“He loves his school. He loves his friends. He’s built something here and I think he’s had enough change for the next little while. If he wants it when it comes time for high school, fine. But for now, I don’t want to upset his schedule or his life any more than it has been already.”
“Stalkers are out there. I know this from experience.”
She hated that his niece was murdered. Hated that such violence had touched their lives. It made her even more hesitant to tell him about her father.
At the same time, she didn’t want to give in to fear and send Miles’s life into further upheaval when there was no reason to go there yet. She knew he worried a lot. Knew he had reason to. But this situation was not the same. A single reporter sniffing around was not what happened to Erin and her baby.
“I know you had a horrible experience, Adrian. But this is Miles’s home. Some of the kids at school know since you came to the jazz band performance and they’ve seen you around with him. But so far there’s not been an issue. I don’t want to move him unless it’s absolutely necessary. Rennie goes to public school, for goodness’ sake. Children of celebrities do go to public school. Not everywhere, but I don’t see any reason to move to private at this point.”
There was something so wrong with her, but every time they started to spar like this, the energy between them sharpened and made her all deliciously woozy. For him too. She saw the spark in his eyes, even as he set his mouth in a hard line.
“Rennie isn’t my child.”
“A fact that I appreciate. And still I don’t see the point in moving Miles when he’s happy and there is no problem. His life is far from normal. I accept that. But he should have the normal parts when he can get them.”
“Are you saying I’m not normal?”
She cocked her head at him, eyes narrowed. “Are you picking a fight for some reason?”
“You’re the one who said you wanted him kept safe. I offered you a way to make that happen and you rejected it.”
“Oh no, you don’t. I brought up safety concerns as it related to these trips and bringing Miles out into the open as your son. I didn’t say I found his school or home life unsafe. I said, in point of fact, that those
were
safe. I said I didn’t want to take him from school to put him in another unless it was necessary and I even gave you reasons.”
“You had a reporter at your door, Gillian!” He burst from his chair. “And you didn’t even tell me until today.”
“I did. I threw him off my land and that was that. And if you recall, you showed up, took Miles and his buddies to pizza and brought him back too late to finish his homework so he had to get up early to do it. And then you leapt on me and kept me awake until nearly two. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. That part is always enjoyable. When is it you needed to know and how do you propose I should have told you? Are there rules you have? If so, perhaps you should share them with me.”
He got that look and she knew there would be bite marks and scratches when they finished with each other.
“When anyone in the media approaches you, I want to know immediately. I prefer you don’t speak with them, but if you do, I’d like a heads-up on what you said.”
“Fine. Fair enough. I told him to get his nosy arse off my porch or I’d call the police. Then I menaced him, which wasn’t effective, as he was quite big. Then I used the broom and he got moving. If I speak to them, I’ll be sure to let them know you’re a generous lover and a good father. Is that to your liking?”
“You’re bitchy today.”
“Hm.”
“I like it.”
“Hm.” This time he got a raised brow, but the glimmer of a smile to go with it. “If there are safety concerns, I’ll move him. I’ll put a bodyguard on him or whatever it takes. Otherwise, I want him to keep having a normal life.”
“Can we talk to him about private school? You know, after this school year is over?”
“See? That wasn’t hard at all. And yes, we can. In June. And yes, you may take your son to Miami. He’s only been on an airplane once before. He’ll be thrilled.”
“Both of you. I know you heard that part. He’s my son, but you’re mine too. Anyway, it’ll be a good trip. A friend of mine has a house right on the water. A dock. A pool too. The weather should be nice. I figured we might be able to, you know, do something silly and touristy, maybe even head up to Orlando and do theme parks. And we’ll be traveling with a bodyguard, just so you know in advance.”
She was his? Oh. Well, that made her all tingly.
“English, say yes. Let me show you and Miles a great time. Let me spoil you both. Our first family trip.” He looked so sweet she couldn’t have refused, even if she’d wanted to.
“I’ll have to get someone in to deal with all the animals. A day here and there while we’re at your place is one thing. But several days with all Miles’s cats and the turtle will take coordination.”
“We can board them.”
She laughed. “Board a turtle? Between Mary, Cal, Jules and Miles’s friends we can get people over here to feed, water and give love to everyone just fine. You have no idea what it’s like to get Claypool into a cat carrier.” She shuddered. “Getting that big blob of fur to do anything but eat and sleep is hard enough. If he thinks shots or anything of the like is involved, his claws come out. Thirty pounds of fat, pissedoff cat is no fun.”
Adrian lost his annoyance and barked a laugh. “Erin thinks naming a cat after a bass player is pretty hilarious. And in case you haven’t noticed, Fat Lucy is also gigantic. Not sure about the orange one since I see him so rarely.”
“That’s Pikachu. Miles brought him home when he was still obsessed with Pokémon. He’s not fat, just crazy. He lives under the back porch and he likes it that way. Jones—that’s the Siamese—is all about stealth and he’s sleek and manly. I have to tell him this over and over so he won’t get a complex about it. He’s also Fat Lucy’s guardian. He has a crush on her.”
“Just when I think you’re one thing, you prove me wrong. I do like that whimsical streak you’ve got.” Before she could get embarrassed he continued on. “So okay, we’ll get the pet-sitting in place and you’ll come.” His smile was so pleased she couldn’t remain cross.
“I’d better. Heaven knows we don’t need
that
to get to the press.”
“The longer I know you, the more devious I find you. Sexy.”
“Back off there, Mister Hands. I have to finish this project. Give me half an hour and then I will be available for ravishment.”
He pouted, which only made him more handsome. “Fine, fine. I’ll get the plane reservations made.”
He pretended to work for half an hour. Put a call in to get the plane tickets taken care of. They’d arrange to pick Adrian up at the airport. Gavin, his bodyguard, would meet them in Miami.
When she turned back to him, she caught him watching. “You’re a terribly impatient man, Mister Brown.”
“When sex with you is what I’m supposed to be waiting for? Yes, yes, I am.” He stood. “I think we need to break in that hot tub.”
She blushed. “Adrian! It’s broad daylight!” But he heard the way her voice changed. Knew she was intrigued.
“You have a gazebo around it and it’s surrounded by big bushes and plants. You can’t see it from the yard unless you’re standing a foot away. Who’s going to see? Hm? If you like, we can put sheets out to protect you from view even better.”
Which is how she ended up naked in her backyard in the middle of the day when it was about forty degrees and misting.
“Come here,” he murmured, pushing her up against the side of the hot tub. He did like to hem her in, against doors and walls, the kitchen counter, a car. It didn’t matter, he liked it and heaven knew she did too.
The kiss wasn’t soft and finessed at all. It came through quite clearly just how much he’d needed her in the slightly less-than-graceful way he took her mouth. She sighed into him, running her hands all over wherever she could reach.
“I need you.” He broke the kiss and looked her up and down. “Five seconds after I’ve come and I need you again. I think about you arched and moaning, bent over my cock as you suck me off. I think about how tight your cunt is when I push into you. You make me feel like the luckiest man on earth.”
She didn’t blush for once because the water was so warm, but she would have at such beautiful praise from him.
“Take what you need then. I’m all yours, whenever you need me.”
“I know. It makes my hands shake sometimes, not only just how much I need you but how instantly you give yourself over.”
She found his cock, fisting it as he kissed his way down her neck.
“On your knees on this bench here. Face the outside.”
Gillian moved to obey, shivering not at the cold but at his tone of command. She was sure she held the rim of the hot tub so hard it would break something. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was him inside her. Her pleasing him.
He moved behind her and wrapped her ponytail around his fist. She stuttered a breath at the way he used it to angle her just right, even as she arched her back to get her ass closer, to push back against him.
“I love it when you do that. When you can’t wait for me to fuck you and your reserve falls away with all your impatience.”
He pressed in. One stroke, hard and deep, bringing a grunt from her lips. Her ass and cunt were out of the water, which was good. Fucking underwater was not fun. But he’d moved her near one of the jets. The foam and enough of the bubbles brushed against her clit as he began to move.
“Your pussy is on fire. Hot and tight. I love being in you this deep. I love fucking you this way, the sound of the pine trees hushing over those little desperate sounds you make. I know the jet is near your clit. Mmmm, is it making you hot?” He licked over her shoulder and then bit her. Not too hard, but enough to make her give him another one of those sounds he was just praising.
That he knew without a doubt he was not only ringing her bell, but that she’d never done anything like this before, only made him hotter for her.
“Yes,” she managed to gasp out.
“Good. Don’t come yet. I want your cunt grabbing my cock, squeezing until I can’t hold off any longer. And I want to fuck you for a while longer before I blow. And I will.”
She writhed, pushing back to meet his thrust.
Her breasts called to him so he slid his hands up her sides and around to tease her nipples. Rolling and tugging, just this side of rough. Her nipples were very sensitive and he knew just how to touch her. Another thing he loved about her—the way she responded to him.
The only one. She was the only one for him. The only one who’d ever make him feel this way and he knew that to his toes.
“Do you have any idea how you look from my perspective? Your back is curved, your skin beaded with water, flushed with sex and the heat of the water. I could write a dozen fuck songs every time I think of you. Your hair wrapped around my fist as I hold you exactly how I want and you not only give in to it, your pussy gets juicier and even hotter. Your nipples, oh, English, so hard in my fingers. The only drawback of taking you from behind is that I can’t lick them and suck on them until you start to pant.”
Her needy sounds began to gain urgency and he knew exactly how she was feeling.
“And then you let that first
please
go.
Please, Adrian, make me come. Please put your cock in me.
You’re so pretty when you beg and use your manners all at once. Though sometimes”—he paused to grab at control, which seemed very insubstantial just then—“sometimes you go another route and you boss me in that haughty way you have and I like that just fine too.”
“If you don’t let me come, I’m going to die. Please, Adrian.
Please
.”
“Not ready to leave your pussy just yet.”
That’s when she squeezed her inner muscles and added a tiny swish from side to side when she slid back against him.
He snarled a curse. “Not fair!”
“Hm.” And she did it again. He knew she was close. Her cunt spasmed around him a few times, the way it did right before she came.