Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

E vangeline

Second to a good slice of pepperoni pizza, I enjoyed a thick juicy burger with all the fixings, including a slice of cheese. When you mixed that with French fries, which I’d made for us since it was a favorite of my little boy, the dinner had been perfect.

It had been eaten under the stars and what appeared to be a bright pink moon, the kind you made wishes to and I did. I was starting to feel melancholy, more so than would do me any good. Just envisioning my little boy was wonderful but detrimental. I missed him so much the tears flowed easily.

“Tell me about Damien.”

His voice was right there, the powerful man sitting quietly up to this point in a chair only inches away. The various colored LED lights in the pool were mesmerizing, their constant shift in color easily able to make someone sleepy.

But I was on edge.

There was no reason for it in that I was a distance from anyone who could hurt me, but an ominous feeling had pooled in my stomach and refused to go away.

“He’s sweet, perfect, and so intelligent. I’m lucky he’s here. I had a difficult pregnancy, sick all the time. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep comfortably, and when he was born, my blood pressure shot up. I was told I almost had a stroke, which I think would have made Joseph happy.”

Gage sighed, lifting his scotch slowly. “Bastard.”

“Yeah, by then we were barely talking. I was playing the dutiful wife but when Damien was born, everything changed. He was such a happy little boy, always laughing. He finally made life worth living. Joseph wanted an heir like all the bastards but had no time for his own son. That allowed me to decorate his room and playroom the way I wanted. We became close and I started documenting his sweetness online on Instagram.”

“That’s how you developed your business.”

“Yes. When it started taking off and I had sponsors and advertisers, I was shocked. I had to be very careful when I did anything, but it allowed me to open up a bank account. I knew he could find it if he wanted but he had no reason to think I had any money to do so. It was a little nest egg that continued to build and build. I was smart and opened a second account, placing the funds in an internet account, which earns a lot of interest. I did my best to lock both down, putting several security features on the systems so even if Joseph or his cronies found them, he couldn’t get in.”

“Hackers can get into any location. If you trust me, provide me with the numbers and I’ll place another layer of protection on them. I’m not stealing your funds, babe.”

I had to laugh. “You make twenty-five times what I do. I highly doubt my pittance will be worth anything.”

“How much are we talking?”

“Last time I was able to check, about one point two.”

“Thousand?”

He had me laughing. “No, silly. Million.”

The cough seemed to come out of the blue. “Wait a minute. You’ve made over a million dollars on your internet business?”

“I have.”

“Okay, how did Joseph not know?”

“I was clever. I also worked at a bookstore, claiming I’d saved money. Now, I admit taxes were interesting to figure out, but I have a really good accountant who had done a marvelous job of doing two tax forms, trying his best to keep the other part hidden. Not entirely possible but enough so my lie appeared legit.”

“You never cease to amaze me.”

“Mmm… I’ll take that as a compliment. I’ll be happy to give you the numbers. It’ll be the money I need to take Damien somewhere safe when this is all over.”

I could feel the heat of his body and his long stare. Had I already had some crazy fantasy about this being a permanent situation? Yes, but I doubt a man like Gage Royal wanted to be saddled with a child. Still, a girl could dream.

Before either one of us could say anything, his phone rang. He’d left it across the pool on another table. Given the time of night, he moved quickly to grab the call. Why was it that I was more nauseous than before?

As soon as he picked it up, the limited light allowed me to see his entire body had tensed. I could feel his extreme anger from where I was, could tell he was fuming. I sat up in the chair, horrified of what I might hear. While I didn’t walk closer, the moment he looked in my direction, I knew my terrible feelings were right. And my instinct told me what he was being told.

He quickly moved from one call to another, more animated this time. As he paced back and forth in front of the table, I was certain he was preparing a defensive front.

Or war.

Either way, this might be the only night we had that would be considered peaceful. That was fine by me. I was ready for a fight. And I had a feeling so was he.

When he ended the call, he held the phone to his forehead before tossing it across the table. He remained where he was for a full two minutes before taking long strides back in my direction. Just as he became within earshot, I told him what I knew was happening.

“They’re after both of us, aren’t they?”

He sighed but I sensed he wasn’t going to lie to me. “Yes.”

“They will stop at nothing to track you down and since you don’t live in hiding or in a real fortress, if they haven’t locked in on your address, they will discover it by in the morning.”

“Correct.”

“And you’ve made some crazy arrangements to keep this little world protected.”

Now he chuckled in a dark and almost demonic tone. “I have a massive security system already, including highly sensitive cameras. The system will be turned on as soon as we go inside. I also have men working for me who are prepared to guard us at all costs. Four of them are on their way over. They will switch out with two other crews. I don’t mind luring at least some of the bastards into California. Home turf advantage is a plus, but the real action will be done in Connecticut. I just want you to know that.”

“I’m no fool. That much I gathered. Whatever happens, I am going with you.” I gave him a hard look that seemed to surprise then amuse him.

“We shall see.”

He took the drink from my hand, placing it on the small table. When he slid one arm under my legs, the other around my back, I laughed softly. He really did think he was a big he-man.

But I adored him for it.

Sophisticated.

Hardheaded.

Sexy as hell.

The three phrases described him the best. As he lifted me with ease, holding me against his chest, I was thrown how good it felt to be in his arms. Why? I’d felt this way often enough he’d become my fantasy. He walked us to the table where his phone was, nodding and bending down. I didn’t need any additional commands. I grabbed it for him, holding it close.

He walked inside, shutting and locking the set of doors. With me in tow, he moved to each room, ensuring the doors were locked, ending up in the foyer the last. “You need to see this,” he told me as he flicked down a plastic covering on a security system I hadn’t noticed before. “This is state of the art. Memorize the code.”

He repeated it and made me do so. I bit my lower lip, more worried than I’d been before.

“I’ll set it up with your thumbprint tomorrow. Now, here’s where you set the cameras. They are infrared, reacting to any movement, which includes wildlife. Notice even from this smaller screen, you can shift from camera to camera, taking a wide-angled look at what it’s seeing. This button activates a shrill alarm. There are panic buttons in the nightstand beside my bed, the room where you’re in in the top right dresser drawer, in the kitchen in the silverware drawer, and in my office in my desk. Unlike the shithead in Connecticut, no one owns the police out here. However, my family does contribute a lot of money to various causes that are near and dear to their hearts so they are very loyal and very reactive.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“Oh, yes, baby,” he said as he made the final settings, closing the flap and arming the system. That was it. He carried me up the stairs, taking his time. The moonlight streamed in through the massive arched window halfway up the curved staircase, allowing me to catch glimpses of his eyes. Now they appeared tumultuous.

Gray.

Stormy.

Still full of anger.

I don’t know why but it made me feel a little better. I sensed he was even more ruthless than I’d given him credit for.

Given the door to his room, not mine was mostly shut, he kicked it in. Another he-man act that made me laugh nervously.

“A little beastlike tonight?”

“You have no idea,” he growled as if answering my question more dramatically.

“I think I do.”

The man tossed me into the center of the bed where I bounced up and down a few times. We hadn’t needed to change back into dry clothes, going swimming a second time after dinner. I’d found towels in a cabinet, the tiki bar environment complete with everything anyone would need.

We might be perfectly dry for now, but I knew that wouldn’t last for long. I couldn’t help myself toying with him. There was a slight sense of dread, one of hopelessness that kept wanting to settle into my system and I refused. The bastards weren’t going to win this easily.

I jumped off the other side, even grabbing a lamp for fun. Of course, it was attached by a cord, something he laughed at as he stalked around the edge of the bed.

He didn’t anticipate my moves very well or simply wanted to see what I’d do. I barely managed to get the lamp on the table and jumped on the bed on my feet, off the other side in seconds.

The big man tackled me almost midair, tossing me back into the middle of the bed. I squealed and he let off his rather demonic laugh, moving from foot to foot as I bounded onto my hands and knees.

I knew he was right in that this might be the last peaceful night we had in a long time. He was in as playful of a mood as I was, perhaps more so but there was a crackle of electricity in the air. The playfulness wouldn’t last long. Passion exuded from both of us, a need so strong that it continued to shock me.

Yet I managed to jump off the bed and this time he lifted me by the waist, tossing me high into the air and on my stomach. He promptly climbed onto the bed, straddling me, but leaving enough room he could finagle my bathrobe off within seconds. When I was completely naked, he flipped me over, not wasting any time bending and lifting my legs, pinning them against the comforter and dropping his head.

The feel of his long, rough tongue prodding my clit was a little slice of heaven. The noises he was making were crazy, a beautiful reminder he was a beast in expensive clothes.

A perfect combination.

He kept his forearms across my thighs, remaining on his knees as he darted glances in my direction.

“Oh, yes. Oh… You are…” I threw one hand down, fisting his hair and tugging. If it bothered him in the least, I wouldn’t know it. He was too busy growling and feasting, now dragging his tongue up and down my pussy a few times. Then he’d suck on my clit, making it ultra-sensitive.

He was making me feel more vibrations than I ever had in my life. The way he held me down told me in no uncertain terms he truly believed I belonged to him.

I might have balked at it in the beginning, but not now. I adored his roughness, his constant need for me. The way he looked at me as if I was a rare filet and he was a wild tiger. And the tender touch he could provide when he thought that was what I needed.

Gasping, I bit down on my lower lip as the sensations continued to increase. He had a way of bringing me right to the edge, a sweet steep precipice then backing off, leaving me aching all over. I had no doubts he was going to practice that today.

And he did.

When he lifted his head, this time the moonlight reflected eyes that were confusing.

Darkness.

Amusement.

Adoration.

It was a strange combination to me, but I didn’t question it, instead tossing my other arm over my eyes. With every swipe of his tongue, every thrust of three then four fingers deep into my tight channel, I loosened my hold on his hair.

I was in such sweet la-la-land that it was impossible to concentrate or hold onto anything.

He knew it too, the sexy bastard using it against me, bringing me close to nirvana and stopping.

“What are… you… doing?” I managed, licking my dry lips.

“Teasing you like you did to me. I could do this all night long.”

“No. No!” I was already too sensitive, my entire mind blown by how incredible his tongue felt.

“Oh, yeah? Then you’re going to be a good girl for me?”

“Never.”

“That’s what I thought.” The guttural sound he made was more possessive and he buried his head in my pussy, covering his face with my juice. As he shook his head back and forth, I was certain I would pass out from the sheer joy of being in his arms in a safe place.

Short lived, idiot.

I shushed my inner voice, sucking in and holding my breath. He continued as I did what I could to hold back the raging orgasm ready to sweep through me.

He lifted his head, giving me a hard look. “Come. Now.” His voice was no longer recognizable. Who knew I was the kind of woman who could come so easily on a deep-voiced command?

But here I was, erupting into his mouth. I tossed my head from side to side, moaning as the pulsing vibrations filled me with white-hot electric jolts. No woman could be as lucky as I was. At least in this regard.

I had no idea how long the sweet moment of release continued, but when I lifted my head again, the first thing I did was attempt to focus. His eyes at this point?

More somber, a building hurricane as the thought of what he would do filled his mind.

They were almost tempting, barely able to disguise the devil.

Of course his anger wasn’t directed at me but his rage made him a more ferocious lover.

When he pulled back, managing to lift me with one arm wrapped under my waist, tossing me onto all fours, it was as if he was proving the point.

He promptly cracked his hand on one side of my bottom then the other, repeating the action several times.

I was shocked at first, completely breathless, slow to respond but when I did, I wiggled hard to try to claw my way further up on the bed. “Ouch. What are you doing?”

“Reminding you.”

“Of what?”

“That you will obey me.”

Why did the words make me grin like a kid? Shouldn’t I hate them? Not with him. He delivered four more in rapid succession before wrapping one hand around my throat, squeezing just enough my head was kept straight.

“I’m going to pound my cock deep into this tight hole of yours,” he said in a husky voice. “And if you’re a good girl, I might also take you in the ass.”

I wiggled it on purpose and he raked his nails all the way down my back. The effect of his salacious actions was chill bumps popping along every inch of naked skin. It didn’t seem to matter what the man did to me; I was fully aroused, more so than I ever had been. He had a fabulous way of making me feel very alive.

When he laughed as he’d done more than once before, lowering his head so he could blow hot air across my skin, I shuddered visibly.

I had the distinct feeling his lack of control was uncharacteristic for him, but he found it as impossible not to let all his inhibitions go around me as I did with him.

When he continued teasing me by rubbing the tip of his cock up and down the crack of my ass, I was certain I was going to melt into a puddle. I had enjoyed anal sex much more than I ever thought I would, but only with him.

He’d claimed a part of me.

Okay, maybe all of me.

“Are you ready for me, baby girl?”

“Always.”

“You’re certain about that?”

“Oh, yes.” I should have known he wasn’t going to be gentle this go-around. When he plunged his cock deep inside like he’d done in the pool, the effect was different.

More brutal but delicious.

“Oh. God. I…” There was no chance I could issue a coherent sentence of any kind. My mind was foggy in a beautiful way and he kept his cock buried deep inside, shifting his hips back and forth.

My back was already arched but when he shifted his hand to my long, damp hair, wrapping several inches around his hand and using it as a leash, it was another reminder I belonged to him.

I was almost staring at the ceiling at this point, gasping for even breaths as he pulled out, slamming into me again.

And again.

The man was going to be my complete undoing. Fine. Dandy.

I needed it. Maybe I needed his domination more than I believed. Whatever the case, I was in another state of rapture within seconds, trying to meet every brutal thrust even though it was impossible.

He was fulfilling a need, processing a future and doing his best to keep his control. Within seconds, I was no longer capable of uttering anything coherent. The pleasure was far too intense, my mind blown by how amazing it all felt.

The hard slapping of his skin against mine was a powerful aphrodisiac, pushing me closer and closer to pure ecstasy.

I knew we were in sync but the moment I felt every muscle in my body tense, noting his was as well, my crazy mind processed and determined we were meant to be together.

The way the orgasm rushed into me seemed slow, as if time had all but stopped. I heard his deep growls, which matched my ragged moans. At some point soon after that, there was no holding back, no need for him to command me to climax.

We both did.

The feel of his hot cum spewing deep inside was a perfect reminder we were both very much alive.

I was no longer shocked one orgasm lingered or turned into a giant wave. It was just what happened with him. At some point, I realized the echoing sound I heard was both of us, our breathing heavy.

He let go of my hair, collapsing over me.

I adored the weight of his body, the way I could feel his rapidly beating heart.

We both fell onto the bed, and he rolled me over onto my side, wrapping his muscular arm around me.

I hadn’t realized until at that moment how exhausted I was. As soon as I closed my eyes, I sensed I was falling asleep. And as I did, I fell into the sweetest dream of the three of us together, enjoying time spent in the pool. I could feel myself smile.

If only it wasn’t just a pipe… dream.