But my nerves won’t be soothed until she’s here, by my side. Until I can pull her into my arms. I should never have left without her. It was careless and stupid—things I only seem to be when I’m with her.
For the past six years I’ve made it my mission to not act impulsively, to think before every action, to surround myself with people who solidify my strength. But being around Allegra and dealing with Theo have made me behave like the reckless, stupid eighteen-year-old that I once was.
Fifteen minutes. I’ll wait fifteen more minutes then I’m going back to the Flynn house. I will toss her over my shoulder and carry her out of there if need be... which I have a sneaky feeling is what I just might have to do. Allegra Flynn takes stubborn to a whole new level.
Seating myself on the sofa, I pull my phone out of my pocket. I’m calling her. I can’t wait any longer. Tapping on her contact, I make the call. Seconds later I hear the thunderous sound of Metallica coming from beyond the hotel door. I get up and open the door just as Allegra lifts her hand to knock.
“Metallica is your ringtone?” I’m floored. She can’t possibly remember.
“Yes.” Her cheeks flush a bit. She does remember.
Until It Sleeps by Metallica is the song that was making the walls vibrate that night so long ago, when I waited for her at that party with a bottle of tequila in hand. It always makes me think of her.
I like that it makes her think of me, too.
Taking her by the hand, I pull her into the room. “Where have you been? I was just about to come get you.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t.” Her mouth presses together in a thin line. I’ve annoyed her again. But damn it, if she would just listen once in a while, we wouldn’t argue so damn much.
“I thought you were bringing an overnight bag?” She’s carrying nothing but her phone and car keys. This makes me instantly suspicious.
“Ah, I didn’t bring one.” Avoiding my stare, she crosses the room and seats herself on the couch.
“What?” I follow her, but I don’t sit. “Would you care to explain why?”
“Not really.” She winces as I hiss out a breath. “I’m not leaving my house, Seth. There’s no reason.”
Her chin is raised, with defiance, I suppose. She knows I’m going to be angry. And I am, oh I am. I can feel my temper rising.
But even though this woman’s sheer denial infuriates me, I’m not surprised. If it was me in her shoes, every part of me would want to deny that someone who shared my blood would have thoughts like Theo’s.
“I talked to him.” Allegra continues, sitting up straighter—gearing up for a fight. “He... he knows he’s not... right. He’s going to get help. He wants to.”
“He wants to get help? He said that to you?” No. This isn’t possible. Theo Flynn doesn’t see beyond his own desires... and if he’s claiming to want help, I have to think it’s a tool to get at Allegra, not something genuine.
Asking for help—this is another move in his game. And it’s worked—I knew it back in Allegra’s room.
She’s doubting me. She wonders if I’m the crazy one after all. And I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t cross my mind—has Theo been playing me all along? Just trying to get me out of his life?
Then I remember the way his blood felt, spraying over my skin as my fist connected with his face. He almost died by my hands.
And he is not a man to give his life for a noble cause. No, I believe what I always have. Theo is a threat to the one woman I’ve ever cared about... the one woman I’ve ever been in love with.
And she will be safe, even if I have to handcuff her to the damn bed until I send Theo on his merry way.
“I believe him, Seth.” Allegra looks up at me with wide eyes. Despite everything she’s been through, despite that mean streak of hers that I love so much, there’s still innocence reflected there.
She wants to see the good in people. That’s probably why she’s here right now, with me.
I hate to be the one to do it, but that veil needs to be torn away, in order to keep her safe. She might hate me after. But that will be dealt with when we come to it.
“Did he... admit to what he wants to do to you?” She looks away as I ask, and I’m overwhelmed with frustration. She’s in full-on denial. I need her to wake the hell up.
“Did you talk about that, Allie?” I deliberately add a cruel edge to my voice. “About the disgusting thoughts he has about you, about the things he wants to do? Because he told me. In graphic detail. And make no mistake; I’m not referring to the kind of kink that you and I both enjoy. I’m talking about things that no woman should ever have to experience.”
Anger surges through me. I’m not completely sure why. I’m not necessarily mad at Allegra—no wait, that’s not true. I am angry with her. For being so gullible. For being so careless with her own wellbeing.
“I don’t need to know the details, Seth, thank you very much.” She glares at me. “The important part is that he admitted he has a problem. He’s going to get help. That’s a good thing. He’s not evil. He’s just messed up in the head. Maybe he can get some meds or something to fix him.”
“Why can’t you understand this? What Theo wants puts you in danger. He’s manipulating you to gain your trust and shut me out. Even if he does want help, which I guarantee you he doesn’t, who’s to say you’re safe until then?”
“I have Sam.” She lifts her chin in defiance. “And I’m not some weak little woman, you know.”
I shake my head. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “This is not the time to be a feminist, Allegra. You’re strong. There’s no denying that. But being cocky can cost you your life.”
“Of, for the love of...” Standing, Allegra whirls on me, throwing her hands out in the air. “No one in going to kill me! You’ve built this all up in your own head! Yes, Theo changed in jail. He’s not the same.”
“But he is!” I throw up my hands. “Jesus Christ, Allie, I can’t believe you’re being so...”
Her stare shoots daggers. “If you say stupid I’m going to drive the heel of my shoe through your balls.”
“I was going to say gullible.”
“Regardless. This is my decision. I came here because I promised I would. Now I’ve told you, and I’m leaving.” She turns toward the door.
“Oh, like hell you are.” I want to rush after her and grab her, but I suspect that if I do she might just make good on her threat and damage a part of my anatomy that I’m rather fond of. But my words stop her, like I knew they would.
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“When you’re acting like this, I most certainly can.” I grind my teeth together. It’s something I did when I was younger, a habit I’ve mostly stopped... except around Allegra.
Allegra’s face flushes with fury. “What makes you think you can tell me anything?” She looks ready to fly at me.
The fact that she feels everything so fully and shows it just reminds me how crazy I am over her.
“Because you’re mine.” My voice is quiet, but stern. “You always have been.”
“Excuse me?” Se skids to a stop. She’s startled, but I can see the answering flash in her green eyes, like emerald fire.
Feisty as she is, she responds to being claimed. It arouses something primal deep inside of me.
“You don’t own me.” Her voice cracks as she speaks. Desperation paints her face. “No one owns me.”
“I do.” I take a slow step forward. “I do, because you want me to. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“I’m out of here.” She turns to go, but I stop her with a hand on her waist. I don’t grab her, or pinch her, but just touch her on the hip, my fingers brushing up against her navel. I can feel her body vibrate under my palm. It’s all I need to feel to know she has no intention of walking out of my hotel room. Ever.
“Allie, please don’t leave.” It pains me to ask—me, the man who has become used to just taking what he wants.
Bu
t as much as I want to, I can’t just demand that she give herself to me. She needs to be asked. She needs to make the decision herself.
“What did you say?” She stills in my arms, turning to look up at me. I know what word she’s fixed on. “Say it again.”
“Please.” I bury my face in her hair, in the sweet smell there. It’s not a word I often use. But for this woman, I’ll do anything.
She whispers something that I can’t quite hear. When the words finally do register, I’m floored.
“Make me.”
“Tell me your safe word.” I know it, but I want it at the forefront of her mind. Plus, the reminder that she might need it will have her nerves bubbling up and spilling over.
“Thorn.” Her voice is just barely audible. But hearing her say it, knowing she chose the word because of me?
It makes me lose my fucking mind.
“You want me to make you.” Slowly I release her, leaving her standing still. She turns with me as I circle her, and I can see the pulse just beneath the line of her jaw beginning to jump. “Are you quite sure about that?”
She pauses to think, which I appreciate. And then she nods.
It’s my undoing.
“I don’t think you entirely understand what you’re getting yourself into.” Deliberately, I make my words ominous. As I speak, I work my belt open, then the fly of my jeans, gratified when her eyes follow my movement.
She sucks in a breath when I shove the denim down my hips. My cock has been at half mast since she entered the room, and under her eyes it lengthens and thickens.
“Maybe you think I’m going to go easy on you. Maybe you need a lesson in just what I expect from a woman.” Reaching out, I fist a hand in her hair, tug just a bit, savoring the way her eyes blur.
“If you’re not going to use your mouth to speak, then I’ll put it to work another way, hmm?” Smiling wickedly, I release her hair. She sucks in a ragged breath, and I know she’s trying to center herself. Before she can find her footing, I grab at the front of her shirt and tug, rending the thin cotton in two.
“On your knees.” She does what I say, and quickly, which makes me grin.
Before coming back to Galveston, I never would have imagined that sweet Allegra Flynn would be into the same kind of kinky games that I enjoy. That she not just enjoys them but thrives under my command?
I’ve never seen anything hotter. I doubt that I ever will.
“You’re going to suck my cock, Allegra.” I fist myself in my hand, pump up and down the swollen length. Her eyes take in the movement, and I note that she’s pressing her thighs together and rocking her hips.
“Oh no you don’t.” Releasing my grip on my cock, I bend over, slide a hand between her legs and force them apart. “You haven’t earned that pleasure yet. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” The word comes out as a whimper, but she lets me slide her thighs apart. The heat of her skin radiates through the denim, and it takes all of my willpower not to just strip her naked, push her back on the floor and take her like an animal.
The way I’m feeling right now, I don’t think I’m going to be able to prolong round one for very long. But I need to build up the anticipation at least a little bit more, if for no other reason than to prove to myself that I still have that much control.
“You’re going to take my cock in your mouth, Allegra.” Taking myself in hand, I rub the head of my length over her lips. Her tongue darts out, swipes over the tip, and my eyes roll into the back of my head.
“You’re going to take my entire length in your mouth, in your throat. You’re going to have to work at it, just like you had to do to take me into that hot little pussy.” I watch her shiver, and ruthlessly continue. “If you please me... that’s when I’ll fuck you. That’s when you’ll get it, and not a moment sooner. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” She runs her tongue over her lips. “Yes, Sir. I understand.”
Her cheeks are flushed, her bare torso creamy beneath my stare, a vivid contrast to the fire of her hair. I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful in their submission.
“What are you waiting for, then?” Deliberately, I tap my cock against her lips. “Start sucking.”
She opens her mouth again, possibly to say yes. The second her lips part, I surge between them. Her jaw widens as she takes me in, her tongue pressing wetly against the underside of my erection, and it take great willpower not to come from the delicious sensation.
I push forward carefully until I meet resistance, gauging her reactions as I do. She’s fine, if wide-eyed, until my thickness taps against her throat.
Swallowing around me, she shakes her head. In response, I stroke my hands through her hair, relaxing her, letting her have a second to breathe.
“Open up, kitten.” One hand slides from her hair to her throat, tracing a line down the elegant column of her neck. It’s a heady feeling, knowing that if I keep my fingers here, in a moment I’ll be able to feel myself inside of her.
Her eyes blink wetly back at me, her face flushing, and I know she’s trying as hard as she can to open up. I don’t actually expect her to—some women can’t. I just want her to try, to struggle to push past her comfort zone in an attempt to please me.
She hums around me, the sound vibrating around my length, and then suddenly I’m able to slide forward. I groan out loud as the warm, wet cavern of her mouth takes me deeper, and then just a little bit farther still. She takes all of me, and I can tell she’s proud of herself when her shiny lips close around the root of my cock.
“Oh, fuck.” Urged on by the sensation, I slide back, and then ease forward again. With my fingers on her throat, I can feel myself moving inside of her, just like I’d known I would.
She knows what I’m holding my fingers there for, and swallows around me again. I curse as the suction has my testicles drawing up tightly, pleasure overtaking common sense.
“Not yet.” It almost kills me, but I ease myself out of the heaven of her mouth.
“I want to.” She reaches for me again, and I catch her hands before she can catch me.
“No.” Pulling her up, I quickly work her free of the rest of her clothing. She stands still, allowing me to undress her like a doll, but the gooseflesh that breaks out over her skin tells me she’s not unaffected by my touch.
I want her to undress me, to feel her fingers on my skin, but I can’t wait any longer. I remove my own clothing as quickly as I can, then pull her with me to the bed.
I sit on the edge and tug her to me, her parted thighs on each side of my own legs. Taking a moment to sheath myself in latex, I draw her to me until my length presses up against the softness of her belly.
“When I come, it’s going to be inside of you.” Adjusting the fit, I flex my hips, pushing inside just an inch, making her gasp. “You’ve pleased me, but your work isn’t done. You’re going to ride me. You’re going to use my cock to give yourself pleasure. And once I can feel you squeezing around me, milking me with that sweet pussy of yours, that’s when I’ll come.”
“Yes, Sir.” Again, she speaks quietly, but this time I can see a spark in her eyes. Challenge accepted.
We both moan as she sinks down onto my erection. Just like last time, she has to work to take me all in, and the feel of her tight flesh around me, trying to open up enough for me, is insane.
“There.” Panting with satisfaction, she holds still for just a moment, grinning down at me. It almost kills me not to move, to let her have her moment.
And then she starts to move, and I’m lost.
Within two thrusts, I’m on my back, my feet planted on the floor to give us both leverage. I thrust up as she writhes down, and the increasing frenzy of her thrusts tells me she’s not going to last long.
Thank fuck for that, because I can feel the pressure building in me again. The bottoms of my feet, the base of my spine, it gathers as I strain to hold out, stare fastened on her beautiful face as she works up and done, using me to drive herself to the edge
.
When she shatters, her muscles sucking me in even farther, I’m only seconds behind her. Our cries intermingle in the quiet air, and her lips parting, those green eyes losing focus as she lets go, are all I see as the pleasure peaks.
I’ve had good sex before. I’ve experienced toe-curling pleasure. But with Allegra?
I’m lost. And I’m also found.
Chapter Four
ALLEGRA
Still out of breath, I roll onto my side and Seth cuddles into my back. His fingers play along the length of my thigh as he presses his mouth to the back of my shoulder. “I love this spot.” He nibbles on my flesh.
“You love all my spots.” I barely recognize my own voice, it’s so... relaxed.
“True. All your spots are delicious.” He nips me on the back of the neck and it sends a delightful shiver down my body.
“I could stay like this for a very long time.” I hum sleepily. He rubs his face against my back and I smile.
We lay like that for a while. I drift in and out, floating on a lovely cloud of endorphins. I’m not used to feeling this way—even when I was younger, I was wound pretty tightly.
Now that I’ve experienced it? I could get used to this.
Maybe... maybe Seth will stay longer. We haven’t discussed it, but I really don’t want to lose him again. I want him to be in my life, though I cringe as I remember the look on my dad’s face when he realized just what my relationship with Seth was.
He’ll never approve. And Theo and Seth have too much bad blood between them for things to ever run clear.
I find that I don’t care. What’s that new song that’s on all the radio stations?
The heart wants what it wants. And my heart wants Seth.
“Come to New York with me,” he says suddenly.
“What?” I rise up onto my elbows. I’m fully awake now.
“Live with me in New York. I have a huge penthouse in Manhattan, lots of room.” He studies me seriously. “I think you’d like it.”
I turn under his arm to face him. “You want me to move in with you?” Possibly this should scare me. Possibly this should make me want to run away because it’s too soon.
The Other Brother Part 3: Illicit Page 3