J. Huss - PANIC

I laugh when he sucks and nips the tender skin there, and then arch my back because holy fucking shit, I had no idea that spot was so, so, so… erotically sensitive.

I close my eyes and moan as he nips just a little bit harder, making me immediately wet.

And then his fingers are inside me. Fucking Ronin always did have magic fingers. What he does with those fingers, oh, God. I could write books. I try my best to calm down, but it’s very, very difficult to ignore the way he makes me feel. Just as I’m about to get it back under control his tongue joins the party and I can’t help it, the orgasm explodes against my will.

When I open my eyes and look down at him he’s grinning so big I have to laugh. “What?”

“You,” he whispers and lets out a sigh. “You are the hottest fucking woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I saw hundreds of girls today, each one prettier than the last. But I compared each and every one of them to you, Rook. And not one—” He stops to look me in the eye as he stands up and takes off his pants and boxers, then pulls me to my feet, sits down where I just was, and places me in his lap. I drape my arms over his shoulders. “Not one of them even came close to measuring up to you, Gidge.”

I blush as all my insecurities melt away.

Like instantly.

I lean down and kiss him, another tender one. He responds in the same manner, not hurried or desperate, but slow, and patient, and soft. “I am so in love with you, Ronin Flynn. So very, very much in love with you.”

“OK, wait,” he says with more urgency that is necessary. I have a little panic attack thinking he’s gonna say he’s not in love with me anymore, but that melts away when he cups my face and looks me in the eyes. “I can’t call you Rook Walsh anymore.”

I laugh. “What?”

“I can’t say it without feeling sick. So what’s your last name?”

“Corvus,” I say in a whisper. “My name is Rook Corvus.”

He smiles, like he’s in on the joke, but he keeps it to himself if he is. “Miss Corvus, I am so far beyond in love with you, I can barely function. I want to marry you. Like yesterday. But I know that’s not gonna happen just yet, so I just want you to know, I can wait.” He studies my face as I take all this in. “I will wait.” 

Even though Rook and I have had quite a bit of downtime over the past few months, it’s not enough. I wish for endless days of doing nothing but making love, feeding her fruit, and sleeping with my arms wrapped around her.

Right now we’re both spent from the mind-blowing sex. Her cheek rests on my shoulder as I lean my head back on the couch. “I could fall asleep right now.”

“Let’s stay home,” she mumbles into my neck. “I’m too tired to get dressed up and go to dinner.”

“We can’t skip this one, Gidge. It’s our last dinner until next weekend.”

She moans but doesn’t lift her head. “I’m gonna buy a car and commute to Fort Collins. It’s not even that far.”

“I’m one hundred percent on board with that.” And then I smack her ass cheek playfully and make her squeal. “Come on, let’s take a shower real fast. It’ll wake you up so you can enjoy the evening.”

I stand up, still cupping her close to me, and she reluctantly untangles herself and kisses me on the neck. “Don’t get me the duck this time, OK? Maybe pasta.”

I laugh. Poor Rook. “Don’t worry, I promise, you’ll enjoy dinner.”

She livens up in the shower when I wash her, but it’s hard for her to get excited when she thinks she’s being forced to wear a dress she’ll probably hate and eat food she knows for sure will make her hurl.

I almost feel bad. But not quite.

She’s sitting on the bed wrapped up in a white towel, just moping, as I pull on my tux trousers. “The dress is in your closet, Gidget. And it doesn’t have legs, so it won’t come to you.”

She makes a face at me and then hoists herself up and walks into the closet. I slip my crisp white shirt on and wait for it.

Silence.

Little itty-bitty tip-toe footsteps behind me.

My grin is huge as she drapes her arms over my shoulders and breathes her words heavily into my ear. “What is that absolutely gorgeous gown doing in my closet, Larue? That’s not something you wear to dinner, no matter what kind of food they serve.”

I turn around and look down at her. “No? Well, you must be the expert, so tell me… what kind of event warrants a gown like that?”

“A Cinderella ball,” she coos in my ear.

“Oh, fuck, Rook. Do that again and I’ll never let you out of the apartment tonight.”

“Fat chance of that now! I’m wearing that damn dress. I’m not sure what you’ve got planned, but whatever it is, I’m going.”

She skips away making happy squeals and calling out guesses about where we’re going. “A fundraiser?”

“Nope,” I say as I button up my shirt.

“A private jet to… well, shit, there’s no classy cities close to Denver, so… Albuquerque?”

I laugh. “Only Bugs Bunny goes to Albuquerque.”

She snorts for real at that remark. “That’s funny.” I tuck my shirt in and go for the bow tie. “Somewhere in the mountains?”

“Try again.”

I grab my suit coat and slide it on, then check myself in the full-length mirror. There’s no way I’ll be able to live up to how beautiful Rook will be tonight, but it will have to do.

“Zip me,” she says quietly from behind.

I turn and take her in. I didn’t pick this dress, Elise did. In fact, Rook has no idea, but it was made especially for her by a fashion friend of Antoine’s. We’ve been planning this night for more than a month. It’s a floor-length strapless white gown with the slightest mermaid shape to it. Not enough to make her look ridiculous, just enough so that the smooth fabric hugs every curve on her body and flares out near her feet. And Rook has all the right curves in all the right places. She’s nothing like the skinny models who came through here today and I love everything about her shape. The tail drags just enough to make her look like she’s floating when she walks, but not enough so that it will cause problems in a crowd.

“What’s the occasion, then?” she asks coyly. Clearly she knows what the occasion is, but she’s fishing to see if I know.

“The occasion? I don’t need a special occasion to take you to the ball.”

“So it is a big event?”

“Yes,” I say as I turn her around and slide that zipper up her back. I lean in and nibble behind her neck. “Leave your hair down tonight, OK?”

“Yes, sir,” she says with a wink as she pulls back.

But she’s not getting away that easy. “You can’t yes, sir me and then expect to walk away without a reminder of what’s to come later.” My hand reaches behind her neck and I press her whole body into mine, then kiss her, raking my fingers up into her long dark hair and fisting it a little as she moans and throws her head back. I know she likes some of the dominant stuff we do in the bedroom, but I don’t try it often. It took me all fucking summer to get over what her ex did to her as a teenager. But that awkward feeling is beginning to fade. And I’m not sure it was ever a real problem with her, so maybe tonight she’d like to do something fun.

“I hope that’s a promise, Mr. Flynn.”

When she says my name like that it takes my breath away. I want her to be my Mrs. Flynn so bad it makes my heart ache, but I refuse to pressure her. I want her to come to me when she’s ready. “Miss Corvus, don’t ever doubt me.” Her blue eyes sparkle when she looks up to me and for a moment I can actually picture our beautiful family. A whole gang of little blue-eyed cherubs running around.

It makes me sigh.

“What are you thinking about in there, Ronin? I see the wheels turning.”

I slip my arm around her waist and dip her backwards, making her squeal. “You, that’s all.” I lift her back up and smack her butt to end the flirting and get us back on track, because we are already fashionably late and people are probably tired of waiting.

She goes into the bathroom and chats to me non-stop about the dress and her make-up, which she applies as she talks. My phone buzzes and I check it, then text Antoine back and let him know we’re coming in five minutes.

When she’s done with her make-up she fluffs up her damp hair with the blow dryer, making it cascade down her back in loose raven curls, and then pulls a brush through it. Her feet slip into the white satin shoes and she looks over to me and smiles. Rook hates heels and if she had her way I’m sure she’d be wearing those old-ass red Converse with the holes in the toes. So I made sure her shoes for tonight are comfortable ballet flats. She turns her back to me so I can clasp a necklace around her neck. The only time Rook wears jewelry of any kind is when I put it on her. Otherwise she won’t bother. I hand her some earrings to match the necklace and she puts then on and turns to the mirror.

“Wow. I look great.”

I laugh. “Yeah, you really do, Gidget. You clean up nice.”

“I almost feel like a bride, wearing this white dress.”

“Don’t taunt me with that image, please.” I take her hand and lead her out of the apartment. “But I’d be more than happy to pretend this is our wedding reception if you like.”

“OK, spill it. Where are we going?” We walk down the hallway towards the stairs. “Why’s it so dark in here?”

“I dunno, but you better hold my hand a little tighter so you don’t fall down the stairs.”

We get to the bottom without killing ourselves and we’re just walking past the terrace when I notice the light out in Rook’s old apartment. “Who’s in your place?” I ask.