Chapter 5
Brooke sat next to Blake on her couch, her legs curled under her, as she rested her head on the APS team lead’s shoulder.
By the time the crew had gotten to Blake’s house, unloaded Brooke’s belongings, and temporarily organized her artist table and supplies in the second office—Blake giving her a couple of dresser drawers and room in one of the closets in her bedroom for Brooke to put her clothes away—it had been well past dinnertime, and they were both extremely hungry.
Since it was too late to cook anything, Blake had arranged for Wade at the Pier House Grill and his staff to deliver a substantial meal: a medium-rare ribeye and roasted broccoli for Blake and pasta primavera with a light lemon sauce for Brooke.
When their dinner had arrived, the two of them ate at Blake’s small table, chatting about inconsequential things.
After they were done and had cleaned up, Blake pulled Brooke down next to her on the couch and laid her head on her shoulder, saying they would relax for a little while before they took showers and went to bed.
Nervously, Brooke decided to address the subject uppermost on her mind head-on.
“You act as though my staying with you for a while is permanent instead of something temporary, Blake.” She pulled in a deep breath before she plunged on.
“I’m not going to lie and pretend I’ve never had feelings for you, because you know I always have.
But…but…we have never had the first discussion about anything beyond friendship and… and I’ve kept my distance for a reason.
“The girls have been giving me shit for ages about you and me being together, even though I’ve always pushed back and told them to stop being a bunch of bitches.
And now,” she heaved in a second, shakier breath, “it’s like ever since I broke down with you about Sabine and what she had been hiding from Casey, I’m struggling to keep those walls up.
Dealing with that on top of dealing with this bullshit from Reflex has my mind in a tailspin.
I don’t know what to do about it because I don’t know if anything permanent can even work between us. ”
Lifting Brooke onto her lap, Blake banded her arms snugly around her femme.
“I’ll tell you exactly what it means, tigress,” she said softly, her sunlit green eyes intent.
“I have known since the beginning of grade school that you were meant to be mine someday. While I’ll never deny there have been a lot of women in my life—because the APS management team has always been highly sexual and I am no exception—never has there been any other femme who has owned my heart and soul the way you have, Brooke Marino.
” Tears began to drip down Brooke’s face.
“You are the essence of who I think the perfect femme for me should be. Passionate, honest, fearless, ferocious when it comes to injustice…and unwilling to take anybody’s shit, especially mine.
Everything I have always wanted, my entire life.
I have loved you forever.” Brooke was crying now.
“We already know I will drive you out of your fucking mind because that’s what I do with everyone.
But you are also a woman who will kick my ass so fast when I need it, it will make my head spin.
“You’re mine, tigress. You’re mine and I’m yours, and I will never let you go. Despite your worries, despite your fears, it will work between us…because we have always been meant to be together. Forever.” Then Blake kissed her.
Brooke’s senses reeled. Still crying, she kissed Blake back fiercely, feeling as though she was finally exactly where she belonged.
A deep, abiding sense of joy came over her, an otherworldly sense that her beloved nonno had reached down from heaven and touched them both with his blessing.
After a small amount of time had passed, Blake pulled back and rested her forehead against Brooke’s.
“As much as I want to make you mine in all ways, baby, I know it’s too soon. You aren’t ready yet to let me have you. That being the case, we will shut everything down, go take showers, then get into bed where I can hold you in my arms all night long, just like I’ve always dreamed of.
“And you, tigress, are going to sleep in a place where you know you will be safe, warm, and protected. Where you understand there is nothing in this world that can get to you, not unless it goes through me first. Let’s go and do what we need to do so that you’re finally in my bed where you belong.
” Heat filled Blake’s eyes. “And that means naked, skin-to-skin, with nothing between us.” Brooke blushed.
After making sure everything was locked up and secured while Brooke took a shower, Blake sent a few fast texts, going into the bedroom just as her femme came out of the bathroom in a simple nightgown with her dirty clothes in one hand.
“Where can I put these?” she asked, fidgeting a bit.
Blake took them from her and threw them in her dirty clothes hamper, then turned back the bed sheets and comforter.
“Get in bed, baby. We can take care of the nightgown situation,” she gestured at Brooke, who rolled her eyes a bit, “after I’m done taking my shower.
I’ll be out in less than ten minutes.” When she came out of the bathroom with her own dirty clothes in hand, clad only in shorts and a T-shirt, she saw that Brooke was sitting up in bed on her phone, her back against the headboard.
“Ready?” she asked, pausing by her nightstand as Brooke nodded and put her phone on her own nightstand.
Turning off all the lights, Blake stripped out of her clothes and crawled into bed, then reached over to gently pull Brooke’s nightgown over her head in the dark.
“I suspected you would be more comfortable without the lights on tonight, baby. One thing I don’t want is for you to ever feel I’m expecting you to give me something you’re not ready to give.
Being shy is one thing. Feeling coerced but not telling me how you really feel and just giving in is a really fast way to get the spanking of your life. ”
“I would never do that!” Brooke protested.
“I truly doubted that you would, but I still wanted to make sure things were perfectly clear between us.” Blake lay Brooke down beside her, then turned Brooke’s body so her head was pillowed on Blake’s shoulder.
Brooke lifted one of her legs and drew it up so it was lying across Blake’s hard thigh as the APS team lead wrapped her in her arms.
Kissing Brooke’s temple, Blake whispered, “So many nights I’ve dreamed about you, Brooke.
So many times I’ve wished you were here with me.
No one on the management team has ever brought a woman home with her, you know.
Not until she’s found the femme who’s meant to be hers. ” Brooke stiffened in surprise.
“Our homes are our sanctuaries. If a woman is here with any of us, in our bed, it means she’s worth far more to us than a meaningless hookup, baby.
When Bryn met Rowan and fell as fast as she did, it was like the floodgates opened.
For thirty-five years, not one of us was interested in a long-term relationship, although a few of us had suspicions we already knew a femme our souls were convinced was ours forever—Jaime, Teagan, Trill, me—even if we were convinced you might stay out of our reach.
“But now?” Blake kissed Brooke’s temple again. “Except for Drew, each of us has found her forever, has her femme exactly where she needs to be, and will never let her go. I’ve always known you were mine, tigress…just as you have always known I was yours.”
“What about Drew then? I adore Drew, you know that…I always have. All the APS femmes do. But I’ll be honest with you, Blake. I can’t think of one woman in Whimsy whom I can see as Drew’s forever. None of us can and, believe me, we’ve speculated.”
Blake smiled in the darkness as she tightened her arms a bit.
“Let me tell you something about my cuz, baby. Like the rest of us, Drew loves femme women. She will do just about anything for any woman who might need her, but it is the femmes of the world who speak to her butch soul. She is extremely discreet and keeps her playing from view, but I doubt you would be surprised to find out she is just as predatory as the twins and the rest of the Seven.” Blake felt Brooke nod in agreement.
“That said, we don’t talk about relationship shit that much with each other.
What I can tell you, however, is that the femme who finally lands on Drew’s radar will be a woman who is cunning, resourceful, highly intelligent, and downright dangerous, but also as kind and as ethical as they come.
Much like Drew herself is. And our mystery femme?
Heaven help anyone or anything that even thinks about threatening what Drew considers to be hers. ”
Laughing softly, Brooke murmured, “You just described the entire management team of APS, Blake, not just Drew.”
The Utopia team lead chuckled. “I did, didn’t I?
” Her voice sobered. “But Drew and her femme will operate on a level even further beyond what we do. You know about Purgatory, baby, at least the very basics. My cuz totally rules that place, and believe me when I tell you there is some fucking scary-ass shit that goes on down there. Drew Hollister is feared for some damn good reasons.”
There was silence for a moment, then, “The woman who Drew ends up sighting in her crosshairs will be just as comfortable on the dark web and in Purgatory as she is. Traffickers, violent criminals, embezzlers, cyber thieves, scammers: she likely deals with them as casually as she would swatting a fly. I wouldn’t be in the least surprised to learn that Drew already knows her, or has at least met her, although I’d make book on the fact that Drew is unaware of who this woman actually is to her.
And I doubt very much the mystery woman knows who Drew is to her either. ”
Brooke blew out a deep breath. “Hoo boy.”
“Hoo boy is right. Personally, I’m betting there are going to be some major fireworks between them.
” Blake snickered, leaning up slightly to give Brooke a deep kiss before she settled back down.
“Drew is one of my best friends in this world, baby. I’d fall on my sword for her, just like I would for any of our management team.
But, for as much shit as she’s thrown at me over the years, I will be enjoying the fuck out of watching her meet her match. ”
“Blake.” Brooke couldn’t prevent her grin, even through the exasperation that seeped into her tone. “Are you trying to tell me you’re as pure as the driven snow and haven’t deserved the crap she’s given you? Her or the twins or the rest of the Seven?”
Blake burst out laughing. “Hell, no…I’m not saying that at all.
I live to drive those fuckers out of their minds, and no one is better at it than I am.
” Brooke giggled. “But I have watched Drew and her crew in action for too many years not to know exactly what they’re capable of doing, and why ‘The Shadow’ has the reputation she does,” Blake continued, all traces of laughter suddenly gone.
“Baby, the criminal element in Purgatory is terrified of Drew Hollister. And I suspect her femme inspires the same kind of fear, for reasons yet to be known. Only time will tell. But I predict the APS book will be on fire between those two.”
She kissed Brooke one more time, then covered them up warmly. “We’re both tired, tigress, so it’s time to go to sleep. Like I’ve already told you, being able to go to sleep with you in my arms is a dream come true. You have no idea what it means to me that you’re here.
“Rest easy tonight, baby, and know you are in the safest place you can possibly be. And I’ll make sure you always feel that way.”