Protecting Salvation: A Shadow Elite Novel

“Where are we going?”

Peyton turned to look at Warren as he grasped her hand in his, a sexy grin flirting at the corner of his lips. “You’ll see.”

“But it’s close enough that we can walk?”

“Yes.”

“And Bertie can come?”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, clearly not going to answer any more questions. In the last week, she’d had more sex than should be humanly possible and she was loving life. Warren wasn’t just the best man she knew, he was a fucking rockstar in bed. Her pleasure was always at the forefront of his mind. He made her feel like the sexiest woman on the planet. Fuck, in the world. Her body was awake and now it craved him all the time.

They crossed the fields and she thought perhaps she might have an idea where they were going but didn’t say. He was putting himself out to do something nice for her and she didn’t want to spoil the surprise, and it was a good one.

“What were you like as a child, Warren?” Her curiosity about him was endless, she wanted to know everything. He paused and she wondered if he didn’t want to answer. “You don’t have to tell me. I was just being nosey. It’s my job, and sometimes my filter is off.”

He stopped them in the middle of the field and leaned in to kiss her, both her hands in his. Just like every other time she got swept up in him. He had the ability to make her feel safe and alive all at once. Her life had been lonely, older parents meant she didn’t attend kid’s groups and missed out on parties because they were just so busy with the farm. Later, when she was a teen, she’d felt more like their caretaker as they got older and frailer. She never minded, they were wonderful parents and she’d loved them, but her life was lonely and it had bled into her adult life too.

The habit of saying no to things was forged in stone for a long time until she’d met Aoife and they’d bonded but her social group had been small until recently. Over the last few years, she’d been somewhat adopted by these black ops teams. First to help with past traumas, and now current ones. She’d been cleared by Jack and signed paperwork which held her accountable if news of their existence ever came out.

It was still odd though because she wasn’t a team member in any way. She was still an outsider but these last few weeks she’d felt like she’d been sucked into this big family and it was good, great, and scary as hell because what if it didn’t last?

“Sugar, nothing is off limits to you. My life is an open book. It’s a boring book but it’s yours to read.”

Peyton laughed as they continued to walk. “You’re the least boring person I know, Warren.”

“I was a little shit as a kid. Wild, always getting into scrapes. I got bored easily and didn’t exactly enjoy school. I’m sure I’m responsible for ninety percent of my parent’s grey hair.”

“You’re not like that now?”

He shook his head. “No. When I hit my teens I got really big and soon learned that getting into fights when I had such an advantage would get me in serious trouble. I was always the first person they pointed a finger at, even if I was nowhere near the fight. So I settled down, turned my adrenalin towards working out, lifting weights, and then the RAF cadets.”

“Your parents must be proud.”

“I guess, in their own way. If they had a choice though, I think they’d rather see me running the family construction company with my dad and uncle.”

“It’s funny how parents want their kids to follow their dreams sometimes.”

He nodded but her attention was caught on the two easels set up near the river, a picnic basket set up on a blanket.

She squeezed his hand, turning toward him with a smile. “What’s all this?”

“Well, you said you wanted to try a sip and paint and missed the sign-up so I figured we could give it a go here.”

Peyton threw her arms around his neck and he laughed, lifting her off the ground as she crushed her lips to his. “Thank you. This is so sweet.”

“Just what I always wanted to hear.” His deep chuckle made the space between her legs pulse.

“You’re so getting lucky tonight.”

“More like it, sugar, but for the record, I feel lucky every second I get to spend with you.”

“Warren, you can’t say things like that and not expect me to jump your bones.”

His warm laugh slid over her like honey as he let her slide down his body, his erection pressing against her belly. “Can’t wait. Now let’s see what we’ve got.”

He tapped her ass as he inspected the paints and then poured her a glass of Prosecco, adding a couple of strawberries to her glass.

He handed it to her and lifted his glass. “To long summer days and the prettiest girl I know.”

She blushed and he grinned and she wanted to wrap this moment up and bottle it because this kind of happiness was rare and never lasted and she’d never wanted anything to last more in her life.

They painted side by side and she found out that Warren had a lot of talents but art wasn’t one of them, but he laughed a lot, his body relaxed and mind more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. Warren was the kind of man who looked out for everyone around him and asked for nothing in return, and she wanted to be the one to look out for him.

Now they were lying on the red checked blanket, the sounds of the river and nature all around them. Even the distant sounds of the main road added to the ambience of the day.

Peyton rolled to her back and rubbed a hand over her full stomach. “I’m so full, but it all looked so good I couldn’t say no.”

Warren had packed a selection of wraps, hand-cut crisps, honeycomb tiffin, Bakewell slices, and triple chocolate chip cookies. It was a lot and she’d tried all of it, which was why she was seconds away from popping the button on her denim shorts.

Warren rolled to his side, his body pressed up against her side as he looked down at her, his head resting on his hand propped on his elbow. The look in his eyes was soft as he stroked a hand over her cheek, thumbing her bottom lip. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

Peyton closed her eyes soaking up the late summer sun on her skin and the sense of contentment being with this man gave her. “Pretty sure you’d be the one on the cover of Men’s Health if they knew you existed, not me.”

A growl left his lips as he pressed a kiss to her neck, making her body shiver.

“If anyone got to see you naked other than me it would cause a war because I’d fucking bury any man who looked at you, and it would be a lot because you’re breath-taking.”

“I’d say you must be blind, but….” She trailed off, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip wondering if perhaps she’d overstepped.

“Did you just make a joke about me having a brain tumour?”

She closed one eye and looked at him, trying to get a read on whether she’d fucked up but he had one hell of a poker face. “Too soon?”

His laugh burst out of him as he rolled to his back taking her with him so she ended up straddled across him.

“No, I like that you don’t treat me with kid gloves.”

“You know, if you’d said you were upset I could have found a creative way to make it up to you.” Her fingers trailed over his chest until they found the hem of his top and the firm, warm skin she loved so much.

He ran his hands over her thighs as she felt his cock thicken beneath her. “Is that a fact? Well, now that I think about it, I am a little hurt by your blatant disregard for my condition.”

Peyton rolled her lips to stop the smirk. “However can I make it better?”

She shifted, scooching lower so she was kneeling between his huge thighs, the evidence of his desire unmistakable.

“How about you put that sweet little mouth to work, sugar?”

Fuck. She fought a shiver at the way his voice deepened like he’d been smoking fifty a day for years. Popping the button on his cargo shorts, she slowly lowered the zipper, so as not to catch anything of value in the teeth and to build the tension.

“Sugar, if you don’t hurry up and put my cock in that sweet mouth I’m going to turn your ass red for teasing me.”

Peyton squeezed her legs together at his threat which was no threat at all. Watching his cock bounce against his belly as she pulled his shirt and boxers off and he lifted his ass to help her, made her mouth water. Warren had the nicest cock she’d ever seen. With a slight curve, it was long and thick, and the tip glistened with pre-cum. She placed her tongue on the head, licking him like he was her favourite lollipop before wrapping her lips around him and taking him into her mouth as far as she could. A moan left her as he wrapped his hand around her hair and bucked his hips. She loved having his dick in her mouth, watching him lose control for her was heady and addictive.

“Fuck, that feels so good.”

Using one hand on his shaft she rolled his balls in the other as she took him to the back of her throat over and over. His thighs shook as he tried to remain in control but she didn’t want that, she wanted him to let go. Looking up she saw him propped on an elbow watching her and she held his gaze as she took him as far as she could, swallowing around his length and he lost it. His hand in her hair tightened and he began to fuck her mouth, chasing his release like a wild man and it was such a turn-on.

“I’m gonna come, sugar.”

Peyton moaned and kept going as he stiffened and bellowed out his release as jets of his creamy come filled her mouth. She licked and sucked, swallowing down every drop, her tongue cleaning up his cock as he eventually dragged her off him and hauled her to his lap.

He kissed her, his tongue twining with hers and not seeming to care that he could taste himself on her. “How did I get so lucky?”

Peyton leaned into him, soaking up everything about this man with a contented sigh. “No idea. You just are I guess.”

His rumbled laughter peeled through her as he kissed her one last time as big fat drops began to fall from the sky. Peyton tipped her head back and laughed as Warren stood and dove to save the paintings they’d done. She didn’t care if they were ruined, it was the memory of today that would live in her heart even if the works of art never saw the light of day.

By the time they got home they were both drenched and Bertie, who’d been playing in the river all day while they enjoyed each other, was covered in mud.

“Divide and conquer. I’ll bath Mr Stinky here and you put this away?” Warren was quieter than earlier and she cocked her head when she noticed the strain around his eyes. His headaches were getting more frequent and a couple of times she’d seen the way he grabbed something to steady himself when a wave of dizziness hit him. “Or we could just leave this stuff, and I’ll give Bertie a bath while you order takeaway?”

“Second option sounds good to me.”

His nod of assent and the slight shrug of his shoulders was meant to be nonchalant but she’d spent too many years reading people not to know he was struggling and the only help he’d accept would be on his terms. He was a proud man, he didn’t need what he saw as a weakness shoved in his face every second of the day.

“Cool.” She went up on tiptoes and kissed him lightly. “Can we have something from the Thai place?”

“Anything you want, sugar.”

“Promises, promises.” She waggled her brows as she walked away, clicking her fingers for Bertie to follow. “Come on, you dirty dog. You need cleaning up.”

“I hope you weren’t talking about me, sugar.”

His voice was muffled through the walls and she smiled. “Never.”

His deep baritone laugh was like a balm on a perfect day. They hadn’t discussed all the shit that had happened last week much. Lotus was in charge of that and she was happy to let her take over and tell her what she needed because quite frankly, she didn’t want to know.

Yes, it was very head in the sand of her but she didn’t care, even if a part of her therapist’s brain told her she was hiding because she couldn’t face that once again her life had been turned upside down. So she focused on the good, her work and the man who made every day feel like a miracle.