Rhodes to Security

By Carly Wakefield

Rhodes to Security
Ethan Rhodes, the eldest of the siblings, has always been the ‘quiet one’, the ‘peacekeeper’ and the ‘responsible one’. That’s not to say he is dull, he gave as good as he got growing up with his scheming brothers. Survival comes from strength and he has that in abundance. How else would he control his emotions and his world and keep his most personal secrets away from his spy/mother.
So, how is it one slip of a girl, with mischievous grey eyes and a tongue sharp enough to cut reinforced steel (not an unusual thing coming from his family), can strip him naked, metaphorically speaking, and make him lose control?
Sophia Abbott watched her mother get her heart broken time and again while growing up. Seeing the effect ‘love’ can have on you, has put her off for life.
When Sophia escaped at seventeen she never looked back. She vowed she would never let a thing as fickle as ‘love’ ruin her; nor would she bear the responsibility of raising another child, she had raised her brothers more than her mother had, and had been gone before the arrival of her sister. She wasn’t a complete bitch, she did have a heart, locked up tight somewhere in her chest and the only three people she would ever allow herself to love where in there.
She thought he was gay. He thought she was a major pain in the ass. Yet the sparks they ignite tell a different story.
When opposites attract, will it cause chaos or could it be that they are the missing pieces of the same puzzle...?
WARNING 18+ ADULT CONTENT

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carly Wakefield
• Release date: Jun 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310669743

Book preview

Prologue

Sophe, can you make sure the boys are clean and ready. Uncle Greg will be here soon. Rita shouted down to her eldest daughter. Down stairs, Sophia rolled her eyes. Her inner rant going full force… Sure, because now that Greg is on his way, you function perfectly well. Oh and FYI, he is so not our uncle! Mind you, he is a nice enough bloke. If only you could actually keep your shit together for an extended amount of time, he could well be a husband to you and a father for the boys. Ease the pressure on me to take care of everything, while you sit in on one of your ‘down-turns’. God I can’t wait to get out of here to only have myself to clean up after and no kids- EVER!

A heavy knock at the door signaled Greg’s arrival, and with it, Rita breezed past Sophia. She flicked her bottle blonde hair, smelling heavily of the perfume Greg had bought her for her thirty-fifth birthday a few weeks ago. Thinking about it, her mother was doing quite well in this relationship, almost three months now. Sophia thought that Greg, being a simple, kind and patient person, was either slow at realising what a pain in the arse her mother really was or they were actually perfect for each other. The door was opened and Sophia cringed at her mother’s PDA. No one likes to see their parent flirting or kissing, especially (and no offence to Greg) with a man who looked like he hit a few branches on the way down the ugly tree. He wasn’t hideous or anything, Sophia just wouldn’t class him as good looking. But then, she supposed as a sixteen-year-old girl, she looked at beauty in a more obvious way.

Put the kettle on Sophe. I have something important to discuss with Greg. Once you’ve brought our tea, can you make sure the boys don’t disturb us for a bit please? Rita asked, a fallaciously sweet smile playing on her made up lips.

Sophia made her way to the kitchen to prepare the tea, filling the old wooden tray with the teapot, a couple of matching mugs and a small jug of milk. Only just resisting the urge to swap the sugar for salt; she needed things to be progressing, not regressing. Her mother needed support and Sophia needed to be able to support herself and complete her escape plan. She really didn’t want to have her mother more in need of her help if this relationship went down the proverbial creek.

The kettle clicked off. Sophia poured the boiled water into the teapot and gave it a stir, before replacing the lid. Picking up the loaded tray, she made her way out of the kitchen and across the narrow hallway, avoiding the boys’ shoes that were strewn across the floor.

The living room door stood ajar. Sophia turned to use her back to push it open but paused at the conversation she could hear going on. She held her breath, thinking she must have heard wrong, until Greg’s deep voice rumbled through the opening of the door.

Oh Rita! I can’t believe it, a baby. I’m shocked but in the best of ways.

The tray in her hands suddenly felt like it weighed ten times as much as when she had picked it up. The items rattled slightly as her body tensed, taking in the conversation on the other side of the door.

Is that our tea Sophe? Would you like anything stronger Greg? It is a celebration now, after all. Rita smiled, wide and genuinely for the first time in more years than Sophia could remember. She made her way into the cosy living room, around the ancient floral sofa, placing the ten-ton tray on the pine coffee table in the center of the room.

Did you hear our news then, Sophe? You’re going to have a new brother or sister. Isn’t it wonderful? Rita asked, her smile still bright and her eyes a happy moist. While it was wonderful to witness her mum in such good spirits, the news was the furthest thing from wonderful that she could imagine. As Sophia rose from the table, she schooled her features into some semblance of a smile.

Congratulations to both of you. That’s really great. While her voice didn’t really have a joyous tone, she was proud that she was able to hide the real feelings that were bubbling steadily inside her. I’ll take the boys out to and give you two a little time together. She had to get out of the house and fast, she would take the boys to the park and call in any place she could possibly get herself a part-time job or two. There could be no more delays. Sophia decided that day that she needed to be out of her mother’s house before the new baby came along and she ended up lumbered with the new baby, as well as her brothers to look after.

Chapter one

Thirteen years later...

The intercom on the desk gave a little buzz before the deep and mellow voice flowed through it. Sophia, could you come to my office please? If she hadn’t worked here for two years already, she would probably still have difficulty deciphering one brother’s voice from the other through the electronic device. It had happened more than once within the first few months of being here. They had never thought of identifying which one of them was on the other end and she had walked into the wrong office numerous times before she learned the subtle differences in their speech. Sebastian’s voice was slightly more strained during busy work hours although it had mellowed these past few months, since he and Layla had sorted themselves out and were now engaged to be married.

On my way Ethan- she was cut off as a voice bellowed through the open doorway of the office and along the hallway.

C’mon Sophe, times-a-wastin’, you don’t need anything. Sebastian hollered through the offices, not needing the electronic device to be heard from across the hall. Another thing that had taken some getting used to was how excitable Sebastian and their other brothers could be. Ethan seemed to hold tight to the control bubble he surrounded himself in. He exuded calm and control, except for a couple of rare occasions she had seen him lose a touch of that aura but never completely though. He was almost as constant as the stars in the night sky.

Working in such close contact with him, she had come to make it her ‘mission impossible’ to ruffle Ethan’s feathers and see exactly what lay behind that flicker in his emerald eyes. She couldn’t shake the feeling that if she lit the spark, a fire would rage.

She entered Ethan’s office a moment later, finding both brothers perched on the edge of the desk smiling. An uneasy feeling settled but she pushed it away. She had never been the butt of any of the pranks all six siblings liked to play on each other. Anyway, Sebastian always seemed to be smiling lately. And Ethan, well Ethan had avoided, or tried to avoid, any non-work conversation since his parents’ anniversary party. Layla had taken some innocent, yet extremely erotic pictures of the two of them in her ‘photo booth’ that night. Sophia had witnessed something come to life in Ethan’s eyes. Something that intrigued her, that made her more determined than ever to crack his shell.

Take a seat Sophe. Sebastian gestured to the chair in front of them. We have a little surprise for you. He looked over at Ethan, silently telling him to speak up too. Ethan looked a bit uncomfortable, not a new thing in the past few months.

Erm… we just wanted to give you a gift to celebrate you working here with us for the past two years… and for all the hard work you do-

And for putting up with us two moody fuckers. Sebastian interrupted, with another huge grin threatening to split his face as he added, ...Ethan picked it, so if you don’t like it, he’s your target. With that, they offered her a large, colourful bouquet of flowers tied with a huge silver bow. A small black velvet pouch hung from the bow.

She smiled gratefully at the men who had given her a chance to work with them, to be a part of building this very successful security firm. Taking the flowers, she placed them on her knee to untie the pouch. As she sat and struggled to disentangle the pouch, she heard Ethan mumble an apology. Something about wanting to make sure it didn’t fall off and get lost. Sebastian laughed and leaned back over the desk. He then offered her a small pair of scissors from the desk tidy behind him.

She found the center of the elaborate knot and snipped through the string, releasing the velvet pouch. There was no weight to it and she wondered if this was indeed a practical joke. But, on running her fingers along the plush fabric, she felt a very small and sharp object. Sophia loosened the drawstring at the top of the pouch and tipped it upside down over her free hand.

A tiny silver nose ring fell delicately into her open palm. As she moved her hand to take a closer look, the small piece of jewellery caught the sunlight and reflected hundreds of tiny coloured facets all over the room.

The piece, while dainty, was beautiful. A silver star encrusted with a tiny diamond. It astounded her with its simple beauty and very much her style. She felt her eyes moisten from this beautiful and unexpected gesture. She popped it back inside its pouch and pulled the string tight. As she looked up, she noticed the card hiding amongst the foliage. It read simply, ‘A star for a star’, and that was it. Two tears ran down her cheeks as she rose to thank her employers slash friends.

Sebastian enveloped her into one of the renowned Rhodes bear hugs, almost squeezing the life out of her.

Thank you both so very much. She sniffed, releasing herself and turned to Ethan. Throwing caution to the wind, she embraced him with gusto. Thank you. It’s perfect so you’re safe, for today at least. she flashed him a cheeky wink and watched as a slight pink touched his cheeks.

Oh, how she enjoyed affecting this man and she knew she could do it more easily than most. In a flash, she decided to push the boundaries an inch more. She swiftly pressed her lips to the pink tipped cheek, noting how hot and soft his skin was with the brief touch. Withdrawing slightly, she whispered, Thanks Old school. You did good, before slowly removing herself from Ethan’s personal space.

Ethan tried to keep his eyes from tracking the curves of her slender body, as she took a step away, willing his self-control to stay strong in the face of such temptation. He had always found Sophia attractive. She had a presence that could not be denied; a wicked streak that could rival any one of his siblings and curves to bring a man to his knees. She had always taken a devilish delight in trying to crack his shell of self-sustaining control, but since his parents’ anniversary party, something had changed in both of them.

Sophia seemed to be more determined than ever and he seemed to be less and less resistant to her persistent charms.

So we were thinking we would take you out for dinner Saturday. Sebastian told her. ...Layla has her outfit all picked out and is really looking forward to it.

You don’t have to do that. The gifts are more than enough you guys. Though she had no plans for Saturday and the company would be top notch.

We’re not taking ‘no’ for an answer, Sophe. Plus, Layla wants to break in the shoes she bought for the Halloween party next month. Sebastian told her before he exited the room smiling.

Since when did he get so bossy? She asked Ethan, pointing a thumb over her shoulder to the door Sebastian had just left through.

Probably around the same time Layla said ‘yes’. Now he’s perpetually happy. He seems to think he has the right to boss people around and try and rub some happiness on them too. Only, it rubs most people the wrong way.

Sophia laughed, Oh Old school, who stole the jam out of your donut?

What? Ethan asked, a little confused and hating that he couldn’t keep his thoughts in check around her since that night. She just laughed again, still too close for comfort.

Ethan stood, his eyes drawn to her against his will. From his height advantage, a pleasing view it was. Straight down the open ‘V’ of the tight, black shirt dress she wore. He almost had his reaction under control, until he spied the red lace the outfit had failed to conceal. The same cherry red as the stilettoes she wore on her feet.

He couldn’t stop it now. His manhood twitched to life inside his pants. He closed his eyes, his mind flashing an image of the matching middle item of that three piece set.

Sophia was a colleague and a friend, and even more importantly, not his type! Oh her physical appearance was right up his street; long legs, luscious curves and hair like midnight silk. But she was too... much. He preferred his women a little more subdued and a lot more willing.

Sophia hadn’t missed the widening of Ethan’s green eyes before they closed and knew exactly what had caused the reaction. She might wear black on the outside, a lot- okay, always- but her underwear drawers and shoe racks were a rainbow of colours. Just like Ethan, she had an ‘outer’ layer that hid what was beneath.

As she observed the deep, controlling breath he took, she moved in just a touch closer. Even with them closed, he sensed it and his eyes flew open. Intense and deep sea green. There was a warning in those eyes. But, she was already too far gone to heed it.

She knew she shouldn’t but was powerless to stop herself. Why she wanted to crack his shell so much was anyone’s guess. Why she felt a need to push his boundaries was beyond her, yet she continued to inch back into his personal space.

God, she was so close again. Looking at him with those large, sparkling silver-grey eyes. Even with the mischief gleaming in them, he was still more attracted to her than he had been to any of his last few partners.

They continued to look, as their breaths mingled, between the small space that was left between their bodies. Neither one backing down. In fact, both seemed to be challenging the other.

Something inside Sophia fluttered. She couldn’t pin point whether it was excitement or apprehension. Ethan looked closer to cracking than ever before. He closed the space by another inch. If she took a deep enough breath, her breasts would touch his chest. Just the thought of that had her nipples puckering tightly under the red lace bra she wore.

Ethan watched as more and more silver-grey was lost behind her dilating pupils. God, at that moment, he wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman before. More than when, with a simple snap of elastic, all the mischief had gone from those pretty eyes and had been replaced by a look that drove him wild with pure lust. Submission.

As much as that sight had turned him on, in his semi-drunk state, he wouldn’t take it any further. He highly doubted that she was a naturally submissive person inside the bedroom. He would actually bet that she was just as wild there as she was outside of it. That’s what had stopped him from taking her up to his old bedroom that night. Well, that and a house full of guests. Half of those guests were family members who were so close that they would walk in to any room of the house without thought. The ultimate deciding factor was that she was a beautifully wild spirit and he respected her too much to try and subdue that in her. No, she needed to be free, to be wild.

Thank god his train of thought had gotten him back to that very important point. It was the only thing that stopped him from closing that last inch of distance right now.

You’re going to push me too far one of these days, Sophia. His breath was hot, his voice low, almost but not quite menacing. Fuck, if it didn’t make her insides quiver. He lingered a moment longer, failing to control the growl he felt reverberating in his chest, then stood bolt straight and left her alone in his office, hot and frustrated.

She thought back to when she first started here. How Ethan was then, she had presumed he was gay. How she had ever come to that conclusion was beyond her now. All she remembered was the moment she had known her judgment in that area was way off.

Sebastian dragged the Christmas tree through the hall by its metal stand, leaving a trail of pine needles in its wake. The box he carried in his other arm was dropped and he stood the disgruntled Fir up. It dropped a few more needles as it shook, then steadied.

"Freebie! Sebastian answered her questioning look. I thought as it’s our first Christmas in the office, we could at least make it feel that way. I’ve got to go back out, he glanced at his watch, ...shit, I’m running late now."

"Go, I’ll sort out all this." Sophia told him, gesturing over the tree and the mess it had trailed through the place.

"Thanks, Sophe, you’re the best. I knew that’s why we snapped you up. Sebastian gave her a wink and grabbed his briefcase from his office before heading out. Get ‘Moody’ to help you out, if you can get him out of his hole." He shouted back to her before he disappeared through the door.

She had been working here for two months now and absolutely loved it. After seeing the ad in the local newspaper, she sent in her CV and felt confident coming to the interview. The brothers had been great. Sebastian was open and friendly whereas Ethan was quieter and assessing. Both good looking in their own different ways, and if she wasn’t here in a professional setting, she would’ve considered turning on her charms.

As she had a couple of men currently on the go, and she needed a decent job a lot more, she quickly turned her errant brain back to the matter at hand. Later that afternoon, when she received the call offering her the job, she was overjoyed.

Two months on and she had little to no complaints. The two men she worked for seem to be like chalk and cheese, a little like her own brothers in that sense. Sebastian was all open charm, while Ethan was so much more reserved-and like the recent namesake his brother had given him-a little moody.

Sophia got to work, brushing up and disposing of all the pine needles from the floor. Then, on opening the box and finding decorations, began to dress the tree. Ethan had been holed up in his office working on a project all day and probably wouldn’t be out anytime soon. A regular occurrence, she saw very little of the older brother. He didn’t seem comfortable around her, especially alone. His confidence came when handling the clients, mostly male ones. She had wondered this past month if he was gay, it would be a shame for female kind if he was. His tall, muscular build and gorgeous green eyes were a killer combination.

She stood back and admired her handy work; all that was left was the star for the top. She sized up the situation, although the tree was only half a foot or so taller than her, its girth made it difficult to reach to the top. Especially as she didn’t want to disturb the baubles she had already hung. Not wanting to interrupt Ethan to see if they kept a stepladder around the place, the only other solution she could see was to stand on the chair from her desk. A swivel chair.

She wheeled the thing into position, then locked off one of the wheels, hoping to make it a little more steady. Carefully, she put one foot on the chair and lifted the other off the ground, testing the movement and chuckling as it swung slightly before stilling. She ignored the warning in her head and slowly placed both feet on the seat and began to rise.

With the first part complete, she balanced on the chair, star in hand. She should’ve grabbed the brush to use as a counterbalance to keep her a little steadier as she leaned. But it would take too long to get back up to a standing position and it was only a little way. She could do it.

Ethan came out of his office rubbing his eyes, needing to stretch his stiff legs and give his eyes a rest from the computer screen he had been working on for hours. The last thing he expected to see was a decorated Christmas tree and Sophia, precariously balanced on an office chair, trying to reach to put the star on the top.

As he approached silently, he willed her not to fall. When she teetered dangerously on the edge of the chair, he couldn’t stop his reaction.

"Fuck!" His outburst startled her. She screamed and lost her balance. He crossed the rest of the room in record time, just managing to catch her and break her fall with his own body. Decorations littered the floor under and around them. He cradled her curves close to him; his body reacted to the touch.

"That better not be what I think it is poking me." Her voice was curt, annoyed that he had frightened her and made her fall.

"It’s not." Ethan denied, feeling about for one of the longer plastic baubles to back up his lie. His fingers came across one and he clutched it, then moved his hips away from hers and showed her ‘the offending’ object.

Sophia hadn’t been fooled nor was she an innocent. His cover had been good, she remembered with a smile, but she was more than accustomed to the feel of a hard piece of man.

No, he was certainly not gay and she had been having too much fun pushing all his buttons, to let up now.

Even with the warnings, she just didn’t want to stop pushing. Just couldn’t find it in her to cease her mission midstride.

Chapter two

Ethan walked down the street towards the restaurant. He would usually be looking forward to a dinner out with good company.

But tonight he was dreading it.

It had been hard enough to be around Sophia lately. The other day in the office, as soon as his little warning had left his lips, her eyes had sparkled and he knew there was no way she would be heeding said warning. Oh no, not Sophia Abbott. She had upped the ante.

In the few days that had passed, she had invaded his personal space regularly, if briefly. Her sweet fruity scent teasing him just as much as the brushes of her curves across him.

His work place, his domain, had become his hell.

Today was the first Saturday in a long time that he had avoided the office. And she wasn’t even supposed to be there. But Ethan wasn’t taking any chances.

Tonight would be enough to get through, without tempting fate and bumping into her at the office too. He was learning there were limited places to hide on their floor. For their offices security, this was great. For his own, not so much.

It also seemed that Sophia’s skill-set for their firm was far wider than they had anticipated. If they ever thought of branching out into a little private investigating, he’d bet she would give Magnum PI a run for his money.

The light breeze in the air did nothing to bring down the temperature of the unusually warm evening. A light sweat had already settled on his skin, under the black shirt and grey slacks that he wore. He came to a stop, a pace away from the door of La Tasca- the Tapas place they were eating at- taking a moment to regain control of himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in.

He wouldn’t let her win.

He needed to just stay in control.

A delicate hand snaked around his waist. Her scent, ironic considering her personality, sweet and fruity, taunted his lack of control as the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. Not the only thing wanting to rise to the bait at the press of her supple breasts against his side.

You waited to accompany me in? You’re such a gentleman Old School.

He forced his mouth into a smile-at least he hoped that’s what it looked like on the outside-inside it was more of a scowl.

Looking down into her face was his second mistake.

Her pale grey eyes sparkled with mischief, and then something much hotter, as her other hand landed on his chest. He tried not to notice the jump of his muscles under her palm. She wore one of her tight fitting outfits, black skinny jeans and a black off the shoulder top. He glanced at her feet. Emerald green stilettoes, at least four inches of heel, which still only brought her up to his chin. He wondered if tonight’s underwear matched her shoe colour, like it had when she had worn the red. If she even had a bra on, there were no straps after all.

Damn his train of thought. He clenched his teeth, the muscles of his jaw twitched with the movement, and took another deep breath in through his nose.

Let’s get inside. Ethan put his hand on the small of her back and used the other to open the door.

Rhodes, table for four. He told the staff member, a little curter than was necessary, who had greeted them with a smile while his eyes scanned the room.

This way please. Again his hand landed on Sophia’s back as they followed the waitress to their table. Bas and Layla were already seated but rose as they neared.

Hi Sophe, how are you? Oh that nose ring is so pretty. Layla greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Sophia liked Layla. She was bubbly and open, if not a little easily embarrassed.

Thanks, I love it. Who’d of thought Old School had such good taste.

Ethan shook his head as Layla greeted him the same way and he exchanged a handshake/half-hug with his brother.

Their parents had trained them well in being gentlemen and both men seated their female neighbour before sitting themselves. The tables were a little on the small side, making the seating arrangements ‘snug’. Ethan’s six-foot-two frame didn’t help and his thigh brushed Sophia’s. Again he ignored his body’s reaction, doing his best to convince himself he was totally in control of this situation.

Sophia smiled. Tonight was going to be fun. She was already in his personal space and hadn’t even begun to try and push his buttons yet. But already, he wore the telltale signs of tension- the muscle in his jaw working overtime.

Let the fun commence.

I love Tapas. Thanks you guys. She said kicking up her smile. She genuinely did love working with them and appreciated their effort in making her feel that it was mutual. She turned her face to Ethan and couldn’t resist tapping his thigh and making that jaw muscle twitch again.

He had thick, long legs; the muscle was hard and hot under her quick touch, enough to have her libido’s full attention in seconds. She had a high appetite for sex and was not afraid to go out and make sure her needs were satisfied.

Some had satisfied them more than others. Some had left her more frustrated than before they had done the deed. There was nothing worse than having to give a guy directions on how to get you off. She had even stopped a couple of them mid-session and left, telling them the internet was full of hints and tips to improve their skills. She had been told to ‘Go fuck herself’ both times. In response she had laughed as she dressed and replied, ‘I have every intention to, and it will be better than what you can do for me!’

She would bet that Ethan didn’t need any hints or tips on how to handle himself, or his lady in the bedroom or any room. She was getting carried away and hadn’t even heard the conversation that was going on across their table. Obviously something had been said to her as all eyes were on her now.

Sorry, I was miles away. What was that?

What would you like to drink Sophe? Sebastian asked.

Red wine please.

Sebastian gave their drink order to the waitress while Sophia picked up a menu to get her thoughts back on track. For a few minutes at least.

Is everyone looking forward to the Halloween party? Layla asked. I’ve been looking for costumes for Bas and I today. I’m torn between creepy clowns or zombie victims.

Do I even get a say in this babe? Sebastian asked, the look of love in his eyes.

That depends on what it is and if I agree with it. Layla smiled sweetly back at him. She already knew he would dress up in pretty much anything she would like, within reason. He bent his head and kissed her quickly.

Right. Let’s order, I’m starving. He said.

No more PDF’s then please. You two are too much for my teeth to bear and I need them to eat. Sophia told them, getting a confused look from Ethan. Because they’re so sweet. She rolled her eyes as realisation dawned.

Between the four of them, they ordered numerous plates of fish, meats and breads to share. With the cosy tables, there wasn’t much room for all the plates. Sebastian stopped the waitress before she left them. Ethan and himself quickly dismantled three different platters onto their own plates and gave the waitress the now empty platter to return with, leaving them more room.

Layla