Lost in Distraction Read online

  “Nah, it’s different with Elle. I don’t want to rush it,” I say, reflecting on this morning’s events with a smile.

  “Okay, man, enough about that. I better get back to my post. We still on for tonight?” he asks, putting his empty cup in the bin.

  “Definitely. Elle can’t wait to meet you, but I haven’t told her about your terrible BO and bad jokes yet, so she might still change her mind.”

  “Thanks, bro. Real nice,” he responds with a grin.

  We leave the coffee shop and go our separate ways. I’m heading home for a much needed workout and cold shower. Waking up this morning with Elle lying on top of me was not easy when all my body wanted to do was to bury itself so deep inside her that no one would be able to tell us apart. Just thinking about her warm little body lying on me in her tight tank top and cute pajama shorts has me all hot and bothered again.

  Yup, a workout sounds like a freaking great idea right now.

  The movie and burger with Shay and Brax is great. We met Shay at the theatre around the corner and went to see a newly released comedy before heading to the restaurant next door for burgers and drinks.

  Shay is great. He’s hot, definitely not in the same league as Brax, but still very nice. He’s twenty-six, with short dark blonde hair styled into a faux-hawk, crystal blue eyes and a smile that tells you he’s aware of the effect he has on people. He’s the same height as Brax, but slightly leaner. He is wearing a black wife-beater, showing off his muscular arms and a tattoo that is wrapped around his bicep of a dragon chasing a heart. His pair of dirty denim jeans complete the bad ass look. Brax can make me swoon with one simple glance where as Shay looks like he has a myriad of dirty thoughts going through his brain and they all involve you.

  I can tell why these two are friends.

  Once we’ve finished our burgers, we say goodbye to Shay. Brax walks me the few blocks back to my apartment, and I suddenly feel anxious again. I won’t be able to sleep tonight for fear I’m going to end up having another nightmare.

  Brax stops walking and looks at me with concern. He lifts my hand that he is holding and cradles it on his chest. “What’s wrong, Elle? You’ve gone white as a ghost and tense as all hell. You’re scaring me.”

  “I’m fine. I’m just scared, you know?” I can tell he’s not buying it. He has to be able to see that I’m on edge.

  “Scared of what, hon?” he asks with a worried look.

  “Of having another nightmare. They’re getting worse and last night’s was horrific,” I explain as my eyes fill with tears.

  He pulls me in close and I nuzzle his chest while reaching my arms around his back. He holds me tight and whispers in my ear, “I’m going to stay with you tonight, in your bed, so you can get a good night’s sleep. If you have another nightmare I’m going be right there next to you, ready to hold you and kiss you and make you feel warm again.” I feel my breathing speed up and the prospect of a nightmare slips from my mind as the thought of Brax staying over invades my head instead.

  Now that we’re upstairs and in my apartment again, I’m nervous about spending the night with Brax. After this morning, I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself around him. I’ve never had a man sleep over before. Any hook-ups I had in the past were purely physical and were never at my place, but something about sharing my bed with Brax feels different.

  It feels right.

  He has left me alone in my room while I change out of my clothes. He must realize that this is a big step for me and knows I need some space to collect my thoughts. I hop in the shower, trying to rinse away my nerves and surprisingly, it works. I do feel a little more relaxed by the time I get out. I stress out over what to wear, but decide on my tank top and pajama shorts again since he already saw them this morning and didn’t seem to be complaining. When I head out to the living room to look for Brax, I hear him talking on the phone.

  “You’re off for the night. Go home, get laid, relax. I’ll call you in the morning, dude.” He hangs up and turns around when he hears me come in the room.

  “Who was that?” I ask, having a fair idea that is was Shay, but not sure what he means about him having the night off.

  “It was Shay. I told him that I was staying here for the night and he was just asking if anything was wrong. I told him about your nightmare and how we’d both feel better if I stayed over,” he explains as he walks over to me and slowly runs his hands down my arms.

  He wraps his arms around my waist. “You don’t mind that I told him, do you?”

  “It’s okay, he’s your best friend. I bet you tell him everything,” I reply, wishing I had someone to confide in.

  His face softens, his eyes sparkle and he grins as he looks down at me in his arms. I instantly get chills, the good kind that run from your head to your toes and warm you up as they go. I move my arms up and wrap them around his neck.

  “Should we go to bed now?” I suggest quietly, trying and failing to hide the nervousness in my voice. I’m still not ready to take things to the next level, but I’m more than happy to make out with him in bed, half naked.

  Definitely ready for that.

  He looks at me and smirks. “Babe, I’m starting to think you just want to get me half naked.”

  I gasp in mock horror, whack his arm and twist out of his embrace, walking towards the bedroom. As I reach the doorway, I turn around and give him my best attempt at a seductive grin.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  I’ve never seen a man move so fast, I swear to God.

  I wake up after one of the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had, with a sleeping Elle in my arms again. Although this time we’re in her bed and we’re a tangle of arms and legs, like we can’t get close enough to each other. My body is acutely aware of our proximity and has already made its intentions clear. I try to move away from her so that I’m not so obvious and she doesn’t feels pressured, but she tightens her grip as soon as I try and edge away. I roll over and find her smiling back at me with the sexiest look I’ve ever seen.

  I lean over and push her onto her back, kissing her like she’s the air I need to breathe. Her hands reach behind me and pull me over on top of her. Dammit, she isn’t helping my self-restraint. I bury my hands in her soft brown hair, devouring her mouth and giving her all that I have. When I hear her groan into my mouth, any control over myself I had is lost. Pulling away, I stare into her eyes, looking for any sign that she isn’t okay with this. My hard body feels so good against her soft skin and I know that if we go any further, it is going to be rather difficult to stop what we’ve started.

  She lifts her head so that her lips are close to mine again and kisses me. It’s like a silent plea to carry on and my hands drift from her hair down to her face as I gently caress her cheek with my thumbs. Propping myself up on one elbow, I run the back of my hand down her neck until I reach the curve of her breasts. Her chest is lifting steadily as her breathing quickens under my touch, I love how responsive she is with me. My hand moves lower, stroking her breast as I explore her soft silky skin, watching her face for a reaction as I go. She closes her eyes and moans deeply, arching her back and pushing her breasts further into my hands. The fact that she is openly giving herself to me like this, and is enjoying every second of it, amazes me. I run my palms over her now erect nipples, I hear a soft whimper from her mouth. I’m making sure I take my time exploring every inch of her body; she needs to feel cherished, I want her to feel worshipped.

  I move my mouth to her neck, gently nipping and sucking at her skin. Lifting my mouth to her ear, I whisper, “Let me hear you, Elle. I want to know how I’m making you feel.”

  She runs her hands up and down my arm, my muscles tense and relax at her touch. I trail my lips from her ear and along her jaw while my hand moves down to the hem of her tank top. Grasping the bottom of it, I slowly drag it upwards and my fingers lightly graze her skin as I move it higher, pulling it over her head. Now that she is naked in front of me, the overwhelming urge
to claim her as my own consumes me. Her response to me is blowing my mind. Craving the touch of her skin against mine, I pull her towards me and she nips my bottom lip, pushing her tongue against mine, showing me how on fire she feels right now.

  Pushing her back down onto the bed, my hands continue their exploration down her stomach until they reach her hips. Running my hand ever so slowly across her body, hip bone to hip bone, I feel her shiver. I’ve never wanted to take my time as much as I do now. I could spend a lifetime doing this and still never have enough of her. Enjoying of the most erotic moments in my life, I can’t kid myself any longer about the depth of my feelings for her. I inch my hand under the band of her shorts and hear her breath hitch as I inch them down. I look back up at her for a moment, reveling in her beautiful naked body next to me.

  I move down the bed, kneeling between her legs. Not once breaking eye contact, I lift one of her legs up and gently kiss the instep of her foot, starting a trail of kisses up her smooth calf. I caress behind her knee before continuing up to her inner thigh. I lean over her body and kiss her deeply, meaningfully, our twisting tongues beginning a passionate battle.

  I lie down on my side, rolling her to face me. Without breaking our searing kiss, I settle my palm between her thighs as her legs part around me, leaning over her with my other arm resting by her side as I start exploring her with my fingers.

  I’ve been totally overcome by this woman beside me, and I don’t want to fight it anymore.

  As her hips move in rhythm with my touch, she reaches up and runs her fingers through my hair, pulling me closer and holding me tighter, as she nears climax. I continue to kiss her, barely able to come up for air. I lift my thumb, touching her centre one last time as she falls head first over the edge, I can see the waves of pleasure rolling through her as she cries out into my mouth. I pull back to watch her come undone. If ever there was a time where I could climax without being touched by a woman, this would be it.

  She is truly spectacular, a sight to behold. “You are amazing,” I whisper, softly kissing her swollen lips as she tries to catch her breath. Letting out a sigh of contentment, I lean back against the bed, Elle snuggling into my side.

  I’m head over heels for Elle Halliwell, and I’ve never been happier.

  Chapter Seven

  Watching Elle let herself go and give herself to me was remarkable and nothing short of amazing. I didn’t care that I didn’t finish. Watching her final wall crumble down was worth a world of pleasure to me. I didn’t want to rush her or do anything that she wasn’t ready for, but this morning she gave me a chance to show her how I feel and it was incredible. I wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass.

  We doze in bed for another hour then go our separate ways into the bathroom and kitchen. I love the idea of getting ready for the day together, like it’s an everyday occurrence. I could get used to this.

  I check my phone while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing and see a text from Shay.

  Shay: Dude we have a problem.

  Brax: What’s up?

  Shay: The boss man wants an update about Elise and wants it given in person by you in ATL.

  Brax: Why does he need me to go home to give him an update. It ain’t gonna happen. How would I work that, man?

  Shay: Dunno. I’ll try my best to go in your place. What are we gonna tell him about you two?

  Brax: I’m leaving Elle’s place now. Meet me at mine in twenty mins and we’ll talk.

  Elle walks into the living room just as I finish texting Shay.

  Without realizing it, I find myself pacing backwards and forwards in front of the front window, phone in hand.

  “Babe, is everything okay?” she asks as she walks towards me.

  I plaster a smile on my face, trying to hide my concern from her. “Yes, sweetheart. Everything is fine. You look incredible, by the way, you know that?” I wrap my arms around her waist and lean down to brush my lips against hers.

  “I don’t know about that, but you can keep telling me as much as you like,” she replies.

  I raise my eyebrow at her, moving to whisper in her ear, “And I’ll never stop trying to make you feel just as amazing as you felt this morning, either.”

  She trembles at the closeness of my mouth to her neck, the heat of my words affecting her whole body.

  “I’d like that,” she murmurs as I pull away, giving her the biggest grin. I swear if I don’t leave this apartment now, I’ll make true on that promise again and again.

  “I’ve gotta go meet up with Shay before class, but I’ll text ya later.”

  With a quick kiss, I leave.

  The day has already been an eventful one and it’s not even 9 a.m. I’m in such a great mood, but Shay’s text had been a bit of a wet blanket. He is already waiting outside my place when I get there, looking mildly peeved off. I unlock my front door, and we head upstairs.

  Once we’re armed with coffee and comfortable, Shay looks over at me and shakes his head.

  “So, this problem?”

  “Has something happened?” I look at him, waiting for an explanation.

  “Evans has been asking questions. He wants to know where you are and what you’re up to,” he replies. “Gibbons isn’t too worried, though. He knows that they’re not going to find out anything and we’ve been careful to cover all bases.”

  Despite his assurances, I can’t help feeling uneasy about this development. “Why is he suddenly so interested in me?”

  There must be more to this than Harry just seeing me at Elle’s place last night. He may be a creep and I definitely don’t trust him, but I still can’t get my head around whether he would actually hurt Elle, just for a stake in the company. He was her father’s best friend and his business partner, her guardian for the past three years. You’d think that he would relish playing the protective guardian role. Whatever is going on, I do know that Evans and Brimstone working together would be a formidable pairing that we may have underestimated.

  “We have to sit tight, B. Gibbons says the boss wants you see you in person to make sure that you’re prepared to stay here for the long haul and get your assurances that everything is going okay. He knows you’re background with Evans and he’s just concerned that your focus might be elsewhere, now that we know he is involved. They’re not going to throw you under the bus, he’s just covering all the bases,” Shay explains. I know he’s trying to placate me. He knows me too well and can clearly see that this development has shaken me up.

  In typical Shay fashion, he’s trying to make sure I don’t do anything rash.

  “How about I go down there and smooth everything out for the moment?” he offers. It’s in moments like these that I’m so glad to have my best friend as my partner.

  “I’ll really owe you for this, man, you know that. I wouldn’t take such a risk if she wasn’t important to me. She is amazing and, goddammit, the sexiest woman I have ever met. You’ve seen her.”

  He looks at me and smiles his cheeky ass grin. “I know, dude. You’re so whipped you don’t know which way is up.” He cracks up laughing at me. “Never thought it would happen.”

  “If you had a woman like Elle you’d be whipped too, buddy,” I retort.

  “I know, trust me, I know. Just sucks that you met her first,” he says with a laugh, earning a shove from me.

  “Watch it, bro. Keep your eyes to yourself,” I warn him jokingly.

  Having finished talking, Shay breaks my train of thought. “Thanks for the coffee, but I’m going to head off now. I need to ring Gibbons and arrange a flight. I should be back within a day or two. You going to be okay by yourself, or do you need backup?”

  “It’s all good, man. We’ll stay low key for a few days just in case, but we’ll be fine. I’ll look after Elle. You know that’s all I want to do now.”

  He sighs and shakes his head. “Yeah, I know. That’s what I’m worried about.”

  I frown at him. He’s never been one to get overly concerned, but the situa
tion I’m finding myself in is obviously troubling him.

  I walk up to him and grab his shoulder. “We’ll be okay, Shay. We always are.”

  The next few days fly by. Elle has a paper due so she has been busy working on it. We’ve been spending so much time together lately that we’ve both been neglecting our studies. Because I’m only taking a light course load I don’t have as much work to do as she does, but in order to keep up appearances I have to do the work as if I’m your typical mature student. Just another one of the downsides that comes with working undercover.

  Shay got back from Atlanta after two days away and as promised he has sorted out the situation with the big boss before anybody decided to make a personal visit up here. He did lay into me about getting too close to Elle and the predicament that we’re now both in. I know he hates lying to the boss for me, but he knows I’m head over heels for Elle and I can’t imagine leaving her now.

  With Evans now looking into my whereabouts, I’m going to have to try and stay out of trouble, which includes playing nice with Brimstone. I am glad that Gibbons has agreed to Brimstone being tailed, though. If he slips up, we’ll know about it.

  Brax and I have been studying at our respective houses today because I need to concentrate on a paper that’s due, and we struggle to get anything done when we’re together. After finishing for the day, I send him a text to see if he wants to come over tonight.

  Elle: Wanna come over tonight, I’m all finished now

  Brax: Of course, darlin. I’ll grab some food and head over in about half an hour.

  Smiling at the immediate reply he sends, I decide it’s time to tease.

  Elle: I’m sure you can think of ways to build up an appetite when you get here…

  Brax: Dammit, woman. How am I supposed to concentrate now?!

  Elle: As long as you’re focused when you get here, I’m not worried ;)

  Now, I know I’m being brazen, but after the morning wake-up call Brax gave me a couple of days ago, I can’t wait to be with him again. I sent the text over an hour ago and now I’m getting nervous. I’ve been on edge all day anyway because I decided that tonight is the night I’m going to tell him about my past. All of it, warts and all. I don’t want to hide my darkness from him any longer and although I don’t have nightmares when I’m with Brax, there are still a lot of those times when I feel the dark clouds forming around me again.