by LP Lovell
I’m cleaning the outside of the folding French doors when I hear a throat clear beside me. I turn to find Theo leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed across a bare chest, and a raised eyebrow.
“Should I be concerned?”
I blow a loose strand of hair out of my face, which has fallen out of the messy bun on top of my head. “I just thought I would clean up a bit.”
He presses his lips together and nods his head slowly. “Are you having some sort of mental breakdown?” He asks carefully.
I huff out a breath. “I just need a distraction.” I grumble.
A sensual smile pulls at his lips. “Well, sugar, if it was a distraction you needed why didn’t you wake me up? I have a morning present just for you.”
I flick my eyes down to the boner currently tenting his trackies. I roll my eyes. “Really? God, you are such a bloke.”
He smirks. “I’m all man sugar.” He steps close to me, everything about him oozing swagger and pure masculine sex appeal.
I place my hands on my hips and stare him down. “You do realise that not everything can be fixed with sex, my brothers pending imprisonment included.”
He mimics my pose with his hands on his hips. The pose show-cases that beautiful body perfectly. He throws his head back in exasperation and exhales loudly. “I told you, I have taken care of it.”
“Define taken care of.”
He meets my gaze. His blue eyes become serious, the sexual tension of moments ago replaced by the steely determination of the businessman that is Theodore Ellis. “Just trust me?”
I inhale deeply. It seems like such a small thing to do, but can I really trust him to secure Harry’s future? Fuck.
I decide to put it all out there, so I tell him exactly what will happen if Harry does get charged. “If he goes down Theo, I’m going to tell them everything.” I tell him calmly.
His expression becomes icy before he turns away from me. He folds both hands behind his head and walks across the patio. He says nothing for a long time.
“You would do that?” He asks without turning to look at me. “You would share something so painful with the world? Because that’s what it will come to Lilly. You’re with me, and therefore, the press will have a fucking field day with this.”
“I would do anything for Harry.” More silence follows until I feel like I’m going to break under the weight of it.
He turns around and meets my gaze, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity. He closes the distance between us until I have to tilt my head back to hold his gaze. His fingers skim my jaw line tenderly, as his eyes soften. “Then I would do anything for Harry. Please trust me.” He begs.
I decide to take a leap and trust him with the fate of the most important person in my life. “Okay.” I whisper. He clasps my face gently in his hands and places the sweetest kiss on my lips. He closes his eyes and touches his forehead to mine.
“Thank you.” He breathes.
Oh god, he kills me. He takes my love and my trust like it’s some precious gift, which makes me feel like shit. Am I so untrusting, so closed off that he is grateful for whatever I throw him? I guess I’m just so used to fending for myself, and not letting anyone in, that it’s hard to rely on him.
“I’m sorry.” I blurt. He says nothing, just smiles and shakes his head.
“You must be cold sugar.” It is pretty chilly out here, but his naked chest is so warm. I let him guide me inside, where he wraps me in the throw from the back of the sofa.
“It’s not that cold.” I roll my eyes. He lifts me onto one of the stools on the breakfast bar, like a bundled burrito, ignoring my griping.
“Okay, you need to eat, and as much as I would cook for you, that’s a once a year kind of event, so I’ll take you out for breakfast.” He tells me.
“Ugh, I need more coffee.” I’m not even going to argue with him about the fact that I feel like I’m going to throw up. He’ll just whine that I’m too skinny.
“Coffee I can do.” He closes the fridge door, milk bottle in hand, he takes a swig straight from the bottle.
“Gross.” I say.
“What, you don’t want to share germs with me?” He says with a wry smile on his lips.
I smile back. “Baby, I’ll share your germs any time.” I raise an eyebrow at him. He flashes me his sexy smirk, and I start to think that maybe sex can fix everything.
I need some kind of control, because right now, I feel like I have none. I have always used sex to gain control. Theo has always been the ultimate fix. If sex were a drug, then he would be fucking heroine, the ultimate hit, the most euphoric of addictions. If I can control him, I can control anything, because he’s so dominant, so wild in so many ways. It’s fucked up, and wrong, but it’s what I need. It’s how I cope. It’s not like he’s not fucking happy to oblige.
I crook my finger at him and beckon him closer. If there is one thing that I can safely say about Theo, it’s that he thinks with his dick approximately ninety percent of the time. He smiles wide, a knowing gleam in those baby blues. When he’s close enough I hook my fingers in the front of his trackies, pulling him closer to me. My face is level with his chest. I nip at one of his pecs before swiping my tongue across it. His muscles tense under my lips as his hands move to my shoulders. I’m not sure if he’s restraining me or holding me in place. I trace my fingertips over the taught skin of his stomach. Again, his muscles tremble and tense under my touch, making me smile. I make my way down his body, until I’m cupping his now rigid cock through the thin material of his trackies. I slip my hand beneath his waist band and gently trace the length of him with my nail. He trembles a little, his reactions a perfect blend of pleasure and torment. I smile to myself, and flick my eyes up to find him looking at me with a shit eating grin on his face. What is it with men and their ‘I’m about to get laid face’. They have a total inability to play it cool.
“I can’t work out whether I’m distracting you, or you’re distracting me.” He smirks.
I shrug. “Both.” I yank his trackies and boxers down over his hips. His fingers tighten on my shoulders. I move off the stool and slowly drop to a crouch in front of him. His eyes never leave mine, and I’m gripped by their smouldering intensity. I find myself desperate for his touch. I kiss his stomach and trace my tongue between the ridges of muscle. I work my lips everywhere, except his cock. His hands move from my shoulders to my hair, where he pulls at my hair tie, freeing the strands. He grabs my hair up and wraps it around his wrist, yanking my head back. I can’t help but gasp at the force of it. He holds me there, him looking down at me whilst I look up the length of that fucking amazing body. I have to admit, the view is pretty epic. Every muscle in his body is tense, dominating, controlling, but we both know that I’m in control here. I own him and he fucking knows it.
“Don’t fucking tease me Lilly.” He growls through gritted teeth. I smirk at him and his eyes blaze.
“Don’t be so fucking impatient.” I snap back. He’s the epitome of pure man, all hormones and muscles. He loosens his grip on my hair slightly, but not enough for me to reach him. I stick my tongue out and just lick the end of his cock. It jerks and twitches immediately. I hear the breath hiss between his teeth, and now it’s me with the shit eating grin on my face. I grab his arse cheeks and pull him forward hard. He loses his balance and staggers forward a step. I instantly wrap my lips around the head of his cock, and he groans a string of curses. I love that I hold this much power over Theodore Ellis, a man who is the embodiment of power. I love that I can make him desperate. I can have him moaning my name and begging me. It’s the biggest fucking turn on.
I tip my head forward and allow his cock to slide down my throat. I flick my tongue across his bell end and he moans my name, though it sounds more like a prayer. I grip his balls in my hand and roll them between my fingers. His fingers wind through the strands of my hair, clenching and releasing aimlessly.
I drag my eyes up his body to find him watching me. He’s un
hinged, out of control and on the edge…because of me.
“Fuck.” He groans as I start to work him faster. I want to watch him fall apart. His cock twitches in my mouth as he moans long and low. “I’m going to come!” He yells. That’s the cursory ‘if you want to bail now is your chance’. Pft, he knows me better than that. He lets out a hoarse shout and throws his head back. The muscles of his stomach pop as his torso clenches, and warm salty fluid hits the back of my throat. I swallow, and suck him dry, releasing his cock with a small pop.
“Shiiit!” He says. His legs buckle and he falls to the ground in a heap. He lays down on his back on the kitchen floor, eyes closed, cock still out and glistening in spit. Wow.
“Um, you okay?” I ask tentatively. I’m tempted to poke him to check he’s alive. Death by blow job. How poetic. Fitting really.
He grunts a response and I shrug. I get up and go make myself a latte, before resuming my spot at the breakfast bar. I pick up yesterdays paper and start browsing through the random shit that the modern tabloids have to offer. Theo reads The Sun. Three guesses why, or should I say three pages in. I turn to said page.
“You know, I don’t see the point in having fake boobs if they are obviously fake. Surely that defeats the object?”
I glance down at Theo, he cracks one eye open, a sly smile creeping over his lips. “You thinking of upgrading the girls?”
I roll my eyes. “No. I’m just saying…” I pick up the paper and point to said triple G on the page.
He shrugs and closes his eyes again. “There are two types of women babe. There are those you fuck, and those you fuck more than once.”
“That sounds like something Hugo would say.” I mumble.
He smirks. “It is. That…”He gestures toward the page. “…is a girl you fuck, and quite frankly, you don’t give a shit what’s real or fake.”
“Huh. You make it all sound so simple.” He heaves himself off the floor and pulls his trackies up, putting his cock away.
“It is simple.” He kisses the side of my neck. “I love you.” He grins as he winks and strides past me to the coffee machine.
“Doesn’t count.” I say in a sing song voice. Seriously, never say I love you after oral. Ever. It just loses value.
He chuckles, that deep throaty laugh of his making my skin heat. “Give me a few minutes to regain my faculties, and I’ll fuck you seven ways to Sunday.”
“How romantic.” I smile. There’s no need. I’ve got my fix, my power kick. I don’t actually need an orgasm, but I know he’ll insist. Such hardships I endure.
I sit anxiously with my phone propped on the table in front of me. Surely if I stare at it long enough it will ring. God, this is killing me. I need to know what is going on. The last place I want to be right now is in this busy café. Turns out, my crafty blowie didn’t get me out of breakfast. When Theo said he wanted my curves back, he wasn’t kidding. He bought me the most enormous cooked breakfast. I managed to pick at some toast and a bit of bacon. I’m now sat here with my faithful coffee whilst Theo eats two breakfasts.
“Seriously. How are you not fat?” The boy has the body of a bloody god. It certainly isn’t for lack of appetite.
“I’m too hot to be fat.” He smirks.
I can’t help but smile. “Just so you know, I’m inherently shallow. If you ever get fat I’m leaving your arse. I’m only with you because you’re pretty.”
“And I have a nice voice, let’s not forget that one.” He waves his fork at me.
“Seriously? You’re going to hang onto a drunken compliment? You do realise it doesn’t count?”
“Yep.” He shoves a piece of toast in his mouth. “And it so counts.” He winks.
“Because you haven’t had thousands of women tell you that you are sooo hot and god like.” I scoff.
He smiles wide. “You said it babe. I’ll remember that one. God like.” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“Careful. You won’t fit out the door.” I say sweetly.
He opens his mouth to respond but my phone rings. I snatch it off the table and answer it. “Hello?” My voice is shaky with nerves.
Theo pulls the Aston up outside the police station. The outside of the building looks so unsuspecting. My brother is in there, so close, and yet if today goes badly, who knows when I’ll see him again.
“Breathe, Lilly.” Theo murmurs beside me. He grabs my shoulder and shakes me gently. “Relax. You look like you’re about to blow.”
I swing my gaze to his. “My brother is being held for no reason. He may be arrested because of me. Of course I’m about to blow.” I take a breath. It’s not his fault. He’s done nothing but help me with this. “I’m sorry.” I say quickly.
He flashes me a warm smile. “Sugar, I know what Harry means to you. Please trust me when I say I would never let anything happen to him.”
“Theo, you can’t fix everything.”
He smirks. “If Harry gets charged, he will get out on bail, I can promise you that. There’s also a pretty good chance that his case will be thrown out.”
“I can’t chance Harry’s fate on if’s and maybe’s.” I lean back against the plush seat of the Aston. “I think I should tell them.” At the risk of exposing even bigger secrets. Fuck!
I glance sideways at Theo. His expression has become serious, his actions deathly still. “You can’t do that Lilly.”
I meet his eyes head on. “Excuse me? It is my story, and he is my brother. I will do what needs to be done.”
He sighs and drags one hand down his face. “Lilly, I’ve already been battling on every front just trying to keep the papers from getting wind of the story about Harry. You and I are old news as far as the press is concerned, and yet my PR team are up to their eyeballs in gag orders.” His blue eyes lock with mine. “It won’t be long before they find out we are back together. You then instantly become more interesting, especially with all the shit swimming around us at the moment. They are very likely to get wind of Harry’s situation. If you make that statement, you are going to be hounded. Everyone is going to know your story.” A small frown line appears between his eyes. His eyes are soft, and full of a genuine concern. Theo and I agreed to keep our relationship quiet until everything settles with Harry, for this very reason. He wasn’t entirely happy with it, but he understands why I don’t want the press stalking my every move at the moment.
“Theo, I can take people knowing my business as long as my brother is not behind bars.” I tell him.
“I don’t want that for you Lilly. It would eat you alive. I won’t stand by and watch the press pick you apart. They’re fucking vultures. They won’t be sympathetic.”
I nod. “We make sacrifices for those we love.”
“We do, which is why I am asking you to trust me. Just give me a chance to fix it before you jump the gun and make yourself a public target for no reason.” His eyes hold mine. There’s so much sincerity in them, and this deep seated adoration that I always find when I look in his eyes. He has never let me down. He always comes through. He’s Theodore Ellis, just the name incites a certain faith.
“Okay.” I whisper. “But please remember that I am trusting you with the fate of the most important person in my life.” I don’t want him to feel inferior. He is certainly on a level with Harry, but he’s not Harry. The connection I have with my brother, the things we’ve been through together, it’s totally different, it doesn’t compare.
“I know.” He says with a smile. He opens the door and gets out of the car. I pick up my handbag and take a breath just as he pulls my door open. I smooth the skirt of my dress down before taking his hand as he helps me out of the low sports car.
We approach the reception desk at the police station. Theo starts talking, but my mind tunes out as I start to panic again. My thoughts are a mess of ‘what if’s’. I just need to see my brother.
We’re shown to a room where we are told to wait. There’s a leather sofa pushed up against the wall, a coffee table with various maga
zines and a water cooler in the corner. That’s it. It’s the waiting that is killing me.
I pace nervously for a few minutes. Theo says nothing, even though I must be annoying the shit out of him.
After several minutes of whirlwind thoughts, an idea crosses my mind that I’m surprised I haven’t thought of before. “Theo?”
“Mmm hmm.” He doesn’t look up from the magazine in his lap. I glance at what has him so enraptured.
“Really? You’re reading Cosmo?” I raise an eyebrow.
“The sex position of the week is very interesting.” Again, still not looking away.
Curiosity gets the better of me and I move to glance over his shoulder. “Oh wow, yeah, not happening.”
He smirks and finally looks up. “You sure? You’d make a hot pretzel.”
I roll my eyes. “Serious situation.” I gesture around the room.
“Exactly. This is the perfect time for pretzel inspired sex positions.” His eyes dance mischievously.
I drop onto the sofa next to him and shimmy until my thigh is pressed to his, he moves his arm around me and pulls me closer. “Police stations do it for you, huh?” He raises his eyebrows.
“No.” I hiss. “I need to ask you something.” I say in a hushed voice. He says nothing. “If there were to be no testimony from my mother, could they still arrest Harry?”
His face turns serious. “Not here.” He says quietly.
I study his face for a long while. “You’ve thought about it.” I say without accusation.
He presses his lips together and nods his head. Okay, this isn’t the time or place. Shit, why didn’t I think of this sooner?
After a half hour wait, Claudia steps into the room. I think she looks angry, but I can’t tell, the woman has so much Botox in her face.
“What’s happening?” I ask anxiously.