“Jeez, I don’t know,” Slade said. “She’s pretty hard to look at anyhow, but as a brunette—” He crinkled his nose.
Jade balled up the towel and threw it at him.
Amy walked out of the bathroom with the empty boxes of hair color. She stopped to admire her handiwork. “Looks pretty darn good if I do say so.”
Jade smiled at her. “Amy was the brains behind the disguise. It was smart thinking.”
“Where’s Hunter?” Amy asked.
“The Durango was making a funny sound.” Slade sat on the couch and lit a joint. Amy made a beeline for it. Slade held it up out of her reach. “Damn, Street, let me take a toke first, you little weed beggar.”
I sat in the big, slightly ripped arm chair and pulled Jade down onto my lap. “I’ve been giving it some thought. I think we need to stay out at the cottage. A lot of people, people who have need of a lump of money, have seen you with me. Not many people know I own that old cottage, and it’s out of the way. It’s not visible from the highway or the town.”
After Ace had shown me the picture, I’d started thinking about how I was going to keep her safe. She was an exceptionally pretty new face in a small town. I was sure the only thing that had kept anyone from calling the number on the flyer to get the money was me. Most people in this town wouldn’t dare cross me or my brothers. Not even for a nice chunk of cash. But that didn’t mean that other people, strangers passing through or sketch-ass dicks like Ace, wouldn’t be keeping a sharp eye out for her.
After Noddy died, her little house had sat there for several years, stuck in a long family probate battle. When it finally came on the market, everyone else had forgotten about it. Everyone except me. I’d saved enough from our business to buy the thing outright. Now it would make the perfect hiding place.
“Are you sure about all this, Colt?” she asked. “I could just get on a bus and head across country or something.”
“Is that what you want?” Just asking the question made my heart sink in my chest. This had started as a no heartstrings proposal, but she’d already taken a firm hold of mine. I hadn’t even known that I had any. She’d found them. Jade had managed to reach past the icy layers and find them.
“No, of course not, but I’m causing such an upheaval in your lives. If anything were to happen to any of you, I could never forgive myself.”
Slade coughed once and squinted at us through a screen of smoke. “Some pansy-assed, loafer wearing asshole who can throw cash around like it’s fucking fairy dust is no threat to the Stone brothers. Danger is our middle name.”
Amy laughed. “See? Told you they’d eat dynamite for breakfast if offered.”
Slade raised his brow at her. “Now why the fuck would we eat dynamite?”
“It was just a colorful hyperbole— you know, an over-exaggeration to make a point,” she said.
“A hyper bowly? What the fuck is that?” Slade grabbed the joint from her fingers. “Here, you’ve had too much of that. You’re talking fucking nonsense.”
Jade smiled and rested her head against my shoulder. “You’re right. I couldn’t possibly leave you guys. You’re just too darn entertaining.”
“Damn right. I’m going to load some things into the truck. You pack up what you’ll need.” I turned to my brother. “Slade, you guys need to go around town and yank down those flyers.”
Slade nodded. “Hey, bro, I was thinking— maybe we should draw the snake out of his hole.”
“You mean get him to show his face?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Might be able to put an end to this search fast if we give him a good scare.” I could see the gears spinning in Slade’s head. He thrived on this kind of shit.
“Maybe. But the man comes with his own little army of pricks. We might start an all out war. We’ll need to make a plan.” I tightened my arm around Jade. “In the meantime, I need to hide my ten thousand dollar treasure.”
Chapter 20
Jade
There were still a few kitchen utensils and pieces of furniture that had been left behind in the cottage after Noddy’s family had taken what they wanted. Colt had put his mattress and bedding into the truck along with an ice chest to keep food in. There was no refrigerator, but we’d make do. I’d spent some time sweeping the worn wooden floors, and Colt put in the two windows that had been next on his project list.
The bedroom still had an old nightstand and a pretty glass lamp with a frilly lampshade. Just from looking at Noddy’s things and knowing how she had looked after the brothers in her own quiet way made me think I would have really liked her.
Colt came in with some driftwood and a smile. I could tell he was liking the idea of staying in his own place. “The electricity is on because I need it for my drills and tools, but the gas is off. So, no heat. But even without it, I think I can get a nice fire going in the hearth with this seasoned driftwood. Once the marine layer settles in at night, it gets pretty cold out here.” He piled the wood next to the fireplace. Then he walked over and pulled me into his arms. “And, of course, there’s always my infamous body heat that you’re so good at stealing.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “I do love your body heat and your body . . . for that matter. If I didn’t have a madman hunting me down, staying holed up here with you would be close to the best thing that’d ever happened to me.”
“Close to?” he asked.
“Well, the best thing that ever happened was me deciding to hide on your boat. A little decision that brought me straight into these arms.”
He pressed his palm against the side of my face and kissed me. “I’d say my luck began when you decided to use me as your human shield in that little hallway.” He lowered his arms. “That reminds me.” He walked out to the kitchen and returned with a bag. “I bought this stuff on the way home today.”
I pulled out a phone.
“That’s for your safety. I put all of our numbers in it, and Amy’s, of course. Otherwise, I’d be hearing about it big time.”
I turned it on. “Thank you. It actually makes me feel part of the human world again. Of course, I’m still trying to decide if that’s a good or bad thing.”
“I’m still on the fence about that myself. But lately, I’ve been landing on the side of good.” He brushed a strand of brown hair off my face. It was strange seeing dark hair around my shoulders and face.
I reached in the bag. My fingers landed on silky fabric. I pulled it out. It was an extremely scant blue silk babydoll nightgown. “Hmm.”
“Uh, yeah, that’s got nothing to do with safety. That’s for me,” he said.
I held up the sheer confection of lace and silk and laughed. “You weren’t embarrassed buying this thing?”
I peered up at him. His confident expression assured me he hadn’t been.
“Right,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve never been embarrassed in your life.”
He dropped his gaze. “Not true. As a kid, on days like Halloween when everyone else was wearing their Superhero costumes and I had to go to school in the same ripped up jeans I’d been wearing all week, I was plenty embarrassed.”
I curled my hand around his neck and kissed him. “I’m glad that time is over for you.” I glanced toward the big picture window that had a great view of the ocean. Dusk was closing in fast. “The fog is rolling in. I think you should start the fire while I see how the gift fits.”
“I’m looking very forward to seeing that myself.”
I walked into the bedroom and changed. Without a mirror, it was hard to know how I looked, but the lingerie fit perfectly. I supposed after the marathon of sex, where we’d explored every inch of each other’s bodies, he had a pretty good idea of my size. The silky fabric was nearly transparent. Thin, blue ribbons held the lightweight nightie on my shoulders. The two panels parted like lace curtains just below the bra line, and the matching panties were no more than a triangle of sheer blue lace held on by a thin waistband. Heat swirled through me as I thought about Colt looking at
me in the sheer lingerie. Even though he’d seen me completely naked, somehow I felt even more exposed in the nearly transparent nightie.
Colt was leaning into the hearth poking at the lit kindling with a long stick. He’d carried in the mattress and blankets and placed them in front of the small, stone hearth. He had his laptop on the floor playing music, and there were some potato chips and beer next to it.
“Looks like a very sexy picnic,” I said.
He turned around. His chest swelled with a long, deep breath.
I held out my arms and turned around once. “What do you think?”
“Damn.” It was just the one word, but it was the way he’d said it that sent a tremor of excitement through me.
He stood up and made the room look exceptionally small. His size and the way he looked at me as he walked toward me made me extremely aware of just how vulnerable I was. “I’m defenseless when you’re near, Colt. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. I can’t even remember my life before I met you. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt anything before this. I was just going through the motions of life to survive.”
His big hands took hold of my arms, and he lifted me so that only my toes touched the floor. He dipped his head down and kissed me. “Seeing you stand here in the middle of this house looking like a fucking angel makes me want to pinch myself. If it turns out I’m sleeping and imagining this, then I’m going to be so fucking pissed.”
“I’m real and this is real.”
“It’s so fucking real, baby, my head is spinning.” He leaned down and kissed my breasts through the papery thin fabric of the lingerie. His hand reached beneath the two open panels, and his palm smoothed over my skin, making my knees weaken. I grasped his arms to stay upright.
“I want to melt into a puddle every time you touch me,” I said between breaths.
He dropped down to his knees in front of me and kissed my bare belly. His mouth trailed down to the small triangle of blue silk covering my pussy. He kissed me through the material. He ran his finger along the thin strand of fabric that ran up between my ass cheeks. A deep, shuddering sound thundered in his chest as his fingers reached the hot cream that already surged from my pussy.
“God, baby, I’m so hard it hurts. You’re always so hot and ready and willing. Sometimes, I think I’m just going to fucking explode when you’re near me.”
He led me over to the mattress, and I stretched out on the blanket. The fire was just starting to crackle and pop with life as the salt dried wood glowed with heat. Its comforting warmth flowed over my scantily clad body, but it was nothing compared to the heat coming from Colt’s body as he knelt down next to me.
He reached back and pulled off his shirt.
“When you pull off your shirt, I swear my heart takes a couple extra beats.”
“Yeah?” He smiled. “I like that.”
I reached for the button on his pants, but he took hold of my wrist. Then he grabbed my other wrist and with his big hand he pinned my arms against the pillow above my head. He traced the lacy trim of the babydoll with a callused fingertip. “You’re so fucking beautiful. Every curve, every inch of your creamy skin, everything about you makes my cock hard.” He held my hands securely as his free hand trailed down my stomach to the risqué panties. He watched my face as his fingers slid beneath the tissue thin fabric and into the slick folds of my pussy. The tattoos on his massive arm twitched and moved as he stroked me deep inside, as always, finding the spot that nearly took me right off the cliff of an orgasm. But he was skilled. When he sensed I was close, he backed off to keep me aroused.
I groaned and pushed my pussy against his hand wanting to take in more. “God, it’s sweet fucking torture, Colt, how close you take me every time.” I tried to free my hands. I wanted to touch him. I wanted to take his hard cock in my hand and press it down between my legs.
He smiled wickedly at my struggle but tightened his grip on my wrists. “Watching you squirm like this in that hot little nightie is making me fucking nuts.”
He plunged another finger into me and lowered his mouth to mine. “Darlin’, do you trust me?” His green eyes sparkled with mischief. I trembled as he spoke.
“Yes?” It came out as a question.
Colt laughed. He leaned forward and took my bottom lip between his teeth. He bit it lightly, and I tensed at first. I’d only ever felt safe in his arms. I knew he would never hurt me. So far, every time he’d touched me had been pure, unimaginable pleasure. Sensations so intense that he’d managed to get a firm hold on my heart. He’d become the center of my life so fast, I hadn’t even had time to realize it until right this second.
“Yes, I trust you.”
He released me and pulled his hand from between my legs. I sighed in disappointment. He stared down at me as he lifted the end of his bed sheet. He ripped off a strip of fabric. With one tug of his strong hands, another strip came off.
I got up on my elbows. “What the heck are you doing?”
A crooked grin deepened the creases running along the side of his mouth. He didn’t respond as he tossed the strips of cloth over his shoulder. He stood up and walked over to the pile of Noddy’s things that were stacked in the room. He reached in and pulled out a ladder back chair. It was dusty and a little warped. He placed it close enough to the fire to catch the warmth. His mouth twisted in thought as he seemed to be assessing the roping across the seat of the chair. He walked over and grabbed a pillow from the mattress.
After setting the pillow on the chair, he motioned me over to him. Tentatively, I got up and tiptoed across the mattress and onto the floor where he stood like the world’s most beautifully carved man.
“Turn around,” he said sharply. I hesitated, and he raised a brow at me. He pushed my chin up and kissed my mouth. “You won’t deny me, darlin’, will you? Anything, remember?”
The commanding words made me sway on my feet. He took hold of my arm and turned me around so that my back was to him. He reached up with a strip of cloth and wrapped it around my eyes. I sucked in a breath and touched the fabric. He took my hand and pulled it away. I’d told him I trusted him, and in my heart, I knew I did.
Relax, I told myself. The tension slowly drained from my body. I couldn’t see anything but the slight flicker of light coming from the fireplace. This time, with a gentler touch, he turned me around and backed me up so that the chair was behind my legs. I sat down.
I heard his heavy footsteps and felt the heat trailing from his body as he walked behind the chair. He took hold of my hands and pulled them behind the back. The strip of fabric wrapped around them.
“Colt,” I said, and was shocked by the worry in my tone.
He came around the front of the chair and knelt in between my thighs. His palms took hold of my face.
“Colt,” I said again. I wasn’t sure if I was trembling from fear or excitement. It seemed to be a mixture of both.
“Shh, darlin’. You’re safe with me.” I startled at first as his mouth covered my breast. He teased and licked and kissed my nipples through the silky fabric. At first, I pulled at the bindings wanting to be free to touch him, but then my captivity and my lack of sight started pushing me to another level of erotic emotion that I’d never felt before. I was his to do with as he pleased, and I wanted it. I wanted all of it.
His words were true. I felt safe with him, safe enough to drift into a glorious haze of sexual desire the likes of which I’d never experienced before. He was all power, menacing power, and he had complete control and I loved it. I loved him. I wasn’t going to say no to him because I would do anything he asked.
He drew his hot mouth down the skin of my belly, then I heard him sit back. His strong hands pushed my thighs apart. He kissed my inner thigh in a long, sensual trail. My head dropped back against the chair. I was completely relaxed, lost in the feel of his mouth on my skin.
His warm breath blew against my pussy. My bottom fidgeted on the pillow as his fingers reached up and pushed aside the tiny piece of mat
erial separating his touch from the naked, wet folds. He spread me wide open and groaned as his mouth pressed hungrily against my pussy.
“Holy shit,” I sighed as his tongue dove inside of me and swirled around in the moisture pooling between my legs. His fingers held me open as his tongue continued its erotic penetration. Unable to move from the chair, I leaned back and absorbed it all. I couldn’t see him or touch him, but I felt his presence with the intensity of a thunderstorm, frightening and thrilling, all in one moment of complete ecstasy.
He lifted my legs and dropped them over his strong shoulders to gain even more access to my pussy. I was already totally exposed and completely at his mercy.
With deliberate, skilled patience, Colt brought me to orgasm. The tightening started in my pussy and traveled through my entire body. “Yes, Colt!” It felt as if I would splinter into a million pieces to be swept away by the ocean breeze. The pulsing waves seemed to last forever. I whimpered with exhaustion at the end of it all.
Colt placed my feet on the ground and slid my bottom so that my pussy hung off the edge of the chair. I had no idea what was happening, but my body quivered with anticipation. He pushed his long hard cock inside of me. I cried out again as my pussy clenched around him in one long orgasm. The chair rocked beneath me as he thrust deep inside of me.
“I know you don’t want to be owned, baby,” his voice was hoarse, and it seemed he was close to coming. “But you are mine. You are mine, Jade.” A low grunt echoed through the room as he spilled his hot seed inside of me.
He collapsed down over my lap and reached around to my hands to untie them. I lifted my hand and pushed down the blindfold. He leaned over me with his head on my lap and his broad bare back beneath my hands. I smoothed my fingers over the thin, long ridges of scars that crisscrossed his skin. The sight of them produced a painful lump in my throat. He flinched at first but then relaxed under my touch. His head remained in my lap. His jeans had been pushed hastily down below his hips, and his rock hard ass was exposed. Just like the rest of the man, it was pure perfection.