Need (3 page)

I let that set in for a minute before I continued. “As I told you last night, I’d still like to see you go back to school. Again, it will be a benefit to you no matter what path you end up choosing.” Pausing, I made sure she was looking at me before calmly saying, “Everything else is up to you.”

She just watched me, not saying anything for two hundred and four seconds. Then she said, “So, if I decide I don’t . . . want to stay?”

I felt a deep pain in my chest unlike any I’d ever known. It took me a few seconds to find my voice. “I won’t stop you.”

Brianna didn’t respond. Her eyes roamed my face and then fell to her lap. Once again, she pressed her lips together.

I decided to take Logan’s advice and tell her exactly what I wanted. “I would like for you to stay. How do you feel about that?”

She shifted on my lap a little. “Scared.”

“Why do you feel scared?”

“You want me to be your . . . submissive,” she whispered.

“Yes,” I answered.

“I don’t,” she said, and then stopped herself. “What would I have to do?”

The fact that she didn’t say no outright gave me some hope. I smiled, tucked her hair behind her ear with one hand, and reached over to retrieve the new journal with the other. Her fingers touched it reverently when I placed it in her lap. “This is a journal. It’s yours. I’d like for you to put your thoughts and feelings down in it every day.”

She opened it, flipping through the blank pages. “I used to have a journal when I was with my mom,” she said absently. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I waited until she closed the book and cradled it to her chest. Brianna seemed very pleased with her new journal. “We need to communicate. I need to know what you are thinking and feeling, Brianna. I want to help you so that you’re not afraid anymore, but you have to help me. You have to talk to me. Will you do that?”

“Yes.”

I cupped her face with both of my hands. “You don’t have to make any decisions right now, Brianna. I won’t force you into this. It has to be your choice.”

She closed her eyes briefly. When they opened again, they were glistening, and a single tear fell down her cheek. My mouth opened and pressed against her skin, capturing the moisture. The salty taste lingered on my tongue.

Brianna’s lips parted as she sucked in a deep breath. My senses registered her reaction, and I felt the pull I had felt so many times before. Tilting her face up with the pads of my thumbs, I moved my lips down to within a breath of her own. “I want to kiss you, Brianna.”

She didn’t answer me so I remained where I was. She tilted her head, bringing her mouth closer to mine almost unconsciously.

“Do you want me to kiss you?” I whispered.

“Yes,” she said, her breath ghosting across my lips.

A second after the word left her mouth my lips were covering hers. My fingers wrapped around her scalp, moving her head to give me the best access. Her lips parted and I took advantage.

The taste of her against my tongue drove me on. Ever so slowly, I explored every inch of her mouth. The mouth of the woman I hoped to one day make completely and solely mine.

Brianna’s hands came up to rest lightly on my chest. My hands increased their grip on her hair as I pulled back enough to say, “Touch me,” before going back to my delicious exploration.

Slowly her hands moved up my torso to my neck. Feeling her touch my bare skin sent a shiver down my spine, and I pulled her closer. I wanted to devour her.

My body shifted and I put my left hand on her waist, pressing her closer. She was too desirable for her own good.

I forced myself to push her away. My forehead rested against hers as our harsh breath mingled together. Her expressive blue eyes fluttered open. For a moment, they weren’t afraid. Then, I saw it again as she registered the want I knew was reflected in my own eyes.

With great reluctance, I leaned back and cleared my face of my desire. “I have one more request,” I said once I’d regained my voice.

“What?” she asked, still not fully in control of herself.

“I want you to talk to Lily.”

Stephan

The rest of Monday night was uneventful. I joined Brianna in the kitchen to help her finish making dinner. She was still a little hesitant, but I could tell that she was trying not to be.

    Tuesday morning, she joined me for a very quiet breakfast before I left for the office. I beat Jamie in and was already in the middle of a grant proposal by the time she knocked on my door. “Good morning, Mr. Coleman.”

“Morning, Jamie. Come in.”

She walked into my office and took a seat in front of my desk. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Thank you,” I smiled.

My assistant was very loyal, and one of the nicest people I had ever met. “I brought you some phone messages,” she said, handing them to me. I flipped through them quickly. There was nothing overly important there other than a call from my lawyer. “Oh, and Miss Adams called just before five yesterday as well, but she said she would just track you down today. Should I call her and set something up?”

“Yes. I do believe I have lunch available today. Why don’t you see if she is able to join me and order us something from the deli across the street?”

She nodded. “Is there anything else, sir?”

“I think that’s all for now, Jamie. Thanks.”

Less than five seconds passed after my door clicked shut before I picked up the phone and dialed my lawyer. “Davis and Associates. How may I help you?”

“Good morning. This is Stephan Coleman.”

“Oh yes, Mr. Coleman. Mr. Davis is expecting your call. One moment, please.”

The phone clicked and the line filled with hold music I’d heard more times than I could count. Luckily, I didn’t have to listen for long before Oscar picked up the line. We exchanged brief pleasantries before he cut to the chase. 

“My office received another phone call asking about Brianna Reeves. It was the same guy, I think. Anyway, after last time I put a tracer on the receptionist’s phone and instructed her to use it if he called again.” He paused for what seemed like several minutes, but was in fact only a few seconds. “The phone call originated from the Lake County Minnesota Sheriff’s Office.”

Any doubt I had in my mind that Jonathan Reeves was looking for his daughter went out the window. I had known it in my gut, but now I had proof.

“Stephan, what’s going on? Is this girl running from the law or something?”

I debated for half a second whether to tell Oscar what was going on, but it was clearly information he should have. There was no way I could know what having someone in law enforcement actively coming after Brianna would do. “Oscar, there are some things you need to know.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll do my best.”

I decided to stick to the basics. “After a phone call from her father, a car picked Brianna up from her home in Two Harbors. She ended up being held by a man named Ian Pierce for ten months until I was able to get her out.” I conveniently left out the part of ‘how’ I got her away from him.

It didn’t take Oscar long to draw the same conclusions I had. “Do you really think a county sheriff would do that to his own daughter?” he asked.

“As much as I would like to think otherwise, yes.”

“I’ll see what I can find out about Sheriff Reeves without drawing too much attention. It might not be a bad idea to look at Mr. Pierce either. See if maybe we can find a link between the two.”

“Everything has to be below the radar. Nothing can tie this to me. Or you.”

The conversation ended shortly after that with a promise from Oscar to contact me as soon as he obtained any information.

The rest of the morning went quickly. It was amazing how much work could pile up after only a day’s absence this time of year.

At eleven thirty there was a knock on my door. Jamie peeked her head in. “Mr. Walker is here to see you,” she said, reluctantly.

I set the papers I had been looking at aside. “Show him in.”

Jamie took a step back and motioned for Karl Walker to enter my office. The man looked at her with annoyance. He never liked having to go through Jamie to see me.

“Good morning, Karl,” I said as Jamie closed the door behind her.

Karl just smiled at me and took a seat in front of my desk. His eyes scanned over the wood surface as if he was looking for something, but he didn’t speak. “Is there something I can help you with? I do have work to do,” I said, pointing out the obvious.

His smile took a slightly rueful turn for just a second. It was so quick that if I had not been so used to watching for subtle reactions, I would have missed it. “Just wanted to make sure your secretary gave you the final grant proposals for your signature. They need to get out this week.”

“She did,” I said in a tone that I hoped made clear that I did not appreciate him second-guessing my assistant and her ability to do her job.

He continued to sit there, and his eyes began taking in my office as a whole. It was quite apparent that he was looking for something. I just had no idea what. Karl had been in my office many times before, yet he had never scrutinized it so closely. 

“Is there something else you needed?”

That seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he’d been in. “Um. No. No. I’ll just . . .”

He stood fluidly from the chair and headed toward the door. I lowered my head back down to my paperwork in clear dismissal.

I heard the knob turn and the door begin to open slightly. “One more thing,” he said.

My frustration rising, I raised my gaze to meet his across the room. An all-too-innocent expression crossed his face. “I was wondering if you were planning on bringing that girl with you Saturday night. What was her name?” He paused. “Oh yes, Brianna.”

It took a great deal of effort to keep my face from showing the emotion I was feeling, but I managed. I had not had a chance to talk to Brianna about Saturday. She was still leery of people, but I was hoping she would accompany me. Karl, however, did not need to have any doubts as to Brianna’s availability. 

“Yes,” I said, keeping it simple.

His mouth pulled down in a false frown. “Pity,” he said, then turned his back on me and left.

I hadn’t realized just how much rage I was feeling at Karl’s show of interest in Brianna until I heard the pen I’d been holding snap in half. He’d be there Saturday night. North Memorial was where it had all started for The Coleman Foundation. It was an important event for not only the hospital, but for us as well.

After throwing my now-useless pen in the trash, I tried to pick up where I’d left off, but couldn’t. The only thing I could think about was Brianna. Before I could second-guess myself too much, I picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone. 

She answered on the second ring. “Hello—” She paused. “Hello.”

Brianna was still having trouble figuring out what to call me. She hadn’t actually called me anything since we’d talked about names yesterday.

“Hello, Brianna. How’s your morning so far?”

“Good, Um . . .” 

I decided to address the point directly. “You may call me whatever you wish, you know.”

“I know,” she said shyly. “It just doesn’t feel right to call you by your name.”

“Try it.”

“What?” she gasped.

I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped my lips. “Say my name.”

“I . . . I . . .”

“Don’t say you can’t, because I know that you can. You are capable of so much, Brianna. You just have to push beyond your fear.”

She was quiet for so long that I thought she wasn’t going to respond. Then, I heard my name spoken in what barely qualified as a whisper.

“Again,” I said.

“Ste . . . phan,” she squeaked.

It was louder, but she could do better. “Again, Brianna.”

She paused and I could almost see her pressing her lips together on the other end of the line. “Stephan.”

My name was still foreign on her lips, but it was progress. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Her response the shy whisper I often received from her.

I looked over at my computer and saw that Lily would arrive in a few minutes. “I was calling to see if you would be available to have lunch with Lily tomorrow.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Good. I’m meeting with her in a few minutes, and I’ll let her know to swing by and pick you up. Maybe you two could go out.”

“I don’t . . .”

“If you want to go to school this fall, Brianna, you’re going to have to get used to being around people. Lily will keep you safe.”

“I know,” she said. “Okay.”

There was a knock on my door. Lily peeked in, her arms holding the food Jamie ordered for us. “I need to go,” I told Brianna. “I’ll see you tonight when I get home.”

She said a shy goodbye and hung up.

Lily walked into the room and placed the food on the small table between two chairs I had set up in the corner of my office. I stood up from behind my desk and made my way over to sit opposite her. “How are you, Lily?”

Her eyes met mine for a second longer than normal before she said, “Fine.” She paused for a few moments before giving me a rueful smile. “I’d be better if you’d get rid of Karl.”