Viv

Rhieve is indeed at the house in Cardiff when we arrive there. Someone from the American Embassy met us at Customs with new passports, but it took us a little longer than everyone else to get through. Stella and Faith are with her, making me feel even more secure. From what I’ve learned, they’ve been part of the Society for years and helped mentor the new wave of women, including Rhieve.

“Welcome to your temporary home,” Rhieve says, giving me a hug.

As someone used to mansions, the size of this home isn’t impressive to me, but I love the charm of it. The outside of the house is quintessentially British, with a winding driveway past the gates and lots of topiaries. But inside, it’s all modern. I get a glimpse of a pool, various decks, and a large green lawn before I’m led upstairs to my room.

“This is beautiful,” I say, taking in the four-poster bed, window seat, and large chaise lounge.

“X seems to think you’ll be sharing with Rhys.”

“X is wrong.”

“There are plenty of rooms, but I was hoping he was right.”

“That ship sailed long ago. You should know that.”

“I really wish he hadn’t gotten mugged on the way to your birthday party. It was such bad luck that it happened that night.”

“Mugged? What are you talking about?” I ask, my heart racing.

“You didn’t know? He was on his way to the party when some gang jumped him. They stole the present he had for you, beat him badly, and left him bloody in the street. I called and told your best friend, Shauna. She didn’t tell you?”

“No, she didn’t. I need to find Rhys.”

I know now what happened. I was waiting for Rhys, because we were both eighteen as of that night, and we were going to go public as a couple. I knew it was going to upset my family and their stupid merger, but I loved him, and he loved me. Or, I thought he did.

When he didn’t show up, and only returned my texts with a short “no, I’m not coming”, my heart broke. It broke so badly, I did something stupid and agreed to marry Christon. All these years, I believed Rhys tossed me aside, when the truth is, he was stopped from coming to me. Whoever it was, they had to have threatened him in some way that kept him away once he was physically healed. I don’t even care what it was; I only care about finding him now.

He’s alone on one the decks, looking out over the lawn, with a beer dangling in his hand, when I find him. I drop to my knees in front of him.

“What did they threaten you with?”

“When a woman gets on her knees in front of a man, she better plan on following through.”

“Stop deflecting. Rhieve told me you got beat up on the way to my birthday party.”

“Yep. Just like yesterday, only I should’ve learned to fight by now instead of giving up.”

“I would never have married him if I’d known.”

“And then you’d be dead.”

I rear back. “What?”

“People wanted that merger to happen, and you were the key to it happening.”

“You were protecting me,” I say, awareness dawning, and likely showing on my face. “All these years, you protected me.”

“I told you you were loved.”

“We’ve lost so many years, but now we have a second chance.”

“No, we don’t. I’m dirty, Vivs. So fucking dirty and disgusting.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Pretty soon, you would’ve found out all of it, so I’ll tell you now myself. Around a year ago I let some chicks who sucked me off at a sex club lure me away to another location. They kidnapped me to get to Calum, and while he and my sister looked for me, I was used as a plaything. A sex toy, whatever you want to call it. Women—and men—used me for their pleasure. At first I liked it, Vivienne. But later, not so much.”

No. “Oh God, Rhys.”

“See, there it is. I wasn’t sure if it would be disgust or pity, but either way, you’ll never want me again. Not really.”

“Don’t speak for me.”

“I see it in your eyes and it’s killing me. I have to get out of here.”

He gets up, and steps around me as he heads for the door. “Where are you going?”

“Someplace where the women wouldn’t care enough to pity me, even if they knew.”

“Please stay and talk to me.”

“Nothing to talk about. I’ve got a past you’ll never be able to accept, no matter how hard you try.”

“You know, for someone who thinks it’s cool for his sister to be a spy, you’re acting like a sexist ass right now.”

“Just another thing to turn you off. Catch you later.”

I let him go because I know I need to plan for what comes next. I need some wardrobe and confidence help, because I’ve never been a femme fatale before. Time to find Stella.

Rhys

This pity party of one I’ve got going on is going to need more alcohol. I’m two drinks in, and nothing’s looking better. Nothing, and no one. The women are flirting, and touching my shoulders and arms, but I’ve got nothing to give back to them. I left it all with the woman who was on her knees in front of me, begging me to stay. Which made me walk out like the ass I know I am.

I go to take a swig of drink number three, but it’s pulled from my hand. “What the fuck?”

“You’re not going to be able to fuck me properly if you’re drunk, and I want you to remember everything you do to me,” Vivienne tells me. She’s in a tight white dress, pink lipstick, and heels, and my cock finally comes to life for the first time since I entered this pub.

“What exactly am I going to do to you?”

“Whatever you want.”

Nope. Not going there. “I don’t want a pity fuck. I thought I made myself clear about that.”

“And I thought I made myself clear about telling me what I’m thinking and doing.”

“Why? Why do you want to fuck me?”

“When you were taking your clothes off on the plane, it was the first time I’d felt truly aroused in years.”

“Years? Fucktard didn’t turn you on?”

“It’s hard to be turned on when someone doesn’t come near you, except in public.”

I nearly fall off the barstool and not because I’m drunk. “You’re telling me he had you in his bed, and didn’t make you scream every night.”

“We slept in separate beds almost from the beginning. He didn’t want children, but I do, and he didn’t trust me to stay on birth control.”

“Bastard.”

“I believe we established that already.”

“You really want to give me all the control, Vivs?” I ask, looking her over again. “I have a very creative imagination when it comes to sex with you.”

She glides in between my legs, and puts her mouth to my ear. “I want it. I want everything you’ve got.”

I’ve already paid for my drinks, so I grab her hand, and practically drag her outside. I can’t wait to taste her, so I push her against the wall, ignoring the people gathered out front. Shielding her body with mine, I kiss her for the first time in over five years.

There’s nothing tentative about it, because I know her lips, her mouth, her tongue. She matches my kisses, licks, sucks, and bites, giving back as much as she takes. Our hands are running over each other’s bodies, and it’s better than anything I’ve done with another woman. They were all placeholders for this woman, and my mind and body are both happy to be home.

“Let’s go,” I tell her forcing my mouth from hers.

She rolls her hips, bushing my cock against her core. Fuck, if I don’t love the fact she’s almost matching me in height in those heels. “I don’t know if I can wait.”

“You don’t have to.”

I lead her to the car that’s waiting for us, as she sucks on my neck, nearly shattering the control I need to keep right now. I nod to the driver as we get in, grabbing the soft blanket from the bench and covering Vivienne’s lower half with it.

“You’re not covered.”

“No. I want you so badly, my cock is about to break through my zipper, but not tonight. Not until I get to know this woman everyone calls Viv, and she asks me to be hers. Not until you’re not feeling like you owe me something. I want you to want me for me, and not the guy you’re still romanticizing or feeling sorry for.”

“I want you. It’s always been you.”

“Then a little more time won’t change that. I’m going to slide my fingers under that blanket, into your wet panties, and right inside of you. There are cameras back here, so they’ll know what I’m doing, but they won’t see any of you.”

“Yes. Please yes.”

“Kiss me so no one else sees you come. I want that all for me.”

She holds my face in her hands again, peppering my mouth with sweet kisses. Those kisses become hungrier as my fingers find her pussy. I slide one inside, as my thumb goes to work on her swollen clit.

“More,” she murmurs into my mouth.

“Greedy?”

“When it comes to you, yes.”

I smile, and add two more fingers, pumping them a little faster, in and out. She starts to ride them, matching the rhythm I’ve set. It will be a miracle if I don’t come in my jeans.

“Yes.”

It’s her last coherent word, as her pussy clamps around my fingers, and moisture rushes over them. She starts to mumble senseless words, even as she kisses me, and arches her back. It’s so damn sexy, and I let myself go right along with her. She somehow covers me with the blanket, and strokes me over my jeans as I blow.

“Please tell me you’re sleeping in my bed tonight, and doing the cuddling you offered on the plane.” She’s practically pleading, and I hate to burst her bubble, but I have to.

Pushing her brown and caramel locks from her face, I kiss her softly. “Not tonight. I meant what I said about you being sure.”

“I’m sure.”

“Then waiting until tomorrow won’t be a problem.”

“I suppose not.”

There’s a gleam in her eye, and a smirk on her lips, telling me she’s not going to play nice about this. She’s got something planned, and damn if it doesn’t make me love her just a little more. I do want to get to know her, but I’m not going to keep turning her down for something we both want.