I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath. This was going to hurt Irelyn, but I needed to get it over with.
“What, Zolt? Damn it, tell me already,” Irelyn barked.
I nodded and prayed her reaction wouldn’t be as bad as I feared it would be.
“My friend T-bone Stanley—”
“I know who he is. He was on your offensive line with the Cardinals.”
“Yes.” I had to smile at her. Of course, she knew who he was. She probably knew more about the team and its history than I did. “Anyway, he’s retired now and owns a well-respected security agency. He’s had some high-profile clients; Hollywood types, tycoons, politicians. You get the drift.”
“Sure,” she nodded. “What does this have to do with me?”
“Even before I met Marcus, something about him didn’t sit well with me. I have learned through the years to listen to my sixth sense.”
“Sixth sense?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged one shoulder. “Anyway, I hired T-bone to look into Marcus, and your brother’s death.”
“Oh.” Irelyn’s normally bright eyes darkened, and her lovely face went pale. “And?”
I stroked her arm, trying to calm her inevitable reaction. “And, he discovered some seriously fucked up shit. I’m afraid Marcus has been operating an exclusive BDSM sex club from your grandfather’s ranch, and I’m fairly certain your father knows about it.”
Irelyn jumped from my lap and stood. Furiously, she shook her head. Her eyes filled with tears again, and I knew she was putting the pieces together, following the logical path.
“No. No. I can’t—Marcus had something to do with Chris’s death, didn’t he?” Her voice and body quivered.
I pulled her to me, but she broke loose from my hold and ran out the back door into the dark night.
For a moment, I stood there like a dumbass, running my hands through my hair, not knowing what to do. Seriously, I wasn’t exactly an empathetic person, and to be frank, I was kind of an asshole. But I knew I couldn’t leave her out there, so I walked to the door, turned on the outdoor floodlights, and went after her.
Irelyn hadn’t gotten too far from the house when I found her on her knees, weeping. Seeing her there distraught and hurt broke my heart into a million pieces.
Why did it have to be me that had to tell her? How could I make this better?
Calmly, I went to her and knelt beside her on the grass. Again, I pulled her to me, and this time she came willingly. I had no idea how long I held her while she cried. I could only imagine the pain this information had caused her and the memories that returned.
Irelyn pushed back from me, and I could just make out her tear-stained face in the shadowy darkness. I offered her my shirt to dry her eyes and wipe her face. Even in tears, she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
“I’m sorry, Irelyn. This is why I was more of an ass than normal earlier. This information has weighed on me all day. I didn’t want to tell you, knowing this would hurt you. I never want to hurt you.”
“It feels as if I’ve lost Chris all over again. If you’re right and Daddy knows?” She sniffed back more tears. “Well, I don’t know if I can forgive him.”
“There’s more I’m afraid,” I said while I stroked her hair.
She looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes. “What?”
“One of T-bone’s men gained access to the club’s inner workings. The other day he passed on an email announcing a very special auction. In the email was an image of your neck and the choker you used to wear. We believe that Marcus intended to auction you off for a night of sex with you. He collared you, Irelyn, telling the BDSM world you were his, and then he was going to offer you to the highest bidder.”
Irelyn’s hand flew to cover her mouth and she started shaking. “Why? No. He can’t do that.”
“No, he can’t.” I growled. “I won’t let him near you. That’s why I want you to stay with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight. Both T-bone and I are worried that Marcus is going to become even more nasty since you broke up with him. In doing so, you seriously screwed up what I’m sure would have been a very lucrative proposition.”
My fist clenched and unclenched as I thought about Marcus’s plan. That any man would even consider doing that to his supposed girlfriend without her consent was beyond my comprehension. I may be a bastard sometimes, but I wasn’t heartless and unfeeling, and I don’t treat women like objects. Okay, maybe I did, but I wasn’t that bad. At least I sure as fuck hoped not.
Now that Irelyn was mine, Marcus’s actions lit a flame of hatred burning strong in me, and my shadow-self had taken note. Eventually, Marcus and I would have a showdown, and I had no intention of walking away the loser.
“Irelyn, I’m going to email your father and tell him I’ll be taking a leave of absence. Given what’s going on, he won’t deny me. Even if he does, I don’t care. In the meantime, T-bone and I will keep investigating.”
“And Chris’s death?” More tears ran down her face, and I brushed them away.
“I already have T-bone on it. But he says he’s never seen a file more tightly guarded. It’s as if someone with considerable power has put it under lock and key.”
“Marcus?”
“Probably.”
“Oh, God. Why? What if Daddy knows more about Chris’s death than he’s letting on?”
I watched her face as it all hit her anew. It paled to an unhealthy pallor as she gasped for breath. I worried she would either puke or pass out.
“Irelyn, you need to get your breathing under control or you’re going to pass out. Breathe, baby, breathe.”
“I-I,” she stuttered. She closed her eyes, and I could see her struggling with her control. “I slept with him, Zolt. I let him take my virginity. I-I’m a fucking idiot.”
“No. No, you’re not,” I said through gritted teeth “Marcus took advantage of you. He knew you were vulnerable, and he probably realized it was the only way you’d ever be with him.”
I closed my eyes as well, needing to calm myself. I wanted to kill the cocksucker for what he’d done to her—done to my sweet seraph.
Standing up, I set Irelyn on her feet. Then, I picked her up in my arms and carried her inside. The entire way to my bedroom, my leg ached, but I ignored it.
Fucking leg!
Carefully, I laid Irelyn on the bed, kissing her lightly on her lips. Then, I went into the bathroom, started a bath in my Jacuzzi tub, and turned on the sound system. The Foo Fighters filled the bathroom as I searched through the cabinet. I found the only bath accessory I had, a nice combination of lavender, Dead Sea salts, and other comforting ingredients given to me by the last physical therapist I had.
I sprinkled some in the tub; then sprinkled a little more. The salts had a nice aroma, nothing too flowery. When I heard some rustling behind me, I turned around to find a naked Irelyn.
I gulped as need for her rushed me anew. I couldn’t help it. Sure, I had seen her naked a few times now, but her body still took my breath away. Her hips had perfect curves—toned, yet soft to the feel. I let my eyes travel up her creamy skin to her tits. Shit, they were perfect too. They fit just right in my hand, and they were natural. These days, it was hard to find women without breast enhancements. Many men don’t care, but I’m not a fan of silicone.
“Is that bath for me?” she asked, stepping behind me.
“Or us,” I answered and arched a brow. “If you want the company.”
“I do.”
I held out my hand and she climbed in, settling herself into the warm water.
“Mmm, it feels great. Get in with me.”
“Not too hot?” I asked as I stripped off my clothes.
“Nope. Just right.” She twisted her hair into a knot, revealing her very sexy neck.
Immediately, I started to grow hard. I couldn’t help it. I needed to get in the water to thwart my erection. It was bad enough I couldn’t control myself, and I didn’t want Irelyn to think all I wanted her for was sex.
I climbed in and slid behind her, wrapping my legs around her. When she leaned back against me, the sensation of her slick body against mine made me grow even harder. I sighed and kissed her neck, commanding my dick to go down.
“Irelyn, I’m really sorry about earlier. I’m not good at this. I haven’t been in a relationship since before the injury.”
“I know.” She tipped her head back and smiled at me. “And you had something major to tell me, as well. I’m sure that couldn’t have been easy for you. But you have to remember, I’m just as new to this as you are. My relationship with Marcus, if I can call it that, was far from normal.”
I took her hand and laced our fingers together. “I haven’t allowed a woman to sleep with me in ages, but I want you to sleep in my bed. As far as the nightmares go, we’ll have to wing it. I can’t tell you what to do or not to do. Since the hospital, you and my brother are the only people who’ve ever witnessed them. The way you handled it before was mmm…”
My thoughts traveled back to that morning and the delicious blowjob she’d given me.
“It was, wasn’t it?” she asked and kissed my hand. Then, she paused, and I could feel her contemplations. “Zolt, I want to go to my grandfather’s ranch tomorrow.”
The abrupt change of subject instantly doused my arousal, and my erection wilted. Though I knew this was coming, I sighed. Going back there would be a bitch for her, and I had no idea what we’d find, what kind of shit Marcus had done to the property.
“Are you sure? We have no idea what we’ll find.” I tightened my arms around her. “Going there will be a major mind-fuck for you.”
“I know. It’s why I haven’t been there since I found Chris—”
“Wait, you found Chris?” I turned her around to look at me. “Irelyn, you didn’t tell me you found him.”
Damn T-bone! Why didn’t he tell me that?
She shrugged and stared down at her hands in the water. “It was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. I’ll never get those images out of my head.”
Positioning her legs on either side of my body, I pulled her on my lap. Then, I lifted her chin.
“You don’t have to go, Irelyn. T and I can take care of it.” I ran my hand over her face, and she leaned into it.
“No, I have to. If I don’t, it will be as if Marcus wins. Once I see what’s going on for myself, I’m going to call Mom since it is her father’s home. She needs to know everything regardless of Daddy’s involvement or not.”
“I’ll only take you if T-bone clears the property first. We don’t need a run in with Marcus and his goons. But I promise we’ll put a stop to it.”
“How?”
“You let me and T-bone worry about that.”
Irelyn ran her finger over my jawline. “Be careful, Zolt. There’s no telling what Marcus is capable of doing.”
“You’re mine now, not his. Mine. I don’t let anyone fuck with what belongs to me. And, just like the old days, I’ll have T-bone covering my back. I’m not worried.”
Irelyn bit her lip; then she pressed her lips to mine in a sweet kiss.
“Zolt, I need you to help me.” The lusty expression in her sable-browns went straight to my cock.
“Anything,” I replied with a low voice, my gaze staring wantonly at her kissable lips.
“I have all these horrific images of Chris in my head—images I need gone. Help me get rid of them, please. Make love to me.”
All I could do was nod. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her, the woman, who for years had saved me on so many occasions. And, if anyone understood using sex as a coping mechanism, I did. Besides smoking, sex had been my go to device for the last six years. I wasn’t about to deny Irelyn the same, though a small voice inside me whispered I should—a voice I blamed on Brody. He was always lecturing me about my sexual habits, and reminding me, at some point, I would have to face my demons if I ever wanted them to go away. So, I could regurgitate my brother’s words to Irelyn, or I could give the naked, beautiful woman who sat on my lap what she asked for.
What do you think I chose?
“Are you sure, baby?” I asked, giving her the opportunity to change her mind.
“Yes, please. I need this. I need you.”
She kissed me again, and this time she thrust her tongue in my mouth as she gyrated her hips against mine.
Fuck!
I sat up straighter on the bench that ran the side of the tub, and wrapped my arms around her, bringing her closer. I kissed the hollow in her throat, hoping to remove the images of Chris from her mind.
“Stand up,” I directed.
Irelyn did so without comment, I took my hard cock in hand and positioned it so she could slide down on me.
We groaned our pleasure when she straddled me, giving her what she so badly wanted. What we both wanted.
“Fuck,” Irelyn said, throwing her head back. Her hair came loose from its knot and spilled down her back into the water. Slowly, she moved up and down on me as she held on to the ledge of the tub.
I watched, enthralled by her and the emotions that played on her face. Her heavy lidded eyes were partially closed, and her lips were seductively parted.
Holy shit. She’s so fucking gorgeous riding my cock.
I couldn’t remember ever being this turned on while having sex. If I thought about the intensity of my feelings for this woman, I’d freak myself out. So, I didn’t. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Irelyn riding me. Enjoyed the way she moved her slick body against mine, pressing her full tits against my chest. God, this woman was driving me crazy, and she could take me to the edge faster than anyone I’d ever been with.
