Page 39 of Stormswept Colorado (Hart County #3)

THIRTY-THREE

Ayla

I carried my phone to my bedroom and switched on my bedside lamp, filling the space with a warm glow. When I glanced at my phone screen, Teller was closing the door to his bedroom too. I couldn’t see much aside from his chest in a white T-shirt and the blue wainscoting on his walls.

We’d given each other video tours of our homes before. We’d had many long conversations while lying in our respective beds. But this was the first time we would be getting extra personal.

I couldn’t wait . I’d never been so sexually pent up in my life.

My mattress dipped just slightly as I knelt on the covers. Next I propped my phone on my nightstand so he would have a good view of me.

All the fear and uncertainty I’d felt earlier had vanished while we were talking. I wanted this. To feel as close to him as possible.

“What should I do first, Chief Landry?” I played with the edge of my slouchy oversized top.

He sat on his bed up against the wooden headboard, all broad shoulders and sexy confidence. “Where’s the toy you use to make yourself feel good? Get it for me.”

Grabbing a key from its hiding place, I unlocked the drawer of my nightstand. Since I had people in and out of my house pretty often, I was careful to keep some things private.

From inside the drawer, I pulled out a box and opened it. “Here it is.” My vibrator wasn’t quite as big as Teller, but it did the job.

His eyebrows lifted, and a wicked look crossed his handsome features. “Set that down for now. Take off your top for me. Nice and slow.”

I pulled my arms inside my sleeves, then eased the top over my head and tossed it onto the floor. I had on a cotton bra underneath, and I felt my nipples brushing at the fabric.

“Wish I could touch you,” he murmured.

“What would you do?”

“I’d start with your breasts. Playing with your nipples just the way you like.”

“Like this?” I rubbed my thumbs over the white fabric of my bra. It was thin, almost translucent. My skin so sensitive beneath.

“Mmm. Just like that. Except without the bra in the way. I’d tear that off you.”

I giggled, pulling the bralette off and then cupping my exposed breasts. My nipples tightened even more in the cool air as I imagined his warm tongue licking them.

“Lower your hands,” he rasped. “Let me see how pretty you are.”

With just a touch of self-consciousness, I moved my hands away from my breasts. His eyelids were heavy as he looked at me. I wondered if he was hard.

“Now take off those little shorts and your panties. I want to see all of you.” His bossy, Chief Landry tone of voice gave me happy shivers. And also wiped away any last hesitation on my part.

I got onto my knees and playfully inched the rest of my clothes down over my hips. Giving him a sexy show.

I’d never done anything like this before. Never wanted to. Thank goodness for this fancy encrypted video app. Normally I was paranoid about explicit images of me leaking to the media. A vengeful ex-boyfriend might sell me out to make a quick buck. But I knew I was okay with Teller.

He made me feel safe enough that I could be as wild as I liked. He was my sanctuary.

He told me to lie back and run my hands all over myself. I closed my eyes and listened to his voice, not worrying about anything except his next command. It was relaxing. Like the tension I’d been holding bled away, leaving only trust and pleasure.

“Do you want me inside you?” he asked.

“Yes,” I moaned. “I need it. Need to feel you.”

“Are you wet for me?”

Teller’s intense gaze through the screen had me enthralled. Despite the distance between us in reality, he felt so close. Right here in the room with me.

I brought my fingers between my legs. “Dripping for you.”

“Get your toy.”

I reached for the vibrator. He kept talking as I switched it on and massaged the head over my clit. Teller directed the pressure, the speed.

“Use it like it’s my cock, sweetheart.”

I couldn’t believe I was doing this on camera. But it felt so good.

When I pushed the toy inside me, it really felt like Teller was giving this to me. Making me so perfectly content and secure even as the pleasure wound me up and sweat glistened on my skin.

I turned my head to look at him on the screen. His hand was in his sweats, stroking. Sweat shone on his forehead too, and his chest lifted with each heavy breath.

“I want to see you,” I begged. “Please?”

Propping his phone, Teller yanked his shirt over his head and shoved his sweats down. He wasn’t wearing underwear, so his cock slapped his stomach. He fisted his shaft.

It was the most erotic, enticing sight I’d ever seen. The man could’ve been a model or a movie star, but I wanted this view only for me. And I loved the way his eyes moved possessively over his screen like he was thinking the same about me.

“Teller, I’m…”

His fist moved faster. “Come with me. Show me how good I make you feel.”

My entire body seized, pleasure overtaking me. But I kept my eyes open to watch as Teller moaned, his hips bucking as he painted his stomach.

Whoa .

Maybe I should’ve recorded that. He was a work of art.

We just stared at one another as we came down from the high. But when Teller shifted like he was going to get up, I said, “Don’t move yet. I need to finish uploading this to the fan site I’m making about you.”

“A fan site, huh?”

“Yep. About the hottest police chief in existence. He acts grumpy, but inside he’s really a big marshmallow.” I giggled. “A sexy marshmallow.”

Teller grinned. “Somebody’s drunk on endorphins.”

“Just drunk on you,” I whispered. “I hope I dream about you tonight. So I can feel you next to me.”

His brows tightened, crinkles appearing around his eyes. “I want that too.”

If I thought too much about the miles separating us, I might cry. So I wasn’t going to do that.

We both got cleaned up and ready for bed. I left my phone on the nightstand, and when I crawled under the covers, Teller was relaxing in his bed on the screen.

I brought him over to my pillow. I loved when we talked in bed like this. We’d been doing it nearly every night, yet it felt new every time.

“I don’t want to fall asleep yet,” I said, even as my eyelids drooped. It had been a very long day. “But you have to get up earlier than me. ”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll stay with you as long as you like.”

We talked awhile until he was the only one keeping up the conversation. He murmured sweet nothings as I drifted off.

Then Teller said something that almost pulled me back to consciousness. But I was too far gone. Couldn’t stop sleep from washing over me.

I was probably just dreaming.

But it had sounded like he said he loved me.

I had a hangover. Not from alcohol, since I’d had less than one glass of wine at the event last night. Nope, I had a man hangover. A bossy, thoughtful, dirty-talking man who I couldn’t get enough of.

A man who had my heart aching .

I’d had enough of this distance. I had to see him again. I had to . This wasn’t a want anymore. It was a dire need.

I was expected at the Santa Monica recording studio today to work on my album. When I arrived, I tracked down Cheryl. I’d asked her to come in today so we could talk.

I found her in one of the flexible office rooms, her laptop open on the desk. She stood up when I came in. “Morning,” Cheryl said. “I just got your text. You wanted a chat?”

“Yeah, about a few things.” I leaned against the door frame. “First off, my schedule. I’m going away this weekend.”

“ This weekend?”

“Yes. Tomorrow’s Friday. I’ll leave in the afternoon.” I could arrive in Hart County by the evening. Maybe stroll into the Silver Ridge PD station. Surprise, Chief. I’m here .

Just the thought had my heart racing.

Cheryl scurried back to the laptop. “Wait. I need to check some things. We have a lot on the burner. ”

“I don’t care what else is going on.” I’d already resolved that I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I wasn’t a pushover, yet I’d let my career dictate far too much of my life.

Yes, this next album had to succeed. But there would always be something else. The industry always wanted more . I wanted more too. More of the things that made me happy and fulfilled.

“I’m going to Colorado.”

Cheryl seemed to sense my inner resolve. She didn’t argue, though she looked like she wanted to. “Then I’ll make it work. If you promise I’ll get more advance notice next time.”

“Thank you,” I said on a sigh of relief. “The second thing is about that flower arrangement I received in Toronto back in September.”

She looked confused for a moment. “The one last year? With the photo of you when you were a kid?”

“Yes. Did you ever discuss that with Paul?”

“I…I might have mentioned you were upset, and we were trying to figure out who sent it. But that was a while ago. Why?”

Well, that explained how Paul found out. But Cheryl only knew about that first flower arrangement. Paul had sounded like he knew about the emails too. How?

I’d have to figure that out later.

“Just something Paul said to me at the event last night. Which brings me to the final thing I need to chat about.”

“Paul?” Cheryl’s gaze shifted to look past my shoulder.

A throat cleared behind me in the hallway. “Ayla, can we talk?”

Shit .

I turned around. Paul stood there, looking red-faced and sheepish.

“You said plenty at the event yesterday,” I snapped.

I heard Cheryl getting up from her chair and coming toward us. “What happened yesterday?”

“Please, Ayla,” he whispered. “Let me apologize in private. I’m begging you. ”

I didn’t want to spend another minute alone with this jerk. I’d been about to tell Cheryl I wouldn’t work with him any longer. Screw my contract. If the label didn’t replace him, then I would refuse to perform. End of story.

It was time for me to step up for myself. Be the boss .

But maybe I could get Paul to move aside on his own. Let him choose the easy way instead of the hard way.

“I’ll give you five minutes,” I said.

He wiped a hand down his face. “Thank you. Come with me. We’ll talk somewhere quiet.”

“No. We’ll talk here. Cheryl, can we have the room?”

She put a hand on my arm. “You’re sure?”

“It’s fine.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “Five minutes. That’s all we’ll need.”

After aiming an uneasy glance at Paul, Cheryl left the room.

He went to close the door, but I shook my head. “This is all the privacy you’re getting. Your five minutes are ticking down.” Nudging Paul out of the way, I left the door cracked by several inches. Not totally open, but not isolating me with him either.

Then I spun to face him, arms crossed and head held high.

He put his hands on his hips, pacing. Almost a full minute passed. I started to wonder if he’d say anything at all. “Paul, I don’t have a lot of patience. What do you want?”

“Look, I’m sorry about last night. I came on too strong.”

I barked a laugh. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“I’m here to beg you to forgive me.”

“No.”

“That’s it? After all the months I’ve devoted to you and your next album? You won’t forgive one mistake?”

“Was it really one mistake? If I start asking around, will other female artists have stories about you?”

His eyes narrowed, mouth sinking into a scowl. “Are you forgetting who I am?”

This guy was unbelievable. “I don’t care if your father is the head of Ruxton Records or the damn King of England.

You have two choices. Admit to the label what you did so they can deal with you.

Or I’ll tell them and leak it to the media.

Either way, I’m never working with you again. Your choice how ugly it gets.”

I stepped toward the doorway. But Paul moved faster. His fingers clamped down on my arm, and he shoved me up against the wall. “No fucking way,” he hissed. “I’m not letting a replaceable little slut like you ruin me.”

I sucked in a breath to scream. At the same time, loud voices shouted in the hallway.

“Mr. Landry, you can’t go down there. Hey !”

Suddenly the door pushed open. A tall form loomed. Took a split-second look at me pushed against the wall, Paul with his hands on me.

“The hell are you doing here?” Paul sneered.

Teller crossed to us in a single long stride.

Then he smashed his fist into Paul’s face.