All In (The Blackstone Affair 2)

I dialed Brynne a second time and once again got voicemail, so I left a message saying I was on my way. I wondered what she was doing not to answer and tried to imagine something like taking a bath, working out with headphones in, or having her phone set to silent.

I struggled with my worries. Foremost, the emotion was still unfamiliar, but at the same time not something I could set aside either. I worried about Brynne constantly. And just because this was all new to me sure as hell didn’t make it any easier to understand. I was a total novice learning my way.

The flat was silent as the grave when I stepped in. I felt my anxiety spike to very unpleasant levels and started searching. “Brynne?”

Only more silence. She wasn’t working out and she definitely wasn’t in my office. Not outside on the balcony. The bathroom was my last hope. My heart pounded in my chest as I opened the door. And crashed when she wasn’t in there either.

Fuck! Brynne, where are you?

Her beautiful dress was hanging on a hook though. The periwinkle one she’d bought in the vintage shop with Gabrielle on the day we met for lunch at Gladstone’s. There was evidence of packing too—cosmetics out and a small bag halfway done. So she had been here getting ready for tonight and our weekend away.

I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she’d gone off alone before and what if she had again? After those lunatic photos from today, my stomach was in knots and I just needed to know where in the fuck she was!

I went in through to the bedroom, connecting a call to Neil in my half-panicked state when I saw. The most wonderful vision in the world. Amid all the scattering of clothes and half packed bags was Brynne, curled up in the bed…asleep.

“Yeah?” Neil answered. I was so frozen, I still had the mobile up at my ear.

“Umm…false alarm. Sorry. We’ll see you at the National in a few hours.” I hung up before he could respond. Poor mate must think I’ve lost it.

You have utterly lost it!

Moving very quietly, I shrugged out of my jacket, ditched my shoes, and crawled carefully onto the bed and curled around her sleeping form. I breathed in her lovely fragrance and let my heart rate slow down. The urge to light up a cig was intense but I focused on her warmth against me instead and figured my addiction to the smokes would have to lessen eventually.

Brynne was out cold—sleeping very deeply, and I wondered why so tired but didn’t want to disturb her either. I could do the watch and wait just fine with her next to me and thought about the lesson I’d just learned. Brynne wasn’t the only one with trust issues apparently. I needed to work on mine a bit more. When she said she wouldn’t take off alone on me, then I had to trust she’d keep her word.

I opened my eyes to find hers studying me. She smiled, looking happy and gorgeous and a tad smug. “I like watching you sleep.”

“What time is it?” I looked up at the skylight to see that daylight was still clinging. “I slept? I came home and found you in bed and couldn’t resist joining you. I guess I drifted off as well, sleepyhead.”

“It’s about five-thirty and time to get moving.” She stretched like a cat, gloriously sensual and erotic as she uncurled. “I don’t know why I was so tired. I just laid down for a minute and when I opened my eyes…you were here.” She started to roll off the bed.

I latched onto her shoulder and rolled her back, pinning her underneath me and settling between her legs. “Not so fast, my beauty. I need a little alone time first. It’s going to be a long night and I’ll have to share you with myriads of idiots.”

She reached up and held my face and grinned. “What kind of alone time were you envisioning?”

I kissed her slowly and thoroughly, roaming my tongue over every inch of her mouth before I answered. “The kind where you are naked and shouting my name.” I thrust my hips slowly into her soft body. “This kind.”

“Mmmmm, you are convincing, Mr. Blackstone,” she said, still holding my face, “but we do need to start getting ready for this thing tonight. How good are you at multi-tasking?”

“I am good at many things,” I responded before I kissed her again. “Give me a hint.”

“Well I do love your grotto shower almost as much as your bathtub,” she said coyly.

“Ahhh, so you’re just using me for my excellent bathroom amenities then?”

She giggled and moved her hand down between us to grip over my hardening cock. “Excellent amenities all the way around as I see it.”

I laughed and groaned at the same time, sweeping off her and into the bathroom. “I’ll get the hot water started…and I’ll be waiting for you in there.”

I didn’t have long to wait before she joined me naked and mind-bendingly sexy as usual; rendering me utterly captive and raging to claim her body with the dominating sex I couldn’t seem to control when we were together. My ultimate reward and my greatest fear all rolled into one. I’d joked about the gala tonight and sharing her with others, but the statement held far more truth than I wanted to admit. I loathed sharing her with other men who admired her—far too much in my opinion.

But, it was the reality of Brynne, and if she was my girl then I’d have to learn to take it like a man.

We made very good use of the time in that hot soapy water though. Yes…multi-tasking is one of my strong points and I won’t blow any opportunities I’m offered.

“You look beyond gorgeous you know.”

She blushed into the mirror, the darkening flush moving down her neck and even over the swell of her breasts in the dip of that decadent dress she’d found. It was lace and very fitted to her shape, the short skirt rather frothy of some other material I didn’t know the name of. Didn’t matter what the hell it was, that dress was going to be the death of me tonight. I was so fucked.