Dru_The Ever After Series Book 1

by Stella James

  “Fuck Dru, massage your tits, touch yourself while I make you come all over my hand.”

  I pluck my nipples and roll them between my fingers, trying to appease the sensations burning within me. This man has me wrapped up in desire and lust. His skillful fingers continue to explore me and when I can feel myself about to climax, I thread my fingers together behind his neck and pull myself as close to him as I can get. My entire body vibrates against him and he doesn’t stop. When I moan his name, when I soak his fingers and even when I go lax against him, he doesn’t stop. He flips me onto my back on the sofa and frees his cock, sheathing it quickly and pushing into my swollen channel without apology. He drives into me until I’m begging for more and scraping my nails along his back.

  “Ethan, Ethan, oh my God, please don’t stop!”

  “Come for me again Dru, come on my cock and let me feel you squeeze me,” he rasps with a commanding growl.

  He pins both my knees up against my chest and the depth in which I feel him is almost unbearable. I’ve never felt someone so much before, my hands fly to the cushion behind my head and hold onto it like a lifeline. He thrusts into me over and over, unsatisfied until my entire body tenses and I can feel myself squeezing him with my release. He follows a moment later, burying his face in my neck and growling my name against my skin. We’re still connected, our hearts pounding against each other. The steady beat calmly fills my ears.

  When I feel like I can breathe steadily again, I trail my fingers up his back and through his hair, gently pulling his head back so I can see his eyes. No words are spoken, but when my lips land on his, I give him everything in this moment that I possibly can. We kiss each other deeply and slowly and I try so hard to show him with every graze of my lips and every slip of my tongue that I am his. The hum in my chest is for him. The flutter in my belly is for him and my need to maintain this connection is his and his alone. Ethan has turned my world upside down and if I wasn’t falling before I am most definitely falling now.

  *

  When Ethan and I finally come out of our post-amazing-sex- haze, he disappears into his bedroom and comes back with an old T-shirt that is a few sizes too big for me. I slip it over my head and enjoy the fact that it smells like him and feels soft against my skin. We curl up together on the sofa and decide to watch a movie, but it isn’t long before my eyelids start to get heavy and I’m falling asleep. I’m dozing on and off when suddenly I’m pressed firmly against his chest and he’s carrying me to the bedroom. He places me on the bed gently and when he leaves the room, I crawl under the covers and take in the minimal fuss of the room that matches the rest of his apartment. The bed itself is massive and takes up most of the space, it’s made up with a dark comforter and matching sheets that smell like him. A chest of drawers sits along the opposite wall and there’s a small flat screen T.V. in here as well. I roll onto my side and tuck one of the extra pillows under my arm. I can hear Ethan come back into the room before the light switches off and we are bathed in darkness. The bed dips down when he slides in beside me, wearing nothing but his boxers, he pulls me to him tightly. My back is pressed to his front and his arm is wrapped around my waist.

  “Sleep, baby,” he says. It only takes a second before my eyes close and I drift off.

  When I wake up to Ethan’s deep voice muttering in his sleep several hours later, I curl myself against him and hope that my presence eases whatever is disturbing him. I can’t make out what he’s saying but before the muttering stops and he pulls me close once again, one word is clear, and it echoes in my own mind as I fall back asleep.

  Lindsey.

  Chapter 16

  Ethan

  As I sit in the sleek reception area of the building where I’ll be starting my new contract, my thoughts drift to Dru and the incredible night we spent together. It’s been two days and I can’t get the image of her soft naked curves swaying to a song that I barely even heard, out of my mind. I thought for sure the night would end up being a bust after we ran into my folks but Dru surprised me with her understanding and patience. I love my parents, but things are so fucked up right now and I wouldn’t even know where to start to make it better. I suppose I could start at the beginning, but there’s already so much disappointment in my father’s eyes, I don’t think I can handle much more.

  “Mr. Talbot?”

  I look up at the young receptionist and toss aside the magazine I was pretending to read.

  “If you’ll come with me, Mr. Gerard will see you now,” she says before turning and leading me to a set of heavy double doors.

  The owner of Infotech is a man in his early twenties who started his business in a college dorm room during his freshman year. What started as a hobby has since become a global empire. Infotech is responsible for cutting edge technology and for making massive strides in how big corporations store their electronic files. I have absolutely no fucking idea what that means, but that’s what was in the report Nick emailed me this morning. Apparently the richer you get the crazier everyone else gets and Mr. Gerard finds himself in need of a security detail. I can’t say I’m too thrilled about babysitting some child prodigy, but the pay is good and this contract could result in a permanent position. Stability isn’t something I’ve thought much about over the last year, not until I met Dru anyway.

  When we enter the massive office I’m not sure what I’m expecting, but the man lying on the middle of the floor in navy coloured sweatpants and a bright yellow Hawaiian T-shirt isn’t it. Beneath his black thick rimmed glasses, his eyes are closed. His hands are clasped together on his stomach and he’s breathing loudly through his nose.

  “Thank you, Noelle. You can leave us now,” he says.

  “Of course sir, let me know if you need anything else,” she says before flashing me a tight smile as she leaves the room.

  Junior continues to remain on the floor with his eyes closed for several minutes before he abruptly stands and makes his way to the mini bar in the corner of the room. He pours himself a generous shot of amber liquid and throws it back in one loud gulp.

  “Please, have a seat,” he gestures to one of the large leather chairs that sit in front of his desk. “Can I get you a drink?”

  I decline his offer with a curt nod and take a seat. Nick owes me big time for setting me up with this kid. I knew he was young, but I figured a millionaire genius would at least be wearing a damn suit.

  “I get it,” he says. “You’re the strong silent type. That’s cool, I bet the ladies dig that shit.”

  “Mr. Gerar-.”

  “Call me Ty,” he says.

  “Ty. I’m going to need to speak to the building’s security team and I’ll need a copy of your schedule for the next week.”

  “Whoa Chief, we’ll get to the boring stuff.”

  “Don’t call me chief.” Christ, I’ve known this kid for two minutes and I already want to strangle him myself.

  “You got it Captain, let’s go.” He heads for the door and I have no choice but to follow him. I’m going to kill Nick.

  I spend the next two hours sitting in a crappy vinyl booth sipping bitter coffee while Ty shoves pancakes down his throat and rambles on about his company and what exactly they do. I pick up enough to know that larger companies hire his company to install software programs that will allow them to save more data electronically. That’s about all I get in between forkfuls and obnoxious chewing.

  “So that’s where you come in, captain. My company is worth a crap ton of dollar bills but it’s only a matter of time before I am balls deep in competition and I need to stay relevant. Which means I need to stay social and I can’t do that comfortably unless I have someone watching my back. I get enough hate and love mail to keep my investors paranoid and this was the best way to appease them.”

  He might dress like an asshole but Junior here seems pretty smart. Anyone looking at him would think he’s some punk college kid on vacation but he’s the founder of a multi-million-dollar company and he’s young and re
latable. That gives him celebrity status to some degree and validates the concerns of his investors. I dig deep for my inner patience and hope that I can bring myself to tolerate him enough so that I can do my job without causing him serious bodily harm. Just then he pulls out his cell phone and snaps a picture of me mumbling something about a hashtag. Fuck.

  *

  The office for NT Security is located in a strip mall, sandwiched between a dry cleaner’s and a pizza place. The neighbourhood itself is a bit on the rough side and the building is always in need of some small repair. But the rent is cheap and the location is easy to find.

  I spent my day at Infotech getting familiar with the building and the building’s existing security. I attended a boring as hell meeting with the investors during which I repeatedly guaranteed that I would do my best to keep their brain child safe.

  I pull into the parking lot out front and check my phone for a call from Dru. We’d agreed to take a night apart so she could get some work done and I haven’t heard from her since last night when she texted me a picture at midnight of her posing in front of her current project. She had blue paint swiped across her cheek and she had a bright yellow handkerchief in her hair. She looked so damn sexy and happy that I had to restrain myself from showing up over there uninvited so I could do some very artistic things to her beautiful body. I toss my phone on the seat and make my way to the front door. I rap my knuckles against the glass door and let myself in just as Nick hangs up his phone.

  Nearing his mid-sixties, Nick Taylor started his business fresh off being honorably discharged from the Marines some odd years ago. He’ll take on some jobs himself and has a couple other guys that come and go when they need the cash. He employs several other veterans off and on as well, always maintaining that one of the best ways a former soldier can acclimate back into society is by finding purpose.

  When I quit the force, I found myself in need of a new bar to drink my memories away and that dingy little shithole is where I met Nick. At the time, I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do for a job. My plans had been completely demolished by my own demons and I couldn’t stomach the thought of returning to the one career I’d had my eye on since I was a kid. One night, over a game of pool, Nick mentioned that he was looking for someone to do some contract work and the rest just fell into place. The punk that I was ten years ago would have scoffed at the idea of being anything other than a detective by thirty, but shit changes. People change.

  He slides the contract for Infotech across his desk and tosses me a pen.

  “So, how’d it go with the kid today?” he asks.

  “Hmph. About as well as you’d think,” I say. “Junior’s going to drive me fucking crazy, the money you’re making better be worth it.”

  “It’s not,” he smirks. “But, it’ll keep this company in business and able to afford the likes of you, so who’s complaining?”

  He pushes his chair away from the desk and reaches for his prosthetic leg resting against the filing cabinet. I’ve never asked Nick how he lost his leg and he’s never offered to tell the story. A man with memories he’d rather not relive is something I can respect and relate to. Our working relationship has suited us both just fine over the last twelve months.

  When I leave NT, I dial Dru’s number but it goes to voicemail. I head for home and as I enter the parkade my phone rings. I glance at the screen and debate for a second before I swipe answer call and bring the phone to my ear.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Ethan! How are you, honey?”

  “I’m good Mom, how are you?”

  This is always how it goes. My old man acts like a prick and my mom smooths it over with an apology on his behalf.

  “Oh I’m fine. Your father feels bad Ethan, he’s just so damn stubborn,” she says. “You know he loves you, he just can’t see past his own point of view.”

  “Yeah, I know Mom. I love him too. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I hate you two fighting. Couldn’t you just give him some kind of explanation? Just to ease his mind? I don’t want to push you, but it’s been over a year since you up and quit with no rhyme or reason and we’re worried about you. He’s worried about you, whether he shows it or not.”

  “There’s nothing to tell, Mom,” I exhale roughly. “I decided not to be a cop anymore, is it really a big enough deal that we need to keep doing this?”

  “Ethan, please. Just try and put yourself in your father’s shoes, he just wants to understand why you gave up on something that you used to be so certain about. I think if you would just talk to him and be honest, he’d be able to accept it and things could go back to normal. “I miss you.”

  I climb the last stair and round the corner to see Dru sitting on the floor beside my apartment door. She looks up and I can tell something is wrong.

  “Mom, I have to call you back.”

  “Okay,” she sighs. “I love you Ethan.”

  “Love you too.”

  I shove my phone in my pocket and kneel in front of her, offering my hand and pulling her up to stand. She leans into me and wraps her arms around my waist.

  “Dru, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

  She takes a moment before she leans back and looks up at me, her brown eyes troubled. “Maria,” she says. “I mean, my mother. She died Ethan.”

  Chapter 17

  Dru

  The words roll off my tongue and I’m still not sure how to deal with the fact that my mother has died. Ethan pulls me close to him once more and when I rest against him, I inhale the scent that is so distinctly him and take comfort in the strength of his arms around me. I sat outside of his apartment for nearly an hour before he showed up. I should have called him back earlier, but I was so lost in thought after I got the news from Esme that Maria had passed, I hailed a cab and came straight here without even thinking.

  “I’m sorry Dru,” he says against my hair, pressing his lips firmly to my temple. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Just be with me, I don’t know how to feel right now,” I say truthfully.

  He leans down and gently presses his mouth to mine. “Let’s go inside.” He unlocks the door and flips the light on in the kitchen before tossing his keys on the counter. “Are you hungry? I can order us something if you want?”

  “Honestly, I know I should eat but I just don’t think I can right now.”

  He steps toward me and takes my hand, leading me to his bedroom. “Why don’t you lie down for a bit? I’m going to grab a quick shower and then we can talk if you’re up for it,” he suggests.

  I kick off my shoes and climb onto the massive bed, sinking back into the pillows with a sigh. I need to gather my thoughts and just take a few minutes to let everything sink in. The fact that Ethan knows that without even asking makes me fall for him just a little bit more. He hands me the remote for the T.V and I click it on, looking for something mindless to stare at as he heads for the door.

  “Ethan?”

  He stops short and turns to face me. “Yeah?”

  “Thanks.”

  He smiles with a nod and then leaves me to it. I ignore the T.V. and close my eyes, trying to remember the last time I saw Maria. I was being led from the apartment by one of the officers that showed up after Mrs. Williams called in her noise complaint. I remember clutching my backpack full of clothes and looking back at my mother and waiting. Waiting for her to start shouting and demanding that they let her keep me. That I was her child and I belonged with her. But she didn’t. She just sat there, on the ratty old sofa and watched them take me. She didn’t smile, she didn’t cry, she just watched with this blank look on her face and let me go. I haven’t seen or spoken to her in over ten years and now she’s gone.

  Everything in my head is such a mess, I wish someone would just tell me how I’m supposed to feel. When I hear the water begin to run, I get up from the bed and leave my thoughts behind me. I need a distraction. I need something. I strip off my clothes as I make my way to the bathroom and le
ave them in a scattered trail behind me.

  I enter the bathroom and as the steam billows out through the open door I get a clear image beyond the glass door of Ethan standing beneath the hot spray of the large showerhead above him. The hard lines and defined muscles of his body move with purpose as he runs his hands over his skin with a soapy lather. When the door clicks shut he looks over at me and trails his eyes down my naked body. I step toward the shower door and unlatch it, stepping into the small space behind him.

  “Dru, w-.”

  “Please Ethan, I need this. Right now, you and I are the only thing that makes sense to me.”

  I tentatively reach my hand out to his chest and run my fingertips down the defined slopes of his torso. A shiver travels down my spine as I brush my fingers lower until I reach his erection. I take his length in my hand and squeeze firmly, eliciting a groan of appreciation. He backs up and the hot water now washes over me as I maintain my grip on him and close my eyes. His strong hands wrap around my arms and I can feel the scruff of his jaw as he brushes his lips across the top of my shoulder. When I tilt my head back and open my eyes, his gaze is heavy and the obvious desire within it makes my knees go weak. We watch each other for a moment before the spell is broken and I can’t wait any longer.

  “Please Ethan,” I whisper.

  His mouth takes mine with certainty and when his hands reach around my backside, I instinctively hop up and wrap my legs around his waist. He holds me easily and doesn’t break our kiss as he backs me up against the slick tiles, his hardness pressing into my stomach. The throb between my own legs is almost unbearable and I’m certain that I’ve never needed anything as much as I need to feel him inside me. He rips his mouth from mine and nips the skin along the side of my neck.