by Scott, J. S.
“I can’t,” he shot back. “You’re killing me, Brynn.”
I wrapped my hand around his rock-hard cock. “Maybe this will help.”
I got lost in touching the silken skin over his shaft, and stroking the moisture onto my finger at the tip of the velvety head.
He watched intently as I closed my eyes and sucked his essence from the tip of my finger.
I opened my eyes then, and stared back at him as I said, “I want more.”
“Fuck! Brynn. I can’t,” he exploded.
“Don’t stop me this time,” I insisted as I moved so I could taste him.
Carter had always kept me from getting him off. I knew it was because he didn’t want me to go unsatisfied. What he didn’t understand was that I would be completely gratified if he’d just let me make him come.
The first taste was heaven as I took as much of his shaft as I could, moaning at the taste of him.
He groaned something incoherent, and I went to work in earnest to bring him as much pleasure as possible.
Every tormented groan he released flooded my pussy with moisture, but it was music to my ears as I increased the suction, going down on him over and over again.
“Enough!” he demanded.
I surfaced long enough to say, “Not happening, big guy.”
I squealed as he sat up enough to lift my body, turn it, and pull my core over his mouth.
I shivered as I felt his hot breath hitting my quivering, slick flesh. I moaned as he grabbed my ass and pulled my sex onto his face.
The pleasure was so intense, Carter’s mouth so hungry that I lowered my head and gave him the same voracious ecstasy as he was giving me.
The position was unfamiliar, but I was so lost in sensation that it didn’t matter.
Everything in my belly unfurled as my orgasm hit me, my body quaking as Carter finally, finally gave me the chance to really taste what it was like to make him come.
I swallowed every drop, my body trembling as my tongue tried to lick him clean.
But he lifted my body before I could finish, and pulled me up next to him. He immediately swooped down to kiss me, and I felt like I was almost drowning in the taste of us mingled together as he kept up the passionate embrace.
I was still panting when he released my lips, and I buried my face in his neck.
My body hummed as I caught my breath.
Carter was nuzzling my face as he said, “You can have your way with me anytime you want.”
My heart was so light that I laughed, and then nipped at his neck playfully.
God, I loved this man so much that my heart felt like it was ready to explode.
My entire being felt alive, and before Carter, I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt that way.
I’d existed.
I’d made myself as happy as possible.
I’d been content.
But he’d awakened a part of me that I hadn’t even known existed.
And I knew I never wanted that part of myself to go dormant ever again.
Brynn
“Thank you for letting me take a look at these. I saw the hype on social media, and I knew we needed to meet.”
I looked at the older female sitting across from me and blinked. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that my prototype purses would cause this big of a stir.
When Carter and I had come back from visiting my mother, I’d made it a point to get the bags I’d designed mocked up so I could test them for travel while I was gone on assignment.
I hadn’t expected the biggest name in designer bags to offer to buy them.
We’d ended up meeting at a café close to my condo. She’d come to my location just to talk to me.
“I’m not sure I want to sell, Ms. Waverly,” I said truthfully. “This line means a lot to me. I want to make sure that style and function stay in all of the purses.”
“Of course,” she said with a nod. “And please call me Alicia.”
“They’re just mock-ups right now, Alicia.”
“I want this line, Brynn. When I saw them, I understood why everybody wants one. I travel, too,” she said with a small smile. “I’ve had the same frustrations, and we could find a way to make sure the line has your name, and your approval before every new one is produced.”
If I’d ever wanted to do a new line of purses, this company was the one I’d want behind me.
They were a very popular luxury brand, but not so expensive that they would limit the market of women who wanted to buy one.
“I’d like to think about it,” I said earnestly. “If I wanted a partner, your company would be it. It’s a great line without pricing a lot of women out of the market. I’ve always appreciated that.”
“I’ll write up the contract…just in case,” she said with a determined expression. “If you decide to go with us, which I know you will, we can start the negotiations.”
She was tenacious. I’d give her that. But women’s fashion was a tough field. At least she was aggressive without being completely obnoxious.
“Thanks for coming,” I said as I put the purses back into the carry bag I’d brought them in. “I’ll get back with you soon.”
She stood and brushed imaginary wrinkles from her professional skirt and stylish jacket. “If you wait too long, I’ll be calling you. By the way, I know a company who’d really love to talk to Laura about her clothing line, too.”
I smiled as I rose. “I doubt very much if she’s going to be interested. She’s definitely going that line on her own. I’m an investor, and she has interest from some pretty deep pockets to be investors, too.”
“Well, if she changes her mind, send her to me.”
Laura had already had offers, and I knew she wasn’t interested in launching within a company. “Definitely,” I said, just to keep from being rude.
We went our separate ways outside the café, and I decided to walk since I was within a mile or so of my condo.
I can’t wait to tell Carter what happened.
It was funny that he was always the first person I thought about, whether my news was good…or not so good.
Our lives had become so entangled that I could hardly have a thought without wanting to share it with him.
I quickened my step just a little because Jett’s engagement bash was tonight, and I wanted plenty of time to relax and get myself ready.
Most of the time, when we were home, Carter was with me in my condo. We spent almost every night together, too.
I was weaving my way around all the people hurrying down the sidewalk when a dark head inside a store caught my eye.
Carter?
I stopped right in the middle of the sidewalk, and I heard a few disgruntled mumblings as people moved to avoid me.
What was he doing here?
It was a fine jewelry store, one of the most exclusive in the city.
His back was to me, and my heart dropped as he turned his head, giving me a profile of him. I noticed that he was talking to a woman beside him.
No! He’s not with her. He just met her in the store, I’m sure.
I checked them out, watching, even though I knew I probably shouldn’t.
Carter had told me that he had a meeting this afternoon, so I wouldn’t see him until he picked me up for Jett’s party.
I’d almost convinced myself that it was innocent until I saw him put his arm around the female and then kiss her on top of the head the way he always did to me.
My heart squeezed in my chest so hard that it was physically painful, and I forced myself to move forward.
There really was no excuse anymore. He was cuddling up to the woman, giving her the same affectionate pecks to the top of her head that he did to me.
Relax. Maybe there’s still an explanation.
Although I coul
dn’t imagine why he’d be in a jewelry store, apparently picking out something for the woman he was with.
It made me nauseous that I’d seen several of those jewelry boxes myself, gifts that Carter seemed to give frequently.
A beautiful ruby bracelet.
Then a matching necklace.
And I’d gotten the earrings to go with the set only a few days ago.
I pulled out my phone, and clicked on Laura’s number.
I wasn’t sure how she understood my rambling explanation, but she apparently got the gist of it.
“Brynn. Don’t jump to conclusions. I know it’s easy to do under the circumstances, but there could be an explanation. I don’t believe that he’d be with another woman,” she said emphatically.
“Things aren’t always as they seem,” I said tearfully.
I knew that kind of disappointment, and the disbelief that happened when somebody turned out to be a completely different person than the one you knew.
“Don’t torture yourself like this, Brynn. Talk to him first. Yes, it’s possible that he’s really a dog, but I don’t think he is. He doesn’t seem to see any other woman except you,” Laura told me. “Make sure it isn’t a mistake.”
“I won’t see him until he picks me up for Jett’s engagement party.”
“Then talk to him after it’s over. It’s not like you’re going to part. You live in the same building.”
I wiped a stray tear from my cheek, pissed off at myself because I was crying. “I should have known better than to make a man my entire life, Laura. I never wanted to be that woman who falls apart when it’s over.”
“It is not over,” she said firmly.
Carter would have to have a damn good explanation for it not to be over.
And I couldn’t think of a single one right at the moment.
Not when he’d been holding her the way he did me.
Not when he’d kissed her with apparent affection.
“I’ll talk to him,” I said. “But I don’t know what he can say to make what I saw make sense.”
“If he’s cheating on you, I’ll cut his balls off for you,” she answered. “But give him a chance to tell you what happened first. I’d usually be the first one to tell you to run away, but not with Carter. I can tell that he cares about you.”
“Sometimes caring isn’t enough,” I replied, knowing that if Carter had his eyes on another woman, I could never give him a second chance. “I have to know I can trust him. He’s always going to have women clamoring to be with him.”
“And you don’t have guys who would give anything to be with you?” she asked.
“I don’t care about them,” I said tremulously. “I don’t sleep with them. They don’t mean anything to me.”
“So what does it matter how much other people want to be with either of you?”
Problem was, I didn’t know if Carter felt the same way, and from the looks of things, he didn’t take this relationship nearly as seriously as I did.
After promising Laura that I’d hold my verdict until Carter had a chance to plead his case, we hung up.
I entered my building, but before I could get to the elevator, the receptionist waved at me.
“I have a delivery for you, Ms. Davis,” she said in a far too cheerful voice. “Flowers.”
The arrangement was beautiful, and I took the heavy vase from her hands, and held it with my free arm. I gave her a smile before I turned away, but I wasn’t able to speak.
I took the elevator, and I was in my condo before I opened the card.
Not that I really had any doubt who the flowers were from.
Every moment that we aren’t together is mediocre. Every moment that you’re with me is memorable. I can’t wait to see you tonight. C.
My heart didn’t skip a beat like it usually did.
And I wasn’t breathless with excitement.
I didn’t feel much of anything as I gathered up the purses I’d showed Alicia and went into the bathroom to take a bath.
Unfortunately, even the hot water I submerged myself in couldn’t take away the chill of knowing I was going to lose Carter.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever be warm again.
Brynn
“I heard that you’re going to Hollywood, Brynn. What’s it like there?”
I smiled at Ruby, Jett’s fiancée, while the party was in full swing around us. “It’s just a commercial. And Los Angeles will be nice now that it’s cooling down in California. I don’t know how to explain Hollywood exactly, but you might be disappointed. It’s not all that glamorous if you look around too much. You’ll find homeless people everywhere, and it seems weird with all the wealth in the area. It’s kind of…sad.”
I’d adored Ruby almost from the moment I’d met her. She was young, only twenty-three, but I could sense an old soul.
We’d snuck off to a small table in the corner of Jett’s impressive penthouse so we could talk, and I’d been grateful to get out of the middle of the festivities. I’d tried to act like nothing had happened, but I felt completely destroyed.
I was good at hiding my emotions, but I could only do it for so long.
Carter had picked me up in a tuxedo, and I had on my favorite little black dress, but nothing felt the same.
“I was homeless once,” she informed me. “For a very long time. Jett is helping me work on improving the lives of the homeless here in Seattle.”
I knew Ruby had experienced a lot of trauma, but the fact that she’d been homeless surprised me. “I have to admit that I was close to that state myself in my early years. But you’re so young, Ruby.”
“I was a teenage runaway. I had no place to go. But then I met Jett. I didn’t trust anybody until I met him.” She was candid and brutally honest. I respected that.
“I’ve had my share of trust issues,” I shared with her before I took a long sip of my champagne.
There was something about this woman that I connected with. Maybe it was the fact that we’d both been cheated out of our childhood and teenage years. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to be so young and on my own. If nothing else, I’d always had my mother.
“How did you meet?” I asked, curious now.
“He rescued me,” she said with a wistful sigh. “I was being held captive by human traffickers. I’m not sure where I would have been if it hadn’t been for him. I’ve built my own business now, so I’ll always know that I can take care of myself, but I couldn’t imagine being anywhere without him. He’s my best friend.”
Talking to Ruby made me realize just how sheltered I’d been in some ways. Sure, I’d been hungry during those slim years in New York, and there were months I wasn’t sure I could pay my rent. But I’d never been through what Ruby had. “I’m not sure I would have survived.”
She shrugged. “It’s strange what we do when we’re forced to survive. I think you can handle a lot more than you think you can. You’ve just never been in a position where you had to fight to live.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t.”
“I learned as I went along. Moved to a warmer climate because it was cold outside, found places where I could find food, and stayed out of trouble. Well, for the most part anyway. The traffickers were unexpected, but I was desperate to find a job. Any job.”
“And they made you think you’d get one?”
She nodded.
“Bastards,” I said angrily. “I hate men who prey on vulnerable women.”
Obviously, it was a personal thing because it was exactly what my father had done.
Ruby smiled. “Me, too. I’m working on changing as much as I can in my little part of the world.”
“I’d like to be involved. Can I?” I questioned.
“We’re working on putting together a foundation,” she informed me. �
��I’m sure we’ll still be in touch since you’re Carter’s girlfriend.”
I had to stop myself from visibly flinching. “I’d be willing to do whatever would help. Even if it means making beds in shelters or whatever manual labor you need,” I told her. “I’m a decent cook.”
“Aren’t you already involved in a lot of charities?” she asked. “Carter said he met you at a domestic abuse fundraiser.”
“I am. But that’s just a check. I’ve never had the time to be personally involved because I travel so much. And Carter and I didn’t exactly meet that night. We just saw each other.” I really wanted to get away from the subject of her soon-to-be brother-in-law.
“I know. You gave him a gigantic slap-down,” she said with a laugh. “And I’m sure he deserved it.”
“He told you that?” I was definitely surprised that Carter shared the fact that I’d given him the cold shoulder.
“He was feeling pretty bad, Brynn. I’m glad you gave him another chance. Carter seems superficial and cold on the surface, but he’s really not like that.”
“What do you think he’s like?” I really wanted to get Ruby’s perspective on him.
“Lonely until he met you. And I think he feels responsible for every problem anybody who’s close to him has. I can’t believe he actually blamed himself for his parents’ deaths just because they went out of the house to get him something. But that’s just how Carter is. He doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve, but he feels things pretty deeply.”
Suddenly, I wanted to cry. She’d just put Carter’s personality into a nutshell. Maybe there was a lot more than she ever saw, but she was pretty spot-on. “He told you about his parents?” He hadn’t shared that with me.
“After he told you, he talked to Jett. And then he shared his feelings with all his siblings. Every one of them told him it was crazy for him to feel that way. I think he’s feeling a lot better since he talked to his family.” Ruby drained her champagne glass and motioned for another.
I swiped one myself, even though I’d probably already had as much as I should have for the evening.
“I’m so glad he met you, Brynn,” Ruby said after she took a small sip of her full glass. “He seems so happy.” She nodded toward the siblings, who were all talking and laughing in the middle of the room.