AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I love you, Russell. Thank you for being here for me these last couple of months. I honestly didn’t think mom’s death was going to impact me as much as it has.”
Slipping an arm around her, he pressed a kiss to her temple. It took another twenty minutes to get to cruising altitude, but when they did, he stood and held his hand out to her.
“Leave the drink. Let’s go.”
She obediently followed him to the plane’s small bedroom and waited for his instructions.
Russell squeezed her shoulders and frowned when he found knots there.
“Why so tense?”
Gemma shook her head. “Life? Who knows.”
He kissed the back of her neck. “The first thing we’ll do is book you a massage when we get there.”
He nudged her toward the bed and told her to lie face down. When she was settled, he straddled her, resting most of his weight on his own legs, he dug deeper into the knots in her neck and shoulders. And since he knew her well, he used a lot of pressure, making her gasp as he loosened the knots.
“That’s better,” he said a few minutes later as he climbed off her and smacked her ass.
Her yelp made him smile, and he rolled up his shirt sleeves. “Turn over and look at me, Treasure.”
When she did, he sat next to her on the bed and picked up her hand.
“This resort is known for having celebrity visitors, so their security is supposed to be top-notch. But I need to hear that you’re going to be careful.”
She rolled her eyes, and he reached out and pinched one of her nipples through her shirt.
“Drop the attitude. I’m serious, Gemma. You’ve had too many run-ins with the press lately. If you don’t want me to lock you in our suite, you’ll give me the assurances I need.”
He didn’t let go of her nipple until she squealed and bobbed her head in agreement.
“Let me hear it, love.”
“I’ll be careful, Russell. I swear. But I’m not going to be smothered by you on our vacation. You said it yourself. Their security is top-notch.”
Russell laughed and shook his head. “I said it was supposed to be. We’ll find out when we get there. Until then, I expect you to behave and follow orders. Understood?”
“I get it, Russell. You’re going to be a hard ass, even though we’re on vacation. Thanks for the heads up.”
She huffed and rolled away from him.
With a tisk of his tongue, he fisted a hand in her hair and pulled her to sitting.
“Want to try that again?”
She looked at him with a quivering lip, and he immediately loosened his grip. It took a lot to bring Gemma to the brink of tears. Something beyond her annoyance with him was going on.
“Talk to me,” he murmured, pulling her into his lap.
“It’s nothing. I’m being silly. Sorry for snapping at you.”
He shakes his head with a stern expression. “Not so fast, little one. Your feelings aren’t silly. We had this discussion recently. Tell me what’s wrong.”
She tucked her face into the crook of his neck, and he stroked her hair, letting her sit in silence for several minutes.
Finally, she raised her head and cupped his jaw. “You’re so good to me. I’m most myself when we’re in bed together or at the club. Everywhere else, I struggle to belong. Like I’m not quite doing what I’m meant to.”
He put his hand over hers against his face and closed his eyes. Her touch was his favorite thing and had been since the first time he felt her skin on his.
