine as she was out in public, I loved that she was a bit of a vixen in the bedroom.
I swirled my tongue around her clit before sucking it into my mouth, forcing a moan to tear up her throat. And when I drove my tongue inside, over and over, Cierra’s panting became whimpering.
Keeping one hand firmly on her ass, I crawled the other up the front of her body to her breast. I squeezed, stroking my thumb over her nipple, my mouth still working her between her legs.
And that’s when it changed for her.
Cierra’s breathing grew shallow, her moans coming quicker. I kept at her, needing to get her there so I could bury myself inside her.
Luckily, it didn’t take much longer. Cierra came apart, crying out as her orgasm tore through her. I lapped at her until she made it to the other side and lifted her hips.
“Oh, God.” She collapsed on the bed beside me, her body limp and sated. I reached for a condom and allowed my eyes to roam over her flushed skin and gorgeous body while I rolled it on. “I’m not complaining about what you just gave me, because that was wonderful. But I was supposed to be making you feel good.”
“You did.”
“But you didn’t let me take you there. And I wanted to give you that.”
“You’re going to take care of me now,” I assured her. “Come here.”
I reached out a hand to her and tugged her toward me. After kissing her mouth, allowing her to have a taste of herself as my tongue slipped past her lips, I placed my hands on her hips and urged her to turn around.
Before she could drop down to her arms, I wrapped an arm around her body, capturing one of her breasts in my hand as I reached down and positioned myself between her legs. I rubbed myself over her.
“Greyson,” she whimpered.
I smiled against her shoulder, pressing a kiss to the skin there. A moment later, I slid inside and groaned into her neck, my hand coming up to grab hold of her hair and tilt her head back.
“You’re so wet, Cierra. Your pussy feels like it was made for me.”
Greyson,” she panted as I thrust into her. “You feel so good.”
I kissed up the side of her throat and along her jaw, using my hand in her hair to angle her head enough for me to reach her mouth and kiss her again.
For as long as I kept my pace slow and steady, I continued to kiss her, dipped my tongue into her mouth and explored.
But once I increased the pace of my strokes, Cierra tore her mouth from mine and dropped her head back on my shoulder. My hand left her hair and slid down between her legs.
“Oh,” she moaned.
That sound had the power to make me unravel. “Do you like that? Do you like my hands touching you while you take my cock?”
“I love it.”
Hearing that, I went harder. Cierra took it. She took everything and loved every bit of it. “How did I get you? Fuck, you’re perfect.”
“Greyson.”
There was a distinct warning in her tone. She was on the verge of another orgasm. My fingers continued to press in and circle her clit as I didn’t relent on my thrusts. I felt my own orgasm building, and I needed to get her there again before it hit.
“I’m going to come again.” Her voice came out like a plea, like she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle what was about to hit her.
“Give it to me, Cierra. Come for me.”
A handful of strokes later, it happened. Her body arched and bucked as the pleasure splintered through her body. Feeling and hearing the effect it had on her, I drove my hips forward harder. And the next thing I knew, my own orgasm tore through my body, forcing groans of pleasure to crawl up my throat as my arms clamped tightly around her.
I slowed the pace of my strokes until they came to a stop. My lips kissed along the top of her shoulder toward the curve where it met her neck. I sunk my teeth in there, doing just enough to leave a mark, but not enough to hurt her.
“I don’t care what you say,” I started, my voice thick with emotion. “I’ll take what you and I just had any day over a sports team winning.”
Cierra giggled, and the sound was music to my ears.
For as long as I lived, I’d never grow tired of this woman. I was going to do whatever it took to keep her safe and make sure she stayed mine.