Embracing Ellie: K&S Securities Series

by A. J. Andersen

  He’s interrupted by the ringing of my phone. “What the fuck else can go wrong tonight?” I mutter. I lift it to my ear with barely a glance at the screen, already knowing who it is.

  “Need you to lock the building down NOW!” There is panic in Travis’ voice unlike anything I have ever heard from him before. “Dominic is in the penthouse with the girls!”

  He hangs up without another word.

  And that’s what I get for saying it out loud. I knew better. It’s going to be a long ass night.

  Lockdown is fast. We know approximately where Dominic is, so we don’t have to disturb the guests on the main level and the first few floors still have working video. I position men at all the exits and assign a team to do walk throughs, making sure that he doesn’t somehow slip out through the crowd and escape again. Between the guys that Geno called and ours I don’t see any way for Dominic to get out of the building.

  Geno is upstairs standing guard over the penthouse so we can continue the search without worrying about the women. Relief that Ellie is safe at home floods through me again. If she was here, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have left her with Faye and Ana without a second thought to her safety… and she would have ended up in danger. The four of them would never have fit in the small safe room.

  Shaking off what could have been, I pick up my phone and dial Weaver’s number. She needs to be notified about Dominic.

  “I’m already up to my ass in the mess you made over here,” she snaps in lieu of a greeting. “So, this had better be fucking good.”

  I don’t know how I ended up being the one that has to deal with her sassy ass!

  “Dominic’s in Luminoso. Somehow got into Xavier’s penthouse and scared the hell out of the women there.”

  “Everyone’s okay? No one harmed?” she asks, her voice a little less angry, but still rife with annoyance.

  “As far as I know,” I tell her. “I’ve been a little busy making sure that the slippery bastard doesn’t sneak past us again.”

  “He’s not going to this time, is he?” Her tone implies that’s exactly what she thinks. I’m gonna prove her wrong.

  The monitors flicker as I continue tapping the keys on my keyboard, only half listening to her insults. I smirk, “No, he’s not.” I tell her, clicking again., “Better hurry up Agent. I found him.” I disconnect, sliding a finger across the screen, cutting off whatever she was about to say, and dialing Travis.

  “Got him on fifteen.” I say when he answers.

  “Where exactly?”

  “Unsure. Only just got video working in the stairwells. Five more seconds and I would have missed him. Caught him there going onto fifteen. You’re gonna have to flush him out.”

  “Keep trying. Intel would be nice.”

  “Working on it.” He’s not trying to be a dick. Intel would be nice and I’m going to do what I can to get it for him. But first I have to figure out what the hell he used to fuck up the system. I still haven’t made any real progress with the cameras when Travis, X, Grayson, and the guys Geno sent up congregate in the stairwell a short while later. There isn’t any sound, but Xavier’s agitation is apparent in the bunched muscles of his shoulders and the way his hand keeps drifting to his holstered weapon. He’s ready to fuck Dominic’s world up.

  Travis stands at his shoulder. He’s a little less wound up but battle ready just the same. I’m familiar with the focused look on his face. I’ve seen it more than a time or two over the years. Sometimes I wish that I wasn’t the only one manning our tech. I’d love the chance to do some of the heavy lifting again. I left a message for our buddy Lucas when we decided to stay in Vegas. I’d like to have him here to help me with some of this, but other than a few texts, he’s been off the grid since he returned from his last deployment. He’ll turn up when he’s ready.

  The beep of a text commands my attention. Weaver.

  Where are we going?

  I fire off a quick reply. East stairwell. 15th floor.

  Copy. Her answer is accompanied by her walking past a camera and entering the east stairs. She lifts her hand in a wave at the camera, three stoic looking agents following in her wake.

  I turn back to my ever-present companion, my computer, making more adjustments. The camera outside of the penthouse comes up first, showing Geno standing in the hall outside the broken door. His twin .45s holstered in easy reach, his face somber, reflecting the seriousness with which he views his assignment.

  After that it’s a cascade of monitors coming to life as I override whatever Dominic used to block the feed. I still haven’t figured it out, but I will and then I will make sure that no one is ever able to do it again. When the fifteenth floor comes back online it’s just in time for me to watch as Travis and Xavier push through the door to the same linen room that Ellie and I got blankets from earlier. Glancing at the clock on the screen I realize that was yesterday. It’s later than I realized.

  Only a few minutes later there is a commotion in the hall as Weaver bursts out of a room and dashes to the door Trav and X disappeared through. Her gun is in her hand and her mouth is moving. Sound would be nice.

  An agent dressed in black strides up beside her, gun at the ready, and then it’s over. I was not expecting Dominic to go down easy, but that’s exactly what happens. As I watch, stunned, he is led into the hall in handcuffs while Travis talks to Weaver.

  It’s done, and I'm out of here. If Weaver wants to talk to me about anything, she can track me down when I get back. Shooting a text to Geno I let him know I’m leaving and lock up the security office behind me. It’s time to go be with my girl and tell her everything she needs to know. About tonight, and more importantly what she means to me.

  Chapter 29

  Ellie

  I can’t place the soft rustling sound that wakes me from my restless slumber, and I roll over, looking at the glowing face of the alarm clock on the bedside table. It’s almost four in the morning. A quick glance across the room shows Auggie, illuminated by a small nightlight, sprawled out in his little bed with a pile of stuffed animals and his Spiderman blanket, sound asleep.

  When the noise comes again, I swing my feet from under the covers, sitting up on the edge of the mattress and willing my fuzzy brain to work. A sliver of golden light glows around the bathroom door revealing the steamy cloud drifting out from the cracks. Someone is in my shower? I squint at the light, not quite comprehending what I’m seeing. Shoving the blanket still tangled around my hips into the middle of the bed I rise, preparing to tiptoe across the room.

  “Mom?” I whisper, not wanting to wake Auggie and not sure who else would be in my bathroom.

  I stumble back a step with a gasp and almost fall on my butt in my hurry to move away, when the door unexpectedly swings open.

  “Babe,” strong hands catch my arms, holding me upright. “Didn’t mean to wake you up.” Blake murmurs, before brushing the wild tangle of my hair from my face, a tired smile on his lips.

  His short hair is wet and slicked back from his lean face. Drops of water sparkle in the light dusting of hair on his chest that tapers between the defined ridges of his abs before disappearing below the waistband of a pair of grey sweatpants. His feet are bare, and I swear even they are sexy. He’s so delicious that my mouth waters with the need to taste him again. Suddenly I’m not so tired.

  “I heard a noise,” I say dumbly, struggling to form a coherent thought while my eyes are roaming all over his naked skin and lower to the thick bulge behind the loose fabric. All it takes is one look for me to finally understand the allure of grey sweats on a man. My tongue slips out to moisten my suddenly dry lips and I swallow back the moan seeking to escape them.

  “Elinor,” he rasps, “Baby, you have got to stop looking at me like that.” His eyes dart over my shoulder, landing on something behind me, then it hits me. Not something. Someone. Auggie is asleep not even ten feet away and here I am… eye fucking him like we are alone. I flush just from thinking the dirty word, but I
’ve got to call a spade a spade… and that’s what I was doing.

  “Oh,” I squeak, realization washing over me. “Sorry. Guess I’m still mostly asleep. Are you okay?” I ask, my eyes finally taking in all of him. Especially noting the exhaustion lining his face and the heavy droop of his eyelids.

  “Yeah, angel, I’m good. Just tired.” Of course he is. He’s been awake for almost twenty-four hours. Maybe longer.

  I move, taking a small step away from him so I can straighten the covers. They are a mess from my tossing and turning. Motioning for him to lie down on the soft cotton sheets, I say, “Let’s get you into bed then.”

  A pained moan is my only answer as he lays down and lets me pull the covers up over him. I’m burning up with the need to touch him, and to be touched by him, but Auggie’s presence and Blake’s obvious exhaustion drastically cool my ardor. Bending toward him, I lightly brush my lips across his cheek, loving the slight abrasion of his stubble under them. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “Okay,” his voice is a sleepy mumble, fatigue already pulling him into the arms of sleep.

  Tiptoeing from the room I sneak into the kitchen for a glass of ice water to help bring my temperature back down. I have the day off, thanks to Xavier, so there is no way I want to stay awake when I could be sleeping in. I just can’t go back and get in bed beside Blake as wound up as I am right now. And yes, by wound up I do mean horny.

  “Buenos dias, mija,” my mother’s lilting voice whispers behind me and I spin to face her with a guilty smile that I’m positive must convey every naughty thought in my head.

  “Hola, Mama.” I whisper back, cognizant for the first time that we have a guest sleeping on the couch just a few feet away. And with there suddenly being men in the house I will have to wear more than a camisole and booty shorts to bed.

  “Blake is well?” she asks, moving to the coffee pot and turning it on.

  I nod, “Yes. Exhausted, but unharmed.”

  “John filled me in a little bit on what he does. Your man… he’s a hero, querida.”

  Her praise warms my heart. I knew that she approved of him, but her words are spoken with so much love… there is no other word for it.

  “He is, Mama.” I reply, unable to stop myself from smiling as I place my glass on the windowsill to use later. She nods thoughtfully.

  “Go back to bed, Elinor. And get some more sleep.”

  Doing as I’m told I walk silently back to the end of the hall with Mama on my heels. When I push open the door she smiles and slips past me, scooping Auggie’s sturdy little body off his bed.

  I look at her, confusion written on my face. “Where are you taking Auggie?”

  “To my room so you can sleep in,” her voice is unaffected, but I swear that I detect a hint of teasing humor behind her words. “We have plans to go to breakfast and the park with John later and if Auggie is with me already… well, then you won’t have to be woken up. I’ll make sure Liz lets you sleep in too.” She laughs, snuggling her face against his little neck. “Sleep well daughter.”

  She closes the door, leaving me standing in the glow of the Spiderman night light, more than a little confused by what just happened.

  “Ells?” Blake murmurs from the shadows.

  “I’m here.” I whisper, unsure if he’s awake or asleep.

  “Get your sweet ass over here, angel.” His voice is thick and sleepy and oh, so tempting. I don’t have to be told twice. I quickly cross over to him, preparing to climb over into the space between his big body and the wall when his arms snake out of the blankets and capture me around the waist, dragging me down on top of him with a muffled shriek.

  “That’s better,” he grumbles, dragging me with him as he scoots over, making room for me to find my way under the covers and into his waiting arms. His deep sigh ruffles my hair before he cuddles his face against my neck and throws a heavy leg over mine. We lay that way in silence for a long minute. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t say anything else. Tentatively I pull back, hoping to see his face. He mumbles in protest, holding me tighter.

  “Blake,” I whisper. I’m so warm. It feels so good. I yawn. “Blake?”

  A quiet snore answers my query. He’s asleep. A contented smile tugs the corner of my lips. I can’t stifle another yawn. Shifting so that it’s my leg over his, which is much more comfortable, I give into the coziness and allow myself to drift off, lulled by the steady rhythm of Blake’s breathing, my hand pressed over his heart.

  Delicious heat radiates through my entire body, warming me from the top of my head all the way down to my toes. Peeking under my lashes at Blake I stretch out beside him, relishing in the feel of his hard body pressed against mine under the covers. I’ve never woken up in bed with anyone other than a family member in my entire life. It’s a unique experience. One I will always remember. I roll to face him, my eyes lingering on his stubbled jaw and relaxed features. In the glow of the bright sunlight filtering through curtains he looks younger, and more gorgeous, than ever before.

  “Are you watching me sleep?” He mumbles, his voice is rich with laughter as he rolls over, throwing an arm over me and pulling me close.

  I return the slightly uncomfortable hug and kiss the pulse beating in his neck, tasting his slightly salty, sleep-warm skin with the tip of my tongue. A throaty growl escapes his lips as he dips his face toward mine. Giggling I turn away, presenting him with my cheek.

  “I need to brush my teeth first,” I whisper.

  “I borrowed your toothbrush last night, that’s the same as kissing before brushing.” He’s laughing at me. I roll my eyes.

  “How do you know it was my toothbrush?” I tease.

  “I will have to apologize to Auggie then. I didn’t think that the pink electric toothbrush would be his when there was a cool Spiderman toothbrush right there. My mistake.”

  I can’t stop my snorting laugh at the thought of Auggie using my bright pink toothbrush. He would be so offended by anything other than his Spidey one.

  “Go brush your teeth then,” he says, “Because I’m only waiting five more seconds and then I’m kissing your dirty mouth.” He threatens, moving closer and pressing his closed lips to mine and exaggerating a passionate moan.

  “Three…two…”

  I kick free of the covers and barrel over him to get off the bed before he makes good on his threat. Maybe someday I will be brave, or comfortable, enough to kiss him without being sure that my breath is minty fresh, but today is not that day. It flits through my mind that I let him do a lot more than that yesterday without much protest. He probably thinks I’m being silly, but that was in the heat of the moment. Kissing with dragon breath… I just can’t. Someday maybe.

  When the mattress bounces and I hear the swish of blankets falling to the floor I can’t contain my squeal of laughter as I dash into the bathroom and grab my pink toothbrush. I hustle to squeeze toothpaste on it and start brushing. I wrinkle my nose when the sickly-sweet taste of bubblegum hits my tongue. Wrong toothpaste. Yuck!

  Blake sidles up behind me, his muscled arms wrapping around my waist. He pulls me back against him, his chin resting on top of my head. “Smells fruity.”

  “Bubblegum.” I mumble around a mouthful of foam before leaning forward to spit as discreetly into the sink as I can, then rinse my mouth with water from the tap. My butt pops out when I lean over, pressing against his groin and the hardness behind his loose sweats nestles against me. OMG!!

  “Since we’re doing this,” he reaches for my toothbrush and I playfully smack his hand.

  “There’s a spare in the drawer,” I offer, pulling it open and fishing out the brand-new toothbrush.

  “Can I leave it here, so I always have one when I need it?” He asks, his tone amused, belying his serious eyes as they meet mine in the mirror as he unwraps it and picks up Auggie’s toothpaste.

  “If you want,” I whisper, suddenly feeling shy.

  “Cool,” he says casually, like he didn’t just drop a bomb on m
e. He plans on staying here enough that he’ll need a toothbrush! My heart races with excitement and nerves, but Blake just pops the new brush in his mouth and starts scrubbing away, his gaze never leaving mine. How can he look so hot brushing his teeth? He does the same discreet spit and rinse that I did before continuing. “Now that I have my own toothbrush, I’m probably going to be here a lot.”

  I turn around to face him. “I’d like that,” I admit a little breathlessly.

  “You would?” His voice is deeper, husky, as he carefully backs me through the doorway until the back of my legs bump the bed.

  I nod, my ability to formulate thoughts into words momentarily lost, the full length of his body pressing against mine, his fingers tangling in my loose hair.

  “Would you like to get back in bed with me for a little while, Miss Lovell?”

  “I think I would, Mr. Stone.” I play along with his gentle flirting, feeling so unencumbered by the weight of responsibility that usually sits on my shoulders.

  “Up you go then,” he suddenly grasps my hips, lifting me up almost like he did with Auggie. My happy laughter fills the room as I place my hands on the bunched-up muscles of his shoulders steadying myself. He’s not even straining to hold me up this way. He winks and lets me go. My butt hits the mattress and before I even bounce once he’s beside me, propped up on his elbow while I push my hair out of my face, laughing harder than I have in years.

  Rolling us over until I’m sprawled on top of him his fingers dig relentlessly into my sides making me giggle uncontrollably. His rumbling chuckle joins mine when I return the action, swiftly working my fingers into his side seeking to find a spot that will make him as giddy with laughter as I am. A swift knock followed by the door cracking open interrupts us, making me scurry off him.

  “It’s just me, you don’t have to act like you weren’t making out or whatever,” Liz pokes her head around the door and rolls her eyes at me while taking in my minimal clothing and my chest, heaving with rapid breaths, as I lean my back against the cool wall.