by Lila Fox
Brylee tore her gaze from his muscular, bare chest and walked to him and sat. There were a few feet between them, but she could still feel the heat from his body and smell the masculine scent that made her mouth water.
Gage laid his arm over the back of the sofa behind her and turned on the TV. He scanned the channels. “What would you like? Comedy, thriller, scary?”
“Not scary. I don’t like horror movies at all.”
“I’m not thrilled with them myself.” He stopped on a channel. “Here’s a Tom Hanks movie.”
“Oh, I really like him.”
Gage set the remote to the side and relaxed back into the cushion.
A few minutes into the movie, he noticed her shiver. He pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa. “Come here, baby. Sit next to me, and I’ll put the blanket over you. You’ll be warm in no time.”
Brylee hesitated for a brief moment but then moved over and plastered herself against his side. She moaned as the heat seeped through the shirt and into her pores.
He tucked the blanket around her and pulled her tighter against his side. “Better?”
Brylee nodded. “Much. Thank you.” She had the strongest urge to move her head to the side and kiss and taste the chest that was inches from her. She’d noticed the small patch of hair in the middle and wanted to run her fingers through it. The hills and valleys of his muscles made her fingertips tingle with the need to feel the difference between his body and hers. She wanted to learn and touch every part of his thoroughly masculine physique.
She turned her attention to the movie and tried to concentrate on the characters and not on the man beside her.
Within minutes, she felt sleep starting to pull her down, making her relax against Gage and lay her head against his side. Her eyelids drooped. She sighed and fell asleep against the man who was quickly changing her life. She had yet to determine if it was for the best or not.
****
Gage grinned when she slumped against him and closed her eyes. He waited until he was sure she was sleeping deeply before maneuvering them both until they lay down on the sofa, clicked off the TV, and then covered them both with the blanket. He cuddled her against his chest and closed his eyes. A grin crossed his face as he felt sleep drag him down.
It was the most perfect feeling in the world, holding her against him. He felt whole. What bothered him a bit was that he hadn’t thought he was missing anything until that moment. It made him more determined to have her.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Brylee was startled awake when the pillow under her moved and growled. Her eyes popped open.
Her first view was of Gage’s beautiful chest under her cheek.
He was lying on his back on the sofa, and she was tucked against his side and the back of the sofa. One of his hands was curled around her upper arm that lay across his chest, and the other was under the blanket and cupping her bare bottom.
“Do you know how much I’d like to roll you to your back and slide deep into your body right now?”
She jerked her gaze toward his face. The rumble of his rough morning voice and the picture he put into her head made her need spike so fast, she gasped. The ache in her grew as his hand slowly slid over her bottom. Her hand curled against his chest.
He felt her shift against him, unconsciously pushing her bottom into his hand. He used his free hand and tipped her head back. He stared down at her for a moment before his head dipped, and he pressed his lips against hers.
As he pushed his lips harder against hers and cupped her ass to hold her in place when she tried to climb up his chest.
Gage lifted his head.
Her eyes fluttered open. She realized the position she was in and blushed a scarlet red, making him grin.
He ran his thumb over her cheek. “You are so beautiful.”
She stared up at him in shock when she realized she felt beautiful when she was with him.
****
“Are you a virgin?” Gage asked suddenly.
She felt her face heat and guessed she was bright red. “I…” she stammered.
“It’s all right, sweetheart. I don’t mean to embarrass you, but I have to know. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”
Brylee shook her head. “I … no, I don’t think so.”
“Sweetheart, you have to know if you lost your virginity.”
“I … I was moved out of the house that Larkin and I stayed at. I’m not sure why they moved me. Tommy, he was a foster kid that lived at the house they put me in. One night, he stuck his thing in me, and it hurt really bad, and I screamed. The foster father pulled Tommy off me. I heard him later say there was blood, and that means I’m probably not a virgin.”
Gage felt a rage build in him. “How old were you, sweetheart?”
“I think twelve or thirteen.”
“How old are you now?”
“Larkin and I think we’re either twenty-three or four.”
“You don’t know?” Gage asked.
Brylee shook her head. “No, neither of us have birth certificates. We made our birthdays together because we like to think we’re twins.”
Gage smoothed the hair from her face. “When is your birthday, sweetheart?”
“We decided on June twenty-fifth because it’s exactly six months from Christmas.”
“That’s a good day,” Gage told her.
Brylee grinned up at him.
“What happened to Tommy?”
Brylee bit her lip. “They moved him to another house. Not long after that, I was moved back to the house Larkin was at.”
“Did they take you to the doctor?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“He didn’t get in any trouble?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
Gage tightened his arms around her and set his chin on the top of her head. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“It’s okay. I was moved back to the house Larkin was at, so I was happy.”
Gage wished he could get his hands on the kid who hurt her and the foster parents who hadn’t done anything for her. “Have you talked about this with anyone?”
She shook her head. “No, not even Larkin.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want her to worry or be sad.”
He pressed his lips against her forehead and closed his eyes. He could actually feel himself fall a little in love with her at that moment. He’d never met a sweeter person in his life, and he’d do whatever he needed to do to keep her.
Brylee looked up. Tears sprang in her eyes at his expression. “I’m sorry I made you sad. I shouldn’t have told you.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m going to want you to tell me everything, no matter if it makes me sad.”
She nodded but stayed silent.
“Let’s get up, sweetheart. I’ll feed you, and then we’ll go get your things.”
“Wait. Why?”
“Because you’ll be living here with me.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “I…”
“Tell me something. How did you sleep when you were in my arms?”
Brylee bowed her head as she seemed to think about his question. She looked up at him in surprise.
“I slept very well.”
He grinned. “See. We were meant to be together.” He lifted her to her feet and sat up. He nonchalantly pulled down the shirt she wore and stood. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her after him and into the kitchen. “What sounds good for breakfast?”
“Whatever you have,” she said and leaned against the counter while he rummaged in the fridge.
“Well, we’ve got eggs and bread.”
“That’s fine.”
He pulled the things out and set them on the counter. “We’ll go to the store after we get your things. How does that sound?”
Brylee nodded.
Gage pulled a pan out and set it on the stove. “How do you like your eggs?”
“I can only eat one,
and I like it over-easy.”
“I like my eggs like that also,” he told her.
“Can I help with anything?”
“Yeah,” he said and pulled out the toaster. “How about you make the toast?”
“Okay.”
****
They worked silently together.
Then they set the plates down and sat. Brylee kept sneaking peeks at the man who sat next to her at the counter. She finished her egg, piece of toast, and juice before she stood and walked to the sink. She started to wash her dishes when she felt a wall of solid heat press against her back.
Her eyes slid closed when one of his arms curled around her waist.
“I have to tell you. I haven’t spent a more enjoyable night and morning with anyone in a long time, if ever. I’m so glad you’re here, princess, and I hope in time, you will love being here with me.”
She exhaled shakily but stayed silent.
She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head and then take a step back.
“How about we get dressed? You’ll have to wear your skirt from last night, but you could just tie the ends of my shirt in front until we get your clothes.”
Brylee cleared her throat. “I’ll do that.”
“Okay, good. Let’s get going. It’ll take us the better part of the day to pack your things up and go to the store and stock up our refrigerator.”
She stared at him with wide eyes. He talked like they’d been together for a while instead of one night. As much as she told herself not to get to attached until they knew each other better, she couldn’t deny the kernel of hope that continued to grow in her belly.
Brylee walked into the room he’d given her the night before and made the bed before she undid her braid and brushed her hair and then her teeth. She slid on her black skirt and then tied up Gage’s shirt. She grinned when she looked into the mirror. She had to admit to herself it looked almost stylish.
“Ready?”
Brylee turned toward the door to see Gage leaning against the doorjamb, in faded jeans and a tight black t-shirt, with his arms crossed and staring at her. “Yes, I’m ready.”
He straightened and held out his hand. “Then let’s go.”
Chapter Eight
Brylee directed him to the apartment building she lived in. He followed her up the stairs silently, but his heavy tread calmed her nerves about facing her roommates.
She turned toward him at the door before she opened it. “They might be a little hostile. One of them last night got in my face.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“Because the officer pushed her away, and my mind was on a hundred other things. I’m sorry.”
Gage cupped her cheek. “Don’t worry. We’ll be in and out in a short time, and then you’ll never have to see them again.”
Brylee exhaled. “You have no idea how good that sounds.”
She opened the door and stopped short to see her roommates sitting around the living room watching TV. Brylee closed the door behind Gage.
“My room is this way.”
She felt him protectively behind her. The breath exhaled in a painful rush when she saw her room.
“Goddammit,” Gage barked and turned toward the other women. “What the fuck happened here, ladies?”
Brylee slowly walked around her room as she listened to Gage take after them.
“One of you better tell me right now, or I’ll have a half a dozen cops here searching your apartment. I’m guessing there will be drugs because of the aroma of pot in the air.”
One of the women rolled her eyes. “We don’t know. We work up this morning, and it was like that.”
“You can smirk all you like. I’ll just buy her all new stuff. Things you’ll never have because you’re lowlife bitches.”
“Oh, yeah. Where are you going to get the money? Hustling?”
Gage grinned. “No, I own a dozen businesses in this town alone. I probably make more in a day than you do in a year.”
Brylee kept picking up things off the floor and setting the stuff that wasn’t broken on the bed to take with her. She stiffened when she heard Gage walk up behind her.
Her breath whooshed out when he turned her and pulled her into his arms.
Brylee hugged him tightly and closed her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
“I should have guessed they would do this.”
“Please don’t worry. Get the sentimental things you want to keep. We’ll get you everything else you need…”
“I can’t let you do that.”
He held her steady with his hands on her shoulders. “You will let me do that. I’m responsible for you quitting your job and moving. Please, princess. Let me take care of you. It would bring me so much pleasure.”
Brylee looked up at him. “I … I guess we can take one day at a time.”
“Good. Let’s get you packed.”
Brylee kept putting things in a few bags she found. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Gage text someone, and then he got busy putting things on the bed.
“Is there any furniture you want to take?”
Brylee shook her head.
He must have caught the look on her face because he came to stand before her again. “What’s going on?”
“They took my jar. It had all my tips in it.” She tried to hold back the tears that wanted to fall.
“How much do you think it was?”
“I stopped putting money in it when I noticed they’d been taking it. But I think maybe a few hundred dollars.”
“Where’d you put your money if not in the jar?”
Brylee turned, walked into her closet, and knelt down. She dug up one of the loose boards and pulled out a bag. She stood and opened it.
Gage looked into it and started laughing when he saw the wads of money. “Good girl.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
“Let’s get this stuff and get out of here.”
She nodded and hurried to find everything she wanted to take that hadn’t been destroyed. Within thirty minutes, they were ready.
She heard Gage chuckle when someone knock on the apartment door. She listened to her roommates gasp. “What’s going on?”
“I called in a few officers.”
Brylee’s mouth dropped open. “Why?”
“They said there was a break-in, so I thought they’d want it investigated.”
Brylee covered her mouth to quiet her laugh.
“Come on,” Gage said and grabbed all but one bag.
They walked out into the living room to see her roommates sitting on the sofa.
“Thanks for coming.” Gage shook Tommy’s hand.
“Am I going to have to bail you out every day?”
Gage snorted. “Shut up.”
Tommy grinned. “So, what’s going on here?”
“Well, the girls said there was a break-in last night. The funny thing was Brylee’s was the only room that got hit.”
“Brylee was with you?” Tommy asked.
“Yes.”
“I see,” the officer said and turned toward the women. “Who wants to tell me what happened?”
The girls started stuttering.
Brylee stood back and tried not to grin.
“You got this?” Gage asked the officer.
“Yeah.”
Gage turned to the women. “I was going to give you rent money to offset Brylee’s, but I think you already got it when you took her money jar. By the way, her real stash was somewhere else.”
The women looked at each other with a mixture of dismay and anger.
Gage hustled her out of the apartment. “ Tommy, I think I smelled marijuana when I walked in.”
Tommy’s eyes brows rose, and his lips twitched. “Drugs? Well, that’s unfortunate.” He turned to one of the other officers. “Call in K-9. He’ll sniff out whatever’s here.” Then Tommy waved to Gage and Brylee and went to work.
&nb
sp; The last look Brylee got of her roommates was them huddled together, pale and scared. She would have felt sorry for them if they hadn’t stolen from her for so long or mistreated her.
What’s the saying about Karma being a bitch? She thought to herself and then grinned.
Chapter Nine
It was late afternoon when they hauled everything into the condo and set it by the door.
Gage looked at Brylee with concern. “Let’s get you fed. While you’re eating, I’ll put things away.”
“What? That’s not right. I can help.”
Gage gripped her shoulders. “One thing we need to talk about it your obedience, princess. If I ask you to do something, I have a real good reason why and so I expect you do it. Do you think you can find it in yourself to try to trust me?”
Brylee stared up at him and then nodded. At that moment, she would have done anything he’d told her to.
“Good, go sit down.”
Brylee sat on a stool at the counter and watched him put together a few sandwiches. Then he slid one over to her with a glass of milk.
She scrunched up her nose. “I don’t like milk.”
Gage smiled and pulled it back. “Okay, how about juice or water?”
“Water, please.”
“Coming right up.”
Gage had all the groceries put away and had eaten his sandwich by the time she finished hers.
“What do you want to do, now, princess?” Gage asked, leaning over the counter in front of her.
“I’d like to talk to Larkin.”
Gage smiled. “Let’s go. You can use the phone in my office.”
Brylee took the hand he held out to her. Once in his office, he sat down in his chair and pulled her into his lap before dialing the phone.
She looked over her shoulder at him. “I … would it be possible to talk to her … alone?” she asked and bit her lip.
“Of course.” Gage swept the hair off her face. “Elder will answer the phone and give it to Darian, who will call Larkin.”
“If this is too much of an imposition…”
“It’s not at all. You may call her any tim—”
“Marsh Residence.”
Gage smiled. “Hello, Elder. Brylee would very much like to talk to Larkin.”