by J B Heller
And Dex delivered. Slipping his hand out of my pants he tugged them down my thighs and bent down behind me. I could feel his hot breath against my flesh and I shuddered with need.
His hands pulled my cheeks apart and he ran his tongue down my crack, all the way to my core, where he licked and sucked at my sensitive flesh.
One of his hands left me and I head his zipper lower. I couldn’t help it, I pushed back against his face and he growled, then slapped my arse before standing up and wrapping his fist around my hair and pulling my head back.
“This body is mine, this sweet pussy is mine, you Sloan, are mine.” His voice was deep with possession and control. I felt him grab hold of his cock, lining it up at my entrance, and I fought to stay still as he slid inside torturously slow.
My body vibrated with the need to move against him, then he pulled out and slammed back inside and a deep guttural moan erupted from my chest.
“Mine Sloan.” He said as he bit down on the side of my throat and I lost it.
Our sweat slicked bodies moved against each other as we fought for control, for satisfaction, for release, until we both found it.
Sex with Dex was earth shattering every time.
Afterwards, we went upstairs to shower and get ready to go see Gabe. While Dex got dressed I could hear him muttering about having to go see the Asshat. I just laughed quietly. It was kinda cute how jealous he was. But he had nothing to worry about.
When we pulled up out the front of Gabe’s office building Dex tried one last time to get me to find someone else to help us.
“Dex, we both know what your father is like. I’m telling you now, no one else can find the information you need to find Isabella. Gabe is the best there is. He has sources that nobody else does. Do you want to find your sister or not?”
He looked defeated. His shoulders sagged, and he looked down at his boots. “Okay, but only for Isabella.”
I leaned over kissing his cheek before we got out of my car. He made my car look even smaller when he was near it. Most people did, but I especially liked watching him squeeze into it. He had to push the seat right back so he had enough room for his long legs. Even then, he still didn’t look completely comfortable.
We strolled into Gabe’s office hand in hand. I greeted Gabe’s office girl Ivy. She was a really nice girl, when she spoke. I had met her quite a few times. Ivy was shy but that didn’t stop her from being super efficient at her job. When it came to business, she was all over it. Gabe wouldn’t be half as successful if it wasn’t for her.
It didn’t take me long to work out that she was pining for Gabe. I had mentioned it to him once, but he shrugged it off. I made a point of keeping our arrangement hidden from her. I liked her, and I wasn’t out to hurt anyone. Besides, she would be good for Gabe when he finally opened his eyes and saw her.
Ivy was petite like Stella and I. But where we had dark hair and tanned skin, Ivy had blonde hair, almost platinum and clear pale skin. She was almost angelic if you asked me. And she had the personality to suit her looks.
She told us to go into Gabe’s office and wait for him, he’d just stepped out for a moment. While we waited on the plush couch Dex constantly fidgeted. I went over and knelt down in front of him and took his hands in mine. “What’s up?”
His usually optimistic eyes were dark and dismal. “I just don’t want to hope, you know? I’ve already tried everything. If this does work out…”
He dropped his head, looking at his boots again. I didn’t like it when he hid his beautiful eyes from me. I touched his face, bringing it back to mine. But before I could say anything Gabe came storming in.
He looked over at us, and shook his head. “Do you even know who he is Sloan?”
I was taken aback. I stood up to face him, hands on my hips ready to rip him a new one. He’d obviously been digging already. My relationship with Dex was none of his business. I took a step towards him, trying to look as pissed as I felt. I knew he was probably just looking out for me, but I was still pissed.
Before I could say or do anything, Dex had pulled me behind his back. What the hell?
Dex and Gabe were facing each other, only a foot between them. Neither of them said anything. You could cut the tension in the room with knife. It was so thick I felt like I was going to suffocate. I had to stop this before they did something stupid.
Dex’s arms were by his sides, fists clenched the tendons in his arm straining as he held himself in check. I knew he was holding back because of me. I squeezed in between their big bodies, both of them towering over me. I pressed my back into Dex’s chest, and pushed against Gabe’s with my hands trying to separate them.
“ENOUGH!” I shouted at them but neither backed down.
I pulled my arm back and planted my elbow into Dex’s ribs as hard as I could. I heard a gush of air leave his lungs and he stepped back. At the same time I stomped on Gabe’s foot with my spiked heels.
“Jesus Sloan!” Gabe spat.
They both looked more pissed than before but at least there was more space between them now. I cleared my throat and moved back into Dex’s space. He wrapped his arms around me, asserting his claim over me. I looked up into his eyes and smiled, letting him know I was his. When I turned back to Gabe he was fuming.
“Calm down Gabe, now. I appreciate that you’re trying to protect me. But I already know everything I need to know about Dex…”
“His father…”
Son of a bitch! I hated being cut off. I raised my voice, in an attempt to make my presence in the room more prominent. It was hard since I was small next to most people, let alone these two giants of men. “I know who his father is.”
Gabe looked confused. His face dropped, he exhaled, stalked over to the chair behind his desk and dropped into it. The chair groaned under his weight.
He looked like he’d just lost something, shaking his head again before he spoke. “And that doesn’t change anything? I don’t understand how you could be with him, knowing what his father did to your mother.”
Gabe was much calmer now, but Dex was still clinging tightly to me, his body still tense. Gently squeezing his hands before I stepped out of his hold, I turned to him and told him to sit. We both sat in the chairs on the opposite side of the desk to Gabe.
“I had already fallen for him when we found out. Dex had no idea about any of it. He and his father are not on good terms. We’ve come here because Dex needs your help to find someone.”
“Why should I help him? I don’t even like him.” Gabe sneered across the table.
“Because I’m asking you to, that’s why. And to be honest, if I heard this story from someone else I would still come to you for your help. You’re the best at what you do.”
Gabe relaxed back into his chair, huffing loudly in defeat. “Alright, tell me what this is about. But it doesn’t mean I’ll do it. I’m just agreeing to hear you out.”
I was pretty sure he would take the case, although his dislike for Dex had me second guessing myself. But he was a sucker for a damsel in distress. I hoped that his compassion would help him see through his feelings towards Dex.
Dex told him all about Isabella. While Dex spoke, I saw something change in Gabe’s demeanour. The more Dex told him, the clearer it became that Gabe would take the case. I was so relieved. I had no doubt that Gabe could do this.
“Okay, I’ll do it. But let’s get one thing clear right now, I don’t like you. I’m only doing this for Sloan. She means a lot to me, if you hurt her, I. Will. Break. You. You understand me?”
I was expecting Dex to get pissed with him, but he didn’t. He just sat there and took it. But when he replied, his voice was deadly calm and controlled. “Thank you, and so we’re both clear, I don’t like you either. I honestly don’t care why you’re doing this, I’m just grateful you are. As for me hurting her, it’s not going to happen. So you can stop waiting in the wings for her, I’m not going anywhere. Do you understand me?”
Neither of them spoke
again. I was speechless. I sat looking between the two of them as they had a silent conversation with their eyes. They glared at one another, and then simultaneously nodded, seeming to have come to some sort of understanding. Dex took my hand, and we left.
Dexter
A week after our little meeting with the Neanderthal, he called me up wanting to meet. I reckoned he had something for me. So here I was sitting in Sloan’s favourite bar in our booth up the back waiting for him to arrive. Sloan was working so it was just me here today. That skanky waitress kept sizing me up and it was giving me the creeps.
Asshat finally arrived, half an hour after he said he would. Douche. I really hated him, but if he could help me find Isabella, I would put up with him. He slid into the booth and signalled the waitress for two beers. I was surprised, I didn’t think he’d get me a drink. We hated each other. I narrowed my eyes at him. Something wasn’t right.
When the skank came over shaking her arse as she walked, she placed a beer in front of each of us. But mine had a coaster under it, with her name and number scrawled across it. I called her back before she made it all the way to the bar.
She plastered what I can only assume she thought was a seductive smile on her face and sashayed over again. “I believe this is yours.”
I handed the coaster back to her, the smile was wiped right off her face and replaced with a scowl. I raised an eyebrow at her before speaking again. “You can go now.”
She stormed off. This was the last beer I’d be taking from her. I’d get my own from the bar from here on out.
Gabe watched the exchange in silence. “You’re serious about her aren’t you?”
I was confused. Did he mean the waitress? “Who? The skanky waitress?”
“No you dickhead, Sloan. Jenny there can get any man she wants. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t taken her up on her offer a few times in the past. And you just shoved it back in her face. Unless that was just a show for me.”
“I don’t cheat. End of story. Screw you if you think that was for your benefit, my relationship with Sloan is none of your business. Now what do you have for me about Isabella. You said you found something?”
He mulled it over for a few minutes. His silence was irritating.
“You got something for me or did you just want to see my pretty face again?”
Taunting the man who was helping me find my sister probably wasn’t wise. But I’d been on edge since he called me that morning. “That’s what I don’t get. You’re a pretty boy. What the hell is Sloan doing with someone like you? And what are you doing with her. She’s not like the other prim and proper debutantes that your kind runs with.”
I gritted my teeth, “Like I said, our relationship is none of your business. I’m here to talk about Isabella.”
“Yeah alright, I got a lead. Your father has a private jet, he flew her out of the country around the time you went looking for her. All the flight plan records were wiped. But his plane definitely landed in Heathrow five months ago. I know the passenger was picked up by a private car company. I’m working on getting the address it was sent to. That’s all I got so far.”
I couldn’t believe he had this much already. “You really are the best huh.” It was a statement, not a question. Sloan was right, Gabe was my only chance of tracking Isabella down.
“You know it. No we need to talk payment.”
I nodded, “Whatever you want, it’s yours. Just find my sister.”
“Sloan.”
I raised a brow, “What about Sloan?”
“I want you to walk away from her.”
I saw red. I shot up in the booth, leaning over the table I grabbed the front of this shirt in my fist and yanked him up to meet me. “Are you fucking INSANE?”
The prick had the nerve to smirk at me. “Take it or leave it. You want your sister back, I want Sloan back. It's win/win brother.”
I shoved him back into his seat. Screw him, I’d find another way to get Isabella back.
I stormed out of the bar. I was so angry, I smashed my fist against the wall. Pain splintered through my hand instantly. Shit, I’d probably just broken something. I was still fuming but at least hitting the wall had blown off a little steam. Even though I was paying for it now.
I started walking, I didn’t know where I was going until I saw Sloan in front of me leaning over some dude, gun in hand, carving some wicked tribal into his chest. I released a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. Just the sight of her calmed me. She was mine damn it, nothing and no one could take her away from me.
As if she could feel my eyes on her, she turned around looking straight into my soul. A small smile graced her soft lips before she glanced down to my still clenched fists. Her smile faded to a look of confusion. Damn it. She said something to the dude on her bench and came over to me. “What’s up baby? I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
I couldn’t speak, I grabbed her face in my hands and kissed her, not caring that the shop was full of people who were now watching us. Sloan moaned, her body moulded to mine and her hands gripped my waist. No one could take this away. No one.
I let go of her face and broke our kiss before our audience got more than they paid for. I pulled her into me, she was so short, her head just reached my shoulder. She laid her head on my chest, and I bent my neck forward so I could rest my chin on top of her soft hair. It was dark brown with violet chunks in it this week.
“I just needed to see you Sweets. Everything’s fine. Go back to work, I’ll call you this arvo. Is Bray in? I gotta talk to him.”
She didn’t buy it, but she let it slide. She could read me as well as I could read her. “Yeah, he’s out the back.”
I kissed the top of her head and went out back to see Bray. Hopefully he would know what I should do. He was sitting at a desk in the corner shuffling some papers around. I took the seat across from him and stretched my legs out in front of me, crossing my ankles.
His eyes lifted to look at me briefly before he went back to sorting papers. “Hey man, you waiting for Sloan?”
“No, came to see you actually.”
That got his attention. He put his papers down and sat back in his chair. “Shoot, what’s up?”
“You know Sloan’s friend Gabe?”
“Yeah, what about him? He sniffing around again?”
Bray and Stella already knew about Isabella. Bray had been as protective of her as me growing up. She may as well have been his kid sister too. I’d told him everything when it all went down. And Sloan had filled in Stella the other week, she had offered to help however she could. I appreciated it, but I knew there wasn’t anything she could do.
“He wants me to walk away from Sloan, in exchange for finding Isabella.”
Bray sat up in his chair ready to go beat Gabe’s arse for me. I love this guy. “That little fucker!”
My sentiments exactly. But I just shrugged my shoulder. “Clearly, that’s not going to happen. So what do I do?”
Bray sat back, and laced his hands behind his head thinking. “We could break his legs?”
I was about to laugh, until I saw the look on Bray’s face, saying he was completely serious. “Umm no, not exactly what I had in mind man. How do I get him to help me? I’m pretty sure he’s the only hope I’ve got. But walking away from Sloan is not an option.”
“No shit. I don’t know man, leave it with me. I’ll call you if I come up with anything.”
“Alright, I’ll leave you to it. Catch you later.” I walked out, blew Sloan a kiss when she saw me walk across the room for the front door and left.
Gabe
I ran my hands through my hair for the hundredth time since getting back to my office. I’d underestimated the little shit. He wasn’t going to be so easy to get rid of. I hadn’t told him the whole truth today, I knew where the girl was. I didn’t want to play all my cards at once. She was safe, so I wasn’t too worried about keeping that bit of information to myself for now.
I muttered a
few curses as I scrubbed my face with my hands. What was I doing? They’re clearly happy together. I’ve never seen Sloan smile so much. I had followed him up to the parlour where Sloan worked when he left. The smile that lit up her face when she saw him, I’d never seen that smile before.
Then the worry that covered her beautiful features when she noticed he was so tense, she genuinely cared for him. Shit, she might even love him. Ugh, that thought made me feel like vomiting. I lay down on the couch in my office closing my eyes.
Was I being selfish? No, he’s no good for her. He doesn’t know about her past.
He wouldn’t be able to handle it. When he finds out, he’ll leave her. Maybe I should fill him in. Get rid of him once and for all before Sloan gets too attached. She’ll hurt initially, but I’ll be here for her. It’s better if it happens now.
Now that I had some sort of a plan, I could finally relax little.
Sloan
Something was off with Dex. I didn’t know what, but something definitely wasn’t right. He wasn’t his normal up-beat self. He tried to hide it, but I could see through him. He’d been like this for over a week now. I had to find out what was eating at him. I had asked him a few times through the week if something was wrong, but he just kept giving me the brush off.
Well I was sick of it. I was getting to the bottom of this now. I had a niggling feeling it had something to do with Isabella. I hadn’t heard from Gabe yet, it had been nearly two weeks since we had gone to see him. I was sure he would have something by now.
I sent Dex a text this morning letting him know my only appointment for today had cancelled, so I was free to spend the day with him. I still hadn’t heard back from him. I wasn’t the pushy type, if he didn’t want to see me, that was fine, but he could have at least replied. I had fallen into the role of devoted girlfriend a lot sooner and smoother than I would have imagined. But now I feared I was turning into a clingy one too. That was not cool.