by Claire Adams
I let his gentle touch entice me for a moment as I tried to prolong my answer. Of course, I was going home with him. I’d been thinking about his body and mine together since the last time we had seen one another. There wasn’t much else I could imagine myself doing with my night. I certainly hadn’t planned on going back to my place alone while Connor visited his grandparents. Nope, there was only one correct answer to his question.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“Check, please,” he said as he raised his hand to catch the attention of our waitress.
I watched him quickly fill out the check and give the waitress a tip of $200 for our two drinks. That was the kind guy Brandon was, and that small gesture cemented my already growing belief that he was indeed a good man.
Chapter Fourteen
Brandon
“What’s going on?” Del asked as we pulled up to my house and the lights from the security company shone into our vehicle.
“Sir, would you like me to stop here? I don’t think I can pull into the driveway,” the chauffeur said.
“Yes, that will be fine. I’m sure it’s just a false alarm,” I said as I held onto Del’s hand. “The thing hasn’t been working great for a while. Wait here for a second, and I’ll go talk to them.”
I climbed out of the car, but she was right behind me as the guard came to meet us at the beginning of the driveway. Del was probably more worried about it all than I was; her hand shivered in mine, and I squeezed it slightly to comfort her.
“Hi, I’m Brandon Baker, this is my house. Did the alarm go off mistakenly? It’s been doing that. I had it off for a few weeks, but someone came over yesterday and said it was fixed.”
“Sir, it appears there’s been a break in.”
“Really?”
It was a shock to hear that there had actually been a break in. I really didn’t expect it and instantly became more aware of my surroundings and what was going on. There were two security vehicles that had pulled around in my driveway, and I noticed some people moving throughout my home.
“Yes, sir. The alarm reported a breach in the front door; when we arrived, it was wide open. Police are on their way. If you’d like to come with me inside, we can look around with you and make sure everything is all right.”
“So someone really broke in?” I asked.
“It appears so, although I’m not sure you have anything missing. The electronics from the living room are all still intact. It’s possible the alarm scared the burglar off.”
“Wow, I’m just surprised someone would try to break in. This neighborhood is so secure.”
The security guard laughed at my comment and smirked a little. For the first time since moving to my house, I realized that the security I felt was likely imaginary.
The alarm company had to have been at my house for at least fifteen minutes by the time Del and I had arrived there, yet the neighborhood security guard still hadn’t arrived to check things out. The alarm on the house had probably gone off for a few minutes before the alarm company showed up with their security officers, as well, and there were no local police officers there at all. My feeling of safety was quickly shattered by this incident.
“Let’s go through the house,” the man said without commenting on the local security and their lack of presence on the scene.
“I’ll wait here, if you don’t mind,” Del said as she looked toward the house. “What if they are still in there?”
“It’s not likely, ma’am; I’ve had men sweeping the exterior and interior for the last ten minutes. You are welcome to stay out here, though.”
“I’ll be right back.”
All I could think about was that big-necked thug who had been at my house the day before. He certainly was trying to send me a message, and I got it loud and clear. My house wasn’t as safe as I thought it was and for whatever reason, he was intent on instilling a little fear into me. I had underestimated him, and that only happened once for me, I was going to make sure I didn’t underestimate this thug again.
“The front door didn’t actually have any signs of damage. Is it possible someone else has a key and didn’t know about the alarm?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve got a few people who work on the house and they have keys. I’ll have to check with them in the morning.”
“Your computer equipment is still here, televisions, other electronics. Nothing appears out of place. Do you see any concerns?”
He was right: the house looked to be in the same condition it was in when I left it. Maybe it had just been my housekeeper coming by to drop something off? I hadn’t told anyone I had the alarm fixed; it could have startled her and she left so fast that she didn’t get the door shut.
Although it was very concerning to have my front door opened and the security company there, if nothing was stolen, I wasn’t going to get myself too worked up about it. There were too many other possible reasons that the alarm could have gone off.
“I should check my safe,” I said to myself when we got to the bedroom.
As I punched in the code, the safe opened and everything was in its place. Nothing was missing, no electronics stolen, the house hadn’t been ransacked – I had to chalk it all up to some sort of fluke for the time being.
“Can you increase the patrols around my house please? I’d like to have a car here at least once an hour until I figure out if this was really a break in or not.”
“Of course, sir. If you continue to have issues, I could give you the name of a private security firm that offers protection detail, as well. It’s run by my brother and very good.”
“Oh, no. I don’t think that will be necessary. Just swing by a little more often and that will be fine for the time being.”
“Sounds good. I’ll wrap up my report and get out of your hair.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m Joseph Rigs,” the man said as he reached his hand out to shake mine.
“Thank you, Joseph. I appreciate you guys getting here so quickly.”
As the men packed up and made their way off the property, I grabbed Del and brought her inside. Our night had gone so well that I hated having it end on a sour note, but I understood if she didn’t want to stay.
“I’ll get my keys and take you home. I’m sure you’re exhausted by now.”
“Nope,” she said softly as she dropped the red shawl she had wrapped around her shoulders to keep warm. “I’m not tired.”
“You know what? You don’t look tired.”
My body reacted with an explosion of desire as Del gently bit her lip and looked up at me. We stood in the entryway for less than a minute before I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bedroom. The urge to taste her body was overcoming me and I needed to get that dress of and have her.
“Is everything all right?”
“I don’t think it was a break in. I probably forgot to lock the door or something. Everything…is…perfect…” I said as I watched her slip her hands behind her neck and unzip her dress.
She locked eyes with me, and I felt as if she had total control over the situation. Every moment had my attention. Every lick of her lips pulled my eyes toward her. So when she finally let her dress fall to the ground, my eyes first followed the dress before returning to her magnificent curves as she stood in front of me.
Lust was a feeling I was comfortable with. I knew what it was like to want the sweet release of an orgasm and to have a beautiful woman in front of me just begging for me to bring her some pleasure. With lust, I wasn’t concerned about anything other than how I could get my own pleasure and maybe give the woman a little bit of pleasure of her own.
Yet as I stood there looking at Delilah, I felt something more than lust. My body longed to be close to hers. Not just in a way that could bring me pleasure, but I actually wanted to have her next to me. It was a strange emotion that I wasn’t ready to label, but my urge to have her near me didn’t scare me, either.
For years, fear was a common emot
ion that I’d kept hidden, running away from any woman who elicited real emotions from me. But this time, I took a step toward Del. The unknown of whatever was ahead for me didn’t scare me in that moment because the longing I felt was stronger than the fear.
Her hands reached out for me and pulled me next to her. I made quick work of getting out of my suit so I could feel our skin together. Every soft caress of her fingertips sent more and more blood surging to my body. My calmness and need for her converged, and I couldn’t take the pressure any longer.
“I’m going to rock your world,” I whispered in her ear.
“Not if I rock yours first.”
Del grabbed the waistband of my boxers and thrust them to the ground as she fell to her knees. Before I knew what was going on, she had her lips wrapped around me and I was moaning out in utter pleasure.
Her hands were planted on my hips and instead of denying my thrusts, she encouraged them. Her body urging me on as we moved together in perfect sync. Was this real? Was this girl of my dreams really taking control and giving me exactly what I dreamt of? It was too good to be real – everything about Del was so perfect.
My brain wanted to analyze the situation, find faults that would make it okay for me to turn and run away from this perfect woman. But my body wasn’t going to let me run. The connection I felt with her was more primal than I could remember feeling even with my ex-wife. I was energized when around her, I felt better, stronger, and more willing to take on the world.
No matter how Del had come into my life, I was happy she was there. I was even happier that she had taken control of our night and demanded the pleasure she wanted to give me.
Women didn’t seem to take control in the bedroom much anymore, so it was refreshing when one did. I was tired of being with women who constantly waited for me to make the moves. A man could only give so much before he wanted something in return.
That concept was the same in business as it was in love. The balance of a symbiotic relationship took work, or so I had thought for years. My perception was that a balanced relationship wasn’t possible without the sort of work that I had put into trying to save my marriage.
But Del was teaching me something in this moment of pleasure. There was no worry of balance if you were matched up with someone who gave just as much as you gave.
I closed my eyes and gave in to the pleasure she delivered. I gave in reluctantly as my mind tried to fight it. Control was what I was used to. Giving instead of receiving was my norm, but this girl was taking all the norms I was comfortable with and throwing them out the window.
“Now, I’ve got a fun idea,” she said with a mischievous smile on her face as she pressed me toward the bed.
I could see she was enjoying this trip into dominating me, but I’d had enough for the night. My comfort zone was conquered, and I needed to get back to what I was used to. Instead of falling onto the bed like she urged me to with her fingers, I grabbed her hand and quickly threw her onto the bed.
My rough move shocked her at first, but then I saw the lustful smile that crossed her face. She wanted to let me control her just as badly as I wanted to have her under my control.
“Not so fast, little lady,” I said as my hand held her wrists together to prevent her from touching me. “I’ve got my own plans.”
“Mmmm, I do love a man who plans ahead.”
“Yep, I’m a planner. You see, I’ve been planning what I was going to do with you once I got you into this bed. I had all sorts of possibilities in mind, and you just helped me decide which one I should go with.”
“Oh, I’m happy to help,” she said softly.
Her hips pressed up in the air and urged me to pull at her panties. Of course, I had to comply. My free hand quickly rid her of her undergarments, and I moved my mouth to her center to deliver the pleasure I’d wanted to give her for days.
Her body wiggled beneath the power of my tongue, but I didn’t slow down. I didn’t give in to the moans or screams of pleasure that she released. My mission was to deliver her the most mind-blowing oral experience she had ever had. I pulled out every trick I knew: the fingers, the tongue, the flicking and licking of every secret spot. By the time I was done with her, I wanted to feel her legs shaking around my ears, and I would feel that because I didn’t give up until I got my result.
Her whole body quivered with ecstasy and she grabbed my hair tightly as she rode the wave of pleasure. Over and over again, she gave in to the feelings and moaned out with such delight that I smiled while I made her night. Every orgasm I delivered brought me real happiness.
This wasn’t just some girl I was trying to please enough for me to get what I wanted. She was different. I was different when I was with her. I wanted her pleasure. The goal wasn’t the end game of me getting something – the goal was her and I had her right there in my bed.
“Oh…no…I can’t take it,” she moaned as another wave of pleasure rushed through her body.
“I can stop.”
“Don’t you dare,” she said forcefully as she held my head in place with her hand and refused to let go.
I did as I was told and stayed there for what seemed like hours as I made her legs quiver and her body shake with delight. When we finally both gave in to the exhaustion that had taken over, we were drenched in sweat and breathing like two people who had just run a marathon.
“I feel like this is better training for my race than my long runs,” she said breathlessly.
“You run?”
“Yeah, I’m training for a marathon.”
“Could you be any more perfect? I love running. We should go for a run together sometime.”
“I think I like this new bed training we are doing much better than running together,” she teased. “Maybe we could do a little of both?”
“Yeah, I think bed training is the newest craze. I’m sure Oprah has even talked about it. Who needs long runs, anyways? They certainly don’t keep you motivated like bed training.”
“You’re a marathon runner, right?” she asked, a little uncertain of her question.
“Yep, I’ve run a few. Is this going to be your first marathon?”
“I’ll probably die. I did a half marathon last year and it was torture, but I just don’t like the feeling of thinking that I can’t accomplish something. So, I’m going to do one marathon, and then I’m going to go back to the shorter races.”
“Del, I find it really hard to believe there is anything in this world you can’t do,” I told her as I pulled her close to me and the covers up over the top of us.
The adrenaline from our love making and the sweat that covered our bodies, had both of us shivering as we lay there talking before falling asleep. It was true, though: Del was a strong woman and I honestly thought she could do anything that she set her mind to. Even if she wanted to be a damn astronaut, I was convinced she could make it happen. Connor was lucky to have her as his mom.
“Thanks, Brandon,” she said sweetly and curled up even closer to me.
“This might not be the best time, but I just have to say that I think meeting you was exactly what I needed.”
“Yeah, horrible timing,” she teased. “I think you’re supposed to say something about how good in bed I am and how hot I look. Those kinds of things.”
“Oh, definitely hot, no question.”
“I think it was pretty good timing, too, Brandon. I wasn’t ready before this. I couldn’t have even imagined I was ready when we went on that first date, but when I’m here in your arms, it feels like a divine intervention taking place.”
The uncomfortable feeling of sharing real emotions was creeping up on me. I felt it coming and I felt myself wanting to run away. I had a choice to make right then and there: was I going to run or was I going to try and sit through the uncomfortable feelings and make a go at whatever it was that was going on between us?
“Good thing we both have our own personal angels,” I said and then held my breath.
It was a ris
k to bring up my son and her husband. It was dangerous, and I could only hope that she felt like the time was right and the moment was right, as well. She was in bed with me and I had mentioned her dead husband and my dead son.
What have I done?
The longer she stayed silent, the more I screamed inside. It was too early. I had been stupid. What could I possibly do or say that would fix this?
“I think our angels did pretty good fixing the two of us up,” Del said as she leaned up onto my chest and I saw the tears in her eyes.
Chapter Fifteen
Delilah
His warm breath moved gently on the back of my neck as I stayed as close to him as my body would allow. Perfection was the only way to describe our time together. Any other word seemed to minimize the emotions and feelings that had overcome me the night before.
We were both a little broken, but we were there together and making each other just a little happier. Neither of us could guarantee the happiness of the other, but it was clear something was brewing between us – something stronger than I had been prepared for and more powerful that I think Brandon had intended, as well. Then again, you just couldn’t plan emotions, and I knew that better than most people.
After losing my husband, I had tried to plan and control everything around me. I was intent on making sure no unforeseen issues took over my life ever again. Yet I couldn’t plan everything, and the more I tried, the more stressed out I became. Losing someone you cared about so deeply did some crazy things to the way you coped with the world and I was living proof of that.
Up until I had connected with Brandon, I wasn’t sure there was a man in this world who I would be willing to allow a connection with again. I knew there were others who had loss, of course, but what was going on between Brandon and I was more special than I could have ever planned for.
I relished the feeling of his arms around me as I held onto his hands and refused to move from his bed. It was the weekend and I didn’t have to get Connor until after noon, so I was content to soak in the love that I felt right there in Brandon’s arms.
