Page 37 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
“Yeah, you should have, but I can understand why you didn’t,” I tell her.
“My brothers are North and South.” I start to giggle like a bloody school kid. I try not to say all our names in one sentence as people look at me like I’m either lying or I’ve lost the plot.
“Yeah, yeah I can see your questioning brain working. We are North, South, East, and West, but not named in that order. South is the eldest and then I’m next. North is the youngest brother, and East is the baby of the family.”
“My grandfather was a sailor of sorts, and he insisted that his grandchildren had a nautical theme for their names. My mother didn’t agree, but she did allow a trendy name like South. When I was born, they had moved to the west coast, and that is where my name came from. North was born in Edinburgh, and East was born in Newcastle. We moved around so much as kids but settled here in London when we were teens. I’m glad she stopped at four because God knows what kid number five would have been called.”
I laughed.
“We are all good people, Sutton; we do our best to put things right for our loved ones, and we all have our strengths. We are all like a compass. We are good at getting to the right place at the right time. South, he finds objects, North finds information, East, well, she finds parties and fun, but also people. Me? Well, I just find trouble.” I smile at her, but she just shoots me a glare.
“Oh no, Sutton I didn’t mean you were trouble, but I do find people that are in trouble, and I fix it. That’s who I am, Sutton.”
“What? You’re a fixer?” she questions.
“Yes, that’s exactly who I am. I never wanted my father’s business, but South is so far out of the business loop, he would have struggled to keep up with everything. East is too young and flighty and has no interest in settling in one place, and North, well, he just loves digging up stuff and then he joins me to help fix whatever is broken. He’ll be here in the morning. I asked him to come as I know you will have more questions, and he is still working on everything and still piecing together information. We will have a clearer picture tomorrow. Are you okay with that?”
“Do I have a choice?” she spits.
“Yes, Sutton, you always have a choice, but, in this case, I think you should stay the night and meet with North tomorrow.”
Her eyes went wide. “Stay the night? Here with you? West, I told you it’s not happening with us. I told you there was nous…” she trailed off towards the end of her tirade. Yep, she knows there is still an 'us.' I will make damn sure she understands that from this second on that is exactly what we are.
I move towards her and pick up her chin with two fingers. She is looking directly into my eyes. Her eyes are a little bloodshot and red, but they are still the deepest brown you will ever see. You could just melt right into them and never be seen again.
God, this woman is beautiful.
Dipping my eyes down to her lips, I can tell she wants me. She licks her bottom lip, and that is all the acknowledgement I need. My lips crash down hard on hers, and our tongues find their pace quickly. She was only gone for a few hours, but I am never letting her leave my side again. Never in my life have I felt this way about a woman.
My mind is racing as the kiss ignites. I feel her hands moving slowly up my back to my neck and then back down again. It’s like we are speaking the same language. I can’t wait any longer, so I release from the kiss, lean back, and take a good look at her. She looks disappointed, and that was what I was going for. I take a further step back and watch her face fall. I then bend and lift her up and carry her up the hall to my bedroom.
She has her head buried in my shoulder. I lay her down on the comforter and continue my assault on her beautiful mouth. Between our tongues, teeth, licking and biting, I am hard. Harder than I have ever been in my fucking life. Breaking away again, I whisper softly, “I’m not going to fuck you tonight, Sutton.”
“W-w-why?” she stutters.
“Because I need to make sure you’re okay. I’m not going to take advantage of you when you have so much going on.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” She bolts up on the bed.
“Nope, I’m not, Sutton. However, if you are still wanting me in the morning, then we can talk.” I’m looking her dead in the eye. She is either going to slap me or laugh. It’s going to go one way or the other.
Finally, she laughs. “For fuck’s sake, West, I want you now.” She is pleading and laughing at the same time. The sound of her laughter makes my heart race. It’s not a sound I’ve heard much, but I know that I love it, and I want to hear more and more. I bend down and kiss her firmly on the top of her head and lean back and wait…
Chapter 29
Sutton
“Youhavejustkissedmeon the top of my fucking head!” I screech and lunge forward towards him. Grabbing at his shirt and wrapping my other arm around his neck, I slam my lips right onto his.
“That’s a fucking kiss, West. I’m not a fucking child or an old lady,” I say when I lean back.
He chuckles at me, licks one finger, and marks an invisible number one in the air. “One to me,” he says. He has a smirk on his face like he’s won the lottery, and he’s not telling anyone.
“What’s that mean?” I ask.
Still smirking, he tilts his head and replies, “It means, my lovely Sutton, that I won this round.”
“This round of what?” she asks. “Turning me on and then telling me no? Is it a game to you, West?”
