Gilded Cage Page 10

  “Over the years, I kept digging dirt about Blackwell and Stanford, looking for my baby niece. And as everyone knows, Blackwell kept Lillian well away from the public’s view. But I had a hunch that Lillian might be my brother’s daughter. The time of her birth and Keith’s death seemed too much to be coincidental. About a year ago, I was able to bribe one of Blackwell’s staff to obtain Lillian’s DNA sample. We compared it to mine and we came to the conclusion that Lillian is indeed my brother’s daughter.” Robert Thurman turned to Lillian. “I had to get you out of there, Lillian. I tried to initiate several lawsuits to get paternity tests and custody, but Blackwell’s lawyers bought the judges and shut down the suits. William Blackwell is untouchable.“

  Thurman paused to take a deep breath. “Last spring, I came in contact with General MacCunnen. My company has an exclusive contract with the Pentagon. General MacCunnen heard about my case and agreed to help me. He told me if there was one man who was capable of smuggling Lillian out of Blackwell’s hand, that would be you, Mr. Shea.”

  Brandon rounded his eyes. “So, this was a set up?”

  “In a way. General MacCunnen said since this was a personal matter, he couldn’t possibly ask you, since he said you’d been through a rough time, but when he heard you were looking for a job, he thought you might be the right person to save Lillian. He spoke highly of you, Mr. Shea. He said you’re a person who couldn’t stand to see injustice. With the rumours I’d heard about how Lillian was being treated, we thought you might feel compelled to save her. So we arranged to have one of Gray’s security team incapacitated from his duty so you could take his place.”

  “Are you saying Kurt Wolfe’s bar brawl was staged?”

  “Indeed. We vetted out every security executive in Gray’s team and Kurt Wolfe was the easiest target to pick because of his temper. We paid a couple of freelancers to set up a bar brawl and make sure he wouldn’t be capable of working afterwards. With General MacCunnen’s connections, he was able to get you in to replace Kurt Wolfe’s position. If the rumours we heard about Lillian were true, General MacCunnen vouched to me that you wouldn’t sit still and watch her being abused.” Robert Thurman patted her on the shoulder dotingly. “I’m glad you’re now safe, Lillian. I know this might come as a shock, but I just want to let you know that you have a family who’s looking forward to meeting you. Especially your grandmother. She’s most eager to see Keith’s daughter. To be honest, he was always her favourite son.”

  Lillian tightened her grip on Brandon’s hand. At first, she didn’t know what to say. She’d always thought she was all alone in the world, but now she’d discovered she had family she could go home to. She managed a nod, then her thanks. “I’m looking forward to meeting her, too.”

  Robert Thurman smiled. “From now on, everything is going to be all right. You’re in good hands.” He turned to Brandon and stuck out his hand. “Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Shea. Without it, I don’t think I’d have been able to see my niece.”

  Brandon shook his hand back. “Don’t mention it.”

  “Fine work, Mr. Shea,” Admiral Walter added. He had the bluest eyes Lillian had ever seen. They looked in contrast with the white uniform he was wearing. The admiral nodded at her then at Robert Thurman. “General MacCunnen’d requested that I arrange a flight out of Japan. Unfortunately, the best I can do under such short notification request is a C-seventeen. I hope you won’t mind the inconvenience.”

  “What’s a C-seventeen?” Lillian was curious.

  “It’s a military plane, Miss Blackwell. It’ll be a short flight. We’re only taking you to our base in Seoul. From there, we’ll arrange a commercial flight to London.”

  “London?”

  “That’s where your family lives, Lillian.” Thurman fixed his sliding glasses. “You’ll love London. It’s lovely at this time of the year.”

  “I see.”

  “The plane won’t be ready for another hour,” Admiral Walter told her. “Why don’t you have a short rest in the meantime? Lieutenant Simpson will come for you when we’re ready to go.”

  “Thank you.”

  Brandon looked brooding when they were alone in the sick bay.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “London, huh? Are you going to stay with your family?”

  Lillian saw the problem. He must’ve felt insecure knowing she had a family now. But she wasn’t planning on staying with her newfound family. She’d go wherever Brandon went. She’d never let him out of her sight again. He was hers. She would follow him to Hell and back if she had to.

  Lillian pouted. “Are you trying to ditch me?”

  “That’s not what I meant, babe. I’m just thinking, now that you have…”

  Lillian grabbed the collar of his shirt. “‘Cause I’ll kill you if you’re trying to ditch me.”

  His laughter erupted. “My. When did you get violent all of a sudden?”

  She laughed with him. “I love you, you know? I’d go insane if I never saw you again.”

  “Babe.” Brandon crushed his mouth on hers, kissing her deeply.

  Lillian wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with the same heat.

  “Look. I’m just an ordinary guy. I can’t give you the luxury you’re used to. Our life is going to be rough for a while until I can find a steady job.”

  What the hell was he talking about? She had that money in the Schwab account she’d originally planned to use to pay him for getting her out of the wedding. The interest alone would enable them a comfortable living for a lifetime. Not a billionaire lifestyle, but the nice suburban, white-picket-fence lifestyle she’d always wanted. “As long as you feed me three times a day, I won’t complain. But burgers must be included in one of those meals.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Epilogue

  Las Vegas, ten days later…

  Brandon wasn’t fond of being in the middle of loud music and a sea of writhing bodies. That was why he avoided nightclubs and such like the black plague. But since he’d promised to take Lillian to one when they were in America, he felt obligated to indulge her. He’d decided to take Lillian to Vegas before they went to visit his mother in Tennessee. Where else could they find better nightlife in the states than Sin City?

  They’d met Lillian’s family in London. Nice, polite bunch, but rather stiff for his liking. He guessed that was typical for upper class British snobs. Lillian’s uncle was surprised when she said she didn’t want to live with them. She wanted to go to America with Brandon and she was adamant about it. When they asked what exactly the relationship between them was, Lillian had casually flaunted that she was the future Mrs. Shea. Brandon was sure she’d done it to negate their objection about her not wanting to live with her newfound family, but it seriously got Brandon thinking. Did she really want that? To become his wife?

  There was nothing he wanted more than to claim Lillian as his forever. Legally. He only hesitated because of his financial situation. He planned to wait until he found a job so he could give her the comfortable life she deserved.

  However, his financial woes were resolved when they flew from London to Washington to see General MacCunnen. His former boss, who worked in the Pentagon, wanted to meet him personally and discuss a few things with him. William Blackwell was outraged with Lillian being reunited with her real family. Stanford was outraged, too, Brandon had been told. That asstard was still in hospital. Apparently he hadn’t recovered from the lovely parting gifts Brandon had given him. Brandon also heard the toad man had become even uglier than before. He’d suffered a severe infection from the cigarette burns on his face. General MacCunnen said that Blackwell and Stanford had become persons of interests to Scotland Yard and Interpol in regards to the deaths of Keith Thurman and Gillian Blackwell.

  Among the private and business matters regarding Blackwell and Stanford, MacCunnen had also arranged a meeting with the director of the CIA. They offered Brandon a job as a security consultant for the White House. With
his impeccable record and skills, they deemed Brandon as a valuable addition to serve in the president’s foreign affairs team. The job wouldn’t require him to travel, so he could spend time with Lillian, and the government’s job benefits were excellent. Brandon jumped at the opportunity at once and he was due to start work in two weeks. But first, he wanted to take Lillian on some sightseeing and fun. Visiting his mom and his brother in Tennessee. With a lot of sex in between.

  Speaking about sex, he hadn’t had a chance to get his hands on her since the love hotel in Tokyo. They were always surrounded by people. Lillian’s uncle, grandma, family and the dreadful lawyers. That one week they’d spent in London had felt like a circus tour. Lillian always teased him for a quickie, but he didn’t want the risk of getting caught. It was different being caught in flagrante delicto by strangers, but when someone you knew caught you red-handed with your pants down, things could get messy.

  But tonight, he hoped he would get lucky. He’d been hard ever since they’d arrived at the airport. General MacCunnen had unexpectedly given him an advance to help him settle with his new job in Washington. While Lillian napped in their hotel room, he’d sneaked out to buy an engagement ring. He planned to ask her tonight.

  Brandon elbowed his way through people on the dance floor. Boy, did Lillian love to dance until she finally had to go to the bathroom. He wanted to get her then take her onto the rooftop of Mirage’s. He thought proposing to a woman under the moonlight was very romantic. And the Mirage’s new rooftop café was open all night.

  Perfect.

  He waited in front of the ladies restroom impatiently. Brandon glanced at his watch. It’d been twenty minutes. What could she possibly be doing in there for twenty minutes? Women. Brandon decided to push the door and entered.

  The ladies bathroom was almost as dim as the dance floor, except for the sink area. No one in there except Lillian. He saw her putting on her lipstick when he came in. Her long hair was braided on each side. Her black mini-dress hung just below her hips and the five-inch stilettos she wore made his erection become painful. Her eyes widened and a mischievous smile plastered her face when she saw him coming.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?” she teased.

  Brandon snatched her slim waist and planted a light kiss on top of her head. “Let’s go. This place is giving me a headache.”

  “It’s not this place that gave you a headache, Brandon-chan. It’s your hard-on.” To make matters worse, the naughty girl groped his crotch and squeezed his erection. “Am I right?”

  Brandon cursed. Heat surged to his head. His arousal had turned into full-blown need. “Let’s go back to the hotel, then.”

  “Already? But you promised me you’d take me to a barbeque place.”

  “Well, in that case.” Brandon pushed open a bathroom stall and pulled Lillian in.

  A woman entered the restroom, frowning.

  “Hey!” She pointed a finger at him. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”

  “Get bent.” Brandon slammed the stall door closed and locked it.

  Lillian held in her laugh. Her eyes twinkled naughtily. He turned her around and pushed her flat against the wall. The stall was a little cramped for both of them, but he managed. Her body shivered with excitement when he felt her all over. A small whimper came out of her mouth when he kissed the nape of her neck. God. She smelled so damn good. Her perfume, mingled with perspiration and her own natural scent, made his cock throb even harder.

  “Miss me?” she asked.

  “Hell yeah. Missed you a lot.” He groped her inner thighs and slid his hands upward to cup her pussy. He was pleasantly surprised when he found her damp. “Miss me, too?”

  “Good guess, Sherlock. I think women need to get laid on a regular basis just like men do, you know?”

  Brandon snorted. “Minx.”

  “Beast.”

  She got that part right. He had difficulty controlling his primal lust each time she teased him. Brandon hiked up her mini dress. His gaze slid down. Goddamn. He didn’t know she was wearing a thong. A G-string to be exact. The black, lacy too-skimpy-to-be-called-panties contraption looked deliciously tempting against her smooth, alabaster skin. Brandon yanked her G-string down. It fell around her ankles. With his knee, he pushed her legs apart and slid a hand directly onto her sex. Fuck. She was moistened. Lillian moaned when he parted her pussy lips and thrust two fingers into her cunt. Her pussy instinctively clasped around his knuckles. Wickedly hot and wet. God, he loved it.

  Lillian whimpered as he finger fucked her. She craned her neck sideways, wanting his kiss. Brandon was more than happy to oblige. Her lips tasted sweet, laced with the orange soda she’d been drinking. He pried her mouth open with his tongue and devoured her. Kittenish mewls curled out from her throat. Her nails scraped against the wall. Her pussy tightened, gripping his fingers harder. Brandon broke the kiss. Her warm juice wetted his palm.

  “Fuck me, please.”

  Her plea served like a burning match to gasoline. His cock was so hard it hurt.

  “Babe,” he breathed out, “you don’t know how much I want to do just that.” Brandon withdrew his fingers and unzipped his pants. His cock sprang free.

  “Oh.”

  Lillian shivered when he ground his cock on the swell of her ass. His cock pulsed. He positioned the tip at her opening and sank himself into her until his thatch grazed her perineum. Her mewls sharpened.

  God. Brandon closed his eyes. He didn’t remember she felt this good. Her pussy fluttered around his hard shaft, tightening, clenching, bathing him in silky, hot juice. Her mewls turned into a series of whimpers and sobs.

  “Fuck me, please.”

  Damn right, he would. Brandon slid his hands to her breasts and molested her nipples. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples hardened even more as he pinched and rolled them. He plunged and pulled, fucking her with short, vicious thrusts.

  “Yes, yes,” she sobbed. “Harder.”

  Shit. Brandon granted what she wanted without thinking. The impulse caught him unaware. He didn’t want to hurt her. He’d been holding back each time he fucked her. She didn’t know how dangerous he could be once the beast inside him was permitted to roam free. Lillian seemed delirious. She writhed and moaned, her nails scratching the faux plaster of the wall. Her spine kinked, throat gurgling as she mumbled her unmistakable need that he understood just too damn well.

  “Love me hard. Please.”

  Brandon was lost. Loving her hard was all he wanted. Emotionally and physically. Like a beast let off its reins, Brandon lunged and yanked, flooding her with a series of torrential fucks that was sure to bruise her for days.

  “Yes, God, yes,” she gasped. “Oh.” Suddenly, Lillian tensed. Eyes shut. Muscles coiled. Her pussy gripped him like a vice and her whimpers turned into a half-mad growl. She came.

  Brandon paused, giving her the chance to ride the endorphins. She trembled when it passed. Sweat plastered her face. Her eyes were glazed with ecstasy. Brandon pulled out from her. He closed the toilet seat and sat on it.

  “Come.” He tugged her hand. “Ride me.”

  Lillian was still shaking when she straddled him and sank onto his granite-hard cock. “Oh.” She looked dreamy.

  Brandon grabbed her ass and pounded her, picking up the pace where he’d left off. Lillian braced herself, holding onto his shoulders. Her pretty mouth opened and closed. Eyes wide and soulful. God, she was so beautiful. His woman.

  His Rapunzel from the Tall Tower.

  Brandon undid her braids, wanting to see her lovely hair flowing like a river of golden silk. He kissed the hollow of her throat. Nipped her shoulder blade. Grabbed a fist of her hair and inhaled her scent deeply.

  Lillian bucked and met his thrusts. She seemed caught up in a thick torrent of pleasure and was as eager to finish it as he was. Brandon pummelled half a dozen strokes and climaxed. He shut his eyes, surrendering himself to the unforgiving force, letting himself drown in pure pleasure. He came so hard he fe
lt as if his soul was draining along with his seed. She came a heartbeat after him. Brandon buried his face in her chest, on her tangled mass of her silky, gold-spun hair. His cock spasmed. Her cunt milked him to his last drop.

  “I love you,” he whispered, when the last tide of pleasure ebbed away.

  Her eyes brightened from his declaration.

  “I know this is a lousy place to ask. I originally wanted to take you somewhere else, but I just can’t wait any longer…” Brandon lifted her thigh, fished the box from his jeans pocket, and showed her the ring. “Will you marry me, Lillian?”

  For a moment, Lillian was speechless. “I thought you’d never ask. Yes, a thousand yeses.” She put the ring on her finger and gave him a wet, sloppy kiss. “It’s gorgeous.” She wriggled her fingers. “You don’t know how happy I am.”

  “It’s just a regu—”

  “It’s gorgeous,” Lillian cut him off. She laughed, her eyes sliding back and forth between him and her new ring. “What do you think?”

  “Looks good on you, babe.”

  Lillian’s eyes flashed mischievously. “Does this mean we can have a Vegas wedding?”

  “Vegas wedding? Why not?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Tonight? You sure?”

  “Hell, yes. I like the sound of Mrs. Lillian Shea.”

  Brandon laughed and gave her a quick kiss. “The name does suit you well.”

  About the Author

  I write. I doodle. I play guitar. Not necessarily in that order. I’m an incurable chatterbox, heavy metal aficionado, bookworm and a night owl, since most of my stories are done in the wee hours of the morning because of my caffeine-induced insomnia. I’m a big South Park fan, and I’m fluent in Cartman speak and I’m working on mastering my Kennynese. Cookies and donuts are my main diet and I currently owe a fortune to the swear jar. Visit my site: www.ilizzie.com to see my complete list of titles, read exclusive excerpts and hot erotic shorts, or watch the trailers of my books. Friend me, too, on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. I won’t bite, I promise.