by Abby Gordon
“I do. In the cart.”
“Even better,” muttered Sean, handing the pistol to JW. “Remember how to use one?”
“I think I can manage,” the older man replied with a slight smile. “Pity he won’t give me a reason to.”
“I don’t think even Walt is stupid enough to knowingly take on one of the Army’s best snipers,” Sean told him, going to the bathroom door. He rapped twice. “Jess? Baby, it’s safe.”
The lock turned, and even as he opened the door, she flew into his arms. Stroking her back, he murmured soothingly as she sobbed against his chest.
“This is JW Franklin and Ben Hancock,” he told her, drying her tears. “Stay here with Ben. I’m going to take the trash outside so Saul and Samuel can get it off the island.” Her slender form trembled and her fingers grappled at his back as if to keep him there. “Sh, baby. You’ll be safe with Ben. I promise.”
“I want to stay with you,” she whispered. “I’m safe with you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face against her neck. “God, I don’t know how you can say that. It seems like every time I leave you alone in a bed something happens to you.”
“Exactly,” she hiccupped. “I’m safest with you.”
Smiling, he framed her face with his hands, his thumbs brushing the last tears off her cheeks. “Then I’m not leaving you alone in any bed again.”
“Good idea,” she agreed.
He brushed a kiss on her lips, closing his eyes as she clung to him.
“Sh, baby,” he murmured. “Let me take the trash out. Then you’re not leaving my side again. Promise.” He guided her to the foot of the bed, lifting her so she sat on it. “Stay here. You’ll be able to see and hear me the entire time. I won’t leave your sight.”
“Okay,” Jessica whispered, glancing at Walt. “Hurry. The stench is bad.”
Chuckling, he kissed the tip of her nose. “I agree.”
As he moved toward Walt, Ben stepped up to put himself between Jessica and the fallen man. Sean grabbed Walt’s shirt and dragged him from the bedroom as if he were a sack of potatoes. Saul, Samuel, and the man Sean remembered being called Quincy stalked ahead of him. Father and son went down the porch steps, while the silent former soldier waited on the porch. JW brought up the rear, casually holding the pistol. Sean knew that if Walt jerked out of his grasp, JW would shoot him before anyone could react. Sean wondered if Walt realized that. And wasn’t sure if he wanted him to or not.
Once through the double doors, Sean dropped Walt’s body with a thud.
“Sean, I didn’t mean any harm,” he babbled. “She was just right there. Perfect and…”
Sean’s first punch landed on his jaw. Walt screamed and whined.
In the bedroom, Jessica jumped in shock and would have slid off the bed, but Ben stopped her.
“Stay there,” he told her in a crisp Boston accent.
“But…”
“Sean has to do this.”
“No,” she whispered, unable to take her eyes off the sight of Sean bent over her attacker, arms swinging in steady blows.
“He does.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You know what he did to Allen Trimble?”
“Of course,” replied Jessica. “He inferred that he’d slept with Charlotte.”
“That was how Sean reacted when someone insulted his ex-wife. You think he’s not going to react more aggressively when someone assaults you in his own bed?”
“But…” Confused, Jessica tore her eyes from Sean to look at the man next to her. “I…” she twisted her hands on her lap. “It’s embarrassing.”
“I can see how it might be for you,” he replied. “But, don’t be. Sean’s been looking for someone like you all his life. Every man does.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered, shaking her head. “And I don’t think you do.”
“Sean and I are very much alike in what we want in the bedroom.”
Jessica froze at his words and lifted her head quickly. Ben nodded, a gentle smile that was at odds with the harsh planes of his face.
“I found my Penny,” he murmured. “Sean found you.”
“No, it’s not like that,” she told him, shaking her head.
“Really?” Ben glanced out at the porch where Sean delivered a final couple punches. “I think it is. You might need some time to adjust, but you are what he needs. And if you’re honest with yourself, he’s what you need.”
Jessica watched Sean grab Walt’s shirt, haul him to the edge of the porch then toss him down the steps. She winced at the cries and obscenities.
“Jessica, do you love him?”
As startled at the question as by his previous bedroom statement, Jessica just stared at him, mouth slightly open. Ben smiled and patted her shoulder.
“Give him time. Sean can be a bit slow at these things, but once he figures things out, there’s no stopping him.”
“You think he might…”
Ben turned to watch Sean take the pistol from JW, then winked down at her as Sean came toward them.
“Be patient with him, okay? I think Sophia might have dropped him on his head a few times.”
“She did not,” protested Sean, putting his arms around Jessica. “Darling, don’t listen to any of his lies.”
“Are they?” she murmured, smiling at Ben.
He winked at her, clapped Sean’s shoulder, and walked out. Jessica nodded at JW’s wave of farewell, then the sounds of the men faded as they took Walt around the bungalow. As soon as the light rumble of the cart on the gravel faded, Jessica burrowed against Sean.
“I keep falling apart around you,” she complained.
“I keep letting things happen to you that make you fall apart,” he countered, arms tightening around her. “God, I’m so sorry about Walt. I never imagined he would come here.”
“Who is he? Is he in one of the families on the island?”
“No, thank God, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to banish him.” Puzzled, she looked at him. “Representatives from three families can agree to keep someone from the island if they’re not a member of one of the five.”
“And if they are? Has that happened?”
“Once, nearly a hundred years ago. It takes all five families to agree.”
Nodding, she cuddled in his embrace and felt his strength. “Must have been a horrible person,” she murmured.
“Vile,” he agreed. “So, what did Ben say to you?”
“He was trying to distract me from you beating the snot out of Walt,” she told him, deciding not to go into Ben guessing that she loved him. How could the man have figured that out? She hadn’t realized it herself until he said it. “He told me about Penny. Who is she?”
Sean frowned as if trying to remember, then his eyes widened. “Good lord,” he breathed. “Penny Davidson. It’s got to be her. I’ll be damned.”
“Who is she?” Jessica persisted.
“The younger cousin of a couple of our friends,” he told her, frowning. “She’s connected to two different families.” Sean shook his head. “She’s somehow related to the Franklins and the MacLaurens.”
“Wow. Pretty connected,” Jessica replied, mulling over Ben’s words about him and Sean having similar interests in the bedroom. While rather shocking to hear a statement like that from a complete stranger, it was also reassuring to hear that what Sean had been seducing her with wasn’t totally out of the realm of… Well, she didn’t know what, but she didn’t feel quite so alone now. “And she’s on the island? What about JW?”
“Mm? Oh, he’s married. A little over five years now. Ally probably kept him sane. He was an Army sniper and retired about six years ago. He met Ally, who was recovering from a marriage to Keith MacLauren’s half-brother Kevin. Now he was an asshole and a half.”
“I’ll take a raincheck on meeting him,” she offered.
“You won’t be around him if I have anything to say about it,” he promised
. “Is all this leading up to something?”
She smiled up at him.
“It’s just…the two of them had to have seen the ropes and the harness and they didn’t bat an eyelash,” she said slowly, working it out in her mind, cocking her head to the side. “So, I’m figuring they’re a bit like you in the bedroom?” Sean nodded and Jessica sighed, feeling relieved. “Which means this Penny and Ally know what it’s like.”
“What what is like?”
Jessica rested her head on his chest. The steady thumping of his heart vibrated against her ear. It was comforting.
“I was feeling a bit alone. A bit of a freak, to tell you the truth. Wondering if I was the only woman in the world who liked to be tied up to the bed and having toys put in me and…”
His large strong hands framed her face and he kissed her gently. “We’ll all be in New York City in a couple days,” he told her. “I’ll make sure you meet them then. And others.”
Her mind swirled. The idea of meeting the women thrilled her, but had he really said New York City?
“Sean, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“I wasn’t planning on going until next week,” he admitted, his hands stroking her back. “But in a couple days, when the album rough is ready for Garry and Javick to hear…”
“Why?”
“Garry is the company man who handles my stuff and Javick is my manager.”
“No, why were you planning on going next week?”
“Ah, the premiere for the Pied Piper, my latest movie,” he told her. “Don’t worry about clothes. Charlotte and Maisie said they’d have things ready for you and…”
“That’s a bit weird,” she breathed.
“Maybe to other people,” Sean agreed. “But Charlotte is more like a sister to me now than my own sister. And, yes,” he nodded when she gave him a wide-eyed glance, “I know that seems a bit weird considering we were married, but we make much better friends than we did husband and wife.”
“And she doesn’t mind doing all this for you?”
“For you,” he emphasized. “It was her idea.”
His hands peeled the tee and boxers off her. Jessica gave him a knowing look. “And just what are you doing, Mr. Livingston?”
“If you have to ask, clearly I’m not doing it very well,” he decided. “Let me make sure you fully understand my intent.”
He scooped her off the floor, carried her to the bed, removed his shorts, and climbed on top of her.
“I’m going to make very thorough love to you, then we will fall asleep in each other’s arms. If I get inspired and want to go into my studio and you’re still asleep, then I will carry you and put you on the couch in the studio. I am not leaving you in bed alone unless we’re in my city apartment and I know damn well that every lock and bolt is turned and the chains are on.”
“I see,” murmured Jessica as his hands and mouth began exploring her body. “Well, I will let you know if it’s a thorough enough job if you promise not to leave me in bed again.”
“Never,” he promised, kissing her. “Never.” Kiss. “Ever.” Kiss as his cock nestled in her pussy folds. “Ever.” His hips rose up and she felt the mushroom head fill her opening. “As long as I live.”
As he filled her pussy with one stroke, his mouth covered hers sending her brain into a tailspin before she could question his last five words.
Chapter Thirteen
Sean was as good as his word. For the next three days, they were rarely more than arm’s length apart. They’d wake up at sunrise, have a light breakfast, go for a walk, often with Sean carrying his notebook. Returning to the bungalow, they’d swim out a bit. Sean showed her the outdoor shower and demonstrated how sturdy it was by peeling off whatever bikini she was wearing and taking her against the walls. Her legs were getting stronger, but sometimes the orgasms were still vibrating through her and he’d carry her inside.
If inspiration struck and Sean holed himself up for hours in the studio, Jessica would curl up on the couch while he worked. She had gathered up the magazines and books Sarah had bought for her. She caught bits and pieces of what he was writing and strumming on the guitar.
The third afternoon, she noticed a difference after he’d been working on one for a few hours. Growing concerned, she watched the growing frustration on his face.
“What’s the matter?” she finally asked, tapping the microphone on.
“It’s missing something,” he growled, running his hands through his hair. “I know it’s missing something but I can’t figure out what it is.”
She’d seen the piano tucked in the corner behind him in the soundproof part and now gestured toward it. And hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself.
“May I join you in there?”
“Of course.”
Slipping through the door, Jessica held her breath as she pulled the seat out and lifted the key cover.
“From the top,” he told her, tapping the stand in front of him.
She waited until he’d played the first three measures then, nodding, she joined him. She smiled at the stunned and delighted expression on his face. Quietly rising, he came toward her, his fingers moving along the strings. As he added in a few variations, she focused on the keys, quickly catching the changes and adapting. After three verses, he nodded for her to play a few measures, then joined her and they both stopped.
“Perfect,” he breathed, lifting the strap over his head and putting the guitar on a nearby stand. “That was it.”
“What lyrics?”
He smiled down and kissed her. “I don’t think it needs any. All it needed was you.”
The next morning, he watched her packing and fussing about fitting everything in one of the suitcases Sarah had brought her.
“Baby, we’ll be back in a few weeks. Just bring the lingerie and whatever you really want from the bathroom and you’ll be fine.”
“But, I need to wear something, and Sarah said New York City had some snow yesterday,” Jessica was pacing about the bedroom. “Men just don’t understand these things. You’ve got what you need, but I’m going to freeze.”
“Nope,” he shook his head and caught her wrist as she passed him. “Baby, trust me.”
“Mr. Sean?” Sarah’s voice called from the beach side. “Miss Jessica? The plane arrived and Miss Charlotte sent this for you.”
As the woman came up the porch steps, carrying a small suitcase, Jessica gave an unrepentant and grinning Sean a hard look.
“She saved your bacon,” she muttered. “Again.”
“She likes me a bit for some unknown reason,” he replied. “She says it’s proof she’s slightly insane.”
“What does that make me then?” Jessica wondered going out to meet Sarah.
Behind her, Sean grinned and pumped an arm in triumph.
The plane taxied to the hangar. Dressed in the violet cashmere sweater dress and knee-high black boots, Jessica felt a bit more ready to deal with the cold weather. She wasn’t as confident about meeting Sean’s ex-wife and his daughter. She’d known how important Maisie was to him before getting involved with him. She hadn’t known how involved in his life Charlotte was and that worried her a bit. Especially about the sexual aspect.
Sean didn’t seem to have a concern in the world. They sat in the same seats they’d had on the flight to the island, with Sam, Sasha, and the two bodyguards across from them. The men were talking about football, while Sean still held Jessica’s hands. His fingers casually massaged hers. It was reassuring, she admitted to herself. That he wanted to maintain contact with her. Even on the plane, he’d rarely let her out of his sight. As she had to deal with the days to come, she would hold onto his care of her, his tenderness.
“All ashore,” announced Pete from the cockpit. “Stay out of trouble, folks. It’s a jungle out there.”
“That’s not reassuring,” Jessica told him with a smile.
“You’re from London and say that?” he said in some surprise.
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br /> “I know London. That place?” She gestured at the skyline. “That’s something very different.”
“Sean’ll take care of you,” Pete assured her. “I’ve no doubt about that.”
“Absolutely,” Sean agreed, removing a camel cashmere coat from the closet. “Jess?”
She turned to put her hands in the sleeves. He lifted it and settled it around her shoulders.
“Charlotte has…”
“This,” he kissed her forehead, “was me, thank you very much.”
She smiled, waiting while he put on his. “Thank you very much,” she murmured, going on her toes to kiss him quickly.
“You’re welcome,” he whispered. “Gloves are in the pockets.”
She quickly buttoned it and pulled the gloves out as Pete opened the door. The wind rushed in. Sasha gasped at the cold. Sam headed down the staircase to the waiting car.
“I’m staying inside until we’re back in Miami,” Sasha decided.
Seeing white flurries dancing in the air, Jessica glanced at Sean.
“I like Sasha’s idea,” she told him, as he took her hand.
“Come on,” he encouraged.
“Those of us about to freeze,” she muttered as the bodyguards followed them down the steps.
From the bottom to the car was only about ten feet and the four hurried over. One of the bodyguards got in the front while the second was in the jump seat in the back with them. Tony was waiting for them.
“Everything all right, Tony?” Sean asked as the car moved forward.
“Garry and Jarvick love the songs,” were his first words. “How are you doing, Jessica?”
“I feel like I’ve been caught up in a whirlwind and I’m not sure where I’ll land,” she told him. Then smiled. “How are you, Tony?”
“I know the feeling,” he agreed. “This one,” he jerked a thumb at Sean who leaned back and watched their banter. “Whips around worse than a tornado.”
“Are those worse than hurricanes?” she wondered.
“High winds, shorter duration, usually less ground covered, but much less notice before they strike.”
“Mm,” she murmured, turning to study Sean, who returned her gaze with narrowed eyes. “That seems to describe you rather well.”