“Come, Brooklyn,” he demands.
I slip my hand between us, stroking my clit. I’m already on edge, so close to toppling over that it only takes a few swipes of my fingers before I’m coming around him.
Lucas drops his head and shudders as he plants himself deep inside of me—his cum filling me, his body freezing solid.
We lay in silence. I wait. I wait for something that seems like it’s going to be poignant. We’re nothing but two people alone attempting to catch our breath.
Lucas’ eyes open and he watches me. He’s still planted deep inside of me, his eyes searching my face.
“I love you, Brooklyn.”
Chapter Sixteen
BROOKLYN
I blink, unsure that I’ve heard him correctly when he repeats himself. His eyes are still completely focused on mine and he breathes the words, again.
“I love you, kitten.”
My body jerks beneath his as tears fill my eyes, yet again. I reach up and cup his cheek with my hand. I run my thumb across his bottom lip, my eyes following its path. Then I lift my gaze to his and I smile, my lips wobbly.
“I love you, Lucas. I love you so much, baby.”
I moan when I feel him move inside of me once more. He rolls us over so that he’s on his back and I’m straddling him, his cock still inside of me.
“Move, Brooklyn. Fuck me, beautiful,” he demands, his eyes never leaving mine.
I roll my hips, letting my head fall back as I enjoy the way he fills me. Lucas’ hands wrap around my hips as he guides me, faster or slower, his way to control my movements.
Leaning down slightly, I wrap my hand around his shoulder, grinding down hard against him. I feel my climax building, again, climbing closer toward the edge all over again.
One of Lucas’ hands slips around, gripping my ass before he presses something against my back entrance. It’s the plug, my lips automatically twitch into a smile and I moan as he fills me with it.
“Fuck, this is so sexy, Brooklyn,” he groans as he starts to twist and tug it as I fuck him.
I throw back my head on a sigh, grinding my clit against his pelvis even harder. I’m so close to coming, I know it’s going to completely consume me when I do. The way it’s building, I know that it is going to be a body wracking orgasm.
His other hand leaves my hip, and I whimper, knowing that he’s going to play with my clit, too. I gasp when I feel a stinging sensation in my ass. Looking down at him, I see he’s smirking at me.
“You spanked me,” I point out, as I start to fuck him harder.
“I did, kitten. Make yourself come, again. Get yourself there.” He grins. “Give me what’s mine,” he demands.
He starts to fuck my ass with the plug, he isn’t just playing this time. He is fucking me with it, just like he would with his dick if he were back there. My eyes flutter closed at the sensation of having both of my holes filled and fucked.
My breathing starts to pick up at the same time my hips begin to move in the same type of rhythm. His words and his hands are my undoing. I feel my body tremble as my pussy and ass tighten before I come.
Lucas growls, his free hand grabbing hold of my hip and tightening. He lifts his hips, fucking me from beneath, causing my boneless body to jerk and bounce above him.
When he lets out a long groan, he collapses on the bed, I feel more wetness inside of me before I lower my chest against his, and bury my face in his neck.
We stay wrapped in each other’s arms, holding on to one another. I shiver when Lucas’ fingers begin to gently stroke up and down my spine.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he murmurs into the dark room.
“Me, too,” I admit. “I thought that I’d never see you again and you wouldn’t know that I’m completely and totally in love with you.” I lift my head to look into his eyes.
He shakes his head and flips us so that I’m on my back. I lose his length from inside of me, but I’m so mesmerized by his eyes that I don’t mind it too much. He tips his chin down and presses his mouth to mine, licking my lips and coaxing them open. My mouth opens with ease while his tongue slowly, languidly, fucks me.
“Sleep, Brooklyn,” he mutters against my lips.
He reaches down and pulls the covers over our naked bodies, then wraps his arm around my waist and presses his chest to my back, surrounding me. His heavy weight is welcomed as he sleeps against my body, pressing me into the mattress.
LUCAS
Brooklyn’s breath evens out and her body becomes heavy against my arm beneath her. She’s asleep, but I’m afraid to move right away. I hold her, feeling her softness against me. Closing my eyes, I try not to imagine how I would feel, or where I would be if the outcome of tonight had been any different.
There is no way to describe the anger, fear, and downright terror I felt when it was only me standing between Brooklyn and a gun, between Brooklyn and her freedom. When she mentioned sex trafficking, I was seconds from losing my shit—I still fucking feel on edge.
Inhaling the scent from her hair, I gently remove myself from beside her, careful not to wake her up. I quietly search for my boxers and pull them up my legs and hips. Then I root around in my pants for my cellphone.
Padding out of the room, I close the door behind me and head toward my office. Sitting in the dark room, I power on my computer and search through my phone to ensure that I haven’t missed any messages or calls.
Once my computer is up, it only takes me a moment to find what I’m searching for. I book the accommodations for five nights, stating that our arrival will be tomorrow evening. I then bring up an airline website before I book two first-class tickets to the destination I’ve chosen.
Our flight leaves at nine tomorrow morning. I hope that Brooklyn isn’t too pissed with me, but I’m not giving her a fucking choice in the matter. We need a goddamn break.
I quickly check-in for our flight and print our tickets before I log out of my computer and turn it off. I send a text to my parents to let them know of my travel plans. My mother calls me immediately, and I chuckle as I answer the call.
“What is happening, Lucas?” she demands.
I sigh. “The case that Brooklyn and I were working on when we met, the couple divorcing ended up being involved in some illegal dealings. Brooklyn found out about it and exposed them. They tried to kidnap her tonight, to hurt her,” I admit.
Saying the words aloud causes my heart to race inside of me, as if it were all happening in front of me all over again. My mother gasps, sounding horrified, and I don’t blame her. Even the short story version is fucking scary as shit.
“She’s okay? You’re okay?”
“We’re fine. Everything came to a head tonight. It’s only a week from Labor Day weekend and I want to take her away. I’ve booked everything, while we’re there, I’m going to propose.”
I can hear my mother sobbing on the other end. She’s not even trying to hold it back or hold it in. My father, just like always, is right there to demand I tell him why I’m making my mother cry.
“I’m asking Brooklyn to marry me this week. Mom will explain the rest later.”
“She’s the one?” my dad practically chokes.
I clear my throat before I lose my shit as well. “One hundred percent, Dad.”
“Thank fuck. I liked her. Hell, we all like her, but to be honest, I really liked her for you, Lucas. The two of you, you’ll be good together.”
I hang up on my father, not able to listen to another word he has to say. He understands. I don’t do emotions and tonight has been one fucking blow right after another.
Walking over to the kitchen, I open the freezer and reach for my favorite bottle of whiskey.
Grabbing a high ball, I throw some ice in the glass then fill it to the top. I fucking need this to relax after everything that happened tonight. Making my way over to the door that leads to the backyard, I take a sip.
Goddamn, I can’t believe the events that unfolded tonight, and I know the
re is so much more to what happened. I’m not sure I ever want to know the plans those sick fucks had for Brooklyn. I do know that if she doesn’t talk about it to me, then they will haunt her.
“Baby?” Brooklyn’s voice whispers as she tucks herself against my side.
I don’t say anything, shifting my drink to my other hand and wrapping my now free one around her waist.
“We’re leaving tomorrow at six in the morning. Our flight leaves the ground at nine,” I announce. Her body stills next to mine, but I don’t let her ask me any questions. “You’ll need your passport.”
“I have it. I don’t know why, but I’ve always kept it in my wallet. I’m glad, because with my house catching fire the way it did, I would have lost it,” she explains.
I nod but don’t look down at her. Taking a healthy gulp of my whiskey, I demand to know what those fucks said to her, what their plans were for her. As much as I don’t want to know, I need to know all the same.
She sighs. “I don’t want to talk about it. None of it matters, because you were there to save me.”
“It matters. I need to know,” I say, not wanting to explain anything else.
She slips from my grasp and shifts in front of me, her head tips back to look into my eyes.
“Let’s go to bed and I’ll tell you there,” she murmurs.
“Fuck no,” I bark. She jumps, but I don’t let her get away from me. I press my hand to her back and hold her close. “Their shit does not leak into our bed, kitten. They never get that.”
I watch as her eyes widen and then wetness shines, but no tears fall. She closes her eyes for a brief moment and then she tells me everything that happened.
I continue to drink my whiskey until it’s gone, wishing I would have taken my crowbar and beat the shit out of those fuckers.
Wishing I would have made it so none of them could even attempt to hurt her, or another human, again.
“Lucas?” she calls out once her story is over.
My eyes tip down to hers, and she looks like a mixture of scared and nervous. “Let’s go get some sleep, kitten. We have a long day of traveling tomorrow,” I announce.
“You’re not going to say anything about what I told you?”
I wrap my arm, still holding my glass, around her waist and shift the other up her back to fist in her hair before lowering my face so that I’m closer to hers.
My nose skims hers before I whisper. “What I want to do is go find them and kill them, slowly. I can’t do either of those things, so what I am going to do is be grateful that I have you in my arms tonight. Once we’re away from this city, I’m going to relax with my gorgeous woman. I’m going to make her come so many times she forgets this shit ever happened, then we’re going to go straight to Arizona to spend Labor Day with your family. Then, we’re going to come home and those fucks will cease to exist.”
“Baby,” she breathes.
“Let’s get to bed, kitten. We have a long fucking day tomorrow.”
BROOKLYN
I feel…confused.
Lucas announced last night that we were going somewhere, but he’s not telling me where. All he’s said is that I need a passport. He woke me up at the crack of dawn and told me to pack. I asked him what to bring, he only shrugged and suggested bikinis.
I had to break the news that all of my suits burned up in my condo, and that hasn’t really been high up on my shopping list.
I’ve been worried about work clothes, not sunbathing. He promises he’ll get me a few when we arrive, wherever that may be.
Standing in line at the airport, I look at all of the outbound flights, wondering where he could possibly be taking me. We’re waiting to check-in for our flight, I feel nervous, especially standing in the First-Class line.
I’ve only flown a couple of times. I have never even dreamed of flying first-class, yet here I am. I think this man could be crazy, but he’s my crazy, so I’ll take him any way that I can get him. We’re called up next, and I tug my small suitcase behind me with one hand, holding Lucas’ with the other.
“Hello, sir,” the man behind the counter greets with a smile.
Lucas grins but doesn’t say anything as he hands the man a stack of folded papers along with his passport and mine. The man then asks us if our final destination is Turks and Caicos. My mouth drops open in surprise.
“Lucas,” I whisper.
He completely ignores me and continues to check us in, taking my bag from me to set on the scale. Once we’re finished and Lucas has our boarding passes and passports in hand, he wraps his fingers around my wrist and tugs me behind him.
It takes me a few steps before I come out of my trance. I grip my fingers around Lucas’ as I plant my feet. He stops, only because I’ve forced him to, turning around to look at me with confusion.
“Brooklyn?” he asks.
“Are you serious with me right now? We’re going to Turks and Caicos?” I practically screech.
He closes the distance between us and wraps his hands around my hips, tugging me against him as he tips his head down. His lips gently brush mine before he murmurs.
“Yeah, Kitten. You and me, alone on a beach, in paradise.”
“Why?” I breathe.
I place one hand on his chest and slip the other around his trim waist. His green eyes dance as he looks down at me, his expression alight with humor.
He shakes his head. “Why?” he asks. “I’m taking you away from everything. Just you and me, alone together.”
I press my lips to Lucas’. “Thank you, baby.”
I’m not fighting him. I’m not telling him that it’s all too much, because it really is. I’m graciously accepting his extravagant gift, with a smile.
I love him, and though I can only show him with words and my body, he can show his love for me in other ways, and he wants to. I am not going to tell him, no, never again.
“You can thank me later, with your mouth and your cunt,” he grunts.
“Okay,” I breathe.
He grins before he releases me, and together we make our way to TSA. Once we’re completely through security, we find our gate and I decide to call my parents. They don’t know anything that’s happened.
If I don’t tell them and they try to contact me while I’m gone, they will totally freak out. Lucas explained that we wouldn’t have cell service while we were gone.
We’re both on our phones making calls, and I watch him as he talks not only to his family but Peg, too. I’m sure she’s going to be livid that she has to rearrange his schedule, but he seems completely unaffected.
It takes me a good thirty minutes to talk my mother down from a sobbing mess, and she makes me swear that I will be at the airport in Arizona in less than a week.
The promise is easy to make, as I know that Lucas has already rescheduled our tickets to fly from our vacation straight to my parents’. Once I’m off the phone with her, my next call is to my boss. I’m lucky when Kay answers the phone.
“Kay, it’s me, Brooklyn,” I greet.
“Oh, my God, are you okay?” she practically cries.
It takes me almost as long to calm her down as it did my mother. Another reason why I love the woman. I tell her about Lucas whisking me away for a romantic week, and she practically swoons.
“You deserve the break. I can’t believe everything that happened. The FBI and the police are still here, swarming the building and interviewing everybody. It’s crazy, but honestly, I’m just happy you’re safe.”
I thank her and ask her if I can speak to Aaron. I have a feeling that he won’t be as excited for my trip as Kay was. I’m trying to find a care to give about how he feels, but I can’t.
“Where are you?” Aaron demands as soon as he answers the phone.
“I’ve decided, after everything that happened yesterday, that I need a couple weeks off to recuperate,” I state, clearing my throat.
Aaron lets out an annoyed sigh. “You have a case you’re working on. You can’t just le
ave me high and dry.”
“I don’t mean to just abandon you, but the courts won’t even be in session consistently for the next week. I’ve sent all of my research directly to you on the case every evening before leaving the office. You are completely up to date on everything,” I explain.
“You don’t show up to work tomorrow and you’re fired,” Aaron announces.
I feel my stomach drop at his words. “Fired?” I breathe.
Lucas must hear me. I open my mouth to say something else, I don’t know what, probably to beg and cry, but I don’t get the opportunity. Lucas snatches the phone from my grasp and walks away from me with it held to his ear.
I watch as his body goes rigid.
He turns around, his eyes on me as he responds to whatever it is Aaron has said. Then I watch as he ends the call and marches right over to me. He gently tosses my phone back to me before he speaks.
“You will not, and I repeat, will not work for that piece of shit. You’re not returning back there,” he states.
My eyes widen before they water. “Lucas, I can’t lose my job. I’m only eighteen months from being certified for child advocacy,” I practically cry.
Lucas smirks as she sits down next to me. “Do you think I have zero contacts in this industry, kitten?”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
His smirk turns into a wide smile. “It means that by October first, you’ll have a job in your field. I really wish you would consider working for the private sector so you could make more money, but I know that I can’t change your mind. Plus, I make enough for both of us.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he lowers his head and his lips brush mine. “Don’t worry, Brooklyn. I have your back.”
I bite my bottom lip, wanting to tell him that I can do it all on my own—that I don’t need his help. It would all be a lie, though. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have him.
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