Eyes Wide Open: The Blackstone Affair, Book 3 (5 page)

“I’d love to. It’s so beautiful in here.” I looked around. “So peaceful and serene.”

We walked through the plots, reading names on the stones of the people who’d lived and died in the area. A marble crypt marked the resting place of the Greymont family, the ancestors of Hannah’s husband, Freddy. I made out the names Jeremy and Georgina and remembered them as the people Hannah had named in the gorgeous portrait I’d discovered this morning on the stairway. The Mallerton. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the painting of Sir Jeremy and his beautiful Georgina was the real deal and hoped the family would allow some pictures just for cataloguing purposes. Maybe I could get Benny up here to take some good photos. Gaby would want to see it and the Mallerton Society would be very interested in anything to do with the painting’s current status. My mind was churning with possibilities as we left the private cemetery and continued inland on the forest path.

We came up to an imposing iron gate, the kind you see in movies that win Academy Awards for cinematography. Secured to the metal was a sales agency sign advertising the place as Stonewell Court.

“Do you know the house back there?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I’ve never been down that drive. It looks like the property is for sale, though.” He tried the gate latch and much to our surprise it opened with a grating squeak. “Let’s take a look. You want to?”

“Do you think it’s okay?”

He shrugged and looked at the posted sign. “Yeah, probably.”

“Then yes.” I stepped forward to follow him in. The rusty gate swung shut with a clang behind us. I reached for Ethan’s hand, moving closer beside him as we walked down the curved gravel road. It felt like we were moving back toward the coast.

He chuckled softly. “Are you scared we’ll get in trouble or something?”

“Not at all,” I lied. “If somebody comes after us for trespassing, I plan on letting them know that it was all your idea and you said it was okay.” I gave him my best bland face, hoping I could hold the laugh in for more than a couple seconds.

He stopped us on the path and gave me a mocking look of outrage. “Nice. You’re going to throw me over to save your own precious little arse!”

“Well, I’ll be sure to come and visit your hot, sexy
arse
in prison,” I said sweetly, emphasizing the British pronunciation of “ass,” thinking it sounded so much more elegant when he said it. I sucked at trying to do an English accent.

He snaked his hand down to goose me with one hand and tickled my side with the other. “Oh, will you now?” he drawled, easily breaking my composure with his relentless tickling.

“Yes!” I yelled, twisting out of his grip and running for the trees. He was right behind me, though, laughing all the way. I could feel him closing in and I pushed harder to keep a distance, eating up the length of the driveway with every stride.

Ethan caught me just as we rounded the bend in the drive and managed to take us down gently on the soft grass, rolling on top of me and tickling me madly. I twisted and bucked, doing my best to escape, but it was a pointless exercise against his strength.

“No escape for you, my beauty,” he breathed, effortlessly pinning my wrists with one hand and holding my chin with the other.

“Of course not,” I whispered back, already feeling the flush of heat and getting wildly aroused. Ethan made all kinds of things happen with my body. I was used to it by now.

His eyes flared with passion as he dropped his mouth to mine, opening wide to cover my lips and devour them. I moaned in pleasure and let him in. Ethan could kiss. I didn’t like to imagine how much practice he’d had, but I appreciated his skill as his tongue explored me thoroughly. The weight of him pressing down upon me just got me more in the mood.

He sucked on my bottom lip, nibbling and licking, before pulling off with a soft suctioned
pop.
“You ran from me,” he scolded, his mouth hovering just above mine.

“You goosed me in the ass,” I said in an indignant tone, “which induces running, by the way! Don’t think I’m going to forget this either, Blackstone.”

“I can’t resist your
ass
, ever. There, I said it like you.” He licked my earlobe. “You liked my kisses, though.”

“Honestly, I could go either way on the kissing,” I lied, going for a straight face that I had no chance of holding longer than two seconds.

“Okay . . . so you won’t mind if I never kiss you again?” he teased, his forehead bending down to touch mine when I turned my head. Then my eyes caught view of the house and I could do nothing but stare. Ethan followed my lead and whispered, “Holy hell.”

We both stared at the magnificent stone façade of an absolutely gorgeous Georgian house of gray stone perched right on the coast ledge overlooking the sea. It took my breath away with its solid rows of paned windows, and tall, narrow, pointed rooftops. It wasn’t a huge mansion, but just so perfectly situated in its space and so elegantly designed. I bet the view from the many windows facing the sea was breathtaking.

Ethan pushed away to stand up first and then helped me to my feet. “Wow.” I had no other words to say in the moment.

“It’s secreted back here so privately. I had no idea this is what it looked like . . . or even that it existed.” He entwined his hand with mine. “Let’s go check it out. I want to see the view off the back.”

“You read my mind,” I said, giving his ass a playful smack with my other hand.

“And you are very, very naughty today.” He grabbed my spanking hand and brought it up to his lips for a kiss as he had done many, many times with me in the past, but something I never grew tired of and doubted I ever would. Ethan possessed a skill set that combined hot, bad-boy sex god with mannerly, romantic gentleman; something so rare and captivating, I didn’t have a chance of resisting the pull. I smiled up at him and said nothing.

“I think I’ll have to come up with a good punishment to fit your crimes.”

“Suit yourself,” I told him saucily as we headed around the side of the house to the gardens in back. The rear grounds were something else, all right. I could imagine the former inhabitants having garden parties out here on a nice day with their view of the coast of Wales across the bay. I guessed many an hour was spent painting this very scene I was looking at right now. I’d bet my bank account on it.

I strolled farther out across the green that met the rocks of the coast. There, set in the foundation, was an angel statue—no, wait; it wasn’t just an angel, but rather a mermaid with angel wings, very finely detailed and serene in the buffeting wind. On the base of the statue was carved a single name.
Jonathan
.

Ethan came up behind me and wrapped himself up against me close, his chin resting on the top of my head. “Your dad’s name,” I said softly. “The statue is so haunting. A mermaid angel. It’s amazing, and I’ve never seen anything like it. I wonder who Jonathan was to them.”

“Who knows. This place is at least two hundred fifty years old and I don’t think it was occupied even if it wasn’t up for sale these last years. Hannah and Freddy would know if people were living here.”

“Who wouldn’t want to live in such a beautiful house?” I turned around to face him.

“I don’t know, baby. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city, but there’s something to be said about the country.” He nodded admiringly at the house again. “Maybe someone died or they were elderly and couldn’t keep it up.”

“Probably right. Sad to see something like that fall out of a family legacy, though. Imagine if Hallborough was lost to Hannah and Freddy.”

“That would be tragic. She loves that house, and it’s a perfect place to raise the kids.”

“This whole area is truly amazing. I’m so glad we walked this way and discovered this path today. It’s like finding a secret hiding place.” I pushed up on tiptoes to kiss him. “Thanks again for bringing me here. It’s really lovely being away with you.”

Ethan wrapped me up in his arms and kissed me just below my ear. “Yes it is,” he whispered.

We started back for Hallborough, Ethan’s arm around me loosely. I leaned my head on him, content to rely on the strength he offered. Suddenly something flashed through my brain. It was this image of us, as we were right here in the moment, Ethan’s big arm hanging off my shoulders, holding me close to him. I knew then that he would get his way in the end. He’d have everything he’d told me he wanted. Me moving in with him, the engagement announcement, and probably even the marriage.

My. God.

Ethan really was an ace at playing his hand.

5

♠
"T
hat’s the third time you’ve yawned. Are you going to make it back to the house, or do I need to carry you before you collapse?”

“Oh, right,” she scoffed. “We both know why I’m so tired today.” She gave me a sassy smirk that made me want to do naughty things to those pretty lips of hers.

Well, yeah, you kept her up half the night fucking, what do you expect her to be?
I wanted to smile at the remembrance, though. My girl never turned me down, even when I was the freakiest. I’m a lucky, lucky man for sure. But then that’s not news and it hasn’t been for a while now
.

“Sorry, baby. You’ll be happy to hear I enjoyed every single minute of keeping you awake.” I reached down and gave a squeeze to her lovely bum and watched her jump.

“You are crazy!” she yelped, shoving me off her.

“Crazy for you,” I said, wrapping my arm back around her and bringing her in close to me. “We’re almost there anyway. I hope Fred and the boys are home so you can meet them.”

“I can’t wait,” she said, trying to stifle another yawn.

“That’s it! I’m putting you to bed for a nap when we get back!”

She laughed at me. “That’s not a bad idea. I’m starting to love naps.”

The sounds of male voices and the smell of fresh bread met us at the door when we arrived. That and Zara’s older monkey brothers rushing me in a chaotic blast of shouting.

“The lads! God, you’ve gotten huge, Jordon. And, Colin, how many dates have you been on this week?”

They both ignored me and stared at Brynne. I think I was witness to a love-at-first-sight moment from Jordon while Colin just turned red in the face. “Lads, this is Brynne Bennett, my . . . girlfriend.” I grinned at her. “Brynne, the rest of my sister’s spawn—I mean, my nephews, Jordon and Colin Greymont.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Bennett.” Jordan stuck out his hand.

Colin looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “You really do have a girlfriend now,” he said in awe.

Brynne took Jordan’s hand and gave him a killer smile. “I see you’ve taken some lessons from your Uncle Ethan or maybe even your grandpa,” she told him after he plunked a kiss on her hand. “Nice form you’ve got, Jordan.” She winked at him and then turned to Colin next. “You don’t have to kiss my hand, Colin, but it’s very nice to meet you too.”

Colin nodded, his red face getting even redder. “A pleasure,” he muttered with a quick shake.

“And that handsome bloke over there fathered the spawn—I mean, all these children mobbing me.” Little Zara had come up and attached herself to my side like glue so as not to be left out. “Freddy Greymont, my brother-in-law, brilliant country doctor, love of my sister’s life, and to blame for all of this.” I held up my palms.

Fred came forward to greet Brynne and flashed me a look that meant he’d want details later, man to man. “Brynne, it is my great pleasure to finally meet you in person. We’ve heard so much about you.” Freddy narrowed his eyes at me. “Nearly all of it from Hannah’s dad, mind you; Ethan tells me nothing.” He turned up the charm for Brynne, something he was good at, being a doctor and all.

“Thank you for this weekend at your lovely home. It’s really been perfect so far,” Brynne said to him. “You have a beautiful family.” The poor bloke was probably in shock seeing me with someone. I’d known Freddy for more than fifteen years, and I don’t remember ever introducing a girlfriend to him. So I supposed I could count on some form of interrogation coming from him. Here was another one who knew a lot of my secrets, but not all. Maybe I should talk to Fred about the dreams and nightmares.
But I just can’t.
I quickly shut down that unpleasant thought and watched Brynne charm my family into devoted fans instead.

“That bread smells so wonderful, Hannah.” Brynne walked over and checked out the fresh loaves on the kitchen counter. “I haven’t baked bread in a long time. That was fun this morning.”

“It was for me too,” Hannah said. “Would you like some? I was just getting ready to do an early tea for Freddy and the kids. Fresh bread and homemade strawberry jam.”

“It sounds divine, but a shower is calling my name after that long run and walk back here.” She tried to hold in another yawn, but it was impossible. She covered her mouth with a graceful hand and murmured, “I really apologize. I don’t know why I’m so tired. Must be all the fresh air making me sleepy.”

I caught the smirking little glance between my sister and Freddy as we started to leave. I just shook my head at them both and followed Brynne back upstairs. I’m sure they started laughing at me the second we were out of the room. Fun times with family sticking their noses into every private detail of my life now, I thought.
I guess you’d better get used to it.

Brynne headed for the shower, and I checked my mobile for messages. My assistant, Frances, had promised to forward anything potentially pressing, but I was pleased to see it was minor stuff that could wait. Right now I needed to get clean and Brynne was naked in the shower.

“You’re well aware there’s a water shortage in England, right?” I asked as I stepped in behind her, all slick with body wash and hot water, and making me crazed as usual.

She turned, reaching for the shampoo, and gave me a thorough looking over. “I think I’ve seen the reports on the news, yes.”

“So I figure we should share the water whenever it’s convenient.”

“I see,” she said slowly, trailing her eyes downward to my awakening cock. “And you think right now is convenient?”

“Extremely convenient.”

“Then by all means, be my guest.” She moved out of the spray so I could move under it.

“Oh, I’m going to need you closer than that if we’re to get the full benefit of sharing the water, baby.”

“Is this close enough?” She took a step, the sight of her flushed wet skin making my mouth water in anticipation of getting a taste.

“No.” I shook my head. “You’re miles away from me still.”

“I thought you liked to look at me,” she said coyly.

“Oh, I do, baby. Very much.” I nodded. “But I like to look at you and touch you at the same time best of all.”

She took another step, which brought her within a couple inches, our bodies aligned but still not touching, the hot water streaming down in the small space that separated our bodies.

I savored the moment of erotic heat that swirled between us—the anticipation of what was coming, because I knew I’d be devouring her with all of my senses very soon.

“But you’re only looking at me and not touching,” she whispered, “how come?”

“Oh, I will, baby. I will.” I brought my mouth to her neck and inhaled the scent of her skin, the soap and the water all mixed together in a heady elixir that only got me hotter. “How badly do you want to be touched?”

“Very badly.”

I could hear the need in her tone, and it cranked me higher. There was nothing headier than knowing she wanted this with me. I pressed my lips to the spot just below her ear and felt a delicious shiver from her. “Here?” I asked.

“Yes.” She arched backward slightly, causing the tips of her hard nipples to graze the skin just below my chest.

“Or maybe here is better?” I licked down from her neck, dragging my tongue over her delicious skin, trailing lower to meet one of those hardened nipples just begging to be sucked.

“Ahhh yes,” she shuddered, pushing up on her toes, bringing that beautiful, soft, pink flesh to the edge of my lips.

I flicked out my tongue and licked just the tip and heard her moan the softest sound in response. She started to lift her arms to me and I quickly backed off. “No.” I shook my head. “No touching me, baby. This is all for you. Put your hands out and press back against the tile, and stay like that for me.”

I could see the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed at me, her eyes sparking a grayish-green that reminded me of the color of the sea on our run that morning. She moved into position and tilted her head back as well, waiting on me for the next command. Watching her submit to my direction did something to me. These games we played were like nothing I’d ever experienced before with another person. They also pushed me into realms of emotion I’d never desired before with anyone else either. Just her. Only Brynne got me to this place.

“You’re so fucking sexy right now.”

She shivered and tensed her hips when I said the words, flaring her eyes at me with more than a little frustration. I moved back toward her again and watcher her shake a little more and breathe heavier. “Please . . .”

“Please what, baby?” I asked before flicking the tip of her other nipple with my tongue.

“I need you to touch me,” she whimpered softly.

I licked her nipple again, this time swirling around the dark tip in a circle. “Like that?”

“More than that,” she panted, fighting to keep her hands flat to the shower tile.

I moved to the other breast and plucked it hard into my mouth, finishing with a little pinch of teeth over her nipple. She went rigid underneath my touch and gasped out the loveliest sexual cry I’d ever heard, soft and abandoned and beautiful. “That’s a sound I like to hear out of your sweet mouth, baby. I want to hear that from you again and again and again. Can you make that sound for me one more time?” I clamped down onto the other nipple in the same way with my mouth and slid my free hand right in between her legs. “Oh, fuck, you’re so slippery, baby. Let me hear you!” I worked over her slick cleft, sliding back and forth on her clit until she melted there against the shower wall for me in perfect sexual submission.

She made the sound for me again too.

I kept my hand on her pussy and my eyes on her face, watching every exquisite flutter and undulation of her body as I made her orgasm. After a moment she lifted slow eyes to mine and kept them there. “That was fucking beautiful to watch,” I said.

“I want this now,” she whispered, gripping around my cock and bringing it to slide against all that slippery, hot heaven between her legs.

“Say it with words.” I pulled my hips back.

“I want your cock inside me, deep.”

“You do, hmmm?” I pressed inward, sliding my length back and forth along her pussy lips, working up a nice friction for me and round two for her.

“Yes! Please!” she begged.

“But you were a bad girl and took your hands off the wall. I told you to leave them there,” I said, still stroking in and out through her slick folds.

“Sorry . . . I just couldn’t wait . . .”

“You’re so impatient, baby.”

“I know!”

“What do you want from me now?” I asked, my mouth at her neck and my cock still moving slowly down below.

“I want you to fuck me and make me come again.” She said it so soft, so pleading, like she really would be hurting if I didn’t fuck her. It flipped a switch in me when she said it like that. Gave me permission to take her further than we’d done before, to get more out of her. It was the best feeling ever. In the whole goddamn fucking world.

“Put your arms around my neck and hold on.” I gripped under each of her thighs and lifted her up. “Wrap ’em around me, baby, so I can give you what you want!”

She pressed her legs around my hips and her back up against the tile. She said my name. “Ethan . . .”

“Yes, my beauty?” She panted at me. “You look so beautiful waiting for me to fuck you up against this shower wall. You love to be fucked on walls, don’t you?”

Her eyes flared and she rocked her spread hips against me in frustration. “Yes!”

“I’ll tell you a little secret, baby.”

“What?!” she protested, totally out of patience with me.

I positioned the bell end right at the gate of her sex and buried myself to the balls.

“Oh my God!” she yelped as she took me inside, her eyes rolling back for an instant.

“I love fucking you on walls.” I pounded her hard, the tight squeeze of her cunt pulsing around my cock sending me reeling in a haze of instant pleasure so intense I didn’t know how long I could hold on. I wanted to last forever. “Remember the night I fucked you on the wall in your flat?” I gritted out. “You felt so good then and you feel so good now.”

“Yessssssss,” she shuddered through the hard drilling, her hands gripping tightly for leverage. “I wanted you to. I loved it. I hated when you left afterward.”

She was nearly sobbing now as we worked ourselves into a frenzy together, totally merged in body and in mind. Brynne was right there with me the whole way. We connected so perfectly it almost hurt to feel it. Not almost—it fucking
did
!

Fucking Brynne hurt so good. It always had and I knew it always would.

“And what did I tell you to say to me that night, baby? It was the first time you told me.”

Her flashing eyes, hooded with pleasure, stabbed me hard, like my cock was stabbing into her pussy right now. “That I’m yours,” she breathed.

“Yes. You. Are.” I started adding a little circular twist to my strokes and felt her inner muscles grip tighter. “And now you’re gonna come all over me. One. More. Time!”

Brynne tensed hard and I felt spasms start within her depths, milking my cock for everything she could.
Oh fuck yes!
She shuddered beneath me and began to make those soft sounds I loved to hear out of her—the ones that made me soar. Just like that, she came utterly undone in my arms as I speared into her with hot water streaming over us both.