Tudor Redemption (Tudor Dynasty Book 4)

by Jamie Salisbury

  I was about to lead her to a table so she could rest her bone weary feet, when Ethan approached us. “You two ready to go?”

  “We can wait until you’re ready,” Beth said.

  “I’m ready. My motto. I stay an hour at these functions. Not a minute longer.”

  “Excellent motto to have in this business. Lead the way,” I replied.

  After a relatively quiet ride to the hotel, we said goodnight to Ethan.

  “Enjoy your day tomorrow. I’ll see you around five.”

  “See you then,” I replied.

  I watched as Beth walked up to him and did her usual hug and kiss. It was nice to see the bond they shared. I had it with my daughters, but we had been thrown into a portion of it. With Ethan and Beth, it was different. They’d been alone together from the beginning.

  “I think it was quite a successful evening, even with the Julia incident,” I remarked as we entered the elevator.

  “Yes, it was. You were well received tonight, and the CD hasn’t even been released. I’m excited for you.”

  When we reached our suite, we kicked our shoes off and collapsed on the sofa.

  “Dame? You do realize we never ate dinner this evening. In fact, we haven’t eaten since we left Seattle.”

  “No wonder my stomach is screaming.”

  “Mine too. I usually try to eat before one of Ethan’s shows. Never know what the back stage spread might be.”

  “True. I never looked. I had other things on my mind.”

  “How about I order us a sandwich from room service?”

  “That’s not exactly how I envisioned us spending the rest of our evening.”

  She giggled. “If we stay up much longer, we’ll see the sun rise.”

  I glanced at the clock on my phone. “Damn, it’s later than I thought. Mini bar? Any snacks in that carry on of yours?”

  “Yes, I think we can survive until breakfast on what’s available. Don’t think we’ll starve.”

  “Good. Would you mind bringing me a beer, babe?”

  “Even better. How about we move this to the bedroom, turn on the TV, and chill out. While I’m taking a shower, you can drink your beer, ravish some snacks, and find us a movie.”

  “Deal.”

  I climbed up on the bed with a beer and assorted snacks. I flipped on the TV, trying not to watch Beth as she paraded in front of me in nothing but her underwear. At this point, it’d been such a long day, my earlier urges of fucking her senseless were no more than a distant memory.

  At some point in what was left of the night, I woke up, finding Beth sound asleep under the covers. She’d covered me with a blanket and let me sleep.

  Quietly, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stripped out of my clothes. I lifted the covers and crawled in behind her, wrapping my arm around her waist. Her hair smelled clean, and I caught the faint scent of citrus. My fingers quickly found her breasts, and I began rolling the nipple of one between my thumb and finger. She moaned in her sleep, rubbing her bottom against my now flaming hard on. I wrestled with not what to do, but how to do it. I wanted to bury myself as deep inside her as I could. I needed to lose myself in her.

  Slipping the covers back, I slowly rolled her onto her stomach. I grabbed my pillow and, raising her abdomen with my free hand, I slid the pillow under her. Not quite where I needed her to be, so I nudged her legs apart. Positioning myself behind her, once again I lifted her abdomen, tilting her bottom. I pressed my cock against her wet entrance and bore into her until my balls lay against her. I heard her gasp as I attempted to go farther. Then, I withdrew and began fucking her like it was our last time.

  I didn’t know what she was feeling. She stayed quiet. In the midst of setting a rhythm, I felt her raise herself as she thrust herself against me.

  Leaning over her back, I told her all sorts of filthy things, hoping to drive her even more wild than she already was. I could tell by the way she was clenching her muscles around my cock that she was close to an orgasm.

  “Dame...” she whispered.

  “Come on, baby. Fuck me. Let me feel you grab my dick with that sweet cunt of yours.”

  “Dame...I’m going to come...”

  I reached between us and rubbed my thumb against her nub before pinching it, sending her wildly over the edge. She bucked against me, and I knew I wasn’t far behind her, but I didn’t want to stop.

  I kept thrusting in and out as she began to go again. Knowing my own orgasm was seconds away, I swirled my finger and thumb over her again. I grabbed her hips with my free hand and began driving into her until I felt my balls draw up and the ride to my orgasm finished. It came with such force I became unaware of anything but the pleasure. Beth was grinding herself against me in an attempt to find her own relief. Feeling some of my own cum trickling out of her, I wet my fingers and spread it all around her nub and folds, causing her to scream in release.

  Collapsing on top of her, I raised myself up just enough to keep from crushing her. Madly, I began kissing her, our body’s still connected.

  “I love you Bethie,” I whispered. “Always.”

  “I love you too, Dame.”

  Finally I withdrew and lifted myself off her. I lay back on my back and drew her as close to me as possible. She pulled the covers up over us.

  “You okay?” I asked, kissing the top of her head.

  “Yes, that was quite a way to wake up.”

  “You didn’t like it?” I would be crushed if she didn’t. This wasn’t like any sex we’d had in the past. The first few times had been out of lust. This was raw sex. I wanted to know every inch of her. I was claiming her.

  “Yes, as a matter a fact, I did. It was different.”

  “Good.”

  I was hard again and far from satisfied. Kissing hard, we explored each other with our tongues. I covered her body, pushing her legs apart again with my knee. Her eyes flew open as I guided my cock to its prize and, slowly this time, made my way in.

  “What’s going on with you?” she asked breathlessly as we once again established a rhythm.

  “Nothing, other than I can’t get enough of you.”

  “Caveman, huh?”

  “I love you, Bethie. You’re mine. Do you understand? There’s no turning back for us now, baby.”

  “Dame?”

  “What, sweetheart?”

  “Shut up. Make love to me.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Finally sated, we clung to each other in the predawn light. I held on to her tight, not wanting her anywhere but next to me. “Marry me, Bethie.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, dead serious. I know we’ve talked around the subject, but I want this. I want to marry you.”

  “And how would you suggest we pull this off with your family and all.”

  “Is that a yes?” I whispered.

  “Perhaps. I’m just curious as to how we pull this off without pissing someone off.”

  “We elope. Go to Vegas and get married. We can fly the girls there to meet us. Have Ethan come along. Just the five of us.”

  “You mean now. We leave after Ethan’s concert and head for Vegas. That’s what you want?”

  “More than anything.”

  “This is crazy.”

  “Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t.”

  She didn’t say a thing. Then began to giggle almost uncontrollably. “I can’t. I can come up with no reason at all. Other than this is craziness, Damien Tudor. Elope? At our age?”

  “Would you care to plan a wedding to include all my crazy family?”

  “Good point. That could snowball out of control.”

  “Exactly. It would. Let my mother get involved, and she’d have half of Seattle and the music industry invited. It would be a circus.”

  “Yes, it would.”

  “So?”

  “So, what?” She grinned.

  “Will you marry me Beth?”

  “Suppose for a moment I said
yes. Where are we going to live? It’ll be months until your house is finished. Do we spend part of the time at my house and the other at your condo?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. You’re avoiding answering the question, Beth Asher.”

  “So I am. Yes, I’ll marry you, but we have much to discuss and get ironed out before we do.”

  “We can’t leave for Vegas from here and elope?”

  “Only if we get things figured out beforehand.” I couldn’t make her face out very well, but I had a feeling she had a huge smile on her face. Mocking me.

  “You drive a hard bargain.”

  “Yes, I do. Now, why don’t you shut that brain of yours off? Your cock too. And let’s try to get a few more hours sleep. You promised to show me around today.”

  ****

  Sitting at a table in our suite a few hours later enjoying breakfast, I picked up my phone to begin checking messages. Beth was doing the same.

  We really must quit this ridiculous habit and talk to each other, or we’ll end up like all those family’s I see in restaurants. Engrossed in their phones and not their loved ones.

  “Have you decided where you want to go today?” I asked as I put mine down in favor of a forkful of scrambled egg.

  She looked up and cocked an eyebrow. “I thought you had the day planned out for us.” Her phone pinged, and she returned her attention to her screen.

  “Yeah, I thought we’d stay here and have mind blowing sex all day.”

  “That should be fun,” she replied, still focused on her cell.

  I picked up my coffee and stared at her. “Beth.” She glanced at me. “Can you please put the phone down for a few minutes and talk to me?”

  “I’m sorry. Bad habit, but you know this is a working trip.”

  “I know, it is for me too. However, if we want to make use of this gorgeous day, we need to decide what we’re going to do and get going. I thought you might like to go wander around Rodeo Drive. Shop.”

  “Damien, I have never worn couture and don’t intend to start now.”

  “There are other stores if you don’t want clothes.”

  A light went off in her head as she thought through what I’d just said. “Jewelers? Damien, I thought we were going to sort some matters out first. I appreciate you wanting to get me a ring, but I really don’t need one to know you love me.”

  She was going to have one if I had to do it without her picking it out. “Fine. When you decide what you’d like to do, let me know, because so far anything I’ve suggested you’ve turned your nose up at.”

  “You mentioned the beach. Why don’t we do that? Unless of course you’re going to pout all day about it. Then, I’d rather stay here and sit out by the pool.”

  “Don’t do this, Beth.”

  “Do what? What am I doing? I’m trying to make plans, and you keep dissing them. If we keep this up, it’ll be too late to go anywhere.”

  “Okay, calm down. Let’s start this over. Let’s rent a car and go to the beach. I’d really enjoy that. I’ve never seen it here.” I was looking at my phone now. “Okay. I’d love to take you up the Pacific Coast Highway, but with traffic and stuff, I don’t think we’d have enough time. We’ll go hang out at Venice Beach. We should be right at home there with all the eccentric people.” I gave her a grin as my cell chimed again. “It’s Amadeus. Something about Angus. It has to be important, or he wouldn’t keep trying to reach me.”

  “Oh dear. Yes, find out what’s going on. I’ll see about getting a rental downstairs.”

  “Thanks, babe.” I began scrolling back through my kid brother’s texts. I finally decided it would be easier just to call him rather than try to make sense of all this. “I’m going in the bedroom to call him. It’ll be quicker than texting.”

  She nodded her head as I picked up my phone and coffee to leave the room.

  “What’s Angus done now?” I half-jokingly asked my brother when he answered.

  “He’s missing. Gone.”

  “How can he be missing?”

  “I went over to Bellevue. He didn’t answer, so I let myself in. The place was empty. Like he’d never even been there.”

  “Have you tried the yacht club? Maybe he went to his boat after all.”

  “Not there, and no one’s seen him.”

  “Think.”

  “I am. He’s not touring now, so that’s out.”

  “Wait a minute. Have you tried his house?”

  “You don’t think he and Ashley have worked things out, do you?”

  “No, not at all. I just remembered that his attorneys did some sort of courtroom posturing about the house. Told the judge it had been in his family since he was a boy, and it was sort of a Seattle landmark. I’m not sure. All I know is Ashley was furious. Why, I don’t know, because he was going to give her half of what the house was worth.”

  “Greedy bitch.”

  “Yeah well. I can relate. Drive over to the house, A. Don’t call. I’d just about bet he’s there.”

  “But wouldn’t she still be there?”

  “No. Not when she found that out. Angus said she was raving on about getting the hell out of that miserable house as fast as she could.”

  “I’ll go check. I’ll let you know what I find. How’d it go last night?”

  “Awesome. You’ll never guess who weaseled her way into the after party?”

  “I give up. Julia?”

  “Yep. Live and just as obnoxious as ever. I’ll tell you about it when I get back. Right now, Beth and I are heading for Venice Beach.”

  “Nice. I thought you were going to dazzle her with a ring from Rodeo Drive?”

  “She says she’s not interested in that. Just me.”

  “So, when’s the wedding?” He snorted.

  “We have things to discuss, I’ve been told. So, whenever all that is in order. Whatever it may be.”

  “I’m liking her more and more. She keeps you on your toes.”

  “You can say that again. Look, I hate to cut it short, but we need to get on the road. You know the traffic here. Call me when you find that sorry ass. I want to talk to him.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  “I mean it, Amadeus. I’ve been through a nasty divorce. I know what he’s going through.”

  “I will. If he’s not there, I’ll call you. We’ll have to figure out where else he might go.”

  “Trust me, if Ashley’s moved out, he’s at that house.”

  “Okay. I’m heading that way. I’ll talk to you in a couple of hours.”

  I took a swallow of my now cooling coffee and walked back in to join Beth. She was standing at the windows with a cup of coffee in her hand.

  “Everything okay?”

  “I think so. I’ll explain in the car.”

  “Okay. Let me get my things.”

  We were sitting at a cafe on the boardwalk enjoying lunch when Amadeus finally got back to me. I’d explained the situation with Angus during our drive over. Wanting her to hear what my brother had or hadn’t found, I put the call on speaker.

  “Did you find him?”

  “Yep, just like you said. He was at his house. Ashley and the girls were gone. Not a trace of them.”

  I glanced over at Beth, who was shaking her head. “Did she take everything, trash the house?”

  “Amazingly the house was not trashed. His stuff was where it was supposed to be. But yeah, she took everything.”

  “Damn. What’s his mood?”

  “You know Angus. He doesn’t do well alone. Especially with something like this.”

  “He doesn’t need to be alone in that house. Not yet.”

  “I know, but he doesn’t want to stay at our condo.”

  “Amadeus, this is Beth. I might have a solution. Even if it’s only temporary.”

  I locked eyes with her and smiled.

  “Hey, Beth. Tell me. Anything’s better than nothing.”

  “Why couldn’t Angus stay out where you are? He could so
rt of oversee what’s going on at the house. It would get his mind off some of this other stuff. I have an RV he could stay in on site.”

  “That could work, right Dame?”

  “It sure could. In fact, I may have a solution. First, I need to think it out and talk with Ethan.”

  “My RV is at a storage facility in Poulsbo. Dame and I could have it out there day after tomorrow.”

  “Really? You’d do that, Beth?”

  “Of course, I would.”

  “Tell that sorry ass brother he just ruined our plans to elope to Vegas.”

  Amadeus busted out laughing while Beth shot me a look.

  “Don’t you listen to him, Amadeus. Family is more important. We can elope anytime.”

  “I agree. Look I’m going to take him home with me. Let Zara coddle him a few days. Call me when you hit town. Oh, and Beth, if you tell me the size of your RV, Logan, Angus, and I can make sure a big enough spot is cleared off near the house.”

  She rattled off some figures, said goodbyes for us both, and hung up. “What are you looking at?” she asked, taking a bite off her sandwich.

  “You. Just how you’ve stepped in and taken charge. You’re so sexy when you’re bossy.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You really need to stop thinking with that brain between your legs, Dame. It speaks without thinking.”

  “You know you love it. You weren’t complaining last night.”

  “Enough. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “I’ve told you Angus doesn’t do well alone. Especially with something like this eating at him. He’s been told he can’t tour anymore, so Ashley’s divorcing him. A lot for him to stew on. I was thinking perhaps, if Ethan and you don’t mind, of letting Angus stay out at the house for a while. Once it’s finished. We’d still finish it the way we want it. You know, kitchen appliances, and all the stuff you women love to pick out.”

  “Where would we stay? That leaves my place or your condo.”

  “Angus’s house. But then he may get over with Amadeus and stay in your RV for a couple of months and decide he misses his place in Seattle.”

  “Didn’t you say you had an idea to put Angus to work with you?”

  “Yes, but I need to think it through some more and talk to him about it. I just thought it was worth a shot getting him into surroundings that don’t remind him of Ashley.”