by T L Swan
I can do nothing but hang on.
He starts to pump his thumb, and oh, God… oh, God… oh, fucking God.
I cry out as I’m rocked with the strongest orgasm I’ve ever had.
My body goes limp and he rides it hard and fast. The loud slapping from our bodies hitting together echoes throughout the apartment. I close my eyes to try and deal with him but, God, he’s so worked up. Finally, he makes a deep guttural groan as he comes deep inside of me. His body glides in and out of mine as he empties himself slowly. He pulls out and then lays me down onto my back, spreading my legs.
I hold my breath as I watch him slowly slide his fingers in and out of my sex, as if in awe from what his body just did in there.
“Ben,” I whisper.
His eyes stay fixed on my sex as he watches his fingers.
“Look at me, please.”
He drags his eyes to meet mine.
“I love you. I’m not leaving again,” I whisper.
He stares at me flatly.
“I promise.” I sit up to kiss him, and after a moment I feel his walls come down. He throws his arms around me and holds me tight. We kiss again and he scrunches his face up against mine.
“You hurt me,” he whispers.
My eyes fill with tears. “I know, baby, I know. You hurt me first.”
He lays me down and slowly, tenderly slides back into my body, and we become one.
And now, finally, my storybook greeting begins.
I wake groggily to the sound of Ben breathing next to me. He’s fast asleep and lying on his back. I roll onto my side and smile as I watch him. He’s such a complex man. He’s this alpha male who is so strong in every way, and yet it’s the vulnerability in him that I love the most. I bend and softly kiss his chest, allowing my eyes to roam down his body. He’s broad and muscular, and his dick is soft. I smile. I should take a photo. His dick is never soft.
God, I love him—everything about him—and I love that I know him well enough to read him now. He was hurt last night, and the old me would have fought back and then left.
But the new me stayed and fought.
I trail my finger down the centre of his chest, down over his rippled abdomen, and down the trail of dark hair that leads to his pubic hair. My lips dust his shoulder. He inhales deeply and his arm comes around my shoulder to pull me closer to him.
“Hey, babe,” he murmurs groggily as he kisses my temple.
“Hey.” I smile as I reach up and kiss his lips. “Are you okay?” I whisper softly.
He stares at the ceiling and frowns, trying to refocus his eyes.
“I nearly went home with someone last night,” he finally murmurs.
My face falls. “What?” I hesitate for a moment. “Why didn’t you?”
He shakes his head softly. “Didge, I can’t go on like this. I can’t love you and not be with you. I couldn’t be with someone who isn’t you. I can’t do that anymore. The thought of being with another woman turns my fucking stomach.”
I smile and kiss his lips. “Oh, Ben,” I whisper sadly.
“We have to get our shit together because this last two weeks have been a total misery,” he murmurs.
I rub my fingers through his two-day growth and I smile. “I left my job.”
He frowns.
“I’m here to live with you, and when we get this stuff sorted we will move back to Australia, and you are moving in with me. This is it, Ben. No more games. No more bullshit.” I kiss him softly. “And if we have a fight, I promise not to leave, but you have to promise to talk to me.”
He watches me carefully. “There’s a problem with that plan.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m not moving in with you.”
I frown.
“You’re moving in with me.”
I smirk. “And what’s wrong with my house?”
“You’ve been with other men in that house and I can’t stand the thought of it. My apartment means a fresh start.”
I smile broadly. “Okay. I guess we can do that.” We kiss softly. “Now, tell me about this girl you nearly went home with.” I raise my eyebrow sarcastically.
He smirks. “Blonde, hot, big tits.”
I narrow my eyes. “Be very careful.”
“And dumb as an ox,” he adds.
I giggle.
“It wouldn’t matter what she looked like anyway. She didn’t stand a chance,” he murmurs. He rolls onto his side to face me, and he cups my breast in his hand. His thumb dusts over my nipple as he thinks.
“Why is that?” I whisper.
His eyes rise to meet mine. “Because she’s not you.” He leans in and kisses me tenderly.
I smile as I roll over on top of him. “Ben,” I whisper.
“Yes, Bridget.” He smiles.
“You need to take me out for breakfast now because I’m fucking starving. I haven’t eaten in two weeks.”
He chuckles, and I know that wasn’t the answer he was expecting. “Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere but the all-you-can-eat buffet.”
We sit at the café as we wait for our breakfast, and I take his hand in mine. I need to get to the bottom of this, as it’s been bothering me for two weeks.
“Tell me about these men who wanted to kill you.”
His face falls serious and he shrugs. “I don’t know, to be honest. I know they weren’t after me, but they wanted someone dead that wasn’t cleared through the government.”
I frown. “Have you researched this guy they wanted?”
“Yes, at length.”
I watch him for a moment. “What do you do in this kind of situation?”
“The guys and I will work it out; you don’t need to worry.”
“What guys?” I frown.
“I have four best friends. We work together. We’ll meet up for drinks, so you can meet them.”
“They do this, too?” I ask, surprised.
“Yes,” he replies. “You’ll like them.”
“Do they know about me?”
“Yes. Two of them have been in the army with me since I was seventeen. You met Rick last night. We’ve gone through the ranks together. They’re like brothers; they know everything.”
“What did you tell them about me?” I ask.
“That you give really great head.”
My mouth falls open in horror. “Ben,” I whisper, mortified. “What the hell?”
He chuckles. “No, I didn’t say that. I said that you have the most fuckable ass in all of history.”
“For God’s sake. You’re an idiot.” I roll my eyes.
He raises his eyebrows cheekily. “This is important information for guys to know, how fuckable an ass is.”
Now I know he’s just shitting me. “What did you really say?” I huff.
He smirks sexily as he contemplates his answer.
“Yes?” I tease as I raise my eyebrow. “I’m waiting…”
He falls serious. “I don’t need to say anything. They know what you mean to me.”
I try to contain it, but I can’t, and I smile goofily. I lean forward and run my fingers along his jaw. “I like this new talkative version of Ben.”
“Don’t get used to it,” he whispers.
I sit back and our eyes lock. The air crackles between us.
“I wish we were alone,” I whisper.
His gaze drops to my lips. “What would you do to me?”
“It’s what I want you to do to me.”
His brow furrows and he sits back, as if readjusting his length in his jeans. I smile. He licks his lips and his eyes drop to my breasts.
God, we’re like animals with each other. We just can’t get enough.
We’ve been through so much in the last fifteen days that I just don’t want to share him with the world for one more minute
I need him alone, all to myself.
With just two sentences I can make him hard. I hope I always have this effect on him.
; Our moment is interrupted as our lunch arrives. “Thank you.” We smile as the waitress puts the food down on the table.
We begin to eat. “So, I’ve been thinking about it…” I continue as I take a bite of my food. “How did you know that those two guys had left Prague anyway?” I ask.
He shovels a mouthful of his pasta into his mouth. “Their chip came up.”
I frown as I chew. “What does that mean?”
“We’re all micro-chipped,” he replies matter-of-factly. “HQ knows where we are at all times.”
My eyes widen and my fork freezes halfway to my mouth. “What?”
“We’re implanted when we begin with UNI.”
I sit back in my seat, shocked to my core. “You’re micro-chipped like a fucking dog?” I whisper angrily.
He rolls his eyes.
“That shit’s coming out immediately,” I snap as I pick up my phone.
“I’m not allowed to take it out. Government policy.”
“Your contract is over. You had someone who has access to this information try to kill you. Don’t be an idiot, Ben.” I shake my head in disgust. I scroll through the numbers in my phone and I dial. “Why the fuck haven’t you done this already?”
“Who are you calling?” he snaps.
“Cameron. He can get that out. He’s a surgical student.”
Ben closes his eyes in frustration. “That’s over the top. It’s fine.”
“It is not fine,” I whisper angrily. “I am not going anywhere with you, knowing that those fuckers know your whereabouts all the time.”
He looks at me flatly.
“This is for my protection, too, Ben. Don’t be so damn selfish.”
He shakes his head and rolls his eyes again.
“Cameron Stanton,” Cam answers.
Just the sound of his voice brings a smile to my face. “Hey, Cam, it’s me.”
“Didge.” He smiles down the phone. “What are you up to?”
“Listen, I’ve got a favour to ask.”
“What’s that?”
I cringe as I try to think of an excuse. “I’ve got an earring that I need you to cut out.”
“What?” Cameron asks.
Ben slaps his forehead, and I scrunch up my face. Well, if that isn’t the dumbest cover story I ever heard.
“What do you mean?” Cameron chuckles.
I shake my head and look to the ground. If I look at Ben, I am going to burst out laughing.
“I’ve got this earring where the back is screwed on, and we can’t get it off.”
“What the fuck, Bridget?” Cam laughs. “Only you.”
This is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard.
“It’s not in your clit, is it?” he then asks. “I’m not cutting no clit.”
I burst out laughing. What must this sound like to poor Cam? “No, my navel.”
“Eww.” He grimaces.
“So, I’m going to be in L.A. at the weekend…” I continue.
“Oh, I won’t be here.”
“Where will you be?” I ask.
“I’m going to New York.”
“What for?”
“To look for this chick I met in Vegas last weekend.”
I scowl. “I have no idea what you are talking about, but can you do it tomorrow night then?”
“Yeah, I can have a look at it.”
“Cam…” I pause. “Can you not tell anyone I’m coming?”
“Why not?”
“Oh, well...” Shit, what do I say here? “I want to surprise Adrian, and if anyone knows I’m there you know they’ll let it slip.”
“This is true. See you tomorrow night. I get home from work about seven.”
I smile. “Thanks, see you then.”
“Bye, Didge.” He hangs up the call.
I smile at Ben. “And that is how you get shit done.”
He shakes his head. “No. That is how you embarrass the fuck out of yourself with a locked-on earring story. Whose earring locks on?”
I burst out laughing. “I have no idea.”
“Where the hell did that even come from?” He frowns.
I shrug. “But you do have to admit, it would be pretty bad to have an earring locked on.”
“Stop talking, Bridget, and please, don’t ever mention a locked-on earring story to anyone else,” he warns dryly.
I laugh, and shake my head. “I won’t. I save all my good stories just for you and Cam.”
We’ve eaten our breakfast and are waiting for my take away coffee. Ben’s hand is placed protectively around my waist, and I am leaning on him as he stands behind me. I’m online on my phone trying to book flights to L.A. “Coffee for Bridget,” the girl calls.
I smile and take the coffee, and then Ben and I walk out into the street. A man charges through and bumps into me, sending my coffee flying out of my hands.
“Watch where you’re going!” he screams.
Ben glares at him. “Apologise,” he commands.
“Fuck off, man,” the guy sneers.
At lightning speed, Ben grabs him by the neck with one hand so he’s in a chokehold. “Apologise to the lady now!”
My eyes widen in horror. “Ben, it’s… it’s okay,” I stammer as my eyes flicker between them. Holy shit, passersby are staring.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the man starts to chant as he turns blue.
“She’ll have a cappuccino with one sugar,” Ben growls.
“Yes, of course,” the man croaks, and Ben lets him go, letting him scurry into the café.
I roll my lips and smile at the ground as we wait.
The man soon reappears and hands a coffee to me. I nod. “Thank you.”
Ben glares at him and throws his arm around me. “Let’s go.”
We turn and walk up the street and I peer up at him and smile.
My man is a bad ass.
16
Bridget
At 8:30 the next night, we knock on Cameron’s door. The flight was only six and a half hours, but it got delayed for two hours and then another two hours and then another two hours due to wind, so effectively we have been in transit for over fifteen hours, including check-in time. What a nightmare. We haven’t even checked into our hotel room yet. We came straight here from the airport. Unfortunately, we couldn’t push this back because Cam is going to New York tomorrow night after work.
I need a shower, a nice meal, and a good night’s sleep—basically I need everything except to be here in some bad Russian spy novel.
This whole thing is making me very jumpy.
“Where is he?” I snap as I peer through the glass on the side of Cameron’s front door. “He’d better not have forgotten,” I whisper. I knock again. “For God’s sake. He’s probably banging some slutty nurse.”
“Will you relax?” Ben sighs.
I turn to him. “Ben, I’m tired and hungry. I’m not in the mood for this fucking shit. If you want to live through tonight, I wouldn’t speak again if I were you.”
He smiles down at me.
“What?” I snap.
“That smart mouth of yours is going to get you punished.”
I roll my eyes. “If you try anything on me tonight, I swear to God it’s go- time.”
The door opens in a rush. “Hey.” Cam smiles as he pulls me into an embrace. He looks up at Ben and laughs as he points to us with a shake of his head. “I fucking knew you two were bonking like rabbits.”
My mouth falls open and Ben winks.
We follow him through to his kitchen.
“What the hell is with the earring?” Cam smiles as he pours us a glass of wine each and passes them over.
My eyes meet Ben’s, and I sip my wine. “Well…” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Can you keep a secret, Cam?” I ask.
He frowns. “You know I can.”
“Ben worked for the government for a while in a division of the army.”
He raises an eyebrow as he listens.
; “And they microchip you.”
Cameron’s eyes flicker between the two of us.
“But we want it removed now that he’s left the army.”
Cam folds his arms in front of him and raises his eyebrows. “Is that so?”
I nod way too quickly. I need to try and make the story sound convincing.
“Now, tell me the real fucking story,” he says flatly.
“Some fucker has gone rogue and tried to kill me, and I don’t who to trust, and I don’t want them being able to track where I am,” Ben replies without hesitation.
Cam’s face falls.
“Help us, Cam,” I plead. “We don’t know who we can trust, and I know you can get it out.”
“Where is it?” He frowns.
“In the back of my arm.”
“Show me.”
Ben turns and lifts his sleeve up.
“Take your shirt off,” Cam orders.
Ben takes his shirt off over his head, and Cam studies the small mark. He pushes on the scar. “How big is it?” he asks.
“It’s like a small test tube cylinder, I think. I don’t know. I couldn’t really see what they were doing.”
Cam rubs his thumb over the scar to try and feel where it is. “What happens when I take it out? Is an alarm going to go off somewhere?”
Ben shrugs. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t fucking think so? I could get into some serious shit for doing this.”
“Don’t do it then,” Ben replies.
Oh, God, Ben hates asking for help as it is. I had to drag him here. “Come on, Cameron. Please,” I beg.
He inhales as he looks at it again. “I only have numbing cream. I didn’t bring any local anaesthetic home.”
“It’s fine.” Ben shakes his head. “Just do it. I don’t need anaesthetic.”
Cam raises an eyebrow. “Fine, come into my office; the lighting is the best in there.” He grabs his medical bag from near the front door, and we follow him. He pulls out the chair for Ben to sit on and moves the desk lamp over so it shines on Ben’s arm.
“This will numb it.” He rubs the cream onto Ben’s arm and takes out a scalpel, opening it and freeing it from its packaging. I put my hands over my mouth nervously. Cam concentrates and takes a piece of gauze, holding it close to where the scar is.
