Determination

by S. E. Rose

  “So, the LAPD will be in touch with us, then?” I ask.

  “Yes, but I don’t want you all leaving just yet,” Bryce says.

  “Why, what’s with the other car you just mentioned?” I ask him as I run my hand up and down Vanessa’s back.

  “Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. Give me some more time,” he answers and then we end the call.

  Vanessa is silent for a few minutes. I hold her and gently rock her back and forth because I don’t know what the hell else to do.

  “I just…I can’t b-believe it,” she stammers as she sobs.

  I kiss her forehead. “I’m so sorry, baby. So sorry.”

  Eventually, she sits up and looks at me. “Do you think they would have hurt me?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

  “I…I just don’t know what to believe,” she says as she sucks in some air.

  “Well, we’ll get you set up with new security and a new agent, manager, publicist, whatever you need,” I offer.

  “I guess,” she whispers.

  “Let’s play another game,” I say as I stand and lead her to the kitchen. I know she needs a distraction. I make us food and lay out Sorry. We play for a while. I can see her mind is drifting, so I decide to pull out all the stops in my aim to distract her.

  “Let’s play a new game,” I suggest, reaching for a deck of cards.

  “Huh?” she asks as her eyes glaze over and she looks at the Sorry board. I tip her chin up, and she finally comes back to the present and stares at me.

  “Let’s play strip poker,” I announce.

  She stares at me for a long moment, and I’m not sure if she hasn’t understood what I’ve said, is in disbelief at what I have suggested, or if her mind is still completely far away. Finally, her eyes widen just a fraction and I know she’s heard me.

  “S-strip poker?” she stutters.

  “Yes, strip poker,” I say.

  “Jesse, I don’t know. It’s been a long day,” she begins. I hold up my hand.

  “And we need the distraction,” I continue. She raises an eyebrow at me.

  “What are the stakes?” she asks, taking my bait.

  “If I win, you will do exactly as I say for the rest of the day,” I explain.

  “And if I win?”

  “Well, what do you want?”

  She tilts her head to one side and considers it for a moment. Then I finally see a small semblance of the smile that had left her face earlier today. “If I win, you will do what I say for the rest of the day.” She smirks.

  I laugh. “Fair enough.” I shuffle the cards, and we decide on a game of five card draw.

  She gets lucky, and I lose my shirt in the first round. The next two rounds though I bring my A game and she’s down to her underwear. She gives me a pouty face, and I lean over the table and kiss her mouth.

  “You’re fucking adorable when you pout, mon étoile,” I murmur as I lean back in my chair and look at my hand. I have a full house. I look over at her, and she smiles at me. Laugh it up now, baby, but you’re mine after the next hand.

  “I call,” she says.

  I place down my cards, and she puts down hers. I laugh when I see why she’s so pleased with herself. She beat me, a royal flush. She eyes my pants, and I remove them. We both sit in our underwear as I shuffle once more. I beat her in the next round and contemplate if I should make her remove her bra or panties. I tap my foot as I debate this predicament.

  “Well?” she asks, clearly annoyed that I won. I smirk at her.

  “The panties.” I nod toward her underwear. She groans and slowly removes them and then sits back down on the cold wood chair.

  “Well, well, who would have guessed that we’d be down to the final round,” I lament.

  “I hope you like your day controlled by others,” she says sweetly.

  “Oh, sweetheart, you are going to regret that statement in about five minutes,” I warn her as I deal the cards.

  I internally smile at my four aces and look across at her. She’s holding strong and trying not to show emotions, but I’m very good at reading people. My dad taught me how as a kid, and I’ve honed that since being in the business world. I can see her swallow and her pulse in her neck beat just a little faster. She shifts in her seat, although that could be from her bare ass sitting on that wood chair.

  “I call,” I say as I place my cards down. She looks at my cards as she slowly places hers down, her eyes widen, and I swear she gives a soft groan. She has two pairs, but they sure as shit don’t beat my four aces.

  “Well, I do believe, that makes me the winner,” I say as I stand and glance at her bra. She rolls her eyes and removes it.

  “Stand, please,” I demand, and she does. She stands there gloriously naked in front of me, her hair falling over her shoulders.

  “Follow me,” I say and crook a finger. She steps forward, and I place my hand on her back and guide her toward the bedroom. I know this house has to be bugged and I’m fairly certain there are cameras, but right now, I don’t give a fuck if Bryce or his guys see us. I want her, and I want her now.

  When we reach the bedroom, Vanessa turns and stands in front of me. Oh, the things I could do to her. I realize I’m smirking when she raises an eyebrow at me.

  “So, what will I be doing now, Mr. Ryder, sir?” she says sweetly, batting her gloriously long eyelashes at me. I contemplate this for a long minute. Finally, I smile at her.

  “I think I’ll have the entire buffet,” I say as I push her back on the bed. She falls with a bounce and a squeal. I rip off a pillow cover and roll it up, tying it around her eyes. I want her to have to feel me, only feel and hear what I’m doing.

  I spread her legs and stare at her. She’s beautiful.

  “You’re perfection,” I murmur. I’m not sure how I got so fucking lucky. I lean in and run my nose up her sex. She releases a deep breath. I smile against her and then slowly spread her open with my tongue. She lets out a long sigh and whimper. I use my finger to test her entrance. She’s dripping wet, and I slide two fingers inside her as my tongue continues to punish her clit. She’s close and I can feel her inner muscles clenching my finger. I let my ring finger slip down to her ass and brush against her back hole. She jumps a little. I smile knowing I’m the first to do this to her.

  “Relax, mon étoile. I’m just going to enhance your pleasure.” I rub my finger over her hole. “Eventually, I will make this mine as well, but that takes time. Tonight, I’m just going to pleasure you.” She visibly relaxes, and I continue licking and fucking her with my fingers. I ease just a little of my pinky finger inside her and her body goes rigid with an orgasm. I continue my movements until I feel her languid and still beneath me.

  “You taste so good, mon étoile,” I whisper as I make my way up to her breasts. They are perfect and I’m about to worship them. I lick and suck on one nipple while rolling the other between my fingers and then switch. She’s moaning beneath me.

  “Please…,” she whispers. “I want you, Jesse.”

  “All in good time, baby, all in good time. Remember, I won, and this is my reward.” I continue up her neck until I reach her lips. They are slightly open, and she looks like heaven. I lean down and kiss her, my tongue probing her mouth, dancing with hers. I begin to slide against her. My cock wants in so badly. Then I remember I don’t have any more condoms.

  “Vanessa?” I whisper against her lips.

  “Yes?”

  “Are you on birth control?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “We’re out of condoms.”

  She groans. “Are you—”

  “Clean?” I finish her sentence. “Yes, I’m clean. I get tested twice a year just to be sure. I was just tested a few weeks ago. I can get you my medical records when we get out of here.”

  “No, I believe you,” she says softly. “I get tested annually. But of course, I haven’t been with anyone in a while.” I pause, waiting for her to protest, but sh
e instead spreads her legs wider, inviting me inside.

  I line up against her. I slide into her slowly, savoring the feeling that is extremely rare for me. Only two other times have I had sex with no condoms and it was long-term girlfriends, years ago. She feels amazing. I had forgotten what this feels like, the heat and warmth.

  “Good God, you feel so good, mon étoile,” I groan as I begin to thrust against her. After I make her come again, I flip her over and ram into her again and again while teasing her back hole once more. We’ll get there later, I think to myself. I rip off her eye cover and flip us over so I’m lying down and she’s on top.

  “I want to see you when I come,” I murmur. I watch her intently as she rides me. I grasp her hips and thrust up over and over. She’s getting close and I feel it.

  “I’m almost there. Come with me, baby,” I say, and I feel myself going over the edge. I thrust deeper and she leans forward. I can feel her almost there. I pump through my orgasm and right as I’m finishing she loses it once more and clenches down on me. I swear I come a second time. Is that even possible for a dude? I make a mental note to look that up later, because it certainly hasn’t happened to me before. Vanessa collapses on my chest with my cock still inside her. We’re both breathing heavily.

  “So what else are you going to make me do?” she asks, looking up at me. I smirk.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I say.

  She slaps my chest. “No fair.”

  “Oh, darling, it’s completely fair.”

  Chapter 13

  Jesse’s Playlist: “X&Y” by Coldplay

  After collecting my winnings all night long, we sleep in late the next day. As I’m waiting for the coffee maker to produce some much-needed caffeine, the burner phone rings.

  “Yes,” I answer.

  “It’s Bryce.”

  “What’s the latest?” I ask as I sit down.

  “We’re still working on it, but I don’t like where it’s going,” he says. “That car was following you, not Vanessa. And my hunch is that it’s related to the break-in and something much larger than we think.”

  “What do you mean larger?” I ask, pausing with my coffee cup halfway to my lips.

  “I mean, well, I’m not entirely sure yet to be honest. But to be able to break in to your place, do the hacking they did and then follow you sight unseen by my security guys, is well, unusual to say the least. Furthermore, as I start piecing everything together, I’m getting some intel that’s coming from foreign IP addresses. You’ve been upfront with me, yes?”

  “Of course, Jesus, I wouldn’t lie to you,” I seethe.

  “No, I don’t think that, but you haven’t withheld anything either, right?”

  “No, no. Of course not.”

  “OK then. Give me some more time, but for Vanessa’s safety, you may want to distance yourself until we get to the bottom of this. As much as I’d like to keep you both at the safe house indefinitely, I know that I’m on borrowed time,” Bryce says with a sigh.

  “Yes, you are,” I chide. “I thought you were the best man for the job?”

  “I am. I promise you that, Jesse. And I will figure this out, but I need you back here. I have some ideas and I need you here, so we can get to the bottom of this.”

  “Fine. When do I need to be back there? I have to be at my mom’s party in a few days. I’m not scheduled to be back home until Sunday.”

  “That’s fine. Keep your schedule normal, but don’t plan any trips for the next two weeks.”

  “Well, then you need to let Rick know that.”

  “I already did.”

  I roll my eyes. Why is my life scheduled and dictated by other people? When did I lose control of it?

  “Be smart, Jesse. I know you have some training, employ it. I’m sending Pierce to get you. He’s the best I have, and he’ll be with you around the clock from here out. I’ll be there before you leave tomorrow to meet with Vanessa.”

  “Alright.”

  I hang up and see Vanessa standing in the doorway behind me. She’s leaning on the doorjamb and watching me patiently.

  “You heard that, huh?”

  She nods. “When do you leave?”

  “Same as planned, tomorrow. Pierce will be here shortly to collect us.”

  She takes a deep breath. “Alright. I’ll get our stuff together.”

  I stand and grab her wrist before she can walk away. I pull her to me and hold her tightly. “I may be leaving for a little while, but I’m not going anywhere without you.”

  She pulls back and looks up at me in confusion.

  “But…” She trails off as she looks up into my eyes.

  “Come with me. Come to my mother’s party.”

  “Jesse, I don’t know. I need to hire people and finish up in the studio. I’m two days behind now. My record label is going to be pissed with my disappearing act.”

  “I will deal with them.”

  She gives me a look that says she doesn’t believe a word of that. I smile smugly.

  “I know the CEO of your label.”

  She sighs. “Of course, you do.”

  I take her face in my hands and stare into her eyes. “I promise you, I will keep you safe.” I see her defiance, her strength and her courage. I lean in closer to her. “Let me protect you. You are mine now and I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  She loses her resolve for a moment and her eyes fill with tears. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Jesse.”

  I kiss her before pulling back. “I won’t. I never do.” I know I shouldn’t make any promises, but I also know I won’t let anything happen to her. I have to face the fact that I’ve fallen for this woman and it is scaring the shit out of me. I don’t do love. I don’t do relationships.

  Pierce is prompt and arrives twenty minutes later. We load up the car and head back to Vanessa’s house. It is quiet since all the staff except her housekeeper have been fired. I saw to it that Vanessa didn’t have to deal with any of that, she’s been through enough. Pierce explains that he has two guards stationed at the house, one inside and one outside. He will also be staying with us around the clock. Vanessa simply nods and then leads Pierce to a guest room.

  “Feel free to make yourself at home,” she says quietly as Pierce lays a small bag on the bed.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” he says. Pierce is clearly ex-military. He’s tall, lanky, but muscular with short-cropped hair that’s graying around the temples. His “ma’am” verbiage only drives home my assumption.

  I take Vanessa’s hand and pull her toward me. “Let’s let Pierce get settled, and we can pack for our trip.”

  We pack in silence. I can tell Vanessa is deep in thought and if I’m honest with myself, I’m a little afraid to ask her. I wish Bryce had come tonight. I wish we weren’t dealing with an unknown threat. I wish my dad was still alive and that I wasn’t so afraid to admit my feelings for the incredible woman who is presently standing next to me folding her clothes into a small carry-on bag. I love that she is packing her own bag. She makes a lot of money but, yet, she still does things for herself.

  I finish packing and sit down on the bed so that my knee brushes against her leg as she packs. “Penny for your thoughts, mon étoile,” I murmur as I stare at her. Her eyes are fixed on her task. Her lashes are slightly darker than her hair and they cast a shadow under her eyes. Her face doesn’t give away any emotion. Her long blonde hair falls in layers over her shoulders. Periodically, she pushes it back and tucks a few locks behind her ears.

  She shrugs and continues on with her folding. I reach over and place my hand over hers and she stills. She blows out a breath and shakes her head. I reach out and pull her into my lap. She’s scared, sad, and feeling unsure about everything and it’s written all over her. I feel as though I can read her like a child’s book. I’ve always been good at reading people, but with her it’s different. It’s like she’s an extension of me. She thinks she can maintain a poker face and fool me, but the rest of her
body, her breath, her heart rate, her muscle tension gives away so much.

  “It’s going to be OK,” I say softly as I tuck her head under my chin, caressing her cheek. I feel the first salty tear slide down her skin and then a sob escapes her mouth. “Shhhhhh,” I coo as I slowly rock her back and forth while I caress her cheek.

  Eventually, the tears subside. “It’s OK to be scared, mon étoile. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared myself, but we’ll be alright. I promise you.” I kiss the top of her head. She relaxes slightly in my arms.

  “How do you know?” she asks.

  “I just do.”

  She sighs. “I wish I was as sure as you. I don’t know who I can trust. I wish my family was here.”

  “Do you want to see them? I can arrange the jet to take us there on the way to the party.”

  “You’d do that for me?” she asks, pulling back she looks up at me through red eyes that still are glazed with tears.

  “Of course, I would,” I say, smiling. “I’ll text my pilot now and have him set a new flight plan for us. Where in Ohio are we stopping?”

  “Akron.”

  “Alright, consider it done. We can stay there tomorrow night and then head to Maryland Friday morning.”

  “Won’t that mess up your plans?” she asks as she braces herself against me, hands on my chest.

  “Nope.”

  “Oh,” she breathes as she looks down. I know she feels like she’s burdening me. I lift her chin with my finger and look into her brilliant blue eyes.

  “It’s not a problem. I promise you. I wasn’t even going to go to Maryland until Friday but figured I’d just get out there a day earlier and maybe play a round of golf with Jack.”

  “Jack?”

  “My sister’s husband.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’d like to meet your family,” I say softly as I trace a line along her jaw.

  “Yes?”

  “Yes,” I say as I press my lips to hers. She smiles against me.

  “Thank you,” she whispers. Her breath tickles my skin.

  “You’re most welcome,” I reply. I playfully slap her ass. “Let’s finish packing and get some dinner. We haven’t even had lunch. You have to be hungry.”