by Ravenna Tate
Blaine also kept her apprised of the construction progress, and it was painstakingly slow. Even something as basic as laying pipes and pouring concrete were logistical nightmares right now. He and Townsend had erected a temporary series of buildings to house supplies and equipment, but getting everything up there was a chore.
The closest power plant, slowly being built, was five miles from where his complex would be. Other plants were going up as well, but the best guess on an estimate when Blaine would have access to electricity without interruption or constant power drains was three months. And that was being generous. Blaine told her it was likely more like six months.
Everything he did right now that needed power had to be done via a generator, and he needed gasoline for it. It was available, but again he had to transport it up to the surface and find a safe way to store it.
Legislation surrounding everything from storage of chemicals and solvents, to how and where pipe would be laid, was in the works. Every day Colleen heard about some type of snafu on bills that they all thought would pass without a hitch.
Her aunt called more often now, and many of their discussions were about the very things she and Blaine discussed regarding his work. When Aunt Charlene brought up the subject of Colleen’s and Blaine’s personal relationship, Colleen never gave her any details. She merely told her things were fine, and they were both very busy at work.
It wasn’t a lie. Not technically. She had arranged for time off to attend the wedding, although her boss wasn’t happy about letting her go, but she hadn’t yet told her aunt all the Weathermen would be in Central at the end of April, or that Colleen was going with Blaine.
The email they’d received from Brad hadn’t made the press, as far as Colleen knew. The Weathermen had given her aunt everything they could, and the situation was in her hands now. Colleen was waiting to find out what would happen, along with each of the Weathermen.
One Friday evening, two weeks before the wedding, Blaine and Colleen attended a jazz concert. Blaine had asked her earlier in the week and she’d nearly forgotten about it, but didn’t tell him that. They’d both been working hard and deserved a night out.
It felt so good to get dressed up, and to see him dressed up as well. Colleen found herself relaxing for the first time in weeks as she and Blaine held hands and listened to the smooth saxophone. She pushed everything out of her mind except Blaine, the touch of his hand, and the way the music filled her senses.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I can’t wait until we’re all back home again. Just think of listening to this music in an outdoor amphitheater, with the stars above us.”
She smiled, glancing into his eyes. They really were an extraordinary color. “You’ve been very attentive and romantic lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
A quick flash of doubt crossed his face. “Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good. Very good.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Do I get a reward for that?”
“Oh yeah.” Her pussy was soaked in seconds. This man had the most profound effect on her Colleen had ever experienced.
“What do I get?”
“What you want, Sir?” she whispered.
They were isolated from the rest of the crowd, so when Blaine slipped his hand into her top, Colleen wasn’t worried about anyone seeing them. She bit back a moan as he flicked her nipple. Even through the lacy bra, she could feel it.
“You promised me you’d let me try tying you up again.”
“I did. You’re right. Okay. I will let you do that tonight.” He had tried it once and she’d kind of freaked out, so he hadn’t pushed her to keep going. But she knew he really wanted to try it again it, so she had promised she would when she felt ready.
Blaine kissed her, deep and rough. Colleen forgot about anyone who might be watching and gave her senses over to this man who had stolen her heart. She’d been in love with him for weeks and hadn’t said one word about it. She was tired of holding in that emotion. He had a right to know. Damn the consequences.
When the concert ended, they barely got to his apartment and into the playroom before Blaine had her naked. Colleen nearly came before he even touched her. He laid her on the bondage chair and spread her arms and legs wide. Then he held up one of the blindfolds he routinely used. “What do you think? Too much, coupled with being tied up?”
“I think so.”
He dropped it onto the table and picked up coils of soft rope. She’d seen them before, but last time he’d used leather cuffs that snapped closed, and that had been too much for her. This would be better. He explained he would use easy slip knots that would come loose with a small tug.
As he slid the rope over her wrists and ankles, Colleen closed her eyes and paid attention to the sensations, like Blaine had taught her to do. The smell of lavender and sage wafted past her nose. Soft music played, and she enjoyed the shuffle of his bare feet across the floor as he moved around the bench, adjusting the knots.
“How does that feel?”
Even his voice was different when they played. So seductive yet commanding, gentle yet leaving no doubt he expected to be heard and obeyed. “Wonderful.”
“Good girl. If you decide you want the blindfold after all, use your safeword.”
“Yes, Sir.”
She kept her eyes closed, then sighed as the falls from the mop flogger passed across her nipples, her abdomen, and her inner thighs. He swatted her lightly with it, saving her pussy for when she began to moan. She loved it when he did that, and he knew it, so he usually made her wait until she was so wet and ready for him, she could hardly stand it.
Her eyes popped open when she felt him move closer to her body, and he grinned down at her as he pulled on his cock. He had only taken it out of his pants. Otherwise he was still dressed except for his shoes. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you look right now?”
She didn’t answer. She was too mesmerized watching him.
“How would feel about sucking this while restrained?”
“I’ll try.”
“What makes you reluctant? Talk to me, baby.”
“Having no control over how much you put into my mouth, and choking because of that.”
He nodded slowly. “I’ll stop before I come in your mouth, and I’ll be very careful how much I push inside.”
“Okay.”
He leaned over and kissed her, hard. “Thank you.” Then he put his dick back in his pants. “But in a while, I think. First, I want to play some more.” She watched him pick up several small straps he liked to use on her nipples and pussy, and then she closed her eyes again.
The pain mixed with pleasure was so familiar, yet enhanced tonight because she couldn’t move anything except her head. As Blaine increased the strength of his swats against her body with the toys, Colleen floated away to that place she loved, where she was looking down on the scene from above. Every happy thought coalesced into this one perfect moment, until tears ran down her face from the emotions racing through her mind and body.
When he straddled her and teased her lips with his cock, she was surprised at first. She hadn’t noticed him moving or realized he’d stopped swatting her. She opened her mouth and nearly came at the way he moaned. “Oh, Colleen. Oh, baby. This is so fucking good!”
She relaxed her throat muscles, keeping her eyes closed and her attention focused on the sensations, so she didn’t freak out. It worked. Her pussy contracted in tiny spasms as Blaine moved his dick in and out of her mouth. She tasted his cum, and thought he was going to come in her mouth anyway, but then he grunted loudly and withdrew.
“Baby, I can’t wait any longer. I need to fuck you.”
He winced putting on a condom, and then he cupped her face and kissed her, shoving his tongue into her mouth. She was so on fire for him she couldn’t stand it any longer. Finally, he moved between her legs and teased her clit with this thumb. “Are you close?”
“Yes. Oh, God yes!”
&nbs
p; His grin sent her over the edge. The orgasm started before he sank his cock into her wet pussy, and he kept it going by fucking her so hard and rough she was screaming in pleasure. He didn’t let up on helping her along with his fingers, so that by the time he finally came, she’d had two climaxes and they were so damn powerful she was panting and sweating.
He untied her, pulled her into his arms, and sank to the floor with her. It was only then she realized he was naked, but she had no clue when he’d taken off his clothes. In all the time he’d been fucking her she hadn’t even noticed his clothes were off. Blaine called the way she slipped away like that “subspace”. Colleen liked to think of it as being “in the Blaine zone”.
She was so lost in the sensations and emotions of playing with Blaine and fucking him, the words slipped out before she had time to think about it. “I love you, Blaine. I thought you should know.”
Chapter Fifteen
Blaine thought his heart would stop. Had she really said that? Was it possible all this time she’d had the same feelings and hadn’t said anything?
He stroked her damp hair. “What, baby?”
She’d never buy it. His voice didn’t sound anywhere near nonchalant to his own ears. She gave him the most helpless look, as if she’d forgotten where and who she was. Surely she knew she’d said it. He had to do something quickly.
Blaine pulled her closer and held her until his arms shook. “It’s all right, Colleen.” He took a deep breath. “I love you, too. I’ve known for weeks. I was afraid to say anything.”
Oh my God… The relief that flooded through him in finally saying the words was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He hadn’t been this excited when The Madeline Project shut itself down. He kept holding her because she was now trembling. “It’s all right.”
“I’ve been afraid, too,” she said, her voice quiet like that of a frightened child. “How silly is that?”
“It’s not silly. I’ve never said it before, and I’m guessing you haven’t either. Fear of being rejected is not silly.”
She pulled away to look him in the eyes, and he knew his heart would burst from joy. Her gaze was filled with relief, pure happiness, and the same love he’d seen reflected for weeks now. It had been there all along. He had simply been afraid to acknowledge it or hope it was real.
Tears trickled down her cheeks, and he brushed them away. “It’s okay now. We both know. Finally, we both know. We’ll make this work, Colleen. I swear to you we will.”
“I couldn’t handle it if we didn’t.”
Her voice broke, and Blaine was certain he would cry any second now. He was overwhelmed with emotion, but this wasn’t frightening to him. He didn’t want to run. He only wanted to hold this amazing woman in his arms, for the rest of his life, and bask in her presence. Nothing else would make him this happy again. Not ever. He knew that as surely as he knew his own name.
Blaine had no idea how long they sat on the floor. Eventually, they got up, gathered their clothes, and went into his room. He drifted off while Colleen was in the bathroom, and then woke once she curled up under the covers next to him. He pulled her into his arms and snuggled against her warm body, never wanting to leave. This was where he belonged.
****
A week before Kane’s and Julianne’s wedding, Blaine and the other Weathermen finally heard from Charlene about Brad and Sam. The email originated from her official account, and Blaine thought at first she’d only emailed him, then realized she’d copied the others plus Colleen.
He read the email three times, then clicked the “Accept” button on the conference call she’d set up that afternoon. When he checked back in five minutes, after splashing cold water on his face, he saw that everyone, including Colleen, had accepted the invite.
He wanted to talk to Colleen before the call, but had to go up to the surface for a while. He texted her, letting her know that, and she texted back that was fine because she was buried and couldn’t talk anyway. Then he asked if she knew any more about the email than her aunt had sent, and Colleen replied it was as much of a shock to her as to any of them.
Blaine was glad this had come now, because they were leaving for Central in four days for the wedding. The train ride would take roughly ten hours. Ace and Harper, plus their twins, were also traveling on the same train, but Blaine wanted to spend the ride with Colleen.
A couple of weeks ago, the Weathermen had thought they might be paying Brad a visit while in Central for the wedding, but Blaine suspected after reading Charlene’s email that would no longer be necessary. That meant more time with the love of his life, and for that he was grateful.
When the time for the conference call came, Blaine asked for his calls to be held, no matter what. He also turned off his Internet phone. Charlene was on the call before anyone else was, but Blaine put his speaker on mute. He didn’t feel up to making small talk with her, and was glad when she didn’t try. Colleen came on next, followed closely by the rest of the Weathermen.
Once everyone was on, Blaine unmuted his phone.
“Okay,” said Charlene. “Thanks, everyone. I know you’re all very busy so we’ll get right to it. I had to confirm a few details before sharing this, which is why the email was so vague. This information has been approved by the Directors at HCS to be shared with all of you. It will likely the hit the media soon, so be ready.”
She stared into the camera for a second, and while she had aged since being voted into office, she still was a looker. Colleen’s maternal side of the family must all be extraordinary women. Charlene had the same assertive, commanding presence he remembered from when they’d dated. She’d always been this way.
Colleen’s aura was similar, but where Charlene was rough around the edges and didn’t come across as a warm person, Colleen had a softness and a vulnerability to her that fed Blaine’s needs. She was also strong enough to stand on her own two feet, which she’d already proven, and he loved that about her as much anything.
He’d always been drawn to strong women, but not overpowering ones. He’d quickly realized Charlene was one of those women, but that hadn’t ended their relationship. His inability to stop seeing as many women as possible at the same time had ended it. He no longer did that, but Blaine doubted that even if he and Charlene had stayed together then, they’d have still been together now.
Her political aspirations had been evident even back then. She had gone on to pour her heart and soul into it. It was her life, and she did it well. She might come across as a hard person most of the time, but no one could fault her integrity or her ability to get things done. That was why Blaine had very happy to hear Charlene was not involved in the scandal about to break concerning Brad and Sam. It would have been horribly disappointing to discover she’d compromised her ethics over the years.
“Brad Sykes has been fired from HCS, and the Attorney General has decided to prosecute him for various crimes committed during the course of his tenure as AD at HCS. The latest incident is that Brad was secretly in contact with Sam Preston. Apparently the two knew each other from the same general timeframe as Dante Herrera and Sam did. Sam thought he could worm his way into a lesser charge by conspiring directly with Brad.”
“Which I’m assuming wasn’t Brad’s decision to make?” asked Kane.
“Not even close. He had no business concealing his relationship with Sam or with Dante. Oh, and you’ll hear this, too. It was Dante who gave us this information, in exchange for a lesser charge.”
There was a general groan, and Charlene waited until it died down to continue. “I know none of you are happy about that, but the AG wanted Brad at any cost, and we took the break we were given. Brad infiltrated every department of HCS with corruption. He will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Without Dante’s help, we wouldn’t have him on half the charges. Dante ratted him out entirely.”
“What about Sam?” asked Oliver.
“Sam isn’t getting off with a lesser charge. His attorney tried, but th
e AG said no way. He and Dante will still do prison time, but Dante will likely not do nearly as much as the other four hackers.”
“Did he give you any reason why he betrayed me like this?” Oliver’s voice was filled with anger, and Blaine couldn’t blame him.
“I’m sorry, Oliver. He did not. I wish I could give you closure on that, but I’m afraid I can’t.”
“I’d like to speak with him.”
Charlene’s expression looked hesitant. “I can’t promise that will happen, but I will try.”
“Thank you.”
“Where was Sam hiding all this time?” asked Ace.
“Brad was sheltering him.”
Blaine nodded. Of course. It all made sense now.
“Your email said you also had news about Dave,” said Emmett. “Can you share the specifics of that with us?”
Charlene actually smiled. “Yes, I can. The President has decided, in light of information given to him by Sam and Dante, that Dave Perry never meant for Tommy Twister to act like a virus. He didn’t mean to send The Madeline Project on a rogue course of destruction. What he told all of you about backing away from the others once he realized what they intended to do was true.”
“We already believed him,” said Dominic.
“I know you did, but President Harrison did not. Now he does. And he’s decided to give him a Presidential pardon. Dave Perry will not spend any time in jail.”
Blaine was very shocked by that news, but happy for Dave. He didn’t deserve to be treated like the others. Everyone else was happy, too, judging by the reactions. When they had all quieted down again, Charlene said she had two more items to address.
“The thirteen people whose names you intercepted on the satellite call, plus Rob Marin, will also serve prison time, though likely not as much as four of the hackers will.”
“Does Rob still want his laptop back?” asked Barclay.
The others laughed, and Charlene almost did, too. Blaine thought it was nice to see she was still human, after all. “I wouldn’t worry about his laptop,” said Charlene. “We don’t need it, so whatever you want to do with it is fine by me. The second thing I wanted to tell you was that the dirt Sam supposedly had on each of you was nothing more than a rehash of things the press had already printed, both true and untrue.”
