A Girl by Any Other Name (64 page)

exiting the store. “Are you really mad about this?”

Her lips curled, fighting a smile. “Yes, but rest assured, I’ll think of a way to punish you later.”

“Are you planning to withhold sex from me? Because I’ll buy out the whole goddamn store if

you want.”

She bit her bottom lip, but I knew she was now doing it on purpose. Now that she knew what it

did to me. “That would be punishing myself, and I’m no masochist.”

“That’s my girl,” I replied, putting my arm around her shoulder.

Chapter Fourteen

Sylvie’s place, an efficiency apartment situated in an artsy part of town, matched her style. “So

this is you,” I said, gesturing to the space. There was a small couch, which I supposed Momma would

refer to as a loveseat. The only other furniture was a twin-sized bed that I wondered how we were

both going to sleep on and a chest of drawers. One wall screamed out, painted bright red, but the rest

were stark white. It felt like Sylvie in some ways, but it also felt cramped and foreign too.

“It’s not much, but rent’s cheap.” She took the bags from me, and placed them on a small

countertop that housed a few miniature appliances and served as her kitchen.

I immediately started checking the windows and locks. “You need a deadbolt. The one you have

isn’t very strong and you don’t even have a peephole.”

She shrugged. “I don’t get many visitors. Do you want beer or wine?”

“Beer. It doesn’t matter how many visitors you get. It’s a pretty basic safety protocol.”

“I’ll call the landlord if it makes you feel better,” she responded, handing me a beer.

“Don’t bother. I can do it. We’ll hit Home Depot tomorrow.”

“You know the US Marshal’s office still looks after me.”

“Yeah, and they did such a fucking brilliant job the first time,” I spat. She winced at the

harshness in my tone. I put my arm around her, pulling her close to me. “I’m sorry, I just want to take

whatever precautions we can.”

“I understand. I work tomorrow, but we can go in the morning.”

I suddenly felt pretty stupid since this was such an obvious thing for me to know and also the one

thing I hadn’t asked her about. “I don’t know where you work.”

She laughed. “Of course you don’t. I never told you. I work at an art supply store.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s boring most of the time, but I teach a few classes for children and I love that part.”

“You were always good with kids. You were very good with Mandy.”

“Oh, my God, I never asked you how she was,” she replied, clapping her hand to her mouth in

guilt.

“Sylvie, don’t freak out about that. Like I said, we know each other, but we do have to get

reacquainted, and there’s plenty of time for that.”

“How are your mom and Mandy? I know some things because I’ve been keeping tabs on the

Internet, but only what they post on their Facebook pages.”

“They’re really good. Momma’s still running bake sales and heading up the choir. Mandy’s in

college at Baylor majoring in music therapy. She got a scholarship.”

“You must be so proud of her.”

“We are, but you had a hand in that too. Between my dad, Mom and you, she developed a great

love for music.”

“She had a true talent for it. Far more than I did.”

“I don’t know about that. Remember, I heard you singing at the WC.”

“Yes, but you’re tone deaf.”

“Funny, smartass. Do you still play? I don’t see a piano.”

“There’s no room for one. I can barely fit my bed.” She went over to her bed and removed her

cowboy boots. It was a pretty funny outfit—cowboy boots, baggy sweats, and a Lynyrd Skynyrd T-

shirt. Yet she looked sexy as hell.

“When you move in with me, there will be.”

She gulped her beer and her eyes widened. “I like it here.”

“Don’t be stubborn, Sylvie. This place isn’t very safe. I also think that maybe you should quit

your job. I can—”

“Stop. Right now. I mean it, Tex.”

“What?”

She walked over to me, placing her hands on my chest. “I know you’re concerned about me, but

I’ve lived the last ten years without incidents. Locking yourself up is not living and I won’t do it. Not

even for you. You can’t expect me to change my lifestyle.”

“I understand you’ve had almost ten years—”

“Fifteen. Almost fifteen years of my life have been in hiding, and even though I’m living in

hiding, I refuse to hide.”

“You have to understand that I almost lost you once. I don’t want to risk it again. I’ve only had

two days with you and they’ve been the most pleasurable and uneasy of my life.” She stared at me in

confusion. “Baby, do you know what it feels like to have the knowledge that someone out there is

looking to harm the most important thing in the world to you?”

She placed her hand on my face, “I know exactly how you feel. I’ve felt that way about you, but I

have to live my life and you do too. The thing I love about being with you is that it’s so easy. So

normal. I crave that.”

“Yeah, as easy as breathing,” I replied, kissing her gently.

“Right, so don’t suffocate me.”

“Fine, but I’m fixing the deadbolt, drilling a peephole and putting a chain on this door.”

“Fine.”

“Also, I want you to text me when you get to and leave work. Every free minute we have is with

each other. We will not sleep apart again, agreed?”

“Tex, I’ll do what you want, but I think we need to take this just a bit slower,” she replied. I

couldn’t understand her need to be separated from me, but I decided not to push it too hard. Not yet.

“Fine,” I grumbled.

She smiled, kissed my cheek then stood on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, “Just give it time.

You need it too, even if you don’t realize it yet.” Before I could respond, she started walking away. “I

have something for you.” She went into a large closet. I took a minute to check the rest of her space. I

noticed the painting in the corner of the room sitting on an easel.

“You still paint?”

“Yes, people commission me to paint portraits. I do it for extra money.”

My jaw clenched as I stared at the painting of an older man, imagining him alone with her in this

small apartment. “Relax, Tex, they send me pictures and I do the paintings from those and mail them

out. I don’t even have any clients in Portland.”

“How do you always know what I’m thinking?”

“Because we have this weird connection.”

“You’re still an amazing artist. I may be tone deaf, but I sure as hell have eyes.”

She shrugged, standing in front of me. “Good enough to get paid is good enough for me.” She

opened her hand, revealing the silver chain with the St Michael’s pendant I’d given her so long ago.

“You still have it?”

“Of course I do. I wear it to bed every night.”

I twirled a strand of her hair around my finger. “You wear it to bed?”

“I used to wear it all the time, but people touched it and asked about it. It made me too sad. I

know it sounds strange to put on jewelry before bed, but it helps with the nightmares, and you were

right about it. It feels like you’re there with me when I have it on.” She pressed it into my hand. “You

told me you were lending it to me until I didn’t need it anymore. I know it’s overdue, but I’m ready to

return it now.”

I put it back in her palm and closed her fingers around it. “You keep it a while longer. Not that it

helped you any when you needed it.” My mind raced back to that night and how I’d seen the glint of

the pendant in the darkness so I could find her.

She shook her head. “It did. I’m safe and you’re safe. We’re very lucky to be here.”

“You’re right, so that only supports my case that you should keep it longer. It’s managed to keep

you safe for ten years, and I’m not about to ask for it back now.” She nodded and surprised me by

slipping it on without any argument. “Do you ever paint for pleasure?”

“Sometimes.”

“May I see those?”

“I have never shown anyone.”

“I don’t think I’m anyone.”

“My personal work is behind the sheet in the corner,” she said, pointing in the direction.

I walked over slowly, kneeling to the floor. She stood beside me, her legs shaking. I placed my

hand on her ankle, gently rubbing away the tension. I smiled at her reassuringly before lifting the

sheet. I viewed each of the canvases, feeling my heartbeat quicken at what she’d created. Some were

in charcoal, some done in oil, some with water paints, but they all had one thing in common. They

were all portraits of me, in some form or fashion. Me on the football field, throwing a pass. Me at the

lake fishing. Me with Momma and Mandy in our living room. There was even one of me and my

father.

I wasn’t sure what to say. “You made me look very handsome.”

“Yeah, I took some artistic license with that.”

I laughed at her joke, but it was difficult with the large lump in my throat. I knew she’d never

forgotten us, but the fact that she had so painstakingly recreated all of these images made it clear that I

was in her heart as much as she was in mine. I pushed the canvases back against the wall and draped

the sheet over them.

I straightened up and turned to her, hugging her waist in my kneeling position. She stroked my

hair. “Are you all right, Tex?”

“I’ve never been better, Sylvie.” I lifted her shirt and pressed kisses to her flat stomach. I rolled

down the waistband of my sweatpants she was wearing, loving the way my boxers fell right off her.

“Lift your legs.” She lifted each one and I pulled the material away from her. “Take off my shirt.” She

complied, revealing her perfect bare breasts. She was naked before me and I was kneeling in front of

her, prepared to worship every inch of her. “Put your hands on my shoulders.”

“You are very bossy,” she said, but complied.

“It’s for your pleasure. Would you like me to stop?”

“Don’t stop,” she replied without hesitation.

“I didn’t think so.” I moved my head inside that space and licked her opening. Her legs began to

tremble against my touch. I moved a finger inside her as I sucked on her clit, eliciting moans of

pleasure from her. She tugged at my T-shirt and I withdrew my finger, lifting my arms, so she could

pull it off. As soon as it was off me, I returned to my mission, enjoying the way her legs twitched with

every flick of my tongue. It didn’t take long for her to come. I stood up, punctuating my movements

with small, precise kisses marking my path.

Her hands went to the buttons of my jeans. She undid them with her deft fingers and unzipped me.

She crouched down removing them. “Lift.”

“Look who’s bossy now.”

“Lift your feet already.”

I obliged. Once she had them off, I walked backward to the wall, leaning against it. I knew what

she was thinking and I thought I would need something to stand against. She crawled to me on all

fours, making my dick harden with each small advance as I watched the raw sexual desire in those

gorgeous brown eyes. She took my full length in her mouth, gagging slightly.

“You don’t have to do this, baby. Don’t hurt yourself.” I moved her hair away so I could watch

her face for any signs of unease.

She ignored me and kept going, with a look a sheer determination in her eyes. Yeah, my girl was

stubborn like that. I was a lucky man. She moaned as she worked me over, causing the vibration to

make my knees weaken. She caressed my sack and I almost lost it. I moved inside her, marveling how

well her expert tongue saturated my dick. Her mouth suctioned against me. Her hands kneaded my ass.

I sucked in some air, watching my dick disappear inside her pretty mouth.

“Stop or I’m going to come.”

“Do it then.” The words vibrated against my stiff cock.

A choked cheer escaped me. “Baby, don’t talk with your mouth full.”

I grabbed a fistful of hair, guiding her movements, until my release came hard and swift.

Fuck.

Her eyes grew wide, and I dislodged myself, waiting for her face to contort in distaste and the

disgusted shriek that would follow. Instead, she looked up at me. Then I heard the most sexually

arousing sound of my life….her gulp.

She stood up, a dribble at the corner of her mouth. As if I couldn’t be more turned on, she

gathered it with her finger, bringing it to her tongue.

Fuck.

“Did that really just fucking happen?”

“What?”

“Baby, you sucked my dick and blew my mind at the same time.”

She smiled with great pride. “So, you liked it?”

“That’s an understatement. Where did you put the condoms?”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re kidding, right?”

I shrugged. “Nope. I feel it would be a crying shame not to use some of the stuff we bought.” I

pulled her against my chest, caressing her back, kissing her neck. “I need to be inside you. I want to

feel you again.”

“’Kay.”

I laughed. “Tell me if you’re tired. I’ll respect that.”

She looked up at me. “Think I can’t keep up with you?”

“Girl, I always knew you were as much of a sex freak as me.”

“Correction, more than you.” My sly grin widened. “You continue to blow my mind even when

you’re not sucking on my dick.”