Page 11

A s I stood outside of Brynn’s door, I had almost wished that this had been just another sleep walking incident, but it hadn’t been. I was fully aware of where I was, and why. In fact, I had been circling the neighborhood for several hours, even spending some time out in the open as I waited. The skies had been dark for most of the day, and once or twice, they unleashed upon us all. Thankfully, the last hour or two had stayed dry, but I doubted I would be able to say that too much longer. More rain was on the radar, and the incessant thunder was leading it to us.

Sure that I would get drenched, I moved from the covered bench back to my car and prepared myself to circle the block a few more times. When I had gotten inside and placed the key in the ignition, I finally saw Brynn arrive home. Wanting to give her a few minutes to get settled in, I forced myself to stay where I was until she had sufficient time. If I waited too long, I was worried she might actually turn in for the night.

That thought evoked a wicked visual, and I audibly groaned as I pictured Brynn lying in her bed in nothing more than a T-shirt and pair of silky panties. As I entertained it in my head, another more X-rated one crossed my mind, and it made my dick hard instantly. Maybe she slept completely naked.

Fuck! Not what I need to be thinking about right now .

And I knew that inner voice was right. I was not some man waiting on his lover to return home for some romantic interlude. I was the girl’s boss, and I needed to apologize for what I had done to her a few nights earlier. I had never meant to snap at her, then abruptly end contact with her, but when she began questioning me about my youth, I shut down. Only God, and my parents, knew why Greece was the last place I’d want to take a stroll down memory lane in.

Brynn didn’t know, and I had to keep it that way. The shame and grief were heavy weights, but the regret I felt over the murder of my twin was like a massive boulder keeping me imprisoned. I couldn’t ever go down that path with her, and I wouldn’t.

Then what am I going to tell her?

Apologizing for anything was a foreign enough concept, and it was something I never did. The last decade or so, I had lived my life unapologetically, so it made no sense that I would purposely drive over here to do something I never did before. I had to, though. The longer I went without making things right with her, the more unsettled I remained. I had to tell her something, and I just hoped those two words would be enough.

I’m sorry.

They sat on my tongue, the bitterness like acid, but I was steadfast in getting this over and done with. I would simply knock on her door, then speak my piece before going back home to regret something altogether different. Something altogether preventable. I didn’t want to think about that, so I finally stepped in front of her door, then pressed the doorbell.

I heard it ring, followed by the sound of heavy barking. Lug Nut. Her dog was making his presence known well before she was, and as I shifted somewhat nervously on my feet, I almost thought about just leaving. Another few seconds passed before I finally heard approaching footsteps. The doorknob jingled and I straightened to full height. When the door opened, her face was devoid of any emotion whatsoever, and I knew she was still mad at me.

I said nothing as I drank her in. Starting at her face, I could tell she no longer had any makeup on, not that she actually needed it. Brynn was naturally beautiful, and those good looks and youthfulness were the reason. My gaze lowered and dropped to her chest which I could tell was heaving behind her silk bathrobe.

For a moment, I almost wanted to take the silken belt and untie it like one would a present, then pull the front apart so I could see how little she had on underneath it. I showed some restraint, however, and finally looked back at her when I heard a menacing growl come from behind her. She turned and said something to her dog who eyed me with intentions, then padded away from us.

“What do you want, Mr. Benedict? I’ve been traveling all day, and it’s late. I need to go to sleep soon so I’ll be on time to work tomorrow.”

“You’re coming to work tomorrow?”

I didn’t know why I had asked something so asinine. Of course she would be there. Just because I had been rude to her over text message, it was no grounds to quit. While she was well-qualified for the job I hired her for, I knew she wouldn’t make the same kind of money anywhere else, even doing the same thing. That had been by design. I needed her close so I could watch over her. Again, it was something I had never done before. In hindsight, I should have, but it didn’t matter now.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” She asked.

“Umm, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I just... ahh... I maybe thought...”

“Maybe thought what?” She asked when my voice trailed off. “Maybe thought I would basically tell you to fuck off like you did to me?”

I slightly winced at that, especially because I knew she was right.

“That’s actually why I’m here. I know I was a jerk to you the other night, and for that, I’m sorry.”

There. I had actually said those two blasted words, and I had managed to do so without becoming nauseous afterward. I supposed that was something to build off of. My eyes stayed on hers as I waited for her to accept it, and just as I opened my mouth to speak, she beat me to it.

“Apology accepted. Now, if there’s nothing else you need, I have to go.”

For a moment, I actually wanted to follow her inside, not that she had actually invited me in. There was still a level of irritation on her face that I had never seen before, so I wouldn’t overstep my bounds and even suggest it although I knew I could seduce her back into my good graces.

It would be so easy to go inside, then pull her against me. My own hands itched to do that, but I knew if I touched her, I wouldn’t be able to stop. I would remove the robe, and anything else she might have on, and take her on the first solid surface in her house. The door... the wall... foyer table... or even her bed. Once I touched her, I wouldn’t be able to stop until she was crying out my name as she came on my cock.

I’d always heard that the sex after a fight was some of the best you could have, but I wouldn’t allow myself to feel strongly enough about anyone to give a damn about any altercations. At least not until now.

I cared for Brynn, and not just about this. I cared about her. Since the two of us met online, I had been slowly becoming a stranger in front of my very own eyes. She was turning me into someone I couldn’t recognize, not that I hadn’t done a stand up job of that myself over the last ten years.

Brynn now had her arms crossed, so I held my breath for a moment, then let it out in a whoosh. She wanted me to leave, and it was for the best that I did. I knew it, so I cleared my throat.

“No, that was it. I just wanted to apologize for the other night. In the future, I would just like to not discuss my past, or anything related to it.”

“Fine,” she said, then stepped back and turned the knob in her hand. “Is that all?”

I knew she was itching to slam the door in my face, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. “Goodnight,” I finally said, then turned. As suspected, the door closed with force seconds afterward.

I shook my head slightly, then walked back across the street to where I had parked. I wasted no time leaving her neighborhood, and I returned home a short while later. By the time I pulled into the parking garage, the rain that had been threatening to fall once more, did, and I was thankful I had left when I did. At least, I wouldn’t get soaked when getting out of the car.

A few minutes later, I was back inside my penthouse nursing a glass of scotch. I had already kicked off my socks, shoes, and shirt, and was now barefoot in a pair of loose jeans. A wicked streak of lightning flashed across the night sky and instead of turning away from it, I walked to the large floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out of them.

The rain was really coming down now, so much so that I could barely make out the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. Large drops pelted the glass, and I just stood there for several minutes. More lightning and thunder followed, and the loud, violent weather soothed me in a way that little else could. It was comforting, even if I didn’t know how or why.

Slamming back the contents in my glass, I then took it into the kitchen where I washed the small tumbler, then put it back on the shelf. I replaced the liquor with water, grabbing a cold bottle from the refrigerator before heading back to my room. Once I was in bed, my thoughts turned back to Brynn, and while it had been the wrong time before to think about the woman in hers, it wasn’t now, and I fisted my cock as those earlier visions returned.