by L. P. Dover
I looked at the watch on my wrist. “Technology is so fascinating. I’m kind of attached to this thing. I almost hate to give it back.”
Ian sat on the couch and pulled me onto his lap, my legs straddling his waist. “Once I know you’re perfectly safe, you won’t need it anymore. Besides, you’ll have me to protect you. That is, if it’s still what you want.” He stared into my eyes and I trembled.
“Of course it is.”
“After hearing what you said to your mother, I wasn’t sure.”
Brows furrowed, I sat back, but he squeezed my hips, not allowing me to move far. “What do you mean?”
His gaze was so raw and full of heat. I couldn’t look away. “You made a comment on the phone earlier today, saying it wasn’t like that between us, and it had me wondering.”
Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut, already feeling embarrassed. “My mother was referring to us using protection, and she got a little carried away. I had to assure her there would be no grandbabies anytime soon. That’s when I said things weren’t like that between us. What I meant was, things weren’t that serious.”
“They seem pretty serious to me,” he countered without a hint of a smile on his face.
“I was referring to the baby part, Ian. Yeah, we’re together, and the way I feel about you is something I haven’t felt in a long time. But before we move to the next step, I need to know more about you.” I had to avert my gaze, as his penetrating stare was intense. It was like he could see right through to my soul. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see his.
He tilted my chin up with his fingers. “The secrets I keep are to protect you, to protect your innocence. I don’t want you seeing me differently than how you see me now.”
I leaned into his touch. “That’s just it. There’s a wall between us. You know so much about me, where I come from, who my parents are . . . but you’ve always evaded my questions. I didn’t realize it until today.”
With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes. “You’re right. I avoided them on purpose.”
Leaning my forehead against his, I breathed him in. “Not anymore.”
He opened his eyes. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, it’s time for a game. You up for it?”
Realization dawned on his face and he groaned. “Let me guess, Hadley talked you into this?”
A sly smile spread across my face. It was called Draw of Truth. All I had to do was ask the right questions. “She did. Are you scared?” One of Blake’s FBI friends had made it up and it had become a popular card game within their circle. Apparently, they took it seriously.
He tapped my hip, signaling he wanted to get up. I slid off his lap and he made his way over to an end table in the corner of the room. He opened a drawer and pulled out a deck of cards. “I’m not scared, buttercup. I just want you to know what you’re getting in to. This game goes both ways. You have to answer the questions truthfully as well.”
I nodded. “I’m an open book, Ian. I don’t have anything to hide.”
He didn’t look convinced. “We’ll see about that. But why don’t we up the ante?”
Gaze narrowed, I said, “How?”
He shuffled the cards and smiled. “Let’s call it Draw of Truth or Dare. Whoever gets the higher number is safe, and gets to choose whether they ask a question or submit a dare. If truth is picked, the other person has to answer the question honestly. If dare is chosen . . .” His grin grew wider as his eyes trailed up and down my body. “Then, the other person has to discard a piece of clothing.”
I circled around the coffee table and knelt across from him. “Sounds good to me.” Glancing down at my clothes, I briefly wished I’d put on more. Holding out my hand, I said, “I think I’ll shuffle the cards though. I don’t know if you can be trusted. Your deck, your house . . . something’s a little fishy around here.” Chuckling, he handed them to me and I shuffled them good. “I can’t believe you never told me you were good friends with Hadley Rivers.”
“You’d be surprised the kind of people I know, buttercup. Hadley isn’t the only famous friend.” He knelt on the floor and nodded toward the cards. “Let’s get this started.”
I laid a card down in front of him and one in front of me. We each grabbed our cards and flipped them over. I had a nine of hearts, and he had a six of clubs.
“Go ahead. One question,” he said. There was a nervous glint in his eyes, something I’d never seen before.
I lifted a brow. “How do you know I want to ask a question? Maybe my goal here is to get you naked as quickly as possible.”
He barked out a laugh. “If that’s true, we don’t have to play a game to get that done.” He started to take off his belt and I squawked.
“All right! You got me. I need answers first.” He stopped his unbuckling and smiled. “I’ll go easy on you for the first one. Who are the famous people you know personally? And if you paid attention to the question, I made it plural, so you have to mention them all.”
It was as if I’d hit a nerve by the look on his face. Obviously, it was a question he wasn’t expecting. “You have to give me more specifics. The definition of famous can be construed many ways. Are you talking TV actors, billionaires, sports players, politicians?”
“I’m talking everyone. You name it. Anyone who makes over half a million a year and are known by at least half the population.”
Lowering his gaze, he took a deep breath. When he looked at my face, I knew that what was about to come out of his mouth would change things. “Hadley Rivers, you know of already. I’m also close to Brina Carmichael, Noah Carmichael, and Trinity Carmichael.”
I held up my hand. “Hold up. Are you trying to say you personally know the first family? Noah Carmichael’s the President of the United States.” There was no way in hell.
Ian nodded. “Yes, that’s what I’m saying.” He swallowed hard and his attention never wavered. “I’m also close to Preston Hale, lead singer of Silent Break. He’s the music manager at a big company on the east coast.” I wanted to ask how he knew them, but I’d have to wait until I won again.
“Is that it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I’m also really close to the owners of that big company on the east coast.”
At first, I was clueless, but then it hit me. “Oh my God. Get the hell out of here. Are you related to those Chandler’s? I interned at a hotel that got bought out by Chandler Enterprises. They saved it from tanking.” That company was worth billions.
His lips tilted slightly. “You can’t ask anymore until you win again.”
Huffing, I quickly laid down two more cards. Unfortunately, he won. But I was ready to answer anything he threw at me. With a grin on his face, he stared at my chest. “I think it’s time for you to take something off.”
I might not have had many clothes on, but I still had my socks and shoes. Grinning smugly, I unlaced one of my tennis shoes and tossed it across the room. “Again,” I said, laying two more cards down. “What the hell?” Growling at my loss, I immediately took off my other shoe without prompting. And after a few more losses back to back, I ended up in just my bra and underwear.
Ian tried to hold back his snicker and failed. “Are you sure you want to continue?”
“Yes,” I snapped. “I want to know how you’re connected to the Chandler’s.”
I still had a little over half a deck left of cards to pick from; I couldn’t lose every round. Taking a deep breath, I turned over two more. Lost again. I was about to take off my bra when Ian reached across the table and grabbed my wrist.
“I want to ask a question this round.”
“Ask away.”
“If you weren’t stuck here with me, would you have ever fully given me a chance? Three weeks ago, you kissed me back, but I never found out what it meant.”
I remembered that night and how bad I wanted to give in to him. For a brief second, I let myself go and it felt great. “That’s because you left without telling me,” I stated sadly. �
�You texted here and there, but you never mentioned the kiss. I figured I was either bad at it, or you’d given up on me because I wouldn’t put out.”
He scoffed. “Are you kidding? All I could think about was you. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be gone as long as I was.”
“It’s okay. Your job is unpredictable. I understand it all now. Well, most of it, anyway.” Taking his hand, I brought it to my face and leaned into it. “To answer your question, I’d like to believe I would’ve given you a real chance. Our kiss made me realize I had feelings for you. I just kept them to myself.” I pulled his hand away and threaded my fingers through his. “I feel different now; I view the world differently after being abducted. If I hadn’t been taken, I’d still be working long shifts at the hotel. Also, I wouldn’t have gotten to know the real you. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked until now.”
“I never thought about it that way. Then again, you’re the only woman around here I actually wanted to get to know.”
“But just here, not everywhere else?” I countered teasingly. When he didn’t react the way I thought he would, jealousy hit my stomach hard. “Let me guess, you hook up with women when you’re undercover?” I couldn’t blame him. After all, he was a man with needs. Just like I was a woman with needs.
There wasn’t a hint of a smile on his face. Obviously, I was right in my assessment. “I’ve been single for a long time, Grace. I never had to worry about commitment.”
I laid down two more cards and won with a queen of hearts. “Did you sleep with anyone while you were gone recently?” My teeth clenched, not ready to hear the answer.
Ian grabbed both of my arms and squeezed. The deck of cards fell from my hand. “No . . . I didn’t. And I won’t, as long as I have you. You’re all I need.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked down at the cards scattered across the table. “I guess the game’s over.”
“No, it’s not. Look at me.” I met his serious gaze. “I don’t need to lose at cards to answer your questions. If you want to know who I really am, I’m Ian Michael Chandler, son of Glenn Chandler, founder of Chandler Enterprises. I have an older brother named Wade who is now the owner. We’re all part of the FBI.”
Mouth gaping, I stared at him, completely in shock. I didn’t know what to say. It’s definitely not something I expected. “Why aren’t you a part of Chandler Enterprises?”
He shrugged. “I am in some ways, but I wanted to stay out of the spotlight, just like Bryce and Reed. When all this is over, I’ll take you to meet them.” He smiled wide. “Maybe the first family will be around as well. It just so happens my brother married the former first daughter.”
I slapped a hand over my mouth. “This is insane. I can’t even wrap my head around it. I guess I don’t blame you for wanting to keep your life a secret. I wouldn’t want to be in the public eye either.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not.” He gently squeezed my arms and I stood with him, circling around the coffee table. Our bodies pressed together and he held me in his arms. “I don’t want to hide anything from you, Grace. But if I tell you all my secrets, I’m afraid of what you’ll think of me. Because if you don’t understand, there’s no way anyone else will.”
Leaning up on my toes, I pressed my lips to his. “You have nothing to worry about.”
He pulled me tight against his body. Deepening the kiss, I moaned, earning a deep growl to rumble from his chest. “I’ll tell you everything, but first, I need to feel those legs of yours wrapped around me. My dick’s been hard ever since you took off your clothes.”
I ran a hand down to his groin and palmed his arousal, causing him to flinch in surprise. “Why don’t you take these clothes off and let me do something about it. We can slow it down later, I need you in me now.”
Smirking, he tore off his clothes and threw them on the floor. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
I pushed against his chest until he fell onto the couch, his thick cock laying heavy against his toned and tattooed stomach. I took off my bra and underwear, as he stared at me with hooded eyes. Straddling his legs, I grabbed hold of his length and guided the tip inside. Tilting his head forward, he grabbed hold of my breasts and sucked on both of my nipples, one after the other, while I circled my hips over the tip of his cock, wanting desperately to just take him inside of me.
“You’re killing me, buttercup.”
“You don’t like the buildup, Ian? The anticipation? Aren’t you imagining how it feels to be balls deep in my pussy? Because I sure as hell want to feel the pain and pleasure of your cock splitting me wide.”
He watched his dick intently and gripped my thighs hard, pushing up with his hips. “Christ, woman. You’re going to make me bust a nut if you keep talking like that.”
I lowered down a little bit more, and he went still, except for his chest rising and falling with his quick, shallow breaths. Inch by inch, I sat on him until he was fully inside of me. His hands left my thighs to cup my cheeks. He pulled me down and held me to his lips as he kissed me, sucking my tongue when I pushed it into his mouth.
Circling my hips with him inside me, I rubbed my clit on his skin, causing my stomach to spasm with need. Knowing I would come fast, I rode him hard, raking my nails down his back. The rumble of satisfaction in his chest, and his hands grabbing tightly onto my ass, spurred me on. The faster I bounced, the louder his growls became. I knew he was close when I could feel him getting harder inside of me, lengthening.
“I’m going to come, baby. Let’s slow down. I won’t last if you keep riding me like this.”
Hearing his strangled moan only made me want to move faster, which made my orgasm surface. Moaning, I arched into him and threw my head back, giving Ian access to my breasts. “Oh God, Ian. I want you to come . . . now.”
My orgasm exploded, intensifying when Ian bit down on my nipple and flooded me with his release, gripping his fingers deep into my ass cheeks. He thrust his hips up during the last tremors of his orgasm, and groaned so loud, I’m sure the neighboring ranch heard him. Once the tremors and spasms slowed down, he settled against the couch with a satisfied smirk.
“I needed that,” he murmured heatedly. With everything going on, I needed it too. Lifting me in his arms, he held my legs around his waist, keeping us connected. “Let’s finish this in the bedroom, shall we?”
Grace
Ian and I got up early and he trained with me for over two hours on different self-defense moves. That way, if someone tried to attack me again, I’d have a better chance at fighting them off. My muscles were sore and I could barely walk, but it felt good. Ian was going to stay with me during the day, while Reed spied on Daniel.
“Want to go for a ride?” Ian called out with a knock on the bathroom door.
I didn’t know if my body could handle being tossed about by a horse, but I’d never refuse spending time with Ellie. “Yes, I’d love to. Let me change really fast.” I quickly washed my face and joined him in the bedroom.
He was already in a pair of his holey, fuck-me jeans, with his perfectly tanned chest and tattoos on full display. The man was going to give me a heart attack.
“I think I’m going to miss being here once all this is over.”
“Nothing has to change, buttercup. No matter where you stay, I’ll be with you every night—whether at your house or here.”
The thought excited me. I couldn’t deny the fact I loved being at his ranch, exploring his land and riding his horses. It was like I was in a whole new world. Grabbing my suitcase out of the closet, I pulled out a pair of jeans. I could feel Ian’s eyes on me as I changed into them.
“Are you always this protective with women?” I asked, glancing at him over my shoulder.
His eyes darkened. “Only with you.” Then he winked. “And with my other girlfriend. You’re about to ride her.” Chuckling, he walked out the door and I followed him.
“I’m sorry, I’ve taken over Ellie. She’s such a sweet horse.”
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nbsp; He opened the back door and grabbed my hand as we walked down to the barn. “No worries. I think she likes you more than me anyway.”
Ellie was in her stall and we both rubbed her head, only she nudged him first. “I don’t think so. You’ll always be her favorite.” Ian guided her out of the stall and cinched the saddle nice and tight. I climbed up on her and guided her out of the barn to pace in the pasture while Ian prepared Bryce’s horse for riding.
I could hear Charger’s thunderous steps as he trotted out of the barn. Ian nodded toward the wide-open field. “Let’s go.”
We raced across the meadow, but Charger was clearly faster. Ellie was strong, but she was no match for the young black stallion. Ian waited for me by the edge of the tree line, trying hard to hold back his smile and failing miserably.
“It’s about time you two showed up,” he said, chuckling.
I flipped him off. “Ellie and I were taking our time.” Ellie blew out a breath as if she agreed with me.
“Yeah, we’ll go with that.” Ian laughed and rubbed Ellie’s snout. “There’s a little waterfall not far from here. Want to see it?”
“Of course.”
When it came into view, I gasped. It was small, only about ten feet high at the main point, but the water cascaded down through several levels of rocks. Absolutely breathtaking.
I climbed off Ellie and wrapped the reins around a tree by the bank. Ian did the same with Charger, and both horses lowered their heads to drink the cool water.
Taking my hand, Ian pulled me to the edge of the bank and pointed at a large rock in the center of the creek. “We can sit there.” The rock was large enough for us to lay flat on it. He took off first and hopped along the smaller rocks, until he got to the bigger one. I took the same path. The sound of the waterfall was music to my ears.
“Is this your land?” I asked him.
Ian peered around, eyes twinkling. “Mine and my brothers.”