Blackout: A Romance Anthology

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  He smelled like rain and Jacob, and his mouth was so warm. His kiss was quick, but it was oh-so-good. His lips molded themselves to mine, his tongue tracing along the seam before sweeping in. When he drew away, he dropped kisses on each corner of my mouth. I was nearly breathless from it.

  “You’re cold,” he said softly, his hand running down my back in a smooth pass over my now wet and almost soggy clothes. “Let’s get inside.”

  I was shivering, and I was a bit stunned. My body was spinning like a top, and my heart was frantically doing cartwheels in my chest.

  With a nudge on my shoulder, Jacob caught my hand in his and led me through the door, closing it behind us.

  “I don’t suppose I could borrow a towel,” he said, his eyelashes glittering with raindrops.

  “Of course,” I replied.

  My socks, which had been warm and fuzzy moments earlier, made a squishy sound as I walked across the living room into the bathroom and fetched three towels.

  Handing one to Jacob and hanging the other over the back of a chair to dry Chocolate in a moment, I glanced to him. “I’m going to change. Be right back.”

  Stepping into my bedroom, I quickly stripped out of my wet clothes and yanked on another pair of fleece sweatpants and top. This time, I made do with a pair of blue cotton socks. When I returned, I looked over to see Jacob toweling Chocolate off, who appeared to view it as a form of petting.

  My heart gave a swift kick. Jacob wasn’t supposed to show up like this. My willpower was faltering. Badly.

  He straightened, casting a grin in my direction. “He’s as dry as he’s going to get with a towel. But he likes it, so…”

  He shrugged, and I couldn’t help but return his grin. “I wish I had something that fit you.”

  My eyes practically ate up the way his T-shirt clung to his chest. He’d shrugged out of his jacket and now his navy T-shirt was the only thing between me and his delicious body. Well, that and his jeans.

  Of course, that’s what I wanted. I tried to remind myself we didn’t make sense. Perhaps when we were naked, and he was buried inside of me. Then, everything felt right. But sex wasn’t real life.

  Chocolate trotted across the room, returning to the couch to curl up on the towel I had laid out for him there earlier. His soft sigh was the only sound in the quiet room.

  Jacob held the towel in his hands, looking at me across the roughly four feet that separated us. For a moment, I saw uncertainty flicker in his gaze. His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, but he never once looked away from me. When he spoke, his words came out slow and deliberate.

  “Here’s the thing. I don’t really know how to do this. My sister died. We were very close, and it nearly killed me. Not literally, obviously. I guess I decided I didn’t want anyone to matter that much. Until I met you, it was easy. Now, the only thing that’s easy is being with you. Maybe it’s crazy because it’s only been days, but I think I love you.”

  He went quiet, while my heart practically broke a rib. Before I realized it, he dropped the towel on the floor and closed the distance between us in two long strides. He was wiping away my tears with his thumb as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  I hadn’t even realized I started to cry. I wasn’t sad, just overwhelmed with emotion. It was slamming through me so hard, I could hardly think. All I could do was feel. My mind thought it was crazy and wanted to argue the point. All the while, my heart knew.

  Because I knew how I felt when I was with Jacob. Exactly right. There was a raw honesty and intimacy between us.

  I shook my head, swallowing through the emotion tightening my throat. “I’m not sad, just overwhelmed. I wrote that note and got on the plane, and then kind of fell apart. My mind tells me one thing…”

  My words stopped when Jacob stepped a bit closer again, this time pulling me into his arms, his hand brushing my tangled, wet hair away from my face.

  “I don’t care what your mind says, or mine,” he said gruffly.

  That was always the way it was with him. It didn’t seem to matter how short a time we’d been together—the moment I was held close in Jacob’s embrace, I felt right. My heartbeat kept on pounding, drumming a dance of joy.

  Staring into his ebullient gaze, I took a breath and let it out, the sharp ache of missing him unspooling inside. “Okay,” I said softly, feeling my lips curl into a smile.

  Once again, his mouth was on mine, and I tumbled into the fire of need and intimacy. I needn’t have bothered with changing because Jacob made quick work of my clothes.

  We left a scattered trail of clothes through the living room with Jacob maneuvering me in the bedroom. My skin was cool and hot, all at once, chilled from the rain and burning hot from the fire Jacob set alight inside of me.

  As I turned to kick my pants off, my feet tangled and I stumbled, catching my balance when my palms fell onto the mattress at the foot of my bed. Jacob didn’t miss a beat.

  He never missed a beat.

  Not with me, and not with us.

  I was already soaking wet, my arousal slick on the insides of my thighs. That was how easily he affected me. A few kisses, and I was nearly out of my mind for him.

  I started to turn, but his other hand slid down my spine, a hot brand on my skin. His lips pressed against the curve of my bottom, his fingers teasing between my thighs. I moaned, arching back and flexing into his touch.

  His hand left me, and I heard him murmur, “You taste so fucking good.”

  Glancing over my shoulder, I caught sight of him drawing his fingers out of his mouth. My pussy clenched, and I closed my eyes when a sharp burst of pleasure hit me as he brought his hand back between my thighs, his thumb circling my clit before he buried his fingers in my channel.

  Pressure was spinning inside of me, my release already barreling toward me. He buried his face between my thighs from behind, his tongue licking through my folds as he fucked me with his fingers.

  It was quick and fast, a deep drive as he stretched my channel and sucked my clit lightly. Pleasure burst through me like firecrackers, my entire body lighting up and my nerves sizzling. Pleasure blurred to an intensity that was almost painful as I shuddered.

  Before I could even catch my breath, as the aftershocks of my climax rippled through me, I felt Jacob rise up, and the head of his cock press at my entrance. There was a slow slide into my channel as I was still throbbing and pulsing.

  He held still once he was buried inside of me, murmuring my name. Then, he drew out swiftly, spinning me around, onto my back on the mattress. His weight slowly came down over me as he settled in the cradle of my hips. His hands brushed my hair away from my face, and I opened my eyes, colliding with the heat of his gaze.

  “I needed to see you,” he said, just as he sheathed himself inside of me, filling me to the hilt instantly.

  My body reacted, my legs curling around him, welcoming him into me. Once again, he held still for a beat before he began to pull back and rock into me. My hips bucked into him reflexively.

  I couldn’t even speak. He dusted kisses at the corners of my mouth as he eased back. Another slow slide into me. The slick fusion of our joining was so intoxicating, it nearly toppled me over the edge. He sank into me deeply once more, creating just enough friction against my highly sensitized, swollen clit that I went flying instantly.

  I came in a rough cry. He caught it in our kiss, as he went taut, the heat of his release filling me in a last driving surge.

  CHAPTER 19

  Jacob

  I was tangled up in Ellie, skin to skin, my heart beating so hard and fast, I could hardly catch my breath. Much less think past the intense storm of sensation, need, and intimacy. I rolled to my side, holding her close.

  After a few moments, as I felt the thud of her heart beating in tune with mine, I managed to take a breath. Leaning back slightly, I adjusted the pillows behind me and glanced down to her. Her head was resting against my shoulder, her dark hair a tangled mess around her face, still damp fr
om our few minutes outside in the rain.

  I had no idea what time it was. I didn’t even care. I was beyond relieved to be here.

  She opened her eyes, and my heart squeezed. Thank fuck she hadn’t turned me away.

  “Hey,” I said softly.

  A smile slowly stretched across her face, and she leaned up on an elbow to press her lips to mine before drawing back quickly.

  “You’re here,” she said, her tone wondering.

  “I am,” I replied with a chuckle. “And I’m not going anywhere today. It sucks outside.”

  Ellie giggled, the sound spinning around my heart.

  At that moment, Chocolate jumped onto the foot of her bed and stepped between our legs, promptly settling down with a big sigh.

  Ellie laughed. “I haven’t decided if he should be allowed on the bed yet. Thanks for going out to get him earlier.”

  “Of course. I figured this is a new place for him. You don’t need him running off.”

  She was quiet for a moment, her eyes suddenly bright. “It says everything.”

  Puzzled, I arched a brow in question.

  “You get me, and you know what matters. That’s all.” She leaned forward to kiss me again. “Do you want some hot chocolate?”

  “I’d love some hot chocolate. I’m starving too. Mind if I order some pizza to be delivered?”

  Ellie grinned. “Of course not.”

  That’s how it turned out I spent a rainy evening and night with Ellie. I rarely took time off. Even when I didn’t have official business to do, in my spare time, I was usually working on some kind of project related to it. An evening when all I did was lounge on the couch with my girl and a sweet dog was as rare as an actual diamond in the sky.

  The following morning, her phone chirped on the kitchen table where we were seated. Ellie glanced at the screen and then up to me, her coffee cup halfway to her mouth before she lowered it. “It’s Aidan. Do you want to talk to him?”

  “Yes. You’re important to me. I’d rather have this conversation with him before he gets pissed off at me because he finds out about us some other way.”

  “What about me? And how I feel? I don’t answer to my brother.”

  “I know you don’t. If you want to be the first to tell him, go right ahead. I don’t see how we can keep this a secret, and I don’t want to. You’re not a fling. You’re mine,” I said flatly.

  For a moment, it looked as if Ellie wanted to be pissed off at me. But then she leaned across the counter and kissed me, fast and fierce.

  “How about I call him back and tell him you have something to tell him. Because I kind of want to freak him out a little bit,” she said with a sly grin.

  “Totally fine with me.”

  CHAPTER 20

  Jacob

  A few days later, I waited outside Aidan’s door. We were meeting Aidan and his wife, Becca, for dinner, and Ellie had arrived here ahead of me. I’d spent the afternoon with my parents. My mother was fine. Blessedly, the follow-up tests revealed a buildup of scar tissue, but no new signs of cancer. Between that and facing up to my feelings for Ellie, well, it had been an emotional few days. My years-long vow to never care too much for anyone had officially gone up in smoke.

  Aidan and I already had words. Twice. The first time was when I called him with Ellie.

  He kept himself in check then, if only because Ellie was right there and interrupted several times to take the phone from me and tell Aidan he had no say in her love life. The second time was the following day, when I received a cryptic text from him.

  Meet me at my office.

  Although his text was brief and to the point, I knew damn well it had nothing to do with our usual collaborative work. I wasn’t one for taking orders, but I hadn’t hesitated to agree. It was personal for him, and I knew it.

  The offices for his security company were below where he and Becca lived in a nondescript warehouse-style building in downtown Seattle. The outside of the building gave no clues to how glamorous it was on the inside.

  When I met with Aidan, he had made it perfectly clear he was fucking pissed at me for making a move on his sister. I think he would’ve liked to haul off and punch me, but once again, Ellie kept him in check. Apparently, she’d called him before I arrived, to preemptively chew him out if he dared lay a hand on me. According to him, he held off out of respect for her.

  I made it plainly clear how I felt about Ellie. I wasn’t sure if that’s what persuaded him to calm down. Perhaps it was Becca, who arrived while we were talking and told him to back the hell off.

  I surmised tonight was supposed to be a peace offering orchestrated by Becca. When I knocked on the door, it swung open a moment later. Aidan stood there, tall, dark, and inscrutable. His hair was darker than Ellie’s and his eyes were blue to her hazel, yet they were clearly related. He was an easy fit for working in security as a former Navy SEAL with a naturally forbidding presence and acute awareness. He was also a genius with coding and other tech issues, so he was a pleasure to work with.

  “Jacob,” he said with a quick nod before stepping back and letting me pass through the door.

  I was immediately bombarded by Chocolate and Oscar, Aidan and Becca’s dog. Ellie had explained to me Oscar had come to Aidan via a foster stay with her. The two dogs appeared to be getting along famously. Oscar’s black tail bumped against my legs as he circled me in greeting, with Chocolate following behind him.

  After petting the dogs, I glanced up to find Ellie standing right there, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Aidan was a close audience, and I didn’t forget it. She caught my hand in hers and leaned up to press a kiss on my cheek. It took all of my restraint not to turn and pull her into a full body kiss. But I had some sense.

  Aidan’s alert gaze bounced between us before Becca’s voice broke into the moment. “Come on over, Jacob,” she called.

  I wouldn’t quite call where they lived an apartment. It was as large as a house and comprised most of the upstairs of Aidan’s security company building. It had an industrial feel to it, but it was much softer and warmer ever since Becca moved in a few years ago.

  With dark hardwood floors spanning the entire space and exposed piping painted neutral colors above, the space felt open and airy. Becca had softened the feel with curtains in the windows and brightly colored rugs scattered about. She was in the kitchen at the far end of the main room, which was separated from the living room space by an oval shaped counter.

  With Ellie holding my hand firmly, we walked across the room. Becca, with her glossy brown hair and bright blue eyes, was lovely and a perfect counterpart for Aidan. She also completely ignored his tendency to be overprotective. She rounded the counter to throw her arms around me.

  “I haven’t seen you in months. Then I hear from Ellie that you two went and fell in love in Las Vegas during the blackout. That is so romantic,” she said with a smile as she stepped back, looking to Aidan, who appeared to be under orders to behave.

  He rolled his eyes and smiled. “Don’t make me say it’s romantic.”

  Becca laughed as she stepped to his side, tugging him down to her for a quick kiss. Aidan seemed to relax.

  “Where’s little Aidan?” I asked, after Becca directed us over to a round dining room table adjacent to the kitchen.

  She poured wine for all of us and set out an appetizer tray of cheese and bread. “He spent the day with my parents in Bellingham, so he’s sound asleep. They dropped him off about an hour ago. Don’t worry,” she said, gesturing to the baby monitor sitting in the center of the dining room table, “we’ll hear if he wakes up. I think I’ve got the most elaborate baby monitor setup in the world.

  “If you ever have kids, I bet you’ll be just as bad. We’ll give you our system because I can’t handle another baby. There are cameras everywhere. I told Aidan I hate it because I feel like I’m being watched. Then, he told me to go without it for a day, and I thought I was going to go crazy. I don’t know how people had babies
before modern technology.”

  “I think they swaddled them to their chest at all times,” Ellie offered with a laugh.

  Becca chuckled and got up to check on the lasagna she had in the oven. Dinner moved along, and I found—just as with everything with Ellie—this just felt right. I knew she and Aidan were close. I’d known that before our unexpected and life-altering weekend in Vegas.

  It simply felt right when I was with her, no matter the situation. It wasn’t that I wasn’t a social man. It was more that my life had narrowed to one focus—work. It had been several years since I’d done anything with anyone where it wasn’t for purposes of business.

  As dinner wound down, Ellie went with Becca to check on little Aidan, and I found myself alone at the table with Aidan. He looked over at me, his gaze considering. I sensed he had something to say, so I stayed quiet.

  He spun his empty wineglass between his fingers and let out a sigh. “I’m still a little cranky about it, but you’re really important to Ellie. It seems like she really matters to you,” he said quietly, then paused, his gaze narrowing. “If you hurt a single fucking hair on her head, let’s just say, it won’t be a friendly conversation.”

  I completely respected Aidan. I also knew Ellie answered only for herself and not to her brother. Yet, my sister had ended up dead, so to say I understood his concern didn’t quite cut how thoroughly I comprehended it.

  I held Aidan’s gaze and nodded slowly. “I absolutely understand. I can promise you I won’t hurt her. In any way.”

  Something about this conversation solidified the depth of my feelings for Ellie, but I wasn’t about to discuss that with Aidan. Her voice drifted to us as she returned from the baby’s bedroom, with Becca walking behind her.

  I reflexively glanced in her direction. She walked toward us, her cheeks a little flushed and her eyes bright. My heart gave a resounding thump.

  EPILOGUE

  Ellie