by Lane Hart
“Oh, God. Not yet. Soon, but not just yet,” Cannon says with a masculine chuckle full of pride as he pulls out of me, leaving me so empty it aches when he lays beside me on the bed. A moment later and Cannon reaches for me, rolling me to my side so that we’re both facing each other, our arms and legs tangled, bodies flush together almost from head to toe again, just not…connected.
Since he’s taller, my face is lying in his neck now, inhaling his familiar scent – leather, cologne, his soap, and a tiny bit of sweat. Honestly, I thought sex with Cannon would be much more rigorous and sweatier for the both of us, but I can’t complain. What we did was even better. Sex has never felt like that with anyone before. It wasn’t rushed or hurried. I didn’t want to just get it over with. I didn’t want it to end.
Cannon exhales heavily above me, and then his muscles all seem to relax or fall apart. I’m not sure which until he says, “How fucking selfish am I to be here with you when my brother is in jail?”
“It’s not selfish,” I tell him with a kiss on his collarbone. “You were so upset and worried that you needed to take your mind off of him for just a little while.”
He’s quiet for several long moments before he pulls me impossibly closer and says, “I found the ultrasound photos on the dresser. It’s like a real baby now, you know?”
“Yeah,” I say with a sad smile he can’t see.
“If Conrad’s not there when he or she is born…”
“He’ll be there,” I say and try to lift my head to see his face, but he cups the back of my head and presses me against his chest like he doesn’t want me to see him right now.
I know he’s trying to hide his emotions from me, and I get it, so I snuggle up to him and stroke my fingertips up and down his back.
Cannon does the same, except he hikes my thigh up higher on his hip so that his fingers can run down and over the swell of my ass and then up again. That’s all it takes to make me wet again, but he doesn’t do anything more, just a graze of his fingers that don’t try to dip any lower. At least, he doesn’t until I press myself into his hip and he feels the warm dampness. His comforting fingers go still as his shaft jerks with interest between us. He’s still wearing the old condom, and I know that has to be replaced before we go again. I reach down to roll it off and throw it to the floor. Then, I start stroking him up and down in my fist, making him harder and longer as he grunts in what sounds like pain.
When he can’t take anymore, Cannon pulls my hand off of him and then tips my chin up to kiss me, telling me he’s ready for me again.
Our tongues are so frantic that we break apart gasping, and then Cannon is sliding lower down my body to lick around my nipple before taking as much as he can into his mouth, sucking on it hard.
“Oh my God, yes!” I cry out and roll to my back to give him better access. Cannon takes advantage, using his mouth on the right one and his hands on the left.
My thighs clench together, wanting something much lower. As if he knows exactly what I need, Cannon’s fingers move lower until they’re cupping me possessively, just like he did that night in the bathroom before his middle finger slips inside me. It’s too soon after my orgasm. I’m so sensitive that I squirm and arch my back from the pleasure.
While my eyes are closed, Cannon must have moved lower because the next thing I feel is his tongue on my clit while his finger keeps thrusting in and out of me. I barely blink my eyes open. As soon as he looks up at me, just his stunning blue eyes peeking over my mound because the rest of his face is in my pussy, I come, screaming. My back bows up so hard that Cannon has to put his hand on my pelvis to hold it in place for his tongue to keep thrashing, sending me crashing and quaking into two orgasms before I have to beg him to stop.
I must lose some time, because the next thing I know, Cannon is above me again, a fresh condom on his shaft that’s bumping against my entrance. My hips lift in welcome, wanting him to take me already.
“You have no idea how sexy you are right now, looking sex drunk and so damn desperate for me.”
He’s right. “I need you right now,” I tell him as I reach for his neck to bring him down on top of me. He comes willingly, eager even. One minute my hands are on him, and the next Cannon’s pinning them to the mattress above my head and he’s sliding inside of me.
Again, I expect him to fuck me fast and furiously. But he doesn’t. He goes slow and easy, watching my face from inches above where I can’t lift my head or my hands to reach him. He’s torturing me in the best possible way. All I can do is wrap my legs around his waist to dig my heels in his ass to try and get him to go deeper, harder. It doesn’t work.
In fact, he uses his knees to spread me so wide I have to drop my legs. With that move, he straddles them with his to bring mine together so, so tight that there’s no way he can even…
“Oh fuck!” I shout as he enters me again when I’m impossibly tight. I have no choice but to feel every slow inch of him thrusting inside. It’s like he’s trying to crawl inside of me. I’ve never felt so connected or…owned by anyone before.
I look up at Cannon and lose myself in his beautiful blue eyes that are trying to tell me something that has nothing to do with the way our bodies are fitting together so perfectly.
The sex is better than great, it’s earth-shattering, and still, it’s not the most important thing right now.
Tonight, something else, something bigger is happening between us.
And I can’t decide if I’m elated or terrified.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cannon
Madison and I fell asleep last night wrapped around each other like blankets instead of bedding after the best sex of my life. It’s not something I’ve done before, the cuddling part. Sure, I may let a woman sleep in my bed after we fuck, but not on top of me. And I never felt the need to hold anyone all night, like I did with Madison. Subconsciously, I think I was worried that if I let go for even a second, she would get up and leave. Such a stupid thought and so ridiculous.
When I woke up spooning with her naked, my first thought was to claim her again, to make her mine before I let her leave this room and go out into the world where there are plenty of other men to choose from.
I almost went in without a rubber when she started grinding her ass against me, working my dick like she wanted me inside her as soon as fucking possible.
Thankfully, I always carry three condoms in my wallet, which is usually the maximum amount of times I can go in a night.
With Madison, I think I could spring back up, ready to go however many times she wanted me to.
If last night was slow, then the morning session was sloth-paced as I entered her from behind while still spooning and reached around to rub her clit the whole time. Madison came twice, possibly three times before I finally had to put her on her stomach to thrust deep enough to finish. It almost seemed wrong to be riding her back like a horndog, like she was too classy for doggy style. But when she came again, I figured she must not have minded the slightly rougher treatment.
After lying in bed only long enough to catch my breath, I roll off of her and say, “We should probably shower and get to the courthouse.”
“Yeah,” Madison agrees breathlessly, her head turned toward me, still on her stomach. Several strands of her mussed hair had fallen in her rosy face, but she doesn’t try to move them. She looks like a woman who was thoroughly fucked and loved every second of it as much as I did.
Yes, I fucking loved it too. I mean, I always like and enjoy sex, but I LOVED finally being with Madison.
Shit, why the hell do I keep using the L-word in my head?
Madison
Cannon hurries out of bed, and I’m not sure if it’s because he’s anxious to get to court or he just wants to get away from me.
Nah. It has to be the first one. I’m not going to let my head try and spin last night and this morning any other way. I know what I felt and that’s impossible.
I lay in a boneless pile while the shower c
omes on in the bathroom, and then I finally find the energy to roll to my back, moaning the entire time out loud like it hurts. It doesn’t hurt. The problem is even small movements cause more tingles since I’m still incredibly sensitive.
Finally, I get out of bed to go clean up in one of the other bathrooms. I’ll have Cannon take me to his house for a shower since that’s where all of my shower and makeup supplies are.
Thinking of his place makes me wonder if things will change now. Will I sleep in Cannon’s bed instead of alone in the guest bedroom every night?
No, I can’t get distracted with those sorts of thoughts. Right now, we need to concentrate on getting Conrad out of jail and my campaign up and running. There are commercials to shoot and more events to try and attend.
When Cannon comes out of the bathroom, he doesn’t even look at me as he goes and picks up the suitcase and the clothes he flung to the floor last night. It’s not like him to be this quiet either.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Can we drop their stuff off at the house so I can shower?”
“Sure.”
Great, he’s not giving me anything but one-word answers. I decide to give Cannon the benefit of the doubt that, once Conrad is a free man, he’ll be back to normal.
And if not then – I don’t want to even think about how I would feel if he says last night was just a one-night thing in the heat of passion. Because he and I both know it was more than that. Since the moment we met, the two of us have been heading for that climax, literally and figuratively.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cannon
As soon as Madison gets a quick shower back at our house, I mean, my house — it’s my house, not ours — she calls the clerk of court and is told that Conrad’s bail hearing will be at ten.
The courthouse is packed, so the two of us take a seat on one of the benches and wait, and then wait some more.
I’m nervous as shit, my knee bouncing uncontrollably and my palms sweating, wondering how much the bail will be. What if I don’t have enough cash to get my brother out? Hannah and our parents will be fucking devastated.
The nerves make me want to reach over and hold Madison’s hand for comfort, which is insane. I’ve never had the urge to hold a woman’s hand before.
Okay, well, I did at one point in my life when I was young and naïve and thought that I was in love with Kimberly. That was before she left for college and gave me an ultimatum. But the two of us dated forever before I even considered that I may love her. Now I know that I obviously didn’t since I couldn’t do what she wanted and ask her to marry me.
I know I can’t possibly be falling in love with Madison when we’ve only known each other for about two weeks. So why am I even having that thought?
It has to be because of what happened last night. I wanted to kiss her and hold her as a distraction and in search of comfort, which she gave me in spades. If I had just fucked her, then I wouldn’t be having all these complicated feelings.
This is why I never sleep with a woman more than one night – to avoid caring about them.
Except, with Madison, I already worried about her and wanted to protect her before we had sex.
I think I may have royally fucked up, because I don’t just want her again, I think I’m starting to need her.
“How much longer is this going to take?” I exclaim in frustration.
“Shh,” Madison leans over and says before she places her palm on my thigh as if to calm me down. And goddammit, it works. It fucking works. One small touch from her, and I’m no longer anxious or pissed. God help me, but all I can think with the warmth of her hand soaking through my jeans to my skin is that being with her last night was the best night of my life and I wish I just meant the sex.
A man up front stands and speaks in legal gibberish and says Conrad’s name. My brother isn’t even in the courtroom, just a blur on the television screen in front.
“This is it,” Madison leans over to my ear and whispers, her breath breezing over my neck and making me shiver. “Don’t interrupt. Just listen, okay?”
I nod my agreement, and then she gives me sort of a layman’s translation on the play-by-play as everything goes down.
Apparently, Bailey has told the district attorney that he’s “terrified” that Conrad may come back to his house and kill him. Therefore, he’s asking for a restraining order and for the judge to declare that Conrad is a danger to the community; and that thanks to his connections with a biker ‘gang’, he says he may also be a flight risk. My brother is neither of those things; however, the judge agrees with the district attorney to give both sides a week to prepare to debate the issue before they appear before the judge for a full hearing.
“Shit,” Madison whispers and rests her forehead on my shoulder.
“What does that mean?” I ask her.
She lifts her head to look at my face. “I’m so sorry, Cannon. The judge isn’t going to set a bail today.”
“What? I thought you said he had to give him bail!”
“Shh,” she warns me again, placing her finger on my lips.
“Everyone must be given a reasonable bail, unless they’re determined to be a flight risk or danger to the community,” she explains softly. “In a week, there will be a hearing where the DA, the district attorney, says Conrad is either or both while his defense attorney tries to prove that he’s not.”
“How do you prove that he’s not something?” I ask in confusion.
“It’s not easy, that’s for sure,” she agrees when she stands up. “Come on, I want to talk to the attorney before he leaves.”
I follow behind her; and when she talks to Conrad’s attorney in the hallway, I only understand about half of what they’re talking about, which makes me realize just how different Madison and I are. As I watch her in action, so incredibly smart and confident, she’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. But I know we don’t belong together no matter how much I’m starting to care about her.
“Cannon?” Madison tilts her head in front of my face to get my attention.
“Huh?” I ask like the intellectual I am.
“Mr. Jeffries was asking if you could get some character witnesses to write letters or come to court next week to talk about your brother being a good, upstanding citizen?”
“Ah, yeah. Sure.”
“Ten is the minimum for letters, and it would be nice to have at least three in person,” the older man explains like someone who has been doing this shit for a long damn time. Hell, he may be old enough to be Madison’s father, but the two of them probably have more in common than her and I do.
His bushy salt and pepper eyebrows that match his full head of fluffy hair stay raised like he’s waiting for me to respond to something.
“At least ten and three. Got it,” I tell him. “Thanks for your help.” I hold out my palm, and he shakes my hand while giving me a look that says he doesn’t think I’m too bright.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Madison
“I wish we had been able to get Conrad out,” I tell Cannon as he drives us to my office.
“Yeah, me too,” he agrees while keeping his eyes on the road.
He’s been quiet and acting off all morning. I’ve never had a sibling, much less an identical twin, so I’m sure he’s just worried about Conrad.
“Next week, we’ll put on so many character witnesses, that the judge will probably cry uncle and let him out just to get rid of us.”
“Uh-huh.”
When we pull in the strip mall where my office is located, Cannon doesn’t park in one of the many parking spots. Instead, he pulls right up to the front, so the door is just a few steps away from the passenger side of the SUV.
“You’re not coming in,” I realize.
“I’ve got to, ah, handle some things,” Cannon says, dipping his head down to look through the office window. “Jake and Lucas are here, so you’ll be fine.”
&n
bsp; “I know I’ll be fine without you, but I still prefer to have you around.”
He doesn’t respond or even look at me. Fine. Maybe he needs some time alone with his thoughts and concerns for Conrad.
“I’ll come by later.”
“Okay.”
After last night, I thought he would at least kiss me goodbye. Since he doesn’t seem inclined to close the distance between us, I remove my seatbelt and lean over to kiss his cheek. The small contact startles him so badly the SUV jerks forward because he took his foot off the brake and it wasn’t in park.
I’m not sure if that reaction is a good one or a bad one.
“Cannon?” I say his name to try and get him to look at me. If he doesn’t snap out of this odd behavior soon, he’s going to break my heart just like I assumed he would. I usually hate to be wrong, but I want to be wrong about this, about him.
Finally, he turns toward me and reaches up to cup the side of my face before he leans over and places a chaste kiss on my other cheek that’s sweet and not at all what I expected from him.
As if reading the confusion on my face, he lets go of me and says, “If I kissed you the way I wanted to kiss you right now, then we would end up having to park the car and break a few laws.”
“Oh,” I say in surprise. He’s trying to show restraint because he wants me as much as I want him. That’s a relief and exactly what I needed to hear before I finally open the passenger door and climb out. “See ya later.”
“See ya,” he agrees. I barely get my door closed before he pulls away and drives around to the entrance. But he doesn’t leave the parking lot until I’m safely inside even though there’s no traffic.
