All In

She shivered. I saw it happen and felt it too. She nodded and mouthed the words, “All right. I promise I won’t run again.”

I kissed her slowly, my hands moving up to hold her face secure. I pushed my tongue between her sweet lips and praise the angels, she let me in. Yes. She allowed me passage and kissed me back, her warm silky tongue sliding against mine. Jackpot. I knew I’d won this round—I wanted to slap the felt and give a silent thank you up to my mum in heaven.

I kept plundering Brynne’s mouth instead. I let her know everything in that kiss, taking her lips, grazing with my teeth, trying to get inside her. The deeper I got in, the harder it would be for her to leave me again. That’s how my mind worked with her. This was battle strategy and I could do this all day. There would be no running away from me anymore, no hiding, no quarter given. She would be mine and let me love her.

Brynne melted under my lips, grew soft and submissive, found the place she needed and drew comfort in, just as I did in taking control. It worked for us—very, very well. I pulled back and sighed deeply. “Let’s go home now.”

“What happened to taking things slow?” she asked softly.

“All in, baby,” I whispered, “it can’t be any other way with us.” If she only knew the thoughts I had on my mind for the future she might have got skittish with me again and I couldn’t risk it just yet. There would be time enough for that discussion later.

“We have a lot to talk about still,” she told me.

“So we’ll do a lot of talking.” Along with other things.

She turned in her seat and leaned back, getting comfortable and just looked at me as I pulled out of the parking lot. She watched me throughout the trip. I liked having her eyes on me. No, I f**king loved it. I loved that she was next to me looking like she wanted me as much as I wanted her. I looked at her too when I could take my eyes off the road.

“All in, huh? I think I have to learn how to play poker.”

I laughed. “Oh, I’m so on board with that. Somehow I think you’ll be a natural, sweetheart.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “Strip poker first?”

“I was waiting for you to bring that up. Nice to know you didn’t disappoint me,” she said, rolling her eyes.

I just grinned and imagined her stripping in a poker game because I would win every hand. Very, very nice imagery I conjured up too.

In the end she asked to stop by her flat so she could get her ‘pills.’ I wasn’t sure if that meant birth control or the sleeping pills and I had no intention of asking either. We definitely needed both. So I did what any bloke with a functioning brain would do. I drove her to her flat. Again, I pride myself in not being a moron.

I waited while she packed a bag. I told her to bring enough for a few days. What I really wanted was for her to stay at my place indefinitely, but didn’t think this was the proper moment to broach that subject—my non-moron status notwithstanding.

Memories flooded my brain when we stepped inside. The wall adjacent from the front door would forever be seared into my frontal lobe. The picture of her in that short purple dress and boots, held up by me. Christ, she’d been magnificent working out my c**k up against the wall that night. I love that f**king wall. Funny. I smirked to myself at my clever joke.

“What are you smiling about now?” Brynne asked as she came out of her bedroom with her packed bag, looking much better than she had earlier in the evening. Her feisty personality was back.

“Ummm…I was just thinking about how much I love your wall.” I gave her my best eyebrow quirk and took the bag from her hand.

Brynne’s lovely lips parted in an expression of surprise that quickly turned to humor. “You still manage to make me laugh, Ethan, in spite of everything. You have a rare talent for it.”

“Thanks. I like to share all my talents with you,” I said suggestively, putting my arm around her as we came out of her flat. She glanced a peek at the wall herself when we passed it. “I saw that,” I said.

“Saw what?” she asked innocently. Oh, she had a poker face for sure. I couldn’t wait to start playing cards with her.

“You looked at the wall and remembered shagging me against it.”

She elbowed me playfully in the ribs as we walked. “I did no such thing! And you shagged me, not the other way around.”

“Whatever.” I tickled her and made her squirm into me. It felt lovely having her in my arms again. “Just fess up to the truth, baby, that was an epic shag we had on that wall.”

By the time I got Brynne behind the closed doors of my flat, the summer night had fully settled over the city.

Enroute, we’d ended up stopping one final time to purchase a new mobile number and device for her. It had taken nearly an hour to get set up, but necessary. Her old mobile was now in my possession. Whoever rang looking for Brynne Bennett on that number would get to deal with me.

Maybe tonight I’d investigate the caller and possibly talk to Tom Bennett. Not a conversation I was thrilled about, but not one I would avoid either. Cheers, Tom. I’m shagging your daughter again. Oh, and before I forget, you must know that her safety is completely in my hands now. Did I also mention that she is mine? Mine, Tom. I keep what’s mine very close and very safe.

I wondered how he’d take the news, and then I realized that I didn’t much care. He was the one who’d put Brynne in my path. She was my priority now. I cared about her. I only wanted to protect and keep her from harm. He would have to deal with the situation just like I had to deal with it.

I walked up behind her standing at the window, staring out at the city lights. She’d told me she loved my view the first time I’d brought her home. I’d told her I loved the view of her standing in my house and that nothing compared. It still didn’t in my opinion.

I touched her carefully, my hands on her shoulders, my lips at her ear. “What are you looking at?”

She saw my reflection in the glass so she wasn’t startled. “The city. I love the lights at night.”

“I love looking at you looking at the lights at night.” I moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck. She tilted her head to give me access as I inhaled, the scent of her skin drugging me—making me utterly mad for her. “It feels so good with you here,” I whispered.

All the time I struggled with my desires when she was near. This was a new problem I’d never faced in a relationship before. I loved the shagging part—I’m a guy and I have a cock. I’ve never had trouble finding dates either. Women like my looks and as Dad said, it made things easier, but not necessarily better. When women chased after you because they thought you looked hot and had a little money it quickly reduced things down to a very basic exchange. Some dinner, some sex, maybe a second date-slash-bang-session. And then…goodbye. The bottom line is I don’t like to be used, and I’ve had years of attempts from females to put me off of dating for sex.