by K. S. Smith
Her lip tugged up into a smirk as I felt Duke’s arms lace around my waist. “Calm down, babe. She’s a doctor. Here to fix me not fuck me.”
A low growl came from the corner. “Watch it,” Gunner said sternly.
Duke laughed in my ear. “Brie, this is Doc Elliott. Our resident repair woman.”
The beautiful blonde scoffed, “Resident repair woman, my ass. You dickheads have too much against me for me to say no when you summon me. Now move it, new girl, I’ve got to get back to the hospital before they notice I’m missing.”
Still in a daze as to what was going on, I stepped aside as I watched Duke lift his shirt over his head and lie down on the table. Doc Elliott opened her black bag and began to stitch up his side after pulling a bullet out of it.
He was bandaged up and she was gone in less than fifteen minutes, and finally the guys had cleared out, allowing Duke and me to finally have some time alone.
He was sitting on top of the table when I hopped up next to him. “So, you got shot. Bullet-lodged-in-your-body shot, and you all act like it’s no big deal?” I lifted an eyebrow as I glanced up at him for a brief moment.
“Part of the job, babe.” His shoulder nudged mine. “Doc says I’m fine. We trust her, so I’m fine. A little sore, but nothing to fret over.”
I shook my head. “Not good enough. I need more. Why were you looking me over like I was in danger when you got here? Why did Tripp pull me out of school? The way you’re acting, it clearly wasn’t because you’d been shot. What is going on?” I asked, needing answers.
Duke’s giant frame slipped off the tabletop and stood, taking my hand into his then tugging me behind him. “Hadn’t seen you in days. Just wanted to make sure my girl was good.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was full of shit, and we walked back into the office area where the rest of the guys were sitting, seemingly shooting the shit.
Duke sat down in his chair and pulled me down on to his lap. “Dinner tonight?” he asked while he scrolled through his phone.
“Fine. But I need to get my car, which is still at school, thanks to Tripp.” I stood and walked in his direction and kicked his giant boot with my pointy-toe heel. “Take me to my car, please.”
His arms crossed over his shoulders, and his eyes locked on to Duke’s. “No can do. Your man’s home. He’ll take you.”
Duke rose from his chair. “I’ll drive Brie home. Tripp will pick up your car.”
I huffed, doing my best to make it clear that I was irritated. “Fine, but whoever is doing what, let’s get it moving. I don’t plan on hanging out here all day.” I whipped around and went for the door, and Duke was at my side in a second as he escorted me to his truck.
The drive home was fast, and when he pulled into the driveway, I noticed my father’s town car sitting in the drive. “That’s weird. My dad’s home. You up for a meet-and-greet with the parents?” I asked sarcastically.
Duke just chuckled. “Gotta get back to work. Pick you up at seven.”
I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “See you then.” I hopped out of the truck and made my way inside.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Dad!” I hollered when I got inside, but I didn’t receive a response. Naturally, I made my way down the hall in the direction of his office, and, as luck would have it, he was seated behind his large mahogany desk.
I walked in, and he smiled as he continued to speak into his telephone. “Yes. Everyone is accounted for, nothing out of the ordinary. We’ll stay in this evening until we get the clear. If you need anything further, just call.” His smile grew when he ended the call.
“Sweetheart, it’s so nice to see you. How was your day at school?” he asked.
“Great, thanks,” I lied. “What about you? What are you doing home? I wasn’t expecting you this week. Where’s Mom?”
“I had some free time and wanted to come for a visit. I thought you, your mother, and I could have dinner together this evening. How does that sound?”
Shit. “I actually have plans already. Maybe breakfast tomorrow?”
He stood and came around from behind his desk. He placed his hand on the small of my back as he led me out of his office and toward the kitchen. “Listen, honey, it’s probably best if you stay in tonight. You know how things can get on these campaign trails. Unnecessary threats and such. Go ahead and cancel your plans and get cleaned up for dinner with your mother and me.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Good try, Dad, but I can’t cancel. I can assure you that I won’t be in any danger. Promise.” As I turned to make my way upstairs, I heard my father’s voice grow louder.
“Brianna Elizabeth, cancel your plans. You will not be going anywhere tonight. The gates are already locked.”
I knew by the tone of his voice that he meant business, and I was instantly irritated with him as I stomped up the stairs. “Of course. Anything for you and your campaign. I swear, living here is probably worse than prison.”
I threw myself down on my bed, pulled my phone from my pocket, and dialed Duke to cancel plans.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey. You alright?”
“Yes!” I chided. “Quit asking me that. Look, obviously my dad is in town, and for whatever reason, he is on high alert. I realize that I am twenty-four years old and more than capable of making my own decisions, but considering that I live in his house, and he’s locked the gates, it doesn’t look like you and I will be having dinner tonight.”
“What’s going on?” he asked, sounding interested.
“I have no idea. More campaign threats, I would assume. It is so frustrating. I get he’s the governor, but I never asked for all of this. Some days I’d just like to be normal and not have to worry about all that comes with being his daughter.” I sighed and waited for Duke to understand and take my side.
But he didn’t; instead, he agreed with my dad. “I’m sure your father has a legitimate reason for not wanting you to leave the house. We’ll do dinner tomorrow.”
Now even angrier, I decided it was best I hang up before I went off on Duke too. “Whatever. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” My finger tapped the red end button before he could even respond, and I set my phone down on my stomach and lay there, now pissed at both Duke and my father.
Deciding that I needed to quit sulking, I got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water cascading down my naked body was just what I needed. Lavender filled my nose as I lathered my skin in bodywash, and soon thereafter, the soft touch of my white cotton towel was brushing against my skin as I dried myself.
A knock on my door took my attention from the bathroom. I quickly wrapped the towel tightly around my tiny frame and cracked my door ajar to see my mother standing there. “Hey, Mom.”
Her hand lifted, and she pushed the door open before stepping into my room. “Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. I presume you’ll be joining your father and me?”
I shook my head as I walked back into the bathroom to brush my hair. “I’m not really hungry. I think I’ll just hang out up here and read a book. I may come down for dessert a little later.”
Her heels clipped against my floor as I heard her soft voice quickly fading. “Oh, Brianna, what on earth are we going to do with you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I continued brushing my hair.
****
I was two hours into a new book and cozied up in my reading room when my phone chimed with a text message from Duke.
How was dinner?
I responded once I’d finished the current chapter.
Wouldn’t know. I didn't eat.
The three little dots indicating that he was typing appeared on my screen, so I continued to stare at the phone until his message came through.
Good. Come down to the dock.
I shifted in my seat, glanced out the window, and saw the faint glow of the red and green boat lights hovering right next to the dock.
I quietly snuck down the back s
tairs and outside before I jogged toward the water. As I approached the dock, I saw a silhouette of a person sitting on the edge. A grin took hold of my face, and when I finally made it to the edge, I sat down right next to Duke and slipped my arm through his, resting my head on his shoulder.
“I like that you’re breaking the rules. It totally reminds me of when my high school boyfriends would come over when I was younger and try to convince me to go out on their boats with them. Even at this age, disobeying your parents can be fun.” I laced our fingers together and softly laughed at my own words.
“Brought pizza. It’s in the boat. Would prefer to not talk about your old boyfriends and just enjoy some time together.” He stood, lifting me up with him before helping me into the boat.
Before I dug into the pizza, I laced my arms around his neck and stared up into those incredible green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “It’s so cute when you’re jealous.” Then I pushed up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his.
My body shuddered when Duke slipped his hands underneath my shirt and squeezed my sides. His touch alone sent so many jolts of electricity through my body. Unable to control myself, I lightly pushed him down into the captain’s seat and straddled his lap, grinding myself on top of him as my tongue continued to meander around the inside of his delicious mouth.
When I pulled back slightly to catch my breath, Duke chimed in, “Damn, babe, I missed you too. Keep this shit up, and I won’t be able to resist taking you right here on this boat.”
I took his bottom lip between my teeth and tugged on it slightly before releasing it. “No need to resist,” I whispered seductively into his ear as I continued teasing him with my lips.
My body began to heat as his hands left my sides and slipped into the back of my pajama pants, cupping my bare ass cheeks. A deep growl rumbled in his throat. “No panties. You trying to kill me?”
I leaned in closer, pressing myself farther into him. “Not kill you, just fuck you.”
Duke gripped my hips and slightly pushed me back. “Not here, Brie. No way I’m meeting your pops for the first time balls-deep inside his baby girl.”
I furrowed my eyebrows together. “Now that you’ve totally killed the mood, I suppose I will have a slice of pizza.” I stood up from his lap, turned to open the pizza box, and took the biggest slice for myself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Luckily for me, I was released from lockdown the next day, and both my parents had hopped the private plane to their next destination, leaving me home alone, as usual.
Duke met me for an early morning jog on Bayshore, but even he had to cut it short for work. We were halfway back to my parents’ house when he filled me in on his plans.
“I’ll be off the grid for a few days. I’m expecting to be back home on Friday night, but it may push over into Saturday. What do you have going on this week?” he inquired, keeping pace with me as we ran down the long walkway.
“Megan and I have to work on the senior-class spring-break trip to Tallahassee. We’ve got to get all of our ducks in a row before we head out. This is the trip that the seniors look most forward to because it gets better and better every year. Maybe you and Tripp can come with us. You’ll get the grand tour of my father’s office, and maybe even a romp in my governor’s mansion bedroom.” I shot a quick wink at him as Duke let out a grunt.
“Send me the dates. I’ll see what I can do.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Things were going so well, and I was beginning to really fall hard for Duke. He was the kind of guy I’d never dated before, but I was quickly learning that he was my favorite kind of man.
His life may have been one big secret, but I never felt like he was hiding anything from me. His work required him to keep a low profile, and I understood that. When he was with me, he was fully with me, and when he wasn’t¸ he kept in touch as often as possible. It didn’t hurt that Tripp and Megan were dating, and I was able to get updates from him because he was always around.
Glancing back up at Duke as we ran together, I smiled before continuing our conversation. “Where are you headed this time?” I asked, hoping to maybe get a bit more detail. But I knew from the look he gave me I wasn’t getting anything else.
“Same ol’ same ol’. Nothing exciting.”
I made an angry face before laughing. “What time do you head out?”
“Forty-five minutes.”
“I’ll race you back to my place. We can make up for lost time before you go?” I hoped he wouldn’t be able to resist.
Duke didn’t give me any form of verbal response; instead, he gripped my arm and made a quick right. The next thing I knew we were in the elevator of his high-rise condominium, and he’d pressed the button to his suite before turning back to me.
Heat was raging in his eyes the entire ride up, and I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I knew that he was across the small space for a reason. The exact same reason I was glued to the corner. If we even as much as touched one another, this elevator would be out of commission for the next half-hour, so we stood in our opposite corners, practically eye-fucking each other until the elevator dinged.
Duke didn’t waste any time. His arm hooked around my hips, and he pulled me from the elevator then pressed my body right up against the wall of his condo as his hands ravaged my body. I could hear the tearing of my outfit, but I didn’t even care. All I could focus on was the fire burning inside of me, yearning for Duke to claim my body.
“Fuck me!” I begged, needing all of him.
A deep growl ripped through him, and with one forceful thrust, Duke was inside of me, filling me completely. My head flew back in pleasure as my hands clung to his broad shoulders. I used them as leverage to help meet each of his thrusts, each bounce of my body slamming down against him harder than the last.
“You like that dick inside you?” he grunted.
My head nodded as I continued bouncing in his arms.
“Words, Brianna. Tell me how good it is.”
I liked the way he was being more aggressive. It was such a turn on. “So good. Faster. Fuck me, baby,” I begged, needing him to give all of himself to me.
It was then that I realized we were moving, and before I could see where we were going, Duke had me facedown over his dining room table, my body bent at my hips, arms braced to the edge of the table, before he filled me again.
My back arched as Duke gripped my hips and pounded deep inside of me. I could hardly concentrate because the explosion that was building from deep within was ripping me apart, and not in the bad way.
I felt Duke’s hand slip between my legs and begin to massage the most sensitive part of my body, and that was when I couldn’t take it any longer. My hips began to buck, and my fingers gripped the granite edges so tight that my knuckles were white.
Each pant that escaped from deep within was labored almost to the point of not being able to catch my breath, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the sensation that was pulsating through my veins.
Duke moaned loudly against my back as my core clenched tightly around his throbbing erection, and he found his release seconds after I’d enjoyed mine. He rested his heavy body on my back as the two of us did our best to catch our breath.
The weight of his massive frame wasn’t helping me breathe any better, I wasn’t going to complain. He was still inside of me, and that was right where I wanted him, forever.
After we’d both begun to breathe properly again, Duke stood and slipped from inside of me, a slight moan escaping my lips. His lips caressed my ear as he leaned in closer to me. “Still want my dick inside of you, don’t you?”
I couldn’t help the whimper that slipped out. “So bad,” I said, wanting that sexy tryst to rewind and take place again, a thousand times over.
A deep laugh rumbled out of him as I felt his fingers slip between my legs and inside of my soaking wet center for a quick flick. “Soon. Promise.”
My body quivered before I lifted myself off the table. I r
ested my hands on the edge to gather my bearings before heading to the bathroom to clean up.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Duke and I spent the next month in a long-distance relationship. Work was slammed, and he and the guys were constantly gone. He’d make it home for a night here and a night there, but nothing more than twenty-four hours before he was off on his next adventure.
It had been a solid three weeks since I’d seen him last, and the first thing we did was meet at his condo and make up for lost time. I took the day off from work, and Duke and I spent the next twelve hours in bed. My body was so sore I couldn’t even move when the delivery guy dropped off dinner.
“Brianna, dinner,” Duke hollered from the dining room, but I couldn’t get up. My legs were like Jello.
“I can’t move!” I shouted, my body stuck to the enormous bed in Duke’s room.
I heard his laughter growing louder as he entered his bedroom, his shoulder pressed against the doorframe. His eyes locked onto mine. “Do I have to carry you?” he asked smugly.
“Yes, please.” I begged, starving for nourishment.
I watched as Duke crossed the room and slipped his arms under my body before he hoisted me up into his arms. My head rested against his chest as he carried me through the room and down the hall before I remembered I was completely naked. “Clothes!” I yelled, and his body came to a halt before turning again in the direction of his room.
When he stopped in front of his dresser, he placed me down on my feet, one of his arms laced around my waist still holding me up as the other rummaged through his drawer then pulled out a T-shirt. He slipped the dark green shirt over my head, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the letters MARINES written across the chest.
I took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Duke that lingered on his clothes. It was a scent that I craved, especially when he was gone.
