Wicked Rush

by Kym Grosso

  Seth opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a carton. “Hey, you've got eggs.”

  “They keep pretty long. I was just up here a few weeks ago. You know I drink it black.”

  “This stuff is not good for me,” Seth complained, digging at the hardened substance.

  “Number two. You jump out of planes. Hang glide. Surf killer waves. Call me crazy but if you’re gonna go, I don’t think that stuff is going to contribute to the cause. Just sayin’.”

  “You never know, man. I like clean living. Be one with the environment. Live and let live.”

  “You want coffee? Powder it is.”

  Seth mixed it in, grimacing as he attempted to dissolve the clumps. He set the spoon on the counter and sipped it, exhaling loudly. “Hmm. Not bad. Good enough.”

  Lars laughed. “Live in the moment, bro.”

  “Speaking of which,” he raised an eyebrow at Lars and gave him a sideways smile, “so…Brae. What’s going on there?”

  “What do you mean, what’s going on?” Lars shrugged. He set the spices onto the counter and washed his hands.

  “So aside from the shit that went down at your house yesterday, and oh yes, I will come back to that topic, you and her…what’s up?”

  “What do you mean, what’s up? You know the deal. We, uh, we met on that beach.”

  “Hey, don’t take this the wrong way, but that’s kind of a lame ‘how we met’ story. Once upon a time, I met a beautiful girl in a hail of bullets. She was bleeding but you know…she was kinda hot.”

  “Fuck you. She’s not kinda hot. She’s smoking hot. If anyone asks…I’ll say we met on a beach. It’s romantic.” Lars laughed.

  “You are so full of shit it isn’t even funny.” Seth shook his head and gave a chuckle.

  “Scrambled or quiche?” Lars retrieved a bowl from a shelf and began breaking eggs into it.

  “Are you serious?”

  “What?”

  “You’re making quiche?”

  “I just asked if you wanted scrambled.”

  “I’m just sayin’ like who just whips up quiche for breakfast?”

  “I do. You know I like to cook.”

  “I can barely boil an egg.”

  “Yeah well, I’m awesome.” Lars smiled and went in search of cheese and an onion.

  “Hey mister perfect. You make me sick, you know that.”

  “Don’t be a hater. I can’t help that I am a catch.” He shrugged, and began whisking the eggs. “Quiche it is. Sounds like big man needs food, right, Sasha?”

  The dog whined, sitting up, waiting on a treat. He tossed her a chunk of cheese.

  “Speaking of which, big catch that you are…stop changing the subject.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Braelynn. I asked what’s going on with her. I know damn well where and how you met her, but bringing her to Altura? When I saw you guys there,” he sighed, pausing as he opened the large sliding doors to the atrium, “it’s just…I get the part about her being in trouble.”

  “She didn’t do this. I don’t know how but Garrett is involved. And before you say anything about Brae, I’m more convinced than ever she was coerced into going to work at Bart-Aqua. That chip she used to retrieve the data?”

  “Yeah?”

  “That’s spy shit. Above top secret. It’s not available to anyone. There’s no fucking way someone like Braelynn should even know about it, let alone be using it. No, someone gave it to her to use. Government contractors don’t even know about it. At least not most. Only those with access to sensitive compartmented information would know of its existence. But guess who I heard discussing it?” Lars shook his head, and selected a large Chef’s knife from its wooden block. Setting an onion on the counter, he began chopping. “Garrett, that’s who. And Dr. Braelynn Rollins? I told you that I’d looked up her records. She hasn’t worked for Bart-Aqua very long. Nine months. And before that, she’s got a big gap in employment. And you know who is capable of making records disappear? Emerson Industries, that’s who.”

  “Why would Garrett be involved in this?”

  “I don’t know. When Braelynn comes down this morning, we’re going to find out. Because I’m telling you that he’s involved up to his eyeballs in this fucking mess. And Dr. Rollins? She was forced to become some kind of corporate spy, which to be fair, she doesn’t completely suck at. Somehow she got a job at Bart-Aqua. You know that couldn’t have been easy, which makes me think she has an in somehow. Not sure how. Not sure who.”

  “You know I respect you, but Lars, this is all a little out there.”

  “Oh, trust me, man,” he pointed the knife into the air and shook it, then resumed cutting, “this is some fucked up shit. And I’m not saying I have all the answers. But I do have that high tech chip. And there’s those documents there,” he glanced to a neatly stacked pile of papers on the kitchen table, “I didn’t get a good look at them all, but Garrett’s name and some of our other friends…their names are splattered all over them.”

  “You’re shittin’ me?”

  “Oh no I’m not. I wish I was.”

  “But why Braelynn? How’s she connected to Garrett? I know Chase has got some marine biologists on staff, but I don’t…”

  “He probably knows her. I don’t know. He was just as adamant as Garrett that I stay away from her.”

  “Maybe she worked for him?”

  “Possibly.”

  “I’d like to say I would have known, but honestly, there are a lot of faces I don’t know at Emerson.”

  “You’re practically part time,” Lars joked. Seth spent at least half the year vacationing and chasing the next big wave. He’d earned his fortune developing specialized scuba equipment. He’d sold the patent to Emerson Industries, and later developed other types of marine technology that were sold specifically to government agencies.

  “True, but I don’t know. I guess she does look a little familiar, but she’s hot, and there’re a lot of hot women in Cali.”

  “Not like her,” Lars corrected.

  “But wait…if you brought Brae to Altura, wouldn’t you have known if she and Garrett knew each other? I mean if Garrett didn’t say anything to you, that means he would have…”

  “Lied.” Lars blew out a breath, gathering the onions and throwing them into the bowl. “I do believe that is the term you are looking for.”

  “Why would he do that? You guys are tight.”

  “I don’t know.” He shook his head, removing a defrosted pastry crust from its box. As he pressed it into a pan, he continued. “I’m really pissed, and I might be making excuses here for both of them, but maybe it’s as simple as clearances. The thing with Braelynn. She’s been honest that she hasn’t been telling me the truth, or at least the whole truth. The entire time she’s been telling me that whatever this is it requires specific clearances. And even though I have access to top secret information, you know how it works. Just because I work on certain government projects, that doesn’t mean I do or even should have access to everything that goes on at Emerson.”

  “Yeah, but still. Garrett, you’d think he’d say something, or at least hint to you that he knew her or was helping her.”

  “Or was hurting her,” Lars interrupted. “Who knows? All I know is the night of the party, he had a long conversation with Brae. And at the time, I don’t know…I just thought he knew about her from the shooting, that she worked for Bart-Aqua. I had no idea he actually knew her. And you know,” he paused, a thoughtful expression washing over his face, “he kept warning me off of her. Telling me not to talk to her. To keep away from her. Even that night at Altura, he was really pissed I’d brought her. And at the time, I just chalked it up to him being mad I’d brought someone who worked for Giordano. No, no. This is much more personal. He knew her. And he lied to me.”

  “And she lied to you too,” Seth pointed out, looking into his mug. “Which brings us back to me asking what’s going on with you and he
r. Last night…”

  “She’s amazing, isn’t she?” Lars took a cleansing breath. He was angry about everything that had gone down, but making love with Braelynn had been incredible. In spite of the secrets, he admired her courage and determination. Sexually, she’d been adventurous, trusting him to introduce her to forbidden pleasures.

  “Are you serious? You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Seth laughed. “No fucking way!”

  “What the hell are you talking about? I am not,” he huffed. Opening the oven door, he slid the pan inside and slammed it shut.

  “You totally are.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lars reached for the oranges he’d picked off a citrus tree in the yard earlier in the morning. He began slicing them in half, attempting to ignore Seth’s accusation.

  “Oh you do. But whatever, man. Deny it all you want.” He gave a broad smile. “I have to say, I never thought I’d see the great Lars Elliott going down. The girls at Altura are going to be pissed. And you fell for a civilian. She doesn’t even jump.”

  “Yet,” he countered.

  “Ah ha! I knew it. You think you’re going to keep her, don’t you?”

  “Keep her?” He cracked a small smile. It was ridiculous that he’d begun to fall for her, he knew. “She’s a grown woman. She’s leaving me anyway.”

  “What do you mean, she’s leaving you? She just got here.”

  Frustrated, Lars set the knife down and pressed his palms to the cool granite. “The people she stole from. Giordano. He’s a very bad guy and so are the people he hangs out with. She thinks they’ll come for her again, try to kill her. And to be honest, if he doesn’t go to jail…like if there isn’t anything incriminating on that chip or in those papers, he could very well go free.” Lars stretched his neck to either side and turned to face Seth. “Giordano is a small-time corporate thug. He won’t leave the country for her. His reach won’t go that far. Whoever shot at her the first time, whether it was him or maybe he has business associates, I don’t know…doesn’t matter…if she stays here, and he’s free, he’ll go after her. He almost killed her once. He’ll try again. But if she’s out of the country, she’ll most likely be safe.”

  “So let me get this straight. You, someone who like never falls in love, just found a woman who he’s into, and you’re just going to let her go? Just like that?” Seth snapped his fingers.

  “It’s complicated.” It would crush him. But to protect her, he might have no other choice but to let her go.

  “And last night?”

  “What about it?” Lars plugged in the juicer and began pressing the oranges into it, the juice spilling into a pitcher.

  “I know we’ve shared women before, but Lars…”

  “I’m not saying I can do it forever, Seth.” Squeezing fruit, he continued his task.

  “Why are you doing it with Brae? She’s not like us.”

  “This thing we do,” Lars began, turning back to Seth, “we work hard. Then we turn around and do this fucking crazy shit. You know I love it, but it’s out there. And Braelynn, maybe she’ll never understand that rush, but you saw her under the fireworks. Even though she’d never even been to a place like Altura, she enjoyed it. And that’s what I lo…like about her.” Lars cursed his own choice of words, refusing to say how he felt. “So last night, we were just kind of bending rules, pushing a few limits. She’s never been with two guys. I’m not saying she’s going to always want to do this but right now, she’s safe with me. She trusts me.”

  “So you’re cool with sharing her? Because you are falling for this chick.”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like the other times. I’m not going to lie, this is different. She’s…she’s special.”

  “You sure about this?”

  “I’m just living life one day at a time, Seth. For all I know, this whole thing could come crashing down today, and if it does, she’s gone. But until then, we’re still getting to know each other, and Brae…if she’s into it, wants to explore, then I’m into it.”

  “So you’re saying I have a shot at her?” Seth joked.

  “Not a chance in fucking hell,” Lars stated, his expression serious. “Make no mistake. That woman upstairs. She’s mine. So if something happens, don’t go getting any ideas.”

  “Ha! See…I told you.” He laughed, pointing at Lars. “You’re totally in love. This is so funny. It’d be even funnier if Garrett was here to see it.”

  “Fuck you. And G? Fuck him too. He’s got some serious explaining to do. Because this is some shit he’s got us in. I’m going to punch him as soon as I see him and then we can talk.”

  “He kinda deserves it.”

  “You know I love him. There’s no way he’s crooked. Not a chance in hell. But he made a bad call with Braelynn. I don’t know what his issue is with her or why he picked her to do this, but it’s some bullshit. Brae…fuck…she almost killed herself trying to break into my house. She’s no James Bond.”

  “He’s got something on her.”

  “Yeah, and I want to know what it is.” Lars heard footsteps above and he pointed upward to the stairs. “She’s awake. Let’s just get through breakfast and then we’ll get into it.”

  “Lars,” Seth commented. He stood and stretched his hands over his head and then blew out a breath.

  “Yeah?”

  “I like her, too. I don’t know her well. But this is just a gut feeling. She’s not like the other girls. I mean here she is in this shitty situation, and it seems like she’s tried her best, maybe not successfully, but she’s tried to keep you protected. At least that is how it seems to me.”

  “That’s how it seems to me too. I’m so pissed at the situation but I’m having a hard time staying mad at her. I don’t know what happened, but there’s part of me that thinks whatever she did, she didn’t deserve what’s happened to her. She certainly didn’t deserve being shot at.”

  “I want to keep her.” Seth smiled.

  “Yeah, me too.” Lars held his finger to his lips as he heard her padding down the steps.

  “Hey, Lars.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can I call you loverboy from now on? Because I am feeling the love.” Seth held his hands to his chest and blew him a kiss.

  “Hey, Seth.” He wagged his eyebrows at him. “How about you kiss my ass?”

  “Any day of the week, big boy.”

  Lars went still as Braelynn came into view and gave him a sleepy smile. His heart caught in his chest at the sight of her dressed only in his t-shirt. She gave a sideways glance to Seth, a demure expression crossing her face. As she wrapped her arms across her chest, her full breasts perked upward, her peaks straining through the soft white fabric.

  His cock stirred, and he sucked a deep breath. Going one minute without a fucking hard-on was going to become the single greatest challenge of his life. He reached for Braelynn, taking her in his arms. The silence between them was replaced by the beats of their hearts, and he knew for certain Seth was on point.

  Chapter Twenty

  Braelynn woke, and reached across the bed. Lars. He was the first thought in her head when she woke and the last when she’d fallen asleep. Every time they made love, he claimed another piece of her heart. Love. The word danced in her head, yet the devastating prospect of losing him loomed over her like a foreboding storm. An impossible relationship, it’d never work.

  Her eyes fluttered open and she scanned her surroundings. Bright light streamed into the bedroom, and her breath caught as she took in the breathtaking sight of the Pacific. She’d only visited Big Sur once before in her lifetime but the distinctive view of its majestic cliffs captivated her.

  Realizing she was naked, she spied a folded white t-shirt on the dresser. She stepped out of bed, crossed the room, and took it into her hands. Braelynn sighed as she brought it to her nose, inhaling the sexy aroma of Lars’ cologne. His delicious scent reminded her of the night before, his hands on her skin, his lips on hers. Her
nipples hardened as she recalled how he’d made love to her. Although she wasn’t attracted to Seth in the same way she was to Lars, he’d been kind and gentle. Her dark fantasy of being overwhelmed by two men had almost been fulfilled, and she considered how Lars had encouraged their play with no jealousy. He’d controlled the situation, giving her just enough leeway to test the waters without drowning.

  Braelynn sighed and yanked his shirt over her head. Walking toward the window, she pressed her palms against the cool glass. Like an ominous warning, the waves smashed against the rocks with force. The coastline along Big Sur was both dangerous and gorgeous. The average swimmer would struggle to survive its cold water and strong currents. With both unpredictable weather and wave sizes that could change on the flip of a dime, even experienced surfers would be challenged in the rough surf.

  Braelynn took a deep breath, having made the decision to tell Lars everything. Up until this point, Braelynn hadn’t compromised her clearances by divulging the discovery she’d made or the implications of the data. But this morning, Lars planned to call Garrett and ask for his assistance. All the secrets would come to light, including what was contained in the chip and documents. She’d decided that when Lars found out the truth, it would come from her lips. Whether he left her to the wolves or chose to believe her, she’d live with the consequences. She prayed he’d understand how she’d been given no choice but the path she’d taken.

  The clank of pans resounded from below, breaking her contemplation. Braelynn padded into the hallway toward her sentence. The time of reckoning was upon her, and she’d face it with courage. In the same way she’d bared her body to Lars, she’d reveal all her secrets.

  As she stepped into the kitchen, Lars stood waiting. Braelynn fell into his outstretched arms. Lars provided the refuge she’d sought, his embrace assuring her that everything she’d experienced the night before was as real as the man holding her. A delicious scent filled the kitchen and her stomach growled. His low laugh warmed her from the inside out and she closed her eyes, listening, attempting to remember exactly how it sounded, felt. After today, she’d never hear it again.