Jess laughed. ‘You bet your sweet ass…in fact, you are betting your sweet ass.’ Theo chuckled then sucked in a breath as she reached down between his legs and massaged his balls gently, pressing the tip of her middle finger deep against his perineum. ‘Damn, Jessie….hey….before we go any further…can I persuade you to slip into that little leather harness?’
He felt her kiss his ear. ‘You got it.’ It took her less than thirty seconds and then he felt her weight on the back of his thighs again, her hand on his cock. She kissed the back of his neck then ran her tongue down the length of his spine to the top of his ass. He felt a warm liquid against his skin – oil, he guessed, because she moved her hands up and down his back, working his muscles. She was trying to relax him, he knew, and he leaned his head on his arms and closed his eyes, letting himself feel every sensation. Her hands worked up and down until, at last, one hand slipped into his crack, working massage oil into the deep crevice and caressing his cock and balls which pulsed and quivered under her touch. When, at last, he felt the tip of the dildo push into his anus, he was so relaxed that as she slid into him so slowly, so gently, all he felt was immense pleasure as the dildo massaged him and he felt Jess rocking gently above him, softly moaning, obviously enjoying it as much as he was.
He came with a slowly, shuddering groan, his cock, tight against the floor and his belly, pumping hard. Jess withdrew and, removing the strap-on, lay down, her belly against his back, her lips against the back of his neck. She linked her fingers with his and they lay together, closer than they’d ever felt before.
‘Jessie,’ he mumbled eventually,’ Jessie….you are my world, you know that.’ He shifted onto his back and wound his arms around her, kissing her tenderly. She smiled down at him.
‘And you are mine, Theodore Storm. Forever.’ She stroked his face. ‘Theo?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Whatever it is that’s been bothering you lately…whatever it is…you know you can tell me, right?’
He gazed back at her. She knew him so well, he was stupid to thinks he wouldn’t know something was up. Could he tell her about Malcolm? He looked into those lovely deep, warm eyes and couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
‘Jess…it’s just been…overwhelming and I think I’m rocking back a little from it all. I love you so much, god, so much and I’m not saying I’d change a single thing about us...I wouldn’t. But you, of all people know, it leaves scars.’ He touched the scars on her belly but she grabbed his hand and kissed it.
‘We’ll get through this, you know. Me and you together, we can beat anything.’
‘Never leave me.’
‘Never. Hell, if and when I die – don’t make that face – it’ll be old age or illness and not some asshole who likes to slice and dice. Theo, I promise you, I’ll fight to the end. And if you’re really lucky, if I go first…I’ll come back and ghost fuck you.’ She crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him and Theo started to laugh.
‘You are a nutball, you know that?’
‘Your nutball.’
Theo smiled and pressed his lips to hers. ‘Damn right.’
He'd come across her in a shop Downtown She was arguing with the insolent-looking cashier. He'd helped her out. Followed her home. Arranged to bump into her. She'd been grateful, invited him in for a drink, looking at him with interest. So easy. An hour later, she had been slumped in her chair, looking at him again, this time in confusion as he removed her shirt. He knew she thought he was going to rape her, and looked down at her in disgust. Whore. He told her then, exactly what he was going to do to her, that she wasn't worthy, he wouldn't sully himself on her. She tried to move, tried to scream as he raised the knife. And then, there was only pain, resignation.
He threw a long swig of beer down his throat and looked around the room. It was a curious mix of the minimal and cluttered. One side of the huge room was stuffed with sofas, cushions, tables, books shoved in a jumble onto the shelves, the coffee table literature looked like it was actually read, rather than just for show. The space near the huge windows and the kitchen area, however, were sparse, clean lines. He nodded. It was a good place. She had taste. Pity.
The release Jules Gachet craved came later and later now. Glancing down, he took in skin, torn flesh. He realized he could not remember her name. He crouched down and listened carefully. No breath. No longer a presence, just a torn and twisted tangle of bloodied limbs. A pretty woman, he stared at her face, now peaceful, no longer etched with the terror he had inflicted on her. He could summon up no feeling for her, pity or otherwise. As he’d killed her, she had worn Jess’s face, her screams were Jess’s screams, her blood, Jess’s blood. He relived the night he’d stabbed Jess, that wonderful, terrible night when he hadn’t been able to complete his mission. The night that somehow, incredibly, Jessica had survived.
He stood, lit a cigarette, slumped into an old squashy armchair beside the girl’s body. He imagined. in a few hours, homicide cops and crimes scenes officers, dressed head to toe in plastic moved around the room like ghosts, hoping to retrieve anything, any clue. Everything was sharper in his mind, sounds, sights, smells. The faint scent of honeysuckle pervading the air, the feel of the worn fabric of the chair through his light clothing. The girl's arm, flung above her head, the wrist curved around the chair leg, the fingers splayed, pointing accusing. He felt no guilt and yet still no release and he knew it was time
Olive skin, dark eyes.
As outside a shower streaked its way across the city, he thought only of her, his unending wait and how he would teach her, no, no teach them about loss. The longing grew stronger and stronger within him until his mouth opened, stretched wider and wider, and the rage flew from him, wrenching, twisting into a silent howl.
He almost staggered to the nearest bar, ordered a double on the rocks. His stomach was churning his excitement. He watched the people go back and forth past the windows of the bar and pitied them.
Every one of you, he wanted to scream out, every one of you will know my name.
‘Darlings!’ Amelia flew out of the house and gathered them into her arms. Theo grinned at Jess over his mother’s shoulder. After traveling for nearly twenty-four hours, all either of them had talked about was getting home, going straight to bed – to sleep. Theo’s mother clearly had other ideas.
‘Let’s look at you.’ Amelia pushed them both away and looked over the critically. ‘I expected you to have better tans…too busy screwing, eh?’
Jess snorted out a laugh as Theo cringed. ‘Mom…god.’ He glared in amusement at a giggling Jess. ‘Don’t encourage her.’
Jess shrugged as Amelia tucked a conspiratorial hand under her arm. ‘She’s right, though.’
Theo rolled his eyes as the two women cracked up and, leaving them to it, grabbed the suitcases and took them inside. Amelia and Jess followed him and greeted the two excited dogs.
Amelia made coffee and Jess and Theo dutifully sat with her while she chatted excitedly. ‘Loves, I know this is not the time really, but I want to throw you an engagement party. Max agrees it would be a good thing.’
‘How is Max?’
Amelia gave them a half-smile. ‘He’s doing better, I think. He seems….what’s the word? Fiercer. I don’t know but he’s rallying. About this party – ‘
‘Mom,’ The interrupted her with a hand on hers, ‘we just flew halfway around the world. Can we please discuss this tomorrow?’
After Amelia left, Jess and Theo, really dragging now, shared a decidedly chaste shower then fell gratefully into bed. They didn’t even bother to push the two dogs off the bed where they’d snuggled in with them.
In the morning, Theo awoke, opening his eyes to see Jess’s lovely face, half-buried in the comforter. He brushed her lips with his, feather-light so to not wake her, but a lazy smile spread across her face. She opened those deep, warmth chocolate eyes, soft with sleep.
‘Hey handsome.’
‘I didn’t mean to wake you.’
‘Morning breath?’
‘Don’t care.’
Theo pushed the grumbling dogs off the bed and covered her body with his, already rock-hard for her. He slipped a hand between her legs and stroked, feeling her dampen and swell for him. As he entered her, slowly, tenderly, he kissed her throat, felt her moan against his lips. This was one of their favorite times to make love when they were all soft and dreamy from sleep. Theo moved slowly at first as her legs wrapped around him, her limbs malleable, her eyes liquid silk as she smiled up at him, lifting her lips to his to kiss him.
After they’d come, Theo kissed her and slipped out of the bed into the shower. The jetlag was starting to hit and a headache was beginning to pound the back of his skull.
When he came out, rubbing his hair dry, Jess had obviously fallen back into a deep sleep and was sprawled diagonally across the bed. He dressed quickly and went downstairs. He grabbed a bagel from the pantry, a bottle of water from the refrigerator and went outside to the porch. The bright-white morning sun seared his eyes and he winced, sitting on the swing chair they had always had out there. He alternated gulps of water with air and felt a bit better. He thanked god it was Saturday and he could leave business to Monday. For the next two days, he wanted to settle back into a routine, hang out with Jess and whichever family members decided to interrupt their weekend. Theo smiled to himself wryly – he knew his mom would be back – once she had a project in mind, there was no stopping her. That she and Jess got along so well was something Theo treasured; Amelia had like Kelly a lot and Kelly had been a sweet girl but she didn’t have the wicked sense of humor that his mom and Jess shared.
‘Sir?’
Theo looked up to see the head of his security team, Mike, smiling at him.
‘Welcome back, sir. Good holiday?’
Theo shook his hand.
‘Wonderful, thanks. How have things been here?’
‘Non-eventful, thank goodness. No sign of any intruders or snoopers. I’ve put a report on your desk but it’ll be a dull read.’
Theo smiled gratefully. ‘Good, thanks, Mike.’
When Mike had gone back to his post, Theo leaned back and closed his eyes. Jeez, this headache. He felt a wet nose pushing into his hand. Monty or Stan? He looked down. His beloved spaniel was pushing her head under his hand, wanting to be fussed. He picked the wriggling dog up and settled her onto his lap. Stan trotted out of the house and flopped down at his feet. The morning was almost silent except for the breeze through the trees, the wash of water from the beach at the end of the garden. Perfect he thought, ignoring the leaden weight in his stomach. Almost perfect. He wondered if telling Jess about Malcolm would ease that weight – then shook himself. Why should she have to bear his guilt as well as everything else? He could handle anything as long as he had Jess. Still, he reminded himself to call Max and Alan later – he had a responsibility to them.
‘Theo?’ Jess’s voice from inside the house.
‘Out here.’
Her hair was wet from the shower, and in her simple white shirt and Daisy Dukes, even as tired as she still obviously was, she looked so gorgeous he forgot anything else. He held out his hand and pulled her onto his lap, burying his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and soap. She smelled of home.
‘I just got a text from your mom,’ Jess kissed his forehead. ‘She’s going into town, wants me to go with her, do some wedding shopping.’
She rolled her eyes as Theo laughed. ‘Good luck with that. Want Mike to drive you?’
She smiled. ‘Your mom’s picking me up. We’ll be fine – can you imagine going up against her? She’s like a ninja.’
Theo chuckled. ‘God, I love you, you absolute nut.’
She stroked his face. ‘Damn…why didn’t I tell your mom to give an hour instead a half hour?’
Jules had been browsing around a flea market on one of the islands when he found it, the small ornate weapon. The blade was old, dirty but salvageable, the handle metal, encrusted with amethyst and rose quartz. He'd nodded to the stall owner, watched him wrap it in growing excitement. Now, at home, he had cleaned, polished, sharpened the long thin blade. Holding it up, he bounced the light from it into his eyes. And smiled. He imagining it tearing through Jess’s skin, slicing through the arteries and veins that held the precious blood inside of her.
He poured himself a cup of too strong black coffee, gulped it back, savoring the feel of the harsh taste on the back of his throat. He was impatient, all the things he had planned, he wanted them to happen right now. Come on, he wanted to say, come on. He thought of her, what she might be doing, maybe fucking that bastard, all trembling honey-skinned limbs, perfect mouth, happy, alive, so far removed from him as was possible. Still belonging to someone else. He smirked: the new friendship he’d made would help with that. Theodore Storm’s mamma. He’d struck up a conversation with her at the Farmer’s Market, helped her with her groceries. Easy, too easy. With his hair bleached so it was almost white, his beard too and colored contacts, he looked nothing like the suave Frenchman everyone was looking for. Fools. He knew she would know him though. His Jessica.
A familiar ache in his groin, he went and took a shower, jerking off with long, angry strokes. He forced himself to focus, made a conscious switch in his mind. He could not let anything interfere, the next days were to be his greatest achievement and for himself, well, he would receive the greatest prize for the moment the knife slid into her body, she would be his. As his orgasm shattered through him, he sobbed out his longing, his rage until he was utterly spent.
Whidbey Island Farmer’s Market was busy, even for a Saturday morning, but Jess didn’t care. The amount of fresh produce and arts and crafts meant that Jess and Amelia didn’t even notice the time flying by. Amelia was impressed with Jess’s knowledge of cookery and produce and in turn, Jess found herself enjoying the older woman’s company. Afterward, they grabbed a bite to eat in a little bar Amelia used.
‘So…a party,’ She prompted Amelia then took a huge bite of her club BLT sandwich, moaning with delight as the juices from the tomato mixed with the mayonnaise, dripping from her fingers. Amelia smiled indulgently at her. She had become very fond of her future daughter-in-law, her humor, her intelligence, her love for Theo. And thank god, she actually enjoyed her food – most of the friends Amelia dined with picked at a plate of asparagus. With Jess, Amelia could indulge once in a while.
‘Yes, I thought it would be nice – and seeing as you’re not letting me have my over-the-top society wedding, then I thought we could make the party a little formal, invite some names from the business world.’
Jess sighed inwardly but smiled her agreement. She knew entering Theo’s society world would involve this kind of glad-handing and she couldn’t complain – up until now, he’d kept things low key. She couldn’t let Amelia down.
‘Of course, that sounds great.’
Amelia chuckled and Jess thought suddenly how Theo resembled her, the fine cheeks bones, the face that could go from haughtily aloof to crumpled and filled with laughter in an instant.
‘Sat that like you mean it, kid. Seriously, though, you don’t have to worry about anything, I’ll arrange it all. All you have to do is turn up and look stunning, which shouldn’t be too hard for you.’
Jess raised her eyebrows. ‘Well, I don’t know, I mean you can take the girl out of the trailer park…’
Amelia laughed but made a moue with her mouth. ‘You do that a lot, Jessie, put yourself down. We Storms don’t do that and you are one of us now.’
Jess flushed and grinned. ‘You are too good to me, Amelia.’
‘Mom.’
‘Mom,’ Jess said shyly and laughed. ‘I’ll have to get used to that.’
After lunch they headed down to Amelia’s favorite whole foods store and wandered leisurely through
the aisles, chatting. Neither of them paid any attention to the blond man with the cap following them.
Jules got as close as he could to them without her noticing. Every time Jessica half turned to speak to Amelia Storm, he would duck back into another aisle but so far, he’d been able to keep up with them. He enjoyed the secrecy, the thrill of discovery. The knife he’d bought at the flea market was in his pocket, newly sharpened. Even knowing it was there was making him hard.
‘Hey, buddy.’
He turned, thankfully out of sight of the women, to face the boy who’d called him. The kid was seventeen at the most, insolently chewing gum. He stank of weed and dried spunk – typical teenager. Jules turned away but the kid grabbed his arm.
‘Ain’t I seen you somewhere?’
Jules smiled coolly. ‘In the fresh produce aisle.’
The sarcasm didn’t bother the kid who laughed as if Jules had made the funniest joke ever. As high as fuck.
‘Nah, man. I mean, on the t.v.’
Fuck. ‘Nope. Never been on t.v.’
‘You sure?’
‘Pretty sure, guy.’
The kid lost interest. ‘Okay, well, sorry to bother you.’
Jules turned back, away from him – and straight into the eye-line of Amelia Storm. She smiled brightly.
‘Clem! How lovely to see you again.’
‘You too, Ms. Storm.’ Ugh. Pretending to be subservient to this rich bitch made him want to throw up. His eyes darted quickly from side to side. Where the hell was Jessica? If she saw him now…he fingered the knife in his pocket.
No. It wasn’t going to be rushed this time. ‘Sorry, I can’t stay and talk today, gotta run.’
Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 121
