by Nicole Vidal
“How?” I’m cautiously optimistic.
“The résumés that I need to review for our meeting tomorrow are for a few more teammates. When Jake gave them to me, he said he wants two if I was staying in the field or three to four if I want to move into the office. We had already talked about it when I took over for him last year while he was in the field for Norah.”
My belly does a flip-flop. “You already decided to give up your job?”
“Give up, no. Although I probably could give up my stake in Blackthorne. Take a more passive role, yes.”
For me?
“Partially.”
How does he do that? “Should I say my thoughts out loud when we’re face-to-face?”
“Only if you want to. I can read your thoughts fine. What is your plan when your tour is over?”
“I want to take a break and then possibly record some of the music I’ve written and perhaps other songs. It’s part of what I plan to talk to Madeleine about in the morning.”
“When did you decide to make the change?” He presses a soft kiss to my lips.
“I haven’t made a final decision yet. I’ve done very well for myself. Honestly, I could stop working and be perfectly content with nothing to do but writing songs for others, keeping a home, and raising lots of kids.”
“That’s amazing, sweetheart.”
“I wouldn’t even be considering the change without meeting you.”
He tightens his grip on my hips. The blue of his eyes softens a tad more. “What do you mean?”
“Meeting you forced me outside of my comfort bubble. No other firm ever asked about my personal history from me. I’m sure the information I provided was very similar to what you received.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Why?”
“Blaine, our investigator, is the best at what he does. I would bet your previous firms had no idea about your parents or childhood. Most firms only care about the reason they were hired. We care about the entire history because often it plays a part in the client’s demeanor or the threat.”
I nod.
“That reason alone is why I prefer my clients tell me their story on their own rather than me reading it.”
“Even if they did, I don’t know that I would have shared with anyone else. You make me feel like my childhood is something to embrace not run from.”
“It is. If I learned anything from my mom, Jake, Jill, and Cam, it is your time in the foster system, whether it’s a few days like Jake or eleven years for you, impacts the person you become. Your time in the system made you the strong, resilient woman that you are.”
“Thank you.”
“Always. How attached are you to your house?”
I wonder where he’s going with this. “I’m not, except for the studio. Why?”
“When Jake started Blackthorne, I lived with him at the farm and helped with the renovation a little bit. Then he built the bunkhouse where the rest of the team lives. I lived there for a few months until it started to feel like a frat house. Then I bought this place. Jake offered me a piece of land near the other edge of his property to build a home on at that time. I wasn’t ready.”
“Okay.”
“I’m crazy about you and I don’t want to wake up without you beside me either. Will you build a home with me?”
“I’m crazy about you too. Yes, absolutely yes! I have some conditions though.”
“I would expect nothing less. Can we talk about it after I worship you a bit more?” He drags his tongue over the hollow of my collarbone sending need flooding through my veins.
“You don’t care what they are, do you?”
“No. There isn’t anything you could possibly want that I won’t willingly give to you.”
That sealed it. I’ve fallen hard and fast for this man and I never want to go back to a life without him. “How would you like to celebrate?”
Instead of answering me with words, Connor lifts my shirt over my head, lowers me to the cushion, and hovers over me.
“Take off your shirt, please.”
“Why?”
“Fairness aside, I need to feel your skin against mine.”
Without another thought he leans back on his heels, tugs his shirt off, and pulls me back up to sitting unfastening my bra and casts it aside. The look in his eyes is different. Molten desire stares back at me. He pins my wrists above my head and seals his mouth over mine. His kiss is sensual and drips with yearning. Each kiss mirrors how I feel. We have been together more than a few times—each time different in feeling, speed, and overall magnitude. This time his touch is all consuming and possessive. Connor marks my body with his mouth varying in pressure and intensity. I arch up against him as he swirls of his tongue around my nipples. His pursuit of leaving no part of my body untouched by him is driving me to blissful madness. The throbbing between my thighs increases in fervor with each nip of his teeth.
“Connor.” I exhale when his tongue dips into my navel and a bite near my hip. Who knew that feels amazingly good? “Are you trying to drive me insane?”
“No, I want to make love to you.”
My heart squeezes in my chest. I close my eyes, hoping he can’t read my thoughts at this very moment. He’s in as deep as I am. A deluge of emotion crashes over me. I need to tell him with words.
“Connor, I—”
“Calliope, I….” He slips his hands beneath the waistband of my shorts and shimmies them down my legs. I take the opportunity of my hands being free to shove his shorts down as well. Connor draws his hands up my legs with featherlike precision. Each lingering touch sends decadent spikes of need to my already aching core. The instant he draws his forefinger along my silk-covered seam, I almost come undone. My fingertips dig into his shoulders, and my thighs tremble as he tugs my panties down my legs before removing his boxer briefs. He deftly saws his fingers over my folds before plunging them into my throbbing center, the heel of his hand teasing my nub.
“You’re so wet.”
“Always when I’m near you.” I chase my release, meeting the thrusts of his hand in my core. The climax that follows quakes through me. It barely takes the edge off my need for him—the deep, aching need to attain bliss with only him.
As my breathing and heart rate regulate, he hovers over me. Rocking back, he rolls the latex on. The tip of his length grazes my core. With a slow, languid thrust, Connor joins our bodies. We find our rhythm. Each sensual stroke tightens the spiral of pleasure in my center. I savor every soaring moment as my climax cascades through me. His body moves faster, his thrust more deliberate as he thunders toward his release. His body tenses as he explodes with pleasure deep inside me.
We roll onto our sides so I’m against the back cushions in a cocoon of Connor. He places tender kisses over my face as our breathing regulates. I close my eyes to hide the emotions coursing through me. I’m head over heels for this man who figured out how to overcome the same type of wounds I have. He’s determined to help me do the same.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Connor
While I would prefer to stay wrapped around Calliope all day, today we need to get some work done. She’s set up in my office with her laptop talking to Madeleine about her options while I review these files for new team members. From this stack of eight, I’ve eliminated three. I’m interested to hear Jake’s opinion.
For the first time, I feel like things are starting to fall into place for me. Until her, I felt like a part of me was missing. My initial attraction pales in comparison to how I feel now. She’s everything, and we agree on a large family as well. We should talk about how many is large to her. Usually that is off-putting to women. The mere fact that we agree on that, in addition to our insane attraction to one another, makes me believe we’re starting off on a solid footing.
Near ten, I peek into the office. She’s still talking to Madeleine, but she has a huge smile on her face—a smile that means she’s truly happy. One I see when she’s with me. She l
ifts her eyes to me. I point to my watch. She nods, and I walk out the door. Ten minutes later, she appears and we leave for the Blackthorne office with fresh coffees in hand.
“How was your call?”
“Amazing! Madeleine was receptive to my ideas and is willing to work with me to figure out the best way to handle it. I need to keep it under wraps until the tour is over though.”
I thread my fingers into hers. “How does that impact the performance in New York?”
“She recommends I sing as Carys. I’m not a fan of that option. I asked Madi to reach out to the organizer and get the non-disclosure signed. Once she has it, I asked her to inquire about me singing as myself. She’s completely against it as my agent, but as my friend, she’ll get it done.”
“At least she’s willing to find out. I know it’s important to you.” Connor states.
“It is. If it were a public event, I could understand the draw of Carys but the event is for the families. True, it will be televised but the colorful wig and bubbly personality is Carys. The voice is me, Calliope Sutton. Clearly, they believe that Carys can pull off singing at this historic event despite her persona. I don’t see why I can’t as me just as well.”
“Madi is tenacious. She will go hard for this even though she’s against it.”
“Yeah, she will.”
“Would you choose not to sing if they require Carys?” He asks in a whisper.
“I won’t sing as Carys. I see her point that I’m using the event to push myself as a singer forward. It’s about optics. I’m not so sure I agree with her though.”
We pull along the curb in front of the office. “We can keep talking about this later.”
She nods. I round the truck and open her door. With the protection of the door and my body, I kiss her thoroughly. I’m not overly concerned about being seen, but just in case, I shield her as best I can.
“You can’t kiss me like that in public.” Her voice comes out low and raspy.
I grin. “I’ll kiss you however I choose, wherever I choose.”
“I see. That is something we should discuss. I’m sure you don’t mean that for during my tour in public.”
My head drops against hers. “You’re right.” I press a kiss to her forehead, thread our fingers, and lead her into The Nook.
“Morning, Norah.”
“Morning. Thanks for hanging out with me for a bit, Callie.”
Calliope smiles.
“I’ll be next door if you need me.” I drop a chaste kiss on her lips after a reassuring squeeze to her hand. Reluctantly, I leave her side. In my head, I know she doesn’t need me beside her here, but my heart isn’t getting the message.
I step into the office. “Morning, Gemma.” Gemma is our assistant. She’s the daughter of our former commanding officer. Her teens were rough, but working for Blackthorne seems to have smoothed things out between Gemma and her father.
“Morning, Connor. Jake’s ready for you.”
I lightly knock and walk into the office.
“Morning, C. What do you want to tackle first, teasing or new team members?”
“Ha ha ha. Let’s go with team members. These are my top four. I select the files for Sawyer Miles, Alejandra Mejia, Hayden Whitman, and Drew Whitman. Sawyer Miles is a marine veteran, expert in hand-to-hand combat, and munitions expert. Alejandra Mejia is a former marine sniper turned personal trainer for battered women. Hayden and Drew Whitman are both army veterans and brothers, not twins. Both have worked personal security for another firm that recently closed for business.
“Four, huh? Maybe I can do both teasing and selecting new team members at the same time.”
I shake my head. “You should save the teasing for later. Trust me. I will hand you a prime opportunity on a silver platter.”
Jake is intrigued, so he gets right down to the team members. “I agree with Miles and Mejia. I’m not sure about the Whitman brothers.”
“What are your concerns?”
“They worked for Tucker Securities. Tucker folded for failing to adequately protect A-list actress Lynn Smith. There was a car chase that ended badly for Mrs. Smith’s publicist and agent. Their reputation is not as spotless as I would like.”
“Hayden and Drew weren’t on her detail, correct?”
“No, they weren’t.”
“I would suggest interviewing them and see what we think afterward.”
Jake agrees and sends an email to Gemma to schedule the interviews and start the offer packets. “What about New York?”
“She talked to Madeleine this morning about New York and some other changes she wants to make. Madeleine doesn’t feel Calliope should sing as herself in New York.”
“Callie doesn’t agree?”
“No, she doesn’t.”
Jake turns in his chair and grabs a file from the credenza behind him and hands it to me. “Her decision doesn’t impact her security in any way. I made an appointment for her to visit the memorial privately before the event as well as the Reflection Room.”
“She has never been before. I need to be there as her partner, not her security.”
“Not a fan of boyfriend?” Jake asks.
“No, it isn’t enough.”
“Interesting, I thought the same thing about Norah. I understand though. I’ll be there along with Christoph, Finn, and probably Maia.”
“Thanks, Jake.” I don’t know if there are enough words to express my gratitude for everything he’s doing, including going back into the field for the woman I love.
“What about you?”
“If possible, I would like to be out of the field after this job.”
Jake smiles. “You owe me big, but I’m happy for you, brother.”
“Thank you, Jake, for sending me to protect the woman of my dreams. Speaking of which, is the offer for the land still available?”
“You weren’t kidding about that silver platter.”
“No, I wasn’t. She’s more than I ever imagined I would find in one woman.” That doesn’t even consider that her voice makes my soul weep and for some reason she wants me as much as I want her. I’m not keen on sharing that with Jake yet. He understands completely. The only difference is his baggage had him waiting two extra years before realizing Norah was right in front of him. Not me. I want to spend the rest of my life loving Calliope Sutton. I need to protect her first.
“Yes, of course. I would love to have you both as our neighbor. There are three lots that the town will allow me to build on. I can send you the map, and you can decide which one you prefer with Callie.”
“Thanks, Jake. What about the bunkhouse?”
Jake looks up at me.
“It isn’t big enough for nine team members. Are we not offering housing to the new guys or offering the current team members the option to leave? I can offer my condo for the team members once everything is settled. Callie is going to need to be home until her new studio is ready.”
“That could work. We should meet with the current team and discuss with them.”
“How do we handle me moving into the office?”
Jake looks up as the door to his office opens after a soft knock. Norah and Calliope step inside. “We can work that out. Maybe split the team members and their assignments. Also, given Calliope’s lack of skills to protect herself, there might be an avenue to explore offering self-defense classes for our female clients. Plus, if Alejandra joins the team, she could partner with Maia, and even Norah, to teach the classes.”
“That could work. That idea is appealing. We would need more space though. I don’t want the classes to be held at the compound especially when we live here too.” Connor states.
“I understand and agree.”
Norah rounds the desk and kisses Jake. Calliope leans down to kiss me as well. I love that she doesn’t care that other people are around. That is going to make the rest of her tour difficult. There’s virtually no chance that I can keep my hands to myself completely. My need to feel her ski
n against mine is immeasurable.
“Come on, Connor. Let’s give Jacob and Callie a minute.” Norah grabs my hand, tugs me out of the office, and latches the door.
“What is going on, Norah?”
“Nothing for you to worry about. She’s fine. In fact, she’s more than fine. Callie is good for you.”
I smile. “Yes, she is. Can we take Lucky and Trix out for a ride tomorrow?”
“Sure. When are you stepping back from field work?”
I shouldn’t be surprised. “As soon as we can add more team members.”
Norah hugs me. “I’m ecstatic for both of you. Your mom was right. Callie brings the true Connor to the surface more frequently.”
I never really saw myself as more than one person, but I know what my mom means. The everyday Connor and the committed, deeply in love Connor are different. I like the in-love version better. Calliope Sutton is my other half, and I can’t wait to tell her. “I am too.”
Calliope and Jake join us in the waiting room less than ten minutes later. She has a huge grin on her face. Whatever she asked Jake for or to do, he said yes. The bigger question is why is it a secret from me? Calliope slides her hand in mine. The four of us walk down the street to the Main Street diner for some lunch.
After lunch we stop into the candy store and then spend the rest of the day relaxing on the patio. Near ten I lead my woman into the bedroom and peel the layers of her clothes from her gorgeous curves and worship her until we fall asleep.
Chapter Thirty
Calliope
Wakefulness creeps in slowly. I’m warm tucked against Connor’s hard body. One of his big hands rests on my hip. My head is on his upper arm, and my hand is flat on top of his. I can’t say I knew what finding my other half would feel like. The amount of time I had with my parents was fleeting. Yet I know in my heart their marriage was stable. They were best friends, intellectual sparring partners, and amazing parents. The small glimpse of their love is what I want for myself. Deep in my soul, I know we can have that together.