“Seeing as he has implicated himself in more than one crime here, we’ll toss his place while he’s in the hospital and see what we come up with. I’ll be in touch,” the lead officer told me.
When I got Dynassy home, I made her some soup and tucked her into bed.
“But I’m not tired.”
“You’ve been through a traumatic event, and I know what’s best for you.” I hadn’t forgiven myself for putting her in harm’s way like that. All for that stupid business. I couldn’t wait to wash my hands of it.
But then I remembered—I wasn’t going to be washing my hands of it.
After watching a movie, Dynassy finally fell asleep. So I didn’t disturb her, I went into the next room and tried to take my mind off this morning by reading a book.
I was interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone. I’d taken to answering it again since the media coverage had slacked off a little. “Hello?”
“Bridger Thompson?”
“Speaking.”
“Mr. Thompson, this is Officer Tucker. We spoke earlier this morning.”
“Yes, Officer. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to inform you that we conducted a search of your colleague’s home, and found some pretty incriminating evidence.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“Images of your product, drawings. Looks like he’s got some of your mail, which is a federal offense. Also, there’s some stuff on his hard drive that will likely keep him in prison for quite a long time.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“I’ve said all I’m at liberty to say for the moment, but your little sting appears to have uncovered a lot more than someone stealing your invention.”
“Thank you, Officer.”
“No problem. But in the future, try to leave the police work to us. Oh, and off the record, if you ever start selling those machines, let me know. Might get one for the wife.”
I chuckled, thanked him again, and hung up.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Dynassy
I woke up trembling.
That Peter guy might have raped me if it hadn’t been for Bridger. I glanced over to see him sitting next to the bed, reading a book.
“Oh my God, Bridger. You saved me.”
He set the book down, claimed the spot next to me on the bed and put his arms around me. Stroking my hair, he murmured, “I’m so sorry. I should never have put you in harm’s way.”
I pulled back and looked at him. “No, I was happy to do that. I wanted to help. But I’m really glad you were there. It got pretty dicey.”
“Yeah. That was messed up. I had no idea it was that guy, and I really should have done a sweep first to make sure there weren’t other people there. Hell, I should have gone in with you. I’m really off my game.”
“You didn’t seem off your game when you smashed his head into the sink and put him in the hospital.”
I laughed. “No?”
“No. And while I don’t normally approve of violence, that was pretty badass.”
“Thank you. I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“That’s right, because I am not going to let it.”
I giggled. “So what, are you going to be my personal bodyguard?”
“Sure.” He leaned down and nibbled on my ear. “Because I don’t think I’m going to be working for Sal anymore.”
“I like the sound of that. It makes me want to get out of these clothes.”
Those were the right words to use if you wanted to see a man move quickly, and Bridger did. I climbed out of bed and pulled off the sweats I’d been sleeping in before dropping to my knees in front of him.
I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants then peeled them back so they rested on his muscular thighs.
Then I yanked down his underwear, his cock, already hard, springing out to greet me. Grasping it in my fist, I leaned in to lick the underside with my tongue.
“Damn, Dynassy,” he groaned, palming my head, pulling me in closer.
God, how I wanted to do this, to show him my appreciation, not in words, but with my body. Bridger had opened my eyes to so many things, had taken care of me, had helped me get in touch with who I really was beneath the model exterior I showed to the world.
Hungrily, I took him deep into the back of my throat, bobbing my head back and forth on his dick. He wound his fingers through my hair and tugged lightly, setting a pace that pleased him. Opening wide, I let him use my mouth as he wanted, closing my eyes and losing myself in the way he fucked my mouth as he would soon do to my pussy. The tip of his cock hit the back of my throat, triggering my gag reflex and making my nipples harden.
“As much as I’d love to come in that pretty mouth of yours, I want to fuck you more.” He slid from my mouth and helped me up. Once I was standing, he bent his head to taste my breasts. I moaned helplessly as I clung to him.
“Get on the bed,” he ordered, and I was happy to comply.
“On all fours,” he grunted.
I did as he asked. Normally, I didn’t care for the doggy style position. It seemed too animalistic and often didn’t give my clit enough stimulation, but with Bridger, every position was sexy, and as I waited for him to enter me, my body burned with desire for him.
What I hadn’t expected was to feel the tickle of his beard stubble against my pussy. His tongue lapped at my most vulnerable parts with long, wet strokes. Then he buried his face in me, his tongue dipping in and out of my slit, rubbing up and down, in and around my womanly folds.
I’d started out excited, and after a bit, my knees were trembling and I started to sink down onto my elbows.
“Ah-ah-ah,” he admonished. “I want you to stay on those hands and knees.”
“But it’s so hard,” I whined.
“Fuck yeah, it’s hard.” And with that, he knelt behind me, switching his mouth for his very talented fingers, and I felt the unmistakable poke of his erection against my ass.
“Oh God, are you going to fuck me?” It was more of a request than a question, and he made me own it.
“Is that what you want?” he teased.
“Yes, please yes. I need your cock,” I said, liking the way the dirty words sounded as they rolled from my lips.
The rip of a condom wrapper was followed seconds later by the entry of his sheathed cock inside me.
I groaned as he grabbed my hips and pulled me back onto him, filling me completely. With each thrust, I felt the passion between us build and build as he buried himself deep, placing one hand on my shoulder and pulling me back onto him as far as he could.
His movements were purposeful. Over time, he’d become more confident that everything would work
properly. Nowadays, there was nothing tentative about the way Bridger made love to me. He claimed my body as though I was one hundred percent his, and he wanted to leave no question about it.
I tried my best to endure the exquisite pleasure he bestowed on me as he pummeled my pussy into submission, and just when I thought I would collapse onto the bed, he switched gears.
“I want you on your back. I want to finish you off where I can see that gorgeous face of yours, watch those beautiful breasts bounce like crazy while I fuck you.”
“Yes,” was all I could manage, and I let him flip me over onto my back. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He slid into me, pumping his hips and maneuvering his head so he could toy with my nipple with his mouth.
The combination of sensations raised my desire to a fever pitch until he finally sent me over the edge, my orgasm exploding through me like a cascade of twinkling bursts of ecstasy. Bridger followed me not long after with his own climax, and we lay together, our sweaty bodies blanketed in bliss.
Afterwards, I longed to hold him, so after he disposed of the condom and got back in bed next to me, I curled up under his arm and hugged him to me. “You really are my hero, you k
now that?”
He chuckled. “Thanks. I like that.”
We’d only had a chance to lay there for a few minutes before my phone rang. I reached over to the nightstand and looked at it. It was Marla. Bridger and I had her working on the new project we were developing together.
“Do you mind if I…?”
“No, go ahead. I’m starving. I’m going to go grab something to eat. Want something?”
I sighed, shaking my head. So much for the afterglow and snuggle time.
“No rest for the wicked,” he said with a wink and a flash of that delicious ass as he made his way to the kitchen.
That was the perfect way to describe what Bridger and I were up to—wicked.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Bridger
“So, I have to ask, how did you first react when you found out that Bridger had a pornography business?” Reporter Kelly Nolan focused her hawk-like gaze on Dynassy. We sat across from her, under the hot lights on a set that was supposed to look like a living room.
Dynassy laughed a deep throaty laugh. Sexy. “Well, of course I was shocked, Kelly. Not exactly what I would have looked for in a man, but after I understood how he came to be involved with that business, I was actually really proud of him.”
She took my hand, a signal to the audience that we were a united front.
“Bridger, so this is what everyone has talking about. How did you go from being a decorated veteran to a porn king, basically?”
“I wouldn’t call myself a porn king, Kelly. I have never slept with any of the women who graciously offered their services to my company. I merely invented a machine out of a need that I saw, and it became a business.”
“But there are videos that you make money from. Videos of women using those machines in X-rated fashion.”
“That may be, but that side of the business is run more by my partner. I’m really an inventor and a mechanic.”
“His name is Barvo Charles, is that correct? How do you two know each other?”
“Barvo and I have known each other since grade school. He and I reconnected when I was stationed out here and he’d come to Hollywood to do some creative work. A few years back, he knew about my situation, knew I’d built the first machine, and he asked if he could borrow it. I was fine with that, and he discovered that people liked to watch videos of girls using it. That’s about all I can say about that.”
“One of the most fascinating pieces of this story is why you invented this machine in the first place.”
“Exactly. He didn’t do it because he’s a pervert.” Dynassy placed a hand on my forearm and gave me a sympathetic look.
Inside, I cringed. This was the part I really did not want to be public, but more than protecting my dignity, I wanted to be with Dynassy. And we had decided that the only way for us to move forward together was to come clean and go for public sympathy rather than ire.
“Well, Kelly, when I was stationed in Iraq, I was injured by an IED blast. From my waist to my knees, I suffered a good deal of damage, and that included nerve damage. At the time, I was engaged, and I was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to perform my marital duties. As I got better, I worked on building a machine that I thought could manage that for me.”
“What happened to the girl? Did she appreciate your machine?” Kelly asked, leaning forward of the edge of her seat.
“No. I’m afraid she couldn’t have cared less about me or the machine. In the end, it turned out she had found someone else.”
“His best friend,” Dynassy stage-whispered to Kelly.
“Oh, that’s terrible. So you come back home, a wounded warrior, and your fiancée rejects you?”
“That’s right.” I smiled and reached over and slipped my arm around Dynassy’s shoulder. “That’s okay, Kelly. If it hadn’t been for the end of that relationship, I wouldn’t have this beautiful woman in my life.”
Dynassy brightened, and I knew she wasn’t just hamming it up for the camera. Her smile was genuine, and mine was too. We might be pouring it on a bit thick, but the truth was at the heart of it.
“Now, Dynassy, I understand you and Bridger have an announcement to make today about a new product launch.”
“We do.” Dynassy fidgeted in her seat. “I can’t wait to tell you about it, Kelly.”
Then I took over.
“First of all, I’ve turned the video portion of my company over to my partner, so I will no longer be involved with those operations.”
“So you’re quitting the pornography business?”
“I am. But because of all the positive feedback we’ve gotten from the machines and all the requests from fans, Dynassy and I will be offering a smaller version of my machine that women can purchase for home use.”
“So the Barnes family is getting involved into the sex toy business?”
“No. I’m doing this completely separate from my family, and it will be on a small scale, Kelly. But I will say that other members of the Barnes family are entrepreneurs, and we know a good product when we see one. Besides, we are all adults, and sex is as much a part of life as eating and sleeping. I don’t feel that there is anything to be ashamed of in enhancing a woman’s pleasure.”
“But Dynassy, your mother, Lucinda Barnes, likes to plug the Barnes brand as a family-friendly company. How does she feel about this new endeavor of yours?”
“I made this decision on my own. At first my mother had concerns, but after she heard me out, she gave me her blessing. Kelly, I realize we will have fans who feel this is too risqué for them, and that’s fine. They are obviously not the customers we are targeting with our Luv Machines.”
“But won’t there be a lot of backlash for you selling an adult product?”
“It is wonderful being a member of my family, but sometimes you have to branch out and do your own thing. My siblings have a different brand from me. But I can’t let that stop me from doing what I think is best and making the decisions I need to make for me going forward.”
“What about you, Bridger? How does it feel to have one of the most famous women on the planet going into business with you?”
“Amazing. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Dynassy on board, helping me change the focus of my business. She has to be the sexiest woman I know, and therefore she will be the best spokesmodel possible for Luv Machines. Because that’s what it’s all about—helping women feel sexy.”
“I agree. That’s always a good thing.” Kelly turned to look at the camera. “So there you have it, folks—Dynassy Barnes and Bridger Thompson teaming up in a partnership for Luv Machines, which they assure me will be available for you to purchase online early next year. We’ll be right back.”
The minute the interview was over, people were buzzing around us, unclipping mikes, altering lights, and calling out instructions on set. Dynassy and I thanked Kelly, who hugged us both before heading back to her dressing room.
As we walked back to ours, Dynassy said, “Now it’s time to get ready for the real shitstorm.”
“Public opinion?” I asked. We had talked about this at length and knew we had to brace ourselves for the blowback from the religious right, competing brands, and the usual haters.
“No, my mother,” she said with a wink.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Dynassy
The party was perfect. We’d had Marla plan it, as the new event coordinator for our division of Luv Machines. We’d rented a club for the night, bedecked the place in the purple we’d chosen to be the signature color of our new line of home “pleasure machines.”
Now, as all of our guests were arriving, I glanced over the place and decided it looked perfect. Especially my partner.
Bridger looked amazing. He’d had a custom suit tailored just for this occasion, and he looked so yummy I wanted to devour him right there. But before I could do that, I had to greet our guests.
Nick and Eden were among the first to arrive. My brother looked smart in his suit, and Eden did not l
ook like she could have had twins earlier this year, in the form-fitting lace dress she had on.
“You look incredible!” I told her, giving her and Nick hugs.
“Thanks. A rare night out. I had to get dressed up.”
“Hey, sis. I told Eden there were going to be demonstrations tonight. Isn’t that right?”
I punched him on the shoulder. “Shut up. Of course there will not be any demonstrations.”
“Just ignore him,” Eden laughed.
“Where are the babies?”
“With my mother,” Eden said, looking relieved.
“We didn’t think this was a ‘family-friendly’ event.” Nick winked at me.
“Oh my God, if I hear that one more time!” I pretended to push my older brother, but I knew he was joking. It had become the family joke how I was no longer “family-friendly.” They all had a laugh at my expense, but I was glad they were laughing, not complaining. Even Lucinda had climbed onboard the Luv Machine express.
I watched Nick give our mother a hug, and I was happy to see that the two of them were on speaking terms.
The same couldn’t be said for Ivy and Lucinda. Once Lucinda had found out Ivy and Leo wanted more freedom, our mother had pulled out all the stops to gain back control over them.
“Hang on, guys. I’ll be right back.” I’d just seen Ivy and her boyfriend come through the door. The sides of his head were shaved, but the rest of his hair was pulled into a man-bun and he was covered in tats from the neck down, at least as far as I could see. The fact that the guy had a record, and considering the way he presented himself…I could see why Lucinda was worried, and also why Ivy was attracted to him.
“Ivy!” I threw my arms around her neck, and she hugged me back.
“Hey, big sis! Have you met Aaron?”
“I don’t believe so. Thanks for coming.”
I held out my hand and the dude gave me a halfhearted handshake then said to Ivy, “I’m going to the bar. Want anything?”
“Not right now, thanks.”
After he was out of earshot, she whispered, “He’s super-hot, right?”
The Barnes Family Romances: (Books 1-3) Page 33