Carnal Risk

by Kym Grosso

  Chapter Seventeen

  Garrett woke, his body tightly spooned against Selby’s. He contemplated the past twenty-four hours, wondering how things had escalated out of control. Pushing the envelope of where she’d go sexually had started off as a game of sorts. He sought to teach her the high that came with risking everything. But with each lesson, he was the one who’d been schooled. When she’d done as he’d asked, telling him to lick her pussy, he’d just about exploded right then. He laughed to himself, recalling how she’d bit him. Like a wild animal, she’d gone feral, losing herself in the moment. She could kill him, but he reasoned he’d love every second.

  He inwardly cursed, aware that he’d almost fucked her without a condom. They hadn’t talked about seeing each other seriously, let alone having unprotected sex. Yet in the shower, all he’d wanted to do was bury himself deep inside her, his bare skin touching hers. If he were truthful, he’d admit that an unfamiliar desire to date her exclusively could threaten to overtake his current lifestyle. The thought of it was ridiculous, he knew. Until now, his entire life had been wrapped in Emerson Industries and Altura, but as she stirred in his arms, he briefly considered what it would be like to let go.

  This morning, all he wanted to do was make love to her again. His lips grazed over Selby’s neck, his tongue brushing onto her skin. She tasted like honey butter, salty and sweet. Her nipple peaked underneath his fingertips and his arousal spiked. Garrett’s hand glided down to her mound, and without saying a word, she parted her legs, giving him access to her already drenched pussy. He plunged a finger into her core, testing her readiness, and she rocked into his hand.

  “Hmm, Garrett,” she moaned.

  “Give me a minute,” he said, reaching for protection.

  Using his teeth, he tore it open and slipped it onto his hard length. Garrett rolled Selby onto her back and her eyes blinked open at him. She gave him a sleepy smile and his heart caught. For the love of all that was holy, he’d never seen a more beautiful sight. Her tousled hair spread all over the pillow, her hands off to the side.

  “Good morning, sweetheart,” he said, guiding his cock to her entrance.

  “Good morning.” Selby closed her eyes and moaned as he slowly pressed into her. “Ah, yes.”

  “You are so damn sexy, woman.” As he rocked into her, fully sheathing himself, he dropped his head to her breast, suckling a taut tip. “Hmm…delicious.”

  Garrett gave equal attention to her other nipple, eliciting soft cries. She raked her fingers into his hair, cradling his head to her chest.

  “You feel so good inside me,” she told him.

  “Not nearly as good as you feel around me.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers, and his chest filled with emotion. Jesus Christ almighty, I could make love to this woman all day and it would never be enough.

  Garrett kissed her, sucking her bottom lip, and softly nipping it. As she moaned and raised her hips to meet his, he thrust upward, brushing his pelvis against her clit. His fingers wrapped around her wrists, and he pinned her arms to either side of her head. As she exposed her neck to him, his lips moved to her collarbone.

  “Garrett, I’m…yes, yes, yes,” she mumbled as he took her.

  Writhing underneath his muscular torso, she screamed his name. Her pussy pulsated around his cock as she came hard. Plunging into her, he lost control as she fisted his shaft. The waves of his release claimed him, and he pressed his lips to hers, passionately kissing her. Slowly breaking contact, he opened his eyes and caught her wanton gaze. Selby blinked and gave a small laugh.

  “Something funny, Miss Reynolds?”

  “I never get these kinds of wake up calls when I travel on business,” she teased.

  “I certainly hope not.”

  “I could do this with you every morning,” she said. As if she realized what she’d implied, she averted her gaze.

  “So could I, sweetheart.” Her eyes darted to his and the reticence lingered before he continued.

  “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “How do I feel?” She smiled. “I feel great.”

  “Do you want to sleep a little more?”

  “Hmm…maybe.”

  Garrett knew she needed more rest, and he probably did too, but more than that, he needed space. It was far too soon to commit to her, but in his heart, it was exactly what he desired. For the first time in his life, he could picture himself making love with this one woman every morning. The thought terrified and thrilled him all at once. He needed time to think about what was happening between them. Instead of broaching the topic, he pressed his lips to hers a final time and lifted himself off her. Quickly disposing of the condom, he swung his legs over the bed and retrieved a clean pair of pajama pants.

  “I’m going to make us something to eat.”

  “Okay.” She yawned and snuggled into the covers.

  Without saying more about it and digging a deeper hole, he dressed and shoved onto his feet. Garrett tucked the sheets over her naked body and smiled as she curled onto her side, drifting back into her slumber. As he closed the door behind him, Garrett considered how she could have been killed. He texted Dean, and hoped for an immediate response. They needed to figure out how the hell they were going to keep her safe.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Garrett began cooking brunch, which he’d describe as pretty much anything he could find in the kitchen. Ever since he’d left the bedroom, he’d been thinking about how incredible it had been making love with Selby. Although Garrett had been with other women, no one had ever made him feel the way she did. From her strong will to her playful sexuality to the way she challenged him, he was drawn to her. As she let him inside and he gained her trust, the bonds of intimacy strengthened between them.

  Over the years, most women he’d dated had been after his wealth. Not only had Selby appeared less than impressed with his money, she’d even threatened to quit, and he’d known she’d meant it. It infuriated him that she’d been attacked, and he had a sick feeling that it was tied to Evan. Given Emerson’s strict security, he couldn’t understand what they could have been looking for or why someone would think either Evan or Selby had taken it from the office. No one was allowed to so much as bring a cell phone into or out of the building, let alone any other kind of electronic device. She hadn’t been given access to Evan’s laptop, and any confidential information would have to have been accessed via internal servers. All saving capabilities on laptops and PCs had been disabled, so downloading to an external drive was impossible.

  Bacon grease popped from the pan, breaking his train of thought, and Garrett jumped back to avoid being burnt.

  “What are you doing?” Lars asked, rounding the corner from the hallway.

  “What does it look like? I’m making breakfast. Well, brunch really.” He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands.

  “Where’s Laura?” Lars sat down on one of the bar stools, his voice laced with surprise.

  “I gave her the day off. I’ve got this.” Garrett went to the coffee machine and held up an empty mug. “Want some?”

  “Okay.” Lars wore a look of confusion as he watched his friend pour him a cup and slide it to him across the counter. “What is going on with you?”

  “Nothing. Just making food.” He went to the refrigerator and opened it. After several minutes of searching, he retrieved a dozen eggs. When Garrett turned, he caught Lars’ baffled expression.

  “What? I’m cooking.”

  “Yeah, I see. But here’s the thing, G. You never cook. Like ever. What the hell is going on?” Lars took a sip of his coffee and set it down. He scanned the room, noticing that Selby was missing. “Where is she?”

  “What are you talking about?” Garrett began cracking open eggs, pouring their contents into a bowl and discarding the shells into the sink. Several pieces fell into the mixture and he began picking out the broken shards.

  “Who the hell do you think I’m talking about? Selby. Where is she?”

  “S
he’s asleep.” He began to whisk the yolks, focused on his task.

  “No. Tell me you didn’t.”

  “What?” Garrett set the bowl back on the counter.

  “You had sex with her again, didn’t you?”

  Garrett shrugged, and gave him a shy smile.

  “Exactly what the fuck is wrong with you? Didn’t we just have this discussion last night? You said you wouldn’t hurt her.”

  “I won’t.” Garrett’s tone turned serious. “You don’t understand.”

  “What’s to understand? I brought her to you because she’s the best at what she does.”

  “Yeah, you took me to a club where she sat on my lap.”

  “I did that to help you to get out of your funk, so you could see she wasn’t just some desk-jockey. She had no idea who you were or why I brought you there.”

  “I may be grieving but I’m not the one who’s dead. That night…” Garrett plowed his fingers through his tousled hair and shook his head. He began rummaging through several cabinets. “I didn’t go looking for her. This is not my fault. You introduced me to her.”

  “So she could go to work for you. Not so you could fuck her. Jesus, Garrett. We just talked about this. You can have anyone you want. Selby is special.” He paused and sighed. “I thought she was pissed at you, anyway.”

  “She was. But we talked and things are cool.”

  “See, that right there. That’s what I mean. She catches you with your pants down and all you do is throw her the charm and what? She forgives you?”

  “First,” Garrett slammed a pan down onto the stove and turned around to face his friend, “I did not have my pants down. We already talked about this. Blaire came on to me. And second, I’d never do that to Selby…not ever. She’s what you said. She’s…”

  “What?”

  “She’s special, okay? I just…I can’t let her go right now.” Garrett focused on igniting the gas flame.

  “And what’s going to happen when she doesn’t like you base jumping or jumping out of planes or taking off on a moment’s notice to face climb? What’s she going to do then? She’s not like us. I keep telling you that but you don’t seem to want to accept it.”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like Altura is the only important thing I do. Maybe I’ll cut back on some events. I’m pretty busy now anyway.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Lars shook his head and laughed out loud. “I never thought this would happen…not to you.”

  “What now?” With his back turned, he shrugged, throwing his hands up in the air.

  “You like her.”

  “Fuck yeah, I like her. I keep telling you that. I think it’s pretty evident.”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “What, Lars? That I actually am capable of liking someone? I don’t even know where this thing is going with us. Would you give it a rest?”

  “Be real with me. I’m not even joking. You really like her, don’t you? No fucking around. Garrett Emerson doesn’t cut back on jumping for anyone anytime. She’s in your head,” he pressed.

  “Holy shit, Lars. What do you want me to say?” Exasperated, he blew out a breath and grabbed the bowl. He dumped the contents into the frying pan and it sizzled. “Yeah, okay. I like her a lot. I just told you that. I know this isn’t optimal. I get you don’t want me to hurt her, that you’re her friend. I’m sorry.”

  “Just please don’t treat her like the others. Now listen, I’m not judging. I get why you treat dates like paper plates.”

  “That’s a little harsh. It’s not like I have sex with all of them. That’s not who I am.”

  “But you don’t ever see a girl for more than a week. Don’t lie.”

  “It is what it is. You know the position I’m in. Can I get beautiful women? Yeah, sure. But they aren’t like Selby. She’s different.” Garrett turned to his friend, and set his palms on the granite countertop. “I keep telling you that I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s not all about me or what I want. As you just pointed out, at the end of her contract, or even before if we replace Evan, she might not want me. She could decide that this is all too much for her at any point. She could cut things off.”

  “I’m not trying to be a hardass. It’s just that Selby and I, we’ve been friends a long time. It’s not like she hasn’t dated over the years but it’s never been serious. I think because she’s kind of reserved. She keeps things inside and is super controlled but that’s why she’s good at what she does. She’s hyperfocused.”

  Garrett paused, listening to his friend talk about Selby in a reverent manner. He’d known something had gone down between them but he suspected that Lars’ feelings ran deeper than he’d admitted.

  “Hold up a sec. I’ve gotta ask you. You’re grilling me over here about how I’ll treat Selby, and I get that you’ve known her for a long time, but do you have a thing for her? Because if you do, Lars, I don’t know…I love you, you know that. And I know we’ve shared women before, but Selby…I don’t know if I could do that.”

  “Look, I am not gonna sit here and tell you I feel nothing. But at the same time, whatever we have, it’s not love, love. If that’s what you’re asking. So if you’re in love…”

  “Holy shit, bro. No throwin’ around the ‘L’ word, okay? I think we’ve gotta reserve that for another day and time because I just can’t go there. But if you’re telling me you’re in love with her…” Garrett blew out a breath. The eggs started smoking and he turned his attention back to cooking. Jesus fucking Christ. As if he didn’t have enough problems.

  “I didn’t say that I was in love with her, but I do love her. Why the hell do you think I’m so pissed off at you? She’s not just some employee. She’s my friend.” Lars stood and went to the microwave to warm his lukewarm coffee. He set his cup inside and pecked at the buttons. “I’m just sayin’ that I care about her. Do I find her attractive? Who wouldn’t? But that ship has sailed for Selby and me. I think we’re better off as friends.”

  “Are you a dick in the box?”

  “No. I mean, if she’d do friends with benefits, I may have considered it. But she’s not like that. Which is exactly my point. You know everyone in Altura’s pretty open about sex. Selby isn’t.”

  “Maybe you don’t know her as well as you think you do,” Garrett countered. He’d seen how Selby had come alive under his touch on the balcony. She’d thought someone might catch them and had loved every second.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Lars retrieved his mug and took a sip.

  “I’m saying that maybe she isn’t as introverted as you think. Last night at the club…she may not be as open as the rest of the crew, but she’s not a prude either.” Garrett reached for a plate and worked while he spoke. “I just think she’s scared. But scared isn’t the same as not having courage. Oh no. My girl got out there and surfed the other day. And it wasn’t just that. She wiped out and hit it hard. And when she got out? She wanted to go again. You know what that tells me? It tells me she’s brave.”

  “I didn’t say she wasn’t. I’m just saying that she’s my friend and I don’t want you fucking with her head. But my guess is that it’s already too late for that.” Lars sniffed the air. “Do I smell brownies?”

  “Yeah.” Garrett laughed.

  “What the hell?”

  “I thought she might want something sweet.”

  “Who the hell eats brownies for breakfast? You suck at cooking.”

  “It’s brunch. And yeah, I’m making my girl something to eat anyway. And your lazy ass too. So how ‘bout you help me?”

  “Nice. Okay, what can I do?”

  “Wash the strawberries. Grapes too.”

  “On it.” Lars went to the refrigerator. “Laura’s going to kill you for messing up her kitchen.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Garrett gave a small laugh. “She’ll forgive me.”

  “So have you heard from Dean yet?” Lars turned on the spigot and began to work.

  “He text
ed me. They’re still at her apartment. I don’t want her going over there until the place is completely cleaned up.”

  “Have you talked to her about it yet?”

  “I told her I’m taking care of it.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m not going to put her through anything else. I think whatever happened over at her place is related to Evan’s death. I don’t know the who, the how or the why, but I just know this has to do with Evan. And it pisses me the fuck off.”

  “Did Selby take anything home from the office? I can’t imagine she’d ever do that, but why else would they look at her place?”

  “No way. She’s only been given a few paper files. Everything else is on company servers and it can’t be downloaded. As far as I can tell she followed protocol. That’s the confusing part. If someone knew Evan, really knew him, they’d know his work habits. Our security protocols are every bit as stringent, if not more so, than other government contractors.”

  “They had to be watching her.”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s going to want to go home.”

  “Not happening.” The timer went off and Garrett turned off the oven. “She’s staying with me.”

  “Did she agree to that?”

  “She will.”

  “G, you can’t just order her to stay here.”

  “I won’t have to. I’m very persuasive.” Garrett gave his friend a sly smile. “She’s in danger. She’ll see reason.”

  “She could stay with me. You know my security’s just as tight as yours.”

  “No. Not up for discussion. She stays here.”

  “I’m kind of enjoying this. And here I was worried that Selby was going to get hurt?” Lars laughed.

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Garrett donned an oven mitt and retrieved his pastries.

  “Nothing. You just seem awfully possessive is all.”

  “She stays here.”

  “Okay, just ignore me. You’re a little invested is all. But whatever.”