All In (The Blackstone Affair, Part 2) (17 page)

I kissed her forehead and rubbed her chin
with my thumb. “Nothing’s your fault. We’re just going to be
careful with you. Very—very—careful,” I said, kissing her on the
lips three times in succession.

“I don’t want anything from Senator Oakley,”
she whispered.

“That’s because you’re not opportunistic.
Most people would exploit him for money to keep it quiet. You
haven’t done that and they are watching to see what you might do.
And I’m certain they are watching to see if Oakley’s enemies try to
get to you. And truthfully, his political enemies are who concern
me more. The video and Oakley’s knowledge of it, makes him
culpable, bottom line. His adult son and friends committed a crime
and he covered it up. Oakley’s opponents would find this
information a political treasure trove. Not to mention a really
sordid news story to sell lots of papers.”

“Oh, God…” She rolled from her side to her
back, throwing her arm up over her eyes.

“Hey now.” I pulled her right back to facing
me. “None of that, okay? I’m going to make sure they leave you
alone for a lot of reasons. It’s my job for one thing, and you’re
my girl for another.” I held her face close. “That hasn’t changed
for you, has it?” I didn’t let her go because I needed the
reassurance. I had to know. “Last night was…fucked up—”

“My feelings haven’t changed,” she
interrupted, “I’m still your girl, Ethan. Last night didn’t change
anything with me. You have your dark place and I have mine. I
understand.”

I rolled her into the covers and kissed her
slow and thorough, letting her know just how much I needed to hear
those words from her. Still, I wanted more from her though. Always
more. How could I ever get enough when she was so sweet and
beautiful and lovely?

“I’m sorry about this morning,” she said,
tracing my bottom lip with her finger. “I promised I wouldn’t leave
you like that again, and I meant it. I’m sad that you thought I
would do it too. You scared me when you woke up from your
nightmare, Ethan. I hated seeing you hurting like that.”

I kissed her finger. “The selfish part of me
was so glad you were here. Seeing you was such a relief, I cannot
even express the emotions that went through me when I saw you safe
beside me. But the other part of me hated what you witnessed.” I
shook my head. “I
hated
you seeing me like that,
Brynne.”

“You’ve seen me after a nightmare and it
didn’t change how you feel,” she said.

“No, it didn’t.”

“So how is it any different for me, Ethan?
And you won’t share with me…you won’t let me in.” She sounded hurt
again.

“I—I don’t know…I’ll try, okay? I’ve not
spoken to anybody much about what happened. I don’t know if I
can…and I know I don’t want to subject you to that dark place. It’s
nowhere I want you to go, Brynne.”

“Oh, baby,” she drew her fingers over my
temple and stared into my eyes. “But I would go there for you.” She
searched me. “I want to be important enough for you to tell me your
secrets, and you have to let me in too. I’m a good listener. What
was that dream?”

I wanted to try to be normal for her, I just
didn’t know if I could. I guess it was something I’d have to face
up to if I wanted to keep her. Brynne was stubborn and a part of me
knew she wouldn’t just let this go because I said I didn’t want to
talk about it.

“You are important enough, Brynne. You’re
all that matters.”

I traced her hairline with my finger and
kissed her again, sweeping deeply with my tongue, savoring her
sweet taste and loving her gentle acceptance of me. But the kiss
had to end eventually and there was still my monster to face.

I pulled up some bravery from somewhere and
took a deep breath, rolling away onto my back and looking up at the
skylight. The day had become as grey as my mood and it looked like
rain was imminent. Right in tune with where my head was—all fogged
up. Brynne stayed on her side, waiting for me to say something.

“I’m sorry for last night, and how I was
with you afterward. I was overbearing and it was way too much.” I
spoke softer. “Forgive me?”

“Of course I do, Ethan. But I want to
understand why.” She reached out a hand and put it over my heart
and left it there.

“That nightmare was from a time when I was
in the SF. My team was ambushed, most of them killed. I was the
senior officer and my weapon jammed. I got taken… The Afghans held
me in interrogation for twenty-two days.”

She inhaled sharply. “Is that how you got
the scars on your back? Did they do that to you?” Her voice was
soft but I could hear the worry in her words.

“Yeah. They shredded my back with rope
beatings…and other things.”

She gripped me a little tighter and I
swallowed hard, feeling my anxiety rise but kept going on, feeling
bad for misleading her but unable to correctly explain that my
worst scars were not the ones on my back.

“I dreamed of something that—that
happened…and it was a time when I thought I was going to be—” I
stopped. My breath was coming so hard I couldn’t say anymore. I
just couldn’t bring it up. Not to her.

“Your heart is pounding.” She put her lips
over the place where that beating muscle pumped my blood and
kissed. I put my palm on the back of her head and held her there,
rubbing over her hair again and again. “It’s okay, Ethan, you don’t
have to say anymore until you feel like you can. I’ll be here.” Her
voice had that saddened tone again. “I don’t want you hurting more
because of me.”

I stroked her cheek with the back of my
finger. “Are you real?” I whispered.

She glimmered at me and nodded.

“When I woke up this morning and you were
gone, I thought you might have left me because of that fucked up
situation last night and I just lost it. Brynne… I can’t be without
you now. You know that, don’t you? I just cannot do it.” I fingered
over the red mark on her shoulder where I nipped her with my teeth
when I was in the throes of that volcanic orgasm at the sink. “I
marked you up. I’m so sorry ‘bout that too.” I ran my tongue over
the mark.

She shivered against my mouth. “Listen.” She
took a hold of my face and held me. “I love you, and I want to be
with you. I know I don’t say it all the time but that doesn’t mean
I feel it less. Ethan, If I didn’t want to be with you, or I
couldn’t be with you, I wouldn’t be…and you would know it.”

I exhaled with relief so great it took me a
minute to find my voice. “Say that again.”

“I love you, Ethan Blackstone.”

Gladstone’s for
lunch
and Ivan was late. I don’t know why I bother trying to
be punctual with my cousin because he certainly doesn’t. I checked
my watch and looked around the room. Formerly a gentleman’s club in
the past century, the place had been reanimated with white linens,
lots of glass, and light woods, looking nothing like the
exclusively male, societal enclave for the entitled Londoners of a
hundred years ago.

Well, Ivan would certainly have fit in. My
cousin was a peer of the realm even if he hated to be reminded and
certainly didn’t act like it. None of us can help how we are born
and Ivan couldn’t control that his father had been the previous
Baron Rothvale any more than I could control that my dad drove a
London cab. We had connections that went far deeper than money
could ever take us anyway.

Who was I kidding? Ivan could drop off a
cliff if he liked, I had two beautiful women at the table looking
happy and gorgeous across from me—my girl and her best friend.

“You ladies look like shopping has agreed
with you.” I poured for both of them from the Riesling I’d
ordered.

Brynne and Gabrielle grinned and looked at
each other conspiratorially, obviously sharing female secrets of a
mystery I could only guess at. They’d been having a shopping
excursion for dresses when I got a text from Brynne asking me what
I was doing for lunch. Since they were only a few blocks over from
Gladstone’s I told them to add on to my luncheon date with Ivan. I
wanted to introduce him to Brynne anyway, hopeful that he could
wield some influence over at the National Gallery for her. Hell,
I’m not too proud to ask for a favour. Not that he would give a
rip. The man was on the board of one of the most prestigious art
museums in the world and couldn’t have cared less about it if he
tried to. In fact, I am sure Ivan would resign if he could get away
with it.

“It did, Ethan. Brynne got the most fabulous
vintage dress for the Mallerton Gala. You just wait,” Gabrielle
warned me.

I made a face. “So you’re saying she’ll be
even more lovely than normal.” I looked at Brynne blushing and then
back to Gabrielle. “Just what I need—more admirers chasing after
her. I thought I could rely on you, Gabrielle, for just a smidge of
help here?” I implored. “Why didn’t you take her to a place that
sells unattractive bathrobes instead?” My words were joking but
inside I was deadly serious. I hated when men looked at Brynne like
they were picturing her naked.

Gabrielle shrugged. “Aunt Marie turned us on
to the shop. That woman has mad skills with the unique and rare.
Vintage little beauty that it is, tucked away in a quiet corner of
Knightsbridge. I know I’ll be going back.” She smirked at me. “You
need the competition anyway, Ethan, it’s good for you.” She took a
sip of her wine and turned her attention to checking messages on
her mobile.

“Not true. I’m struggling enough as it is,
thank you very much!” I picked up Brynne’s hand and kissed it. “I’m
glad you came for lunch.”

She just smiled at me and said nothing in
that mysterious way of hers. I wished we were alone.

Gabrielle was a devoted friend from what I
could tell, and fiercely protective of Brynne. We had an
understanding that was workable as long as she saw me as friend and
not foe—I’d passed the test so far. Beautiful too in her own right,
just not my flavor of female. Her long brown hair, with just the
faintest hint of dark red glinting through, combined with very
green eyes, was striking. Nice figure too even if she wasn’t my
flavor, I still had eyes in my head and wasn’t dead.

The color of her eyes reminded me of Ivan’s
eyes. Same green. I wondered what he would think of her when he got
a look, the womanizer that he was. I bet he would like her very
much. I had to stifle a laugh. Gabrielle would probably tell him to
sod off to his face and he would lick his lips and ask her to join
him without a hitch. Would be a riot to watch if he ever got his
arse here.

Brynne’s roommate was another American
living in London, studying art at university, and making her
way…away from home. Her dad was a British citizen though. London
Met Pol—one Robert Hargreave, Chief Inspector, New Scotland Yard.
I’d looked him up, and from all accounts he looked solid, a
respected detective on the force. I supposed I should set up a meet
with him at some point too. Although things had been very quiet on
the Senator Oakley front. No news was good news…I hoped.

“What color is your amazing dress that will
make me mad with jealousy when men drool over you wearing it?” I
asked Brynne.

“It’s periwinkle.” She smiled again. “Aunt
Marie met us there and we had so much fun with her. She really does
have the eye for fashion.”

“You should have brought her along for lunch
with you.”

“I would have loved for her to come with us,
but she was off to a ladies luncheon with her book club. She said
to tell you how much she’s looking forward to meeting you.” Brynne
blushed again as if the idea of our people meeting together made
her shy.

She had a shyness to her that was charming
in public, but didn’t carry over into the bedroom with me. Nope. My
girl wasn’t shy with me like that, and it was
all
good. I
thought about how many more hours until tonight when I could get
her back into my bedroom and she could show me her un-shy side some
more.

We’d been burning up the sheets lately...and
the shower walls…my office desk…the rug in front of the
fireplace…balcony lounger, and even the gym. I shifted in my chair
and remembered that morning
workout
with great fondness. Who
knew how much fun a weight bench could be with Brynne naked and
sliding up and down my—

“You’ll love Marie, Ethan,” Gabrielle said
distractedly, still checking her messages and interrupting my
erotic musings. I needed to rearrange my cock but forced a smile at
both of them instead.

I had yet to meet the adored Aunt Marie, but
was about to very soon. We had decided it was time to bring the
family together in a dinner at my place. My dad, Brynne’s aunt,
Gabrielle, Clarkson, Neil and Elaina made up the short list. We’d
discussed and felt it was time to get everyone on board with what
was happening with us and the possible threats to Brynne. Everyone
was principal enough that they needed to know what might be in
play. Brynne was too important to me to take a risk at this point,
and everyone involved already knew her background anyway.

“Well I cannot wait to meet her. She sounds
like she dotes on you.” I checked my watch again. “I can’t believe
Ivan, just not showing like this. So rude.”

“Why don’t you call him?” Brynne
suggested.

“That would be a total waste of my time. He
never answers his mobile. I doubt he even turns the damn thing on,”
I answered dryly.

“Oh, man!” Gabrielle looked up from her
messages. “I’m going to have to get over to the university. Trouble
with a painting. An accident involving solvent getting dumped on a
rare, get this, Brynne—Abigail Wainwright.” Gabrielle looked
absolutely horrified, stood up abruptly, and gathered her bags.
“Not a good combination.”

“No, that’s not good at all,” Brynne said,
shaking her head, “the solvent will eat through the canvas if they
don’t neutralize…”