Tragic Desires

by A. M. Hargrove

  He laughs at me. “And you say I’m bossy.”

  “It’s only fair.”

  “Point taken.”

  He strips off his shirt and I relish how his muscles ripple with his movements. My arms stretch out to touch them. He’s everything a man should be … hard yet smooth, solid and firm, yet velvety. My body fires everywhere and I can’t sit still. He pushes me back down on the couch. “Lift up,” he says, tapping my hips. I do as he asks and he slides my sweats off. I’m suddenly conscious of the fact I haven’t showered since last night, so I freeze.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I say as I sit up.

  “Bullshit, Gemini. You’re the worst liar. One minute you’re panting after me and the next, you’re like ice. What the hell?”

  This is really uncomfortable. My face heats because of it, so I raise my hands to cover it.

  “Tell me.” He’s demanding at first, but then he must see how awkward I feel, so he moves between my now very naked legs. Then his arms are around me and his mouth is next to my ear. “What is it, Onyx? You can tell me.”

  “I haven’t had a shower since last night. I don’t want you to do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Go down on me.”

  “Ah, I see. Well, then, come on.”

  He pulls me to my feet and I follow, naked, into the bathroom. Why didn’t I realize there’d be a shower in here? He turns on the water and when the temperature is just right, we get in and he gives me a very thorough scrubbing. Everywhere. I’m slick with shower gel and suds, but it feels so good, I tell him never to stop as his fingers massage me until I’m calling out to him over and over.

  “Drex. I need you.”

  “No can do, Onyx. No condoms in here.”

  Acute disappointment rushes through me. It’s nearly painful. I slide my body down his with the intention of returning the favor he just bestowed on me, but his voice stops me.

  “No, not now. As much as the thought of your luscious, wet mouth delights me, I want us to eat and go home so I can bury myself in you. I want to feel all of you on me, babe. You good with that?”

  “Yeah, I’m good,” I say as I rub my cheek against him. Then I let him pull me to my feet.

  When he shampoos my hair, I know I’ve died and gone to heaven for the second time.

  “Jeez, babe, you sound like you’re coming again,” he laughs.

  “Oh God, this feels divine. Why doesn’t it ever feel this good when you wash your own hair?”

  “I’ve never thought about it.”

  When we’re finally finished, he dries me off and wraps my hair in a towel. “Why, thank you. You do a fine job of this. Maybe you should think of changing professions.” I wink at him.

  He smacks me on the butt as we move into the other room.

  “I’m sorry you don’t have any other clothes here.”

  “That’s okay. I’m wondering how I’m going to get a brush through my hair since there wasn’t any conditioner.”

  “Here, let me.” He takes the brush and starts to work through the tangles. And there are tons of them. “Tell me if I hurt you.”

  “Just do it because I know there is no other way.”

  When he’s finally done, he says, “How about some dinner?”

  We laugh as he carries the pasta containers to the microwave. When the food is again warm, we polish off our plates in record time.

  “I’m still hungry. We’ll stop for round two on the way home.”

  “Round two?”

  “Yeah. That was just the appetizer.”

  I laugh. “I thought the shower was the appetizer.”

  His head turns. “Nope. That was the sex-etizer. We need nourishment if we’re going to have any kind of strenuous bedroom activities. By the way, how’s your head?”

  When I stop to think about it, I marvel at the fact that it doesn’t hurt. “Pretty good, I’d say. I took a pill when we got back here, remember?”

  He gives me a cheeky grin. “True, but I plan on keeping things this way, Sheridan.”

  “You do, Wolfe?”

  “You bet I do.” He extends his hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

  DAMN IF HE isn’t serious. He hits a drive-through on the way home and picks up burgers and fries. Even though I protest and say I can’t eat a bite, he insists. It only takes us a few minutes to get from the burger joint to his place. He lives in LoDo, or the Lower Downtown area. LoDo is the oldest and most historic section of Denver. It’s a mixed-use neighborhood with trendy shops, night clubs and restaurants, but it’s also the home of museums, art galleries, and Coor’s Field.

  “I’ve always loved this area,” I say.

  “It’s very convenient for me to get to and from the office.”

  We pull up to a parking lot outside an old warehouse. He parks next to another black SUV. “What’s with all the black SUVs?”

  “Company cars. I keep several all over the place.”

  “But why that particular car?”

  “It can carry a lot of men and equipment if the need arises.”

  “So, is this your place?”

  “Yeah, come on in.”

  We enter through a huge wooden door with a high-tech security system. Once his code is entered, he waits and a voice tells him it’s okay to unlock the door. Inside, we’re in a foyer that opens all the way to the ceiling. It’s bare with wooden beams and ductwork showing, giving it a dramatic yet warm effect. Off the hallway to the left appears to be an office. He leads me right and into a large living area that extends into a vast kitchen.

  “This place is impressive.” It’s open to the ceiling again, huge windows affording a view of the cityscape. The walls are old brick and the same wooden beams run across the ceiling. The furniture is comfy and lived-in, not the sleek design of his office, but he still has the state-of-the-art electronics as well. There’s a huge fireplace and along one wall hangs probably the largest flat screen TV available. I’m guessing that somewhere hidden amongst all this is an unrivaled sound system. One thing I notice is the absence of any personal touches, such as photos. It’s all done very nicely, but there is nothing here that speaks of Drex’s love for anything in particular.

  “Thanks. I’ve been here a couple years now and I really love it.”

  “Cook much?” I’m checking out his professionally designed kitchen.

  “Never. I use the microwave, but that’s about it. The elegant kitchen is the interior designer’s fault. She talked me into it. I would’ve been happy with a fridge, a warming plate, and a toaster.”

  The rest of the place is divided into bedrooms. A curved stairway in the back leads to the second floor—two bedrooms, two bathrooms. His bedroom and master bath, a huge space, sits on the main floor down the hall from his office.

  “So, you enclosed the ceiling,” I say as I look up. No wooden beams or warehouse features in here, other than the brick exterior walls.

  “Yeah, it’s way too noisy. Plus I added the bedrooms upstairs in that space.”

  “Oh. I didn’t think of that. This is really something. And that bathroom.”

  “Again, that was the architect and interior designer. I would never have put in something so elaborate. I’ve never used that tub.”

  The jetted tub could hold four large people. “Never?” I find that hard to believe. I would think he would’ve wowed his female companions with its grandeur.

  “Not ever.”

  “Not even your …”

  “My what?”

  “You know.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  He’s toying with me.

  “Your friends with benefits?”

  “Nope, don’t have any.”

  “Fuck buddies?”

  He laughs. “Don’t have those, either.”

  “Girlfriends?”

  “I didn’t have one … until yesterday.”

  “But, we’ve only just met.”

  “Gemini, wasn’t it you who
said that if we were to continue sleeping together, that I wasn’t allowed to sleep with anyone else?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “And didn’t I tell you that I don’t share? Ever?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So if we’re seeing and sleeping with each other exclusively, in my book, that pretty much constitutes us being together … as in dating. Now, that doesn’t have to mean anything serious. It just means that we’re with each other and won’t fuck around. So you need to tell me how you want to do this because I’m a simple guy and right now, I’m getting mixed signals from you.”

  Wow. He cut through all the bullshit.

  “You don’t waste any time, do you?” I smile.

  “Not when there’s something I want. I usually go after it. And I want you, Onyx.” He spreads his arms wide.

  His grin is too damn hard to resist and with his arms open as they are, I walk into them. “Well, I guess you could say you’ve got yourself a girlfriend, then.”

  A half second later, I’m naked and he has me against the wall. My hands are over my head and his knee is between my legs, hitting me just so. “Goddamn, babe, I didn’t think I could ever wait for this. You’ve had me so jacked up since the office, I can’t fucking think straight. I want in you. I want to feel you around me … I want to feel how tight you are.”

  Oh, hell. He takes me from zero to sixty with just words.

  “Tell me you want me, Gem. Tell me how. Tell me where.”

  “Right here, Drex. Up against this wall. Hard and fast.”

  He lets me go for a second and the cool air hits my hot skin. I hate to feel his absence. But soon he’s back, holding a condom. He hands it to me and I tear it open with shaking hands. He groans as I roll it on him. God, how can something like putting a condom on someone feel so damn good? As my hand slides up and down his shaft, he makes that sound in the back of his throat that almost has me coming.

  “Gem.” He brushes my hand away and crushes his mouth on mine. I feel him spread my legs again as his hands move to my ass. Suddenly, he lifts and slides into me, all in one swift movement. I’m lost in the sensation of everything that’s Drex. And it feels so fucking good.

  “Ahhh, Gem.” He’s rough as he moves in and out of me. When I cry out, he stops and asks, “Are you okay? I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Don’t stop. You’re not hurting me. This is definitely not hurt. It’s good. Or great. Yeah. Oh yeah. Right there, Drex.”

  “Tell me. Tell me how you feel.”

  “I love it when you fuck me, Drex.”

  “You like this?” And he thrusts into me, hard.

  “Ah, yes! Like that.”

  Next thing I know, he’s carrying me somewhere, and we end up in the kitchen. He puts me on the counter and I lean back and watch him. My legs are now over his shoulders and he’s still moving in and out but his thumb moves to my sex and I’m getting ready to climax.

  “Come for me, babe. I need to feel it. Now!”

  His demands push me right where I want to be and then I hear his groans and know he’s right there with me. When things calm down, I realize I’ve dug my nails into his arms. Blood seeps to the skin.

  He hears me suck in my breath and follows my gaze. “Shit, babe, it was worth every damn drop.”

  GEMINI SLEEPS AS I lie in bed, revisiting what we talked about last night. She’s a quirky one, all right. She’s asked to be in the thick of things and I don’t blame her for that. I suppose if decisions were being made regarding my situation, I’d want to be involved too. She started talking about finding a place to live, but I had to put my foot down. She needs to be here for the time being, until all this is settled and I can determine she’s safe. Yes, I can see her point about us not living together. But not right now. It’s simply too risky.

  The funniest thing was when Jill showed up with the shopping bags full of clothes. She only stayed a few minutes, but after she left, Gemini insisted that Jill looked at me like I was dessert.

  “I would prefer if she weren’t your admin. She makes me uncomfortable. Can she be moved?”

  “To where?”

  “To a different job, that’s where. If we’re going to be dating, I don’t like the way she looks at you … like she wants to … never mind.”

  “Jesus, Gemini.”

  “It’s true. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I tell it like it is. There’s something about her that gives me a bad feeling and it’s probably because she wants you. In her bed.”

  Thinking over it, I guess she has a point. I’ve chosen to ignore it, but I know how Jill looks at me. I’ve never said anything because I’ve always known it would never amount to anything.

  “What are you thinking about that has your brow so furrowed?”

  Turning to Gemini, I tug her warm body on top of mine. I was so deep into my thoughts, I didn’t notice she’d awakened. “Just that you’re right.”

  “About what?” Her fingers find their way into my hair. She says she loves my hair and I laugh when I think about it. It’s never been this long before.

  “What you said about Jill. I’m going to transfer her to a different department. And then hire a new admin.”

  She grins. “You have to hire someone named Gertrude or Myrtle or Ethel.”

  I’m laughing before I know it. “What? I’ll never find someone with names like those. I would think you rather have a Sam or a David.”

  “Well, there’s a thought.”

  “Nix that. I was only joking.” Hell will freeze over before I’d hire Sam or David so they can eye-fuck her. “But I’ll never find a Gertrude or Ethel.”

  “Yes, you will. I want you to hire someone who’ll take care of you. And bring you chicken soup to work or a casserole or something. And who’ll make sure you have proper food to eat for dinner because you’re working late.”

  When I brush the hair back from her face, one glance at her tells me she’s serious. All humor has been replaced with concern. Her sincerity touches a place I’ve never felt before. “You really want someone to cook for me?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Grabbing her hand, I kiss her palm and my throat tightens. “Okay. I’ll look for those qualities in my next hire.”

  “Good. At least I’ll know you’ll be eating right. Then I won’t have to worry.”

  That takes me by surprise. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m fine. I know what I’m doing.”

  “That’s not all I worry about. I’m scared about these crazy people that are after me. These are terrorists for God’s sake. And there’s always that one possibility. For all the precautions my mom took, look what happened to her?”

  “But I’m trained in this stuff. I know things your mom didn’t or couldn’t know. Remember how I told you that story when I was in the Special Forces? I was in the most dangerous place in the world at the time. But look, I’m here now. And that night I rescued you in Austin. I had six armed men chasing me down, but I got away. I know how to handle this. I’ve dealt with IEDs, snipers and all sorts of nasty things.”

  “Maybe, but you don’t know how to cook.” She winks.

  “Well, you should be happy for that because there’s much less likelihood of me killing either one of us, then.”

  “I guess that’s a good thing.” Her palm massages my cheek. “I think I have some clothes I need to try on.”

  “Model them for me?”

  “Okay.”

  She hops off and digs through the bag. Then she grimaces. “I think Jill bought these for Gertrude or Ethel.” She holds up some jeans with an elasticized waistband that look like something my grandmother might wear.

  “Fuck. She’s trying to pull a number on you. Well, she just nailed her own coffin. I’m not only moving her to a different department, I may be moving her out of the company. What else is in there?”

  Everything she pulls out is ridiculous.

  “Tell you what. Trust me?”

  “Well, yeah. Why?”


  “Because I’m taking this shit back and buying you some different things. The stores don’t open for another hour so that give us some time for, oh, I don’t know …”

  Her giggle delivers the response I’d hoped for.

  MY PHONE RINGS as I’m walking out the door. It’s Huff, calling to let me know Gemini’s phony IDs are ready to go.

  “Excellent. Can you call Brady and let him know he can call in her prescriptions? And tell him to use that pharmacy DWInvestigations uses. Have them call me when they’re ready. And can you get Dr. Davis in to implant a chip? I want to make sure if anything happens to her, we can find her. Thanks, Huff.”

  “We’re getting you back in business, babe,” I call out. She’s got the TV on so I have to shout.

  “What?”

  I walk into the living area and let her know the good news. “I should be back soon and then we’ll grab some lunch on the way to the office.”

  “See you in a bit.”

  It only takes a few minutes to get to the shopping area in town. I head straight to the main department store where we maintain a personal shopper. She’s expecting me, and I’ve given her a heads-up of what I need. By the time I arrive, the shopper has jeans, a few tops, a dress, and shoes for each outfit. She’s also picked out some lingerie. I hand over the bag filled with items that need to be returned and I’m back out the door.

  When I get home, Gemini is on the computer.

  “What are you doing?”

  She jumps up and her hand flies to her chest. “Shit, Drex, you scared me.”

  “Sorry. You’re not checking your email are you?”

  “No, I thought about it but then I figured someone would be spying on it or whatever you call it.”

  “Damn. It’s a good thing you didn’t. They’re probably tracking the IP address. Mine is untraceable, but once they saw your account had been hit, they’d know it was from you.”

  “I was looking up Panama City, thinking about how weird it was that we went there all the time. Out of all the places to go, why there? There has to be some connection with that, don’t you think?”

  She may have something. “The storage unit in Austin may open that clue for us.”