Silk

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “Well,” I started, “Brett doesn’t know.”

  “Uh … how does he not know?” Mason questioned curiously. “Didn’t you tell him?”

  I groaned and started pacing the living room floor. “I couldn’t, Mason. Last night I went to dinner with Brett to meet his ‘client’ and when I found out it was Daniel I tried to back out by saying I didn’t feel good. Brett’s ecstatic about this account, and also Daniel was pretty adamant that he had to have him do the building per his investor’s requests. It was all kinds of odd. I don’t understand why he had to have Brett.”

  “So you feel that if you say something then Brett will forgo the account and cause a shit ton of problems,” Mason stated. “Is that what you’re afraid of?”

  “I wish,” I mumbled sarcastically. “Daniel threatened me last night when I left the table to go to the restroom.”

  Mason growled, “That motherfucker. What did he say?”

  “He threatened to do something if I told Brett who he was. He thinks that if Brett finds out who he is to me then he’ll drop the account. According to Daniel, there will be some dire consequences if he backs out of this. Those were pretty much his exact words. But that’s not really the concern I have at the moment, even though it makes no sense. I know Brett is professional and would keep the account anyway even though he wouldn’t like working with Daniel. The main problem is when I questioned Daniel about the land he wants to build on.”

  “Doesn’t his family own some property out in California?” Mason asked.

  I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes, that’s one of the reasons why he threatened me. He says he inherited his family’s land, but I know for a fact that it was supposed to go to his sister when both of his parents died. His parents didn’t want Daniel to have that land. They knew he wouldn’t take care of it like his sister would.”

  “So what are you thinking exactly?”

  “Mason, I think he paid someone off to change the will, or better yet he could just be bluffing about it. When I told him I know he shouldn’t have that land that’s when he got all weird on me and threatened me to keep my mouth shut. I don’t think he anticipated me getting involved with his architect.”

  “That wouldn’t surprise me if he paid someone off,” Mason added. “Now back to the threatening part. What did he threaten to do to you? If you say he threatened to kill you I’ll take that fucker out right now.”

  I snickered, even though it wasn’t funny. “No, he didn’t threaten to kill me per se, but more like my career and my relationship with Brett. He told me that if I tell Brett about my suspicions of the land and of who he is then he’ll tell the school board that I had an affair with one of my students.” Pausing, I huffed out angrily, “That could ruin me, Mase. I’ll go to jail if they believe those lies.”

  “I’m not going to let that happen, Mel. I’m not going to let him do this to you and ruin your life.”

  “There’s more,” I added reluctantly.

  “Seriously? What could be more than this clusterfuck?” he spat.

  Sighing, I sat down on my couch and rubbed my throbbing temples. I was probably going to have an aneurysm once this was all over. “He said if I get back together with him he’ll forget the whole thing. Needless to say we’d have to keep it a secret since he doesn’t want anything interfering with his project. He went on and on about how he can give me everything that Brett can’t.” Mason was quiet on the other end of the line, and I knew it was because he was fuming. Hastily, I said, “I’m not going to do it, Mason. I’ll forfeit my career before I let him back into my life.”

  Mason blew out his held breath. “Thank heavens for that, but this is serious, Mel. Play your cards right and stay out of his way for now. Just don’t fuel the fire with your hotheadedness. Okay, so I’m assuming you want Claire’s number to ask her about the will, right?”

  “Yes,” I replied, rolling my eyes at his comment about my hotheadedness. “I just want to gauge her reaction when I call for a friendly catch up talk and to also tell her how sorry I am about her mother. I can trust her, I know it. Daniel must’ve just been the bad apple of the family.”

  “All right, I’ll get you her number, but I want you to be careful. I’ll see what I can find out about Daniel, but in the meantime don’t do anything stupid or reckless. I’ll text you the number when I get it.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, I murmured, “Thank you, Mase. I appreciate you doing this for me.”

  “Anytime, Mel. You know I got your back.”

  We both hung up the phone and now all I had to do was wait. Patience was something I didn’t possess.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I was hoping Mason would’ve called or texted me Claire’s number before Brett got back but he didn’t. When Brett showed up, he was covered in sweat and dirt and carrying a picnic basket in his hand. I gazed down at it curiously. “Um … are you trying to say you want to go on a picnic?” I teased.

  Brett laughed and placed the basket on the table. “Not exactly, but my grandmother couldn’t pack all of the food on just a couple of plates, so she got this instead and jammed it full of food. By the looks of it, I think we’ll have enough for dinner this week without us having to cook.”

  “Wow,” I breathed in awe. “Remind me to call and thank her.”

  Brett beamed. “I will, but first and foremost I need to take a shower. I thought I was only going to have to move furniture, but she ended up needing me in the garden again. I guess the food was payment.” He laughed, but then his gaze turned serious … heated. “So, since I’m going to take a shower to wash the dirt off of me, you’re more than welcome to join,” he insisted with a quirk of his brow.

  Raking my eyes down his dirt encrusted skin, I figured I’d pass, but I was definitely going to make sure I was ready for him when he got out. Playfully, I scrunched up my nose at him. “I tell you what, babe. Why don’t you go take a shower, get clean, and I’ll be waiting for you when you get out. How does that sound?”

  He bit his lip and instantly his pants began to bulge. “That sounds like a plan, firecracker. It won’t take me long in the shower so be ready.”

  Brett raced up the stairs and disappeared from sight. When I got to my room, the air was already humid with the steam emanating from the bathroom, and it smelled like the citrusy scent of Brett’s Neroli soap. I quickly lit some candles and shut the blinds so it would be dark in the room, but with the faint glow of the candles giving us just the right amount of illumination. After I took off all of my clothes, I ran my hands through my hair and grabbed the one thing out of my jewelry box that I thought he’d love.

  Wrapping the long strand of pearls around my neck so they dangled between my bare breasts, I also put a pair of black stiletto heels on that I found under my bed. I wanted to put on my corset, but I knew I wouldn’t have enough time for that, so I climbed up on the mattress with just my heels and pearls. He’s going to love this.

  The moment Brett stepped out of the shower and into the bedroom, he froze. A wolfish smile gleamed on his face and he immediately stalked over to me, dropping the towel around his waist in the process. He climbed up on the bed and towered over me, droplets of hot water splashing over my bare body from his.

  “And what do we have here?” he purred, fingering the pearls around my neck before gazing down at my heels. “I think we can put those pearls to better use don’t you think?”

  I bit my lip. “What did you have in mind?”

  Straddling my waist, Brett unwrapped the pearls from around my neck and lifted my arms above my head. “Hold on to the bed post,” he commanded. Taking the pearls, he securely tied them around my wrist and around the bed posts, locking me in place; I instantly felt wet between my legs.

  He sat back, growling deep in his chest, and just shook his head while raking his gaze down my naked body. His heat-filled stare had me shivering all over my flesh and aching for him to touch me, to satisfy the need growing in my belly. Slowly, he lifted e
ach one of my legs and bent them at the knee, separating my thighs apart. Biting his lip, he lowered his face to that throbbing part of my sex that yearned for his attention. His tongue flicked across my nub and I bucked against the bed, hissing as the warmth tingled its way throughout my body.

  “Easy, firecracker,” he teased. “We have to take it easy on those pearls. If you move too much you might break them. We can’t have that now can we? They look fucking hot wrapped around your golden skin.”

  He licked again and I moaned feverishly. The teasing was driving me crazy, so I cried out impatiently, “Please, Brett. I need you inside me.”

  “All in good time,” he breathed huskily. Grabbing my legs, Brett draped them over his shoulders and lifted up my hips with his hands on my ass. Devouring me with his tongue, he licked and sucked and plunged in deep, tasting all of me he could. In a matter of seconds, I was bursting at the seams. The trembling of my orgasm rocked my body in spasms while Brett lapped up all traces of my desire for him, chuckling deep the whole time.

  Sliding my legs off his back, he settled my hips back down on the bed and crawled on top of me. “I think you’re ready now,” he quipped. “You needed to get loosened up a bit.”

  Breathing heavily, I glared at him incredulously. “I didn’t need loosening up. You just wanted to see me writhe against you.”

  With a smirk on his face, he didn’t even answer, but I knew what that look meant. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I could feel his rigid cock pressed against my opening. He entered me gently at first, but then thrust in hard once my body accommodated to his width.

  He groaned. “I love it how you’re always wet for me, Melissa.”

  “I can’t help it. You’re just amazing at what you do in the bedroom.”

  Brett chuckled lightly and picked up his pace while also undoing the pearls around my wrists at the headboard. “I want to feel your touch as I come inside you,” he murmured in my ear, tossing the necklace to the floor. My eyes rolled back in my head and I clenched my legs tighter around his body. His words alone could penetrate me down there and get me off. I was so close.

  Wrapping his arms around me, Brett pulled me close and pumped faster while his mouth captured mine, muffling out my screams of pleasure as I cried out against his lips. His tongue was hot and sweet, laced with the taste of me … of my desire for him. I could feel his heart pumping rigorously against my chest as he lay on top of me, devouring me, and so close to spurting his release inside me.

  “Come with me, baby. I want to feel you clench around me and know that I’m sending you over the edge when you send me over mine.”

  Panting and breathless, my eyes rolled to the back of my head as his words did me in. Almost immediately, the tightening between my legs had me reeling over the edge; I came hard and fast. Brett’s grip dug into my skin, but I welcomed the sting of it as he grunted in my ear and spilled his warm seed inside of my body. Breathing hard, Brett collapsed beside me and wrapped his arms around my waist, feathering gentle kisses along my arm and shoulder as he calmed down.

  We laid there for about an hour, just breathing and touching each other in pure silence; it was relaxing and soon I found myself slowly closing my eyes to the night. However, the uncertainty in Brett’s voice when he whispered in my ear woke me up.

  “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  When I opened my eyes, the glow from the candles lit up only one side of his face while the other was completely hidden. It made the haunted look in his eyes look even more daunting.

  “Okay, is something wrong?” I asked softly, gazing up at him.

  He blew out a breath and shook his head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about what my grandmother said to you when you were over there the other day.”

  My eyes went wide and I bit my lip. “How do you know what she said to me?”

  Sadly, he smiled half-heartedly “Because she told me. I’m shocked you haven’t asked me about it.”

  I took his face in my hands and rubbed my thumbs over the tense muscles in his jaw. “I wanted you to feel comfortable confiding in me. I hoped one day you would open up and tell me yourself.”

  Brett tilted his face and pressed his warm lips to the palm of my hand. “I knew eventually I would tell you, but it was a dark time in my past that I’ve tried every day to forget. You know how my mom died, but you don’t know why.”

  “I don’t,” I agreed, shaking my head gently.

  He took a deep breath, and without stopping, he explained the whole story of his tragic past, “My mother loved my father, and in some ways I guess my father loved my mother. However, there came a time when he didn’t love enough. When she found out he cheated on her everything went to shit. She stopped smiling and stopped living until one day everything changed. I remember it all so clear, too. It was the day of the big football game and I was pumped, being the quarterback and all. The championship was riding on my shoulders. Before I left for school, my mother smiled and hugged me, and told me how much she loved me. I thought she was coming around, but I was wrong.”

  Tears pooled in my eyes because I could just imagine a young Brett falling to pieces when he found out his mother had just taken her life. Looking away, Brett continued baring his soul. “Anyway, I went to school and when I came back there were police cars everywhere and an ambulance. My dad was in the front yard with his head hung low while my grandmother screamed and sobbed. It was the worst day of my life.”

  “Your grandmother says you don’t speak to your dad. Will you ever talk to him again?” I asked warily.

  Brett shrugged halfheartedly, but I could see the torment in his eyes at the mention of his father. “I don’t know. I blamed him for it, and I still do, but I also blame my mother for only thinking of herself and ending it the way she did. It was the coward’s way out.”

  A tear fell down his cheek. I quickly brushed it away with my thumb, and tried to kiss away his pain. “Yes, it was, but you know she had to love you.”

  He smiled and blinked away the moisture in his eyes. “I know she did, but there was a point to me telling you all of this. I know you have issues with trust, but I will never do what my father did. I love you, Melissa, and I’ve seen firsthand what my mother went through. I vowed never to do that to a woman and I will always hold up that end of the bargain. I trust you with my life and soul. I promise to always be honest with you, and I trust that you will be the same way with me.”

  His words hit me straight through the heart. I let the tears flow freely; yes I was sad hearing the story of his mother, but I was more troubled by his words of trust and honesty. He would for sure be angry at me for keeping my secrets and deceiving him, but hopefully, he would understand why I did it.

  I just need to figure out how I’m going to tell him … and when.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Once the bell rang, signaling it was lunch time, I pulled out my phone and laid it on my desk waiting for Brett’s call. He always called at lunch and he’d never failed to do it right on time. Ever since Brett told me about his mother and gave me that speech about truth and honesty, I’d pretty much lost my appetite. I could barely eat because of the stress. I wasn’t happy with keeping secrets from him, but I was clueless on how to approach it. In addition, over the past week my body wasn’t taking too well with the lack of sleep.

  Right on time, my phone rang with Brett’s incoming call. “Hey babe,” I answered cheerfully.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” he asked. I could hear car horns in the background so I knew he couldn’t be in his office.

  “I was just waiting on your call and getting ready to eat my apple. Are you not at work?”

  He sighed, and I could just picture him running his fingers through his dark, brown hair. “No, I’m not. Listen, you need to eat more. I don’t know what you’re doing or what’s wrong, but you’re starting to worry me. In just a week I can tell you’ve lost weight. Is there something going on I should know about?” />
  Sighing, I laid my head down on my desk. I just wanted to tell him and get it over with, but I couldn’t do it on the phone. Instead, I reassured him, “I’m fine, Brett. I just haven’t had an appetite these days. I promise to eat more later. So where are you headed?”

  “I’m going over to my place to pack a bag for a couple of days. I have to go to Seattle for a meeting with a potential client.”

  “Wow,” I muttered, amazed. “You’re getting out there, aren’t you?”

  Brett laughed. “Yes, I am, but it’s a good thing. So anyway, I was wondering if you could get away for a few minutes right now.”

  Groaning, I looked at the clock. I only had twenty minutes left until my next class.

  “I can’t, babe. I don’t have time to go all the way to your place and be back before my next class. What time does your flight leave?”

  “At five-thirty, but I plan on leaving the office around four,” he remarked, sounding disappointed.

  “I tell you what … how about I come to your office right after school lets out. It’ll give me almost an hour with you before you have to leave. That way I can see you before you go,” I suggested.

  I could just picture the smile on his face. “I’d love that. There’s a lot we can do in an hour you know,” he said slyly. “Oh yeah, I’ll give Jake in security your name so you can park in the employee parking deck. That way you can come straight up. I’m on the fifty-ninth floor.”

  I rolled my eyes and smiled. “Sounds good, babe. Now let me go so I can eat my lunch and get ready for my next class.”

  “All right, firecracker, I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

  Before hanging up the phone I murmured, “I love you, too. I’ll get there as fast as I can after work.”

  My heart ached in my chest because now I was going to have to wait yet another few days before I could come clean to Brett. Oh, please let me be able to hold out that long.

  ***