The Unblocked Collection

by Marni Mann

  “I’m going to release you,” he finally said.

  “Do you have to?”

  “I’m just going to wash you. When I’m done, my arms will go right back around you.” He pulled away to look at my face, his eyes demanding an answer. “Okay.”

  He squirted body wash into his palm, rubbing his hands together and massaged the silky foam over me. “Close your eyes.” I did as he said. “And try to enjoy it.”

  I wanted to ask what he was going to do to me and what he wanted me to enjoy. I hoped it was more sex or foreplay—anything to make the feeling return. But I didn’t ask. I just leaned into the spray, letting it wash over my back as I tried to relax into Derek’s movements.

  I barely felt his hands or the water or the steam that was filling the shower. But he was here and he hadn’t left me.

  Maybe I wasn’t as alone as I thought. I had us.

  For now, that had to be enough.

  SEVEN.

  DEREK

  “ARE YOU HUNGRY?” I asked Frankie when she answered the phone. I’d thought about sending her a text like I would have done a few weeks ago. But I needed to hear her voice. I needed to know how she was feeling, or if she was feeling anything at all.

  “Starving.”

  After the week she’d had, I was relieved to hear that. Arranging Anna’s burial, attending the funeral, cleaning out Anna’s place and then going back to work, trying to catch up on everything she had missed—it had been hell. She’d lost weight…weight she didn’t really have to lose. Brea had made sure Frankie’s condo was well-stocked with food, even with sweets. Frankie hadn’t eaten any of it.

  I checked the time on my computer screen. “It’s only a little past ten. Can you wait until lunch?”

  “If I have to…” There was sarcasm in her voice. It made me smile.

  “Tell me what you’re craving.”

  “You…mmm, Derek. Lots of you.”

  She had been craving me all week, a steady need for constant sex. The woman had really become insatiable. And fuck, didn’t I love every second of it. Dipping my cock into that wet pussy was my favorite part of the day. I knew how much she enjoyed it; I also knew that when I was inside her, she wasn’t thinking about Anna. People dealt with grief in different ways. If she needed my dick to get over these dark emotions, then she could have it as much as she wanted.

  “Your ass is going to get me, baby. I’m going to slap it so fucking hard…then I’m going to slam into it even harder.”

  “I’m wet.”

  “That’s just the way I want you. Now tell me what you want to eat…and I don’t mean my cock.”

  She was silent for a second. “Spicy tuna, a rainbow roll, and the biggest bottle of sake they have.”

  “Your rolls will be delivered around noon.”

  “No sake? And no you?”

  Will appeared in my doorway. I waved him in and pointed at the chair in front of my desk. “You’re at work, aren’t you?” I checked the number I’d dialed to make sure it was her office line and not her cell.

  “Yes, I’m in my office. Just have the delivery driver put the sake in a bag. No one but Brea will see it.”

  “I’m the delivery driver.”

  “In that case, forget the sake. You’ll do just fine. I’ll see you soon…Mr. Block.”

  There was no longer any sarcasm in her voice. Now it was all seduction, the same tone she used when I gave her my tongue. I couldn’t get enough of it. Luckily, I’d be hearing it soon. I’d listen to her beg while she ate her sushi, then I’d tie my flannel around her mouth so her whole office wouldn’t hear her screams.

  “Good-bye, Ms. Jordan.” I set the phone down, kicked back from my desk and crossed a foot over my knee.

  Will shook the pad of paper in his hand. “Did she give you her order?”

  “Spicy tuna and a rainbow roll. Let’s do five or six more rolls for us, and a few for Brea. Separate orders. I’ll pick them up on my way to her office.”

  He wrote it all down, then looked up at me. “How’s she doing today?”

  “About the same, but she says she’s hungry. She’s still burying it and acting like she doesn’t feel it. I think she’s hoping one day she’ll wake up and Anna will be alive and this whole thing will have been some kind of hallucination.”

  “Shit. That’s not good.”

  “Not at all,” I agreed.

  “I have an idea.” He placed a folder on my desk. “Take a look at what’s in there and let me know if any of it sounds interesting.” I opened the folder and scanned the first page. “Any of them can be booked last minute. It might be what she needs.”

  I flipped to the next sheet, reading the description and viewing each of the pictures. “I’ll think it over and I’ll let you know after lunch,” I said.

  It might have been what we both needed, actually.

  ***

  I saw Brea talking on the phone as I walked down the hallway to her office. As soon as she noticed me, she hung up and greeted me with a smile. “For you,” I said, placing one of the bags on her desk.

  When she opened it and looked inside, her smile grew. “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you. That’s really so nice of you, Mr. B—”

  “Derek.”

  “Yes. Derek.” She looked over at the other bag in my hand. “Do you have everything you need? How about I grab you some drinks?”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “I’ll bring some right in.”

  I nodded and walked into Frankie’s office. She was dressed in a suit, with the jacket now off and hanging over the back of her chair. She was leaning against her desk, reading whatever was on her computer screen. She looked put together. Gorgeous. But I knew something was off, even as her gaze slowly moved across the room and finally found me. There was a struggle in her eyes. She was trying to find her footing in a world without Anna.

  “You’re the sexiest delivery boy I’ve ever seen.” Her eyes didn’t light up like they normally did. She meant what she said, she just didn’t feel it in the same way. “Get over here. I need your lips.”

  Brea walked in behind me. “Can the lips wait until I leave, please?” She put two bottles of water and two bottles of soda next to the sushi.

  As she hurried out, I leaned across Frankie’s desk and kissed her. Her lips were fucking delicious. I could have easily swept everything off her desk and spread her legs in front of me. She would have been a better lunch than any food I could ever put in my mouth.

  But the point of me being here was to get her to eat.

  I pulled away and took the containers out of the bag, setting them between us and handed her a cup of soy sauce and a pair of chopsticks. Then I sat down across from her. “Will ordered a little of everything. Eat.”

  She dipped a piece of tuna into the soy sauce. “There’s enough here to feed half my office.”

  “You said you were starving.”

  She covered her mouth with the back of her hand. “I also told you I wanted your dick, but you haven’t given me that yet.”

  I loved hearing her say things like that.

  “Food first,” I said.

  She wrapped her lips around a chunk of salmon. “Thank you. Please thank Will for me, too.”

  I could tell she wasn’t tasting any of what she was eating. She was just going through the motions, shoving it into her mouth because I wanted her to, because it was what she needed. That was fine…for now. But the intensity, the passion, I needed to help her find them again.

  “What do you have going on next week?” I asked.

  She took another bite and shifted her eyes over to her computer screen. “A few closings. Showings scattered throughout the week. Nothing too major, why?”

  “I want to take you away.”

  Her brows rose. “How far away?”

  The papers Will had given me were of all different destinations—some rural, some urban. Some far, some near. They all looked relaxing, entertaining. Distracting. She would
probably have enjoyed any of them. But there was one she would love more than the others. “Napa.”

  She dropped her chopsticks. “You want to take me to Napa?”

  “Have you been?”

  “Once, but it was only a day trip. A quick layover on my way to Hawaii. I didn’t get to see much.”

  “I’d like to go for a week,” I explained. “We’ll spend half in Napa, half in San Francisco.”

  There it was: the light. It was bright while it lasted, illuminating the gunmetal pools that stared back at me. “I would love that.”

  As I chewed, I watched it fade. “Check with Brea first and see if you can make it happen.”

  She picked up her phone. “Hey…can you clear next week’s schedule? Derek has something fun planned…” I smiled, surprised she’d moved so fast. I hadn’t expected that. I knew then how much she really wanted to go. “You’re fabulous,” she said, laughing at Brea. “Okay, I’ll tell him.” She hung up and grabbed her chopsticks. “My schedule will be clear. And Brea says you need to come for lunch every day.”

  “She must like the sushi.”

  “She also likes the way you make me feel.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back in my chair, taking in the site across from me. “And how do you feel?” I asked.

  A flush of red washed over her face. “I think you know the answer to that.” She winked and took a bite.

  While we ate, I asked her about work. I knew it was difficult for her to concentrate on her clients, but it was something to focus on besides Anna. Plus, it was something we had in common; Frankie knew about upcoming developments in the area, builders who were obtaining permits, land that would soon be going on the market. It was a language she spoke comfortably and something that could help both our futures. I told her I wanted my next building in the Back Bay, and I wanted her to sell it exclusively. Even in the state she was in, she’d shown Timber Towers every day since returning to work. There were now six more units under contract from just her clients, another three from agents at Jordan International. She had negotiated prices that were higher than I was expecting. She’d even started a small bidding war on one. Losing Anna hadn’t stopped her from getting business done. It was impressive.

  It also did nothing to restore her sense of life.

  When her office phone rang, I told her to answer it and I cleaned up her desk. I tossed the empty containers, consolidated the others, and moved to the windows to check out the view. Under the semi-wall of glass was a shelf that held multiple bouquets, the cards still in their envelopes and clipped to the top of the flowers. They must have been from friends or colleagues sending their condolences.

  I turned to find her eyes on me. I pointed to one of the bouquets. “Have you read the cards?” I mouthed.

  She shrugged.

  I took that as a “no” and unclipped them all, placing the stack on her desk. She opened the first envelope as she spoke to her client. And as she read the card, anger flashed through her eyes.

  Anger she shouldn’t have been feeling when reading a condolence card.

  She tried to drop it in the trash, but I stopped her and wouldn’t let her pull her hand out of mine. Opening the card, I recognized the handwriting instantly. My heart was pounding so hard, I could feel it in my fucking ears.

  Sorry to hear about Anna. I hear you loved her like a mother…a mother who took care of you, after your chance of being a mother was taken from you. —Randy White

  That motherfucker.

  He could tear me the hell down and hate me all he wanted, but reaching out to Frankie when she was weak and vulnerable was just malicious and cruel. It was a calculated move.

  It took things to a whole different level.

  With the card in my hand, I paced the back of the room. Frankie was concerned; I could hear it in her voice as she continued to speak on the phone; I felt it in her eyes as she watched me walk back and forth. She wasn’t the only one who was worried. The bastard had said he had plenty more skeletons up his sleeve. I wasn’t surprised he had gone this far. I needed to figure out a way to stop him.

  “Javier, I’m going to have to call you back,” Frankie said and hung up. “Derek, wait.” She walked across the room and clamped my arm as I reached for the door.

  I turned around, my hand still on the knob. “I have to go.”

  “Where?”

  “I’m going to make sure he never contacts you again.”

  “He didn’t threaten me. He was just being a dick. I can handle it.”

  Handle it? I almost laughed. No, she couldn’t. Not now. Not ever. No one would ever talk to her that way for as long as I could help it. She didn’t need him taunting her when his real target was me.

  “It isn’t something you should have to handle.” I tried to calm the anger. She’d done nothing wrong, and I didn’t want to take this out on her, but it felt impossible to level my tone. “This is my shit, and I have to deal with it. It shouldn’t affect you.”

  “If something affects you, then it affects me. Randy is in your life, Derek. That means he’s in mine, too.”

  “No, he’ll never be in your life. I’m going to make sure of that.”

  “I just meant—”

  I took a deep breath, forcing myself to relax. “I know what you meant.” I took a second breath, moving forward so I could touch her. “That man destroys everything he comes into contact with. I won’t let him get close enough to destroy you.”

  “Don’t get yourself in trouble.” The pain in her eyes deepened. “I can’t lose you too, Derek.”

  Seeing her this upset because of me, because of Randy, fucking killed me. I pulled her into my arms, tucking her head against my chest and pressing my lips to the top of her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “If he’s capable of destroying people, then what’s stopping him from destroying you?”

  I squeezed her tighter. “I’m smarter than him.”

  “But what if he’s more powerful? What if he has people working for him who can—”

  I pulled away so I could look into her eyes. She needed to see my face, not just hear my words. “Nothing is going to happen to me, Frankie.”

  Even though she didn’t look persuaded, she didn’t push the issue. When it came to Randy, I wouldn’t cave. He could be the most powerful man in New England, and he could have an entire team backing him; there was still no way he could take me down.

  “Randy isn’t the only person who sent flowers…”

  “I know. I saw the other bouquets.”

  “Reed sent one, too.” She paused to search my face, I assumed she was waiting for my reaction. This was not the time to bring up Reed…and she knew it. “Anna was a big part of his life when we were together.”

  “I get it.” But I didn’t fucking like it. I wanted him to stay the hell away from her; that included flowers, cards, or whatever else he wanted to send. I didn’t want to see or hear his name again. “You haven’t spoken to him yet, have you?”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t had the chance. But I’m going to. Soon. Really, really soon.” She wrapped her arms around my waist and looked up at me. “Kiss me.”

  My eyes traced those spicy lips. “So demanding…”

  She cupped my cock over my jeans, her thumb moving up and down my shaft. “Kiss me, Derek. I’m in no mood to be disappointed.”

  I growled, my nose gliding across her cheek, my lips following. If I really started tasting her, I wouldn’t stop until her pussy was pressed against my lips. But I didn’t have time to eat her the way I wanted to. “I’ll kiss you tonight. Right now, I really have to go.” Her body tightened. “You have nothing to worry about, Frankie. I’ll be extremely careful, you give me a reason to be.” I ran my thumb over her chin. “I’ll see you tonight.” I unwrapped her arms from my waist and pulled the door open. “Should I bring dinner? I know how much you love when I’m your delivery boy…” I was trying to lighten the moment, knowing she probably wouldn’
t eat dinner any more than she’d eaten lunch—a few bites, and the rest in the fridge.

  She thought a minute. “Let’s go to The Hole.”

  I smiled. “I’d like that.”

  I said good-bye and shut the door behind me. Once I was inside my Suburban, I pulled out my phone and searched for Randy’s name. It only rang once before he picked up.

  “I’ve been expecting your call, son.”

  “What did I tell you about calling me that?” The last time we had spoken on the phone, I hadn’t raised my voice. My tone told him exactly how I felt. This time, I couldn’t control the sharpness or the volume. I was fucking pissed. “Apparently, I didn’t get my point across because you’re still calling me your son and you’re still digging into my life. Frankie was the last fucking straw, old man.”

  “That’s an empty threat,” he scoffed, “and we both know it. So why don’t you just tell me what it is you want, and all this will go away.”

  Randy had no intention of going away at all. He wanted what I had…he wouldn’t stop until he got it.

  “I don’t want anything,” I told him.

  “Bullshit. I have something that interests you. What is it?”

  I almost laughed. “You don’t have shit. We both know that.”

  “Tell me, how many vases of flowers is it going to take before you confess?” His voice took on a sharper edge. “Or maybe I won’t send flowers next time…maybe I’ll have one of my friends pay Frankie a visit. It does seem she likes men in the industry: a mortgage broker, a developer. I’m sure one of my foremen would like to show her a thing or two.”

  “If you or anyone else touches her, you’re dead.” I ground my hand over the steering wheel. “Do you understand?”

  “Better than you think…son.”

  “Listen to me carefully, Randy: if you get anywhere near her, I will hunt you down, and I will drag a blade straight across your throat. This is between us. Let’s keep it that way.”

  “Now you listen to me. It would be real unfortunate if Frankie were to become a victim because her boyfriend was too stubborn to admit the truth. There’s only one way this will end, and it’s in your hands.” The phone then went dead.