Chapter 16

 

Ian’s mouth made its way down between the valley of Brooke’s full breasts cupping each one gently using his thumbs to caress her nipples. Brooke ached her body as his tongue traced the slight gleam of perspiration that ran between the valley.  Sweeping the light drop up with his tongue he raised his head to look down into the depths of her eyes. Never in his life had he seen someone more beautiful than now. She lay in the middle of the bed that he had created years ago, amidst plain white sheets but in his mind she wouldn’t have been more beautiful if she had been laying amidst a bed of jewels. He lowered his head to her right breast. Immediately he took her ripened nipple into his mouth. He laved it with his tongue, taking his time he gently nibbled on her nipple. Brooke cried out softly. Her hands kneaded his shoulders as she arched more of her breast in his waiting mouth as he suckled her nipple with infinite care. Ian’s mouth traveled to her other breast giving it the same exact attention that he had given her right breast. Ian’s hands cupped Brooke’s back leveling her as if she weighted no more than a feather as he did so. After what seemed that he took ten minutes on her breast he began to lightly kiss her flat stomach with tiny little kisses. His fingers crept through the down of the soft hair between her legs. Laying his face down in the soft hair he inhaled her sweet smelling scent. “ You smell so sweet.”

Brooke blushed. “ You are kidding right?”

His fingers gently parted her swollen lips with his finger and found her nub. “No. Your scent is so intoxicating to me.” I grinned. “ I think that I’m addicted to you. Now, I want to taste you.” His fingers rubbed against her nub. “ Do you want me to do that?” He asked in seemingly control although his insides were full of fire. Brooke bit her lower lip.

“I take that as a yes.” Ian said as he lowered his head between her legs. He used his tongue to slowly lick her swollen nub. Brooke whimpered as the he laved her nub with the same type of attention that he has used on her breast. Brooke’s thighs began to shake with need as his much suckled on her nub with fever. Ian’s tongue dipped into her heat plunging his tongue inside of her as if it were his penis when Brooke’s whole body began to shake with her oncoming climax. Ian’s mouth didn’t leave her body, it kept stroking and plunging as he hands held her moving hips still as she cried out. It wasn’t until her body shook off his last tremor that he lifted his head. Brooke lay sated on the bed she couldn’t even move a finger, the pleasure that he had given her was tremendous. Brooke dreamily looking eyes studied Ian as he licked his lips. “You taste erotically sweet. I think that I could feast on you all day.”

“ Not all day. I want my turn.”

Ian’s eyes flared with passion when Brooke made her comment. He captured her mouth with a searing kiss. Brooke opened her mouth to receive his tongue tasting herself on his tongue. As he kissed her, Ian reached across Brooke to the nightstand next to the bed to pull out another condom. He pulled away to kneel over Brooke. She watched as he opened the foil package and pulled the sheath over the head of his magnificent erection. Once the condom was fully on, he raised Brooke’s legs high over his thigh. Sliding into her tight hot warmth. Brooke moved against him as he filled her fully. Ian clenched his teeth as she moved under him. She tightened her inner muscles around the aching head of his shaft. Ian laid his head in the crook of her neck kissing her throat. He moved in and out of Brooke with infinite care. Taking him time he relished in his movements. Brooke’s hands moved down to cup his firm buttocks. He took his time. His mouth tasted and caressed her body, his body moved in and out of hers until they both came together with rushing orgasms.

 

Brooke lay on her side completely naked in Ian’s wondrous bed feeling wonderful and at ease.  She watched he made his way to her. Her breathe was caught in her throat as her eyes traveled down his fantastic body. Who would have thought that underneath his clothes he’d have a body that most men would kill for. He was had a muscular body clearly from hours of working out, from his torso to his washboard abs not to mention his thick, hard long cock, it was astonishing. Brooke’s eyes followed down the to the trail of hair that surrounded his hard  jutting penis. She was amazed that although they had made love twice, he was still hard as a rock. Ian climbed upon his bed toward his siren. If there ever was a time in which he wanted to capture an image on the canvas, it was now. She was erotic, sinful and beautiful all at the same time. Her golden hair lay in a mass around her beautiful face while she sat with the sheet pooled around her legs. Her full breasts were begging to be kissed along side of her pink nipples while his eyes couldn’t help but to be drawn to the soft snatch of hair, which hid the source of his pleasure. It pleased him that she didn’t try to hide herself from his eyes. He embraced nudity and found the naked body to be not only natural but also beautiful.  Ian watched as Brooke’s eyes lit up as he came toward her. Playfully, he pulled her body over his own. Brooke sat astride him; her thighs and silky legs covered the sides of his thighs as her moist wet heat pressed intimately against his hard penis. Looking up into her golden eyes he couldn’t help to smile at her.

“ My god. Will wonders ever sceece?” Brooke said as she used her fingers to trace his lips. He nipped at her fingers before he suckled on the tip of her index finger.

“ What?”

“ Your smile. When I first came here you scowled so much at me I began to think that you didn’t know how to smile at all.”

Ian gave Brooke a mocking scowl before his face lit up again in a smile. “ From where I’m sitting, how can I smile when I’m laying here naked and you with your beautiful body is laying astride me? Even the grumpiest of all men would smile at a moment like this. But I will tell you a secret.”

“What?”

“I like you.”

“ You like me.” Brooke laughed. “ Good. Because regardless of everything that happened and the way that you treated me when I first arrived. You have grown on me.” Brooke’s hands traced an invisible pattern on Ian’s chest. “ You have grown up on more than I ever thought.”

Ian gently cupped Brooke breast with his hands. “ I’m sorry for the way that I treated you when you first came here. I’m just used to being alone. When you came here. I thought that my peace and quiet would be disturbed.”

Brooke licked her lips involuntary. “ I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just wanted to find peace myself. I guess that I was running away from my problems.”

Ian rubbed both of Brooke’s nipples with his thumbs. “ You were running away from the problems with your marriage?”

Brooke shook her head. She was doing her best to concentrate although his calloused hands were stimulating her nipples. “ No. I was running away from a mistake. I didn’t want to deal with Ridge.”

Ian ceased his movements with his hands. “ Ridge….your ex-husband?”

“ He was heavy on your thoughts.”

“ Yes, he was. And Thorne but mostly the mistake that I made loving Ridge for so long. I needed time to think about how I was going to be able to live so close to Ridge now that I was no longer married. I thought that coming here and clearing my thoughts would help me.” Brooke’s hands caught Ian’s and brought them to her mouth. “ I’d never thought that I’d find peace here. Especially with you growling and not speaking to me.”

“ You found a source of peace here?” Ian questioned.

“ Yes. For the first time since I was college girl. I found peace. I found a place where I didn’t think of Ridge or mess that I made out of my life. Instead I found something better. I found myself. I found Brooke again. The Brooke who enjoyed the simpler things in life. Cooking, long walks in the snow, even creating through the use of chemistry. A found me.” Tears filled Brooke’s eyes. “ And I have you to thank for that. With you I couldn’t charm my way out of anything.”

“ I wasn’t always fair to you. I let my general feelings for the female sex influence me.” Ian gave Brooke a wary look. “ I hope that this, us being here. Making love. I hope this isn’t your way of thanking or making something up to me.”

“ What?” Brooke was astonished.

Ian lightly ran his fingers up the sides of Brooke stomach and then gently moved them to her breast. “ Brooke I don’t want this to be because of gratitude.”

“ Are you kidding? I’m here sitting astride of you, aching because my body wants you because I need you. I’m attracted to you and I’m sick of fighting the feelings inside of me. I was attracted to you even when you were that grumpy, rude hermit with the scratchy beard. Although I wouldn’t admit it. I thought that you thought that I wasn’t good enough for you.”

Ian chuckled and the sound filled Brooke with joy. He shifted Brooke on top of her and her heat skimmed the length of his shaft. He closed his eyes trying his best to keep control of her need. He opened his eyes and Brooke saw smoky need in the depths. “ And I wanted you when I thought that you were a spoiled rich little princess.”

“This whole thing has been so unexpected. If you had told me over a week ago that I’d be here, naked sitting astride of you. I’d never believe it.”

 Ian cupped her head. “ This was more than I ever expected.”

“ Well then. Since you aren’t a grumpy hermit and I’m not a rich spoiled princess, what do you suggest that we do?”  Ian sat up still keeping Brooke astride of him. His mouth captured her breast.

“  I have a few things in mind.”

 

Thorne Forrester was a handsome blonde man and at the age of thirty-nine he had a body that any man would kill for. Graced with an equally fantastic smile and a friendly disposition, he was liked by many. He was also rich, thanks to his percentage of Forrester Creations, an international Fashion house owned by his family as well as his ex-wife and ex-best friend Brooke. Thorne thought about his ex-wife. Brooke was an unusual woman. She had a way of making you think that you were the only man in the world. When one was with Brooke, the whole world didn’t seem to matter but like any fantasy. Reality had a way of setting in and reality was that Brooke has always and would always been in love with his older brother Ridge. Thorne however hated to admit it up Forrester hadn’t been the same without Brooke. Something was missing, the flare and the fire. Ridge had noticed it too. Ridge hadn’t been the same since he had come back from Paris over two months ago. Thorne had wondered, not for the first time, what had really happened between Brooke and Ridge in Paris. As much as he hated to admit it to himself was worried about Brooke. She had left on the mysterious trip but Bridget and Rick had hardly heard from her. He just hoped that she was all right. Whenever Brooke got messed up with Ridge, she actually was messed up. He now knew that no matter what happened, Brooke would always love Ridge for the rest of her life. Nothing would change that.  Now that it had been months later since his disastrous marriage he wished the whole thing including the marriage had never happened. He wished that he had never fell in love with Brooke. If he hadn’t had loved her he would still be her friend. God, he had missed their friendship. Hell he had missed her.  Time had a way of healing certain wounds. And time had certainly started to heal his. In fact, he had started dating recently. Tonight he had a date with Sandy. He had met her at the farmer’s market when grocery shopping. She was a cute little brunette with a three-year-old son named Colby. There was something about her that made his heart go warm. It wasn’t the pixie short hair cut that she had, or the fact that she loved outdoor sports such as surfing, running and swimming, nor was the fact that she had a killer body in a bikini, not that all those things didn’t attract him to her but it was the kindness in her exquisite blue eyes. And the fact that when he was with her, he laughed and he didn’t think about Brooke. In fact he only thought about her. 

 

Ian laid on side his body cupping Brooke’s sated body. Their thighs were intertwined with one another. A smile formed on Brooke’s lips. Ian traced the smile for his forefinger.

“ You have more than one smile. This one is a new one.”

Brooke grinned her signature grin and laughed. “ I think that this one is a sated smile. A look of pure erotic happiness.”

“ Erotic happiness?”

“ Mmm Hum.” Brooke’s fingers traced his chest. “ I think that you’ve blown me away. It’s been a long, long time since I felt this way. It’s been a while since I’ve had this much pleasure. To think that we spent so much time arguing when we could have been doing this.”

Ian kissed Brooke’s breast. “ Well, I had to say that I wasn’t exactly welcoming when you first came.”

“No, you weren’t.” Brooke shifted her body for a moment. “ Ian?”

“ Mmmm?” He was nibbling on her wrist with his teeth.

“ What happened to you? Why is it that you dislike women so?”

Ian stopped nibbling on her wrist and his expression turned cold. “ I don’t want to talk about it.”

Brooke felt his withdrawal as if he had physically removed himself. She placed her hands on the sides of his face. “Ian…”

“ No, not know. I don’t want to talk about it.” Ian’s expression softened. “All I want to do is spend time with you.” Ian snuggled closer to Brooke. “ I don’t do this.”

“ Well, you are very good at it.” Brooke said as her hand moved down to stroke his member.

“ That isn’t what I meant. My romantic involvements with women had been nothing more than sex. I don’t bring anyone here. I’m straightforward about what I want. I don’t have the time nor the inclination for anything else. It had been a long time, its seems like a life time since I held a woman.” Ian kissed her head gently. “ I can’t think of someone else that I’d rather be holding than you.”

Brooke felt the words catch in her throat. If those words would have come from anyone else, she might not think much of it but coming from Ian, it meant something. “ I don’t think that I’ve heard anything more sweet in such a long time. Ian wrapped his around Brooke.

“ Don’t get too excited. I can still be a mean son-of-a-bitch.”

Brooke gently kissed Ian’s chin before she laid her head on Ian’s chest. “I know. Believe me, I know.”

 

Ian stroked Brooke’s head lightly as she lay asleep next to him. God, she was more than beautiful. He had awakened 20 minutes ago thinking that she was a dream that he had been having. But even in his dreams he couldn’t have dreamt up the night that he had in her waiting arms. She had been magnificent in bed. So expressive and willing. And he couldn’t think of a person that he’d rather spend his last night with. This very well could be the last night he spends in a woman’s arms, who better than Brooke. Ian closed his eyes. He cared about this woman. He hadn’t cared about a woman since Sasha. But he cared about Brooke. He just wished that there were more time to get to know about Brooke. He wanted to know about her life, her children, her fears. He wanted to catalog each and every one of her smiles. He caressed her gently when she opened her eyes.

“ Ian…”  Concern clouded her eyes. “ What time is it?” She tried to turn to look at the clock when he stopped her. “ Don’t worry about time. We still have couple of hours. I don’t want to spend them worrying. I want to spend them making love to you. Alright.”

Brooke nodded. “ I want you to make love to me. So I won’t ever forget.” Brooke laid her hand on his chest. “ I never want to forget.”

Ian lowered his head to Brooke’s. “ Me neither.”

 

Brooke sat up in Ian’s bed the sheet wrapped around her while she held a pint of chocolate chip ice cream between her golden thighs. She held out a spoonful of ice-cream to Ian who licked the cool delight off the spoon. She then ate a spoonful herself. “ Oh god. Chocolate, chocolate chip is one of favorites.”

“ I like Ben& Jerry Ultimate Chocolate Brownie.” Ian murmured before Brooke feed him some more ice cream. “But then again, I think that I can think of a flavor that I liked even more.”

“ What flavor?” Brooke asked at a bit of ice-cream dribbled down her chin. Ian used his tongue to swipe up the ice-cream before his mouth covered hers in a kiss. Tasting chocolate from her mouth he laughed. “ I don’t know. How about chocolate chip Brooke?” Ian used three fingers to scoop out some cold ice-cream, which his placed on Brooke’s left breast.

“ Whoa! That is cold.” Brooke said screaming.

“ I know. Let me warm it up for you.” Ian’s mouth licked the ice-cream off of Brooke’s breast then captured her nipple in his mouth.

Brooke lay back against the bed. “ I think that I’m going to like this flavor.” Soon the ice cream was all but forgotten as the two feasted on each other. Another condom was hastily placed on as they found pleasure with one another and as time like the sand in the hourglass slowly slipped away.

Chapter 17

 

Ian poured Brooke a glass of Chardonnay and headed back toward to Brooke who was lounging in front of the fireplace in his living room. Lying on her stomach wearing on his old shirts, she looked more than adorable. Brooke looked up at Ian with her eyes sparkling and a sexy little grin. Ian changed his mind at that moment, she didn’t look adorable anymore, and she looked sexy. Brooke took her wine from him and sipped the cool liquid as she lay on her stomach. “ I think that I ate way too much.” Ian had cooked a light dinner for them of salmon steaks seasoned with lemon and butter along with creating a light spinach salad. After another rousing love making session, they had been hungry for more than each other, they had wanted to eat.

“ You were hungry. Don’t tell me that you are one of those women concerned with being the “right weight.” Ian lounged next to Brooke wearing a pair of his favorite gray baggy running shorts.

“ No, but I try to eat right and to exercise. Especially after Rick and Bridget. I wasn’t one of those women who carried little. When I’m pregnant, you can tell. My whole face gets all puffy. And I get big. It’s a sight to see.”

“ I bet it is.” Ian said hiding a grin.

Brooke looked up. “ Are you making fun of me?”

“ Me. No. I don’t make fun of people.”

“ I forgot, you are one of those serious types.”

Ian caught one of Brooke’s foot in his hand. He expertly massaged her right foot. “ Well, I’ve had no choice but to be serious.” His fingers rotated her inner sole.

“ My god, that is wonderful. Where did you lean that?”

“ Here and there.”

Brooke closed her eyes and laid her head back against the rug. “ If only I had known you while I was pregnant. My feet would hurt me so much because they’d swell.”

Ian wondered why her husband didn’t rub her feet but he didn’t ask her. Right now everything was perfect, he didn’t want to spoil their time together of talk about her husband. As much as he would not be willing to admit it, this time was special to him. It was more than he had with anyone let alone a woman in years. Since Sasha, he hadn’t allowed any woman to come close to his heart. Reeling with the sting of her betrayal had taught him an important lesson of not trusting the fairer sex, although he had to admit that his S.E.A.L. buddies had found some remarkable women. Even Ace’s ex was phenomenal it was that she couldn’t take all of the danger involved with the job. That was one of the reasons that he had gotten out; he had wanted to give Sasha a life with a real husband who’d be there for her and their children. He thought that she had wanted the same things, a house that was a home, a husband who adored and loved her and then one day some children. Family was imperative to Ian, or at least it had been back in those days. When his parents had died, he had lost a great deal of himself since they had been close. When they had died so did the last of his family. Ian was utterly alone.  In a way he hadn’t minded once he had gotten over the sting of Sasha’s betrayal. He had never been all that talkative so once he bought his home, he stayed here to write. Writing along with his artwork had bought him a sense of peace. After killing and destroying for so many years it was truly a wonderful thing to be able to create something worthwhile. Now, he was going back into his old lifestyle. He’d take lives to ensure the safely of another. And the nightmares that had ceased would most likely start up again. It had taken years for them to stop and now he was going back.

Brooke had been enjoying the foot massage that Ian was giving her when she noticed that he had zoned out. He had been caught up, thinking heavily about something. This wasn’t something new, he had done this before, besides he didn’t always talk but she wanted to know what he was thinking about. “ Ian, what are you thinking about?” She asked attentively.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything. It was if it were private. “ I was just thinking about how peaceful it is here. There are so many places on earth, many more exotic but there is something about being so close to nature and its beauty that effects me.”

“Have you always lived here?”

“ No. My mom and dad were from Scotland originally. They moved Oklahoma.”

“ Oklahoma?”

“ Yes, in a very small town. But when I wanted to be a S.E.A.L,  I moved to Florida.”

“ It’s hard to imagine you in the hot sun wearing a Speedo walking on the beach.”

 Ian looked away for a moment. “ I had to wear one of those once or twice for buds training. “ I’ll admit that you  I wasn’t the type to wear those types of swimming trunks. But as soon as I could, I got out of them. Men shouldn’t wear trunks that look women’s underwear.”

Brooke started to laugh. “ Now is a picture that I would have loved to see. The great manly Ian McKenzie wearing a Speedo.”

Ian frowned. “ Very funny, Princess.”

“ Ahh, come on. I bet that you looked very sex after all, you do have an amazing body.”

Ian smiled in spite of himself. “ Amazing huh?”

“  You had abs that most men would die for.” Brooke trailed her fingers down his chest to gently trace light circles on his abdomen. “ And then those muscular thighs and then…” Brooke’s fingers moved down to lightly caress Ian’s hard penis through his shorts. “ Like I said, you are equipped very well.” Ian caught Brooke’s hand on his penis and expertly moved it up and down against his aching shaft. The friction of the material against his aching shaft caused a delicious torment. Ian allowed himself to bask the sensations for a few heart-stopping moments before he pulled Brooke’s hand away. The last thing that he wanted to do was to spill his seed in his shorts like a teenager. It amazed him that he had anything left after all the lovemaking sessions that Brooke and he enjoyed. But, instead of slacking his desire after making love it only increased his fever for her. Ian pulled Brooke over top to his aching body and pulled her head down for a kiss. Using his thumb he opened Brooke’s mouth so she could receive the probing of his tongue as Brooke sighed with contentment as she responded to the kiss.

 

Ridge Forrester looked over the latest notes that Brooke had faxed about the designs for the Brooke’s Bedroom line and sighed heavily as he threw the designs on his drawing table. Megan who had been dropping of the newest shipment orders frowned. “ What’s wrong?”

“ When in the hell is Logan getting back?”

“ I don’t know why?”

“ Because I don’t understand her notes.”

Megan glanced at the notes that Brooke faxed and frowned. “ Ridge, these aren’t hard to understand. Brooke wants you to make the pink silk nightgown more daring adding a slit on the side. She wants you to make the black teddy with sheer material with lace around the bosom. She also wants you to see if Thorne can order extra jade colored chiffon to make a matching robe with that design.” Megan shook her head. “ Do you really want to tell me what is bothering you? You’ve been in this funk for more than a month.”

“ I’m not in a funk Megan. I’m just trying to help run a multi-million dollar company when it’s CEO is missing.”

“ Brooke isn’t missing.”

“ Well, she certainly isn’t here not is she?”

Megan held her tongue. Ridge had been a bitch to work with lately and it all had to do with Brooke. Brooke and Ridge’s affair hadn’t ended on the best of terms. In fact, Megan was sure that she was the only to know what really happened. Stephanie and Taylor, Ridge’s wife, believed that Ridge had spurned Brooke’s “ advances”, little did they know that it had been a sick Thomas, Ridge’s six year old son, that had woken Brooke up. As much as she had loved Ridge and wanted a life with him, she realized that his children needed him and that she was destroying his family. With that knowledge and a heavy heart, Brooke had sent Ridge packing making him feel that their affair had been nothing more than a ploy to hurt Stephanie and Taylor who had taken joy in Brooke’s failed marriage to Thorne. But that wasn’t the truth; only Megan had known how hard it had been for Brooke to lie to Ridge.

“ She is taking a well deserved break. She’s been working non-stop with that deal in Paris. She needed some time alone.”

“ Well, while she is out in the wilderness doing god-knows-what, there is a company that needs her.” Ridge said with frustration.

“ Forrester is running fine. Besides Brooke had been staying in touch on the phone and by fax. Why don’t you really tell me what is bothering you?”

“ That isn’t anything bothering me. I’m just stating the obvious. This company needs Brooke.”

“ Well, she needs time to get herself together.”

“ Get herself together about what? She had proven herself to be nothing more than a selfish bitch.”

Megan gasped at Ridge’s words. She had never heard him speak about Brooke in such a manner. In all the years, through all the battles, he had always talked to Brooke with affection. “ That isn’t true. What is wrong with you?”

“ She used me. She used me and our past to get back at my mother and my wife. I meant nothing to her.”

“ That isn’t true. Ridge, Brooke loved you for years.”

“ I don’t want to hear about her love for me. Brooke made a choice and it wasn’t me. And if that wasn’t bad enough she won’t even come home to face what she had done. Instead she runs off into some god-forsaken wilderness.”

“ She went there to heal.”

“ To heal about what Megan! She wasn’t the one who got hurt. I was.”

Megan shook her head. “ That isn’t true. Brooke suffered. If you look deep in your heart you will know the reason that she did what she did.”

“ Really. When I think about Brooke, I don’t see a damn thing. All I know is that the woman that I loved and cared about so many years ago no longer exist.”

“ That is where you are wrong,” Megan, said sadly. “ That is where you are so wrong.” Megan picked up her papers and left the office. Ridge stood there quiet for a moment. He went to his desk drawer where there was a picture of Brooke. It had been one that they had taken in Paris in front of a beautiful Chateau. They had looked happy, but it had been all a dream even worse a trick or a ploy on her part. Brooke had been using him. His children had needed him. His life was with Taylor and their children but what he didn’t understand was why was it that he still missed Brooke even after all the pain that she had caused him. God, he’d never forgive her for making him love her again.

 

 

Brooke looked down at Ian who was lying comfortably underneath of her in front of the fire. Her lips were swollen from the kisses that they had shared and her tongue was coated with the wine that they had shared. Outside she could hear the wind picking up and blowing the snow around yet inside she was warm and cozy. She had gotten a little information from Ian yet she wanted to know more about him. “ From Oklahoma to Florida, that is a big transition.”

“ It was. The people were so different for me. Although many of the guys loved it, I didn’t. The housing was small and although the water was beautiful there were no wide-open spaces that I loved. It was a transition living so close to a city. The bars, the barely dressed women. Well…maybe I liked that a little.”

“ I’m sure that it was hard on your eyes.”

“ It sure was. I didn’t mind giving up the fresh air and nature for being a S.E.A.L. I wanted it badly. When you want something like that, you have to give some things. Living in Florida and Navy housing the next couple of years was just part of the deal. I understood that from the beginning.”

“ So, what caused you to give it up? What happened in you life to make you give up being a S.E.A.L and sentence yourself to a life by yourself?” Just as if she had poured cold water on him, he sat up quickly and gently moved her off of him. He ran his fingers through his short hair and sighed. “ Ian..” Brooke said quietly.

“ Just because we had sex doesn’t mean that you have a right to pry into my life.” He said gruffly as he stood up. He turned away from Brooke ruining the perfect moment that he had Brooke had been sharing. Brooke felt as if she had been rudely reprimanded and that the closeness that she and Ian had finally found had been destroyed. Ian took a quick glance at Brooke and saw the look of pain on her face. He cursed. The last thing that he wanted to do with to hurt her feelings but talking about how he had given up his lifestyle in the S.E.A.L.S and Sasha wasn’t something he wanted to discuss nor did he want to discuss hoe killing changes a man.. Ian moved toward Brooke. “ Brooke…”

Brooke moved away from Ian. “ You’ve made it perfectly clear to me how you feel.”

“No! Brooke, that isn’t what I meant.” Ian took Brooke by her arms. “ I didn’t mean that what we shared was just sex. It meant more to me than that.”

“ All I did was ask you a question and you became cold.”

“  I didn’t mean to.” Ian licked his lips. “ I loved being a S.E.A.L. I loved serving my country and doing my best to ensure that people were safe. But you pay a price. Being a S.E.A.L means that you are exposed to violence, death and the depravity of humans. You are surrounded by the worse possible sorts of people and at times you have missions in which you are forced to take life repeatedly.” Ian turned to stare into the fire in the fireplace. “ When you take a man’s life, it changes you. It’s nothing that you can prepare for. Seeing the life drain out of a man because you’ve had to strangle him, or putting a bullet in someone’s head but what makes that worse it when the killing no longer bothers you. You do it without thought or remorse because you have a mission. 

Brooke heard the depth of emotion in Ian’s voice. “ You were doing your job.” Brooke reached out and touched Ian on his shoulder.

“ I know but the dead do come back to haunt you.” He exhaled heavily. “ I know in my heart what I was doing was right. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the excitement that came with being a S.E.A.L but I couldn’t do it forever.”

“ So, you gave it up.” Brooke couldn’t imagine doing what Ian had done. She had seen him with his S.E.A.L buddies, the way that they cared about each other. She also knew that Ian was honorable. He had loved his job as a S.E.A.L yet he had to give it up. The toll of killing might have been too much for him but Brooke had the idea that there was more to Ian’s reasons for leaving the S.E.A.L’s than he had let on.

“ So, you left the S.E.A.L’s and came here.”

“ Yes. I built a home in the wilderness where I’d find peace. It was beautiful here. I had always been a good writer so I started to write.” Ian had left out that he had thought that he’d be able to settle down and marry Sasha. There was no reason for him to get into that long drawn out story. Still Ian had been honest to Brooke about the heavy toll of killing had on him. As much as he had loved his job, it was best that he had given it up before he became numb to the killing and all. He was surprised that he had shared that with Brooke, he had only told Ace about the toll their job was having on him. Looking back, he didn’t regret his job nor did he regret giving it up for writing. “ I think that writing brought me a sense of peace. I began to paint and draw and inside it eased the ache of the black hole that all the killing had caused.”

“ But why did you isolate yourself? You live by yourself.”

“ But I’ve been content. With Sam, my writing and nature. Living out here so close to nature and being alone from the noise and the people. Yet, I’ll admit that having you here wasn’t something that I wanted but I’ve enjoyed having you here.” Ian cupped Brooke’s face. “ I know that I can be a mean son-of-a-bitch some of the times to you…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to treat you so coldly. I want you to know that what we shared together is more than just sex.” He fingered her bottom lip gently. “ I’ve had lots of sex in my life. In the last five years that is all I ever had with any woman. We would fuck and then I’d leave. I never wanted anything more than that. Never desired to sit with a woman or talk with her since….” Ian paused. “ Well …it’s been a long time.”

Whatever the pain that his words had caused her instantly disappeared when Ian began to open up to him. She knew that disclosing, for him wasn’t something that he was used to. It amazed her that the handsome artist standing before her was the same gruff man who had rudely ordered her out of his house a week ago. But Ian to her was more than just a handsome man. He was a man who had fought hard for his country, he was a writer and he was an artist who was able to capture the people of a strong and proud people. He was also the type of man who’d be willing to give his life to save a friend. Ian was an honest, proud, belligerent, stubborn man and she liked him just the way that he was.

“ I guess that means that you like me.” Brooke said.

Ian threw back his head and laughed. It was a hearty sound. “ Yes Brooke. I do like you.

In fact, I like you very much.”

“ Good because I like you Ian Mackenzie.” Brooke pulled his head down and kissed him. Ian’s mouth tasted of sweat wine. Brooke angled her head toward the side so her tongue could easily suckle his tongue inside her mouth. Ian pulled her up against his body, her feet no longer touching the carpet as the kiss consumed him. Just as arms wrapped around his neck, he ended the kiss.

“ You know there is something that I want to do.”  He said as he put Brooke down back on the floor.”

“ What?”

Ian’s eyes sparkled and Brooke wondered what he was thinking.

 

Ian held Brooke tight against him as she laid her head against his bare chest. Her arms were wrapped around his waist they danced slowly to the music playing softly in the background. Brooke’s eyes were closed tight as she and Ian moved. They moved together in sync with one another. If Brooke had guessed that Ian would be such a fantastic dancer. He moved effortlessly with her. Ian felt a sense of peace listening to the founds of Billy Holiday in the background. The sounds of the legendary jazz singer filled the cabin as Brooke’s body was pressed up against his. He lightly kissed the top of her head. Brooke opened her eyes and gazed up at Ian. “ I never thought that you’d want to dance.”

“ I haven’t danced in a very long time.”

“ You are very good.”

“ I used to dance with my mother.”

“ Your mother?”

“ She and dad used to dance all the time. Sometimes she’d have been dance with her.”

Brooke smiled at the thought. “ But I didn’t mind. I was nice. My mother was a wonderful woman.”

Brooke what had happened in Ian’s life to make him distrust the female sex yet he had a wonderful caring relationship with his mother.  What had happened to between he and the woman in the picture, what had happened to Sasha? “ Well, you certainly learned how to dance well.”

“ She was an excellent teacher. She was a wonderful woman. She certainly loved my father a great deal.”

“ And you loved her a great deal.”

“ That I did.”

Brooke laid her head back down against Ian’s chest. Ian kissed the top of her head and held her tighter. He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet scent. God, being with her like this was more than he could have asked. Just having her in his arms, his body moving against her, her face burning against his chest, to have her mouth and her hands against his body, to have her golden eyes study him with intense heat meant everything.

Being with her was a pure thing of beauty.

 

Brooke took the wine out of refrigerator along with two wine glasses and headed to the bedroom. Ian watched with avid fascination as she placed the wine bottle and the glasses on the oak chest at the edge of the large sleigh bed. She then winked at him as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt that she had been wearing. As watched with a dry mouth as she as unbuttoned button after button and revealed taunt firm breast, small trim waist to finally the soft patch of golden hair between her legs. She was indeed magnificent, stunning ….a true work of beauty. He wanted to paint her. Sketch hundreds of sketches. He wanted to do anything to capture the memory of her on the canvas. Brooke allowed the shirt to drop the floor and she picked up the wine pouring into the two glasses. She watched Ian. He lounged naked sitting up against the bed frame with his arms crossed his chest with a look of contentment in his eyes. Brooke had enjoyed dancing in his arms. They had said nothing but danced for a least an hour. She had loved it a great deal. Making her way toward Ian she brought the two glasses toward him. Ian moved so that he was sitting on the side of the bed. Ian took the glasses out of her hand and placed it on the bed table. “ I don’t to get drunk on the wine. I want to get drunk on you.” Ian said as he cupped Brooke’s breast with his hands while he kissed her lightly on the valley between her breasts. Brooke sighed with contentment as his fingers began to stimulate her nipples with his thumbs. Her head arched back as his mouth trailed toward over her soft full breast.

“ I love what you do to my body. I want your mouth all over my body.”

“Whatever you ask my lady.”

Ian’s mouth tailed to her nipple. He gently suckled her nipple into his mouth groaning with pleasure. Using his teeth his bit down on nipple causing a ripple of mixed pleasure and pain. Brooke arched more of her breast inside of his mouth as his hands trailed down her back bringing more of her toward him. He used his hands to cup and squeeze her buttocks as he lifted her up on top of him. He felt warm and hard against her, his muscular chest, his iron hard thighs pressing against her bottom and his smooth hard penis in between them.  Brooke’s wet heat brushed up against his the head of his penis. Ian groaned with pleasure. She was already wet but he wanted her drenching. Using his fingers, he reached between them and parting her neather lips, he found her swollen nub. He then stimulated the nub with his fingers, rubbing against it while his mouth played on her breast. Brooke rotated her hips and spread her legs even wider to ensure that his fingers had ultimate access to her. “ More…more..” Brooke panted. Ian wanted to give her what she wanted, more.  So he obligated her by slowly sliding two fingers inside of her aching heat. “ Oh God, Brooke groaned.” His fingers were magical as they moved inside of her slowly. Ian expertly used his thumb to rub her nub as his fingers moved in and out of her. Brooke was wet for him. Just like he liked it but he still wanted more. Ian’s mouth left her breast and made its way up the slope of her neck toward her partly opened mouth. He captured her mouth almost inhaling her in his kiss. Brooke left the distinct building pressure of his fingers playing dangerously on her body. “ Yes…” She panted against his mouth as his thumb used the wet essence of desire to stimulate her ever more. Soon, she felt the ripples of desire filled her body. Ian knew instantly and that only made him want her more.

“ That’s right baby. Let go. I want you to come.  I want you to come for me baby, as hard and as fast as you can.” With that said he inserted a third finger inside of her stretching her even further. “ How about that,” he murmured.

“ Oh god. That feels so good.” Brooke panted as his fingers played upon her body. Soon, startling sensations filled her entire body.

“ Yes, baby.” Ian murmured against her lips. “ Just like that. COME for me.” Brooke’s body shook with need as she drenched his fingers with her creamy essence. Ian slipped his fingers out of her warm heat. Then looking at Brooke sitting astride him, he slipped his fingers into his mouth, slowly licking off the sweet taste of her. “ You taste so good baby, I just want to eat you up.” Ian stated with a raspy voice. His mouth covered her again and she could taste herself on his tongue. Using one hand, he reached into his dresser drawer and pulled out a condom while his mouth continued to eat from hers. He pulled his mouth away from her from only a second to rip open the foil package and to put the condom on his heavy aching penis. Brooke was panting with need. She needed him inside of her, filling her, stretching her.

“ Hurry…Ian of god, hurry.” She panted as cupped his testacies in the confides of her small warm hands.

“ Fuck..” Ian stammered as her hands cupped him. She was trying to kill him, he was sure of it. He pulled her hands away. “ If you keep doing that baby, I’m not going to be able to give you what you need.” His condom covered erection nudged against the silky wetness. Brooke moved her hips forward as he slid a fraction in.

“ Oh god. Please….I need more.”

“ So, greedy, aren’t you?” Ian chucked as he slid all the way home, filling her completely ash he did so. She was so tight and so very wet; Ian thought that he’d come instantly if he didn’t hold off. He didn’t want to come fast. He wanted to make it last and last. Brooke’s hips began to move back and forth and although his brain told him to wait, not to give in, his body screamed with need. He moved in and out of her hot core expertly. The cords of his neck strained, his testacies tightened and his penis ramped in and out of her. Then he lifted Brooke off of him, sliding all the way out.

“ Don’t you dare!” Brooke screamed, she needed him.

“ I’m not done baby…I just want to change positions.” Ian laid Brooke down on her stomach and pulled her so that her luscious bottom to that was at the edge of the bed. He then gently kissed each tanned globe before he reached and put a pillow under her to elevate her position. Next, he used his depth fingers to part her heated core and thrust hard into her. Brooke screamed his name as he invaded her. God, he was so good at this. Too good, she didn’t want to think about him and someone else. In this position, he was so deep inside of her.

“ Is that better?” He murmured against her as he tongue traced the outer shell of her ear.

Brooke pushed up against him and he moved in and out of her. Ian laughed as he slid partially out of her. “ Answer my question baby. Is that better?” He wanted her willing and wet.  Boy, she was so fucking wet. She was drenching him and it was so good. He wondered if it was this good with the condom how hot she’d feel without it. He wanted to pull all the way out and take the damn condom off and thrust back inside of her so deep that he’d feel nothing but her. Ian was surprised by that notion. He had never thought about having unprotected sex without a condom with anyone besides Sasha. Brooke was killing him. 

“ Tell me baby..What do you want?”

Brooke was in agony. Her breasts were aching, nipples rubbing against the crisp white sheet and her body was on fire. She wanted him back inside of her giving her pleasure.

“ I want you to fuck me. Fuck me Ian…Please.”

That was all he needed. “ Princess, I love it when you talk dirty.” With that he filled her up again. This time there was no stopping him as he moved in and out of her body. Brooke moved against him, clenching him so tight that in a matter of moments he drenched with essence as she was racked with a huge orgasm he tried to hold off but once she came he quickly let go filling that condom with his seed and collapsed on top of her sweaty back.  It took him a few minutes to regulate his breathing as he rolled off of Brooke. Brooke sighed a contented smile as she lay on her stomach, her hair wet with sweat and her face flushed. Ian touched a tentacle of wet hair that was plastered to her face and moved it. “ Brooke, did I hurt you?” Ian said with concern.

Brooke laughed. “ Are you kidding? That was fan fuckingtastic…”

“ What…” Ian chucked. “ What have I done to you? You are cursing Princess.” He said as he pulled Brooke into his arms.

“ You have made me very happy.”

“I aim to please.” He murmured as he kissed her forehead. “ You were fantastic baby.” He said quietly as he lips found hers. He kissed her giving her a slow yet sensuous kiss as his explored her body. She was like a drug for him, he wanted more.  Hell, he wanted her again but he knew that it was late. Time was up for them. So, Ian just ended the kiss and held until Brooke fell off to sleep. Once her breathing regulated and she was out, he slipped from the bed. Pulling the sheet over her he ensured that she was warm. He headed toward the bathroom and turned the shower on. Ian pulled off the condom and threw it in toilet. He then took a quick cold shower, trying his best to cool off his over headed body. He quietly dressed in black fatigue pants and a form fitting black turtleneck. His stuff was already in the chopper. He left the bathroom and watched Brooke for a moment, as she lay curled up in his bed. He gently kissed her head. “ Thank you for the best night of my life.” With that Ian left the bedroom. He headed to his study and quickly wrote something down and placed it in an envelope. Calling Sam, he petted his friend.

“ Sam, you take good care of her, you hear.” As if Sam understood him, he rubbed his body against Ian’s leg. “ You are a good boy.” Ian picked up his keys put on his heavy Parker jacket and then left the warm cozy cottage for the cold blistering night.

 

Chapter 18

 

Brooke sighed in her sleep; her body was relaxed and languish as if it had just awoken from a deep week long sleep. A content smile wove it’s way on her face as she whispered the word Ian. The night’s activities filled her brain as her body slowly came awake. Yawning loudly, Brooke turned over to speak to Ian when she realized that there was nothing but a cold empty bed.. “ Ian?” Brooke sat up listening for his footsteps or the sounds of him cooking in the kitchen or even the sounds of his fingers moving over the keys of his laptop, but only a quiet stillness surrounded her. Brooke slipped out of the bed and put on her white robe which was still handing on its place on the back of his bathroom door. Brooke tied the sash and hurried out of the comfortable bedroom into the living room. Light filtered in through the large windows filling the room yet there was nothing nor any sign of Ian. The slight breathing of Sam who had been sleeping in front of the fireplace. Instantly Brooke knew that what had happened. She thought about the clock on the bed stand, which blinked the time of 8:30 am.  Brooke knew time had run out for them and Ian had leave. Slowly she made her way throughout the empty cabin and the reality of the situation hit her. It was over, he had left. Worse than that, he hadn’t even said goodbye. In her heart she couldn’t believe that he’d simply slip out of the bed that they had spent hours making love in and leave without a word goodbye. Had she been wrong about him? Could last night have meant nothing to him but sex? She knew that what they had couldn’t be called a relationship, after all there were things that she didn’t know about him, his bedside manner left something to be desired and he didn’t even like women nor trust them. But with all of that she knew that it was special because Ian was special. Underneath the gruff exterior lay a heart of a man who would try to help a hurt dear, a man who’d think of nothing of giving up his life for a friend, a man who made her think with his long quiet silences, a man whose artwork captured beauty and a man made her burn with desire in his bed. Just thinking about his hands on her body made her shiver with need, no made had been able to do that but Ridge and truthfully, she hadn’t thought about Ridge when she was with Ian. Ian had made her forget about the heartache and the pain she carried with her. Being with Ian, talking, laughing and making love to him had been the medicine that she had needed. He had lifted her spirits and made her feel desirable again. He didn’t know about her tainted past or her mistakes. He didn’t see her as a home wrecking slut out for no good, instead he who was deadly honest saw her as a desirable woman. Brooke has been feeling sorry for herself when she noticed an envelope on the table. Her name was written in an elegant scrawl that she recognized as Ian’s handwriting. Brooke picked up the envelope like it was a treasure running her fingers over her name a few times. She headed to the sofa and sat down leaning back she read his words.

 

 

Brooke,

 

By the time you read this letter I’ll be on my way to my mission and hopefully not my final destination, but if god wills it to be for some reason decide that it should be then at least I would have spent my last night in the company of an incredible woman. You are an increditable woman. I know that in the last week, I haven’t made you feel like you are but that was because of my own feeling. Things happen that changes a person, for me it is hard for me to speak how I feel. But you are wonderful as well as beautiful. As a beautiful woman, I speak of the woman who tended to my shoulder and did her best to make my friends feel welcome, one who played with Sam and a smile who could light up a room. Though there were many times I’d frown at you but in the truth, I wanted to smile as you. Weather you were calling me names or bruising your hand from punching me or laying me out, I found you to be the most delightful woman. 

 

Last night was an amazing night for me. Making love to you was an experience that I’ll never forget. For years all I’ve had was sex, with countless of bodies of willing women. Yet last night you were the first to lie in my personal bed and you were the first woman that I had made love to in years.  I know that I am not an easy man and that I have not always been the most welcoming of you but I believe that it was distended for you to show up on my doorstep the way that you did. It has been such a long time that I felt connected to someone and although I may not say it but I felt connected to you. I know that you came here to think and to heal from the pain of your divorce and I hope that you have been able to accomplish that goal. Heartache can cause isolation from your family and love ones. I hope that you do not choose to do such a thing for the essence that is you are a true rare gift as you are.

 

I have made arrangements for you to be picked up tomorrow. Call the number and card that I left you. Mark, a friend of mine, will fly a chopper to pick you up and see that you get home safely. When the roads are cleared I have also made arrangements for your car to be returned. I wish that I could see to you home safely but I can’t. My only regret is that I am called away during a time in which I wish that we could spend more time together.

 

 I thank you for last night and your company Brooke. I will never forget you.

.

Ian

 

Tears feel down Brooke cheeks as she read the letter. Never in her life had she read anything that beautiful. In her time with Ridge he had never written anything as magnificent as this letter had been. Ian, her precious hermit with rude behavior and a gruff tone who didn’t want her here had too found the beauty in their night together. Somehow charming words touched her more than any of the words or compliments of Ridge or any other men who had been in life, maybe because she knew that Ian didn’t speak of pretty words or had any ulterior motive. He had simply written what he had felt. Brooke touched the words of letter once again. She only wished that he had said to the words to her himself but deep down she knew that it would have been hard for him to say them. She wished that she had gotten a chance to let him know how much it had meant to her. How being with him had help her in ways that he just didn’t know. The unfairness of the situation hit her. She found someone who didn’t have preconceived ideas about her, someone who had been able to do the virtual impossible, keep her mind off her all consuming love affair with Ridge. Ian had done that. He had made her feel passion, anger, mirth, joy and laughter and just like that, he was gone. The thought of never seeing him again, never feeling his warmth or seeing one of his scowls just about undid her. She was going to miss him, hell she was going to miss what she was like when she was with him. Such overwhelming sense of loneliness hit her; Brooke sat all alone on sofa and cried.

 

Ian had been deathly silent as the plan flew over the Atlantic Ocean.  His mind should have been focused on a mission ahead of him instead of thinking Brooke. Thoughts of her  warm body and the sensual smell of her along with her soft touch filled him. Last night had been a night that he would never forget. It had been more than just passion, it had been one of caring, it had been tenderness and so much more. The more was the thing that he didn’t want to put into words, he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that yet. But, the question was, what was he ready for? What was she ready for? Brooke had been in one bad marriage if not two. Ian thought for a moment about this Ridge. What kind of man had a beautiful sensual creature like Brooke and was willing to let her go? Ridge, had been a fool. Ian was not, however what was he ready for? He wasn’t the most social person. He liked his solitude to write and to think. Ian liked the quiet, the woods and being at peace. Brooke, although she had been at peace living at his home was from a different place. L.A, a place of action, wild people, wild lifestyles and wild sex. Ian couldn’t fit in that world, he never could, and he never would. But could a woman like Brooke fit in his?

“ Mac? Are you alright?”

Ace said calmly as he sat down next to Ian.

“ Yes. I was just thinking about….”

“ Brooke?”

Ian held a breathe for a moment before he answered. “ Yes”

“ I guess that last night went well for you.”

Ian wasn’t one to talk about his conquest, it wasn’t in him but Ace was a practically like a brother to Ian. They had always been the closer of the two since Ace had been Ian’s swim buddy in BUDS training. “ It was everything that I could have asked and more.”

Ace nodded. “ Are you going to see her again? When all this is over?”

Ian didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure what to say. If they finished their mission, if they survived then he’d have some options. “ If everything works out the way that it should…yes. I want to see her again.”

“ Good.”

“ You are pleased.”

“ Yes.”

“ Why?”

“ Because she makes you feel. I haven’t seen you with any remote feelings for a woman well, since Sasha. Plus to be honest, watching you want Brooke has been a bit amusing.”

Ian frowned; he didn’t like being amusing to anyone. Ace hid his grin from his best friend.

“ Come on Mac, for the last five years you’ve done nothing but write and everyone once in a while take a trip to Scotland to fix up that home of yours but other than that, you’ve kept to yourself. Not that I’m complaining because that means I get to keep all the ladies to myself but I miss you man.” Ace looked over his shoulder to where Jackal and Wingman were playing cards. Both of the men looked as if they didn’t have a care in the world but he knew better, SEALS were taught to mask their feelings and emotions.

“ I’m just saying that it’s time that you live just a little and Brooke…well…that little Philly might be the one to help you do it.”

“ That little Philly as you put it has a life so different than mine. She lives in L.A working from some clothing store or something.”

“ Is that what she told you?”

“ Well, it’s more like a fashion house. You know like Calvin Klein or Yves Saint Lauren.”

Ace didn’t know the name of a single clothing dynasty but he wasn’t surprised that Ian knew about those things, Ian had always been not only an intelligent man but one who read a great deal. Maybe it was a good thing that Ian however didn’t pay attention to gossip or scandal and hardly watched television for if he did, he would never would have allowed his heart to soften toward Brooke. Ian had this damn code and after being scorned and hurt by Sasha, Ian would never give a woman with Brooke’s history a chance. Ace sighed. The guys had decided not to let Ian in or Brooke’s scandals or past. Hell, as far as he was concerned, she made a mistake. Hell they all did. When they got back, Ace would look Brooke up and help her find a way to tell Ian the truth. “She really is amazing. She is tougher than she looks and so sweet at the same time. She won’t take any of your shit.”

“ No, she won’t.” Ian was silent for moment. “ She is really special.”

“ She is special and she really cares about you, Mac. Listen Mac, you know how I feel about Tina, and she was a special lady.  I screwed up. Being married to a SEAL was too much on her to take. Sometimes I wish that I could go back and do things differently. It seems to me that you have something special with Brooke, if you get a chance to have some sort of relationship with her, try to make it work.”

 

 

Ian put the black mask over his face and checked his watch. He and the other members of his team had packed their backpacks and put on their tight waterproof suits on. After checking his parachute, he slid the door of the plane open. “ Ready?” Ace and Wingman nodded. Wingman grinned and took a dive out of the door, Ace and Jackal followed. Finally Ian dove out of the door, the air hit his body as he leaned face forward, arms tight on his sides and feet together. The tightness of his body forced his skydive with ultimate precision as he spiraled toward the earth. Just when the exhilarating dive caused his body to be forced close to the ground, he hit his pack and the parachute opened causing him to be forced upward in the air in a jerking fashion. With complete control, he mastered his chute in the darkness and floated down toward the water. Ian reached for his knife and quickly cut his lines to his chute separating him from the chute and quickly started to swim for his 20-meter trek in the water along with his teammates.

 

 

Brooke picked up the card with the phone number of Mark on it. The day had slowly gone and it had turned to dusk. Brooke had taken Sam out twice for his run and for him relieve himself. For dinner she had made herself a simple meal of a grilled cheese, which she sliced into, fourth when she made the sandwiches for Rick and Bridget and a cup of tea. Brooke showered and then pulled on one of Ian’s T-shirts on to sleep in. Before she had put the shirt on, she inhaled smelling his wonderful scent. Brooke knew what she was doing. She should have been gone from here but she couldn’t seem to make herself leave. Ian had taught her earlier how to set the alarm and so she did so before she headed to Ian’s bedroom with Sam by her side. Brooke sat holding the phone for a moment before he made the call. The phone rang for about three times before she heard the other end of the phone pick up.

“ Hello?”

“Hello, is this Mark.”

“ Yes. There was a pause on the other end of the phone. “ Is this Brooke?”

“ Yes” Brooke sounded surprised for a moment. “ Ian has told you about me?”

“ Yes. I said that he needed me to fly down to his house out in Colorado and get you.”

Brooke pressed her lips together for a moment.  His house in Colorado? Brooke Did Ian own another home? Brooke wondered for a moment. Thoughts of Ian having another home fled her as she discussed her planned flight home.

 

Brooke peeled the covers back on the large bed. She had made sure that the fire had been completely out not wanting to take the chance of a fire starting from a lit fire. Although the bed was comfortable, it was lacking the warmth that had been there last night when Brooke Ian had been making love to her. She lay down amid the soft sheet and buried her head into Ian’s pillow. His scent filled her nostrils making her mind fill with the images of the nights love making session. “ Ian….where ever you are. I hope that you are safe.” Brooke whispered.

 

 

Ian made his way through the bush of the jungle, like silent cats they headed toward their destination of the night. So far everything had gone well. They hadn’t been discovered and they would make camp for the night. The next couple of days, they would have a great deal of land to cover and a short amount of time. Wingman whistled softly and Ian instantly stopped not even daring to breathe. You could hardly see but he had excellent hearing and after a moment he heard the soft shrill of the whistle again, it meant to continue. Two hours later, they made camp. Not risking creating a fire all there men sat in a circle, they would take combat naps and take turn guarding camp. Wingman opened up the map and used a marker to circle the area they were currently in. Ace nodded and handed him the map, taking out the little computer system, he filed in the needed information while the rest were silent. Communication through body language was key, they wouldn’t say much, and they didn’t need to. Ian decided to take the first watch, holding his riffle steadily, he sat straight and tall, his eyes moving around seeing deep into the jungle to ensure that he wasn’t going to miss a thing. The night sounds of animals and bugs echoed through the jungle but they were not things to scare Ian, instead they were the welcoming of nature and all things natural. They were also a source of alert for any change in the jungle sound would certainly sound as an alarm for he and his teammates.

 

 

Jackal’s soft footsteps alerted Ian of his approach. Ian silently stood up and then handed the rifle to him while he headed to his own resting place underneath a tree. Ian leaned down and in a matter of minutes he had fallen asleep taking his “combat” nap.

Ian found himself walking in a serene meadow filled with sunlight. He heard her distinct laughter in the distance. Hurrying closer toward the sound he found a beautiful pond filled with colorful lilies.

“ What took you so long?”

Ian looked up and he found Brooke wearing a yellow sundress with her small feet bare.

“ What?” Ian asked.

“ I asked you what took you so long. I’ve been waiting for you.” Brooke wrapped her arm around a tree and swung around the tree for a moment. Ian watched as her golden colored hair flew around in the hair and how her face tilted up toward the rays of the sky. Her laughter had an erotic effect on him for he was hard behind his jeans. Brooke smiled.

“ I see that you missed me.”

“ I certainly did.”

Brooke laughed and then just like that she disappeared. Ian blinked and then raced toward the spot that she had just occupied. Ian leaned down and touched the ground. “ Brooke? Brooke where are you?” He heard her laughter again and then he started running following the sound. Suddenly he saw her running in front of him, the dress billowing all around her legs as she laughed. Ian grinned and chased her harder until he grabbed her up and swung her up in his arms. Together they laughed as he swung her around and around until he fell onto the soft green grass. Brooke fell on top of him. Her hair fell forward covering his face like a curtain. Ian pushed her hair out of his face and cupped her face. Her thighs were astride his and he could feel her warm heat pressing against his erection.

“ I waited for you.” Brooke said as the smile left her face. “ I waited for you and you never came back.”

“ What? Baby, I came back for you. Don’t you know how I feel about you?”

Brooke sat up looking confused as she gently caressed Ian’s face. “ No. You never told me. I hoped that you would.”

Ian frowned. “ I tried to tell you in that letter.”

“ But you didn’t say goodbye.”

Ian’s heart ached. “ Not because I didn’t care but because it would have been too hard on the bother of use…well at least me.”

Brooke touched his lips with her fingertips. “ But you never told me.”  Brooke leaned down and kissed Ian sensuously. Her mouth created a sensual torture for Ian. Her soft stroking tongue found it’s way inside of his willing mouth. “ God baby,” Ian groaned. As she deepened the wonderful kiss. “ I need you.” 

But then suddenly Brooke was gone again. She had just left him lying alone in the grass. Ian sat up looking everywhere for her.  “ Brooke? Brooke where are you?”

“ You left me. You left me when I needed you.” Her voice echoed.

Ian woke up suddenly from his horrible dream. It took him a moment for him to realize where he was and that he had just had a bad dream. Brooke was safe. Brooke in fact was on her way back to her life in L.A. He hadn’t left her and she didn’t need him. Or did she? Ian calmed himself down. He wasn’t  used to dreaming when he took combat naps, it was obvious that his subconscious was getting to him. He didn’t have time for such strange dreams about Brooke, he had a mission to accomplish and then after that, he’d be able to think about what he was going to do about Brooke.

 

Brooke sipped the hot coffee as she checked the time once again. Soon Mark would be here in a couple of hours or so and she’d be on her way flying back toward her home. She’d be back in her comfortable estate in the hills of Beverly Hills, she’d be back to wearing the latest in fashion in the area of business wear as well as back to the hustle and bustle of running a multi-million dollar company with ease. Yet in her heart, she didn’t want to be back there. She didn’t want to be the scandalous Brooke Logan Forrester in the news with another torrid affair or outlandish scandal which the money hungry tabloids thrived on. Brooke wanted to be simple Brooke. Brooke who loved her children with every fiber of her being, the Brooke who loved riding horses, the Brooke who wanted to go back into her lab and create. She wanted to be the Brooke that she had been with Ian. But would she be allowed to be that Brooke? She knew what waiting for her in L.A. There would be more bashing of her character, maybe even physical fights between her and worse of all there would be the painful confrontation between her and Ridge. Brooke knew that in his heart Ridge would never forgive her for what he thought was a manipulation on her parting order to upset his mother and his wife but deep down Brooke knew that she had finally done the right thing. She had let him go. Brooke moved toward the sofa and patted the it. Sam walked to her and lay down as she rubbed his head. If there were honest her thoughts weren’t totally on Ridge instead they were the on the man who lived here. Ian. Brooke had found it difficult to sleep she had waken at least two to three different times. She had prayed that he was all right. Truthfully she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to find out if anything where to happen to him. Brooke suddenly got an idea. Brooke headed to his study. Brooke opened his drawers hoping to find something that would help her. Brooke found Ian’s rolodex. She spend the next hour looking through the phone numbers, looking for sometime that might give her a clue to where she might get information about Ian. Brooke didn’t see any listed officers in his rolodex but she did run across a name that might help her.

 

The phone rang in the office for a moment before it was answered. “ Cornel Richardson office, may I help you?”

“Yes. Hello.  I’d like to speak to Cornel Richardson please.” Brooke had thought it a stroke of luck to run across the name. Harris Richardson had been in the news two weeks ago; the Cornel had bravely rescued a kidnapped bus of school children. He had been hailed as an American hero and Brooke had not forgotten the name.

“ I’m sorry but Cornel Richardson isn’t taking anymore interviews. I fact I’d like to know how you got this number.”

“ Listen, I know that he has gotten a lot of callers.”

“ Mam, please understand that the Cornel doesn’t want to be in the spotlight.”

“ I understand that but I’m not a reporter. I’m a close personal friend of one of his S.E.A.L.S’s Ian McKenzie. It is important.”

“ Ms..”

 “ Logan. Brooke Logan.”

“ Well Ms. Logan. Like I stated, Cornel Richardson isn’t taking any calls. I suggest that you don’t call this number again.” Brooke heard the distinct click of the phone.

Brooke was stunned that she had been hung up on. But she wasn’t going to give up. She was sure as her name was Brooke Logan that Cornel Harris Richardson would have some information and she was going to get it.

 

Brooke had tried three more times and had gotten the same result, no conversation with Harris but Brooke wasn’t going to give up. Brooke sighed back and accidentally touched the mouse on Ian’s computer. That was when it came on. The screen blinked recovered document and Brooke remembered that the light has flickered quickly on and off for a second yesterday and Ian’s information had must have been lost and then recovered by the computer. Brooke quickly hit save on the computer and then on her own she started to read the start of what she realized was Ian’s book.

 

Brooke lay on the sofa in Ian’s bedroom. She had kindled a fire and the fireplace kept the room comfortable as she read. She couldn’t help herself; she had become enthralled in Ian’s fantastic tale of murder, deceit and even a hint of love. Printing out the pages of his book, she read. He was an increditable writer. Words couldn’t express how well Ian had been able to draw the reader in wondering if the callous gigolo had really fallen in love with his beautiful socialite wife or had he ruthlessly murdered her in order to get his hands on her money. Or was it the socialite’s stumbling upon information that proved that the judge up for consideration of a supreme court’s seat, secret involvement with the payoffs really be the one to have her silenced. As descriptive the murder, as well written the characters, it was the defense attorney and the D.A that had captivated her just as well as the murder. Brooke loved romance and she knew that there was nothing but sexual tension between the two characters. Ian had captured the wanting between the two characters perfectly.

 

Harris Richardson hurried into his office. He had a great deal on his mind the first of foremost was the secret mission that he had helped to plan. He had been a S.E.A.L himself so he knew about the brotherhood that developed between the men. He knew that if there were anyone able to get Jeffery Jackson aka G-man out it would Ace, Wingman, Jackal and lastly The Scotsman…Ian. Although his friends called him Ian Mac, he’d always think of Ian as The Scotsman. Ian was a damn good S.E.A.L and he had hated losing him. Still Harris might not like to admit it; he had read some of Ian’s books. The man was one hell of a writer. Harris or Tracker as HIS own S.E.A.L buddies had called him, was just glad that Ian had chosen not to write about the Navy or Navy S.E.A.L.S.

“ Cornel Richardson, you’ve got a quiet a few phone calls.”

Harris took the pink phone notes. “ Any of them from Captain Samuel?”

“ No not yet. But Admiral Grism wants to see you.” Harris frowned; he knew that pampas ass wanted to know about the mission. He had been against it but Harris knew that G-man’s information was enough to get Grism to change his mind. Harris although very concerned bout the information was concerned about G-man. S.E.A.LS were good men and he didn’t believe of leaving one behind, not on his watch.

 

Mark aka Rabbit swiftly put the chopper down on the homemade airstrip with ease. Rabbit had gotten the call that he had been waiting for yesterday. Hell, his mission was an easy one, go to Mac’s home in the woods and pick up Mac’s lady. Rabbit grinned. Mac had a lady and he was willing to help anyway that he could. Mac didn’t get a lady everyday. Rabbit hopped out of the chopper and made his way toward Mac’s home.

 

Sam bounded off Ian’s bed and headed out of the room. Brooke put the manuscript down and headed out toward the living room. Sam was barking at the door. Brooke then heard a knocking at the door. Brooke opened the door slowly and found a swanky blond who looked a great deal like Brat Pitt in the movie Ocean’s Eleven. The man smiled at her with his own roguish charm. Gods, Brooke thought, were all S.E.A.L s good looking in their own right.

“ Are you Mark?”

He laughed. “ Only my mother calls me that.”

“ That is right, you S.E.A.Ls have a nickname. SO what is yours?”

“ Rabbit. Only my friends call me Rabbit. Now that you know who I am, I’d love to know how it is that Ian who doesn’t like women or nor rich scandalous ones at that is involved with the Queen of Scandal herself?”

“ I don’t know what you are talking about?”

“ I’m sure that you do. Brooke Forrester right? I must say that even in that white turtleneck and tan pants you are just as hot as you were in those lingerie ads.”

 

Chapter 19

 

Rabbit couldn’t help but to laugh of a situation. Mac was a loner. He liked to keep to himself and never believed in mixing it up with the ladies, especially rich ones with scandalous past like Brooke Logan Forrester. Brooke studied Rabbit and she didn’t appreciate his grin not matter how attractive the package it was in. She wondered for a second if part of being a Navy Seal required a man to be good looking but being good looking did nothing for some of their manners. “ I’m glad that you are finding my discomfort amusing.” Brooke said.

“ No. It’s not you Ms. Logan. It’s the situation. You don’t know Mac. He hates, I mean he HATES rich women and then out of all the women in the world, he get involved with you.”

“ That’s right. Me. The queen of scandal right.” Brooke turned to look out of the window at the snow. “ Have you ever heard not to believe everything you read?”

Rabbit saw the look of pain that crossed her face. Hell, he liked the ladies. Never wanted to see them upset or crying. Seeing the look of pain on her face ruined his mood. “ Listen. Ms. Logan.”

“ You can call me Brooke…”

“ Okay. Brooke. Hey…I’m sorry. I’m quite sure that the only half the things that I’ve read were only true. I mean I heard the way that Mac talked about you. He was so worried about you getting home. I don’t think that I heard him sound worried about any woman since….”

“ Since what?” Brooke said in an interested voice. She had only learned bits and pieces about Ian. She wondered if he were going to mention the woman in the Ian’s photo album. The woman named Sasha, the one that she felt that Ian had once loved.

Rabbit took a sip of ice tea that Brooke had poured him earlier.  “ Nice try…but Mac won’t be chopping my head off. Anyway, that’s Mac’s business.”

“ Just like my past is MY business.”

“It’s common knowledge that you’ve been married three times.”

“ To three men in the same family.” Brooke said sarcastically. “ I know. I lived it. And no one will let me forget it. Except Ian…” Brooke bit her lip gently for a moment. “ Ian doesn’t know the truth about me. It’s not like I’m trying to keep it a secret or anything but when I first met him he was so ruff and gruff to me. He didn’t want me here and I didn’t want to be here. You’ve heard about my life and my notorious affairs and screw up with the Forrester family. I came here to try to put my life back to together and evaluation things.” Rabbit heard the regret or the remorse in her voice. Wasn’t it ironic that Ian had come here to the mountains for almost the same thing? He had come here to put his life together. Just as it seemed that Brooke was trying to do. “ At first I didn’t like him. I had never been treated as rudely as I had been but as time went on I saw there was more to Ian that met the eye. I didn’t our time together with stories about my past about horrible mistakes that I had made. I just wanted to be with Brooke, not Brooke Forrester, CEO of Forrester Creation or Brooke the home wrecking slut.”

“ Hey, that isn’t what I think when I saw those adds. I mean, of course I thought that you were hot. Hell…you are. But anybody how can get Master Chief to feel something.”

“Master Chief?”

“ Yeah that was Mac’s title as a S.E.A.L. He was my Master Chief. I worked on the same team as him but he is the officer that I report to.”

“ Oh.”

“ He is one hell of a man out there in the field. We’d follow him to hell and back. He’s a good man. He’s been a lone for years. I have to tell you that it surprised me when he called me and told me about you.” Rabbit crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

“ I figure that you must be very important to him.” Rabbit was quiet for a minute. “ I also figure that if he hasn’t told you everything about his past then you have a right to your secrets as well. It isn’t my place to tell him about your job or your marriages.”

“What are you saying?”

“ I’m saying that anyone who can get Mac open up and care has got to be special. Besides Sam has taken to you. Dogs are good judge of character, didn’t you know that? So. I’m keeping silent. You don’t have to worry about me ratting you out to Master Chief.” Brooke’s face lit up and hugged and kissed Rabbit on the cheek. Rabbit winked at her. “ Now that is the kinda reception that I’m used to getting. I’ll never wash that cheek again after all how many times does the temptress of the Seduction and the Queen of Brooke’s Bedroom kiss little old Rabbit.” At the time, Brooke knew that she had formed a friend and ally.

 

Rabbit had finished eating his sandwich that Brooke fixed him when Brooke told him that she wasn’t going to go with him. “ Are you crazy? The last thing that Mac wanted you to be left here.”

“ I know but I can’t leave. When I think about this mission, how dangerous it is. I’m a nervous wreck. How can I simply go back to L.A to Forrester and not know? I have to know it Ian makes it home all right. I can’t leave him. I just can’t.”

 

Brooke Logan was on stubborn woman. He could imagine how she battled against a stubborn ox like Mac. Hell, he’d love to have a first round set. Brooke had spent the last hour or so arguing with him about staying. She had made it clear that she wasn’t going anywhere. Brooke had argued that she was grown woman with two children and one grandchild and more than capable of taking care of herself. There was plenty of food for months and Ian’s cabin was equipped with everything for her to be comfortable.  Rabbit told her that Ian would have his head if anything happened to her but Brooke kept her ground. Rabbit had argued that he wasn’t sure when the mission would be over or how soon that Ian would be back. Rabbit also knew that mission was extremely dangerous and there was a chance that he wouldn’t make it back, still he didn’t have the heart to tell Brooke. “ Brooke I think that maybe you should go home and then when Ian gets back he’ll call you. Hey, I could call you and let you know.”

“ No. I have to be here. I have to be here when he gets home.”

“ Ian”

“ It’s important to me to be here. I want to be home when he gets here.”

Rabbit saw that she had dug her heels in. He also noticed that she called Ian’s home her home. That sealed it for Rabbit.”

“ Alright. I’ll leave you here.”

Brooke laughed and hugged Rabbit. “ Thank you.”

“ No. Don’t thank me just yet. I’ll call you twice a day one at 8:00 and the other at 19:00 to ensure that you are all right. So, make sure that you are near the phone because if I don’t hear from you I’m coming to get for you.”

“ That’s a deal.”

“ Not so fast, I’m not done.  Within a week, if Ian doesn’t come home I’m coming to get you.”

“ But…”

“ No buts. You have a week.”

“ Two weeks.”

“ Two week? Brooke…”

“ Two weeks. In two weeks if Ian doesn’t come home. I’ll go with you.”

“ How can you bargain with me?”

“ Let me ask you a question. How else are you going to get me to go with you? I promise you in two weeks, if he doesn’t come I’ll come with you.”

Rabbit knew that she was scared but he didn’t like the idea of leaving her. Still he knew a bit about the mission since he was more than willing to go but it was a four-man team. He also knew that if Ian wasn’t back in more than a week then most likely he wasn’t coming back.

“ I’ve been calling a Cornel Richardson all day.”

“Cornel Richardson? How did you get his number? Did Mac tell you about him?”

“ No, Ian didn’t but I remember the newspaper article about him. So I knew that he might have some information about Ian’s mission.”

Rabbit sighed heavily. “ Brooke please tell me that you didn’t call anyone else and ask them about what is going on did you?”

“ No”

“ Thank god and don’t. This is a matter of National Security. No one can know about this. Hell, the only reason that I know was because I might have been backup if one of the men pulled out. You aren’t supposed to know about this at all. Mac wasn’t supposed to tell anybody. If Mac doesn’t make it…well it’s a black op.”

“ What’s a black op?”

“ Ahh…hell.” Rabbit pulled out a cigeratte and lit it before he took a drag. “ Just how much about being a S.E.A.L has Mac told you about?”

 

Cornel Richardson came back to his office cursing. He was on pins and needles. He had prayed to god that everything would turn out the way that they had planned. In order to secure a good man and pertinent information, he had sent four good men into a mission that could very well cost them their lives. Still, he couldn’t think of any men he’d rather have go in than the men that he had chosen. Harris looked down at his phone messages when he called Sherri into his office.

“ Sherri, this call. This is from a woman, Brooke Logan.”

“ Yes, she called about the mission of Ian McKenzie.”

“ Damn it. How in the hell does this woman know about a top secret mission?”

Sherrie shrugged her shoulders. “ I don’t know.”

“ She said that he was a friend of Ian’s.”

“ Did this friend leave a number?”

 

 

Harris wasn’t interested in that information. He knew that Wingman and Jackal’s wives knew about the missions, hell they had to agree for their husbands to go but this Brooke? Who was she? What in the world did she know about Ian?

 

Rabbit knew that rules stipulated that Cornel Richardson not even acknowledge the phone call that Brooke made so he made the call himself. Dialing a number that the S.E.A.L.S used for emergency, the phone call was quickly answered. “ Hello”

“ Cornel Richardson, this is Rabbit.”

“ Mark, how are you doing?”

“ Fine sir. I however have a favor to ask. It’s about mission code 303.”

Harris was quiet for a moment. “ Rabbit..you know that I can’t discuss that mission.”

“ I know sir but this is somewhat important. I know that mission was a go but Ian’s lady has question.”

“ Ian’s lady?”

“ Yes, she has some questions about the mission.”

“ Rabbit…”

“ She’s Ian’s woman.” When Brooke heard that remark she wanted to frown but part of her like the thought of belonging to Ian. He left without word. He knows the rules but she has a question. It would be easier if you would answer two of her question.”

“ I had no idea that Ian was seeing someone.”

“ He is and she is special.”

“ This wouldn’t be Brooke Logan would it?”

“ Yes.”

“ Listen Rabbit, does she know that she can’t say a word?”

“ Yes.”

Harris sighed. “ Give her the phone.”

Rabbit handed Brooke the phone. “ Hello, Cornel Richardson.”

“ Ms. Logan.”

“ I know that you are a very busy man. I know that I can’t ask about Ian’s mission, where he is or what he is doing. I also understand that if he doesn’t come back…” Brooke’s voice faltered for a moment overwhelmed with emotion for Ian. “ I need to know the time frame in which you might expect him back.”

“ Ms. Logan, that is hard to tell.”

“ But you have an idea.”

“ I do Ms. Logan.”

“ How long?”

“ A week Ms. Logan. I expect them back within that time frame.”

“ And if they aren’t back?”

Brooke waited as to hear the Cornel’s answer. “ Ms. Logan, if they are not back within that time frame. I don’t expect them back.”

 

Brooke locked up for the night. Rabbit had left hours ago before it was too dark. She sat in front of the fire resting her head against Sam who was quiet beside of her. She knew that he was still a little wary of leaving her alone but he didn’t have a choice, she wasn’t leaving. The Cornel had told her the truth and that was something. One week, hopefully a week from now she be here while Ian came through the front door. She prayed for that day. She’d prayed for Ian for more than anything she wanted him home with her where he’d be safe.

 

Harris came home tired and weary. The day had been long and hard. Hard on him because he too waited. Waited for word about a mission that so important. He thought about the phone conversation that he had with Brooke Logan, Ian’s girlfriend. If the situation weren’t serious, he’d almost smile. Ian had been one of his best men. Losing Ian had been hard, harder was seeing the cold and cut off man than Ian had become when his heart had been broken. Harris still blamed himself for the pain that Ian had gone through all those years ago, after all it had been his own son Remington that had stolen Sasha, Ian’s fiancée away from him. Harris’s son was an embarrassment to him; Remington he was ashamed to say was a pampas money-grubbing snob. Unlike Harris who had worked hard, his son knew nothing of working hard. Deep down he thought his son was jealous of any S.E.A.L especially Ian. Ian to Harris was the son that he had wished he had had and Remington knew about his father’s feelings. It was ironic that is was at a party that Harris had thrown and had begged Ian to attend that his son had gotten his first glimpse of Sasha. When Ian had been away on missions, Remington had moving in and had an affair with Sasha.  Ironically, it was because of Sasha that Ian had left the Navy; he had wanted to give her a life in which she would no longer be scared or worried. He wanted her to have something normal. Little did Ian know Sasha had been swept away by Remington’s power and prestige. Harris’s family had been one of power and wealth and that seemed to sway Sasha’s feelings. Deep down, Harris didn’t believe that Sasha had been in love with his son but that didn’t matter. When Ian had found out about affair, it had crushed the man. It had taken four S.E.A.L S to get Ian off of Remington, and Harris didn’t blame him. His son more than deserved the ass kicking that his deserved as well as the hospital stay. Ian was an honorable man and having his fiancée sleeping with another man especially Harris’s son was a slap of the face of Ian. Ian had cut Sasha off and Sasha did something unexpected, she married Harris’s son Remington. Harris had never been so embarrassed or ashamed that his son, Remington, had done such a horrible thing to one of his men. To hear that Ian had someone new in his life was wonderful news yet it was coming at the time in which duty called him. Harris just hoped that Ian would get a chance to come home and finally find love.

 

Brooke rode her beautiful Arabian stallion on the sandy beaches. The hot sun rained down on top of her head and her body but she didn’t care. She was on her way toward her lover; she was on her way to Ian. Brooke saw the tent way off in the distance and put pressure on her horse. It a matter of minutes she arrived at the tent and its flaps opened up to Ian who was wearing tan colored tight pants and a lose tan colored shirt that was open. He rushed toward her pulled her off her horse into his arms. Brooke wore lose fitting robes of light gold and auburn colors. She was quiet as she carried her into the tent inside he stood her up on a handcrafted Turkish rug. All around her was splendor, for there was a beautiful hand crafted mahogany bed that sat on a dais. On the right hand corner of the tent were chairs a vanity table and a large mirror. On the left hand side of the tent was a porcelain bath that had what looked to be water lilies in the tub with gold colored towels on the side.  On the floor were plush cream and auburn colored pillows in which a sliver tray of delicious food tantalizing food. Brooke however didn’t care about the food; all she wanted was Ian’s hands on her body. “ I’ve missed you so much.”

“There was nothing to miss. I’ve been here waiting for you.” Ian said as he cupped her face. “ I’ve been here all along.”

“ No, you haven’t. You were gone.” Brooke said as Ian’s mouth hovered above her own.

“ No my love. I’m been here right there in your dreams.” Ian said as his mouth lowered toward the solemn of Brooke’s throat. Gently, his mouth skimmed over her flesh as he murmured erotic words against her sensitive skin. Brooke sighed with need as Ian’s fingers found the hem of the beautiful desert robes that she wore. He deftly lifted it over her head and allowed it to drift toward the floor of the tent. Underneath she wore nothing but a pair of pair of scanty gold panties that were kept together with thin gold chains. Ian knelt down before her so she could feel his warm breath against her aching center. Ian fingers slid up her thighs and unchained the tiny gold chains. The panties felt her body and she wore only a pair of gold slippers. Ian looked up his eyes devouring her creamy tanned skin, her full breast and pink nipple, her flat stomach and finally the golden colored hair that shielded her from his eyes. Ian finger skimmed up her thighs and then softly touched her thatch of hair to part her. His seeking mouth found her nub. He slowly touched the nub with his tongue lightly for a moment sending shivers up her entire body. His next stroke was a bolder one; he used his full tongue to caress the entire nub. Brooke clutched his head toward her head as her head feel forward. It took all of her strength to keep her feet planted on the floor. Ian’s mouth feed from her, his tongue stroked her again and again until he suckled her totally into her mouth. Brooke cried out as need hit her, her legs widening to as she moved against his mouth until she found her climax. Brooke cried out and the strength of her legs left her up that didn’t matter since Ian picked her up by her thighs and carried her over toward the bed. He laid her down against the soft confines of the bed and then began to remove his clothing. Brooke watched through lusty eyes as he took off his shirt, the cords of his muscles and biceps thrilled her. She then saw his hands move down toward his pants and open the buttons, one by one. His hard pulsating erection sprang free. “ See what you do to me Princess?” He murmured as he threw the pants to the floor. He stood over Brooke.

“ Come to me now.” Brooke said in a huskily voice.

“ In a moment…I’m taking my time princess.” He lowered his head to her breast and suckled a nipple into his mouth. Brooke’s body although already at the receiving end of an orgasm became heated again with his mouth.

“ Ian..” Brooke cried pulling his head up so she could capture his mouth in a searing kiss.

For a moment Ian pulled his head away. He then looked into her eyes. “ The greatest thing, you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in returned. I love you Brooke. I love you.”

“ Oh Ian. I’ll love too.” Brooke whispered against his lips as one tiny tear slipped down her cheek. At that moment the flaps of the tents opened and imperial guards filled the candle lit tent. They came to Ian and pulled him off of Brooke. Brooke screamed up horror as held a large curved knife to the neck of Ian. “ No, what are you doing?” Brooke screamed as the guards held her back. Then from the tent Ridge appeared, wearing colorful robes. His dark coloring and jewels making him seem like an overbearing sheik.

“ That’s right men, hold him up for me.”

“ No Ridge…what are you doing? Tell them to Ian go. You have no right.”

“ No right?” Ridge snorted. “ I told you Brooke. You belong to me and no one else.” Ridge threw a robe at her. “ Cover yourself. You will pay for giving yourself to this man.”

Ian was able to overpower one of the guards and hit him. He turned toward the second guard and made easy work of him in no time but it was too late. There were to many guards and they soon over powered Ian knocking him to the ground and stomping on his face. Ian however didn’t cringe or cry out. Brooke tried to stop them but Ridge grabbed her holding her up against him. “ Look at what you are doing to your lover. This is your fault. You belong only to me. Never will I allow you to love another man. I will destroy you if you ever do.”  Brooke watched in horror as one of the guard raised a sword toward Ian’s head.”

“ No!!! Brooke screamed.”

 

Brooke was jolted out of her sleep with the scream still coming out of her mouth. She bolted out of the bed toward the bathroom and hurried to get some cold water from the sink. Drinking from the paper cup in the bathroom she sat on the toilet. It took her a few minutes to get herself together. The dream she had seemed so real. That was what she got for reading romance novels before she went to bed. She hadn’t been able to sleep and had pulled out of the lusty novels with the English maiden and her hot bloodied Sheik, only in Brooke’s dream her hot bloodied lover had been Ian and the Sheik had been Ridge. Brooke touched her face and realized that she had been crying. God, she had been so scared for Ian when that sword had been brought down on top of his head. Brooke stood and poured the rest of the water into the sink before she ran some hot water to wash her tear stained cheeks. It had only been a dream, a figment of her imagination. But she still couldn’t understand how a dream so erotic and sensual had turned so ugly. And why had she had envisioned Ridge as the evil villain, Ridge wasn’t a villain at all. In fact Ridge wasn’t in her life at all. That part of her life was over. Still Brooke couldn’t help but to remember the echo of his words in her dream. “She belonged to him. He’s never allow her to love another man.” Brooke shook her head. It was just a dream. She didn’t belong to him. She had in the past but never again. She didn’t want Ridge. He brought her to a place in which she was ashamed of thief things that she had done. Brooke wanted something, honest, that allowed her to be free and to love. “ Love?” Brooke touched her lips as she uttered the words. Love? Was that it? Was she falling in love with Ian? Brooke headed back to the bed. “ Don’t be silly. It isn’t love…it’s just?” What was it? Why was she still here? She should be on her way home to L.A instead she was in HIS cabin, in HIS bed waiting for HIM to return. But, it wasn’t love. It couldn’t be. Brooke had learned one lesson. LOVE brought her unhappiness. She was just UNLUCKY in love, plain and simple. So Brooke made a conscious decision never to give Ian her heart, he’d surely destroy it as Ridge had done.

 

 

 

Chapter 20

 

Eric Forrester sat at the stockholders meeting going over the recent sales and revenue.

“ From all accounts, Brooke’s Bedroom had made a made more money in the last three months than ever since the newer ads.”

Stephanie frowned. The newer ads were disgusting in her eyes, the ads had Ridge and Brooke “caught” in scandalous moments in which was the name of the ads. Stephanie looked across the table at her son Ridge who was frowning at the ads himself. Good, she thought, ever since Ridge had come back from Paris, he had nothing to say about Brooke. In fact, he had been disgusted by the ads himself.

“ I don’t care about how much money these ads are making the bedroom line. I want them pulled. I’m a married man and it upsets my wife to find these ads in her favorite magazine.” Ridge didn’t want to see any photos of he and Brooke together, not after the way that she treated him in Paris. The last thing that he wanted to see was that woman, it had little to do with it upsetting is wife.

Thorne noted the tone that Ridge used. Ridge had been an angry as a bear stung in the ass by a bee since he had come back from Paris two months ago. Thorne wondered what had occurred between Brooke and Ridge in Paris. The business deal that brought them there would extend International Forrester, making them millions however after two weeks Ridge returned while Brooke stayed for the rest of the deal. The deal with Jean Claude would allow Brooke’s Bedroom to have their own boutiques separate than Forrester in Paris, Milan, Monte Carlo and other hot spots in Europe. “ The ads are one of the reason that Brooke booked with deal with International and Jean Claude, we just can’t pull the ads without her consent.”

“ Who cares about this deal that Brooke is having to extend her disgusting line.”

“ Stephanie, that line had made our company a great deal of money.” Said Rick. Rick had been working closely at Forrester since he and Amber were married. He still was in school but he had recently acquired a seat on the board.

“ Whether or not this line has made a lot of money makes no difference. We have compromised out image and you…” She pointed to her son Ridge. “ You could have compromised your marriage for this filth.”

“ Not now mother.”

“ I told you not to let that woman do those ads.”

Eric saw that this was going to be an argument. “ There is no need for an argument. It seems that Brooke agrees with the both of you.”

Ridge’s attention was focused directly on his father. “ You’ve heard from her.”

Eric saw the interest in his son’s eyes. “ Yes. She called me yesterday. Or actually I called her. Megan hadn’t heard from Brooke in a couple of days so I….well I was a bit worried. So I called her. She okayed the latest designs and she asked that we discontinue the ads as well.”

“ She did?” Ridge whispered. He couldn’t believe that Brooke had asked that the ads be removed; after all they were her original idea. Ridge remembered how excited that Brooke had been over the adds and how sexy that she looked in them. Ridge’s fingers touched ad where Brooke was lounging in a red-laced negligee, which cupped her bountiful breast. The photo had the desired effect.”

“ Not only that. She doesn’t want to use herself as the model anymore.”

Thorne sat forward. “ What? How is this going to effect the line?”

“ Not to worry son, Brooke said that we can still use the ads with her on it until we find a newer model that has the visual effect.”

“ I’m not sure if that is going to work. Women buy the ad because they want to look like Brooke. Let’s face it, getting 20 year old to see the lingerie is one thing but Brooke is or will be 41 on her next birthday. She looks fantastic and the demographically she is making women of all ages buy the stuff.”

“ Oh, and it has nothing to do with my designs?” Ridge said sarcastically.

“ Ridge, no one is saying that it isn’t your designs because clearly, you are talented however it is the image of Mom that makes it a best seller.”

“ Well, at this juncture, it isn’t an issue until Brooke comes.”

Ridge sneered. “ And when is that? When is our CEO coming back from the trip in the woods?”

“ Ridge, mom deserves a break. So what if she is taking some time off.”

“ Some time off? We have a showing coming up and your mother is off in the woods doing god knows what. If Forrester isn’t first and foremost on her list then maybe we should have another CEO.”

“ Whoa, Ridge.” Thorne held out his hand. “ I think that you ought to calm down.”

“ I’m calm. I’m just tired of this shit. Brooke runs off once again when things get tight.”

Megan who had been taking notes made a face. “ Excuse me Ridge but Brooke isn’t running off. She spent two months in Paris working. So, she is taking some time off, she’s allowed to. She needs a break.”

“ No body asked you your opinion about Brooke. When I want your opinion, I’ll ask you for it.”

 

The last four days had been extremely hard on Brooke. She had never been one used to waiting and she had been relegated to doing just that. She wasn’t sure how Ian’s S.E.A.L friend’s wives dealt with the constant not knowing if the men they loved were alive or dead. Brooke had hardly thought of anything but Ian the last couple of days. There were even times that she cursed him for having her worry so however she knew that she wouldn’t leave not until she knew the truth. Too keep herself busy she had spent time working on chemistry notes relaying on her old-field and love to help her through this time. She had also spent time reading Ian’s novel. Brooke hadn’t been surprised that he had been so talented however she couldn’t seem to put the book down for it had thrilling, erotic and suspenseful at the same time. Ian, was more than talented a writer, he was magnificent writer and Brooke was sure that whatever publisher he used would make millions. Ian’s style of writing almost reminded Brooke of an established writer, he used excellent details, crated such realistic characters with thrilling motives while leaving clues to keep the reader guessing at who actually committed the murder. The courtroom dynamics were suspenseful and the romantic involvement between the D.A and the defense lawyer added to a flare of sensuality that it actually burned. Never would Brooke had thought that a man like Ian could write such an extraordinary love scene the way that he did and Brooke couldn’t help but to become aroused in the passionate ways that the lovers had come together. Brooke was willing to admit that in her mind, she had become the D.A in the book and Ian had naturally been the defense attorney. Brooke imagination had been running wild a great deal lately; her dream four days ago had not been the last. She often was awakened by dreams of Ian. In her dreams, he made soft love to her. Sometimes they’d be walking and talking together and in one dream, he had even whispered that he had loved her. Brooke knew that she was taking a chance, that she had promised herself not to go down that path but she cared a great deal. During the last couple of days, she had time to reflect her on her feelings and she knew that she was willing to take a chance. She wasn’t going to let her past get in the way. She wasn’t going to let her past feelings for Ridge or her past experiences get in the way of her feelings for Ian.

 

Ian crept slowly toward the building that was their destination mark. He and his S.E.A.L team had scoped out the building for entire day. Dusk had come and now it was dark, they would be on their way. Ian had already said a prayer to god to keep them safe and allow them to get G-man out of there alive. Not only that, Ian had said a small prayer for himself and Brooke. If he got out of there, he was going to find her and after that…well he’d spend days making love to her every way that he had dreamed in his dreams. His combat naps hadn’t been deep sleep where he’d snap out of it in more than twenty minutes, instead they had be dreams that he had of her. Making love to her, talking to her, laughing with her, but as in his dreams before…she had disappeared stating that he had left her. Ian had a heavy heart. He had left her a letter when he should have said goodbye to her. He owed Brooke that much. He had little time to think about his regrets however, for he had a mission to accomplish.

 

Brooke was just about to start making dinner when she heard a knock on the door. Her heart quickened and she paused. Could it be Ian? Brooke hurried to the door and opened it. Disappointment showed on her face as she found a smiling African American couple standing on the other side of the door. The couple was a handsome couple in what looked to be their fifties although Brooke surmised that they were the Jennings and if so, they were in their sixties based on what Ian had said about them. “ Hello.”

Brooke stepped aside. “ Hello. Are you Annette and George?”

Annette who was heavyset woman with a short natural style hair cut wore a pair of black corduroys and a matching sweater under her gray wool jacket and matching gloves. “ Yes we are.” George was at least 6’2 and a large man. He wore what looked to be gray wool pants, a red sweater with a gray turtleneck under the sweater.

Brooke smiled at the couple. “ Would you like to come in?”

George and Annette followed Brooke into the cabin. “ We had packed a wonderful meal for Ian and you. We thought that you might be hungry.” George said as he held up the bag. “ You don’t have to cook dinner, we bought it to you.”

Annette watched how Ian’s woman face had lit up. “ Thank you for thinking about Ian and me. That is very kind of you. I hate to tell you this but Ian’s not here.”

“ He isn’t?”

“ No. He had an emergency that he had to take care of. He’ll be gone for a couple of days. But he will be back, I’m sure of it.” Brooke said to almost assure herself.

Annette noticed the hint of worry in her voice. “ Is everything alright between you too?”

“ Yes. I’m sorry if I gave you another impression that there wasn’t. Everything between Ian and I are fine. It’s just that…I’m a little worried about him.”

“ Worried, why? Does this have anything to do with him being a NAVY S.E.A.L?”

Brooke’s eyes widened with surprise. “ You know about his old job.”

George nodded. “ Ian told us about it when he moved here. Now, where are we going to have dinner? This table looks fine.”

Annette smiled. Her husband knew what was on her mind. She wanted to find out more about the beautiful blonde who was residing with Ian. Ian in all the years that he had known him had never brought a lady home with him. Even though the woman being here wasn’t something planned, she had heard the way that Ian had talked about her, there had been something in his voice.

Brooke liked the couple. Maybe it was because of the way that they worried about Ian.

“ Well, Ian, isn’t here but I’d love to have dinner with you.” Brooke loved the thought of having company especially with people who knew her Ian.  Brooke set the table while Annette and George heat up the food.

 

Ian scaled the side of the building effortlessly. Once he reached the roof he threw two knifes which silently killed the two-armed guards on the roof. He collected their guns and then lowered the alarms on the east side of the perimeter in a matter of minutes. Jumping down to the next level, he took on three guards who were playing cards, without thought he made his shot and instantly killed the three men. Suddenly the room was erupted with gunfire and he hit the ground as he located where the shots were coming from. He slid himself through the shot filled room, disarmed a grenade, he threw it in the direction of the gunfire. In the distance, he heard firepower and then nothing. Wingman came running from the other direction and gave the all-clear sign and Ian made his way toward the next floor.

 

Brooke laughed with delight as the Jennings told her how Ian had gotten Sam. Sam hadn’t been the most respectful puppy; in fact Sam had once had a peeing problems. It seemed that the dog had urinated on everything including Ian’s bed and some of his artwork. Then there was the fact that Sam loved to chew on things. Annette however stated that Ian had a great deal of patience with Sam and had loved the little pup. “Ian has a way with animals.” Annette said.  Brooke remembered how concerned he had been with that deer.

“ I know. He got a scratched shoulder himself by helping a deer.”

“ That sounds like him. You know, I never thought that anybody who had the type of job that he has could be so gentle, yet he is.” Brooke nodded as she ate more of the delicious dinner Brooke could clearly hear the love in their tone. During dinner, they not only talked about Ian but they talked about their life together and how they had met at a party in the 60’s. Brooke instantly liked the Jennings; even after years of marriage they loved each other. She could clearly see it the way that Annette called her husband “ Ge, Ge” or on the way that George laughed hardly at his wife and held her hand. Brooke felt envious of the love that the two obviously shared. She hoped that one day she’d be able to love someone or most importantly have someone love her the way that they did each other. Surely what this couple had was priceless, she instantly knew why Ian had enjoyed being around the couple. They had certainly lifted her spirits.

 

Ian and Ace crept the heavily guarded room. Ace made his way toward the second security door as Ian kept guard, using his skills; Ace cracked the codes and disarmed the laser alarm system that had been set up. Once they opened the second door Ian slipped quietly in seeing another guard, he silently crept up behind him and quickly snapped his neck using his bare hands. Ian was in military mode; thoughts of Brooke and all the gentleness had fled from his mind. He had a mission and he had to accomplish it.

 

Ace watched Ian. There were times like these that Ian was remarkable, he watched as the bodies drop down on the floor. In no time flat they had made their way into the room that held G-man. Ian placed the plastic explosives on the door and moved back while the door exploded. Inside Ace rushed in as he found G-man on the cop, the man was bloodied and beaten. Ace picked him up swinging him over his shoulder. Ian hit his code piece talking to Wingman. “ We got G-man, get ready to look for the documents, I’ll meet you at the rendezvous point to help you.” Ian turned his attention toward Ace. “ Get going.”

Ace put explosives on the barred window and waited for the explosion to occur. He then secured G-man to him binding them together before he started to repel down the side of the building. Ian took his rifle and took shots at any oncoming enemies as he hung out of what used to be a window.

 

Brooke closed behind her. The roads had been cleared and they drove off in their SUV toward their home. Brooke yawned, made her way to Ian’s bedroom. She had fed Sam and walked him and now she was going to watch a TV movie before she went to bed. Brooke went through Ian’s DVD movies, he had an ecliptic movie choices, his movies ranged from “ The Firm”, “ A Time to Kill,” “Jagged Edge” to drama’s such as “ The Color Purple”, “Citizen Kane”, to even some romantic films such as “Legend Of The Fall”, “Love Story” to contemporary movies such as all three “ Godfathers,” “ Casino”,

“ Snatch”. There were many other movies, so Brooke settled on a nice love story. She settled on Sweet November when the phone rang.  Brooke raced to answer the phone. “ Hello”

“ Brooke. Hi.”

“ Megan.”

“ You sound a little disappointed.”

“ No, Megan I’m not. It’s just I thought that you might be someone else.”

“ Brooke I hate to bother you. But there is a small problem.”

“ What kind of problem? Is everything alright with Rick or Bridget?”

“No, Brooke your children are fine but it’s Ridge.”

“ Ridge?” Brooke sat down on Ian’s bed. “ Is everything all right?”

“ Yes and no. As I told you before, he had been on a rampage.”

Brooke had heard all about Ridge’s behavior and comments before. Ridge obviously hadn’t forgiven her for their breakup in Paris. “ I know.”

“ It’s getting worse. He is making comments about you missing work and being the CEO.”

“ Well Ridge can’t do anything about that.”

“ He seemed to be upset about your getting rid of the ads.”

“ The Scandalous ads. Well, I want them gone. It’s over. There is no point of putting our past out there for the public in order to make money.”

“ I know why you feel the way you do but I guess that way that Ridge was acting I thought you should know. Maybe it would be best if you came home.”

“ Megan, I’m not sure when I’m coming home.”

“ Are you taking a leave of absence?”

“ No. At least I don’t think that I am. Listen I can’t get into it right now but I just need more time.”

“ How much time Brooke? I know that you need the time off but there is a lot of work. And the showing is coming up soon.”

“ I know Megan, but there are more important things than work right now. I need this time….it’s very important to me.” Brooke realized that everything that she said was true. It was important to her.

“ All right Brooke. We will be waiting when you come home.”

“ Thanks Megan. Just keep me notified on what is going on alright?”

“Sure Brooke.” Megan hung up the phone. Ridge who had been standing in the doorway stepped in.

“When is she coming back?”

Megan jumped.  “ Ridge, you frightened me.”

“ You haven’t told me what I asked you.”

Megan collected the folders. “ I don’t know another week.”

“ Another week. How in the hell is this company supposed to run with its CEO missing.”

“ She isn’t missing.”

“ Well, she isn’t here now is she? You know what Megan, you tell your BOSS that if she doesn’t bring her ass home soon, she just may be ousted as CEO.”

Megan couldn’t believe what Ridge was saying. “ What are you saying?”

“ I’m saying that she had better get home soon.”

 

Ian watched Wingman as he packed the documents as well as the chemicals in black case while standing guard at the same time. “ I’ve already set the explosives. Let’s get going.”

“ Sure thing Mac. Just one more chemical.” Wingman finished closing the case and then hit the security code in order to lock the case. “ Alright, I’m finished.”

“Let’s go”. The two men put their masks on and night goggles while they hurried out of the building toward Ace and Jackal and G-man were waiting with the Sports Utility Vehicle that they had stolen from Arnedo. They were running from the building when it exploded, Ian felt a slight piercing on his side. He paid it no attention; after all they still had to make to their pickup point. They had made it this far, gotten past a heavily guarded position point of over 45 guards to get not only G-man but also a chemical that could possibly bring chemical warfare to America. Now all they had to do was get picked up and head home. Ian gave little thought to the men that he had killed tonight, yet he knew that most of the body count was because of his hands. He had killed a great deal of mean that night.

 

Brooke watched Sweet November and found herself crying at the end. Nelson had finally realized how empty his life was but to what extent? When he finally found the love that he had been looking for, it had been too late.

 

Ian raced the waiting heliport where the chopper was waiting.  They had used Jackal’s skills as a partial medic to do their best to stabilize G-man who was still unconscious and hurried him onto the chopper. Ian didn’t say a word but his side was starting to sting. Ace had loaded G-man while Wingman loaded the cases. Ian finished scouting the area; they weren’t safe until they were off the ground. Ace yelled the okay and Ian quickly shut the door. Heading front, he put the chopper into gear and then in a flash, they took off.

 

Ace headed to the front of the chopper to sit next to Ian when he noticed what looked to be blood on the floor. He then noticed there was a dark sticky stain on Ian’s black vest.

Ace felt dread fill him. “ Ian, I think that I should take over.”

“ Why?”

“ Because you are bleeding.”

“ What?” Ian looked down and noticed the blood seeping from his side. The piercing pain that he felt. It was a gunshot. He had been racing and the adrenaline had kept him from noticing the pain. Ian nodded and handed over the control to Ace. He got up and headed to the back of the chopper. He took off his vest and then painfully peeled the black T-shirt of his body. He looked down at his side and found the distinct hole of a bullet wound, but not only that, he found pieces of his T-shirt. Jaguar had been monitoring G-man to notice the wound that was seeping with blood.

“ Man, that’s bad. We got to get something on it.”

Ian put pressure on his wound for a couple of seconds before he got the antiseptic. Using tweezers he tried his best to get torn pieces of T-shirt out of his wound. But he couldn’t get it all out. Ian tried again to wipe the blood away but it kept running down his side. Wingman looked at Ian’s wound. “ It’s bad.”

“ I know.” Ian said.  Wingman put pressure on the wound and started to wrap it tightly.

“ We have time.”

“ How much?” Ian asked grimly. “ It will be a while before we get to safe passage.”

“ Mac, you’ll be fine.”

“ I know.”  Ian said but he wasn’t sure if it was going to be all right. He was losing a great deal of blood.

 

Ian was dreaming and the pain gently floated away. It was like he had never been hurt at all; all he could do was think about her. Ian found himself riding a horse hard and fast toward he exquisite Scottish castle in the distance. One his horse reached the bailey he hoped off and headed toward the large oak doors. He flung the door open and headed into the large foyer toward the spiral steps that adjoined the walls toward the east wing. Up he went up the other pair of stairs until he reached the rooms’ adjoing the tower. He flung the door open and found her sitting in front of the fire. Brooke’s hair lay across her shoulders, her beautiful eyes flashed full of its golden color. She wore his plaid, his colors because she was his. His hands were grungy and he wore little more than a white shirt and his tartan. “ Ian, my love I missed you.” She raced toward him as he gathered her up in his arms. He inhaled her scent as he headed toward the large bed.

“ I missed you lass.”

He laid her down amidst the warm covers and then tore open his shirt and then took off his tartan. He was naked; heavily aroused his is penis jutting in front of him. Yet she didn’t look afraid. She held out her hands to him. “ Come to me my laird Ian.”

 

Ian’s dream changed quickly. Brooke was sitting in front of the fire in his cottage wearing his shirt and nothing more. She was playing with Sam. She looked up at him. He was standing in the kitchen with wine in his hands. She winked at him and her eyes twinkled.“ Come I’ve been waiting for you.”

 

The dream changed. Ian was standing in front of a painting. It was of Brooke. She was wearing an old fashioned dress looking lovely as ever. He put the painting on the wall and stood back looking at it. Brooke came from behind it. “ It is beautiful, isn’t it?” she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

 

The dream changed. Brooke was racing across the meadow with him running after her. Ian grabbed up in his arms and then spun her around. Brooke laughed, her yellow sundress spun around her legs. “ Why Brooke, you aren’t wearing any underwear.”

Brooke blew him kisses. “ Easy access my darling.” Ian fell back into the grass taking Brooke with him. She landed on top on him and he pulled the dress of her body. He pulled her down while his mouth found her breast. Gently he suckled her nipples while her cries filled the meadow.

 

The dream changed again. They were back in Scotland castle but now Brooke wore a modern dress. A black wrap around dress with high-heeled black boots. He pulled her into his arms and looked down into her eyes. “ I love you.” Ian heard clapping all around him but he didn’t look up for he was lost in her eyes. Brooke took his hand and held it to her stomach, which he knew was rounded with their child. “ You are my life Brooke. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

The dream changed again. Ian stood in an old Scottish chapel while Brooke looked at him, she worse a beautiful white wedding dress. The dress was jeweled and was off her shoulders. She was beautiful. Ian slid a ring upon her finger. He was proud; she’d be his forever.

 

The dream changed again. Brooke was dancing around the room laughing as with glee as a group of people were around him. The people wore old-fashioned clothes as Brooke did. The people chanted around them and then they bowed to her and him.

 

 

The dream changed again. He was once again in the tartan and he heard screaming. He raced up the stairs toward his room where his love was. Suddenly the screams stopped. His heart clinched. He opened the door to find his love on the bed. He ran to her, her eyes were open and body cold. “ Brooke!!” Her body lay amid the sheets yet there was blood on the sheets. Ian’s heart began to break as he held her body. His child had torn her apart, she was dead. “ No!”

 

The dream changed again. Brooke was standing in the middle of a minefield. Ian raced toward her telling her to stand still but he she didn’t hear him. Brooke just smiled as and stepped toward him. “ No!” Ian screamed but it was too late, the bomb imploded and Brooke’s body was torn to pieces. Blood covered his hands; it was his fault that she was dead.

 

The dream changed again. Brooke was standing over a grave crying when she doubled over in pain. Brooke looked at him with pleading eyes…blood covered her hands. Ian read the tombstone; it was on of a baby, the one belonging to them. “ You caused this. This is your fault. You brought death to me. You bring death to everything. That is all that you know. ”

 

The dream changed again. Brooke lay in his arms. She looked so pale and her eyes had shadows under them. “ Ian…I’m scared. Don’t leave me Ian..please”

 

Ace heard Ian crying out again to Brooke as they raced him toward surgery. He had lost a great deal of blood and was in critical condition. Harris stepped into the hallway. “ Ace, how bad is it?”

“ He was shot. We didn’t know it. G-man was being attended to and he said nothing about being hurt. I’m not sure if he even knew it. He lost consciousness and has been calling out…he was calling out Brooke’s name.”

“ The girlfriend.”

Harris could still see the surprised look on his face. “ You know about her…how?” Ace thought for a moment.

“ I know. Rabbit.”

“ That and the fact that she’d been calling me. She wanted to know about his mission.”

“ Well I’m going use my influence to get her, she lives in L.A.”

“ She’s not there. She still is in his place.”

Ace smiled. “ She waited for him.”

“ Yes, she certainly.”

“ Well, I’m going to need your permission to get another bird. I want to get her here as soon as possible.”   Ace knew if anything could get Ian well, it would be Brooke.

 

The door opened to the dark cabin bedroom door as Brooke slept restlessly in the next room. She turned over in her sleep murmuring Ian’s name. Ace gently touched her shoulder and shook her awake. Brooke jumped up. “ Shhh, don’t be scared. It’s me Ace.”

Brooke was surprised Ace was filthy and covered with dirt, paint, oil and blood. Worry etched on her face. “ Ace, where is Ian. Is he here?”  Brooke looked past Ace to find nothing. Dread filled her. “ Oh god. Please tell me that…he isn’t…”

“ No. Brooke. Ian isn’t dead. But he needs you.” Ace turned his back so Brooke could get out of bed for she was naked. Brooke quickly threw on some clothes.

“ You might want to pack a bag Brooke.”

“ Alright.” Brooke said as he moved to the next room. Brooke came out. “ What about Sam?”

“ I’ll take him to the Jennings alright.”

Brooke nodded. “ Ace, it’s bad isn’t it?”

Ace gave Brooke strange look yet he said nothing. Tears ran down Brooke’s cheek as she said a prayer and in that moment, Brooke knew that she had started to fall in love with Ian.

 

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