Chapter 288 - Claimed By My Stepbrother (Cadell Security Series)
Hallick’s POV
I could get drunk off the sounds my woman is making as I tease her neck with my lips, working my way up to her ear so I can suck her lobe between my teeth and bite gently.
‘Mark’ Seona whimpers, fisting the back of my shirt as though she hates that it’s a barrier to what she wants.
I move back to her mouth, parting her lips with my tongue as she eagerly lets me in. I give myself a few more minutes of ecstasy until the blonde bombshell in my arms starts to tug at my t-shirt, trying to pull it up and over my head.
Using every ounce of willpower I possess, I pull back, a flare of pride licking at my insides when I take in her flushed face and unfocused eyes as she breathes heavily.
‘Love’ I murmur softly, avoiding her as she attempts to catch my lips again. ‘Love’ I repeat until with a frown she looks up at me in confusion. ‘We need to slow down’ I tell her gently, reaching up a hand and tucking her hair behind her ear.
Seona’s eyes widen as she looks down between us, seeming to suddenly realise that she’s plastered to my body and no doubt equally aware of just how much her touch has affected me.
I see her cheeks flame, her chin starting to drop as embarrassment washes through her. Quickly, I grab her chin, forcing her head back up so I can look in her eyes.
‘Don’t’ I tell her harshly, ‘don’t hide Seona, not from me.’
‘I . . I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have . . ‘ she waves a hand between us, as disappointment clouds her face.
Realising the issue, I tip her head up higher, pressing my lips to hers again for a second before pulling back.
‘Don’t think for one damn second that I didn’t want this love’ I rumble sternly. ‘I wanted this so f.ucking bad I’m a little worried I’m dreaming right now.’
A shy smile tilts up the corners of the blonde’s lips as she peeks up at me, ‘so why did you stop?’ she asks.
I sigh, leaning m forehead against hers, breathing in our mingled breathes.
‘Because it was only yesterday afternoon that you announced that you want to file for divorce’ I mutter. I cup her face with my hands, still crushing her slim body to the door frame, ‘I don’t want to take advantage of you love. You are raw right now, your emotions are all over the place, I . . ‘ I suck in a breath, preparing to lay it on the line. ‘I want you to want me for me, when you have had time to think about what you are doing . . when you know what you truly want. If, at that time, it’s truly me? Well I won’t turn you down.’
Seona unhooks her legs from around my waist, and I drop my hands to her hips, lowering her slowly as I groan internally from the feel of her body sliding down my own.
She gives me a small smile, her arms still around my neck as she looks up at me, those diamond blue eyes hypnotising me.
‘Thank you’ she murmurs quietly.
‘For what?’ I ask, genuinely confused.
‘For being so great’ Seona replies, ‘for thinking about what is best for me even when I’m maybe not.’
I nod, forcing a smile as I take a step back, feeling her arms slide from around my neck and down my chest as she releases me.
Biting down on her lip, she gives me a small smile, ‘umm, would it be OK if I used your phone?’ she asks me, shifting uncomfortably, ‘so I can ring the lawyer who helped me with the interview with the police?’
I immediately pull out the cell from my pocket and hand it to her, suddenly realising that Seona still doesn’t have a cell phone and mentally kicking myself.
She takes it, hesitating before looking up at me again, ‘I um . . I don’t know margo’s number’ she mutters, embarrassed.
Nodding quickly, I take the phone back, scrolling through my contacts until I reach Margo’s name and press it before handing the device back to the blonde who places it to her ear.
‘Umm, hello?’ she says nervously, ‘no no, it’s not Mark, umm, it’s Seona?’
She listens for a second before replying, nodding her head, ‘yes, I’m doing well, thank you, umm . . I was ringing about . . I just wondered if . . .’ her gaze flicks to me as I nod encouragingly.
Taking a deep breath, Seona blurts out, ‘I wanted to know if you would help me divorce my husband.’ The blonde falters a second before adding, ‘I um, don’t have a lot of money but I am selling fudge through Mackenzie’s store so . . maybe we could set up a payment plan for your fees? Is that possible? It’s OK if not, I can sort . . ‘
I tug the phone out of Seona’s hand, pressing it to my ear just in time to hear Margo reply, ‘My dear! It would be my pleasure to represent you, and don’t worry about the costs, if everything goes as I want it too, it won’t be you paying.’
‘Margo’ I grumble as she finishes, ‘Hallick, any costs that need covering, I’ll pay.’
I turn my back on Seona as the blonde tries to take the phone from me, already uttering protests. ‘You charge me, you got it?’ I repeat firmly, ‘if you get it back from that dickwad in the settlement we’ll figure it out but any money you need to get this done, I’ll sort it.’
I can hear the smile in Margo’s voice as she replies, ‘you got it Hallick, though, I’m curious, has someone broken his cardinal rule?’ she purrs with intrigue.
‘Don’t know what you’re talking about’ I scowl, ‘just get the process started and send Douchebag Davis the papers.’
Pulling the phone away from my ear, I finally hand it back to Seona who grabs it and presses it to her face.
‘Margo! Send my bills to me, Mark isn’t covering this, please . . ‘ She stops talking, listening to the other woman before sighing heavily as she glances at me.
‘Yes, I’m beginning to notice that he doesn’t like to see people struggle, yes I can come in tomorrow to meet with you, does Mark know the address?’ she asks in defeat moments later whilst raising an eyebrow at me in question. I quickly nod in agreement, silently letting the blonde know that I can get her to the appointment and know exactly where Margo's offices are. Seona converses a little longer, before wishing the lawyer goodbye and hanging up. Holding out the phone to me, she scowls cutely at me. ‘You don’t need to keep paying for me Mark’ she grumbles, ‘I have my own money, I can pay my own way.’
Stepping into her space again, pinning the blonde between my broad chest and the wall behind her.
‘Just because you can pay for it, doesn’t mean you have to’ I growl softly, tilting her chin upward toward me. ‘I have money, more than I need with nothing to buy so why not use it to make your life easier?’
Seona frowns before sighing heavily, lifting her hand to poke me in the chest. ‘It’s a loan’ she tells me sternly, ‘and I will pay you back, every cent, got it?’
I nod, smiling, yeah I got it, I just won’t be accepting it when she tries.
Grabbing the finger that’s poking me, I entwine each one with my own, stepping back and pulling her with me.
‘No more talk about money’ I tell her, ‘how about we go out, head to the mall and get you a cell phone?’
Seona’s eyes widen as excitement sparks within their depths though she immediately tries to squash it as she shakes her head.
‘No, I can’t afford one, not just yet, I can wait . . ‘
‘Love’ I growl, tugging her into me, and wrapping a possessive arm around her, ‘we’re getting you a cell phone, and I’m paying.’ I hold up a hand as she opens her mouth to argue, ‘don’t do it love’ I order, ‘this is for me as much as for you. Just in case something happens and we get separated or I have to be away from you. I need you to have a cell so you can contact me if you need me, this is for my own piece of mind.’
I don’t expand, but the implications of my words hang over us, I need Seona to have a way to contact me because this right here, our time in the apartment? It’s temporary. At some point the Cadell brothers are going to call me back to my real job as this right here isn’t bringing in a dime for the company, but they are still paying me.
When Seona’s divorce comes through, she’s going to move on with her life, find her own place to live, and even with what just happened between us, its unlikely that her new life will include me in any significant way. At the moment I’m her safe place, what do they call it? The Florence Nightingale effect? Falling for the person who saves you or some s.hit? I know that most likely what Seona feels right now is more to do with her situation than anything, when she steps out into the real world, she’s going to see that I’m not what she needs or wants. It was the main reason I put a stop to what she wanted earlier, despite my brain and blue balls screaming at me for being a p.ussy assed idiot.
No, I accept that what is going between us, isn’t real not in the way I want it to be, it’s a reaction to having someone be nice to her after years of being treated like s.hit. When she’s stronger, ready to move on and leave Davis behind, she’ll realise that there are much better men, less damaged men than me out there. So all I can do is make sure she’s safe, and that means buying her a phone so she can call me at any time if she needs help.
Instead of saying this to her, instead I pull her toward the kitchen table, getting her to take a seat and head back to the stove where I was getting ready to make our breakfast. Cracking an egg into a bowl, I shove any thoughts of our expiration date out of my mind. Today is about Seona, getting her a cell phone, maybe stopping next door for some lunch, starting her journey back to her life, the one that she deserves to have.