by Linda Kage
“I am,” he answered, gazing around the nightclub to peruse his kingdom. “Just popping in a few minutes to check on things.”
I shook my head. He never could stay away for long, the damn workaholic. I knew his family came first to him, but he treated Forbidden like his second family.
“How’s Eva?” I asked.
He finally focused on me. “Wondering why you haven’t come to see her new baby yet, ya slacker.”
“I will!” I argued. “It’s been a crazy, busy week with finals approaching. But I’m sure Sarah and I can stop by tomorrow afternoon and see the kid.”
With a knowing grin, he nodded. “Yeah, I heard about that, too. About time you two finally gave in to it.”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that, so I just shrugged. He laughed at my sudden bashfulness and pointed at me before pushing away from the bar and heading in the direction of his office.
“We’re running low on tequila,” Knox said, bumping my arm to get my attention. “I swear, everyone and their dog are ordering margaritas tonight.”
“Yep.” I’d noticed that too. “I’m on it.” I was about to turn away and make my way to the storage room for more Jose Cuervo when a face through the crowd caught my attention.
“What the hell?” I squinted and waited impatiently until I could see the guy again.
“What?” Knox asked, turning to look in the direction of my stare. But I’d already forgotten about him.
Recognizing Sarah’s date, Seth, I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, this is too good to be true.” Setting a hand on the bar top, I jumped over it, clearing the counter easily.
I’d been looking for this douche for weeks. It was like providence that he showed up on my turf.
“Yo! Gamble!” Knox called after me. “What the hell are you doing?”
I waved at him over my shoulder. “Be right back.” But I didn’t plan on returning anytime soon. I had some ass to kick.
Seth was turned away from me by the time I reached him. He looked to be hanging out with about three other guys as they tried to hit on these two chicks who looked beyond wasted.
“Hey!” I yelled from about ten feet away. “Seth! Remember me?”
Seth and his friends looked over. When his gaze collided with mine, his eyes widened, and I saw his mouth form the words, “Oh, shit.”
Oh, yeah. That’s right, asshole. Piss those panties you were quivering in, cause your grim reaper was here to take you home to Satan.
Immediately lifting his hands as he backed away from me, he cried, “Look, man. I didn’t do anything to her, I swear.”
“Oh, so you didn’t make a bet with your pals here to get two hundred bucks for nailing the cripple?” I asked, advancing on him anyway. “My mistake.”
This time, he—plus a couple of his friends—whimpered, “Oh, shit.”
I swung, and swung hard, putting everything I had into it.
It dropped him flat, a complete knockout the first punch, which pissed me off because I’d wanted to hit him a hell of a lot more than once.
Rounding on Seth’s wide-eyed friends, I demanded, “Which one of you fuckers is Sandman?” He’d been the most persistent douche in the texts Sarah had shown me, pushing Seth into banging her.
When the tallest of the remaining three visibly gasped, I flattened him next. But he didn’t go down, thank goodness. I got in a couple more punches before two of his buddies tried to pull me off.
“Wait your turn,” I snarled at them, shrugging them away like the pesky pecker gnats they were. “I’ll get to you next.”
But I only got in one more punch on Sandman’s bloodied face before I was pulled away, and for good this time.
“Easy, kid,” Knox’s deep voice rumbled in my ear. His large arm banded around my neck, effectively trapping me in a headlock. I growled and tried to pull him forward with me, but we only made it about a foot before both Asher and Remy appeared in front of me, purposely coming between me and the guys I wanted to kill.
“What the hell set off his Mr. Hyde?” Asher asked Knox while Remy took my face in both her hands and gently, but firmly, said, “Hulk, no smash.”
I growled at her but stopped struggling against Knox’s hold.
Unable to let the remaining bastards get away with what they’d done, I glared at them over her shoulder. “Do you shit-faced motherfuckers even care that you ruined her? It took her years to gain what confidence she had only for you assholes to come along and shatter it all because of a stupid fucking bet. I hope you’re proud of being the worthless pathetic losers you are.”
“Okay, okay, what’s going on here?” Pick had finally made it to the scene. Shit, we must’ve made quite a commotion if he’d heard us all the way from his office.
“Seems to be something to do with Sarah,” Asher answered his brother.
“Yeah,” Pick murmured. “That makes sense. Nothing riles the kid up more than someone messing with his girl.” He turned from me to eye the guys I’d been trying my damnedest to annihilate. Sandman was clutching his bloody nose while two of the others were helping a now conscious Seth struggle to his feet.
“All right, fellows,” Pick told them. “Time to move along and get out of my club.”
“What? You’re kicking us out?” one of the douches I hadn’t gotten around to hurting asked incredulously. Then he had the balls to point at me. “He’s the shithead who jumped us. Why does he get to stay?”
I growled and surged toward him, hoping for a chance to mangle his face even a little, but Knox held on to me firmly while Pick seared me with a hard, staying glance. Then he turned back to the others.
“Let me ask you something. You boys do an injustice to a young lady named Sarah?”
The guilt rolling off them was palpable.
Pick nodded as if he expected as much. “You know...Sarah’s sister-in-law is my wife’s cousin,” he went on, making the idiots cringe. “I helped her buy her first car. She calls me Uncle Pick.” He stepped closer to them, narrowing his eyes. “No one fucks with my niece and then tries to drink in my bar. I told you once to leave, now get the fuck out before I set the kid loose on you again.”
This time, no one argued with him. They tripped over each other in their scramble to reach the exit.
“You.” Pick sighed when he took me in. “Into my office. Now.”
“Uh...probably not a good idea,” Knox suggested. “He’s still raging out. I bet he’ll come out swinging as soon as I let him go. But if you don’t mind another wrecked office...”
Closing his eyes briefly, Pick let out a small curse but then nodded. “To the break room, then.”
Knox didn’t let me go, and that made me seethe. I struggled against him and probably would’ve cussed him out for not letting me walk myself back, but Asher and Remy came with us, distracting me by telling me how badass I’d been for taking on four guys at once.
“He was pretty sloppy if you ask me,” Knox grumbled. “You need to turn your whole body into your punches. Don’t throw a knockout every time. Mix it up with some short uppercuts and hooks, and long jabs. And for God’s sake, breathe out when you punch. I swear you held your breath the entire time.”
“Well, excuse me for not training,” I grumbled, shrugging him off as soon as we entered the break room.
Remy patted my shoulder. “I think you did just fine. You totally made all my girly parts tingle.”
Asher hooked an arm around her waist. “Hey, that’s impressive, right there. I’ve been trying to make them tingle all night.”
Ignoring the lovebirds, I swung away and put my fist into a locker. “Why didn’t you let me hit them a little longer?”
Folding his arms over his chest, Knox leaned against the wall. “Too much more and the cops would’ve been called. Not sure we’d have been able to keep you out of trouble if the cops had shown up.”
I growled out a frustrated sound. “Landing in jail would’ve been worth it if they had.” God, I hated that he, and Pick, and Asher were f
riends with Noel. They all tended to big brother me and protect me. It pissed me off, especially when I wanted to do something stupid and crazy.
“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone called the police,” Pick answered as he entered the break room. “I’m pretty sure we’re good there, but you still better clear out for the night anyway. You’re too juiced up to deal with customers.”
“I can work for him,” Asher volunteered.
“I don’t—” I started to argue, only to realize I’d been hoping for a night off work all day so I could spend some time with Sarah.
Relaxing, I cleared my throat and rolled my shoulders. “All right. Thanks.”
“And don’t get caught if you try sneaking in her window.” Pick arched a knowing eyebrow. “I hear Mason’s against that idea.”
With a wide grin, I nodded. “I won’t.”
Waving a farewell to the others, I hurried from the break room and then out of the club. I almost hoped Seth and his pals had lingered around outside, but they were long gone.
No matter. I had places to be and my woman probably sitting at home on her bed, all alone.
Eager to see her, I drove to her house faster than I should’ve. But luck was on my side tonight. No one caught me breaking the speed limit.
Once I reached her place, I bypassed the front door and approached her window.
I think it was still cracked open from the last time I’d visited because I could hear Mason’s voice as I drew closer.
Crouching down, I hid just out of sight as he asked, “So...no window visitors tonight?”
Sarah sounded exasperated as she answered, “Do you see him anywhere? Besides, he’s working tonight.”
“Good. There’s no reason he can’t use the damn door from here on out.”
I rolled my eyes because I liked using the window. And I’m pretty sure Sarah liked it too. There was something naughtier about it...and it showed just how willing I always was to see her.
Barely a second after Mason left and closed the door to Sarah’s room, I tapped on the glass.
Then I grinned when Sarah let out a surprised yelp. Her face appeared, and when she saw me, she yanked the frame up.
“Oh my God, you nearly got caught. Mason was just in here, looking for you.”
“I know.” I grinned as I leaped inside. “I saw him. That’s why I waited to knock.” I ran my gaze over her boldly and licked my lips as I hummed deep in my throat. “Nice top. Is that new?”
Her nipples immediately hardened under her shirt, and my dick throbbed with need.
“Yes,” she breathed, shying backward away from me as I prowled closer. “You know, Mason really wants you to only use the front door from here on out.”
I grinned when she finally stopped backing away from me. “Mason’s going to have to learn he can’t always get what he wants.”
She whimpered, obviously as hot and bothered as I was. So I leaned in and tugged on her bottom lip with my teeth.
She gasped but asked, “Are you going to break his no-sex-in-his-house rule, too?”
My gaze went hooded with lust as I chuckled. “What do you think?”
With a shiver, she lovingly traced her finger along the side of my face. “I think I’ll combust if you don’t.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” Reaching out, I slid my own finger down the center of her chest. “I best give my girl what she needs.”
“Yes,” she breathed, straining toward me. “Yes, you better.”
I pounced, kissing her hard, as I pushed her back onto the mattress and spread myself above her.
BRANDT
I had Sarah stripped in seconds, barely stopping myself from shredding her clothes right off her, though I did hear some material rip a little when her panties tried to resist me.
Poor, misinformed panties. Didn’t they know I meant their owner only pleasure? I shoved them in my pocket to teach them a lesson later by, you know, draping them over my face and smelling Sarah on the cloth the next time I couldn’t see her and was forced to jack off instead.
She kept trying to touch me, grab my hair, sink her fingers into the muscles of my back. I knew I should let her, but I was still too afraid of what might happen if I did. And tonight...tonight I was too needy and desperate to get inside her to worry about all that other shit.
Grabbing her wrists, I trapped them above her head, growling, “Woman, don’t make me tie you.”
Instead of getting mad, which was kind of what I expected, Sarah gave an interested shiver. “Do you..want to?” she asked, her blue eyes wide with curiosity.
And...I almost came in my fucking jeans.
I stared down at her, debating...should I...before I slowly asked, “Do you want me to?”
“I...” Shy hesitancy entered her gaze, followed by eager interest before she bit her lip and nodded. “Yes. I want to know what it’s like.”
“Holy fuck,” I breathed before glancing around the room in search of...props. “Do you, uh, do you have any scarves or belts or anything?”
“Belts,” she answered. “In the closet.”
I drew in a deep breath to control my libido. Then I jumped off the bed and ransacked her closet, finding three belts.
That’d do just fine.
As I returned to her, running the leather bands between my hands, her eyes widened. “Three?”
I nodded, feeling a wolfish grin coming on. “Three.”
“I...you...okay.”
“You trust me, right?” I asked, crawling knees first onto the bed.
She nodded, her eyes full of all the faith I was asking for. “I do,” she whispered.
“Good.” I grasped one of her ankles and slowly tugged her closer to me. “Because you can...with your life. And if at any time I do anything that doesn’t feel orgasmically amazing, you just tell me to stop, and I will.”
“Okay.”
She watched me, panting and aroused, her cheeks flushed and eyes glazed.
I loved that she wanted to try this. Keeping my gaze on her because watching her expression was sexier than seeing her tied, I helped her bend her leg until the heel of her foot pressed against her ass. Then I banded the belt around her so she couldn’t straighten her knee. After tying the other leg in the same way, I had her cross her arms over her chest so I could fasten the last belt around her torso, keeping her from using her arms.
After I was finished, I sat back and studied my work. “Jesus,” I murmured, wiping my mouth as my body raged to dive into her. “You are so fucking beautiful.”
Silently, she let her thighs fall open, inviting me to do exactly what I wanted.
Groaning her name, I leaned in and pressed my mouth to her pussy, diving my tongue in and eating her mercilessly. Whimpering, she strained against her bonds, making me harder in my pants as I licked up to her clit. When she gasped, I thrust a finger inside her.
“Oh, God! Brandt.”
Her moan was low and tortured. She was already close.
Curious to see how fast I could make her—
Shit! She released with a gasp before biting her lip and filling my mouth with her flavor.
“Oh my God,” she panted, staring up at the ceiling as I sat up and wiped the back of my hand over my mouth. “Oh my God.”
Grinning, I stripped out of my clothes and suited up. “I like how religious I make you when you come.”
She shifted her dazed gaze to me just in time to watch me roll on a condom. “Mother Mary,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can come again. That was so hard and so—”
Pressing my fingers to her lips, I silenced her. “Just for that, I’m making you come harder this next time.”
Catching her pinned knees in my hands, I spread her wide and pushed inside. She moaned and writhed under me, her eyes rolling up into her head as her body took every inch.
Once I was all the way in, I paused to watch her face.
“Oh, Jesus. Oh, God,” she panted, still shaking her head and think
ing she couldn’t take any more.
So I pulled out and hammered back in, laughing when she bowed up her back and met my thrust as hard as she could. “That’s it,” I encouraged her. “Fuck me back, baby. Take it and demand more.”
One powerful blow after another, I just kept spiking as deep and as hard as I could go.
“Brandt,” she gasped, “Brandt!” Her body tensed and I knew she was there. So close. Just a little bit...more.
“You are so fucking amazing,” I gritted out as I went faster, losing all my finesse in my rush to keep up with her. “Best. Fucking. Sex. Ever.”
Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and tightened around me. I grunted and then had to bury my face into the pillow next to her cheek to keep from shouting as I let go inside her, coming so long I might’ve even blacked out a second in there.
I didn’t realize I’d collapsed on top of her until she squirmed under me.
“Wha...?” I opened dazed eyes only to slur, “Shit, sorry.”
Rolling onto my back beside her, I blew out a breath and stared up at the ceiling in shock. “Holy...fuck,” I finally gasped. That had been...yeah. My brain was still too rattled to properly process how amazing that had been.
With my body still buzzing from the orgasm she’d given me, I lolled my head on the pillow to grin lazily at her. A sheen of sweat on her face gave her a healthy glow and caused a couple tendrils of hair to cling to her cheeks as she turned her head to smile back at me. My chest constricted with emotion.
“Hey,” I whispered.
She laughed, and her blush bloomed brighter. “Hey, yourself.”
Unable to not touch her, I reached out and lightly ran the backs of my fingers down the outside of her arm. “Have I told you how glad I am that you talked me into changing our relationship?”
Another laugh left her. “Your appreciation was implied.” When her eyebrows pinched into a frown, I realized she was trying to remove the belts.
“Oh, sorry.” I sat upright and reached for the buckle. “Let me.”
Her hands fell away as she allowed me to take off the bonds. When I noticed a red mark on her arm after I removed the first one, I sucked in a breath and kissed it before meeting her gaze. “Does it hurt?”
