by Red Phoenix
“Brie, I’m going to be watching over you until Thane wakes.”
She immediately dismissed his offer. “I can’t drive all the way from your home to the hospital every day. It’s too far.”
He smiled amiably. “I know this, young Brie. That’s why I’ll be staying with you—along with Cayenne, of course.”
Her eyes lit up at the mention of the orange tabby.
“See? I already have you smiling.” It did his heart a world of good to see that smile. He couldn’t explain why.
When it looked as if she was about to refuse his offer, Brad informed her, “You do not have a say in this. I refuse to suffer the wrath of Thane to placate your ego.”
She swayed on her feet, giving him the final ammo needed to get her to submit to his will. “You’re only helping my case. Now you go back to your husband and explain to him that you will be back bright and early tomorrow.”
He could tell how reluctant she was to leave Thane’s side. The girl would do anything for the man—even sacrifice herself. Such devotion should be rewarded, not punished by fate and the powers above.
He watched her leave to say good-bye, and then growled under his breath as he looked up toward the heavens. “You better do right by her!”
Brad was horrified when they made it to Thane’s apartment and he started browsing through the pantry. It was filled with old folk’s nutritional drinks and soda crackers. No wonder the girl was so sickly…
After scolding her, he formally apologized to the child by getting down on his knees and speaking to her stomach. “Hey baby bump, I’m sorry. I had no idea your mommy was abusing you.”
It made Brie smile—a small victory.
He then informed her that he was leaving to get groceries and pick up Cayenne.
The sparkle in her eye at the mention of the kitten pleased him. He was sure with proper food and a little feline loving, Brie would be okay.
“It will be nice to have some life in this place,” she admitted to him, but then her smile faded and he saw the tears well up. “God, I miss him.”
Brad felt a stab to his chest, missing Thane’s presence as well. All he could do to survive it was to wrap her in a tight embrace, but he couldn’t handle her crying again. Her pain brought out a side of him he wasn’t willing to release. He instinctually knew that the need to protect her could easily grow into something much deeper, so he warned Brie, “I’m no good with tears.”
Out of self-defense, he started to tickle her.
Brie burst out in giggles as she squirmed in his arms. “Go get that kitten already, and leave me be,” she scolded when he let her go. Before he left, she asked, “Master Anderson, do you mind if I sleep with Cayenne tonight?”
Grateful for her change of mood, he answered somberly, “Not at all. I’m sure she would prefurrrr that.”
The expression on her face was comical and reminded him why humor was always the best place to go whenever he was in doubt.
Brad left Brie to run his errands, feeling better about the entire situation. As long as he kept his mind clear and his humor ready, he could be what she needed.
Thane would expect no less from him.
Upon his return, he was heartened to see the connection between Brie and Cayenne when the two were reunited. The girl was smiling again…
“While you ladies get reacquainted, I’ll make my famous tomato bisque for tomorrow, so it can start simmering. I’m determined to make that baby bump happy.”
He set to work, pouring his soul into his cooking. It was the one thing he could do for Brie that no one else could. He firmly believed there was a transfer of power in cooking. From the life of the fresh vegetables, the respect of the ingredients, to the care and love infused into even the simplest dish, positive energy was released into the recipient whenever it was consumed.
“She’s just too darn cute,” Brie declared from the couch.
He chuckled as he finished cooking two grilled cheese, turning over the perfectly golden-brown sandwiches. “Yes, she’s the best companion a man could ask for.”
“Except for a devoted submissive, of course,” Brie protested.
“Trust me, Cayenne is far less complicated.” He thought of his conflicted feelings about Shey and laughed again.
Brie tsked. “But I didn’t get you Cayenne so you could continue living a solitary life.”
Brad walked over to her with two lovingly crafted grilled cheese—his personal comfort food of choice. He nearly tripped over Cayenne when the cat rubbed up against his leg. Luckily, he was used to the feline’s adoration and avoided injury to both himself and her.
Shrugging as he handed over Brie’s plate, he said, “You know, there’s nothing wrong with being alone, Mrs. Davis.”
Brie looked up at him with a frown. “No, there isn’t, unless you have a soulmate waiting for you somewhere.”
Brad felt another stab to his heart thinking of Shey. He cleared his throat, her assertion making him more than just a little uncomfortable. “Hmm…”
He sat down beside her and heard a long, muffled farting sound escape from under his sofa cushion.
“Really, Master Anderson, I’m trying to eat.” The little minx giggled.
Brad threw his head back and laughed so hard, tears came to his eyes. “Oh hell…I needed that.”
Leave it to Brie, a woman suffering in her own pain, to make him laugh with a well-placed whoopee cushion. He determined right then that he would never abandon her, no matter how tough the road ahead.
The two would walk that fine line of friendship, and use jesting and pranks as their safety valve. It could work.
He smiled at Brie’s purr of pleasure after she took a bite of his sandwich. “Nothing like a grilled cheese sandwich.”
“Melty goodness for the soul,” he agreed, taking his own bite before breaking off a piece for Cayenne. The little lioness licked his offering several times before gracefully taking it from his hand.
Always the gracious lady, he thought, proud of his kitten.
“I can’t wait to meet you here for dinner tomorrow, Master Anderson. It’s been a while since I had anyone waiting for me at home,” Brie confessed.
Brad put his arm around her protectively. “All that’s changed now.” He looked down at her and added reproachfully, “You know that you only needed to reach out, and I would have been by your side in a heartbeat.”
She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “My sole focus this whole time—the only thing I care about—is seeing Sir open his eyes. Even now, I’m panicking inside because he might wake up and I won’t be there.”
Brad shook his head. “Thane doesn’t need you to live at the hospital 24/7, young Brie.”
Her honey-colored eyes bore into his soul when she answered, “It’s not what he needs, it’s about what I need. I have to be there when Sir awakens.”
His heart rate increased, her deep-seated determination stirring something in him. In an effort to keep things light, he stated, “And you will be—looking all rosy-cheeked and giddy, the picture of health. Then he will turn to me and say, ‘Well done, Brad. Way to take care of my girl while I was out for the count.’”
“That will not be the first thing out of his mouth,” she insisted.
He held out his hand to shake hers. “Wanna bet?”
She replied confidently, “Ten bucks.”
“Fine, show me yours and I will show you mine.”
He watched Brie grab a ten-dollar bill out of her purse and place it on the coffee table. He whipped out his wallet and put down a twenty, snagging her ten.
“Ha, I was needing a ten.”
He took the twenty and walked over, placing it on Thane’s work desk. “When it comes time to collect on the bet, we can explain it to him.”
She snorted in pleasure. “Good, because I’ve already decided what to buy with it.”
“What?”
Brie grinned evilly to herself, making him curious what she had in mind, but the minx only ans
wered, “My secret.”
Brad chuckled. The girl truly was a spitfire. He looked forward to the day he lost the bet and found out exactly what she was smiling about.
Through effort, determination, and thoughtful care, he was certain he could help make young Brie whole again.
He found she was still up when he returned late from The Center, busily scribbling away in a journal. “Keeping a record of your thoughts?” he asked, surprised that she was still up.
She blushed when she answered. “Not exactly.” She held up the journal, showing him the cover. “Does this look familiar to you?”
He smirked. “That wouldn’t be your fantasy journal, would it?”
“It is, indeed. It makes me feel closer to Sir whenever I write in it. I figure if it worked bringing us together when we were apart traveling, why not do it now for the same purpose? Plus, it will give Sir some entertaining reading when he wakes.”
Brad smiled, nodding. “Seems like a worthy endeavor on many counts.”
Her eyes twinkled. “You want to read the latest entry? I’m curious if you’ve ever come across a girl with a similar fantasy as a trainer.” She grinned down at the journal as she handed it to him, blushing again.
“Well, you’ve got my curiosity piqued, but are you certain you want me to read it?”
“Yes, and be honest afterward.”
“Honest about what?”
Brie giggled. “If you’ve ever come across something like it as a trainer.”
“Sure.” Brad took the journal from her, wondering where her mind was at.
I am so excited! I’m on my first international trip and it is on the beautiful beaches of Rio de Janeiro. My parents are so overly protective that I have never been outside the United States before. They watch me like a hawk, especially now that I am getting older and my curves are starting to fill out.
Hell, my curfew is ten PM, for Christ’s sake. How lame is that? It makes me the butt of jokes from my friends. But I tell ya, no one was laughing when I told them where I was headed for my Christmas vacation.
Rio is well-known for sexy people and topless beaches.
I’m going to be exposed to it all in one fell swoop. Under the watchful eyes of my parents—of course.
I told you how protective they are, right…
* * *
I’m tanning beside the pool, with the ocean just beyond. It seems silly to me that my parents would rather swim in a pool than dip their feet in the actual ocean just a few hundred yards away. But, hey, they get a full-service bar at the pool and can still keep an eye on me.
My mom is busy reading some stupid mystery novel, and my dad is talking to an old British dude with a huge gut. I’ve chosen to get as far away from them as they will allow, and am lying peacefully in the beautiful Rio sun, taking in its life-giving rays.
“American?” a deep voice asks.
I open my eyes to an Adonis of a man. A beautiful creature of bronze skin, chiseled features, and dark brown eyes that ensnare me.
“Yes,” I answer meekly, sitting up a little straighter as he smiles down at me.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”
I blush a deep red and giggle, only helping to highlight my lack of experience with this kind of exchange.
“And your laughter, it is quite charming.”
His comment only makes me giggle more, furthering my embarrassment.
“Have you been to Rio before?”
I smile shyly as I answer, my whole being mesmerized by this man. “No, this is my first time.”
“Are you alone?”
I sigh, not thrilled to admit the truth but too new at this to do anything else. “No, my parents are over there,” I tell him, pointing to the two.
“Ah…they seem nice.”
I snort. “They’re very protective.”
He looks at me with magnetic eyes and I stare up at him unabashedly. I can’t help it.
The man is perfection….
He raises an eyebrow, making me swoon inside.
“How old are you?”
From out of nowhere, I answer coyly, “Old enough.”
He takes my assertion as fact and asks, “Would you join me on the beach?”
I glance at my parents.
“See that towel over there? It’s in plain sight of your mother and father.”
I put my hand to my forehead to shield my eyes and look where he is pointing. Sure enough, there is a large, colorful towel lying in the sand.
“You will be safe,” he says, holding his hand out to me.
I know I should tell my parents, but this man is too gorgeous and the towel is not far enough away to be concerned. Besides, there are tons of beachgoers walking about.
I take his hand and he pulls me up to him. Oh my God, he’s so tall and his torso so ripped. I think I have just died and gone to heaven.
The Adonis picks up my skirt cover-up and instructs me to slip it on. I am touched by his gentlemanly ways. He leads me straight to the towel, and I feel my defenses start to ease. He gestures that I lie down first and then he joins me. I lay there, not believing my luck. I have waited all my life for a moment like this. The man is pure sexual energy.
He props his head against his hand and stares down at me as if I truly am the most beautiful thing he has seen. I can’t help but blush.
“Do you mind if I kiss you?”
I instinctually glance in the direction of my parents and see that neither has noticed I’ve moved—both thoroughly focused on their own activities.
My Adonis follows my gaze and smiles down at me. “Well?”
I just smiled nervously and nod.
Holding my breath, I watch his gorgeous lips descend on me, and moan lightly when I feel their firm touch for the first time.
Holy hell…
His kiss begins gently, drawing me in with his natural masculine dominance. Soon, however, I feel the pressure of his tongue as it demands access. I open my lips and groan loudly when his tongue thrusts in and he tastes me.
Oh God, I never knew what I was missing…
My body is humming with desire as this man takes over my soul with his possessive kisses. I come up for air every time he stops, only to drown in him again when he claims my mouth.
That’s when I feel the tentative touch of his fingers along the material of my bikini as he grazes my breast. I stiffen in his arms, having never been touched in that way, but I do not resist. I give in to the feelings he is inciting from deep in my feminine soul. I don’t want him to stop.
He breaks the kiss again and murmurs in a low voice, “Your breasts are so perfect. They beg for my attention.”
I look around, certain people must be staring, but no one seems to care and my parents continue reading and talking.
“Touch me,” I beg.
He smiles hungrily as he kisses me again, driving out any reservations as his hands glide over my bathing suit, teasing my nipples. They are hard and aching, as is the area between my legs. I never knew a man could make me feel like this.
“Have you ever made love to a man?” he asks.
My eyes pop open as my heart begins to beat even faster. “No,” I whisper, sounding almost apologetic in my answer, not wanting him to stop.
I see a spark in his eye, as if my answer pleases him. He leans down again and takes my breath away with his deep kiss.
“Would you let me be your first?”
I stop breathing altogether as I stare at him.
I feel him gently lift the material of my cover-up skirt as he moves me onto my side so he can spoon against me, pressing the bulge in his swimming trucks against my ass.
I am now facing my parents, in the middle of a crowded beach, with a man who wants to make love to me.
He turns my head toward him and kisses me again, stealing all reason as his hands glide over my body, lingering on my nipples, creating an even greater ache for him.
This time when Adonis pulls away, he asks,
“May I?”
“I…”
“I want to connect with you,” he murmurs in a husky voice. “No one will know if you keep silent. It will only look to others that we are cuddling.” He kisses me again, pressing his hardness against me. “Only you and I will know the truth that my manhood is deep inside you.”
I do not know why his last words stir me, but I know with certainty that I will regret saying no and never knowing such a connection with him. Still…we are in public and I am afraid.
He can read the fear in my eyes, and smiles confidently. “No one will know, my beauty. Let me connect with you.”
My breath comes in short gasps as I nod my consent.
I lay my head on the towel, directly facing my parents. I can feel him fiddling with the material of my bathing suit under my cover-up, his movements slow so as to attract no attention. He pulls my bottoms down so that my ass is now bare under the material of the cover-up.
He then cuddles against me, one arm wrapped around my torso while the other one that is unseen frees his manhood from his suit and I feel the hardness of a man’s shaft press against my sex for the first time.
I glance down, feeling exposed, but am shocked to see how innocent we look. The material of my cover-up hides from prying eyes the naughtiness of what we are about to do.
I lay my head back down, feeling more confident and eager for whatever he plans to do.
My Adonis doesn’t thrust his shaft, but leans down and starts kissing my neck. People walk around us, seeing only a couple who appear to be in love embracing each other intimately. They don’t give us a second glance.
I stare across the sand at my parents, in shock that this moment is about to happen right under their noses. Their precious daughter is about to lose her virginity to this beautiful Adonis in broad daylight.
“Whatever you do, don’t make a sound,” he cautions as he lowers his arm to rest against my pelvis as his shaft presses harder against my virgin hole. I gasp as the discomfort starts, but he murmurs softly, “Shhh…”
Tears well up in my eyes as the pain of his entry takes over. I want to scream, but I am silent as a single tear forms and falls from my eye.
Suddenly, his large manhood breaks through my virginal resistance and pushes deep inside me.