Freedom_A Captivating and consuming contemporary romance

by J Grayland

  “Ahh, if only it was that easy” I laughed, then I remembered the file that Paxton had left me a few days ago the one with all the information on Peterson that he’d compiled, walking to my office I retrieved it from the bottom draw and opened it up, pulling up my chair I pulled out the many pages and started to read, Jax came in a few minutes later with a couple of tumblers and a bottle of single malt, pouring us both a drink he handed me a glass “What’s all this?” he motioned to the papers spread out over the desk.

  “This my friend is insurance.”

  “Insurance?” he asked quirking his brow.

  “Yep, this ensures that after we knock him the fuck out we have enough here to keep him out.”

  “Really?” Jax sat and took a sip from his glass, picking up one of the sheets of paper I watched as he started to read.

  After about an hour of reading through the file that was full of not only papers but photo’s and numerous flash drives, Jax spoke. “Damn Nate that brother of yours is one smart cookie,” he said with amazement.

  “Don’t I know it” I nodded.

  “Well let’s get this over with, you got his home address?” Jax asked nonchalantly. “Sure do” picking up the file, I pushed the flash drives into the top drawer of my desk and exchanged them for a couple of random ones there was no way I was taking the originals with me, grabbing my keys and phone we headed down to the garage. Climbing into the SUV and throwing it into gear we pulled out into the traffic and headed for Peterson's home, intent on putting an end to this tonight.

  Pulling up outside the gated address Jax jumped out and plugged a decoder box into the electronic gate release, pressing a few buttons the gate opened and he hopped back in the truck “Well that was a piece of shit lock” he laughed and I continued to drive up the gravel path and parked in front of a large Spanish style house “I can see the asshole does well from his ill-gotten gains” Jax said.

  “Isn’t that always the way? “ I said with a raised eyebrow, pressing the doorbell, after a few minutes the door opened and there he was, Peterson dressed in a pair of casual shorts and a polo shirt his smile dropped the instant he saw us and he backed away when both Jax and I stepped through into the entry.

  “Nate, Jax what are you doing here? How did you get my address?” he stuttered nervously.

  “I think you know the answer to that question yourself” Jax drawled, moving fast within an instant I had Peterson pinned against the mirror in the hallway pressing my forearm into his throat “What are you doing?” he asked in a choked voice, getting in real close to his face I lower my voice to a low growl.

  “I warned you to leave Casey Tyler alone, but you didn’t listen did you?” trying to break from my hold his arms flailing around he squeaked “I’m sorry, please I can’t breathe.”

  “What a shame” I toyed.

  “Please, let me explain” he pleaded.

  “Give him a little air Nate I really want to hear this” Jax said, releasing the pressure just enough for him to clear his throat and get more air into his lungs. “Talk” I barked into his face.

  “I had a guy watching her weeks ago but after our chat, I tried to call him off but I haven’t been able to get a hold of him.”

  “Bullshit” I spat.

  “Honestly, I swear.”

  “So let me get this straight you hired someone to grab her but didn’t have a correct contact number for him?” I almost laughed in the dumb shits face.

  Nodding he said “I know right? He must have had a burner phone or changed his number, honestly Nate that’s the truth” releasing my arm from his throat Jax handed him the copy of the file that we had brought with us.

  “What’s this?” Peterson asked nervously as he reluctantly took the file.

  “This is a copy of every scam and every deal you ever been a part of for at least the last ten years” I said pulling out the fake flash drives from my pocket and waving them in his face “This is over Peterson, I have enough here to bury you with for a long time” Petersons eyes flittered between the flash drives in my hand then back to my face, “So for the second time and the last time, if I see or even smell you within a ten mile radius of Casey Tyler or King security I will start digging that grave and put you in it myself do-you-hear-me?” punctuating the last four words slowly for him to understand he said.

  “Ok, ok I got it” he stuttered out and with the look of terror that had imprinted itself on his face, and the wet spot on the crotch of his shorts, somehow I believed he did.

  On the drive over to the beach house I couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Casey’s face when we found her, crouched in the corner of that stinking filth pit of a public bathroom, dirty, wet and shivering from the cold she looked like a frightened rabbit, the last thing I want her to do is to pull down her shutter’s again it’s taken so long just to get my foot under them and the shit that went down today would be enough for her to close up completely.

  Just the thought of her being hurt or frightened makes my stomach churn, from the minute I saw her I had the need to engulf her in my protection and keep her all to myself, she’s such a contradiction, on one hand, she’s a spitfire and guarded and on the other hand she’s innocent and terrified of the world and everyone in it, she has me mystified, yet enamored and captivated all at the same time.

  Pulling up at the front of the beach house just after midnight the house was in darkness so I let myself in with my own key, going inside I notice that the kitchen light is on, walking into the kitchen Paxton is sitting at the table, standing when I enter the room “Where’s Casey?” I ask him.

  “She’s asleep in the guest room”

  “Is she ok?”

  “Yeah, Lynda fed her a glass of brandy and they talked until the alcohol hit her, she couldn’t keep her eyes open” Paxton smiled.

  “Good thing she’s a lightweight with alcohol then, I guess it came in handy” I gave Paxton a knowing grin and sat down at the table.

  “So how did it go?” he asked.

  “Well considering I wanted to snap his neck in two I think he might have got the message this time loud and clear, he had some excuse that the guy he hired to grab the doc changed his cell number or some shit, and he couldn’t get in contact with him to call everything off.”

  “Do you believe him?” Paxton asked rubbing his chin.

  “I think he is such an incompetent ass that it’s possible but when I produced your little blackmail file on all his so-called business deals, well let’s just say he lost quite a bit of color from his face...not to mention control of his bladder” Paxton’s mouth twitched at the corner.

  “Let’s just hope it’s enough” he sighed.

  “Oh, I think that the dirty file we have on him and the threat of having every bone in his body broken should seal the deal” Paxton let out a low laugh as he got up from the table and gave me a nod.

  “Well I’m going to hit the sack, I couldn’t even think of sleep until you got here” “Yeah go sleep, I think I might crash in the spare room I don’t want to wake Casey up I want her to get a good night’s sleep.”

  “OK, I’ll see you in the morning, night Nate.”

  “Night Paxton”.

  Quietly walking up the hall to the spare room I opened the door, it held a single bed and some storage boxes in it, closing the door behind me I went to the huge bay window and opened it letting in the fresh ocean breeze that filtered into the room taking a deep breath I stripped down to my boxers and stretched out on the bed.

  Opening my eyes it was still dark but something had woken me glancing down at the illumination of the dial on my watch it was only 3.20am, sitting up on the side of the bed and rubbing my hands over my face I heard a noise, getting up and opening the door I lean against the frame and listen, silence, nothing and then a whimpering, moving down the hall towards the direction it seems to be coming from I find myself standing outside the guest room where Casey is, pressing my ear against the door I hear the sound of sheets rustling then
another low painful whimper, slowly opening her door I see her tossing and turning and as I get to the side of the bed she starts to mumble words, leaning down closer to her I try to hear what she’s saying. the mumbles start to become clearer until I can pick out words here and there “No, please, it hurts, let me out” her face is as pained as her words and I can’t watch her like this, gently stroking her hair away from her face I lean in close to her ear “Casey, Casey wake up baby” still stroking the side of her face with my knuckles I watched as her eyes slowly open, those magnificent eyes that show so much fear and confusion until she realizes it’s me touching her and then I see them fill with tenderness and trust “Nate” she says sleepily.

  “It’s ok baby you were having a bad dream.”

  “Did I wake you I didn’t hear you come back?”

  “I was sleeping in the spare room when I heard you” pulling herself up into a sitting position she moves her hands over my chest then up to cup my face.

  “What happened? Are you ok?” she asks with concern.

  “I’m fine I just didn’t want to wake you” letting out a breath then scooting over to the other side of the bed she pulls back the sheet in an invitation for me to join her and I gladly slide in next to her pulling her warm body into mine and breathing her in, this is where I want to be every minute of the day, her warm body in my arms, her soft hair against me and that smell of vanilla from her creamy soft skin permeating my senses, here right now I feel like if I hold her close to me we will eventually melt into each other.

  Her fingers stroke across my chest, following the lines of muscle definition and she, lifts her head up to look at me “I was worried about you” she whispers.

  “No need, everything’s good” I said gently guiding her head back against my chest I stroke my hand up and down her back basking in the warmth of her skin, her fingers slowly slide over my chest and around my nipples then down to my stomach muscles and around my belly button , the pads of her fingers are so soft followed by the light scrape of her nails, her fingers follow the line of hair that trails down into my boxer shorts then she moves them underneath the waistband and down the length of my growing shaft, fingers slowly moving all the way down and under my balls until she cups them and strokes the skin until it pulls tight, then her fingers move up and down, stroking, caressing closing my eyes I groan with the pleasure of her touch, reaching back up to the top of the boxers she starts to pull them down my legs and I tilt my hips up to accommodate her action, as she pushes them completely off she slides her body down and settles in between my legs resting her warm cheek against my balls, I can feel the warmth of her breath against my inner thigh and I involuntary shudder at the feel of her between my legs, my shaft starts to throb with anticipation, reaching down my hand I stroke her hair “ Babe you don’t have to…” I start to say but she cuts me off with a “shhh, I want to” she murmurs thickly and she places small kisses and tiny flicks of her tongue along my length starting at the base and working her way up to the tip, looking down I watch as her tongue licks at the head once then her lips wrap around it and she takes my whole thickness deep into her mouth “Fuck” I breathe out, the warmth and silkiness of her tongue moves along my throbbing hardness I am so deep in her mouth when a charged sensation travels from my shaft up my spine like little balls of electricity and back down into my balls, her fingers begin to stroke and massage at the muscles in my thighs that are now so taut and solid from her languid caress, she strokes my shaft up and down with her warm mouth and I can feel myself starting to spiral into ecstasy quicker than I’d like to, sitting up and causing her to release me with a slight popping noise I flip her over onto her knees “I need to be inside you right now” I growl kneeling behind her I move her legs apart with my knee and run a hand down her spine to the middle of her shoulder blades and gently push her torso so it lays flat against the bed and with one swift push I slide deeply into her slickness and start to grind into her in hard, long, deep strokes until I feel her starting to tighten around me, reaching between her legs and pressing my thumb against her swollen nub, she moans and spasms against me, feeling the hotness of her orgasm sets my own off and with one more pump into her I lose myself inside off her body so much I swear I see stars.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Casey

  Waking in the morning and trying to move was impossible, with the huge body of a man wrapped around me from behind. His arm braced around my waist. I lifted the arm and slid into a sitting position on the side of the bed, turning my head to look at his beautiful sleeping face shadowed with a three- day growth of dark hair. He looks exhausted, and I am stung by a guilty pang in my chest, because I know I am the cause of it all. I don’t want my complicated life to connect with him, he means too much to me now, he has brought so many new emotions and feelings out in me that I find it confusing and disorientating to even comprehend them.

  Forcing my aching leg muscles to stand, I pull on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and quietly head out onto the back porch and down onto the sandy beach. Walking down to where the ocean is rolling in and up onto the sand, I sit with legs crossed and watch it’s gentle calmness as I drift into my thoughts of Nate and ultimately a decision that needs to be made about the relationship we have fallen into. I know I have fallen in love with him I also know that in the long run, I’m no good for him, he deserves more, and I’m not sure if I will ever be able to give that to him. I have tossed my own truths around in my mind many times. I even told Flynn that I needed to tell Nate everything, to which he assured me that decision was mine to make, he wasn’t happy about it but I know he will always stick by me whatever happens. I just don’t know if Nate would be able to accept and live with my shame, my past, that is my burden to bare, not his.

  I got up and walked back to the house. When I heard the stirring of movement coming from it, heading up the back stairs I was greeted at the screen door by Lynda holding two mugs in her hands. Opening the door for her, she handed me a mug. “Tea?,” she said before I even asked.

  “Great, thanks, I’m over you Americans and your constant need for coffee.” I laugh, and we sit down on the outdoor sofa. “How are you feeling?” I ask her nodding to her belly.

  “I’m good, I have been getting some tightening sensations, but please don’t say anything to Paxton or he will have me at the hospital before I can blink.”

  “Just Braxton Hicks? No pain?” I ask concerned.

  “No pain, just little practice contractions,” Lynda says with a smile, giving her belly a rub. “Paxton tells me that he doesn’t think Peterson will be bothering you anymore,” she says with a raised eyebrow, and I nod “So…. That means no more threat to you huh? You must be relieved.” I nod again .“So... why the long face?” I take a sip of my tea and take a minute of thought before I answer “No threat means I go home.”

  “Oh Casey, I never even thought about that, I’ve got so used to you being here with us, with Nate what are you going to do?”

  “Honestly? I’m not sure,” I sighed.

  “But you and Nate….” She trails off.

  “That’s why I’m not sure. I mean Nate and I don’t have any kind of commitment to each other. We were just two people who were thrown into a difficult situation together and it got out of hand.”

  “That’s a load of crap Casey and you know it. Any idiot can see that you two have feelings for each other.”

  “I know, I just…it’s complicated.”

  “Everything has a solution, Casey, sometimes you just have to look harder to find it,” she says looking at me with eyes full of sincerity, and we both fall silent for a few minutes. Then she rubs a hand across my arm and stands, “Just talk to Nate before you decide anything, Ok?” Nodding again I watch her go inside.

  Over breakfast, I could feel Nate’s eyes watching me and every time I looked up at him they seemed to be full with concern, and I’m not sure why, unless I was reading him wrong. What I did know is he wanted me alone, so once breakfast was fin
ished he suggested a walk along the beach. Walking down to the shoreline, our feet sinking into the wet sand, the cool water exhilarating at this time in the morning. We hadn’t walked far before he took hold of my hand and looked down at me. “Can we sit for a while. I think we may need to talk.” The serious look on his face made me feel a little jittery inside. “Sure,” I answered and we walked up onto where the sand was dry and sat down next to each other. After a few moments, he turned to face me.

  “Did I hurt you last night?” he asked, and I noticed a pained look in his eyes.

  “What do you mean,” I asked perplexed by his question.

  “You know when we…” then it clicked what he was talking about.

  “No, it was wonderful.” I smiled at him and he blew out a relieved breath.

  “I didn’t mean to be rough with you, but when you put your mouth on me I lost control just a little,” he smiled and held up two of his fingers showing me a gap of about a centimeter in between them, making me grin.

  “Yes, I did notice that.” Lifting my hand up to his mouth, he pressed a kiss against my fingers.

  “So you going to tell me what’s on your mind?”

  “Lots of things.”

  “Like?” he asked.

  “Like is the threat over now? What happens next? What do I do next?.” He looks at me, then glances out towards the ocean.

  “I think at this stage Peterson is done. We have too much on him for him to be any kind of threat and now he knows it. As for what happened next, well I think I still want to keep you close for a little while longer just to be on the safe side, and what you do next, I guess that will be your decision to make.” His voice trails away with the last few words and I struggle a little with what he just said. I think I expected more resistance or at least more of an argument from him, not just him telling me that it’s my decision, is it that easy? Had I seen too much in the intimacy we’ve been sharing? Maybe it was just as simple as sex between two people. It just didn’t make sense though and the thought of leaving him and going home started little ripples of anguish to bubble in my stomach. Taking a deep breath and standing, I brushed the sand off my behind and said, “I guess I should start to think about going home then.” Starting to walk away from him, tears pricking in my eyes, he grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. Looking at me I see his eyes searching mine. “Hey, not yet, please.”