16. Sullivan

16

SULLIVAN

W hy had I told David I’d only been with a man once before? What must he be thinking about me now? That I was a loser who not only divided my time solely between work and home, but I also never had sex?

No friends. No lovers. No life. I certainly wasn’t what one might consider a catch. Oh, and someone powerful enough to have an SIS agent killed while in custody also wanted me dead.

When David shifted, I thought for sure he’d get up, but instead, he wove his fingers in my hair and stared into my eyes. I’d never wanted to read someone’s mind more than I did right now.

“Just say it.”

His eyes scrunched, and his head cocked. “Say what? I mean, there are many things I’d like to say. I’m just wondering which you’re so anxious to hear.”

“I’m…you know.”

“Sexy as fuck?”

His words were so unexpected that I laughed out loud. Then it dawned on me he was being sarcastic. “I know, right?”

He reached down, cupped my pussy, and inserted one finger inside me. “Sexy. As. Fuck.”

My back arched when he added a second finger and pressed his thumb against my clit.

“I want you so much. I’m already hard as stone.” He thrust deeper, and I clenched around his fingers. “Especially when you do that.”

“I think it’s a reflex,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Let go.”

“I’m not sure I know how.”

“Not your pussy, your mind. Just feel, Sullivan. Let go and let yourself enjoy all the pleasure.”

“I want to. I just…” He withdrew his fingers and got out of bed. “Wait. I’ll try, okay?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Be right back.”

I covered my face with my hand. “Oh. The condom.”

As promised, he returned seconds later, moved the sheet that covered my body, and pulled my legs apart. “I love this,” he said, running his fingers over my bareness, then spreading me open and licking from where his fingers had been inside me up to my clit. I jolted when his tongue swirled the ultra-sensitive bundle of nerves, but he used his opposite arm to hold me still.

“I can’t,” I groaned.

“You can and you will,” he murmured. “I want you to come this way. Will you do that for me, Sullivan?”

I grabbed his shoulder, digging my nails into his flesh when the second orgasm crashed its way through me. I writhed on the bed as my pussy pulsed and my heart rate slowed down. He’d moved, but I didn’t have the energy to even open my eyes to see where, until I heard him opening a foil packet.

I peeked as he rolled it on, then he pushed me to my side, positioned himself behind me, and raised my leg so it rested on his thigh. With one thrust, he entered me. “Oh my God,” I cried as I felt yet another orgasm building.

When he touched my clit—just touched it—I came again, and as he moved inside me, rotating his hips and stroking my body in a place I never knew existed, I came again. This time, he did too.

“Don’t move,” he said, easing out of me to, as I now knew, dispose of the condom.

I grabbed the sheet and blanket to cover myself against the chill left by his absence. When he crawled in behind me, I snuggled against him. He wrapped his arm around me, and when he rested his hand on my pussy, I smacked it. “No.”

He laughed. “Yes.”

I stilled when his hand didn’t move. He just cupped me. I felt myself drifting and shook myself awake.

“I love it when you sleep in my arms.”

I glanced over my shoulder. “When have I?”

“On the plane, but more, in my dreams.”

He kissed my shoulder, and a warmth like I’d never felt before spread throughout my body.

“Sleep, Sully,” he whispered, and I did.

When I woke, David was still beside me but was sitting up. I rolled over and put my arm around his waist. “Is everything okay?” I asked.

He shifted down so we were face-to-face. “Okay? No. Blissful? Yes.”

My cheeks flushed, and I rolled my eyes. “I’m the one in a state of bliss.”

He brushed my lips with his. “We both are.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Of course I do. Why would you think otherwise?”

“You are clearly very good at sex while I, on the other hand…”

“Not sex, Sullivan. Making love, and I wouldn’t say it’s something I’m good at as much as it is that good between us.”

“I think that is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Get used to it.” He nuzzled my neck. “I’ve got a million of them.”

“That tickles,” I said, giggling when he ran his tongue from my shoulder to beneath my ear.

“Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

“Let’s eat the food my boss so kindly stocked for us.”

After finishing the meal we prepared from the things Typhon had arranged to be delivered, we cleaned up, then sat in the living room, in front of the fireplace.

“It doesn’t seem right to flip a switch and a roaring fire suddenly appears.”

I chuckled. “I’d hardly call that roaring.”

“Right. I’m not sure it even wards off the chill.”

“We can keep each other warm,” I said, snuggling closer.

David put his arms around me, but his body felt tense. “I like that idea.”

“What’s bothering you? Apart from the obvious.”

“At some point, we need to address what’s on the microSD card.”

I nodded. “Can we wait until morning?”

I felt David nod too. “Of course. I’d rather wait longer, but there is some urgency in determining why Weber wants you dead.” He squeezed tighter. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up right before we return to bed.”

“Let’s talk about something else to get our minds off it.”

“Brilliant plan. What about Christmas? What are some of your favorite memories?”

I had far more unpleasant ones of the holiday than otherwise, but I thought back to the last Christmas I remembered being fun. “My favorite was when your family still lived in Ballater.”

“Yes, that was an enchanting time.”

“Do you recall what we did?” I gazed up at him.

“I hadn’t, but now that you mention it, I remember my father arranged for a sleigh ride on the grounds of Balmoral Castle, didn’t he?”

“It was magical.” If I closed my eyes, I could see it as though it was yesterday. “The royal family was there, not that we saw them. It was still exciting to think the Queen was in residence.”

“My mum and I met her once. Lovely woman.”

“We had hot chocolate with marshmallows your mum made.”

“It was more likely Mrs. Drummond who arranged for us to have them, along with the Christmas meal we shared.”

I laughed. “My mum was a dreadful cook, and I’ll confess to not being any better. Having your parents host the meal was probably the last decent one we had.”

“You did well enough tonight.”

“All that was required was reheating. I’m quite adept at that.”

“What about Christmases after that one?”

“They weren’t much fun, honestly. My parents weren’t social, except with yours, and as an only child, the day was quite lonely. Every day was. What about you? I imagine the holidays at Ashcroft Castle were brilliant.”

“They were, but only because Con’s and Tag’s families spent the holidays with us. We actually rotated between our place, Blackmoor, and Glenshadow. The problem with that was on off years, Gus wasn’t with us.”

“Why not?”

“He was always invited, as was his mum, but she repeatedly declined, saying it wasn’t proper for a housekeeper to spend the holidays with her employer.”

“That’s a shame.”

“He never complained, but I would think it would be especially hard on Gus.”

“The four of you are close.”

“Very much so. They became my brothers. The same is true for them.”

“Are you all only children?” I asked.

“Gus and I are. Con and Tag both have younger siblings. In Con’s case, they’re half-siblings.”

“I suppose I could thank my parents for my boring home life since it’s what inspired me to become a journalist.”

“How so?” David asked.

“I devoured the newspaper. Every section, every article. It provided hours of entertainment back then. I remember how thick it was when it arrived. Now, it’s hardly the size of a tabloid.”

“The internet is to blame, I suppose.”

“Sadly, it will likely lead to the demise of my profession.”

David shook his head. “I disagree. There will always be a need for people like you who report on the Eric Webers of the world. How the news is delivered will continue to evolve. Like most things must.” He turned to face me. “And here we are, back to all the things we shouldn’t talk about before bed.”

“We could stop talking altogether.”

He grinned. “Yeah? And do what instead?”

“Kiss. Among other things.”

I giggled when he scooped me off the sofa and carried me into the bedroom, where we spent most of the night doing those other things.”