Chapter Nine One Woman One Man ~October~ #2
He relaxes and sits back on the couch. “I’ve been an ass to you both, but even at my worst, I never wanted anything to happen to either of you.
Learning about the kind of danger she was in from our father’s killer was hard to hear after the fact.
I don’t want to miss out on anything, even if it’s bad news.
So, tell me what’s going on, and what can I do to help? ”
It only takes me a second to decide whether to bring him in or not.
He is Samantha’s brother, after all, and he also knows Tiff.
Maybe he can be of help in that regard. Put some feelers out and see what he turns up.
I’m not stupid, though, so I call Michael and ask him to join us.
From a strategic perspective, when it comes to catching bad guys, Michael is the pro.
After Michael joins us, I fill Jace in on what’s been happening. Even though I’d rather keep the details private, if we expect Jace to be able to help, he needs details to work with.
Jace finishes reviewing the photocopies of the three packages received. He holds the latest letter in his hand. He’s been quiet most of the time. He hands it back to Michael and chugs the rest of his bottle of water before he speaks. “Has Sam seen all of this?”
Michael and I both nod.
“And the underwear? She’s seen it? Knows the DNA results?” he asks.
“Yes. Unfortunately, all but the last package she opened up on her own. And I’ve shared the DNA results with her as well. We don’t have any secrets between us.”
Jace runs his hand over his face. “I can’t imagine how she must be feeling.
” He looks at me. “How would you feel if some guy was sending you these things about Sam? Items of her clothing with her…DNA on it. Letters telling you how sex with him is so much better than sex with you? How would you feel? I’d be pissed and hard-pressed to listen to reason. ”
I can’t deny the same thought hasn’t crossed my mind. If the roles were reversed, I’m not sure I would be as open and supportive as she’s been. I like to think I would be, but the thought gets my blood boiling to the point where all I see is red. “Jace, I’d rip his head off.”
He looks at me and laughs. “Yeah, you would.” He sobers. “But she’s not the one being accused of cheating. You are.”
“Yes, I am.” I square my shoulders, waiting for the accusation.
Jace waves me off. “Relax, man. I know you’re not cheating on Sam.”
“You do?” It’s my turn to be surprised. I thought for sure his overprotective instincts would accuse first, question later.
“Joe, I know you, man. You’ve never been a horn dog.
Even before you met my sister, you were never one to sleep around.
Your career was more important than chasing pussy.
But after you met Sam, your grumpy ass didn’t even know other women existed.
” His eyes meet mine for a moment before he looks away.
“And I saw the look on your face when you realized what happened with Tiff wasn’t a drunken dream about the girl you love, but the harsh reality of what I did to you both.
” His eyes close for a beat or two, then his shame-filled eyes lock with mine.
“I saw the devastation in your eyes, the pure remorse as it ate you up. You, Joe McIntyre, are not a cheater. You are a one-woman man, and like I told you after my dad’s funeral, Sam is a one-man woman.
You were destined for each other. I know you would never cheat on her. ”
I let out a shaky breath, emotion tight in my chest, as I look at my future brother-in-law sitting across from me.
“You have no idea how much that means to me.” Maybe there is hope for me and Jace to move past the Tiff thing after all.
I reach out and pull him into a hug. “It’s good to have you back, brother. ”
He pounds on my back. “It’s good to be back, brother.” He pulls away and rubs at his eyes, shakes his head, and laughs at his emotions. “You have no idea.”
No, I don’t have any idea. But I can see his self-imposed exile has been difficult, probably in ways we can’t even imagine.
We spend the next thirty minutes or so discussing how Jace can help narrow down the suspects, starting with Tiff. By the time they both leave, we have a plan of action that gives me a sense of peace I haven’t felt since the first letter arrived.
Now I need to head home to the only true peace I know.
My girl.
Joseph
Silence greets me as I enter our penthouse. The lights are dim, but I can smell food cooking. I relinquish my armor—my jacket, tie, and briefcase—in the entryway and grab a water in the kitchen. I check the oven and the timer—all good—and go in search of Samantha.
I’m not surprised when I find her asleep on our bed.
She hasn’t been sleeping well since all of this began.
Her nightmares are back, but they’ve morphed into a combination of her father’s death and me with another woman.
I cringe at the thought. It’ll never happen.
I’d never cheat on my girl. It’s more than that, though.
It’s not even a battle. It doesn’t even cross my mind.
I truly see no other woman in a sexual way.
I only have eyes for her. My dick only wants her.
I know she knows it, but deep down her insecurities still linger.
Her subconscious is struggling and beating her up in her dreams.
Toeing off my shoes, I slip into bed, curl up behind her, wrap her up in my arms, and revel in the warmth and peace that engulfs me.
Warm, soft hands traverse my body as I slowly come awake to the realization that I’m hard as stone, and Samantha is lying naked beside me.
She’s managed to get my shirt unbuttoned.
Her hot, wet mouth is sucking on my nipple, and her hand inside my unzipped pants strokes my cock.
I flex into her greedy hand. “Christ, Sweets.” What a way to wake up.
I shuck my clothes. Her hands and mouth never leave me. I’m shaking, on edge, ready to blow.
I’m not going alone.
She squeals when I lift her on top of me as I roll to my back, finding heaven in her mouth before I slide my way home. Slow thrusts as she grinds against me, her moans and gasps challenge my control. My name on her lips nearly has me blowing like a rocket.
I’m not going alone.
Rolling us over so I’m on top, still buried to the hilt, I grind against her, hitting the spots that send her sailing.
Her hands grasp and pull. Her head, thrown back, allows my mouth to ravish her delectable neck.
She chants my name over and over again. My heart is pounding, pounding, pounding in time with my cock. Deep. Deeper. And deeper still.
She squeezes, contracts, and moans. And when her release wraps around me, and her fluids coat my cock and seep down my balls, I shoot over the edge, growling, filling her. Filling her. Filling her.
Spent, I collapse and roll to my side, gripping her ass to stay inside her. My mouth finds hers, and we kiss, our bodies entwined, connected, until we are both out of breath and ready again.
Never enough.
Over dinner we catch each other up on our days.
Her lunch with Jace, details she didn’t share earlier, a phone conversation with Margot that gave no hint of a relationship with Fin, much to Samantha’s dismay, and plans with Sebastian to join our next happy hour.
He’s missed the last few due to his schedule.
I fill her in on a few business meetings, and then the unexpected and very productive meeting with Jace.
“Wow. He really is trying, isn’t he?” Her surprise matches mine.
“Yeah, he is. Are you okay with this?” I try to read any emotions that play along her face, but she seems okay.
“What? You meeting with him, him knowing our dark, dirty secret, or him helping out with our dark, dirty secret?”
I try not to flinch. “I’d rather you not call it our ‘dark, dirty secret,’ but, yeah, all of that.”
Her brow bunches on a head tilt. “But it is our dark, dirty secret, Joseph. We’re not sharing it with your brothers, whom you share everything with.”
I grab her hand, lacing our fingers, my lascivious stare eating her up.
“Not everything.” I’ve never shared details of our sex life.
They know the extent of my love for her, but the rest is none of their fucking business.
A blush creeps up her neck. She fidgets in her chair and bites the corner of her bottom lip. So fucking sexy.
“I’m glad to hear you don’t share those details.” She sits back, pulling her hand from my grasp. “But that’s not what I meant. We’re in trouble, someone’s after me—”
“Us. They’re going after you through me. Us.” We’re a unit, my tone holds no leeway.
“Okay, us. My point being, we’re keeping it a secret from the people you trust the most. If I were being threatened with kidnapping or bodily injury, would you hesitate to confide in them?”
She has a point. “I prefer to keep it secret because of its malicious sexual nature.”
“I know.” Her voice so soft. “I don’t disagree with your desire to keep it private, nor do I disagree with you bringing Jace on board.”
Thank God. My shoulders relax, and the knot that was forming in my stomach unwinds. “Good.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Jace is going to reach out to Tiff. Play up the whole falling out with us over your father’s death and what happened between her and me. He’s going to work on getting a DNA sample, but of course, a confession would be good too.”
“Well, if anybody can charm the pants off a woman, it’s Jace.” She takes her half-eaten plate of food to the kitchen, setting it on the counter.
“He’s working with a bit of a disadvantage, though.” I join her in the kitchen, pointing to her plate. “You need to finish that.”
“I’m done.” Her intonation is flat, not open for debate. “What disadvantage? He’s sworn off women?” she teases, scraping her plate into the trash.
“Yes.”
“What?” Her head whips up.
I take the plate from her hands before she drops it. “He’s been celibate for a year. He feels it’s what’s giving him his clear head and edge in the office. He’s written off women for the immediate future, at least.”
“Wow. I never saw that coming.”
I chuckle. “You and me both.”