The National Portrait Gallery is a magnificent venue for events and one I am well acquainted with, having been there many times before: working security. sometimes as a guest and once or twice with a date.But never like this.Brynne brought a whole new meaning to the idea of possessiveness. At least for me she did. I thought I might be dead by the end of the night from keeping up with all the people who wanted a piece of her.She looked so beautiful and perfect in her periwinkle lace dress and silvery shoes; every inch the model she was outwardly, but inwardly, that artistic mind of hers was brilliant and respected for the work she did in her field. My girl was a celebrity tonight. It damn well helped to see my gift around her neck too. She is mine, people! Mine! And don't fucking forget it either!The display of Lady Percival was indeed a hit. She'd been set up as a tutorial on the conserving process, as her restoration was only partially complete. And Brynne, of course, was credite

"I need to have something along the lines of what you're having." He waved off and left for the bar.I nursed my vodka for a few more minutes before deciding a smoke would be just the thing. Brynne was still too busy to be interrupted, so I found Neil and told him where I was headed. I located an exit door down at street level, propped it open just enough so I could get back in the same way I'd gone out, and stepped into the cool, fresh night.The clove tasted so fine I think I got a tad hard. Just a few more hours and we'd be on our way out of London and I'd have her all to myself. The city lights and sounds were a comfort swirled with the scented smoke that wrapped around me like a cloak. As I stood there and indulged in another coffin nail. I wondered how I'd ever get off the smokes completely. I was really trying to limit my consumption, but I'd been at it for so long, I just didn't know how to let go completely. Addiction was a powerful component of the body and the spirit. And t

"I feel better," she panted. "Whatever that was tonight seems to have passed." She slowly straightened up and lifted her head up to the night sky. "Gawd!" "I'm so sorry, baby. You're ill and I'm dragging you on a road trip and everything's so royally fucked up " "But you're here with me," she blurted. "and you're going to help me through whatever that shit was on my phone, aren't you?" She stared at me, her eyes still wet, her chest still heaving from being sick in the bushes, and utterly amazing to me because of her bravery."I will, Brynne." I took the couple steps that separated us and drew her close. She folded into my arms and rested her cheek on my chest. "I'm going to be here every step of the way to keep you safe. I'm all in, remember?" She nodded. "I'm all in too. Ethan.""Good. It's gonna be okay, baby." I rubbed up and down her back and felt her relax a little."I do feel better... even if I smell like puke," she said. "Sorry about that.""That's good you feel better. And y

Somebody wanted me, despite all that had gone down in my past. Someone was willing to fight for me. I was important to another person. To Ethan I was. The power in that knowledge was life-changing.Ethan's particular brand of attention was intense and a lot to accept at first but it worked for me. Ethan worked for me. He could show me how much he wanted me, and for the first time I had some hope that we could really make this relationship work. The "let's go slow" part hadn't happened at all like we'd agreed when we first met. But if we had gone slowly, I very much doubt I'd be naked in bed with him at the Somerset coast, in an English manor fit for a king, which happened to be owned by his sister, and being fucked to the brink of an- other magnificent orgasm right now. A girl has to take things as they come.It took a bit for me to rouse myself after the second round of sheet-clawing sex, but I managed to wriggle out of his hold to head for the bathroom so I could clean up and prepar

Out on patrols we saw all kinds of horrifying shit. Democracy is something most peo- ple never really have the opportunity to appreciate. I suppose that's a lucky thing for much of the world, but still food for thought for those who don't even know how good they have it. The thing that bothered me the most was the incredible waste of potential. People suppressed and terrorized have very little potential-just the way third-world dictators like them to be,We'd seen her around begging on the streets of Kabul before, but never with the boy. Servicemen were restricted from interaction with the Afghan women. It was far too dangerous, and not just for the troops, but horny men are the most predictable, stupid creatures on the planet. They'll go looking for pussy and find trouble just about every time. It was fair to assume she was a prostitute. Although not common, brothels did exist in Kabul, not that I'd ever be caught dead in one. But some of the men took the risk, morons that they are,