by A. L Long
Riding in the confined space, the only thing that filled my senses was the smell of her body. It was fruity, yet sweet, but that wasn’t what got me, it was the strawberry scent of her hair that had me undone. It was so feminine, just like her. It was a scent I would never get tired of. If I could bottle it so I could take it with me wherever I went, I would have in a heartbeat.
When the elevator door opened, I dug my keys from my pocket so that I could open the door quickly. Charlie was beginning to stir in my arms, letting me know that she was waking up. Feeling the warmth of her breath on my neck, she softly whispered, “Make love to me.”
There was no way I could or would ever refuse her. She had a spell on me and all I wanted to do was consume every inch of her. Carrying her to my room, I gently placed her on my bed and began removing my clothes. When I was completely rid of them, I began removing hers. Each article of clothing I removed, I kissed her exposed skin. Just the softness of her skin beneath my lips made my cock come alive.
When she was completely bare, I positioned my body between her legs, balancing my upper body over hers with my hands. Bending to my elbows, I dipped my body lower so I could capture her mouth with mine. Her breath hitched for a moment as I gently bit her lower lip before pushing my tongue between her lips. Her tongue began to promenade with mine, gradually pulling me deeper inside her soul. Something about the way she took me let me know that she was giving herself to me freely and completely.
Pulling away from her for a moment, I rolled her over on her stomach and lifted her hips so that her perfect ass was now higher than the rest of her body. Smoothing my hand across her soft flesh, I bent lower and began kissing her back along her spine until I reached the perfectly aligned dimples just above her gorgeous butt. I wanted her so badly that I forgot to sheath myself as I pushed slowly inside her. All I wanted was just to feel her, if only for a moment.
With my hard member planted deep inside her, I glided my hands up her body, following every line of her curves. Extending my arms beneath her, I cupped her breasts and caressed them tenderly, shaping and molding them in my hands with complete satisfaction. Her movements became more animated as her head fell back and her hips rocked back and forth, mirroring the thrust of my shaft inside her. I exhaled a long sign of contentment, knowing that the hole in my heart that I thought would never mend was finally being filled by the woman I loved.
Reeling in my own pleasure, I heard her cry out my name. Worried that I may have hurt her, I pulled from her body and flipped her over. Her eyes were filled with emotions that I would never be able to get out of my mind. As I pulled her close, her tears continued to spill. And just like a child, I began rocking her back and forth asking for forgiveness. “I’m so sorry, Charlie. I’m so sorry for everything.”
Her voice was barely audible as she said, “Please, don’t ever leave me.”
Charlie pulled from my embrace, meeting my eyes with an undeniably compelling serenity in hers. Unable to hold back the truth any longer, I placed my hand on her cheek, brushing away the last tear I would ever cause and confessed, “I would die before I’d ever leave you. I’m in love with you, Charlie, and that will never change.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Charlie
I wasn’t sure what was going on with me. I was a complete emotional train wreck. Everything between me and Ryan was like a dream come true. I finally got the boy that I had never stopped loving. So, what was the matter with me? Why couldn’t I tell him that I loved him? I knew that he loved me. He confessed it. Maybe it’s the fact that the last time I said, ‘I love you,’ to him, he left.
As I finished drying my hair, I could hear Nick and Ryan at it again in the living room. I wasn’t sure what the deal was with these two, but I was getting tired of being their referee. Grabbing the first thing I found in the closet, I put it on and headed to the living room to put an end to this once and for all.
Something that was said must have really pissed off Nick because he was gone and the front door was still open. It wasn’t like him to just take off like that. Walking over to the door, I looked down the hallway to see if I could at least convince him to come back. Taking off the way he did wasn’t a smart thing to do, especially since Gallo was still after him. Going back inside the apartment, it was clear he was already long gone.
Turning my attention back to Ryan standing in the kitchen with only his jeans on, I walked over to him and asked, “What the heck were you guys fighting about that caused Nick to leave?”
“Your brother is out of control. He should take an anger management class or something,” Ryan suggested.
“Well, something set him off. Do you mind telling me what is going on between you two?” I demanded. There was no way he was going to get out of this.
“It’s a long story, Charlie. Matter of fact, it is pretty silly, if you ask me.”
Taking a seat on the couch, I made myself comfortable and said, “I’m all ears.”
Ryan blew out a breath as he forked his fingers through his hair. He rounded the couch and took a seat beside me and began telling me about the problems between him and Nick. I had no idea that Nick had been bullied in school so many years ago. Even though Ryan didn’t technically help prevent him from getting beat up, he did something even better. He helped him fight back.
“Ryan, why don’t you just tell him what you did? Wouldn’t it be better than fighting with him all the time?” I asked.
“I want him to think he did this on his own. If he knew that I contacted Miles to help him, it would make him even more pissed off at me. He would never understand. I need you to promise not to tell him what I did.” Ryan stood his ground. There was no way he would ever tell Nick what he had done.
Nodding my head, accepting of his wish, I was beginning to think that I would understand the way that men think. If it was me, I would have been grateful that he knew of someone that could help me protect myself. I guess the male ego thing was a lot stronger than I thought. Rising to my feet, I straddled Ryan’s lap and put my arms around his neck. “You’re a wonderful person, Ryan Hyatt,” I declared before placing a kiss on his lips. “So, do you think we should go find Nick?”
“I think maybe Nick needs a little bit more time to cool off. Besides, he won’t get too far with Cop and Sly keeping an eye on the building.”
I had no idea that they were even around, but in some way, I was glad to have two additional alpha-males protecting us. It made me realize how much Ryan really cared about me. Maybe his confession of love was real this time. Kissing him one last time before standing, I asked curiously, “So, what’s the plan today, anyway?”
“I know what I would like to do, but unfortunately we have to be at the shop in half an hour,” Ryan admitted.
Smiling to myself, I knew exactly what he was thinking, and just like him, I was thinking the same thing. Pushing from his lap, I began heading to the front door to check with Cop or Sly to see if they managed to stop Nick from leaving the building. Before I got to the door, it opened with Nick on the other side. I wasn’t sure exactly where he went, and based on the expression on his face, he wasn’t going to tell me anyway. Stepping to the side, I allowed him to enter. He must have felt my annoyance because he stopped and turned toward me. In a loving fashion, he placed a kiss on my forehead without saying a word.
As he left to go to his room, I knew there was still some animosity between him and Ryan by the way he didn’t acknowledge that Ryan was in the room. I was about to end this childish behavior, but I remembered what Ryan asked of me. I couldn’t go against his wishes to keep his little secret, but if he didn’t come clean with Nick soon, I was going to have to break my promise.
~****~
The park was a lovely place to be after we had spent most of the morning going over the final details of the plan to get Gallo once and for all. Even though Nick only spoke to Ryan when needed, it was better than the cold shoulder he gave him at the apartment. In a way, maybe it was good that they were worki
ng so closely together. Ryan was trying to make amends by inviting Nick along with us to the park, but Nick’s excuse was ‘two’s company, three’s a crowd,’ which was actually kind of stupid since being the third wheel never bothered him before. So, while he stayed at the shop, Ryan and I headed to Central Park.
As we found our spot to relax and eat the lunch that we picked up on the way here, I breathed in the fresh air as I took my sandals off and let my feet feel the coolness of the grass. Back home, in East Bank, I never had the chance to go to the only park we had. It wasn’t even close to the size of Central Park, but it still had its own charm. Matter of fact, the only time I ever went to the park was the day Ryan told me that he was leaving for the service. By all accounts, I should have really hated parks. That was the worst day of my life.
Ryan spread the blanket that he had stored in the trunk of his car over the plush grass that my feet were currently enjoying. Placing the brown paper bag on the gray blanket, I took a seat and began removing the contents. I handed Ryan his turkey on rye and a bottle of water while I pulled my chicken wrap from the bag. Taking a hefty bite, I savored the flavor as I watched two mallards tease and play while bathing in the little pond. It made me wonder if dipping their heads under water was their way of showing interest.
Ryan must have been watching the ducks as well, because before I knew it, I was pulled back so I was lying on the blanket with his gorgeous smile staring down at me. Brushing a stray hair from my face, he said with a smile, “Should we show them how it’s done?”
Before I could comment, his lips were on mine. I could feel the coolness of his tongue from the water he drank as he began devouring my mouth with deep sweeping strokes. I was so consumed by the power he had over my body that I didn’t hear the young girls laughing at us in the background until a disgruntled female voice sounded behind us. We must have been a sight as their mom came up scolding us. “Don’t you two realize there are young children in this park?” We looked over our shoulders and watched as she ushered the girls in a different direction far away from us.
After we got over the initial embarrassment, Ryan and I looked at each other and began to laugh. We were both pretty sure that our public display of affection wasn’t the first time it had been seen by young children in the park. If I had to guess there were probably other couples making out at that very moment.
Gathering our things, we decided it was best to leave and finish our display of affection somewhere more private. Making our way down the path that would take us to Ryan’s car, I felt like something was going on with him. His pace was faster than normal and the way he kept looking behind us made me wonder if he might have forgotten to do something. Stopping dead in my tracks, I turned my body and asked, “What’s going on with you? You’ve been edgy ever since we left the pond.”
“We need to get back to the car. Something doesn’t feel right.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. It really made me feel uncomfortable and I was beginning to look around like a paranoid nut. By the time we got to the car, it felt like I ran a marathon. Ryan threw the blanket in the backseat, while I threw what was left of our lunch in a nearby trash can. When we were safely inside the car, there was a sigh of relief from Ryan as he backed out of the parking spot. As we headed out of the park towards Park Avenue, Ryan was still uneasy as he continued to look in the review mirror. It was only when we turned on E 57th Street that he began to relax.
Reaching his apartment building, he assisted me out of the car and to the elevator. I could feel my body tense as we waited for the car to arrive. One by one I began counting the floors as they appeared on the LED panel above the door. Counting was about the only way I could make my tension disappear so I could relax. When the elevator doors opened, we stepped inside the car, turning together to face the front. Taking Ryan’s hand in mine, I kept my eyes locked on the steel door, concentrating on my breathing.
By the time we got to the apartment, my body was fully relaxed until Ryan opened the door. Unable to speak, I looked around his apartment, paralyzed by what I saw. His apartment was completely ransacked and nothing was left unturned. This had to have been the doing of one man, Morris Gallo. I was beginning to think that Ryan had every right to be on edge at the park. Walking further inside the apartment, I squatted down to pick up a picture frame that held a photo of Ryan and Josh. It was shattered into a million pieces. I turned my attention to Ryan as he began walking towards me. “Don’t touch anything,” he demanded as I pulled my hand in.
His phone was out of his pocket and in his hand calling Peter before I could stand. Ryan paced the floor as he waited for Peter to answer. Wondering what other damage was done to his place, I headed down the hallway to where the other rooms were while Ryan talked to Peter. Pushing open the door to Nick’s room, once again the room was left in shambles. As I stood in the doorway, I began to piece together why Gallo would do this. It didn’t take me long to figure out that he was looking for his money. Another thought crossed my mind. What if he knew who Ryan was? It would totally ruin the plan to nail Gallo.
After checking all of the rooms, I went back to the living room where I had left Ryan. When I got there, he was still on the phone with Peter trying to hash out what needed to be done. Even though I couldn’t hear the full conversation, I did manage to pick up hotel and protection. Trying to avoid touching anything like Ryan had suggested, I leaned against the wall and waited for him to finish his call. Looking around the room, there was something that caught my attention hidden under a cushion to the couch. Pushing from the wall, I walked over to the middle of the room and kicked the cushion over with my foot. It didn’t make sense. There, lying on the floor, was Josh’s ball cap that he wore the day we ran into the woods. Looking back to when we found him, he didn’t have it on. It didn’t make sense that it would be here, unless someone was playing a very sick joke.
Picking it up, I turned and faced Ryan holding it straight out in front of me. Ryan quickly ended the call and took the cap from my hand. “Charlie, I told you not to touch anything,” he warned.
“Ryan, do you even know what that is?” I asked, as he began inspecting the cap. “It belonged to Josh. He wore that into the woods the day he died.”
“I guess… I’m not following you, Charlie.”
“He didn’t have it on when we found him. So, what is it doing here?” I raised my voice trying to make my point.
“It doesn’t mean anything, Charlie, Josh had dozens of ball caps. You could be mistaking this one with the one he wore,” he confessed, pointing to the bookshelf where several other ball caps were on display.
I would recognize that cap anywhere. It was the one he had at Willow Crossing. It was the same one he wore into the woods. I would bet my life on it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Ryan
After I hung up with Peter, I needed to make arrangements for a safe place for Charlie and Nick to stay. Peter suggested a hotel, but even then, I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t be found. With everything that happened, I couldn’t even think straight, but to top off my already stressed mood was Charlie’s adamancy that the cap on the floor was worn by Josh at the lake. It was just another problem I didn’t have the time to deal with. I knew she was mistaken. It would be impossible for it to end up here.
Placing the cap on the counter, I turned to her and pulled her close to me. “We need to find a safe place to stay. In the meantime, we need to contact Nick and let him know to stay put at the shop until we come to get him. It is the safest place for him right now,” I admitted.
Charlie kissed me lightly on the lips before pulling her phone from her bag. Finding Nick’s contact info, she called him. There was a small pause of silence before she asked, “Where are you?”
As I waited for her finish her conversation, which consisted of a lot of ‘yeah’ and ‘maybe,’ I scanned the room and took in the damage. There was only one reason why my place would be torn upside down and that was to find the money, which w
asn’t here. If I had to guess, this was the work of Gallo’s men. I was pretty sure that they picked up on Josh having a brother, based on the way the picture of us was crushed. The good thing was that we were pretty young and hadn’t matured yet. I looked a lot different now than I did back then. Even though it would be impossible for him to find out that I owned this apartment, we still needed to be cautious and put our plan in play as fast as we could. Should he by some miracle find out who I was, above everything else, I needed to keep Charlie safe.
~****~
When we arrived back at the shop, Nick and the guys were in the front room looking like they were just waiting for us to arrive. Aaron was also there, and he was just the guy I needed to have a little chat with. Maybe he would be able to shed some light on what Gallo was up to. We all began ambling into the conference room with Aaron in front of me and Charlie behind me. Tapping Aaron on the shoulder, I asked, “Do you got a minute before we go inside?
