by J B Heller
“So I did the only thing I could do, I confronted my father again. I didn’t say anything about the baby, I didn’t want to give him information he might not have. But still, he wouldn’t tell me anything. He reckoned she had wanted to go for a long time and he had refused her. He apparently got sick of her whining and allowed it.
“Isabella wasn’t a whiner, especially to our father, she barely spoke to him. He also told me she didn’t want me to know where she was. He told me she had decided it was time to cut the apron strings and learn to stand on her own two feet.
“I didn’t buy it. We were all each other had growing up. We depended on each other. I could always rely on her to lift my spirits after having an argument with father about his disappointment in me. And I was her confidant. There was nothing she couldn’t tell me.
“That’s when I came to the conclusion that there must be a baby. Or there was going to be, and father had found out through one of his many sources. Nothing gets past that bastard.
“I’ve tried everything I can think of to find her. But I’m out of options. When I realised my father wasn’t going to give me anything to go on I told him where he could shove his money and the life he had planned for me unless he told me where she was. He wouldn’t budge. So I cut any and all ties I had with him.”
Thoughts of Isabella all alone and scared filled my mind. I knew my eyes were glassy with unshed tears. I had failed my little sister. And now, I had no way of finding her. I rested my head in my hands, gripping my hair, pushing my palms into my eyes to stop the inevitable tears that came when I thought about her.
I felt Sloan come stand behind me. She wrapped her little arms around my waist, her hands not quite meeting in my middle as she laid her head on my back and held me.
I knew, without a doubt I would be with this woman forever. She had my heart, and my soul. Anything else there was of me, it was hers too. I would spend the rest of my life showing her what she meant to me.
She didn’t say anything, just stood there offering me comfort. I was overwhelmed with her concern for me. She had so many demons hiding behind her beautiful green eyes, yet she felt for me. I must have done something right in a past life or something to deserve a woman like Sloan.
“I will help you find her.” She murmured into my back.
“What?” I turned around to face her. She looked me straight in the eyes, and repeated the words I thought I’d heard her say. But I needed her to say it again, just to make sure I wasn’t hearing things.
“I will help you find her.” She paused after each word, letting it sink in.
And I almost started to hope. “How? You already know what my father is like. If he doesn’t want her found, she won’t be.”
She smiled that breath taking smile, tilted her head to the side and got on her tippy toes, bringing her mouth close to my ear. “I have my ways. I found out what really happened to my mother didn’t I? There are ways to get around your father. And I know just the man to help us do it.”
I groaned, not that guy. “Please don’t say Gabe. I really don’t like that guy.”
Sloan grinned, “He’s not that bad.”
Not that bad my arse. He wanted my woman that much I knew for sure. “He might not be, but he wants you, and I’m not cool with that.”
She straightened to her full height, not that that was very tall. She came to my eye level and I was sitting on one of the bar stools still. She looked so cute, trying to put me in my place. “No. He doesn’t. I told you, Gabe and I used to have an arrangement. It was simple, sex, sleep and shove off. He knew the score the whole time we were sleeping together. It suited him as much as it did me.”
I really didn’t like the way she was so casual about sex. I clenched my jaw, but seeing that determined look on her face, I really wasn’t able to be even a little mad with her. “That may well be Sweets, but he still wants you.”
“Good for him. He can want all he likes. But I have other interests right now.”
My head snapped back in her direction. Say what now? “Just right now?”
She shrugged her shoulders and walked away from me around the other side of the kitchen bench. She started putting the dirty dishes from our dinner into the dishwasher. “I want this Dex, and the way I feel about you, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I have never been in love before. But I can’t promise you forever. I have too many demons in my past. One day, you might meet one, and you’ll go running.”
I was pretty sure she thought she was protecting me. Even though I didn’t agree, I wasn’t in the mood to argue with her about her past right now. “Okay Sweets, whatever you say. I’m not going to argue with you about this. But I will say, yet again, I’m. Not. Going. Anywhere. I love you.”
Gabe
When I got a text from Sloan this morning I was sure it was about that douchey little pretty boy she was with now. What I wasn’t expecting was for it to be about helping him out. The woman was crazy if she thinks I’m going to help that spoil little punk.
Her asking me to help him also blew my theory about her using him to get back at his father, out of the water. Shit. That meant she actually wanted to be with him. Maybe she still didn’t know who he was? So I would do this for her. It would open up the door for me to fill her in on who he was.
She has always had a way of getting me to do things for her, even when sex wasn’t on the table.
Damn it, I really didn’t want anything to do with him. He’s mad if he thinks he’ll ever be enough for a woman like Sloan. I’ve never been with anyone like her. She rocks my world, literally. We even broke my bed once, and it wasn’t a flimsy one. There was no way his pretty boy arse would be able to keep up with her appetite. She was something else.
Truth be told, I always wanted more than our casual arrangement. But anytime I brought it up, she’d shut it down before I even got to plead my case. We were perfect for each other. I knew all about her past. She didn’t know that, but I’m a P.I. for frigs sake. As if I wouldn’t look into someone as mysterious as Sloan.
What I learned about her, just made me want her more. Her secrets were buried well, but I was better than good at my job. She is by far the strongest woman I have ever met. The things in her past would have broken most people, but not my Sloan. She kicked its arse, and came out the other side even stronger. I was so proud of her. But I could never tell her. She would kick me in the balls and then some, if I told her I went digging in her closet.
Along comes pretty boy, and she’s all of a sudden kickin' me to the curb. He doesn’t deserve her. He wouldn’t be able to handle the things she’s been through. But how do I make her see that?
Sloan
I had known for a little while that I was in love with Dex, and I was positive he was with me too. I could see it in his eyes every time we had sex and even when we were just watching TV. I had been in denial until I heard the words leave his mouth last night. I was scared. But not nearly as much as I thought I would be. Saying it out loud just solidified how I felt.
I guess it’s true, when you find the right person, it’s just right. That’s how it feels with Dex. I feel at home with him. I know it’s such a cliché, but he really does complete me. I feel whole for the first time since I was 16. I shook my head quickly before the memories could overtake me. If I let them in, I would be sucked into a black hole that I had no interest in ever visiting again.
I had texted Gabe earlier asking him if he would help Dex out. He agreed, but I could tell he wasn’t happy about it. I knew he would do anything I asked. He always had. I think deep down I knew that he really did have feelings for me. But it was never going to happen for us, not then and definitely not now. I felt kinda bad asking him, but he is the best at what he does.
I found Dex in the lounge room talking on his phone. He hadn’t heard me come in and I didn’t want to eavesdrop, so I turned to walk back out of the room. But I caught a bit of the conversation and I couldn’t walk away.
‘She l
oves me man. Can you believe it?’……’I just wanted to thank you. If you hadn’t of sent me to her for my tat, I never would have met her.’……’Alright man, I’ll talk to you soon.’
I scurried out of the room before he noticed I was there. My heart was so full of love for that man. I couldn’t wipe the nearly constant smile off my face. I used to think I didn’t have a heart. I thought it died along with them when I was 16. But it was there and it was beating just for Dex.
For the second time this morning I had thought about them. If I wasn’t careful, I would start to spiral. I probably should have seen a therapist years ago. But that would have meant telling someone what I had done. I was determined to wipe it from my memory completely, but it had been nine years and it still haunted me. I don’t think there is absolution for people like me. To do what I did and feel no remorse, I’m pretty sure that’s not normal.
I thought that I would be fine, well, I am fine really. I got along with my life. I woke up every morning and lived. I didn’t lock myself away from the world like Stella had. But what Stella went through was completely different. I don’t believe you can compare one experience to another. Simply because everyone has different personalities, causing them to react in different ways.
I always knew I was the strong twin. Even when we were babies, Mama said Stella was quite sickly and weak. But she pulled through. The older we got it was the same. I was the dominant twin. I walked first, talked first, and approached strangers first. Stella was quiet and timid. But she had a secret flair.
I never thought she would lose it, but she did. Well, more like it was stolen from her. Men stole from us, no, monsters stole from us. Real men, like Dex and Bray have helped us become whole again.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped. I spun around to find Dex watching me warily, like I was about to flip out on him. “What?” I accidently snapped at him.
“Sweets, I’ve been trying to snap you out of whatever that was for the last five minutes.”
The colour drained from my face, shit. “Oh, sorry. I umm, I was just thinking. Nothing to worry about. So what are we doing today?”
I could see the caution in his eyes before he spoke again. He wasn’t going to let this go. “Sloan, I know you don’t like to talk about things from your past, but you were muttering some things. Things that worried me.”
What? I’d never done that before. At least I didn’t think I had. “What did I say?”
“A few things, like absolution, and normal and I’m fine, I’m fine. You kept saying them a lot too, like it was a repulsive word. Please Sloan, trust me. Talk to me baby. Let me listen.”
I couldn’t, I wouldn’t do that to him. I had carried this burden alone all this time, I wasn’t going to change that now. “I can’t. I’m sorry Dex, I just can’t.”
I didn’t think he would drop it, but he did. “Okay Sweets, when you’re ready. I’ll be here. No matter how dark and dangerous you think your past is, it won’t make me run. I promise you that. I love you Sloan. Whatever happened in your past moulded you into the incredibly strong and frankly inspirational woman you are today.”
The best I could muster was a small sad smile. Then I lay my head on his chest and held him tight. His presence alone was grounding me, bringing me back to the here and now. “Thank you.”
He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around me too. “For what Sweets?”
“For loving me, demons and all.”
“You don’t need to thank me, I couldn’t stop loving you if I tried.”
After a few moments I broke away from his warm embrace. It was time to get on with our day, and leave the past where it belongs. “We’re going to see Gabe today. He’s going to help us find your sister.”
Not only was Gabe not pleased about helping us but the look on Dex’s face told me he was in no way happy about it either. Oh well, they’ll just have to get over it. I got myself a bottle of cold water out of the fridge and took a few big gulps.
“Isn’t there someone else Sloan? Someone less… I don’t know, in love with my woman?”
Water sprayed out of my mouth, saturating Dex. I tried to smile at him but the look in his eyes said I should run. So I did, I turned for the lounge room and took off. Hopefully this would distract him from his comment about Gabe being in love with me. But before I could make it far he had his arms wrapped around my small body from behind lifting my feet off the ground.
“Why are you running Sweets?” He was running his nose up my neck. When he reached the sensitive spot behind my ear he kissed it then nipped my ear lobe. A shiver ran down my spine and heat pooled low in my belly. He held me there, breathing against my neck. I couldn’t answer his question, because I’d forgotten what it was.
“Sloan, baby, I’m waiting.”
So was I but it wasn’t for my answer, it was for him to put me out of my lust filled misery. His hand slid down my belly, lower and lower, closer to where I wanted it to be. My feet were still dangling in the air, Dex was supporting me with his other arm, still firmly wrapped around my tiny waist. Just when his hand was almost there, he stopped. And I let out a frustrated moan.
“Not until you tell me what made you spit out your water Sweets. What made you run?”
“Nothing. It was nothing. Just don’t stop, please Dex, you’re driving me crazy.” I squirmed in his arms.
“It wasn’t nothing. You’ll get what you want, when I get what I want. Admit it. Admit that Neanderthal is in love with you.” I shook my head back and forth. I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I knew it, but that didn’t mean I had to say it out loud.
“Okay, you win.” Dex gently placed me on my feet. Kissed the top of my head and walked back into the lounge room.
What the hell? I was all worked and ready to roll. What did he think he was doing? I went after him, and found him relaxed on the couch watching TV. “What are you doing? You can’t just leave me like this.”
He looked over the back of the couch towards me lifting an eyebrow. He had a satisfied smirk on his face, and his amber eyes were glowing with mischief. “Leave you like what Sweets?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Two can play at this game. I walked around the couch in front of him, swaying my hips as I went. I stopped in front of him, tilted my head to the side as if I was thinking about something, then smiled. Dex all of a sudden didn’t look so smug.
I climbed on top of his lap and straddled him. Making sure he could feel the heat between my legs pressing into his crotch. His eyes widened. “What are you doing Sweets? Not that I’m complaining.”
“Well, you left me all wet and needy. I’m helping myself. Since my Pretty Boy was going to leave me high and dry.”
Before he could reply I swooped down and took his mouth with mine. I licked his top lip and his lips parted. My hands were planted on his firm chest. I could feel his heart pounding beneath my palm. I knew I could easily get myself off just like this, so I set to it. I worked my hips, grinding down hard on the bulge in his pants while I devoured his lips and tongue.
His hands came around to grip my arse and he squeezed my cheeks hard. It felt so good. I kept it up, rubbing myself on him, I knew I was close. I threw my head back, panting, I pushed down harder on his cock. When I arched back it brought my breast up in front of Dex’s face, he took one in his mouth, biting down on my nipple through my thin tank top. That did it, I started to shudder as ecstasy spread through my body.
When I finally came back to the present Dex was watching me with fire in his eyes. I smiled, and lifted myself off of him. I got to my feet and went to leave the room. But not before I made sure there was still a massive bulge in his pants. I took off before I could change my mind about my plan.
The look on Dex’s face was priceless. He shot up out of the couch and came after me. “What the hell was that?”
I feigned innocence. “What was what?”
He swung his hand back in the direction of the lounge room. “That, you used me! I feel vi
olated!”
I burst out laughing. I was laughing so hard it was getting difficult to breathe. But his face, it was dead serious. How could I not laugh? “Violated my arse, you got what you deserved.”
“I did not. What I deserve is to be buried deep inside of you right now, not standing here, hard as a fuck while you laugh at me. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, then you just get up and walk away like it was nothing.”
I lifted one side of my mouth in a small smile. “Oh, trust me when I say, that was not nothing. It was pretty freaking amazing.”
Dex gestured to the still very prominent tent in his pants. “And what am I supposed to do with this?”
Shrugging my shoulders I began to turn away from him as I spoke. “Not my problem, I just fixed mine, guess you’ll have to figure it out yourself.”
I didn’t get far. Dex had me pinned against the wall in seconds. Bossy Dex was in the house. Have I mentioned how much I liked bossy Dex?
He ground his hard on against my arse while his mouth blazed a path up the back of my neck. Licking and biting as he went. I couldn’t help my body’s response to him. I arched into his assault. He had me panting and wanting more in mere seconds. I would never get enough of this man. I never thought the day would come when I would be happy with one sexual partner for the rest of my life. But here I was. I couldn’t even imagine being with anyone else anymore.
“Since you just used my body to get what you needed, it’s only fair that I use yours to get what I need.” He growled against my skin making me shiver.
Pushing my arse back into him I panted out, “If you must.”
“Oh, I must.” He groaned as he ground himself against me harder. His hands slipped around my front and undid the button of my capri’s, then slowly slid the zipper down and slipped one large finger inside and under the edge of my soaked panties.
“So wet for me Sweets. So fucking wet and needy. I can feel your pussy clenching around my finger.” He said as his finger pumped in and out of me.
I squirmed, pinned between Dex and the wall. His dirty words turning me on even more. “More,” I moaned.
