Page 22 of The Flame of Carson (Blackout Security Inc. #3)

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S tacey woke up Saturday morning held tightly in Gage’s arms. Her head resting over his heart, which was beating slowly and steady.

After Ethan left the night before, she had mentioned dinner and the two sat in bed and ate.

She could tell that the events of the day had him worried, hell she had been worried herself.

Over dinner they did not talk about the panic attack or her lunch with Grant.

Stacey felt her brow furrow as she wrestled with herself.

Should they talk about it? Just let it go.

“You’re thinking pretty hard over there babe.” Gage mumbled, tightening his hold on her.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, Gage.” Stacey apologized.

Gage turned his head and looked down at her. “You didn’t wake me. But I could tell you were thinking something over there. Your body tensed up just now. Care to share?”

Stacey sighed, “Gage I don’t want...”

“Babe, I’m fine. You hear me?” he said. When she nodded, he continued. “You want to talk about yesterday. What you and Grant talked about. About my panic attack.”

“If you don’t want to...” she started, but he lay a finger against her lips.

“Tell you what, I think it could actually help. I am no shrink, but my mama always said talking things out was just another way to see the bigger picture. Let’s grab a shower, some coffee and talk. Okay?” he suggested.

“Alright.” She agreed.

Slipping from the bed, they headed for the shower.

As the water warmed up, Gage slowly undressed Stacey before undressing himself.

They stepped under the hot spray and Gage pulled her into his arms before kissing her slowly.

Her arms slid around his waist as she felt her body melting against his.

She moaned, feeling his hands sliding over her skin.

The heat of the water mixed with the firmness of his touch was heating her blood.

“Gage...”

“Just relax Stacey.”

She moaned as his mouth started traveling down the column of her neck.

His tongue sliding over her pulse point making her shiver in delight, gasping his name.

When his hands reached up and cupped her breasts, she felt her knees buckle.

Her body being held up only by his hands on her breasts and his body behind her.

Gage’s fingers started teasing and rolling her nipples.

Oh, the man knew how to tease her. To light her blood on fire with a single touch.

A kiss. He was the master of her body, and she loved it.

“Touch me, Gage.” She sighed, her back arching, her head rolling back against his shoulder.

“God, I love touching you, Stacey. Feeling you come alive under my hands...” Gage flexed his fingers around her breasts. “My mouth...” he sucked at her neck.

“More yes...” she breathed.

Gage moved one hand down her body. Following the rivulets of water over her flat stomach, teasing the indention of her belly button.

When he reached her mound, she cried out, making her hips roll.

He banded his left arm around her as he eased a finger into her slowly.

He moaned, feeling her slick walls tighten around his finger.

“That is, it Stacey. Move your hips. Feel what I’m doing to you.

Imagine all the things I can do to you. All the things I want to do to you. ”

“Oh, fuck Gage...I’m...”

Gage added a second finger. Sensing she was close, his fingers moved in and out of her faster.

Deeper. Pushing her higher and higher. He wanted her to come apart in his arms. Wanted her trembling before he took her even higher.

As he thrust his fingers deeper, the shower was filled with her husky voice calling his name, begging for more.

Gage was hard as stone when she came for him.

Her body shaking in his arms, her head thrown back against his shoulder.

Giving her no time to recover, he spun her around, lifted her off her feet and backed them up so her back was braced against the cool tile of the shower.

Her eyes lazily opened and locked with his, as he stepped into the v of her legs.

Not taking his eyes off her, Gage stroked himself once.

Stroked again then thrust forward sinking into her.

Stacey moaned, her nails digging into his shoulders, her body welcoming him.

“Stacey...fuck babe. So tight.” He groaned.

“God, I love you inside me.” She breathed, locking her legs around his waist. “Please Gage. Take me.”

Gage’s restraint vanished with those words.

Brutally his lips captured hers. He slapped his palms against the tiled wall and started moving.

The gentleness he had started with was gone.

In its place was a raw and primitive need, a hunger to take his woman as she asked him to.

The way Stacey clung to him and moved with him; told him she was feeling the same thing.

No sweet words of love. Only need. Hunger. Desire.

“Gage! Yes, fuck yes...”

“I fucking love you Stacey. Take my cock babe. Take it all.”

“I...I can’t...Gage...now...”

Gage plowed into her faster. He was so wound up now, he was hanging on by a thread.

With three more hard deep thrusts, he felt Stacey grip around him seconds before she screamed his name.

Gage let himself go then and growled her name as he thrust one last time.

The bite of her short nails on his shoulders was a delicious sting as he felt himself empty into her willing body.

Fusing them together as one person. Their breaths ragged, mingled, and merged as their bodies slowly came down.

Gage shifted and remained intimately connected for a few more moments, before withdrawing from her.

Wrapping his arms around her, feeling her body going limp in his arms. He tenderly kissed her, brushing her wet hair from her beautiful face.

“My god. That was...amazing.” Stacey sighed, her feet finally touching the floor.

“You are amazing Stacey. I love you. So damned much.” Gage said, reaching for the washcloth.

“I love you too Gage.” Stacey smiled.

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I t was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, so after their shower, Gage suggested they sit on his back deck to talk. “It’s so nice today, you’d never know it’s November.” Stacey commented.

“Welcome to Texas babe.” Gage chuckled, before taking a sip of his coffee.

“It sure beats New York this time of year.” She nodded. After taking a sip of her own coffee, she opened her mouth. Words failed for her. She knew they should talk but had no ungodly idea how to start the conversation.

Sensing her unease, Gage took charge. “Stacey, what did you and Grant talk about over lunch?”

She sighed, “You know how I told you that maybe this guy isn’t someone that I actually know?

” Gage nodded. “That’s what we discussed.

We talked about how he could have selected me.

As an editor, I don’t get out much. Krista and maybe two or three other authors are the only ones I make public appearances for.

Grant mentioned that this asshat could have seen me at one of those events or something.

Though I do not think that’s it. I make maybe three trips with Krista a year, and one or two a year with the others.

If it wasn’t at one of those, then I have no idea how he picked me.

Of course, since I have taken this new position, I will not be making anymore appearances. I just won’t have the time.”

“Maybe it had nothing to do with your job.” He remarked.

“Then what?” she questioned.

“Babe, you are not just an editor. That is your day job. You forget you also compete in Krav Maga tournaments. Not to mention you taught classes in New York.” He pointed out.

Stacey felt her eyes widen. It was an angle she hadn’t considered. “You think?”

“It’s a possibility. Maybe tonight or something you could run it by Ethan and see what he says. It cannot hurt.” Gage shrugged. “Now, should we talk about what happened to me yesterday?”

“Gage, if you don’t want to, we really don’t have to talk about it.” Stacey said, laying her hand on his arm.

“When I walked into Ethan’s office and told him what you told me the night before and he told me to back off the case, I just started getting so pissed.

I kept clenching and unclenching my fists.

I just wanted to pound something. He sent me and Tony to meet with that hacker guy.

We are in the room, and I just lost it. The hacker was looking so smug, and next thing I know, I am jerking him out of the chair.

Tony and Elias got me to let go and Tony literally threw me out of the office.

I have not seen Tony look that pissed in years to be honest. He told me to go take a walk or something. ”

Gage paused and lifted his mug to his lips as his mind replayed the events of the previous day.

It still shocked him how fast he went over the edge.

That wasn’t normal for him. He and Grant were the levelheaded ones, Tony the joker, Ethan the boss and quick to lose his temper and Lance the quiet brooder.

Taking a slow breath, he continued, “After Tony went back in the room, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

I hauled ass outside and still couldn’t seem to catch my breath.

My first thought was I was having a heart attack.

I called Ethan. I sat on one of the concrete planters outside and just put my head between my legs.

Trying to take slow breaths. It was damned scary. ”