Indulging in Irene (18 page)

I dropped onto my forearms and let my forehead rest on the mattress as I panted, trying to recover the air he was fucking out of me.

He must have known I was close to igniting because that’s when he slapped my ass hard. The sting melted into ecstasy as my orgasm tore through me. All I could do was scream.

“Irelyn. Fuck. Irelyn,” he screamed as his hot release flooded me, pushing us both into a pleasure-filled oblivion.

We collapsed, completely spent. His heavy body restricted my breathing, but I didn’t care. Pushing my damp hair from my neck, he kissed and nuzzled me, making me whimper. I loved the feel of his body draped over mine. Loved the way he ran his fingers lightly over my skin.

The truth was I just loved him.

Zolt laid on his side next to me, and I turned and saw him grinning at me like a loon.

“What?” I asked suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“That was, without a doubt, the best fuck ever.” Then he kissed the shit out of me, leaving me breathless.

“Really?”

Zolt kissed my nose. “Really. You have no idea how hot you are bound to my bed, trusting me to pleasure you. Watching you come by my hands is the most erotic thing ever. Shit, I’m getting hard again just thinking about it. You, Irelyn, are fucking amazing.”

He laid on his back and pulled me to him. I found my favorite space on his chest, resting my head on his pecs. With my arms and legs wrapped around him, I felt content and a little emotional. Today had been a real ass-kicker, but yet somehow Zolt had managed to turn it around.

“Thank you.” I lifted my head and kissed him softly on the lips.

“For what?” he asked as he stroked my hair.

“For taking this shit day and making it amazing. I really didn’t know sex could be like this. I’ve been watching Rach and Cory together for months, wishing that I’d somehow find someone who’d make me grin from ear to ear the way she does with him. Lord knows that was never going to happen with Marcus. Motherfucking asshole.”

Zolt closed his eyes and sighed.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” I suddenly felt scared I’d gone too far.

“I missed it by nine months,” he said remorsefully.

“Missed what?” I felt totally lost and kind of worried that I’d missed something, too.

“I was supposed to come here nine months ago. But then Chris was killed, and your father gave me the option to wait. I almost told him I’d come anyway, but my house wasn’t built yet, and an opportunity to work on a high-profile landed in my lap, so I stayed in Boston.”

“Oh. I didn’t know.” Zolt’s admission struck me with its possibilities. I sighed too.

He turned on his side to face me, and I mirrored him.

“Yeah. Let’s be real, Irelyn. You and I, well, there’s something special going on here. We keep being pulled together. I can’t help but kick myself for not coming sooner. If I had, Marcus wouldn’t have stood a chance. I should have been your first, Irelyn, not him.”

“Zolt,” I whispered as I stared into his crystalline-blues. The depth of the feeling I saw reflected there formed a knot in my chest and tears filled my eyes. I wanted to say those three words that were swimming around in my head, but I kept quiet. Instead, I kissed him. It was soft and lingering, and oh, so sweet, and I prayed Zolt felt the sentiment of the words I couldn’t say.

I bounced up and down on the balls of my feet as giddy as a fucking schoolboy while I waited for my brother, Brody, to arrive. He and Ben, my dog, were due any minute. I wouldn’t apologize for my excitement. I loved my brother, but I loved my dog, too. I hadn’t seen either in almost two months.

Irelyn kissed my cheek, and I grinned at her.

“You’re too adorable. I guess it’s true what they say about a boy and his dog.”

“I love my dog, and I’m man enough to admit that.”

“I hope Ben and Rufus get along.” Irelyn nervously bit at her thumbnail.

“It will be fine,” I said, pulling her to me, and kissing the top of her head. “Ben’s a fairly laid back dog. I’m sure he and Rufus will have tons of fun together.”

“It will be good for Rufus to have a playmate. He hasn’t been the same since Chris died. They were inseparable. Luckily, I have a way with animals. Look at how well I’ve tamed you.”

“Hmph,” I snorted. “Baby, you’ve only knocked me down to DEFCON three.”

Before Irelyn could comment further, my black Hummer pulled into the drive and stopped. My brother Brody got out of the vehicle, followed by Ben.

“Ben!” I yelped as the hundred-pound dog ran to me and jumped. I nearly lost my footing, but, thankfully, I could still brace myself for an impact. Good to know not all of my reflexes had totally waned.

“Down boy,” I commanded and gave him the hand signal for sit by placing my left hand at my side, my palm facing toward Ben.

Ben sat immediately.

“Good boy.” I pet him on the head, and then turned to greet Brody.

He put out his hand, but I pulled him into an embrace. “You made good time.”

“Yeah. I let Ben drive. He has a lead foot!”

“Ha!” I snorted and stopped myself from laughing. The thought of Ben driving my Hummer was kind of funny.

Irelyn went to Ben and knelt beside him. He lifted his massive paw for her to shake and she took it happily. Then, she kissed him on the nose.

“You’re a beautiful boy, Ben,” she cooed over him.

Ben leaned his head against Irelyn’s side, and she let out a small giggle.

I couldn’t help but grin as I watched them. Ben had fallen for Irelyn as fast as I had.

Brody’s attention turned from me and Ben and lasered in on Irelyn as she stood and brushed off her shorts and tight fitted T-shirt. I saw it in his blue eyes the minute she registered in his male brain. His gaze widened as he languidly took her in.

Fuck!
I thought ruefully.
I should have told her to wear a moo moo. Brody’s more of a dog than Ben is, and her tits look fucking hot in that T-shirt.

“Hands off, asshole,” I whispered menacingly in his ear. “She’s mine!”

Brody gave me his megawatt smile and swaggered toward her. “Sure thing, bro.”

I growled, and Irelyn blushed crimson.

“Irelyn,” I said, pulling her possessively to my side, “this is my brother Brody. Feel free to punch him in the balls if he gets to close.”

“Uh, I’m sure that won’t be necessary. Besides, I’m better with my feet. Nice to meet you, Brody. I hope your drive was good.”

“Sure. Driving Zolt’s Hummer is a dream, and now look what I’m rewarded with.” Brody licked his lips as he blatantly ogled Irelyn.

Shifting uncomfortably, Irelyn smiled at him. It wasn’t a placating grin but an ‘I’m calling your shit’ kind of grin.

“I see.” Irelyn cocked one of her lovely blonde brows.

“What?” Brody asked innocently.

Smug bastard!
My brother knew exactly what he was doing. This was his typical behavior since high school. We’d always been competitive in everything. Normally, I didn’t care. I was more than happy to give him my rejects. But Irelyn was different. I wasn’t about to let his pretty boy dimples and smiling eyes charm my girlfriend.

The word
girlfriend
echoed in my head. It had been years since that word had any meaning to me. Suddenly, I wanted to beat the shit out of Brody for just looking at her.

“You’re hot, Brody, but I don’t do brothers. Besides, I’m taken.” She winked at Brody, and then kissed me hard on the mouth. “I’m going in. I’m melting. Come on, Ben. I’ll get you some water and introduce you to Rufus.”

Ben didn’t hesitate to follow Irelyn into the house. Hell, both Brody and I were ready to follow her, too. Her shorts fit her perfectly. Just watching her walk was getting me hard.

As soon as Irelyn and Ben were in the house, I turned to Brody and punched him in the arm.

Hard.

“Dude, seriously, hands off. She’s different,” I growled as I invaded Brody space.

He put up his hands in surrender and stepped back. “I can see that. She’s what, twenty-two? A little young, don’t you think?”

“Twenty-one, and no, she’s not.” Irelyn’s age wasn’t, and would never be, a consideration.

“She’s fucking hot. You know, she kind of reminds me of the girl you use to describe from your hallucinations. Tall, blonde, sable-eyes…” Brody’s gaze widened in understanding. “Holy shit! She wasn’t a hallucination, was she? Because only that woman could have you acting like a caveman. You’re a fucking woman-eater normally.”

“Not anymore I’m not. Yes, it is her.” I let out a disbelieving laugh. “It’s un-fucking-believable, but true. She really does exist.”

“Whoa! I think I need a drink.” Brody ran his hands through his hair, leaving it standing up and spiky. Unlike me, he kept his hair short. My brother was older than me by two years, and I could already see a little gray in his brown hair at his temples.

“Let’s go in. Irelyn was right, it’s too hot out here,” I said and walked in the house, leaving Brody to grab his bags.

I situated my brother in the guest room and checked on Irelyn and the dogs. She was sitting by the pool, dangling her feet in the water, splashing her legs while the boys ran around. The dogs seemed to be getting along well, and it was good for Ben to have someone to run with.

“You want to do this now?” Brody asked, coming into the great room with his medical bag in hand. His demeanor had changed from brother mode to his professional doctor mode.

“Yeah. Let’s go in my office. I’d rather do this when Irelyn is occupied.” I left the great room and went into my office with Brody in tow. Once inside, I closed the door and pointed toward the small fridge. “There’s water in the fridge, might be beer, too.”

I sat on the couch, waiting for Brody to get his drink. One of the reasons for his visit was to do a checkup, mentally and physically. Having one of the nation’s top sports psychologists and M.D. in the family was handy.

Brody did all the normal checks; blood pressure, temperature, reflexes. We talked about my pain levels and how I was coping. I didn’t hold anything back from him. I never had though he often scolded me for the ways I’d chosen to cope. I knew that treating his brother went against ethical standards, but he did it anyway. I’d been in a bad way for several months after finally getting out of the hospital. Of the doctors I’d seen, Brody was the only one who’d really helped me. Maybe it was because he knew me. Had he not turned me on to medical marijuana, I wasn't sure I’d come out on the other side.

“What about the nightmares,” he asked, sitting back in the leather wing chair, making notes on his iPad.

“Haven’t had one since Irelyn has been staying with me.”

“Really? That’s remarkable. Shall we explore why you think that might be?” he asked in a clinical voice that made me want to cringe and laugh at the same time.

“No. I don’t want to examine it. I’m perfectly happy to be sleeping through the night, thank you.”

“What is your usage at?” he asked, giving me a quizzical look.

“It’s lessened some, I think.” I shrugged. I hadn’t really thought about it, but I guess I was smoking less since Irelyn. Shit, her being in my life had changed a lot of things.

What if she leaves?

I felt panic rise in me, and I drew in a deep breath. That same feeling of dread that I had learned not to ignore turned my blood cold.

“You’re panicking, Zolt. Why? Tell me what’s going on.” His voice was all business.

“What if she leaves? What if something happens?” I asked, voicing thoughts and feelings I’d rather not be in touch with.

“Were you surviving before Irelyn?”

“Barely.” It was hard to admit that, but it was the truth. I knew I sounded whipped. Maybe I was. But since she’d come into my life, I’d been happier. Now that she was in my bed, fuck, I was ecstatic.

I wiped my now damp hands on my shorts and stared at the ugly scars on my knee.

“She was there that day; she’s been here ever since.” I pointed to my head. “Now, she’s actually here with me, in my bed, and in my life. Brody, I never thought I’d find that. I don’t know what would happen to me if she was gone.”

“Why do you think she’ll leave, Zolt?” Brody steepled his fingers and looked down his nose at me, assessing me.

I fucking hated it when he did that. But he needed to know what was going on. So, I filled him in on everything concerning my position at the firm, Marcus, Chris’s death, and her father.

“Fuck Zolt, what the hell have you gotten yourself into? No wonder you’re panicking. You’ve made major life decisions based on Irelyn. I can’t believe you didn’t call me.” He let out a long, disbelieving sigh and pursed his lips.

“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

“Zolt, you’re not an impulsive man. Every move you’ve ever made as been calculated and well thought out.”

“Not always. Sexually, I’ve always been impulsive.”

Brody nodded. “I’ll give you that. But not career wise. You’ve worked your ass off to become a great lawyer, and before that a great quarterback. Are you sure this is the right move? Wait, are you in love with her?”

“I don’t know.” I looked down at my fingers, then back at Brody. “Maybe. She’s the only woman I’ve ever been with where I can see a future. I have to protect her. Marcus is bad news, Brody. There is no way I’ll let him succeed in his plans. I have enough money to last me the rest of my life. I can craft my career in any number of ways. Right now, this is what I need to do. But I can be an asshole. Irelyn already experienced that. I acted like a major dick to her just yesterday. I’ve warned her I’m capable of it. But what if it’s too much? What if she can’t handle me when my shadow-self descends on me?”

“Still calling it that, eh?” Brody snickered. “It sounds so ominous.”

“It feels ominous when it happens,” I retorted.

“Really? Because I think it’s an excuse. It’s a lot easier to justify your instances of acting out when you’re able to blame it on your alter ego.”

“If it’s not that, then what is it?” I leaned my elbows on my knees and rested my chin on my hands. Brody was starting to piss me off, but I couldn’t let him see it.

“Zolt, you don’t have Dissociative Identity Disorder. You have one personality and one only. When you’re being a dick, it’s because you’re acting out for whatever reason. The sooner you take responsibility for your behavior, the better off you’ll be. Now that you’re in a relationship, you better come to terms with yourself fast. Does she know that you smoke?”

“Yes. I’ve told her everything, Brody. I’ve kept nothing from her. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“Good. That’s a start in the right direction. Have you thought anymore about hypnosis?”

I shook my head. Brody had harped on me for years to try that form of therapy. He wanted to take me back to the injury and all that happened since then, but I refused. The nightmares were enough of a re-visitation.

“If you care about Irelyn, and I can see you do, you owe it to her to pursue every option. Otherwise, I’ll just have to charm her away from you,” Brody smiled a large, Cheshire cat smile.

“Not funny, Brody. Seriously, stay the fuck away from her. I mean it.” I stood up, no longer willing to have this conversation with him. Even if he was right, and he probably was, I was done. It was bad enough that the sense of dread wouldn’t abate. I didn’t need Brody pointing out my flaws on top of it. “Are we done?”

Brody nodded. “I’ll observe you for the next few days; then I’ll write your next prescription. We can talk about it later.”

“Fine,” I agreed, wanting to argue that I didn’t need to be observed, but knowing that Brody would do it anyway.

“No! Ben, Rufus, get back here now! Get out of the house! You’re getting water everywhere! Ugh!” Irelyn screamed from the other room.

Brody and I looked at each other and started laughing. God only knew what was going on in the other room, but it sounded like Irelyn had been bested by two dogs with minds of their own.