Chapter Eleven
Darby
The night air hit me like a slap of reality as we stepped out of the restaurant, the world tilting pleasantly around the edges.
I giggled, leaning heavily against Sully’s solid frame as he guided me toward the car.
Behind us, the restaurant staff waved goodbye.
The evening had turned out nothing like I’d expected.
I’d gone in ready for battle and somehow ended up actually enjoying Tonio’s company and having fun.
The realization should have terrified me, but wrapped in the warm cocoon of good whisky and better company, I couldn’t summon the energy to panic.
“You’re drunk,” Sully observed, amusement coloring his deep voice as he helped me into the back seat of the car Tonio had called for us. One of his two full time drivers, apparently. I mean, seriously. Why did the guy need two drivers?
“Not drunk,” I corrected, wagging a finger at him. “Pleasantly buzzed. There’s a difference.”
“If you say so, darlin’.” He chuckled, buckling me in before closing the door.
The drive back to the compound passed in a blur of streetlights and my wandering thoughts.
I found myself replaying the evening, particularly the moment when Tonio had shared the story about diving through a window to escape being shot.
The image of my perfectly put-together father crashing through glass and plummeting two stories made me laugh all over again.
“What’s so funny?” Sully asked, his hand warm on my thigh.
“Just thinking about Tonio jumping out a window,” I said, my words flowing together more than usual. “Not sure why, but it’s funny.”
By the time we reached the Kiss of Death compound, the world had taken on that soft-edged, dreamlike quality that comes with just the right amount of whisky.
The gates swung open for us, and the vehicle moved through the entrance to park near our building.
No idea how or who or anything else, nor did I care because everything was so soft…
The compound looked different at night. The camo netting strung between buildings created strange, shifting shadows as we walked beneath them. Sully’s arm was firm around my waist, bearing most of my weight as I stumbled occasionally on perfectly flat ground.
“You’d think they could put some fucking lights out here,” I muttered, nearly tripping over nothing.
“They did,” Sully replied patiently. “You’re just not walking in a straight line.”
“Pfft. Straight lines are overrated.”
The lift ride to our floor was brief, my body swaying into Sully’s with every small movement. He smelled so good, a mix of that expensive cologne he’d put on for dinner and something uniquely him underneath. I buried my face against his neck, inhaling deeply.
“You smell delicious,” I murmured against his skin. “Good enough to eat.”
His chuckle vibrated through me. “How about we concentrate on getting you inside first.”
Once in our apartment, Sully guided me to the bedroom, flipping on the bedside lamp. The brightness made me squint, but I was too content to complain. He sat me on the edge of the bed and knelt to remove my heels, his movements gentle.
“Arms up,” he instructed, and I complied and shimmied my hips, letting him pull my dress over my head with careful hands. His fingers brushed against the fading bruise on my ribs, his touch feather-light.
“Still hurt?” he asked, concern shadowing his features.
“Nah, I’m good.” I looked down at the yellowish mark. “Battle scars.”
He pressed a soft kiss to the discolored skin before continuing to undress me, unhooking my bra and sliding my panties down my legs until I sat naked before him.
Despite having been intimate countless times already, something about his careful attention made me feel exposed in a way that had nothing to do with nudity.
And I found it didn’t really bother me all that much.
“I actually liked him,” I blurted out, the confession spilling from my lips unbidden. “Tonio. Tonight. I had fun.”
Sully smiled, brushing hair back from my face. “I know you did, darlin’. That’s great.”
“Is it, though?” I frowned, trying to organize my whisky-slowed thoughts. “I’ve spent so long not needing anyone. What if I start needing him? What if I start needing you even more than I already do?”
“Then you need us,” he replied simply. “There are worse things.”
Before I could formulate a properly cynical response, he stood and pulled me to my feet. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
He led me to the bathroom, turning on the shower and adjusting the temperature with practiced ease.
Steam quickly filled the small space, fogging the mirror and wrapping around us like a warm embrace.
While the water heated, Sully grabbed towels and undressed himself before helping me into the big shower.
The hot water felt glorious against my skin, washing away the last vestiges of tension I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. I closed my eyes, tilting my face into the spray, only vaguely aware of Sully grabbing the shower gel nearby.
His hands returned to my body, slick and gentle as they glided over my shoulders and down my arms. The scent of the soap, something woodsy and clean, mingled with the steam. He worked methodically, washing every inch of me with a tenderness that made my chest ache.
“You don’t have to do this,” I murmured, opening my eyes to find him watching me intently.
“I want to,” he replied. “It’s your job to keep people off balance and to play as hard as you want. It’s my purpose in life to make sure you can do whatever the fuck you want and still be safe. So I’m taking care of you now because that’s what I do. It’s a compulsion I don’t want to fight.”
He turned me around, his soapy hands sliding down my back, tracing the curve of my spine before moving lower to cup my ass.
I leaned back against him, feeling the hard planes of his body.
When his fingers dipped between my legs, washing me there with the same careful attention, I couldn’t suppress a soft moan.
“That’s it,” he whispered against my ear, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me. “Let me take care of you.”
He reached for the shampoo next, working it into my hair with strong fingers that massaged my scalp, drawing another moan from me.
The sensation sent tingles racing down my spine, pleasure spreading outward from each point of contact.
I let my head fall back, surrendering to his ministrations, allowing myself the unfamiliar luxury of being cared for.
As he rinsed the suds from my hair, water cascading down my face and body in warm rivulets, something shifted inside me.
The alcohol was still buzzing pleasantly in my veins, but this was something else, something deeper and more urgent.
I turned in his arms, pressing my naked body to his, his hard cock mashed tightly against my stomach.
“I want you,” I whispered, running my hands over his wet chest.
His hands caught mine, bringing them to his mouth to kiss as he stilled my movements. “Darby, honey, you’re drunk.”
“Not too drunk for this,” I insisted, looking directly into his eyes. “There is never going to be a world where I didn’t want you to fuck me, Sully. If you need me, take me. And right now, I need you, too, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Water streamed down between us. His eyes darkened as he searched my face, looking for any sign of hesitation.
“I love you,” I added softly, the words coming easier now than the first time I’d said them. “And I need you inside me.”
Sully’s resistance crumbled before my eyes.
His mouth found mine in a kiss that burned away the last of my whisky haze, replacing it with a sharper, cleaner intoxication.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing every inch of my wet skin against his.
The contrast of his hard body against my softer curves sent electricity shooting through my veins.
He walked me backward until my shoulders met the cool tile wall.
Sully lifted me effortlessly, hands gripping my thighs as he urged them around his waist. I locked my ankles behind his back, feeling the thick length of him pressing insistently against me.
Water cascaded over us, turning his dark hair nearly black as it plastered against his forehead.
I pushed it back, wanting to see his eyes, needing to watch his face as he entered me.
“That’s it,” I whimpered, not even caring how needy I sounded.
With Sully, I didn’t have to maintain my defenses, didn’t have to pretend to be anything other than what I was -- a woman desperate for the only man who’d ever made me feel both wild and safe at once.
“Put your cock inside me. Fuck me with it.”
I was aching with how much I needed this. When he finally pushed inside me with one smooth, hard thrust, I cried out, my head falling back against the tile with a soft thud.
“Fuck, Darby,” he groaned, his voice strained with the effort of control. “Fuck!”
He held still for a moment, buried to the hilt inside me, our bodies joined as intimately as two people could be.
Steam swirled around us, turning the small shower stall into our own private world where nothing existed beyond the points where our skin touched.
The water drummed against Sully’s back, running in rivulets down his spine and between our joined bodies, adding another layer of sensation to the overwhelming pleasure.
His cock pulsed in time with his heart where it beat against my breasts.
After a brief pause, he began to move, pulling back only to drive forward again, each thrust measured.
I clung to his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin as I matched his rhythm.
The sound of water mixed with our heavy breathing and occasional moans, created a primal soundtrack to our fucking.
My vision blurred, whether from the steam or my own building pleasure, I couldn’t tell. Didn’t care either.