by Willa Thorne
I took a little walk instead. The air was still mild, but the sun was rapidly setting as I walked toward a nearby bookstore. I had already dialed the number for the town car company, and asked them to pick me up outside of the bookstore’s address. The walk was enjoyable, but as I neared the end of the block, a sick and churning sense washed over me. I hadn’t felt that sense in a while, and definitely not in Manhattan. The streets were still busy in East Village, so I wasn’t worried about walking alone. Still, I was overwhelmed by a prickling feeling that I was being watched.
For a fleeting moment, I stopped and scanned my surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place. People walked by on their cell phones. The smell of fresh-baked bread and Italian cuisine wafted from a slight breeze. An idle town car was neatly parked by the curb just a little distance down the street. A boy sped past me on a bicycle. Taxis honked and people continued passing me on the pavement. I shrugged my shoulders and turned back around to continue my walk toward the bookstore. Then, it struck me. Something was unusual…
What is a town car doing in this end of town? I wanted to pass this off as paranoia, but I have never seen this type of car in this end of the city. This section of East Village is very different from the Upper East Side.
I sucked on my lower lip and continued walking, trying to mingle with the crowd, but I still sensed the presence. I tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible while I casually glanced toward a large brick building. I just wanted to catch a glimpse of the sleek black vehicle from the corner of my eye while pretending to be interested in something on the street. My heart palpitated in my chest when I realized the car had moved and was creeping down the city street. I turned a corner, between St. Mark’s Place and Second Street, which was completely outside of my route to the bookstore. This street was still busy; and to my horror, the vehicle also made the same turn.
Don’t turn around, I repeatedly told myself silently. I could still sense the vehicle following me. Am I really that high on my horse that I think someone is following me? I sensed the proximity of the sleek car creep even closer, and my heart was now thundering in my chest. I dug through my bag as my pulse hammered in my head. I pulled out my cell phone to call Mason. I’m not going to sugarcoat the fact that I was officially terrified.
With trembling fingers, I dialed his number, and it went straight to voicemail.
“You reached Mason Woodward. You know what to do.” His voice was direct on the voicemail message. Damn! I rounded the corner onto another busy street, feeling the creepy vehicle following me still, closing the distance at this point. I looked up Jackson’s number to call him, and as I was rapidly scrolling through my contacts, I bumped into lean muscle.
“You have a real talent for that.” The familiar male voice was one I hadn’t heard in a few months. My heart did another double leap, and I looked up to see Ian’s handsome, grinning face.
“You alright?” A single eyebrow lifted as he looked down at me.
I shook my head slightly. I knew my face was flushed from nerves and adrenaline.
Immediately, the black town car sped up and passed us. I caught the deadly glare Ian gave the vehicle as it passed us. Once it was gone from sight, Ian assessed me keenly.
“They were following you, hm?”
“I think so. I- I don’t know why,” I took a gulp of air as I attempted to compose myself. “I think you scared them off.”
“Yep. If they know what’s good for them…” He didn’t finish that sentence, but there was nothing light about that statement. His usual quirky smirk was gone and he was very serious.
“I’ll escort you home.” He said as he flexed his muscles and I heard knuckles crack.
“I have a car waiting for me,” I blurted stupidly.
“I have a motorcycle waiting,” He winked. I watched his blue eyes glint with a dark playfulness. I didn’t have much time to think about Mason’s reaction, because I just wanted to go home. My heart was still pulsating in my chest, even though it had calmed somewhat.
“I’m just messing with you, sweetness. I’ll escort you home.” With that ever-present smirk, he gestured for me to follow. He walked with me to the waiting car, and then accompanied me home in the same vehicle.
“Thank you so much,” I said as Ian followed me out of the car, once it had parked in front of Mason’s hotel. “I’m so grateful I found you when I did.”
“No thanks needed.” He grinned, although I noticed that the smile didn't reach his blue eyes. There was a hardness present behind those blue depths.
I was exhausted after that scare and knew I was a little paranoid, and on high alert. As I walked away, I noticed Ian pull out his cell phone and put it to his ear as he took a few steps down the sidewalk.
“Yeah… Fuck that… I need to get back to my bike. I left it in a bad side of town, no thanks to you…” Ian’s voice trailed as he walked away and I was extremely grateful to enter the thick glass doors of The Darling. Once inside the penthouse, I exhaled deeply and threw my things on the marble table in the foyer.
I tried to call Mason, but the constant ring tone signaled that he was on the line with another call. After today, he would never let me visit the Youth Center again. He wasn’t pleased about me going there in the first place, but to my surprise, he didn’t argue and insisted I take a town car instead of a taxi. I agreed, and we compromised. Now, I understood why he didn’t want me going there in the first place.
I felt drained, but still wound too tight. I drew a bubble bath and sprinkled some lavender bath crystals into the water. Once the tub was filled and foaming with the amazing aroma, I stripped down. My mind was still buzzing. Who would follow me and why? Did Mason have a lot of enemies who I didn’t know about? Did he-
My thoughts were interrupted when Mason suddenly barged into the bathroom. He was wild-eyed and his gorgeous face was rigid, seemingly murderous. His navy tie was roughly loosened around his neck and his silk button-down was already half untucked. I hadn’t heard him enter the penthouse, and after the episode I had less than an hour earlier, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Without a word, he wrapped his arms around me and held me. His large arms enveloped my frame and consumed me. He didn’t say anything as he held me, and I felt so safe in his arms as he kept me locked in a possessive embrace.
Finally, after several minutes, I thought to ask the plaguing question. “Do you have any enemies, Mason?”
“No- yes,” he answered with a pained sigh. I pulled away to look up at him with a confused expression.
Mason’s brow furrowed and his jaw knotted for a fleeting second. “My father had many enemies. Those issues have been handed down to me through the inheritance.”
I was thoroughly confused, and worried- for good reason.
“Do not worry, my love. What they fail to realize is that I have my own connections.” His voice was laced with threat as he pulled me into another tight embrace and I felt his hand slip down, and grip one cheek of my ass in a fierce grip.
Mason still had a tendency to attempt distraction with sex, so I slapped his hand away. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Woodward.”
He said nothing at first, and only took my hand before he guided me toward the tub. After stripping his clothes, he sank down into the water and gently pulled me against him. I lay against him as he caressed my arms. I felt his warm breath against the nape of my neck, pulling strands of damp hair away from my neck.
I kept my head nestled against his solid chest, and he continued massaging my arms. He was very quiet; he didn’t command me to spill my thoughts and feelings. There was a storm cloud surrounding him though. I could tell he was troubled by his deep breathing.
After some time, he finally spoke.
“Tell me what happened. Please.”
I breathed deeply. “I went to the party at the youth center this afternoon. When I left, I noticed a car parked. I had a sick feeling that someone was watching me. I walked a little bit and realized it was followi
ng me.”
I sensed the storm raging within Mason. He can get particularly overprotective.
“I turned a corner to see if the car would also turn the same corner and it did. I tried to call you-”
“Yes, I’m so sorry. I was in a conference call.” He wrapped his olive arms around my entire body.
“I literally bumped into Ian, and then the car disappeared. I was so relieved. He escorted me home. It was just a really scary experience. I don’t know.” I was still shaken and stumbled on some of my words.
“Fuck.” I heard Mason hiss under his breath.
I pursed my lips as we lay together in silence.
“I had that feeling a few times when I was in Ohio, too. Do you think…?” My voice trailed. I was trying to process my thoughts.
“Possibly. They’re just a couple of shitheads who are trying to intimidate me. You know I am not intimidated easily.”
“Are they a real threat?” I asked.
Mason tensed, and I felt his frame stiffen against me.
“No. It’s all just a load of bollocks.” His voice was strained. “Every once in a while, I run into men like these. Fuckers.”
He tried to ease my mind. “It will be all right, my darling. Nothing is going to happen to you. To us. As I said before, I have my own resources.”
12. Mason Woodward
The secret was nearly impossible to keep. For her own safety, I couldn’t spill everything that transpired between Wei and I. I couldn’t yet tell her that it was Ian who was keeping an eye on her. The way he handled the situation this afternoon proved more strongly that I could count on him to keep an eye on Jill at a distance, and was doing so at no extra charge. This was all part of his own secret agenda, but I was not in a position to question what vendetta he had against Wei, or deny his services. Wei is a dangerous man.
The days sped more rapidly than I would have liked. Thankfully, Jillian was so busy with wedding arrangements that she didn’t seem to notice my stress level. Nearly two weeks passed since I met with Wei, and things seemed fairly quiet. When I wasn’t in the office, I spent my time channeling my stress on the punching bag in the fitness room.
“Mason?” I heard Jillian call as I knocked one last swing on the bag and sent it swinging. The adrenaline was alive in my system and try as I might, I couldn’t exhaust myself.
I heard Jillian’s keys rest on the marble table in the foyer as she arrived home. The pesky dog yelped in greeting and I heard her laughing as she greeted the pup. I grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from my face, before I draped it over my shoulders.
I left the fitness room and rounded the corner. She was still in the foyer, but straightened when I appeared in the front room. She was wearing a violet quarter-sleeve cotton dress. The dress was classic and simple in design, but God, I wanted to tear that fabric off her body. The fabric hugged the curve of her hips and accentuated those perfect tits. I couldn’t tear my eyes off her breasts. A trickle of sweat leaked from my brow, and I wiped it away with the towel that still draped my shoulders. I was dressed in only black sweat pants after my workout.
Jillian’s cheeks became crimson, and her eyes widened as she studied my shirtless form. The curve of her body and the crimson color in her cheeks sent a rush of blood straight to my cock.
“Oh. My. God.” She breathed. “I’ll never get used to the sight of that…” She seemed to be talking to herself in admiration.
She smiled up at me as I approached her. I couldn’t resist those lips and I kissed them deeply. My arms wrapped around her, and pulled her tightly to my chest as I parted those lips with my tongue. I caressed her cheek, before cupping her face with both hands.
Words cannot express how much I love this woman, but it is times like this which remind me of the magnitude of my feelings for her.
I kept my lips on hers, sensuously caressing her tongue with my own, keeping her face cupped between my hands for sometime. I felt her skin radiate beneath my grasp; her temperature was rising with need. Her small frame melted against my own as her desire was clearly expressed in the way her tongue danced around mine.
My hand trailed from her face, and raked firmly down her neck, down her breasts beneath that dress. Forcefully, I hiked that skirt up to her waist and pulled the thin black lace of her panties to one side. I felt how slick she was and I felt my cock throb against the restraint of my pants.
“Darling, you’re soaked…” My voice was barely a hoarse whisper.
“You’ve been busy,” she answered, with lust in her voice.
“I’ll make it up to you.” Without another word, I scooped her up and carried her down the hall.
“I’m going to fill that sweet cunt, long and deep,” I whispered into her ear as I kicked open the door to the master suite bathroom. I felt her breathing pick up as her chest heaved slightly. It pleased me greatly when I saw her react like this. She’s responding like this now, just wait until I have her pinned down beneath my hold.
I set her down only so I could turn on the shower and adjust the temperature. The steam filled the bathroom and fogged the glass. We took turns undressing each other and I resisted the temptation to tear that fabric from her delicious body. Without wasting another moment, I took her hand and led her through the glass doors, into the marble shower.
13. Jillian Pryor
He kept his grasp firmly on my hand as he led me into the shower. The steam on our skin felt so good, and I watched him adjust the pressure on the shower head and then, before I could process it, he had me pinned against the marble wall of the shower. His movements were fierce, carnal, and passionate. So help me… I careened beneath this man. His hands were commanding as he lifted my thigh and flicked my clit with his thumb and forefinger. His hand began massaging my most sensitive spot in a rhythmic, circular motion that was already causing pressure to build up within my core.
“You feel this, darling?” His growl was a whisper in my ear as his fingers worked miracles. “I own this.”
My breathing was rampant, and I could only nod. He continued caressing me with a hungry passion, but his other hand took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and he lifted my gaze toward blazing stare.
“Say it.” He demanded in a low tone. His own breathing was erratic at this point.
“Yes,” I breathed. “It’s yours, all yours.”
I was ready and desperate for him to take me. I needed to feel him fill me up, every inch pounding me hard against the shower wall.
Instead, he backed away and left me feeling wanton.
“Wash me,” he ordered softly.
“Yes, sir.” Yes, please.
His masculine body wash had a clean, crisp scent to it and I lathered it all over my hands. Without another word, I ran my hands over the taut, olive muscles of his frame. I looked up at him as I ran my slick, soapy hands over his body. His cock was perfectly erect, thick and solid just for me. I reveled in the contours of his chest, over his abdomen. My hands ran over the lines of his cock, and he closed his eyes momentarily. With two hands, I washed him, in a circular, rhythmic pattern. My hands pumped up and down slowly. His knees nearly buckled as I began to massage beneath his thighs, feeling how thick and firm he was.
He opened his eyes as I slowed my pace and looked down at me. “I’m going to be balls-deep inside that tight pussy within ten minutes.”
I only looked up at him with a sly smile, and rolled my tongue down his perfect chest, down the ripple of his muscled abs, and ran my tongue over the tip of his hard shaft.
“Fuck, Jillian.” He moaned with a groan.
“Not yet,” I answered with a small tease. On my knees, I kissed the tip of his cock as though I was kissing his mouth and I felt his entire frame quiver. I love him more than my own life, but I still enjoy this power I can have over him. My lips tenderly caressed him there, and then I felt him gasp as I took half his length into my mouth. I moved my lips up and down at a slow, steady pace and this drove him absolutely wild.
I felt his large hand grip a handful of my damp hair and force my lips further onto his cock. His hand held me by my scalp, but I still held the control. My tongue swirled over every inch as he pushed his cock into the warmth of my mouth. In and out, firm and steady was the pace he set for me.
With a gasping groan, he suddenly pulled out of my mouth and I felt his warm juices hit my neck and breasts. In a silent command, he helped me to my feet and guided me under the water. His mouth on my neck was hot and amorous as he held my hair in a handful. I could barely focus on washing myself as my entire being melted under the heated trail he left on my neck. He sensed this, and ran his hands up down my body, keeping me plastered against his torso as he raked over every curve. I felt his cock harden again as it pressed firmly against my ass.
****
The sun was setting the next evening when I put in the last fax for the day. After another busy day of phone calls, faxes, and filing confidential material, Piper’s office was now quiet. Earlier in the afternoon, one of Piper’s clients had a mental break down and I had to cancel a few of Piper’s following appointments while she handled the situation. We were both ready to go home as soon as her last session for the day was through.
The janitorial staff would be coming through later to take out the trash and clean the office, so there was not much left to do. I researched honeymoon destinations while we waited. I’ve never gone on a real vacation and could not begin to imagine where I wanted to go for a honeymoon. Mason has told me several times that he already has something planned, and the suspense is just too much. Truthfully, I was glad that Mason wanted to take care of the honeymoon. Our wedding was only five months away, and there was still so much to do. Piper and Elyse helped me decide on the wedding cake design, and Zara accompanied me to the florist and helped me choose the flower arrangements. Still, I have to schedule fittings, a meeting with the caterer and-