I looked up at Aurora. She read my expression and nodded. “Take it.”
I pulled her in to kiss her forehead as I answered the call. “Hello?”
There were sniffles from the other end of the line. “Oh, Brendon. Thank god. Avery’s been in an accident.”
My grip on Aurora stiffened and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. “What do you mean? Is he okay?”
“He’s stable for now,” she said hoarsely. “He was in France for work and there was a car accident. They can’t move him yet and he’s all alone over there.” Her voice broke and she took a long, ragged breath. “I need to get to him but I can’t leave Jude all alone…”
“Say no more, Morgana. I’ll look after him while you’re gone.”
“Really? I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
Aurora was looking up at me with wide, questioning eyes. I held her close, drawing comfort from her warm figure in my arms.
“Of course,” I said. “Take as long as you need. I’ll come over to pick him up right now.”
She sighed. “You’re the best, Brendon, thank you. I’ll call you as soon as I have more news about Avery.”
“Anytime. That’s what family does.”
I ended the call and tossed my phone onto Aurora’s desk so I could pull her in to a giant hug. She nestled her head against my chest but didn’t speak at first. I appreciated the silence. My heart was hammering as panicked adrenaline rushed my system, and I needed a moment to calm down enough to explain that my brother was badly injured in a French hospital somewhere.
This, this was what I loved about her the most. She always seemed to know exactly what I needed, whether in bed or out of it. Right now, I needed her silent comfort, and she gave it freely. Her hand stroked up and down my back, slowly bringing down my heart rate until I felt like I could breathe again.
“Avery’s been in an accident in France,” I told her quietly. “I’m going to look after Julian while Morgana goes over there to look after him.”
She pulled back and looked up at me, forehead creased with concern. “Are you okay?” Then, quieter, “Is he going to be okay?”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine. As for Avery, he’s just as persistent as he is pretentious. He’ll make it through.”
She seemed to accept that and pressed her cheek back into my chest as I held her, swaying.
Even as I said it, I wasn’t so sure. I’d never heard Morgana so distraught before. She was normally a composed and dignified woman who favored minor displays of emotion when possible and evened out Avery’s sometimes morbid enthusiasm. Hearing her so upset shoved a knife of worry deep into my chest. What would I do without my brother? We had our differences, but I loved him and couldn’t picture my life without him in it? Oh god, had somebody told Mom yet?
Slowly but surely, the life I knew began to crack under my feet. If Avery didn’t pull through soon, I worried I’d crash through it altogether.
Chapter 14
Aurora
The last thing Brendon needed was another problem to layer on top of his brother’s tenuous condition, so I was glad I didn’t tell him about the pregnancy. I didn’t even feel guilty for withholding the information like I had for the past few days because I knew that he needed his full attention to process his brother’s accident. His family was close, so close that I knew losing his brother would be a blow he might never recover from. He was putting on a brave face, but I could see in his eyes how worried he was.
“Can I come with you to pick up Julian?” I asked.
Brendon blinked and looked down at me. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, and his shoulders relaxed a little. Knowing him, he wouldn’t want to be alone right now. “We should go now though. Morgana’s waiting.”
I grabbed my purse from the desk and returned to his side. “Let’s go.”
I hadn’t met anyone from Brendon’s family yet. Our relationship was more than just an office liaison, but I wasn’t sure how much more. It hadn’t been enough yet to score me an invite for family dinner, and I didn’t even know if he’d told any of them about me. From what I’d heard about Morgana, she was probably least likely in the clan to take a shine to me. She was the stone that kept Avery from blowing off in every passing breeze and I worried that she would find me wishy-washy and unimpressive. Not that she’d be taking my measure while I was picking up her son in a time of crisis. If she even noticed I was there I’d be surprised.
Her and Avery lived in a picturesque brownstone near the west village on an avenue shaded with oak trees. It was the kind of place I could only dream of having one day. The kind of life I could only dream of having one day. One look at her when she opened the door, however, and I knew she’d give it all up in an instant just to hear that her husband was going to be okay.
Her eyes were tear-stained and puffy. She was wearing a disheveled pant suit, strands of hair sticking out from the sides of her otherwise tight bun. She was a corporate lawyer and looked the part to the tee, minus her obvious distress.
"Thank you for coming," she sniffed. "Jude's all ready to go. He's in his room."
Brendon stepped forward and enveloped her in a tight hug. He gave the best hugs. Her arms wrapped around him and squeezed hard, fingers almost white-knuckled in their pursuit of comfort. I wanted to dive into the fray and pull her into a hug myself but it didn't seem appropriate. She just looked so sad. I could tell that her and Avery must love each other very much and it tore at me to see her upset like this, even though I didn't know her. It just wasn’t fair.
"If you tell me where his room is, I can go tell Julian we're here," I offered, sensing that the pair of them needed a moment alone together. They both loved Brendon's brother very much.
Morgana peeked over his shoulder, pink eyes narrowed on me. After a second, her features relaxed. "Upstairs," she said. "Second door on the right. You can't miss it."
I bowed my head and skirted around the embracing mourners, taking the stairs slowly and admiring the home's simple but beautiful decor. There were paintings on the walls. Real paintings. No room for prints here. I admired the brush strokes and colors of the abstract works in the hallway before turning to face the second door on the right. Julian's name was spelled out in wiggly colored letters on the white door, and I knocked quietly. When there was no reply, I gently opened the door.
It was like opening a doorway into the past. The little boy curled up in the corner of the race car bed was the spitting image of Brendon, and looked more to me like a tiny gentleman than he did a child. He was wearing a black collared shirt, and he pulled his blanket up to the collar when I entered.
"Hey Julian," I said softly. "I'm Aurora. I'm a friend of your uncle Brendon's."
He eyed me warily. "What are you doing here?"
I kept my distance from the bed, not wanting to alarm him. This kid had the same judicious gaze as his mother.
"Your mom told you that you're going to stay with your uncle for a bit, right?"
He nodded.
"I just came up to tell you that he's downstairs talking to your mom. Are you all ready to go?"
Julian let out a world-weary sigh that I could have sworn belonged to a much older boy, then slowly disentangled himself from the sheets. He rose from the bed and grabbed the backpack at the foot of it, which was shaped like a red race car.
"Do you like cars?" I asked as he slowly trudged over the carpet.
He shrugged and passed by me without even looking up. I wasn't discouraged. Any kid would be that dismissive to a stranger, but especially one who'd just gotten some horrible news. I doubted Morgana had told Julian the seriousness of the accident, but he must've picked up enough just from being around her. I felt bad for him. I felt bad for all of them. All I could do right now was try to comfort the Ralston boys and hope that Avery would make a full recovery.
I followed Julian down the stairs, where Brendon and Morgana were making hushed conversation. They stopped when they saw Julian, and Brendon forced his mouth into a
wide, friendly grin.
"Hey Jude," he said. "Good to see ya buddy."
Julian hefted another sigh and walked straight into Brendon's arms, hugging him tightly just like his mother had. Brendon's smile slipped away and he exchanged a weighted look with Morgana.
She shrugged. He shrugged. The whole family was full of shruggers.
"I'll call you if there are any updates," Morgana said. "I'll be traveling for the next twelve hours though so my service will be in and out."
"No problem." Brendon smiled. "We've got this. Tell Avery I say to get his ass better and stop worrying us all."
Morgana gave a small, sad smile. "I will."
It didn't take much to tire out Julian and get him to bed. He was already emotionally exhausted, so a slice of pizza and some cartoons later, his eyelids sagged and Brendon carried him off to the spare room for bed.
Brendon came back out afterward, and it was the first time we'd been alone since before we got to Morgana's place. We hadn't talked about Avery then, and I didn't know if we would now. He looked tired, more tired than I'd ever seen him, and I figured it was probably his bedtime too.
"Do you want me to go?" I asked as Brendon walked back to the couch.
He stopped mid-step and studied me. Finally, with a small shake of his head, he said, "No."
My heart filled with warmth. I was worried that this first emotional ride in our relationship was going to force him away from me, which I would have understood. Still, it was nice to feel wanted. It was nice to know that I could be here to comfort him, which was the only place I wanted to be.
He extended a hand to me and I took it, rising to my feet without breaking eye contact.
"Thank you for everything tonight," he murmured, pulling me in close.
I wound my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. He bent down to kiss my forehead. I closed my eyes and let his scent fill my nostrils, let his heat sink under my skin.
"You don't need to thank me."
"I do," he said. "I really do. I don't know what I would have done without you here."
I pulled back and looked up at him, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I was happy to help."
Brendon studied me for a moment, eyes moving from my face to my hips, then leaned down to capture my mouth.
The kiss was soft and slow. Gentle. He brushed his lips over mine in a feather soft touch.
His hands came up to cup my cheeks as he deepened the kiss. He tasted of sadness and desire, an intoxicating mixture that stirred deep emotions in my breast. I wanted to be everything Brendon needed tonight. I wanted to be everything he needed to get through what was going to be a trying few days. And when he kissed me, I felt like I was uniquely qualified to do so.
"Let's go to bed," I murmured, taking his hand.
He nodded with dark eyes and followed me as I led him through the apartment, pulling him into his room and then closing the door softly.
Brendon was unusually quiet. A symptom of the evening, I supposed. It was an opportunity for me to take the lead, and I was more than happy to do so.
I stepped forward and kissed him again, working on the buttons of his shirt until the garment fell away from his sculpted shoulders. He ran his hands down my sides and over the curve of my ass, cupping me through the denim of my jeans as he hardened against my stomach. I ran my hands down his broad chest until I found the snap of his pants, which I opened and unzipped in one smooth motion. The pants fell to the ground, and I pushed down his underwear next, until his full naked glory was on full display. I sucked in a breath when I looked down at his cock, fully engorged and practically pulsing with need. My mouth watered.
Brendon started to tug on the hem of my shirt to lift it, but I pushed him back with two hands on his chest.
"Lie down on the bed," I said.
His eyes narrowed, and for a moment I thought he was going to fight me on it. Then, with a sigh, he stepped over to the large bed and pulled himself up on it until he was lying in the middle. I stood at the foot of the bed, and he propped up his head on a pillow to watch me.
I'd never stripped a day in my life, but Brendon needed a distraction and I knew there would be no better distraction than that. I didn't have any music. I didn't have a pole. I didn't have a freaking clue, but I was going to try. If I made a fool of myself, so be it. At least it would give him something else to think about other than the man in a hospital room at the other side of the world.
I started by swaying my hips as I worked off my shirt, letting it inch up my torso to expose one bit of skin at a time. It felt strange to move so slow, but at least I didn't think I looked awkward. After I tossed the shirt to the ground, I turned around and fixed him with a sultry stare over my shoulder as I started pulling off my jeans.
Brendon groaned, biting his lip as I bent down to pull the pants over my ankles. It was a remarkably intimate moment. I hadn't expected it would be so, but I would say it was our most intimate moment so far. Though I wished the circumstances were different, I was enjoying this new level of closeness with Brendon. I enjoyed the way his eyes ate me up as I slowly pulled down the straps of my bra, reaching behind to unclip it. I enjoyed how his cock rose high in the air for me, how long and hard he was just from looking at my half naked body. By the time the bra was on the ground and I was working on my panties, he was breathing hard and looked like he might leap off the bed to grab me at any second. I gave a little coy smile as I pulled down my panties and tossed them behind me.
"Come here," he whispered.
I strutted toward the bed, crawling up over his calves. He was mistaken, however, if he thought he was in control. Well, Brendon would always be in control ultimately. He was gigantic and I was little, it was just science. But today, tonight, I was going to set the pace for our lovemaking and he was going to deal with it. Once he saw my intentions, I doubted he would complain.
Brendon was confused that I didn't continue up his chest, but the understanding dawned on his face when I settled between his thighs on my belly and looked up at him from below. He shivered.
Slowly, so slowly that he groaned with frustration, I bent my head to the head of his cock and licked off the tiny drop of precum at the tip. Brendon's hands fisted the covers. I licked again, soon swallowing the head and sucking. He moaned and quivered, and I pressed my head down as far on his member as I could without choking.
I didn't want Brendon to forget, I wanted him to remember. I wanted him to remember who was there to take care of him, who would lavish him with kisses and orgasms until his fears and worries drifted into oblivion—if only for a little while. Most of all, I wanted him to remember me.
I swirled my tongue down to the base of his cock then back up, holding him in one tight fist as my mouth worked him to the best of my ability. He was large and I felt clumsy with so much filling my mouth, but the way he groaned and shook told me I was doing a good job. At least a passable one. I began to bob my head up and down, sucking and licking and coating him in my hot saliva. I used my free hand to massage his balls, picking a gentle rhythm to complement my mouth's work. He tasted like sex and my body thrummed with heat. I remembered all the times that he'd given me pleasure like this and my heart raced with excitement.
Time seemed to drift by at a leisurely pace. I was unhurried in my movements, sliding up and down his shaft in a slow but steady rhythm that soon drove his hands into my hair. He bunched my hair into his fists and held me tight, letting me choose how deep I wanted to go but urging me faster, deeper. I could tell he was close. The tugging on my scalp sent sparks of pleasure down my spine, and I gave in to his desires. I upped my pace until he moaned with delight, squeezing and stroking his balls in time with my bobs.
"Fuck," he muttered. "Fuck Aurora, I'm gonna cum."
I sucked harder, going down to the root until he filled my throat. It was the only answer he needed.
Brendon groaned and his fists tightened. His legs shook. I felt his cock spasm and then release into my mouth, sho
oting hot cum down my throat. I swallowed it all and licked him clean, spending extra time devoting attention to his sensitive shaft as his racing breathing slowed.
After a while, I began to kiss slowly up his chest, his shoulders, his neck, until I reached his ear and nibbled on the lobe.
"We can go to sleep now if you want," I murmured. "It's been a long day."
His chuckle was dark and unexpected. "Go to bed? Are you kidding me?"
He rolled over, trapping me beneath his substantial weight. His eyes were bright, not clouded by the lusty haze of the moment before.
His voice was a low, sexy growl. "After a blow job like that, I'm not going to let you leave this bed until I'm certain that I've fucked you so good you'll always come back."
My heart raced. And Brendon, as he always did, made good on that promise.
The point of the exercise had been to make Brendon forget, but somewhere in his twisted sheets I lost the memory of what I was supposed to be worrying about too.
Chapter 15
Brendon
I sipped coffee, a small smile on my lip as I watched Aurora and Julian play on the carpet. He brought his cars with him when we picked him up. In fact, his backpack contained mostly cars. He had taken out many of the clothes his mom had packed before we got there, and so I had to pick up some stuff for him to wear before we left for the trip. I didn't mind. I thought it was cute that he was more focused on what toys he got to bring than what he was going to wear. It was the kind of thing Avery would have done.
I sighed and looked down at my phone, wondering if it was too late to call. Aurora and I had been touring stores all morning, and because it took a little longer with Julian there we soon spilled over into the afternoon. We hadn't even gotten lunch until nearly two, and now it was nearing four pm and I wished I had taken twenty minutes to call Morgana earlier in the day. Not that she didn't have enough to worry about.
My brother was stable. More stable, anyway. It looked like he'd backed down from death's door, which came as a huge relief to everyone. It felt like a weight had been lifted from us, and even Julian was noticeably happier now that we weren't waiting by the phone for horrible news. It didn't hurt that the kid loved to travel, and was having the time of his life in Los Angeles. He was going to like tomorrow even better, and though I wanted to wait until dinner to tell him the news, I decided that now was as good time as any. Our dinner would undoubtedly be late too, and I had the feeling that a nap was on the horizon.
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