He accepted, pressing the front of his body against my back, his mouth venturing from my neck to my ear. My palms splayed out against the shower wall, holding myself steady as he took me from behind. One of his strong hands grasped my breast as the other stroked my clit, sending waves of euphoria through my body. I tried to hold back but it all felt too amazing. I let out a loud moan as we finished.
I turned around to face him, both of us grinned at each other, sopping wet hair hanging in our faces. There was nothing to say. We just wanted to enjoy the moment and how nice it felt to be appreciated in such an intimate way.
He got out first and I waited in the shower, letting the hot water caress my body for just a little longer. Not long before, we were near strangers, working together to get what we needed. Now, adventure and fear had bound us together in a way only a good shot of adrenaline could do.
I had a thing for the broken type and tonight was the perfect example of that. I was so drawn to men who had been through shit and clearly hadn’t worked it out. I meshed with those men in the bedroom, life’s frustrations taken out in carnal pleasure.
This felt different than other one-night stands. I felt like I knew Bryce and that we had been together before. There was something so comfortable about being with him, right from the start. I usually didn’t feel that way. Most men were providing me a service in exchange for what I could give them. With Bryce, I really felt like we made a connection.
Once I knew he had gotten dressed, I turned off the water and toweled off. Wearing nothing but a thin towel, I strutted back into the bedroom to see how Bryce felt about this new step in our relationship.
Much to my surprise, he was standing at the door with his car keys in his hand.
“Are you going somewhere?” I said seductively.
“I’m going out to get some air,” he said. “You can go ahead and go to bed if you want. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked. This was not the type of response I wanted to receive after a sexual experience.
“It’s not you,” he said. I didn’t like where he was going with that, and I wasn’t sure if I could believe it.
“Are you sure?”
“I just need a little time alone to think. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry about me.”
Before I could get another word in, he was gone. Without my one companion, I pulled out my phone and got back to work.
Attached
Jane
I woke with a start the next morning, on top of the sheets with my phone in my hand. I had completely forgotten that I had gone to a hotel to avoid being strangled by two bulky men with leather gloves.
Thinking back to the previous night, I tried to remember everything that transpired. We cracked open a few drinks, we started talking about our lives, we had sex in the shower. Then, without any explanation, Bryce was gone and I was left to do my work alone in a dingy motel room.
Given the situation I was in, I should have been more unsettled by the fact that when I dozed off, the light was on and I was alone, and when I woke up, the light was off and Bryce was sleeping on the floor at the foot of the bed. Tilucci himself could have marched right in there and slit my throat and I would have snoozed through it all.
I had no idea what time he returned, but he looked out of it. I figured the kindest thing I could do, would be to let him sleep. I plugged in my phone and picked up where I left off last night.
At times like these, I wished I had some closer female friends to go to for advice. How are you supposed to react when the man who just rocked your world has to leave the room because of what you did? I doubted anyone knew the answer to that one.
As a woman who takes pride in being able to solve problems and read the situation, there was no precedent for what went down between Bryce and me. By this point, I could finally admit to myself that I had developed some feelings for Bryce. It was stupid of me to fall for a guy who was completely off limits, but I had no control over it. There was no use in trying to rationalize why I shouldn’t be attracted to the man.
I would never describe myself as the perfect girlfriend and I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be in a relationship at this moment. Still, I couldn’t understand how he could be so repulsed by my come-ons that he would have to leave the room and sleep on the filthy floor. The sex was incredible for me, so I find it hard to believe that it was even remotely bad for him. I felt like I was being a child for thinking too deeply about it, but my feelings were a little hurt that he would run off like that.
There was no time to focus on that, though. There was so much work to be done. Pat must have gotten to work especially early because he sent me scans of the books he collected from Horton Price’s safe deposit box. I started looking through them, trying to make sense of what I was reading.
My jaw practically hit the floor when I opened another file. I wanted to shriek, but I remembered Bryce sleeping peacefully on the floor. On my phone, I had much more than just a few gambling books. I was looking at ledgers full of different business transactions. There were all sorts of different companies listed on there, with large amounts of money going in and out. The vaguer the company name sounded, the better. Those were almost certainly illegal groups covering up their real business.
I kept seeing a company called Office Supply LLC pop up across the pages. I highly doubted that Tilucci was spending tens of thousands of dollars on pens and printer ink, so this was as good of a place to start as any.
I needed to talk to Pat immediately, so I crept into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
“Good work, Pat,” I said when he answered the phone. “This is really great stuff.”
“I knew you would like it. I looked through a little bit of it. There’s assuredly something seedy going on in there. No wonder Price was so wary about giving it up.”
“Do you remember seeing entries for Office Supply LLC?” I asked. “Is there any way you can check on that while I’m talking to Coulson today?”
“I’ll see what I can do. Is everything fine with you? Do you plan on showing up to the office today?”
“Probably not,” I said. I didn’t want to give too many details; otherwise Pat would worry about me. “I have some people I want to talk to.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do about the LLC and you keep working on writing this story.”
“Will do.”
When I left the bathroom, Bryce was awake and had returned to his perch on the desk chair.
“Good morning,” he said a little too cheerily. “Did you sleep well?”
“Fine,” I said suspiciously. “You?”
“I haven’t slept this long all week,” he said. “Should we get ready to visit Coulson?”
I eyed him, questioningly.
“What?” he asked.
If we’re going to be spending the rest of the day together, maybe we should address what happened last night.”
“I don’t think we have to make a big deal out of it,” he said. “We were high on emotions and stuck in a little room. We’re just two adults who haven’t had any in a while. We were just filling a biological need. I won’t make it weird if you don’t.”
“Cool,” I said, forcing my mouth into a smile. “We’ll just forget it ever happened. Besides, we have more pressing things to address.”
“Right,” he said. “Let’s get Coulson on the phone,” he said, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone.
It wasn’t necessarily the response I was hoping for, but it was good enough. I really didn’t need any distractions now. Once Tilucci was back behind bars, I could date whomever I wanted to. It didn’t even have to date Bryce. Damaged men always came out of the woodwork when I was near and I’d always have the opportunity to have satisfying, emotionless sex with them. It would be fine. It always was.
Priorities
Bryce
There wasn’t much I could say about last night that could make things less awkward between us. I didn’t
want her to be offended by my reaction, but I couldn’t just spoon her to sleep like we were a couple. It wasn’t quite right.
Up until this point, I had managed to isolate myself from the outside world so that feelings for people weren’t an issue. I only ever felt rage, sadness, and apathy. The lust and attraction I felt for Jane were so foreign to me and I couldn’t handle how much it overwhelmed me.
The sex was incredible, like scratching an itch I didn’t know I had. When she came on to me, I couldn’t possibly say no. I wanted her just as badly. Perhaps I was just a little better at restraint.
Part of me just wanted to forget about everything from my past and just have her again. We could leave town for good and just spend some time together, exploring each other like nothing else mattered. I wanted to please her, to see her back arch as I ran a hand down her body. I wanted to hear her soft moans when I touched her in the right places. I knew I could never do that again.
The only thing I could do now was to assure her that everything was fine and change the subject. There was no point in becoming attached to someone I could easily lose. I never wanted to feel that pain again.
“Let’s get Coulson on the phone,” I said, just hoping we’d both just forget about it all.
I dialed the number I found on her firm’s website and was greeted by an impatient sounding receptionist.
“Coulson and Associates,” she droned. “How may I direct your call?”
“Can I speak with Dominique Coulson?” I said in my most formal sounding voice.
“May I ask who is calling?”
I racked my brain for a name that she’d accept. “Vincent DeMarco. I’d like to come in to speak with her today.”
“Ms. Coulson is unavailable now, but I can schedule you to come in tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I asked, looking toward Jane. She shook her head dramatically.
“That’s not going to work for me,” I said. “Is there anyone available today?”
I heard the sounds of typing and deep sighing. I’m sure I wasn’t the first pushy mobster to demand an appointment at a moment’s notice.
“This is an emergency,” I added.
“If you want to come in at one o’clock, you can talk to one of the junior partners.”
“That will work. “
“Then we’ll see you at one, Mr. DeMarco. Have a nice morning.”
I hung up the phone and gave Jane a nod. “We have a meeting with a junior partner at one. We’ll get in the door and push our way into Coulson’s office.”
“Perfect. Who’s Vincent DeMarco?”
“He’s the guy that makes the pasta at the family restaurant. It was the first name I could think of.”
This sent her into a fit of giggles and I couldn’t help but join in. I felt like we were spies on a secret mission. In a way, we were. Jane was trying to forward her career and I was trying to forward my life.
I loved seeing her laugh. I loved the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled. Her silky hair shimmered gold, even in the pale lighting. Her lips were so pink and soft. Suddenly, I wanted to kiss them again.
“What are you going to say if you have to talk to one of the lawyers? Someone stole your secret recipe and you’re trying to sue?” she giggled.
“Maybe we can frame Tilucci,” I joked.
“Wouldn’t that be a better story?” she said. “People hardly bat an eye at tax evasion, but I think a story on recipe theft in the mob will win me the Pulitzer.”
Suddenly, everything just felt wrong. I shouldn’t have been laughing and smiling about something so serious. Jane had been a very short distraction from my miserable night and I couldn’t forget about my reality.
Regardless of who was guarding Lilian’s house, my daughter was in danger. My life was in danger, too.
My motivation to stop Tilucci for good was also fueled by my need for vengeance. When Jane said that she had a way to put Tilucci away, I wanted to help, mostly out of my own need to see him be punished for his crimes. I didn’t give a crap about the illegal business deals. I cared about the suffering he inflicted upon me. Jane was supposed to be nothing more than a tool to help me get what I wanted. Now, she was becoming something more to me and it completely changed my motives.
My smile slowly faded from my face. I didn’t want her to notice the change in my demeanor again, especially after I managed to get her mind off last night.
“I’m going to get something to eat. Want me to grab you a bagel and coffee or something?”
“And cream cheese, please,” she called after me as I hurriedly left the motel room for the second time.
I got into my car and drove away, not really caring about where I was going. I didn’t know this town very well, so I just drove circles around the main streets. I passed a bagel shop and just kept driving. I needed some time away from Jane.
This was turning into my worst nightmare. I was starting to really care about someone and Tilucci was involved. There was no way it could end well for anyone. Meeting Tommy Tilucci and defying him was the day that I sealed my destiny. Anything good in my life, he would destroy with ease. He would wait around until he found someone I cared about, and then destroy them.
Maybe it wasn’t Tilucci’s fault after all. After all, my life wasn’t great even before I met him. There was just some toxic force surrounding me where anyone who got too close got sucked in. The worst part was, I wanted to love and nurture people, but I was cursed.
Jane was a good person. If she knew about the misfortune that followed me from relationship to relationship, she would have never asked me to work with her, let alone shower with her. Hopefully, she got the hint and would know better than to try anything with me. I hoped I would be strong enough to resist if it came down to it.
Eventually, I came to my senses and picked up some breakfast. I dug around in my cup holder to come up with the change I needed to pay for it. I couldn’t stand how pathetic I felt. I could hardly afford to buy Jane breakfast. How could I be a worthy mate to any good woman?
“Did you get lost?” she asked, looking up from her phone.
“A little,” I lied. “I don’t know the area very well.”
“Thank you so much,” she said, taking the hot beverage from my hand. “This is just what I needed. You’re a lifesaver.”
I scoffed under my breath. If she only knew…
“Don’t you have to go to work today?” she asked, looking at her watch. “I can see Coulson on my own if you need to go.”
“It’s my day off. I work a lot of weekends.”
“Oh,” she mused before going back to work.
Things felt a little awkward between us now. I didn’t like this dynamic any better, but I suppose it was better than being too close. I ate my bagel in silence as I flipped through the local takeout menus.
“Well,” Jane said, setting the phone on the table, “should we check out and head toward Coulson’s firm?”
I nodded, brushing the crumbs from the desk.
Jane returned the keys while I got back into the car. “I put it on the company card,” she laughed as she returned to her seat inside my car. “They won’t raise a fuss about it after I finish this story, that’s for sure.”
We returned to the city as I checked my rearview mirror every ten seconds. Any car that followed me for more than a few blocks was shaken off by short detours through residential areas. Jane was too busy working to notice my paranoid driving.
“This is it,” she said as we parked in the back of the lot. “This is my last sure lead. Hopefully, we get a chance to see what she’s hiding.”
“Do you have your recorder?” I asked.
“Always. Let’s do this.”
I politely introduced myself as Vincent DeMarco and the receptionist took us to a small back office. Luckily, the lawyer hadn’t returned from lunch yet, so as soon as the girl walked away, we bolted from the office in search of Coulson. We found a back stairwell and ran to the third floor whe
re the senior partners were. It was a whole different atmosphere up there. Where we started, average citizens were milling around, sorting out their messy divorces or trying to get money from their workman’s comp claims. On this floor, we were surrounded by the wealthy, protecting themselves from being rightfully sued by the little people they screwed over.
Finally, we found a closed door with Dominique Coulson’s name on it.
“What should we do?” I whispered.
“I think we should wait,” Jane said, unsure of herself.
“What if someone out here sees us? We’re clearly not supposed to be here.”
“Should we knock?”
As we were quietly deliberating, the door opened. Coulson’s client exited behind her, his lips curled into a sneer under his crooked nose. Without flinching, he stuck out his manicured hand to shake mine.
“Long time, no see. Isn’t that right, Baron?” Tommy Tilucci cackled.
Pretty Like Her Mom
Jane
Bryce glared at Tilucci’s outstretched hand, unwavering. I froze on the spot.
“No?” Tilucci asked before dropping his hand at his side. “Okay.”
“Do the two of you have an appointment with me?” Dominique Coulson asked, turning her surgically stretched neck toward us.
“We—” I stammered. I had prepared for a hundred different scenarios in my head. This wasn’t one of them.
“These are some old friends,” Tilucci answered for me. “I think I mentioned Jane Madison and Bryce Baron at some point.”
“I see,” Dominique warbled, raising her eyebrows toward her creaseless forehead. “The two of you should leave before I call security.”
“While we have you, Tommy,” I said, “Can you tell me what Office Supply LLC does? You and I both know that they’re not in the business of selling pencils to convicts.”
Her Protection: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Omerta Series Book 2) Page 8