Practice to Deceive

by Olivia Evans

  A throat cleared beside us, but he ignored it, his focus solely on me. He kissed me again, softer this time, his tongue pushing inside my mouth and moving in sync with mine as the entire world melted away. There was no one or nothing except for us in that moment, and it was fucking perfect.

  “Brennan, people are staring,” I laughed, pulling away a little, my eyes darting around us.

  “Don’t care,” he muttered, flexing his fingers around my waist and holding me even tighter.

  “Later,” I promised.

  He released me, but not before giving everyone near us a wild-eyed death glare. He introduced me to a man he called Agent Gibson, who stood next to his dad. Both looked incredibly amused.

  “Well, this explains why you almost face-planted on the stage,” the agent laughed.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Brennan grumbled, not bothering to fight the smile spreading across his face. After a few pleasantries, Agent Gibson asked to speak with Brennan in private.

  “I thought he was going to maul you in front of everyone,” Drew joked, causing Rachel to smack his arm. “Tell me it didn’t cross your mind.”

  Rachel bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah, honestly, I thought the same thing. I’m still surprised he didn’t throw you over his shoulder and carry you off to a cave somewhere.”

  I covered my mouth and laughed. For a minute there, I’d thought the same thing. I could feel Brennan’s eyes on me every couple seconds, and no matter how hard I tried to stay in the conversation in front of me, my eyes would drift to him. I heard him say something about water before shaking Agent Gibson’s hand and stalking back to me. He stood behind me and pulled me against his chest before dropping his mouth to my ear.

  “I want to be alone with you. Now.”

  “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”

  He twined our fingers together, the simple movement feeling like so much more. Like two souls finally finding each other again after being ripped apart, having suffered unbearable pain. And it had been unbearable, being separated, disconnected, so fucking lost. None of that mattered now, because we were together, and that was enough to mend the broken fragments of my heart.

  He smiled down at me as he walked us away from the crowd, his silver-blue eyes bright and so beautiful. There was no doubt, no anger, just certainty, trust, and everything that mattered in my world staring back at me.

  “Thank you for letting me love you. Thank you for loving me back.”

  Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present. ~Roger Babson

  Brennan

  November 2016

  “Skylar!” I grabbed her hand and held it in place for a second before moving it over her thigh and pressing down, hopefully conveying that her leg was the appropriate place for her hand right now.

  She widened her eyes, looking anything but innocent. “What?”

  She was going to kill me. I wouldn’t have to worry about working for the FBI, getting robbed, being hit by a car…no, my death would come at the hands of a beautiful petite redhead.

  And when I said hands, I meant that literally.

  She reached for me again, and I jerked back, managing to avoid her grabby clutches I had no interest in sitting through Thanksgiving dinner with an erection, especially with Martin next to me.

  “What’s gotten into you?” I hissed through clenched teeth, my body rigid as I tried to keep from throwing her on the table and eating a completely different kind of dinner.

  “Certainly not you.” She somehow managed to scowl, raise her brow, and smirk all at the same time. It honestly looked more painful than anything else. Pain. That, I understood. I shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the bottom of my shirt to make sure no one could see what she was doing to me.

  After graduation, I’d taken her back to my room and managed to get both of us shirtless before Jamie burst through the door. Needless to say, I was less than amused, but after begrudgingly covering ourselves again, I decided maybe that wasn’t the best place for what I had planned.

  Once we were back in Seattle, it seemed the entire world was conspiring against us. Skylar was working more hours at the aquarium, my parents cashed in on my promise to visit for a few days, and before I knew it, a week had passed and I still hadn’t managed to get any alone time with Skylar. I’d had about all I could stand, and it seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

  After dinner and dessert, Skylar and Grace cleared the table, while we guys moved into the living room to watch football. I felt a little bad for leaving the girls to clean up, but things were still awkward with Grace. Her death glare let me know I should give her plenty of space. In what felt like minutes, Skylar was next to me, her face expectant.

  “Have a seat, Skylar. We’re going to watch the game,” Martin called, popping the top off another beer.

  “Like hell, we are,” Skylar laughed, grabbing my hand and yanking me to my feet.

  “What’s the rush?” He tried to sound innocent, but the constant twitch of his lips made it pretty obvious he was messing with her.

  “Some things, Dad…” She smirked, hooking her finger through my belt loop and walking backward, pulling me with her. “You’re better off not knowing.”

  The ride back to Seattle was painful, to say the least. Every brush of her fingers against my leg, each secret smile I caught in my peripheral, caused the electric current that buzzed around us to pop and crackle.

  I pulled in front of her building and shut off the engine. We sat in silence for a few seconds before she looked over at me and smiled. “You know you’re coming up, right?”

  I nodded, wondering if she’d lost her mind thinking of any situation that didn’t end with us naked. I hopped out of the car and jogged around to her side, catching her body against it as she shut her door. I pressed myself flush with her as she tilted her head back, giving me the perfect angle to kiss her stupid.

  “Well, someone’s eager.”

  We staggered through her front door, laughing when I tripped over her feet and fell into her. I pulled us upright before she spun around to face me, her expression serious, not a hint of playfulness. I swallowed thickly, not entirely sure what her change in demeanor meant.

  She stepped forward, her hands resting on my chest, pushing until my back hit the door with a thud. “You know exactly what the cops look for when investigating a crime scene, right?” Her voice had a hard edge to it, her words low and serious.

  “Yes,” I answered hesitantly, wondering where in the hell she was going with this.

  “Good, because if someone interrupts us, I will have to end them. I’ll need you to cover up my crime. I couldn’t handle prison. The only kind of crabs I want to study are in the ocean.”

  Somehow, she managed to get through her entire spiel completely stone-faced. I couldn’t say the same for me. Without giving it a second thought, I wrapped my arms around the backs of her thighs and lifted her over my shoulder in one quick move.

  “Shit,” she gasped, clutching the back of my shirt as I moved down the hall toward her bedroom. I reached up and smacked her ass.

  “You have just conspired to commit a crime. As an officer, it is my responsibility to see that you are punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

  “Oh, Mr. Officer,” she moaned, her hands sliding inside my jeans and grabbing my ass. “I have been a bad, bad girl, and I am ready for my punishment.”

  I groaned, because even though she was joking, she used that breathy “I want to fuck your brains out” voice that threatened to cause my knees to buckle. I kicked open the door to her room and walked to her bed before throwing her unceremoniously onto the mattress.

  “Should I read you your rights now?” I asked, bending over her and placing a hand on either side of her head.

  “I’d rather forgo all my rights and go straight to the punishment part.”

  “Baby,” I whispered, the mood shifting, becoming serious as I brought my face to hers. “You’re killing me here.”
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  Her voice was low and soft when she responded. “Never. That would ruin everything.”

  We undressed each other slowly, taking the time to kiss every new spot of exposed skin. By the time we were naked, I felt like I was going to explode. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around my neck, pushing her fingers into my hair before dragging her nails against my scalp.

  “Ah fuck,” I groaned, rolling my eyes back in my head, flexing my fingers and squeezing her ass.

  “That is the plan.”

  “Jesus,” I whispered, letting my gaze slide down her perfect fucking body as I slipped my arms around her waist. I was so completely overwhelmed that this stupidly perfect girl had not only forgiven me, but had taken me back into her life. Her hands brushed the sides of my face before she nudged my head up to look at her.

  “I know,” was all she said before pulling my face to hers to kiss me again. I stood slowly, shifting us so her knees hit the back of the bed.

  “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this. Let me show you.” I could barely keep my breathing even or my tone calm. I was balancing on a knife’s edge, so many different emotions and urges fighting within me. She nodded as I positioned her so her head was on the pillow and her entire body was stretched out. I moved to the end and dropped to my knees, ignoring the confused expression on her face.

  “I love you.” I lifted her foot and leaned forward, my eyes locked with hers as I placed a kiss on the inside of her ankle. “I love you,” I whispered again. I moved closer, sliding my hand up her leg to her knee, kissing my way up her body.

  “I love you.”

  “Bren—”

  I shook my head. She didn’t need to say anything; I knew exactly what she was feeling. I watched as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye and her chin quivered. I kissed her hip bone, her belly button, the inside of her wrist, the bend of her elbow, her shoulder, her collarbone, her neck, chin, nose, forehead, and finally, her lips. Each time before I pressed my lips against her skin, I told her I loved her over and over again.

  “I love you too.”

  “I know you do.” I did know. There was no other explanation for her forgiving me and giving me another chance to love her.

  “I need you.”

  I hovered just above her, sliding my hands under her arms and curling my fingers around her shoulders. I dropped my head, my lips ghosting over my freckle. “I missed you too,” I whispered, kissing it once more before letting my lips slide across her skin to her mouth.

  “Brennan, please.”

  I reached between us, my hand moving down her abdomen before cupping her, my fingers easily slipping between the soft, slick skin. I pushed one finger then another inside, causing her to moan softly and arch her back. I dropped my mouth to her nipple, loving the way it tightened as my breath washed over her skin. I wet my lips then slowly dragged my tongue over her hardened peak in long, soft strokes before sucking it into my mouth and biting down gently. I continued to move my fingers inside her, twisting and curling the way she liked until her back stiffened, her eyes fell shut, and she grabbed the sheets at her sides.

  I waited for her breathing to slow as I moved my hand from between us and slid it back under her arm and around her shoulder again. I rocked forward, freezing as the head of my dick pushed inside. My entire fucking world seemed to still, everything zeroing in and focusing on this one moment and the feel of her body wrapping around mine as I pushed into her fully.

  “Fuck,” I gasped, bringing my mouth to hers.

  She wrapped her arms around my neck before lifting her legs and locking her ankles behind me. I rocked against her, slow at first until her legs gripped me tighter and her hips lifted to meet mine, demanding more.

  I squeezed her shoulders and took her mouth as I dropped my hips, my pace increasing as I drove into her harder, deeper. Her body slid up the bed from the force of my thrusts, but I gripped her harder, locking her in place. She shifted her legs higher, her heels digging into my lower back, the new angle sucking me deeper until I was lost.

  “Are you close? Can you come again? Please tell me you’re close,” I begged, my feet flexing and my legs locking as heat coiled in my stomach before dropping and causing all of my muscles to constrict.

  “Yeah. Just…oh God.” She moaned, her legs clamping around me like a vise as stars exploded over my hazy vision, each shuddering pulse of my orgasm causing my entire body to jerk.

  I fell onto her heavily, my entire body weak. “That was—” I couldn’t think of anything else to add. Apparently, I’d been fucked speechless.

  “Yeah.” It seemed I wasn’t the only one.

  I rolled off her and pulled her body against mine, feeling complete, truly content, for the first time in my life. Nothing was missing. There were no lies hanging over my head, no hidden agendas or ulterior motives, just me and my girl, and it was fucking perfect. I kissed her temple and inhaled deeply. “Night, baby.”

  “Night, Stalker.”

  I couldn’t stop the huge smile that spread across my face at her words. I wasn’t worried about jobs or douchebags or cousins with deathly glares, because we could handle anything together. Of course, this theory was tested the very next morning when “The Douchebag” called and asked if she could come into work. I might have made entirely more noise than necessary when she was on the phone, and the massive eye roll Skylar gave me showed me she knew exactly what I was doing. But she smiled, so I didn’t figure she minded too much. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Skylar, but I was a man, and when another guy tried to move in on my girl, well, I couldn’t help going a little caveman.

  “You’re ridiculous,” she laughed, throwing a shirt at me when she ended her call. I shrugged. I knew that. Didn’t change shit, though.

  “What are your plans today since I have to work for a few hours?”

  “You don’t have to go in.”

  “I don’t have to go in, but they need help, and I really want to make Dr. Walsh happy since he offered me that three-month extension.”

  Ah, yes. The extension. “So, you’ll be working at the aquarium until the end of February, right?” It was February; I knew that. I’d glared at the calendar for a half hour when she’d told me earlier in the week.

  “Yes, but you know that doesn’t change anything, don’t you?” She walked over to the bed and sat beside me, her hand finding mine. “I go where you go.”

  “I know it doesn’t change anything. It just means where I go, you go, two months later.”

  “It’s all part of the plan to make you do all of the unpacking,” she laughed.

  We’d talked a lot on the phone while I was visiting my parents. She told me about the extension they’d offered her, and while at first, I wanted to be selfish about it, there was no way I’d expect her to give up an opportunity that would help her find a job later. It also didn’t hurt that we’d just discussed living arrangements. While to some, it might seem fast, we knew what we wanted and didn’t see the sense in moving to a strange place together and having separate apartments.

  I expected to get my job placement notification in about a week or so, and then I’d only have a few more weeks to get everything finalized before I had to move. If I was right about the timing, I’d be in Seattle through New Year’s, and that was it. Which meant I was going to be without Skylar for two months―again. Awesome. She was right, though; two months were nothing when you have your whole life together. I just had to figure out how I was going to solidify that little detail.

  “Where’d you go?” She laughed, squeezing my hand.

  “Just thinking.”

  “So, today? What are your plans?”

  “I’m going to see Drew, maybe go for a run, then head to the gym and lift for a while.” Her eyes drifted slowly down my chest, her fingers tightening around mine.

  “Where’d you go?” I smirked.

  “Oh my God, you suck.” She groaned and pulled her hand away before stomping off to the bathroom. I started picking up my
clothes and straightening up a bit, realizing our house was going to be really messy when we moved in together. She cleared her throat, causing me to jump.

  “I thought you—” The words died in my throat when my gaze landed on her standing completely naked in the doorway. She raised her brow and turned back to the bathroom without saying a word. I yanked down my boxers, dropping the clothes I was holding on to the floor and following behind her. There was no way in hell I was going to say no to shower sex.

  We fell into a routine after that. While she was at work, I hung out with Drew and Rachel, but whenever she wasn’t working, we were together. I hadn’t fallen asleep without her since Thanksgiving, and the more time that passed, the harder it was going to be when our time came. But I reminded myself it would only be temporary. I repeated her words like a mantra. “Where you go, I go.”

  I checked the mail, grabbing the handful of envelopes inside the box as I made my way to my car to meet Martin. I flung everything into the passenger seat and started the car when I noticed one of the envelopes had the familiar seal of the FBI. I pulled it out of the stack and took a deep breath before ripping it open, my breath leaving in a whoosh as I scanned the letter.

  “Where I go, she goes. Where I go, she goes,” I repeated again and again to no one, hoping she realized exactly what that meant.

  Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

  December 2016

  “Damn, son.” Martin exhaled, his face pinched.

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s so far away. Of all the positions, this was the only one they could give you?”

  I sighed and began loading my gun again. “Honestly, I think I’m partially to blame for where I’ve been assigned.”

  “How so?”

  “I asked to be somewhere near the water,” I admitted.