Page 8 of My Turn

“Mm. Tell me you have a costume for Halloween.”

“A costume? No, I’m almost thirty. I’m not dressing up.”

I licked my lips and regarded her carefully. She’d put on a sports bra under her tank top, but it didn’t do much to keep my eyes away from her chest. Her nipples were barely visible through the fabric and it was enough to make me step forward.Her eyes tracked me carefully. Whatever was in her gaze wasn’t something she’d let herself feel consciously, but her body knew.

“What time is your appointment with the lawyer tomorrow?” I asked, stopping just in front of her.

“Three,” she replied a little breathily. She blinked and took a long swig of her wine. When she spoke again, her voice was more normal. “I’m leaving right after my last class.”

“Stop at my house. I’ll drive you there.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I already told you I’m going with you, Alana. The whole investigation into his death was ridiculous and they shouldn’t have put you through it.”

“I’m sure they’ll look for any reason not to pay out.”

“Well, you’re entitled to the money. My house at two-thirty or I’ll have to hunt you down. And you won’t like that.”

With an eye roll, she gave me a curt nod. I watched her drink more of the wine and felt a surge of possessiveness travel through me. I poured her another glass before I sat on the counter and pulled out my phone.

“I’m ordering Chipotle. You want the same as usual?”

She chewed on her lip, looking apprehensive. “My jeans say I shouldn’t.”

“Alright, so extra chips and queso. Got it.”

Ignoring her glare, I went ahead and made the order. Her body was perfect in every way and if she thought going up a size in pants would make me see her as anything less, she was crazier than I thought.

*****

Alana was tense as she stared at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing she’d seen all year. Inside, she was probably panicking at a million miles per hour. It was possible she had good reason to, but I hadn’t voiced my concerns because that’s all they were. Concerns. Unfounded, but with rightful suspicion.

After Jake died last November, she expected to get his life insurance money. She was the beneficiary, after all. They wanted to ‘look into it more’, though. Apparently, arson raises concerns when it comes to payouts.

Yeah, sure. The cat was out for blood and wanted to help Alana get rid of her fiancé so that she could get a bunch of money.

I had my own worries when they began digging into the incident, but I was confident everything would be just fine. It was a long eleven months, but now it was finally time. She needed this money. She got by on her salary, but it was nowhere near enough considering the cost of living in Albany. Since she wouldn’t let me take care of her, I had to rely on my brother.

It was… not ideal. The bastard wasn’t all he was cracked up to be, but that wasn’t important right now. She was.

“Hey, breathe,” I cooed as I took her hand. I held it in my lap, rubbing tight circles over her skin with my thumb. She visibly relaxed, even though her shoulders were still tight.

I wanted to calm her down, take her mind off of it. I imagined splaying her out on the floor and suffocating myself between her legs. If I gave her the best orgasm of her life, it’d be impossible for her to be this worked up. She wouldn’t even be able to think straight.

Depending how this day went, maybe that was exactly what I’d do.

“There was nothing suspicious about his death,” I reassured her. “They were just being corporate assholes. Everything’s fine.”

She nodded but before she could respond, the door to a conference room opened.

“Miss Monroe,” a woman in a pencil skirt and blazer said, ushering us inside. I slipped my arm around Alana’s shoulders protectively until we took our seats.

My hand twitched with the urge to keep touching her. I wanted to rest it on her thigh or hold onto the back of her neck. Anything to let her know that I was here offering my support. I’d always been here and I always would be. Only death could attempt to tear me away from Alana and even then, I wasn’t sure that hell could restrain me. Not when it came to her. I’d drag her into the void with me if that’s what it took.

Blinking a few times, I watched the woman and a younger man rifle through some papers. He looked like an assistant, youthful and eager to please. From the way her fingers brushed over his as he handed her a file, I was pretty sure they were fucking. It was funny to see the traditional stereotypes reversed- maybe even a little satisfying. A man trying to sleep his way to the top. I loved the dashing of gender assumptions in the modern age.

Do you know who hadn’t loved it? Jaykob, although he’d never outwardly say that. Alana was independent and it was something he’d loved about her early in their relationship. When things got real and they moved in together, started working, paying bills, and doing housework, that was when shit went downhill.

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