Every Action (The Gifted Realm Book 3) Page 10

  Rainer spent the rest of the week refining his plans for Emily’s birthday. He was growing more excited with each passing day. The Haydenshires were spending the next Friday and the weekend at home. They were thoroughly exhausted from their campaigning travels. Governor Haydenshire was hearing trials set for Friday. Saturday night was one of the debates between he and Peterson.

  Mrs. Haydenshire was spending Friday and Saturday with the twins and cooking a meal for the entire family Sunday evening. Her security team, which consisted of eight Iodex officers, would be staying with she and the twins at the house so Rainer and Logan were to be in the office Friday, instead of babysitting.

  After dropping Emily off at the Arena and enduring Chloe and Garrett’s rather heated rekindling of their relationship, which was playing out in the parking lot, Rainer fell into his desk across from Logan.

  He tried to stop shuddering every time he recalled Garrett leaning Chloe out across the hood of her Thunderbird with his hands up her skirt and his tongue down her throat. Vindico had everyone catching up on paper work as they’d all been out in the field trying to keep the Haydenshires safe.

  With very little enthusiasm, Rainer set to work filling out paperwork on what he’d been doing the past few weeks and on taking down Malacai and LeCroy. His phone chirped just after he’d started in on the pile of paperwork on his desk. He smiled and pulled it from his pocket.

  Just changing for practice, and I missed you.

  Was the text. Only Emily had added a picture of her cleavage to accompany the text. He could see the very tops of her areolas and he caught himself trying to angle the phone in a futile effort to see more. Rainer panted as he forced himself to close the text and get back to work. He worked steadily and tried not to think that if Emily was texting him pictures of her cleavage then she was definitely up for a little fun later. Rainer continued to slog laboriously through the budgetary reports on his Iodex gear.

  A little while later, his phone chirped again, and Rainer snatched it off his desk frantically. Logan gave him a quizzical glance. His brain was at war with his body. He’d hoped momentarily that there would be another picture. This one might perhaps reveal a little more.

  Hey, remember when we were little?

  Rainer was too intrigued to get much work done until the next part of the message came through. A minute later, clearly playing with him, she filled in.

  And I told you I wanted to touch it?

  Rainer turned the phone face down on his desk. He clenched his jaw as he forced his way through another budget document he had to read and sign. He’d reread the same line four times when Emily completed the message with:

  Yeah, well I still want to....

  He momentarily debated booking a hotel room in Alexandria for lunch, picking Emily up from the Arena, and doing all of the things racing through his mind. Rainer’s entire body pulled taut as he allowed himself a few minutes to fantasize. Just before he and Logan left to grab some lunch, another text came through. He quickly jerked his phone off his desk and read the words—

  Hungry baby? Cuz I sure am.

  Rainer stifled a groan and texted back:

  “You have no idea how badly I want you. You’re driving me out of my mind.”

  With that, he shoved his phone in his pocket and followed Logan to the cafeteria. Emily texted a smiley face back.

  Vindico and Garrett joined the line in the Senate cafeteria behind Rainer.

  “Hey, Bridgette really wants to see a Summation challenge and the stadium and everything. So, I was thinking about bringing her out to Angels Arena tonight. Maybe we could grab some dinner afterwards?” Rainer noted that his boss seemed to have no interest in either Bridgette or touring Angels Arena. He assumed this was something else he was doing to keep Bridgette spying on Wretchkinsides and his men that were frequenting the strip club, where she worked, more and more often.

  “I have to pick Adeline up, but I could meet you somewhere after that?” Logan offered off handedly. Rainer tried not to grimace. He had planned on picking Emily up from practice, feeding her something on the way home, and then carrying her to their bedroom and engaging her in things he sincerely hoped would drive her wild that evening. He hadn’t been planning to force her to give Vindico’s stripper girlfriend a tour of Angels Arena and then to endure a dinner date with his boss. It did strike Rainer as odd that Garrett looked so concerned. Nothing shook Garrett.

  “If Em’s up for it, I guess it’s good with me.” Rainer answered. He didn’t particularly care that Vindico could tell he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Emily texted again while Rainer ate a bowl of chili with Logan and Vindico.

  So, no joke, Chloe is throwing one of those lingerie and sex toy parties today, here, and she’s giving us a two hour lunch to attend. She’s pretty jazzed about making up with Garrett, but what I need to know is if you prefer me in lace or satin and do you like black or purple better...

  While imagining the sassy grin that was most definitely on Emily’s face at that moment, Rainer stifled a groan. The following text a moment later added,

  Oh there are leather options as well, and what do you think about vibes? Fionna said we could play with it together.

  Rainer accidentally dropped his spoon. It clanged loudly in his nearly empty chili bowl. Vindico and Logan gave him quizzical glares. It took him a long moment to force his mind off of Emily and Fionna Styler and a vibrator. He called himself several derogatory phrases as he realized that Emily had meant that Fionna had suggested that he and Emily could play with one together. As Rainer followed a few steps behind Vindico and Logan back to the Iodex offices, another text came through.

  He decided to wait until he was back at his desk to read it. He tried to listen to Logan and Vindico’s conversation about the debates the following evening but found his mind full of images of Emily’s body twisted in extremely lurid poses and making extremely dirty requests of Rainer. He added a vibrator into his imagery and suddenly his heart was flying.

  He fell into his chair. He didn’t want to walk any further in his current state. Rainer pulled his phone and read.

  So we got to try a few things on...

  The attached picture was of just the top of Emily’s thigh. It was covered in something that was black satin with a v hem that was covered in black lace. His heart raced. That was all that Rainer needed to see to make him ache for more.

  He tried desperately to concentrate on everything he was supposed to be catching up on. He almost whimpered when the next message came through. After he picked up his phone, he furrowed his brow as he read:

  TDTM.

  He texted back question marks and moved on to the next form in his pile. Emily replied instantly.

  Talk Dirty To Me.

  She added another smiley face. With a slight headshake, Rainer texted back.

  Are you enjoying driving me slowly out of my mind, Miss Haydenshire?

  Yes!

  Was her immediate response.

  She gave Rainer a little break, and he worked his way through several of the files on his desk before she texted again. He shook himself from the banality of the Interfeci accounts that Iodex watched constantly.

  Kind of been a long week. I need you to help me unwind.

  After deciding that if she could play he could as well, Rainer considered for a moment before responding. He recalled her earlier request.

  “Don’t worry baby. I’ll make everything feel better. You just lay back and take it, sweetheart cuz I’m gonna tear you up.”

  Her response of…

  Yum! I can’t wait

  Only served to make Rainer ache more. At four thirty, she sent over another picture.

  Just about to hit the showers. Wish you were here to wash me and dry me off.

  The words were under a shot of Emily standing in the Angels locker room. She’d draped a towel around herself loosely, but he could see the luscious curves of her breasts and a sliver of her backside.

  Rainer turned his sl
ight groan into a cough, but he assumed he hadn’t covered it well as Logan and several other officers shot him goading smirks. By five, Rainer was thrumming. His entire body was poised and ready to take her and make her all his own. He signed his name on the last piece of paper on his desk and sprinted to his car.

  Bridgette

  When he arrived at Angels Arena, and whisked through the security detail and into the stadium, he found the entire team standing furiously outside of the locker rooms.

  The angry scowl etched on Emily’s face wasn’t at all what Rainer had been expecting when he’d flown there from the Senate.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” He glanced around wondered why the girls weren’t showering and changing.

  “You mean you don’t know?” Emily spat sharply.

  “Uh no.”

  He glanced up and down the line of scowling Angels all with their arms crossed over their chests. Rainer shook his head in utter confusion.

  “Wait, where’s Fionna?” He realized someone was missing.

  “She went home in tears.” Emily huffed. “Vindico is here and asked Chloe to give he and Bridgette a tour of the stadium, but wait there’s more. Bridgette showed up here, in her Tantra uniform!” Emily used finger quotes around the word uniform as Rainer’s mouth fell open.

  “Yeah,” Emily huffed, “and apparently they’re going out to dinner with us?” She growled ominously. “So Bridgette informed Chloe that she needed to use the shower and locker room to get ready. So, despite the fact that she doesn’t seem to have any problem taking her clothes off in front of men all freaking day, she doesn’t change clothes with women. So we’re all stuck out here until she finishes!” Emily’s acrimony was rolling in enflamed red waves off her rhythms. She gave Rainer a hateful glare.

  His mind raced. He wasn’t certain where to begin, and he didn’t really want to plead for forgiveness in front of the majority of the Arlington Angels. Rainer tried to think of something to say. Being incredibly turned on all day had made him stupid. He thought dejectedly.

  He drew a deep breath and took in all of the irritated glares he was receiving.

  “Em, I never told Vindico we would go out with them. He mentioned at lunch that he was thinking about bringing her out here tonight and asked if we wanted to get something to eat. I told him I’d see if you wanted to go, honest.” Rainer glanced around to make certain Vindico wasn’t in the general vicinity. “I was planning on bowing out. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I had no idea he’d do this.” He gestured to Emily and all of her teammates lined up outside of the Angel’s locker rooms.

  “Rainer,” Emily edged away from the Angels slightly. “I’ve been texting you all day! You could’ve said something about dinner, before Vindico got here and informed me that we’re going out!” Furious tears pricked her eyes. She wasn’t just annoyed. She was hurt.

  “Em,” Rainer took her hand and pulled her to the other end of the hallway, out of earshot of the other Angels. “Baby,” he pled. “Please believe me. You have had me tied in knots all day. All I wanted to do was come pick you up and take you home to bed. That’s all I’ve been able to think about all day. I don’t want to go out with my boss and his stripper girlfriend. Honestly, I don’t know which one of them is using the other one more! I want to go out with you and then do all of the things you’ve been texting me about all day long!” Rainer vowed adamantly. Emily couldn’t quite hide her extremely pleased grin, and Rainer knew he’d gotten to her.

  “But we have to go out with them don’t we?” She finally demanded. Rainer nodded.

  “He’s my boss, Emily.” He was thoroughly irritated with Vindico. He’d convinced her, and she was on the verge of forgiving him right up until the moment that Bridgette stepped out of the locker rooms.

  Emily’s eyes goggled, and Rainer turned to see Bridgette wearing a mini-skirt so short Rainer had no idea how she would be able to sit down without showing off everything and a red halter top with a v neck collar that dropped all the way to her navel. Her breasts were only marginally covered, and Rainer spun back to Emily instantly.

  “I thought she was changing!” Emily narrowed her eyes furiously and ground her teeth.

  “She did!” She seethed viciously and stormed into the changing rooms to get her things. She left Rainer standing in the far end of the corridor. His head dropped in defeat. He stood there and stared after her, for a moment, but then he made his way back onto the field to wait.

  Vindico was doing something on his phone. He didn’t seem to have noticed his date’s lack of suitable clothing. He nodded to Rainer as he stowed his phone in his pocket.

  “You’ve met Bridgette right?” He quizzed.

  “Uh yeah. You introduced us at the office the day she came by.” Rainer gave Bridgette a half-hearted smile. Vindico received another text and went back to his phone.

  “Hey there’s a great hibachi place near here. I just texted Logan and Garrett to see if they wanted to get one of the four-sides with us.” Vindico informed Rainer, a moment later.

  “Great,” Rainer felt utter defeat wash over him as he tried to envision Emily, Adeline, and Chloe Sawyer, Fionna’s best friend since childhood, having dinner with Bridgette. Garrett appeared before the girls were finished changing. He gave Vindico a nod and slapped him on the back. He had a polite smile for Bridgette. Garrett and Rainer exchanged a knowing look. Their evening would be spent trying to keep peace between Chloe and Emily and Bridgette.

  Although Chloe was most definitely a live-and-let-live party girl, Rainer knew that she, just like Emily, could become quite vicious when it came to defending someone they adored as much as Fionna. Garrett edged Rainer away from Bridgette and Vindico.

  “All right, now, I’ve never steered you wrong so listen up.” Garrett began. Absolutely certain that was not true, Rainer nodded anyway.

  “Chloe and I are going to ride with you and Em. Let them get it out of their system before we get to the restaurant, or this is going to get ugly. Dan doesn’t have any idea that Fionna has been pining for him for years, and, for her sake, we need to keep it that way.” Garrett insisted. After deciding that this was one of Garrett’s better ideas, Rainer agreed.

  “Even if they don’t say anything about Fionna, they’re not going to be nice to her dressed like that.” Rainer hissed.

  “Yeah, well, Dan kept putting her off on meeting his friends, but she got insistent now that they’re together-together.” Garrett explained. “Just don’t get caught trying to catch a peek or there will be hell to pay for that too.” Garrett lamented. With a slight shudder, Rainer decided that it wasn’t worth telling Garrett how far off base he was, if he thought Rainer wanted a peek of anything that wasn’t attached to Emily. He rolled his eyes. Unable to believe what his evening was rapidly deteriorating into compared with what he’d been planning all day. Rainer’s fantasies changed rapidly from the things he so desperately wanted to be doing to Emily into images of him with his hands wrapped around Vindico’s neck.

  The girls emerged, scowled furiously, and glared hatefully at Bridgette. Chloe was frantically texting, and Rainer didn’t have to ask whom she might be talking to as his stomach churned uncomfortably.

  “Hey, I’m on my bike, baby, since this was all kind of last minute. Why don’t we just ride with Rainer and Em to the restaurant?” Garrett drawled smoothly.

  “Whatever!” Chloe spat. Her eyes shot daggers at Bridgette. Garrett had a rather nice Harley Soft Tail Fat Boy that he drove occasionally. He’d clearly been planning strategically, since he’d gotten the invite from Vindico at lunch. Rainer wished he’d had his brain above his belt line for more of the day, and could have eased Emily into this a little more smoothly than he’d been able.

  “Ready?” Vindico quizzed. Everyone nodded and followed Vindico and Bridgette out of the stadium. Rainer tried to take Emily’s hand, but she jerked it away defiantly. With a defeated sigh, Rainer whispered another apology as he opened the Mustang’s door and pulled the seat forward to allo
w Chloe to climb in the back, beside Garrett.

  Once Emily was seated, Rainer moved to the driver’s side and watched Emily’s eyes swirl with utter hatred as Bridgette threw her leg over Vindico’s Agusta and slide her arms tightly around his chiseled chest.

  Rainer cranked the Mustang. He started to rev the engine but decided against it. Emily was way beyond that being able to soothe her into smiling at him.

  “Fionna Styler! He could have Fionna Styler, but no; the stupid, freaking, idiot wants a skanky, Non-Gifted, whore! ” Chloe’s voice rang with indignation. Rainer grimaced. He didn’t really think the point was that Bridgette wasn’t Gifted and disliked the implication that Fionna was better only because she was.

  “Come on Chloe,” Garrett soothed. “You know Dan won’t date Gifted girls, and you know Fionna doesn’t need to get involved in all of his shit. Bridgette’s a distraction, and that’s all Dan will ever want. Fi deserves to be more than that.” Garrett’s voice was calming and quiet. Emily spun in her seat. She was still seething despite her big brother’s attempts to soothe both she and Chloe.

  “Why won’t he date Gifted girls?” She demanded of Garrett. With an audible huff, Garrett rolled his eyes. He seemed to think Emily should’ve figured that out on her own.

  “Come on Em. You don’t need me to explain this. Think about it.”

  “I’m too furious to think, so just tell me, Garrett!” Emily’s entire body was braced to claw either her brother’s hair out of his head or Rainer’s.

  “Em,” Rainer rubbed her leg between switching gears. “Come on, baby. You’re a Receiver. Just think what being with someone like Vindico would mean. Think of what she might feel from him. He’ll never let anyone in that close.” Rainer eased.