Wicked Rush

by Kym Grosso

  “Aw fuck,” he cried.

  Her mouth parted, releasing him, and she gasped as he spun her around, bending her over the sofa. She fell over the side like a ragdoll, her fingertips brushing the cushions. As he slammed inside her pussy, she gave a guttural sigh, her tight channel expanding to accommodate him. With the plug lodged in her ass and his cock deep in her core, she panted, delighted with the sweet invasion.

  Braelynn pressed onto her tiptoes, and flattened her palms against the cool leather, bracing herself for each deep thrust. The room smelled of sex, her breath quickening as he increased his pace. He gripped her with such force she expected he’d leave bruises on her hips. The thought of wearing his prints tattooed on her skin, thrilled her, a memory of the most spectacular sex she’d ever experienced.

  Faster and harder, she knew he was close. As he twisted the toy inside her back hole, she shuddered. The tip of his cock stroked her sheath, leaving the sensitive nerves dancing.

  “Yes! Fuck, yes! I’m coming, oh God.” Braelynn’s head thrashed from side to side as she convulsed around him, submitting to the intense release.

  Lars bent her further over the sofa, and with a final thrust, he grunted, spilling his seed deep inside her. With his glistening body bent over hers, he pressed his lips to her back, peppering her with kisses.

  “Ah, Jesus Christ, Brae,” she heard him say. Remaining listless in the warmth of the sexual afterglow, she didn’t want it to end.

  “I don’t know how…”

  “What?” she managed, her breath ragged.

  “Shit. I didn’t use protection,” he cursed.

  Braelynn’s tired eyes flew open. She’d been using a birth control shot for several years, had even stopped getting her period, but with her recent injury and working for her uncle, she was overdue for another one.

  “It’s okay. I’m clean,” she offered.

  “So am I, but fuck…I never ever forget. Are you on something?” he asked, slowly removing himself from her.

  “I, uh, I take a shot.”

  Lars gently slid out of her, his hands never leaving her skin as he scooped her up into his arms. She buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her heart squeezed as he tenderly carried her upstairs, laying her onto his bed. Aware that she still had the toy inside her, she moved to stand, but he insisted she stay on the bed.

  “Stay here. I’ll be right back. I’ll take care of you,” he promised, smiling down upon her.

  Take care of me? She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had uttered the words. So long on her own, she’d embraced her independence, yet within Lars’ embrace, the temptation of wanting more lured her.

  He returned in silence. Sitting on the edge, he slowly turned her, and gently tugged it out of her. As he cleaned her with a warm washcloth, she breathed in the soothing scent of him on his sheets. Within seconds, he’d slid into bed, covering them with the blankets.

  Waves of emotion rolled over Braelynn as his strong arms circled her, spooning her small body into his. His lips pressed to the back of her head, and she brought his hands to her chest. Within hours, his kiss would be a final goodbye. Never again would she hear his voice. Never again would she feel his touch. A tragic ending to a story that should never have been written.

  Tomorrow, she’d recover the research and return it to Emerson Industries. Braelynn replayed the plan in her head, each carefully calculated action ready to be implemented. She’d go to the airport with the few belongings she’d packed and purchase a one way ticket to the Caribbean, where she’d begin the search for a remote research position. She’d saved enough money to live for months on her own, and Garrett had promised to help her with the move. As long as she stayed far away from the States, she’d have a chance at living.

  She sighed, snuggling closer to Lars. Bringing his fingers to her lips, she kissed them. She prayed whatever she was feeling was simply lust but she knew it was a lie. Whatever chemistry sizzled between them, it was real, and utterly intense. Braelynn closed her eyes, falling into a deep slumber, dreaming of a life with Lars.

  Chapter Seventeen

  As the SUV rolled to a stop at the light, Braelynn took a deep breath, their earlier conversation playing through her mind. After she’d showered, she’d gone downstairs and found Lars fully dressed. He’d kissed the top of her head, directing her to sit and eat breakfast. Never speaking of their feelings or lovemaking the night before, they’d sat on opposite sides of the kitchen table. It was as if they’d both made the unconscious decision to put distance between them.

  Although Braelynn had argued to the contrary, Lars had refused to let her go to Bart-Aqua alone. She hadn’t disclosed to him specifically what she planned on retrieving, but she’d explained that it was data. They both knew that it was dangerous; her uncle was already suspicious. Killing her cat had been a warning to do as he’d ordered, yet she’d disobeyed. He was monitoring her every move, and would have known she hadn’t gone to the office as he’d instructed. It was likely Shane had passed by her condo, looking for signs that she was there.

  Lars had insisted they take his car, which was both newer and faster than hers. As a precaution he’d arranged for fake plates, disguising the vehicle as a rental. Since it was Sunday, the regular security team would be off duty, and those attending to the gate probably wouldn’t recognize her regular car. She’d drive the vehicle, and he’d hide beneath a comforter in the large back seat. They’d thrown in a chair and tote bag, and she planned to tell the guards she was going to the beach if they questioned her.

  Guilt teemed through Braelynn. She’d avoided telling Lars she was related to Armand Giordano, that the data was going back to Emerson Industries. But she couldn’t risk getting him involved any further. Given that she’d be on a jet before the sun set, she told herself that he didn’t need to know anything else.

  “Here we go,” she said, turning into the corporate facility’s entryway.

  “Remember what we discussed.”

  “I can do this. In and out. You drop me off at my house. I get in my car and I leave.”

  “One more time, let’s hear it.”

  “Forty-five minutes at my desk. Move to secured research area. Someone might stop and ask me what I’m doing. Not as many people are there on the weekend, but since my un…” she stuttered, and corrected herself, “Mr. Giordano told me to be there yesterday, I don’t know what will happen. Shane could be there. They’ll be watching my place. Even though we left the lights on, they could find out I wasn’t there.”

  “Stick to your story. You were too devastated about the death of your pet to think straight. You needed to be alone. You went to a bar, drank too much and spent the night in a motel in Mission Beach.”

  “They might not believe me.”

  “Have they ever seen you when you’re grieving?”

  “No,” she lied. Her uncle had held court at her mother’s wake, never missing a beat. She’d been distraught. It had been the one time in her life she’d taken a sedative. The funeral had been a blur, and considering her state of mind, the scenario of getting drunk over the loss of her cat seemed plausible. “But I’ll go with it. It’ll have to be good enough.”

  “Just don’t waver. If he asks where, tell him you went to several bars. He’s not going to have time to check while you’re there. He’ll do it later and by then you’ll be long gone.”

  Gone. The word stabbed her heart but it was reality. There was no use lamenting the inevitable at this point. She had to get her shit together. With her life at stake, possibly Lars’ too, there was no room to fuck it up. Game face on, she continued running through their plan. “If anyone else stops me to talk, it could take longer to get to the research.”

  “Shake ‘em off. You’ve got to meet friends at the beach.”

  “Give me twenty minutes tops to get into the room. I’ll need at least thirty minutes once I get there to locate the rest of the documents, take care of the files. If I leave sooner, they�
�ll suspect something.”

  “An hour and forty-five minutes,” he told her. “If you take longer than two hours…”

  “You’ll call the police?” Her heart sped.

  “I’ll call my friend Dean. He can get in touch with the police, help get you out of this mess. I’m going to assume that there is an issue if you are any longer than what we agreed.”

  “But there could be a delay. You don’t need to call that soon.” Panic laced her voice.

  What was he going to tell them? That she was stealing data and didn’t make it out on time? He didn’t even know what she was stealing. In the eyes of the police, all they’d see was a researcher, one who was committing corporate espionage at a company that had already been called to a congressional hearing for fraudulent and unethical business practices. Jesus Christ. She sighed, wondering how the hell she’d ever gotten herself into this position.

  “Two hours. If you don’t come out in two hours, I’m calling Dean. And you can bet your ass that I’ll be out of this car and breaking down the damn door to get you out of there.”

  “But nothing is going to…”

  “This is not up for discussion, sweetheart. Two hours or I’m coming to get you. That asshole killed your cat. People who do shit like that are capable of anything. And don’t think I forgot for a minute about the people who shot at you. Maybe you really don’t know who they are, but they’re tied into this. Bad people do bad things. And right now, the two of us are about to do something that I’ve already told you,” he paused and blew out a breath, “it’s not too smart. I don’t even know what the hell you’re taking. I may be a fucking idiot but part of me wants to trust you. I’m trusting that whatever this is, it really belongs to you, and is a matter of national security.”

  Braelynn went silent, and told herself she was doing the right thing. She’d already told him too much, acknowledging the existence of the stolen research. She couldn’t divulge the classified information and tell him the truth, tell him what it was, what it could be used for or who she was giving it to. He’d have no choice but to trust her.

  “I can see those wheels turning, Brae. Just stop. I know you’re not telling me everything but my gut tells me you’ve gotten caught up in something you can’t control. I know behind all that cloak and dagger shit, there’s some serious, life-threatening things that go on, things regular folks don’t know about. I’m doing this based on my intuition and hoping like hell I’m right.”

  “We’re coming up.” She slowed the car as they approached, and her heart caught at the sight of the large modern building in the distance. “Lars, I’ll be forever grateful for what you’ve done for me. No matter what happens today, I want you to remember that.”

  “You gonna be okay?” he asked.

  “I just want you to know that everything, this weekend, it meant…” Braelynn went silent, realizing that if she let her emotions take over she’d lose her shit. Concentrate, she reprimanded herself. “I, uh, I just want you to know if I could have told you everything I would. And you’re right. There are some very bad men inside that building.”

  “Two hours.”

  “Two hours,” she repeated.

  “Here we go. You’ve got this.”

  Braelynn’s heart pounded against her ribs as she pulled up to the guard. She lowered the window and gave him a closed smile, friendly but professional.

  “Dr. Rollins,” he said, inspecting her ID. Typing at the computer, he looked to her car and back to the screen. “It says here you drive a Prius. That big ole truck there doesn’t exactly look fuel efficient to me. What’s that…hmm…an Expedition?”

  “Um…yeah. I had car problems. My battery was dead. With the convention in town, this gas guzzler was the only thing I could rent at an affordable price.” The lie made no sense but as she looked in the back seat, her stomach flipped, aware she had bigger problems.

  “Going on a trip?” he asked, peeking around her.

  “Just headed up the coast to Malibu to see a friend.” She glanced to the time on her dashboard and back up to him, her facial expression stern. “I’m actually running short on time. Gotta get in and out of here if I’m going to get any serious beach time. I’ve got a volleyball match at three,” she added.

  “It says here that you were expected yesterday,” he commented.

  “I’m expected almost every day. I’m a researcher. That’s why I have this nifty doctor label on my badge,” she quipped with annoyance and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She looked to the parking lot and back to the guard, softening her voice. “Look, I’m sorry for being short with you. Just between us, Giordano has been running the lot of us into the ground. Oh, I know he wants us here on Saturdays, squeezing blood out of his minions, but something’s gotta give. I’ve just about had enough of this seven day a week job. Just because I’ve got those letters in front of my name, it doesn’t do me any favors. You and I are both here working our asses off on a Sunday, right?”

  “You know it. This isn’t even my weekend to work, but I got no choice.” He looked to the building and back to Braelynn, giving her a grin. “You have a nice day, Doc.”

  Braelynn sighed in relief as he waved her on, leaving her windows down so that Lars had fresh air.

  “Nice job,” she heard him say but resisted looking back, careful not to have anyone notice he was in the car.

  “Thanks,” she whispered.

  “This car gets pretty good mileage, by the way.”

  “Sure it does.”

  “And it’s not an Expedition.”

  “Still not a Prius.”

  “It’s a Suburban and I can fit a lot of shit in it when I go camping.”

  “Okay.” She laughed.

  “What?”

  “Not exactly good for the environment.”

  “Hey, I use solar panels for electricity. It’s not like I drive this baby every day of the week. All good things in moderation.”

  Braelynn turned off the car but left the keys in the ignition. “It’s showtime.”

  “Two hours, Brae. Time?”

  “Ten seventeen.”

  “You’ve got till twelve seventeen. Check your watch.”

  Braelynn glanced down to the Cartier watch he’d given her in the kitchen. At first she’d refused to accept the insanely expensive gift but he’d insisted she’d need it to keep track of time. Employees weren’t allowed to bring cellphones, tablets, or any other computer devices into the building. She blew out a deep breath, carefully setting the alarm on the intricate moon phase timepiece.

  “I’m on,” she said, opening the car door.

  “I’m going to be right here, Brae. Remember that while you’re in there. Two hours.”

  “I’ve got this,” she breathed, afraid to look at him. As the door shut, she shoved her emotions as deep inside as she could manage. Fear. Love. Grief. She hated that she was falling for him, yet she’d lost grip of the situation. The only thing she could do was live with the consequences.

  Wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and sneakers, she’d dressed casually, hoping that others would get the impression she hadn’t planned on staying in the office long. By the time she reached the front door, her mind had gone on autopilot. There were no choices, only tasks to be performed. Any mistakes could result in her death, she knew. If her uncle caught her stealing, he’d gladly hand her over to his friends to let them finish the job they’d set out to do several months ago. There would be no limit to the punishment he’d inflict on her.

  Determined, she adjusted her sunglasses onto her head, and scanned her security card onto the reader. The door beeped, and she yanked it open. The sterile scent of the weekend’s floor cleaning burned her nostrils as she entered. With confidence, she approached the guard who held out his hands, reading her identification.

  “Your bag, ma’am?”

  “Of course,” she said, willing her hands to stop shaking as she handed it to him. Braelynn didn’t recognize his face but noted that he foll
owed protocol as if he worked full time.

  “No cell phones? Laptops? Recording devices?”

  “No sir.” She reached for the sunglasses and handed them to him. “Oh sorry…forgot.”

  He took them from her and set them aside on the table. “Tablets? Thumb drives?” he continued, searching every last pocket. “How long are you here for?”

  “Just a few hours,” she responded, positive he wouldn’t find anything in her satchel. She’d packed only empty folders and a notepad, as well as a banana and a bottle of water, her typical morning snack.

  “Whatcha doing here on the weekend?”

  “Workin’.” Braelynn’s eyes darted to his gun. “Just catching up is all.”

  “Go on through,” he instructed, nodding to the metal detector.

  Braelynn strode through it, like she’d done every work day for the past nine months. But this time, every hair on her arms stood up as she did so. Relief flooded her as the alarm remained silent.

  “Okay, then. Looks good.” As he went to return her bag, he hesitated. Braelynn remained calm, summoning courage. “You might want to be careful. The floors are wet all the way up. They waxed em’ good this time. Almost slipped and broke my neck earlier today.”

  “Yeah, thanks. I know, right? They need to be a little more careful.” She gave him a warm smile and accepted her belongings.

  Slinging it over her shoulder, she forced an impassive expression, and quickly made her way over to a bank of high-speed elevators that shot directly to the twentieth floor. The office building itself was located on the outskirts of San Diego city proper, and she often wondered who her uncle had had to pay off in order to build a tall building in the midst of a suburban area.

  Braelynn entered the elevator, brushing her security card to the sensor. As the doors closed, she desperately yearned to collapse against the wall, but out of her peripheral vision she spied the small circular camera in the far corner. Not an inch of the building’s interior went unsupervised; all areas were recorded. She suspected even the bathrooms were monitored, since key cards were required for their use. Although she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she was aware that her uncle ran a central security office. The security team regularly roamed the hallways, wearing earpieces and firearms on their hips.