Entwined

by Lacey Black

  Luke continues his trek southbound until he reaches the swollen, wet flesh of my pussy. I hold my breath as he swipes his tongue through the folds, licking and sucking on my clit. My back comes off the bed, my rear and upper back pushing into the mattress. He sucks until I see stars, my body strung so tight that it will surely detonate epically at any moment.

  “Come for me, angel,” he instructs, sliding one hand beneath my rear and the other between my legs.

  Two fingers slide easily into my wet heat, my body pulsing and clamping down on his fingers with each thrust. His mouth continues to lick and tease, pushing me higher and higher. I start to tremble as an orgasm jolt starts in my toes and charges through my taut muscles. I fall over the edge of ecstasy, not even realizing I’m practically shouting until it’s too late. My body is limp and my mind completely spent.

  “That was so fucking sexy,” he mumbles against my swollen flesh before quickly kissing his way up my body.

  He’s practically covering me, every part of us touching from our thighs to our foreheads. I move my legs and wrap them around his waist just as he starts to push inside my body. Warm lips are soft against mine. The kiss is slow and tender, yet full of unspoken passion and something that feels a lot like love.

  “You’re so fucking perfect for me,” he says as he moves inside of me. Surely he can feel my heart pounding against his chest. “So beautiful. So sexy. So damn perfect. I could do this every day and never get tired of being inside of your body. It’s fucking heaven. I’ll never get enough of you. Never.”

  I grasp the tight skin of his back, which is covered in a fine sheen of sweat, as his words are bypassing my mind and speaking straight to my heart. His slow and steady pace causes him to brush against that magical place inside of me. I feel another orgasm building, my body coiling tight once more.

  He shifts his hips, changing the angle at which he penetrates my body. I’m so close I can feel my muscles gripping his thick shaft, pulling it deep inside me.

  “Sid,” he groans, his eyes closing and his mouth opening a few times before he clamps it shut. It’s as if he’s fighting against saying whatever words are on the tip of his tongue.

  Instead of pushing him to speak, I wrap my legs higher on his back and roll into his hips. Luke’s eyes fly open, euphoric bliss written all over those deep green eyes. He traces my lower lip with his finger, his touch soothing and reassuring.

  When he reaches the center of my lips, I suck his finger into my mouth. His eyes widen in lustful shock at the same time my body grips his cock. I continue to suck his finger deep into my mouth, licking and swirling my tongue over the nail. His hips buck into me with strength causing the orgasm I’ve been on the brink of to crash into me with the force of a freight train. He follows me over the edge, my name rushing from his lips.

  He pulls me close without removing his body from mine. My heart is pounding against his chest as I struggle to catch my breath. Exhaustion races through me, pulling me under with each passing second. I feel his body against mine and his hand rubbing my back as I’m lulled into sleep.

  “So fucking perfect,” he whispers against my head, so softly I wonder if I dreamed it.

  Unable to open my mouth to respond, I lose the fight against fatigue and drift off. Somewhere in the distance, I swear I hear him say that he loves me. I smile as I let sleep consume me.

  My dreams will be filled with only him.

  * * *

  Two days later, Carly and I are having lunch again at a Mexican restaurant not too far from the hotel. I’ve come to really enjoy and look forward to the time I spend with Luke’s sister-in-law. She has quickly become a friend to me, one I find myself talking to very easily. It’s been so long since I’ve had girlfriends. I’ve got Cass in my corner, sure, but we don’t really hang out after work hours. In college, I was too busy studying and worrying about my doctorate to bother hanging out with other students, and before that, it was always Luke.

  It’s nice to have someone I can relate to.

  “Everything going okay at Thomas Securities?” I ask casually when our tacos are delivered.

  “As far as I know. Blake says they’re planning on hiring more help and possibly expand the office. He says he and Luke are stretched too thin and aren’t able to do what they love to do, which ultimately is the security side. He hates sitting behind a desk, dealing with paperwork. Makes him grouchy.”

  “Blake, grouchy? That’s hard to believe,” I snort sarcastically between bites.

  “I know,” she says, diving into her own lunch. “He can be a little uptight and serious at times.”

  “I remember him as bossy.”

  “That too,” she says with a laugh.

  “Do you know a Riggs? I think he might be working on one of their security details,” I ask casually, yet my stomach churning as I ask the question. I still can’t get Luke’s phone conversation out of my head.

  “Riggs? I don’t know any Riggs. I’ve met several of the guys at times at the office, but that name doesn’t sound familiar. But that doesn’t mean anything. I mean, it seems like they’re hiring more security every time I turn around. Why?”

  Balling up my napkin, I shove my empty plate away. “I don’t know. There was just a really late phone conversation I overheard bits and pieces of. I figured it must have been something major if it took place at three in the morning.”

  “Yeah, that’s not normal. Blake gets calls in the middle of the night every once in a while, but not too often. That’s when you know something is going down. If they have to call right then and it can’t wait until the morning, then it’s something major.”

  I nod my head, but allow her to change the subject to her latest doctor’s appointment. They finally found out they’re having a boy, and they’ve both been on cloud nine ever since. The little guy was too stubborn at the previous appointment to determine the sex, so this was the news they were waiting to find out. Smiling, I wonder what it will feel like when we find out the sex of our twins. I know that no matter what the sex, or sexes, Luke and I will both be over the moon elated.

  The conversation turns to Jacobi and the pending lawsuits against Mick and probably Penny. It’s hard to grasp the fact that I was married to the man, and his goal in life was to take what was mine. Funny thing about all of that is I didn’t really want it. Still don’t. I’d never do anything to jeopardize my brother’s birthright, but I probably would have considered giving control over The Diamond to Mick.

  Well, maybe not.

  I think, deep down, I knew something wasn’t right in our marriage and relationship. Yet, I still went through with it all, hoping that he would be able to fill in the missing pieces in my life. And we all know how well that turned out. Maybe that’s all Mick really was. I’m not doubting that I didn’t love him, but it wasn’t the same as how I feel for Luke. With Luke, it’s consuming. With Mick, it was convenient.

  Lunch is over way too quickly and I find myself heading back to the hotel after agreeing to meet Carly again next week. My new events coordinator, Stephanie, started yesterday. She jumped right in with both feet, ready to tackle each event on the books, big or small. She’s a godsend when it comes to the day-to-day phone calls with vendors, as well as sitting in on her first bridal consultation this morning. She was amazing.

  My thoughts quickly turn to my doctor’s appointment later in the week. Carly says we should be able to hear the heartbeats externally this time since I’ll be twelve weeks. The prospect of hearing those sounds – and with Luke by my side–brings a huge smile to my face. Besides him freaking out temporarily over the state of my post-babies vagina, our first appointment was amazing. I can’t wait to see what’s next for us.

  Even the fact that I’m walking into the dreadful Diamond hotel doesn’t dampen my bright smile and pleasant mood.

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Brotherly Advice

  Luke

  My phone hasn’t stopped ringing. If it wasn’t m
y cell phone, it’s the office line. Problems at Channel Club, a no-show employee at Justice Enterprises, a security system upgrade at Zimmerman Systems. It’s kept me hopping all day. So when Blake comes into my office at two with sandwiches, it’s a welcome reprieve.

  “Lunch.” Blake throws a turkey club on my desk before pulling a second from the bag and taking the seat across from me.

  “Lunch was hours ago,” I remind him before taking a huge bite.

  “So I’ve been told. Here’s a list of positions we’re hiring. We’ve got to get more hands on deck ASAP. If we don’t, I’m liable to say screw this shit and walk away.” Blake takes his own massive bite, shoving half the sandwich in his mouth.

  “No you won’t. You love this company. We built it. And besides, you’re too fucking stubborn to work for anyone else but yourself.”

  “True.”

  We eat in silence while I look over the list. He included a brief job description of the key players. His plan has us adding a second administrative assistant, someone for human resources, three in-house superintendents, and an accountant/bookkeeper. He seems to have all of the bases covered, but I’d expect nothing less from my brother.

  “Looks good.”

  “Trish is going to interview a few candidates for the second admin position since she knows what the job entails. I told her we’d like to meet with her final choice beforehand, but we trusted her to find the right person for the job. I’d like your help with hiring the accountant and human resources manager.” I nod my head. “As for the superintendents, I have a few people in mind that I’d like to promote from within. I think that’s important to show the guys there’s a possibility for advancement.”

  “Agreed. It’ll be easy to fill those vacancies. I’d love to see Chap move up. He’s proven to have the leadership skills it takes to run a job, and the guys all listen to and respect him.”

  “He was first on my list. Chapman, Stu, and Masters.”

  My brother doesn’t need confirmation that he picked the best for advancement. He already knows they’re the right choices without my accolades. Blake is a detailed man who is anything if not thorough. He knows this job, yeah, but he also knows the guys working for us. He makes it his job to know them. So if he says they’re the right men for the position, then I agree with him one hundred and ten percent.

  “Now that business is out of the way, talk to me about Riggs,” he says as he leans back and puts his boots on the corner of my desk.

  “Riggs?” I ask, momentarily stunned.

  “Yeah, Riggs. A six foot four, two hundred pound FBI agent that works at the Las Vegas field office. His desk sat next to yours. I believe there was a brunette that you two shared once following an office Christmas party.”

  I blanch at the memory. Yeah, I wasn’t the best kind of man back when I was a young rookie at twenty-three. Riggs and I went through training together and both ended up at the Vegas branch. One night after our first Christmas party with the Bureau, he and I shared a busty brunette with perfectly fake Double D’s. Not one of my finer moments, but one that I still blame on the large quantity of alcohol nonetheless.

  “Yeah, I know who he is, dickhead. Thanks for bringing that up. What I want to know is why you’re asking about him.” It’s not like they run in the same circles. Once Blake left, he left it completely behind him.

  “Why are you having three a.m. phone conversations with him? Are you working a job?” he asks, his green eyes watching and taking in every facial moment, every breath I take.

  I’m not looking to tell him my reason for calling my old friend, so I redirect. “How did you know we talked at three a.m.?”

  “My wife.” I wasn’t expecting that one. My eyebrows shoot skyward as I wait for him to say more. “Apparently, she had lunch with Sid, who happened to overhear part of a conversation between you and a former co-worker. She thought it was possibly a problem with one of the jobs so she asked Carly if everything was all right. So I’ll ask you one more time: Why were you talking to the FBI at three in the morning?”

  Exhaling deeply, I know there’s no way to get around this without telling him the whole story. I replay everything Jess told me, right down to the fact that her ex is the notorious Clinton Charles.

  “No shit? Clinton Charles? I remember hearing that name passed around the office a few times.”

  “Me too,” I reply. “Riggs was going directly to the deputy director when we got off the phone. He sent a text a few hours ago that they’re sending a small detail to interview and watch Jess. If Charles is still in the area, they want him. They want him bad.”

  “Shit, they’ve wanted this man for years,” Blake adds, shaking his head.

  “And let’s hope they can finally nail the bastard.”

  Silence fills my office before Blake finally speaks again. “So, explain to me why you lied to Sid and told her it was a work call?”

  I exhale again. “I didn’t want to upset her. The baby book says she’s supposed to be taking it easy and not stressing too much. It can be bad for the babies. I didn’t want to add any unnecessary worry.”

  His green eyes pierce me like a thousand knives. “This is a bad idea, you know that, right? You remember everything that I went through when I was working the Hernandez case. Undercover. Lied to the woman I love. Took down her father. She left me. That all ring a bell, buttercup?”

  “Of course it does,” I defend. “But this is different. I’m not forced to hold this from her because of my job.” Even to my own ears, it’s a weak defense.

  “Exactly! I had to lie to her for my job. You’re choosing to do it for an entirely different reason.”

  “I’m protecting her.”

  “And I wasn’t? The difference is you have a choice.” Blake pauses for dramatic effect. “And you’re making the wrong one.”

  “I’ll tell her the truth.”

  “Tell her the truth as soon as possible. Hell, tell her the truth yesterday. The quicker, the better, little brother, or it’s liable to blow up in your face.”

  He’s right. Of course he’s right, but I’m not about to admit it out loud to the bastard. I’ll never hear the end of it. Instead, I nod my head, acknowledging that I’ve heard him, which pacifies him enough that we move on. He’s bitching about something Mom said when she brought Natalia home the other day, but I only hear bits and pieces. My mind keeps jumping back to the fact that I’m fucking up with Sid by not telling her about Jess’s visit.

  My brother gets up and leaves, a smile on his face as if he knows I’m not following his conversation in the least. Tonight. Tonight, I’ll tell her about the visit and what’s going on with Jess. Jacobi goes back to Penny’s so it’ll be just the two of us again at her place. Maybe I can get her to come to my house, cook her a nice dinner, get her naked, which just happens to be my favorite way to talk to her. I’ll tell her that I felt compelled to help by calling a buddy who’s still with the bureau, and that’s the end of it. Should be easy, right?

  Then why does dread fill my body and my heart feel like it’s beating out of my chest?

  Not twenty minutes later, my cell phone rings. It’s a number I don’t recognize, and while a part of me would rather send it to voicemail, that’s not really an option.

  “Hello?”

  “Luke, this is Joshua Carter. I have some good news. We found Mick Richards.”

  My pen falls on my desk, and I sit straight up. “You have him?”

  “We do. He’s in central booking right now. The police are gathering their evidence for the judge. He’s supposed to be formally arraigned at four.”

  “I want to see him.”

  “Not a good idea, Luke.”

  “Don’t give a shit. I need a few minutes to speak with him.”

  Josh sighs. “I’ll see what I can do. They’ll be processing him and getting him ready for his court appearance. Can you meet me there in the next thirty minutes? Twenty-first precinct. I know a
guy and might be able to get you a few minutes with Mick.”

  “I’m on my way now,” I say, disconnecting the call and grabbing my jacket. As I do, my phone beeps moments before dying completely.

  I take my keys, wallet, and my dead cell phone, and head straight towards the parking lot. Plugging the phone into the charger and tossing it on the passenger seat, I barely keep it at the speed limit as I head towards the police station. My mind is racing with possibility. Sidney could get her hotel back, even if she doesn’t want it. She finally has an option. Mick sent away. That would be the icing on the stress-free cake.

  Pulling into the parking lot, I easily find a parking spot towards the back. Not that I need the exercise, but I could use a few minutes to calm myself and take a few deep breaths. My first instinct is to punch him square in his pretty-boy jaw for jacking with Sidney the way he has. Every protective bone in my body flairs to life, which basically has the complete opposite effect on me than I was hoping for prior to walking into the station.

  I leave my phone in my truck, since I can’t turn it on anyway. No point in having to check it with the guard. I grab my keys from the ignition, and head toward the front doors, my hands casually shoved in my pockets. I look relaxed, calm, but I know the truth. My fists are tight and my blood boiling.

  Inside, Josh is standing off to the side, waiting for me. “I figured you’d be here in under fifteen,” he says as he extends his hand.

  “What can I say? I’m damn excited to see this prick behind bars.”

  “You’re not the only one,” he says as we walk towards the front desk.

  I let Josh do all the talking. He asks for Detective Jensen and says it’s pertaining to a case. We wait wordlessly for about ten minutes before a tall, older man approaches from the back. “Josh, good to see you,” he says as they shake hands.