“You surrendered the white flag over the weekend, baby. Now, do what you're told.” Fucking hell, these next few days are going to do me in.
She purses her lips. My patience snaps. “Now, Joslyn.”
“No,” she argues. For one split second, I lose her. And when she comes back into view, my mouth goes dry and my hand instantly circles the base of my dick when the screen fills with her on her knees, legs spread wide, her pussy in my line of view, hands trailing down her stomach and running right through her wetness. She is drenched. Soaking wet. Fuck me.
I tilt my head and angle my laptop to get the best view of her pussy. Deciding right then that what we have going on is damn close to perfect, but it would be a hell of a lot better if I were there with her. My tongue would be buried as far as it could get inside of her. My cock would be fucking her mouth, and my hands would be all over her ass.
“For fuck’s sake, Joslyn. You trying to kill me here or what? Push two fingers inside and imagine me fisting your hair, my tongue fucking your mouth. I can smell you. Sweet and tangy, just begging for me to free my cock and thrust inside of you. To have you, please you.” Goddamn, I nearly come right there when she arches her back, moans, and spreads her folds, shoving two fingers inside and moving them in and out.
“You stroking your cock, Roman? Pretending my mouth is wrapped around you? My eyes looking up at you, asking for more?” My eyes roll to the back of my head. My cock is dying to be inside of her. He’s howling like a motherfucker.
I can’t speak. The only sounds I’m focusing on are her light little moans and the slick, sweet hum of her fingers getting herself off. I thrust my hips off the couch, push and pull my firm dick in my hands. My balls are getting tighter with every pump, every moan, and every second my mind visualizes being inside of her sweet little pussy. God, I can’t wait until she brings her little ass back here. I want inside there, too.
“I’m going to come, Roman.” My eyes fly open to see her circling her clit. Sweet Lord, this woman is everything. Always going after what she wants and taking it, even if she won’t admit she’s scared.
I come so fucking hard watching her seek her own pleasure and pulling me through mine that I see fucking stars.
Chapter 16
Joslyn
“Ms. Reynolds, your one-o'clock appointment is here to see you.”
I look up from my spot on the floor where I have papers spread out all over as I try to make sense of these depositions to see Roman standing in the archway of my office. His arms are crossed over his T-shirt-covered chest. Unlike last night, when his eyes were dark and hooded, today, they are a much lighter shade of brown and full of amusement.
“Well, I must say I find you much better looking than my temporary assistant. And I don’t have an appointment. That’s why I’m sprawled out on the floor.”
I take a closer look, analyzing him the same way I would a witness, swallowing hard when I notice how his eyes flit down to my breasts. If he were anyone else, I would be nervous of the man standing there imagining me spread out naked. An electric current shoots through me when he slowly dips his eyes down my stomach, landing between my thighs. He holds them there for a moment before skimming down my legs and back up again.
I suck in a breath. “Stop it, Roman. I’m at work.”
His brows dart up, a cocky grin crosses his face, and when his eyes catch mine, they soften, causing that breath to catch in my throat. Something is going on.
“There really is someone here who would like a word with you.” I look at him suspiciously. Instead of my body breaking out in goosebumps from being aroused, it breaks out in a nervous sweat. I swallow, and when Roman steps aside and his large frame is replaced by someone else, my heart leaps in my chest.
I can’t breathe. I can’t move. I’ve gone completely numb. The only muscle in my body that’s moving is my heart. It’s beating entirely too fast for my brain to produce a single word, much less for a sentence. I gulp hard and breathe.
“Hello, Joslyn.” Oh, my God. I don’t know whether to try and get up or stay here and continue to stare at my brother. The low rumble of his voice is comforting as it wraps around me and carries me off to a place where there’s been mostly bitterness toward the people who never came back for me.
He’s incredibly handsome in his fatigues and a tan T-shirt with ‘Marines’ written across the front. I want to cry, leap, and scream. I do none of those things. I sit back and let my happiness sink into my bones. I want to memorize this day until I’m old. To look back on it and remember how good it felt to see my baby brother for the first time. I want to savor it forever.
I didn’t pay much attention at the time to the obituary photos of our parents, since my eyes were glued to Alex’s name and then his picture, and I really didn’t think I had too much of a memory left of how they looked. I do now. He looks like our father. Coal black hair. Strong jaw. And even though his frame is much bigger than our dad’s, he’s built exactly like him. I instantly feel a connection. It’s crazy how I haven’t spoken a word yet, yet I feel as if I could trust him with anything and love him without any reservations at all.
I gather the papers in my hands, push up on unsteady legs, and walk to place them in a file on my desk.
I begin to tremble as I straighten out my blouse and pants before turning around. I’ve never been more frightened to meet someone in my life.
However, from the first glance, those conflicting feelings I’ve been wrestling with are blown away. He’s here.
When our eyes meet again, tears suddenly bound out of me. I’ve held it together the past few days pretty damn well whenever I’ve thought of him, not letting my emotions get the best of me. In fact, thanks to Roman, I haven’t shed one tear since I broke down in my bed. But now that Alex is shutting the door and Roman is either waiting outside or he’s left, I can’t help but stand here and cry.
“It’s really you. How did you find me?” I choke out. I’m afraid of his answer.
“I just so happen to be out in the field training from my deployment overseas when my commanding officer brought me in to show me an article that was faxed to him from his secretary. She’s the one you talked to. Apparently, when she caught your name after you called, it registered that you might be the same Joslyn Reynolds who’s being talked about. I would have come sooner if I had known. I finished my training yesterday, thought about calling the number you left first, then decided it would be best to try and find you. Your bodyguard overheard me talking to security downstairs. He insisted I wait for Roman.” I let out a laugh over Grim being as protective of me as Roman is, then quickly sober. My nerves abruptly resurface over what he just said.
“You’re shipping out? When? Where are you going?” I ask, praying he isn’t going anywhere dangerous. I somewhat relax when the corners of his mouth slant up slightly.
“Australia. I’ve always wanted to go there. My plane leaves this evening. I’ll be gone six months. Home in time for Christmas.” I internally sigh with deflation. A few hours is not enough, and yet I understand he made a promise to our country.
Even though his time away will feel like an eternity now that we’ve met, the way he looks at me with hope in his eyes brings a different kind of light in my heart that I never knew was missing. I’ve spent the past holiday seasons either with Caroline and her family back in Chicago or curled up on my couch feeling sorry for myself, alone. And even though Caroline’s family welcomed me with open arms since the day they met me, my holidays have always missed the laughter of a real family. Even when Roman and I were younger, we missed it. I don’t have to be lonely anymore. I have him and Roman.
“I hear it’s beautiful there,” I say, elated he’s traveling. It’s funny how I’ve always wanted to go there, too. That story we can save for another time. I want what little time I have with him to be about him.
Perhaps the bad vibes I was feeling weren’t bad at all. Maybe it was the anticipation of good things to come, not to mention my emot
ions are a part of me. Quite sure they are whacked all over the place. Some days, they are wicked and evil. Others are full of regret. Today, they are filled with hope. Which is a rare emotion for me. I wouldn’t allow hope in, since she always came with despair. Well, not anymore.
Bouncing back from my sudden somber mood over him leaving, I take a chance on hope and pray she’s steering me in the right direction. “It takes a special person woven out of a different cloth to sacrifice as you have. I am incredibly proud to call you my brother, Alex. Not just because of that either. I couldn’t believe it when I found out about you. I felt sad and healed in a way I can’t explain. I want to know everything about you, and I’m going to hope like hell that you came to see me because you want to know me, too. We don’t know each other yet, and forgive me if I’m jumping the gun. If you’re here, I would love nothing more than to spend the holiday with you. If you’re not, I’ll come to you wherever you are.”
A high intensity of more hurt and anger toward my parents burns under my skin. It’s filled with a deep emptiness of all the holidays and birthdays I’ve missed. It gushes out of me the same way it did when I thought of Roman every holiday. I’m unconvinced that life is done treating people with a cruelty they can’t deal with, but as the opinions of how I view our parents boil over past the rim, I can’t blame them any longer. They raised an incredible man.
“The whole point of me being here is to get to know my older sister. If I tell you I’d love nothing more, will you stop crying?” My ears perk, and my heart beams with so much pride that I laugh through my tears. I haven’t brought my brother in my arms yet, and I can feel his circling around me with his words.
“Oh God, hearing you call me sister is… I don’t even know what it is. A miracle. I’m happy you’re here, Alex. Sad that I’ll only have a few hours with you. I was never much of a crier until all of this hit me at once, and look at you playing the role of protective brother.”
“Yeah, well, it’s going to take some getting used to on both of our parts. I’m ready to let you protect me, too. I was never a crier either. The Marines drill hiding your emotions in your head. But I cried when I first saw a picture of you. I felt this pang in my chest; you look a lot like our mother, but you’re nothing like her at all. I don’t mean that in a bad way. You’re strong where she was weak. You have your head on straight where she was always leaning on dad and me for support. I’m sorry, Joslyn, for what they did to you. I’ll take not knowing why to my grave. I’m sure you will, too. Our parents… they were messed up for a long time. Drugs, drinking and all. I’m surprised I wasn’t born with an addiction. Mom told me it took social services ripping me from her arms only minutes after I was born for her to realize she needed help. They fought hard to get me back. Of course, I don’t remember the first year of my life. They spent six months in rehab. Three more after that before they were able to see me. I’m not here to tell you these things to hurt you; I’m here to cut right through the painful part, so we don’t have to talk about it again. God, I still can’t get over this. I have a sister. Best going-away present anyone could give me.” His honesty levels me. I open and close my eyes slowly, wondering if he’s always been this outspoken. Another trait I’d like to think we have in common.
I grab a tissue from the box on my desk, wipe my tears away, and gesture for us to take a seat on the couch.
“Being honest can be hard. It’s worth it to me that you are, Alex. It shows me that in spite of everything they did, they were good to you. Nothing else matters anymore. The here and now does. What they did to me wasn’t your fault. I turned out okay, I think. Well, unless you’re one of the believers of the media. You, however, are an American hero. I bet they would be so proud of you. I know I am.”
“They knew. The accident happened on our way back from the recruiters. I signed up early. They had to sign for me because I was underage. Their death wasn’t my fault, as I’m sure you already know. From that day forward, I decided to do them proud. I’m angry with them for keeping us apart. I’m sure you are as well.” He smiles sadly. There is so much I want to know about him. So much of myself I can see in the way he speaks with confidence yet holds back his pain.
“I’m sorry for your loss. I’m glad you had a good life with them, Alex. Please don’t put the guilt over what they did on your shoulders. Seeing the kind of man you are, I have no doubt they felt guilty. The people I remember aren’t the same ones who raised you that I’m sure of. It’s okay, though, because look where we are now. There isn’t anything we can do except thank God that we found each other. I had a good life; I truly did. Surely, you must know everything about Roman and me by now. We had each other growing up. Everything else is water under the bridge to me now.” Like him, I want to broach the subjects that are hard for us to discuss.
“Losing them was hard. It nearly destroyed the last couple of months of my senior year. Not sure how I pulled my shit together. I had a girlfriend at the time. She helped me. Like you, Rebecca and I knew each other since we were kids. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a fan of me leaving, so a few weeks before I left, we agreed to break it off. I’m in a good place right now. Better now that I have you to come home to. As far as you and Roman go, I know enough to know that man is extremely protective of you. Not gonna lie, I went into shock when I realized I had a sister, about shit myself when I found out she grew up with Roman Nixon. The man is a legend. The entire band is. One of these days, I’m going to stand beside you and listen to them. As for the press, they only fill you in with the negative. Very rarely do we see the good. Won’t give them the time of day if they tried to approach me.” I grin, and so does he.
“Yes, they are. Roman and I are a lot alike, Alex. We have a long history. It seems his ex-wife is a little upset about that. She’s out to get me for some reason. I’m not sure what’s going on, and I don’t care to know. You go keep our country safe, and I’ll wait to hear from you.” I tilt my head to gaze into his eyes. For someone so young, he’s smart as a whip. A sharp intake of breath causes any trace of sadness to lift from my chest when he stands and offers me his hand. I want to cry again; I stare at his hand still unable to believe he’s here. My brother. A sibling. Flesh and blood. I fidget with my fingers, afraid I’ll fall utterly apart and never pull myself back together again if I touch him. When his hand grasps hold of mine and he pulls me up into his solid arms, I do the complete opposite. I smile. I’m in my younger brother’s arms. He towers over me a good six inches or so. A full-grown man is holding me tight and firm. And it’s in his arms where the big hole I’ve been walking around in my chest with finally starts to close.
Chapter 17
Roman
* * *
“Thank you for trusting us; you couldn’t have a better attorney than Joslyn.” I shake her boss’s hand, part ways, and walk back down the hall toward her office after walking the guys to the elevator. We just all signed her on. Feels good to say she’s officially our attorney. About damn time.
Making my way down the hall, I pause outside of Joslyn’s office. A smile tugs on my lips when I think about my plan.
It’s only been a few weeks since I’ve picked up my guitar. I miss the sweet addiction that courses through every cell and spins me around until I’m so damn dizzy from the euphoric charge the music ignites in me. I crave it on a consistent basis. Can’t live without it. Which makes Friday night that much sweeter.
When I received the call from Grim yesterday telling me Joslyn’s brother was at her office, I hightailed my ass out of Access Records as quickly as I could, missing the first recording session of an up and coming female pop star. Her music isn’t my favorite genre to listen to. However, she’s a client, and the twenty-year-old has a voice like no other.
Couldn’t help but laugh when Miles nodded his head when I said I was leaving. The guy couldn’t take his eyes off the girl.
Couldn’t believe my eyes or my ears when Alex told me how he found out. Shit shouldn’t have gone down that way. Coul
dn’t be helped with the raging nonsense Gwen started that scarily came to a halt last night. One can only hope she took off and will never come back.
The look on Joslyn’s face when she saw her brother made every bit of the suffering both of us have endured over the years fade away. I sat for nearly two hours in the waiting room of her office, listening to about a dozen women prattle on about me as if I weren’t there. Peeking over the top of their computers, carrying on like a bunch of teenagers until Alex and Joslyn walked out, then they hushed down and went to work as if I hadn’t been sitting there.
I felt myself take a full breath of air when I saw the look on my woman’s face. She was the happiest I’d seen her. That’s saying a lot when I know she’s happy with the way things are going with us. This kind of happiness can’t be touched. Before she told me all about their talk, I knew they had put the first screw in a bond that’s going to be like no other. For the both of them.
I like the guy, and I love the idea she had about the holidays. It was all she could talk about last night after we drove him to the airport. Sucks we waited in the car instead of being able to walk in with him.
Stepping through the doors, I observe the long desk, stacks of folders, and the large space still occupied by one woman who instantly gets me hard.
Her blond hair is all up on her head in some fancy twist; she’s wearing killer tiger-print stilettos, a tight black skirt that molds to the curves of her ass, and a sleeveless white blouse. A little too much skin to be showing off to my friends who knew not to look but did anyway just to rattle my cage.
I admire my view from behind her while she straightens out the folders, trying to rein in my temper. I’m not pissed over what she’s wearing. I’m livid over something entirely different.
“I gotta say, Ms. Reynolds, if this is how you greet all your clients with that tight ass up in the air, I might have to reconsider you going to work every day.” She jumps from the sound of my voice and turns around. Even with her startled expression, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I shut the door, locking it, and stare. Looking at her is the only thing right now that’s keeping my brain from shutting down.
The Right Direction Page 16