Unleash Me, Vol. 1 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (19 page)

I straddled him again and tossed my
hair away from my face with a quick flick of my head.
 
Looking down at him, I challenged him
with my eyes.
 
“
Do you trust me, Tank?
”

He looked up at me, then at the
candle flickering in my hand.
 
He
knew what I had in mind, and given the expression on his face, it appeared to
excite him.
 
“
I trust you,
”
he
said.

I held the candle over his chest,
tipped it slightly and allowed the flame to melt the wax.
 
“
I
’
ve
never done this before,
”
I
said.
 
“
Sort of like being
spanked a moment ago.
 
But I
’
ve always wanted to do
it with someone I loved and trusted.
 
You
’
re
the first person I
’
ve
felt this safe with.
 
This delirious
with.
 
I
’
ve always wanted to be
this adventurous.
 
Do you think it
will hurt?
”
I
asked, but before he could respond, I turned the candle onto its side and
watched the shimmering droplets of wax rain down onto his chest.

Tank caught his breath and
winced.
 
The hot wax rolled towards
his stomach in thin rivers that pooled in his belly button before spilling onto
the sheets.
 
Was it hurting
him?
 
I doubted it.
 
Tank was a former SEAL.
 
He could handle just about anything
—
except
maybe me right now.

I blew out the candle.

Rising up the length of his body, I
ground myself against him, found his mouth with mine, and we kissed.
 
He reached down and grasped
himself.
 
I raised my hips and parted
my legs.

“
Ready
for another round?
”
he
asked.

I touched his face.
 
“
Just go easy at first.
 
What you
’
ve
got down there should be studied.
”

Just as he was about to enter me, we
searched one another
’
s
eyes.
 
He
’
s
too big,
I thought.
 
He
’
s
always too big.
 
But when he
entered me again, everything that happened after that initial pain became a
blur.
 
I wanted this.
 
I wanted him.
 
I wanted him to be in my life
forever.
 

As we rocked together on the bed, his
thrusts became deeper, faster, more demanding.
 
Spasms coursed through me.
 
My fingernails dug into his back.
 
My hand clutched his hair and I pulled
on it as hard as I could.
 
He pushed
my hands away and pinned my arms to my sides.
 
He covered one of my nipples with his
mouth, and bit down gently.
 
I
arched my back in pleasure.
 
My
nipple was so taut, it felt as though it might burst.

I looked up at his face and realized
that he was as close as I was.
 
Wanting him deeper inside of me, I countered each of his thrusts with my
own until release
—
unabashed
and unfathomable
—
came
for both of us.

Later, after showering together, and
making love again, I drifted off to sleep, my body secure in Tank
’
s arms, and I realized
again just how much I had fallen in love with him.
 
I moved closer to him and kissed his
chest.
 
His heart raced, but the
sound of it soothed me to sleep.

CHAPTER TEN

The next morning, everything
changed.
 

I got up at five, quietly took a
shower, did my hair, and put on my makeup while Tank slept.
 
When I left the bathroom, he no longer
was in bed.
 
I went looking for him
and found him in the kitchen making coffee.
 

As usual, he wore nothing but his
boxer shorts, which, frankly, was just cruel of him.
 
I gave him a kiss, and he held me close
to him for a moment.
 
I could sense
when I put my head against his chest what both of us knew, but neither of
wanted to say.
 
For reasons beyond
our control, we were going to see very little of each other over the next two
weeks.
 

“
What
time do you leave tomorrow?
”
I
asked.

He furrowed his brow.
 
“
Actually, I just got some news.
 
We leave tonight.
”

I looked up at him in surprise.
 
“
But I thought it was tomorrow.
”

He reached for his cell on the
kitchen counter, and brought up a text from Alex.
 
He showed it to me.
 
It read
“
Change of plans.
 
We leave tonight.
 
Details
coming in an email.
”

“
Have
you received the email?
”

“
I
have.
 
We have meetings starting at
noon today, then we leave at eight o
’
clock tonight.
 
It
’
s
an overnight flight.
 
We
’
ll fly to Los Angeles,
refuel, and then fly to Singapore.
 
Give or take, it
’
s
about a twenty-five-hour flight.
”

“
I
can
’
t
believe this.
 
I thought we
’
d be together longer.
”

“
I
’
m also disappointed.
”

“
In
order to meet my deadline, I have to work my ass off today and tonight, which
means that this is it.
”

“
This
isn
’
t
it.
 
Not exactly.
 
I
’
ll call you every day.
 
We
’
ll
Skype when we can.
 
I
’
ll text you often to
see how you are.
 
Physically, there
will be distance between us, but there won
’
t be emotionally.
 
Just physically, and just for two weeks.
”

“
Unless
Alex changes that, too.
”

“
It
could happen.
”

“
I
wonder if Jennifer has texted me.
”
 
I
reached for my own cell, which had been charging next to his, and saw that both
she and Blackwell had texted me.
 
“
Leaving tonight,
”
Jennifer
wrote.
 
“
I
’
ll see you when you
get home.
 
I
’
m packing.
 
Give Tank a kiss for me.
 
Love you!
”

“
What
did she say?
”
Tank
asked.

“
Pretty
much the same.
 
She told me to give
you a kiss from her, so as if I
’
m
not going to do that.
”
 
I put my phone down on the counter,
wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him.
 
I closed my eyes and we lingered there
for a moment before I stepped back.

“
Blackwell
also texted me,
”
I
said.

“
What
does she want?
”

I reached for my phone.
 
“
Haven
’
t
looked.
 
Let
’
s find out.
”
 
I clicked on her text.
 
“
Call me as soon as possible.
”
 
I
showed it to Tank.

“
That
sounds fairly urgent,
”
he
said.

I tapped in her number.
 
She answered on the second ring, and I
put my cell on speakerphone so Tank could hear.
 
“
Where are you?
”
she asked.
 
“
With Tank?
”

“
I
am.
”

“
What
’
s that echo?
”

“
You
’
re on
speakerphone.
 
Tank is here.
”

“
I
assume you know, at this point, that he and the others are leaving tonight?
”

“
I
do.
”

“
I
’
m sorry about that.
”

“
I
am, too.
”

“
You
have me if that
’
s
any consolation.
”

“
You
know it is.
”

“
There
are a few other things you should know.
”

“
What
other things?
”

“
First,
your face and your new book cover now own Times Square, as they will for the
next six months.
 
People will start
to recognize you now.
 
I need you to
be prepared for that, especially since that same advertisement is in today
’
s
Times
—
full
page, full color
.
 
Soon, it
will run in several influential magazines.
 
You
’
ll
see it in
Entertainment Weekly
and in the
Hollywood Reporter
next
week.
”

“
No
pressure there,
”
I
said.

“
The
pressure hasn
’
t
even hit you yet.
 
I told you that
Wenn would make you a star.
 
The
first step to achieve that begins today.
”

“
Fantastic.
”

“
Have
you heard from Boss?
”

“
About
what?
”

She sighed.
 
“
Of course you haven
’
t heard from him
—
why would you?
 
He
’
s just your editor, for God
’
s sake.
 
But
whatever.
 
It
’
s better that I tell
you.
 
Tonight, you
’
ll join him at Julian
West
’
s
birthday party at his townhouse on Park.
”

“
The
director?
”

“
That
’
s right.
”

“
I
love his work.
”

“
Then
it
’
s a
mutual admiration.
 
Apparently, he
read your book when it was number one on Kindle, and he wants to meet with
you.
 
Since your book is right in
line with the movies he makes, this likely will lead to a movie deal, which
will make everyone happy.
 
Marco is
going to escort you.
 
It
’
s black tie.
”

“
How
am I supposed to fit this in with everything else I have to do?
”

“
Here
’
s how,
”
she
said.
 
“
I
’
ve been scheming, and
you know how much I love to scheme.
 
Julian obviously is going to want to talk about your book.
 
And Boss will be there to hear
everything he has to say about it.
 
Use that as an opportunity to ask Julian what he liked about the
book.
 
West is a chatty one
—
he
’
ll tell you.
 
And if he wants to buy the film rights
to your book, which Wenn will encourage for obvious reasons, Boss might
second-guess his edits if West gives you a rave.
 
If he does, I need you to do this
—
tell
him about the new direction Boss has proposed.
 
Tell him that Wenn is about to publish a
very different book than the one he
’
s already read.
 
See how he reacts.
 
If he
reacts favorably to the changes, then I guess we
’
ll have a good idea that Boss was on the right track.
 
But if his response is disastrous, if he
asks why in hell anything is being changed, you
’
ve got some weight to negotiate Boss
’
changes.
”

“
Thank
you,
”
I
said.

“
My
dear, I live for this.
 
I breathe to
outwit.
 
When I crunch through a cup
of ice at lunch?
 
Let
’
s get real
—
it
’
s generally people I
’
m thinking about.
 
Now, look.
 
Bernie and I will style you
tonight.
 
I
’
ll need you here at
six sharp.
 
Then Boss will swing by,
you
’
ll
both get into one of Wenn
’
s
limousines, and you
’
ll
go to the party together.
”