by S. E. Rose
“I want to see all of you,” I demand, my voice stronger than my nerves. I’ve had dreams about seeing this man naked for days now. I can’t fathom waiting a moment longer.
“As you wish,” he says, and I grin at the movie quote from The Princess Bride.
He slowly lowers his boxer briefs and my eyes widen. Oh. My. Fucking. God. His smirk speaks for itself.
“Like what you see?” he asks.
“Oh yeah.”
He laughs and steps forward. “My turn,” he says. I unhook my bra and let it fall from my body. I hear him suck in a breath. He steps forward again, but I step back, hooking my thumbs in my panties, I shimmy out of them, kicking them to the side. Normally, I’d feel reserved at this moment, but right now, I’m feeling bold.
Once I’m free of all my clothes, he steps forward again. I don’t move this time. He comes up close to me, and I feel his erection against my belly.
“Are you sure you want to…” He trails off as he runs a hand over my hip.
“Yes,” I whisper.
He leans down and presses his lips to mine and it’s like he’s unlocked something. I wrap my arms around his neck and hop up, wrapping my legs around his waist. One of his hands comes under me, supporting my weight as our tongues seek and explore. I start rubbing my core against him and he groans, but I don’t stop, I need more. I’ve been starved of this feeling for far too long.
I feel him move us and then I’m falling as he slowly lowers us onto my bed.
I release my monkey grip around him and sink to my mattress, letting his weight press me firmly down.
His hands begin to explore me, my breasts, my thighs. He places his knee between my legs, forcing my legs to separate. I spread them wider, wanting to feel him there.
His movements become languid and relaxed as he skims the flesh on the inside of my thigh. I squirm, wanting to feel him between my legs.
“Don’t rush it. We have all night,” he murmurs as he lays wet kisses on my neck. I arch up and he leans down, biting the top of my breast before sucking on a nipple. I moan.
His hand begins to inch farther up and my entire body trembles with anticipation as a single finger finds my core. He strokes me there, spreading my wetness.
“Don’t stop,” I plead as I arch again, seeking more of his touch.
He doesn’t speak, just continues to kiss my body as one finger slides inside me. My head falls back against my pillow at the overwhelmingly amazing feeling. He adds a second finger, working it in slowly, spreading me open.
“Fuck, I can’t wait to be inside you,” he groans in between kissing me.
I blindly reach over to my nightstand, fumbling with a drawer. I had been so wrapped up in the idea of sex with Grady that I may have bought condoms last week.
I toss one at him and he stops, glancing down to see the small foil packet. He grins at me.
“Well, aren’t you the Girl Scout,” he laughs, but his face quickly morphs to one of pleasure as I reach out and grip his cock. He rips open the packet and makes quick work of the condom.
He braces himself over me and I spread my legs more, making room for him. I’m surprised when instead of slamming into me, he leans down and kisses me, a gentle kiss and leisurely kiss, exploring every inch of my mouth as my pelvis seeks to find his erection. He grins against my lips.
“Hungry for something?”
I pout, and he chuckles. “Don’t worry, my little investigator, I’m going to give you just what you need.”
And with those words, he slowly sinks inside me, inch by inch as my eyes roll back into my head with the exquisite feeling of being stretched to the point of burning.
He pulls back a little once he’s fully seated in my hot channel and then slams home and I cry out from the slick sensation of him inside me. I thrust up to meet him and we find our rhythm, our bodies slapping together, his pelvis grinding into my clit. The sensations are almost too much, but I need more. I’m chasing my release, chasing the pinnacle I need to reach.
“Don’t stop,” I cry out as I grip his back. I know I’m going to leave claw marks on him but right now I don’t give a fuck. I’m a crazed woman who just needs her release.
And it’s like he reads my mind, his thrusts become harder and faster, his body rubbing everywhere I need. He’s lighting up every single nerve ending, and when I don’t think I can take a single second more, he grabs under my knees and pulls my legs, slamming into me deeper, and that does it. I scream his name as my entire body trembles beneath him, my muscles undulating around his erection, stroke after stroke.
Somewhere in the midst of my orgasm, I feel his cock stiffen and pulse and his voice calls my name, but I’m too far gone to be aware of his release, too far over that line into a world of ecstasy that only comes with amazing sex.
And then, I’m sinking. Every muscle in my body in complete and total relaxation. Grady doesn’t move for a long moment, the feeling of his still pulsing cock inside me is almost too much and still not enough. Our breaths slow and he leans down and presses a kiss to my lips.
“That was just as good as I imagined it would be,” he murmurs in between kisses.
“That was…clearly my former boyfriends didn’t know how to properly use that appendage,” I muse in my postcoital haze.
Grady laughs and I can feel it inside me. I groan.
“Fuck,” I moan.
He pulls out of me and tosses the condom into a nearby trash can before pulling me back against him. I snuggle into his hard, muscled body.
“Spend the night,” I demand.
He chuckles. “I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.”
“Good,” I say as I nuzzle his chest, his strong arms wrapping around me. “And, do that again.”
His chuckle turns into a full-blown laugh. “You’re demanding for someone who just had an out-of-body experience.”
I pull back and look up at him. His eyes are filled with mirth.
“I’m not demanding.”
He leans down and kisses me. “I like demanding women.”
“OK, well, then, I am very demanding!”
He tickles me and I giggle, squirming to get out of his grip. He flips me onto my back and soon my giggles become moans as his hands go from belly to core. He makes quick work of getting another condom and then he’s back inside me. He pulls my legs up to his shoulders and doesn’t relent on his pace until I’m screaming incoherent things and he’s roaring my name and emptying his seed inside me.
This time when he pulls out, he settles me against him and drags my covers over our bodies. My eyes drift closed. I feel safe, cared for, and completely sated.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Grady
Jason Winters. He’s just how I thought he would look. He’s in dark jeans and a button-down shirt. His hair is darker than mine, his chin different, but his eyes. That’s what stops me in my tracks as I approach him. His eyes are…my eyes.
I still can’t believe I’m doing this. It’s like I’m in a dream.
I hold out a hand as I reach the table. He stands and takes it.
“Nice to meet you, Grady,” he says warmly.
“Likewise,” I reply before taking a seat. We are at a table far away from others on a veranda overlooking the ocean. Even if people were near us, it’d be hard to hear us over the crashing waves. It’s the perfect spot to have this conversation.
Jason looks at me with curiosity as he takes a sip of beer he has already ordered. A waiter walks over, and I order one, too.
“So, you said you have information about my father?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
I nod. “Did you know your dad?”
He shakes his head. “My parents split up before I was born. My mom never spoke about him.”
“And you were never curious?” I question because I’m surprised that he doesn’t know.
He shrugs. “I guess, I was content with my life. My mom remarried when I was three, but Bob died when I was twelve in a car accident.
Mom died a little over seven years ago from cancer. I’ve thought about looking for my dad, but life’s been busy lately.”
I pull out some photos from my pocket and place them on the table. “Do you know who Ken Daniels was?”
His eyes widen in surprise. “The race car driver who was killed?”
“Yes.”
He nods. “Yes, I do.”
“He was your father,” I state, gauging his reaction.
“No…I mean…that’s not possible.” He is shaking his head as he reaches out to pick up the photo and examine it.
“There’s more,” I say as I wait for him to process the first giant piece of news. His eyes meet mine. And I see the recognition when he looks at me, really looks at me.
“You’re his son,” he states.
I nod. “Yes. I’m your brother.”
He drops the photos and looks at me. “I…how…I…” He trails off and looks at me again.
I clear my throat as the waiter sets my drink down and asks if we want any food. “Not yet,” I say to him and he leaves us.
“I found notes in my father’s belongings and had a PI look into it. I just got information about you a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure if I should contact you or not,” I admit.
“I…sorry, this is a lot to process,” he stammers.
“I know, shit, I’ve had weeks and I still am processing it,” I chuckle.
He laughs. “I’m glad you found me. When Mom died, I…well, I’m all alone now. It’s exciting to think I have more family.”
I smile at him. “Me too. It’s just me, Mom, and my grandmother right now.”
He frowns as the realization hits him. “You’re Blythe Daniels’s son!”
Laughing, I nod. “Yes. Guilty.”
“Wow. I mean, wow. This is…I can’t believe it.” He’s quiet for a long moment as he processes everything and then he looks up at me with serious eyes. “Does she know about me?”
“Yes. I told her. She’s happy for us. She apparently knew about your mom.”
“Mom always said Dad was a selfish prick who left her when she told him she was pregnant. But…shit, now this makes me rethink everything.”
“Tell me about it. I never knew my parents almost separated or that my dad cheated on my mom,” I confess.
“Well…geez, this is…” He trails off again.
“Overwhelming?” I suggest.
He nods.
“Let’s start from the beginning,” I offer. I launch into my life, what I know about how our parents came to know each other and any other detail I can think of as we sip beer. Jason tells me about growing up with his mom. My dad apparently gave her quite a bit of money to “disappear.” He grew up in a quiet suburb and led a normal life. When his mom died, he moved back to the city but kept a small cabin his grandparents had at a lake not too far from here.
We order burgers and continue data dumping for several hours. I find out that my brother loves race cars and even went to a concert of mine once. We are only two years apart in age and have a lot in common. By the time we finish talking, I’m so stoked about having a brother that I want to jump up and hug him. Which I do as we go to leave, promising to see each other soon.
As soon as I’m in my car, I call the one person I really want to talk to, which surprises me since it’s not my mom, but Emma.
“Hello?” she answers. She knows where I’ve been, and I can tell by her voice she’s anxious to hear how it went.
“It went well, really, really well. He’s a great guy and we’re going to meet up again soon. He wants to stay out of the limelight, so we are going with a low-key approach.”
“That’s great, Grady! I’m so happy for you!”
“I’m happy too, really fucking happy. We should do something to celebrate, you think you could get away for a night?” I ask.
“Uh, maybe?”
“I’ll take care of everything. This Saturday, be ready at nine and pack for the night.”
“I’m not getting out of this, am I?” she asks with a laugh.
“Nope, get all your work done this week because you are not going to spend a minute of the weekend on your computer.”
“You know that I’m in the middle of filming and editing a documentary, right?” she says, and I know she has one of those perfectly sculpted eyebrows raised.
“You need a night off. You’ve been working like crazy.”
She sighs. “Fine, but the following weekend, I’m working the whole damn weekend.”
“OK, fair enough.”
I hear a chime in the background.
“Shit, I have a video call, I’ll talk to you later. I’m so glad that everything went well.”
“Thanks, I’ll talk to you later.” I hang up and call my mom to share the news with her. She doesn’t pick up, so I leave a message and spend the rest of the drive home thinking things over. It is a lot to take in, but I’m feeling really great about everything.
Once I get home, I call Max and Rhett to tell them the news and we decide to have a pizza and beer night to celebrate. I have the greatest friends in the world.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I roll over and groan. Pounding beers with the guys last night was a mistake because I feel like total shit and the window guy should be here any minute to start work on installing the new one.
I grab the world’s fastest shower and get myself some coffee. I hear the annoying barking and yelping of Muffin next door. Fuck, that’s probably what woke me up. She seems extra riled this morning, so I walk over to the fence. As I look down, I hear her whining and I frown.
“Muffin?” I call out.
I frown realizing that Barb and Wayne’s car is gone. Not unusual since they do tend to go out for doctors’ appointments and such, but they typically don’t leave Muffin outside. I glance over the fence and I see that she’s tied up and trying to get to what looks like a food bowl set along the edge of the house.
“Muffin?” I yell again and am greeted with more whining as she pulls on the lead. I frown as concern overtakes me. I’m about to open the fence when the window guy pulls into the driveway.
“Hold on, Muffin. I’ll be right back,” I say as though she can understand me.
I head to the truck and talk briefly with the man before returning to the fence and opening the gate.
“Hey,” I say in my most soothing voice as I approach her. I pick her up and undo a rope tied around her collar, which seems very strange. The Johnsons would never tie her up with a rope and leave her out here. Holding on to her, I walk over to the food, thinking she might be hungry. I glance at it just as I go to set her down. Glass. There is glass mixed in with the food and a note sits next to it. I quickly pick her back up and grab the note.
“Revenge should have no bounds.”
It’s another Shakespeare quote. However, the note also contains a second line. It’s the first note I’ve ever seen with something other than a quote.
“This is just a preview of what I’m capable of. Imagine what I could do to the people you love.”
I shudder and quickly look at Muffin. “You didn’t eat any of it, right? Oh, God. Let’s go get you checked out.” My heart pounds in my chest as I look at the rope. I’m almost certain that she couldn’t reach the bowl, but I’m not taking any chances. I carry her back to my yard where the contractor is pulling things out of his truck.
“Hey, my neighbors’ dog needs to go to the vet. Mind if I get you to move your car? It shouldn’t take me long. I’m just worried she ate something she shouldn’t, and my neighbors aren’t home.”
“Sure. No problem. I’ll move the truck. I’m good here. My assistant should be here shortly to help with the install. If we finish before you get back, I’ll leave the bill for you. I hope the dog is OK,” he says, nodding to Muffin who is yelping.
“Yeah, I think she is. I just want to be sure. Thanks again for your help,” I reply as I go back and grab the food bowl, tossing it in my trash so no animal eats it. On
ce he moves his car, I get in mine, racing to the vet’s office. I call them on the way. Glad that Barb once made me add them to my contacts list in case I needed to take Muffin there when they were gone on vacation. Fortunately, I know where they are located and it’s only five minutes away.
I pull into their parking lot and carry Muffin, handing her off to the vet who meets me in the front lobby.
“We got her from here, you better call Barb and Wayne,” she says as she hurries with Muffin to the back.
I sink into a seat as my shaking hand pulls out my phone. Thankfully the waiting room is empty. I decide to make a more important call first.
“Detective Benson,” he answers.
“We have a major situation,” I say, my voice low in case anyone is listening.
“What’s wrong?”
I explain what just happened.
“Fuck. I’m heading over there now. Is the dog going to be OK?”
I nod. “Yeah, I think so. It’s fucked up, Benson. And that note is what has me freaking out. It’s never been anything but a quote. I mean that broken window and light is one thing, but fucking threatening to hurt an animal and threatening people…” I trail off because I don’t know what to say.
“When you get back from the vet, I’ll be at your house. When’s that meeting with the security people?” he asks, referring to the meeting with our new security team that got moved to this afternoon.
“Today.”
“Good. I’m going to get some cops assigned to pass by your house routinely during the day for the foreseeable future.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I’ll let you go. We’ll talk more in a bit. I’d like your bandmates and manager to come over too.”
I nod and hang up, sending a group text to the band explaining again what happened. They all agree to come over to my house and take the video call with our security team from there.
Then I grimace as I dial Barb’s cell phone.
“Grady, dear, what’s up?”
“Barb, did you leave Muffin out this morning?”
“No, I did leave the doggie door unlocked to the back room,” she says. She’s referring to her screened-in patio off the back of the house.