“Okay, Brax, I’ll leave this one up to you. Just be alert and tell Shay to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, and I mean anything, especially that black car. The number plate you gave us from outside the apartment came up stolen, and the photo didn’t bring up an ID either, but that doesn’t mean it is not connected somehow. Just be aware, okay?”
“Yes, boss. I’m not willing to let anything happen to her. I love her.”
“That has become glaringly obvious. The boss isn’t happy about it, but as he himself has said, you can’t help who you fall in love with. Just don’t screw this up, okay?”
“Yes, boss,” I reply with a smile on my face. Gibbons may seem tough, but he’s a softie at heart. His wife Gloria sees to that.
After hanging up, I go to the grocery store and grab some beer. God knows I need one after that call. I head home to Elle and Shay. I’ll do anything to protect her, even if it costs me everything I’ve known for the past four years.
While I’m walking, I think about what Gibbons said. If Evans is sticking his nose around and the boss isn’t happy, what does that mean for us? Evans is a creep, he’s got his fingers in so many illegal pies that I’m surprised he hasn’t been burned yet.
I turn the corner into our street and notice the all too familiar tail lights of a black car driving away from me. It has been a few weeks since our mystery man in the black Honda has made an appearance, but seeing a similar black car in our street again puts me on edge. Who the hell is this man watching the apartment? What does he want and who the f**k is he working for? I grab the number plate before the car disappears from sight, then head inside to enjoy the rest of the day.
Chapter Eleven
Since Christmas Day I’ve noticed that Brax has not been himself.
Don’t get me wrong, he is still loving, affectionate and thoughtful but I can tell something is troubling him and I know it is nothing I’ve done. Whatever the problem is, it is affecting his sleep. The last few nights I’ve woken up to find the bed empty beside me and when I’ve gone looking for him, he’s always sitting in the loveseat by our front window, looking out into the night. The rest of the time he seems distracted in his thoughts, like he’s trying to figure out some complicated situation in his head. I’ve asked him so many times if everything is okay, but he always shrugs it off and says he’s fine, telling me not to worry. But I know that look, it’s the look I had for over three years. He’s being haunted by something and I don’t know how to help him.
I want my happy go lucky Brax back.
Even after five months together, he can still make me burn with a simple look and the passion has not waned even slightly. We still make love like we’re junkies to each other’s touch and I swear it keeps getting better every time. But I am worried about him. I know how toxic it can be to bottle everything up inside. You don’t want to trouble anybody else with your feelings so you put the walls up around yourself, trying to protect yourself and keep everyone else out. That used to be me, embracing the dark and blocking out the light.
I’m starting to think that something happened on Christmas Day. I’ve tried thinking back to work out what it could be, but all I have is happy memories of a perfect day. I thought that something might have happened when he went out to buy beer, but when I asked him he just shook his head and told me not to worry.
It’s New Year’s Day and I’ve been woken up with a kiss and an orgasm—my new favorite way to wake up. Lying in bed afterwards, Brax starts gently stroking my arm up and down. I look over and see that he is staring at the ceiling in contemplation.
“Why don’t we go somewhere for the rest of our break?” he asks absentmindedly. I sit up and look down at him with a huge grin.
“You mean a real holiday?” Pulling me back down onto his shoulder, he laughs at me.
“Yeah, darlin‘. A real holiday. I thought we could drive down to Atlanta and I could show you where I grew up. What do you think?”
It’s now impossible for me to hide my excitement.
“Yes! I’d love that. Can we even meet some of your old friends?” I’m acting like a kid at Christmas. He’s letting me into his past. Maybe this trip might help him snap out of his bad mood from the past week.
He hasn’t stopped smiling at me since he made the suggestion. “I don’t know about my old friends, but we can certainly try.”
“Well, I better get packing then,” I say as I jump out of bed and bound into the bathroom.
Just as I’m about to step into the steaming hot shower, I feel Brax’s arms wrap around my waist as he pulls his hard body against mine.
“Hello again,” I say as I lean my head back onto his shoulder, leaving my neck wide open for him.
He doesn’t miss my invitation and slowly starts nipping and kissing around my neck and collarbone, a trick he has learned is a sure fire way to make me ravenous. I move my hand behind my back and slowly start stroking his hard length. An illicit groan escapes his lips as his nips my earlobe with his teeth.
“You better not start something you’re not going to finish babe,” he murmurs, his hand drifting down between my thighs as he starts to massage me.
I move my hips in time with his hand, matching his rhythm. As things start heating up, I realize we should move this to the shower before we start devouring each other on the tile floor. I pull my hand off him and turn around. With a huge grin on my face, I pull him towards me while moving backwards into the shower, my eyes full of desire and intent.
Once we get under the hot water, we lose all sense of control and start consuming each other with a renewed hunger. You wouldn’t have thought that we were doing the same thing only an hour ago, I can’t get enough of this amazing man of mine. I lap it up, deciding it’s time to give him a wakeup call of his own. I drag my hands down through his hair and around his shoulders, lightly raking them down his chest as I lower myself onto my knees in front of him. I see his whole body shudder at the realization of what I’m about to do.
Without breaking eye contact, I bring my hand up to guide him into my mouth, making sure I take my time and worship his body like he has done many times to me. Stroking and kissing, I know I’m taking him right to the edge when his breathing picks up and his hand tightens its grip in my hair. When it gets too much for him, he hooks his arms under mine and pulls me back up his body. He turns my back to the shower wall and lifts me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist to accommodate him. Without warning, he enters me in one long thrust, forcing a loud moan out of my throat as we slam hard up against the wall. I revel in how good he feels inside me.