by Hart, Rye
“This smells wonderful,” I said.
“Just some bacon and eggs. I’m about to make some toast. Juice or coffee?” he asked.
“Coffee would be great, thank you,” I said.
He went back to the kitchen and put bread in the toaster before grabbing a mug and pouring me some coffee. “Did you sleep okay? You must have been exhausted, you never came out for dinner,” he said, looking at me curiously.
I nodded as the coffee warmed me from the inside. “I guess I was. Once the adrenaline wore off, I was done for. I slept fine, thank you.”
He nodded. “Were you able to get ahold of your dad?” he asked me as he buttered the toast.
“I was, yes. I let him know where I am and that I’m okay,” I said, wanting to be sure Evan understood that someone knew where I was.
He glanced over at me and smiled. “Good,” he said.
“Has it stopped snowing yet?” I asked.
“It has, but it dumped quite a bit on us.”
“So, with the snow piled so high, when will the kids’ parents be back to get them?” I asked.
“Not for a while,” he said after a moment of hesitation.
“You said they’re your niece and nephew. Are they your brother’s kids or your sister’s kids?”
“Brother’s.”
His tone had changed the slightest bit, but I detected something in it that told me I had broached a sensitive subject. Not wanting to offend the man who had so far been nothing but gracious to me, I decided to let it go. I bit into my bacon and tried to stifle a moan as he set a small plate of toast next to me, then I watched him as he made his way down the hallway.
Studying him as he walked away, I took in the tightness of his muscles. His shoulders were broad and his ass looked like it was sculpted from marble. His thick thighs filled out the legs of his dark jeans rather deliciously, and his large, powerful hands swung easily at his sides.
Sensations I hadn’t let myself feel in a long time came bubbling to the surface. It had been so long since I’d desired physical contact with someone, the sensation hit me hard. I pressed my legs together to try and quell the growing ache. What the hell was wrong with me?
I heard Evan’s low voice coming from down the hall, followed by that of Liam’s high toddler pitch and Hadley’s soft cooing. I couldn’t help but smile. As unsure of himself as he seemed with his niece and nephew, it was obvious that he loved them very much.
Liam came careening down the hallway, stopping in front of me and giving me a big smile.
“Hi Menamie!” he said enthusiastically.
“Good morning Liam,” I returned as the child sat and happily dug into his food. “Why don’t you just call me Mel?” I said. “All of my friends do,” I winked and he giggled.
“Mew,” Liam said, his ‘l’ becoming a ‘w’.
“Exactly,” I said, smiling. “Is your breakfast good?”
“Mhm,” Liam said.
“And what about you?” I asked Hadley. “Is your breakfast good?”
She blew me wonderful spit bubbles filled with pureed foods, and I giggled at her reaction when they popped.
“Gotta be careful with those,” I said, as I picked up a napkin. “They’ll getcha every time.”
I wiped her face off before I finished the last of my breakfast. The kids were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, something that took me three cups of coffee to obtain. Evan stayed in the corner of the kitchen with his coffee as he watched us, a look I couldn’t quite discern on his face. I rose from the table and took my plate to the sink. “Why don’t you sit and eat, and I’ll clean the kitchen,” I offered.
He shook his head. “No, you don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind,” I said. “Think of it as repayment for taking me in.”
He sat down and began to eat while I started cleaning up the kitchen. I put all the dishes in the sink and ran some hot water over them to let them sit, and then I got Hadley out of her high chair. Liam was already running back to his room to play, so I put the little girl in her playpen, watching with a smile on my face as she started to play with her toys.
“They’re good kids,” I said.
“They are,” Evan said.
“How long have you lived up here?” I asked.
“Two years.”
“Do you enjoy it here?” I asked.
“The quiet was nice.”
My eyes locked on the back of his head as he continued to eat the plate of food.
“Well, I’ll make myself scarce then,” I said, slightly taken aback by his comment.
I ventured back toward the opening of the hallway just as a loud sigh emanated from behind me.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said.
“I don’t want to be a bother. And you said the snow’s let up, right?” I asked.
“But it’s deep. Very deep. The ditches will be full of snow. All the way to the top.”
“Which means no one will find my car,” I said.
“I have a snowmobile, but all four of us aren’t going to fit on it,” he said.
“It’s fine. I’ll figure something out.” I turned to head back to the room to check in on Dad.
“Mel?” I heard him call my name softly.
I turned my head toward him and caught him staring at me. The look in his eyes told me that he might be fighting the same feelings I was. That both terrified and intrigued me.
“I wasn’t implying that you were a bother,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. “I’ve just had a lot of changes in the past couple of years that I’m still adjusting to,” he said.
I nodded and offered him a smile. If anyone knew about adjusting, it was me. I continued down the hall and called my father.
The day wore on and I grew more comfortable as I watched Evan interact with the children. He laughed with them, played with them, and didn’t become immediately annoyed when they fussed. With each passing moment, he was becoming more and more attractive to me.
My dad still sounded good and assured me that he was eating. Luckily, I had just gone grocery shopping, and there was plenty of soup and lunchmeat to keep him fed until I could get home. He took his pills while on the phone with me again and told me he was going to take a nap.
Dinner had been served and cleared, and Evan was bathing the kids and getting them ready for bed as I cleaned up the kitchen. About half an hour later, he appeared from the hallway, looking exhausted.
“Man, those two wear me out,” he said.
I laughed and came to sit in front of the fire once again.
“Would you like a beer,” Evan offered as he threw another couple of logs into the fireplace.
“I’d love one, thank you,” I said.
He went into the kitchen and returned a moment later with two frosty bottles. I took a long pull of mine and closed my eyes, sighing.
He chuckled a bit, a sound that shook my knees and seemed to flip a switch within my gut.
“Tastes good, doesn’t it?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded. “It does,” I answered.
We sat in silence for a few minutes before I spoke again.
“It’s really beautiful out here,” I said.
“One of the reasons why I bought the place,” Evan said.
“Is this your permanent residence?”
“It is,” he said.
“Where were you living before that?” I asked.
“Los Angeles,” he said.
“That’s a very stark change,” I said. “Do you like it better here?”
“Oh, yes.”
It was the way he said it that caused me to turn my gaze toward him. He looked tired and haggard at the mere mention of the city, and I wanted to know what had happened. What had pushed him from a budding place like L.A. all the way to a cold and tiny place on the outskirts of Bozeman, Montana?
“Do you work?” I asked.
“Nope, not anymore,” he said, without further explanation. We sat there in relative
silence as we both finished our beers. Our eyes were trained on the licking of the fire around the logs that were burning, though I was becoming more aware of how closely Evan had sat down next to me. He wasn’t at the far end of the couch anymore, but rather more toward the center of it.
I started wondering if he’d intentionally moved closer to me.
“Care for another?” he asked.
“Sure. I could go for one more,” I said.
I could feel my body loosening up a bit as the iron walls of my mind slowly came inching down. I snuggled deeper into the cushions but, as Evan sat even closer to me, my body went on high alert.
Part of me wanted to run, but another, larger, part of me wanted to lean into him.
“What did you do?” I asked. “When you were working, that is.”
“I.T.,” he said.
“Ah, so you’re a tech guy.”
“Of sorts,” he said, shrugging.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“A great deal, yes,” he said.
“Do you think you’ll ever go back to it?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?” I asked.
His eyes quickly flickered in my direction before he settled farther back into the couch with me.
“It’s just a part of my life that’s done,” he said. “Time to move forward.”
“I wish I was good at that.”
“What?”
“Moving forward,” I said.
His head slowly turned toward me and I could feel his gaze boring into the side of my face. I’d opened the door a crack and now I waited for him to want to peek inside.
“What keeps you from moving forward?” he asked.
I turned my gaze toward his and felt rooted to my seat by his eyes. I could see them more clearly now, and they were just beautiful. The dark brown was peppered with flecks of gold, lending a brightness to his face. My uneasiness was slowly beginning to dissipate.
“Well, right now? Those eyes of yours,” I said.
“My eyes?” he asked.
“They’re beautiful. And very intense. It’s hard to move beneath your gaze,” I said.
I brought my beer to my lips as I settled my sights back onto the fire. Whatever in the world had possessed me to say that to him? Though he had been nothing but hospitable to me the past two days, I still didn’t really know this man. Yet, I had just opened up to him more than I’d opened up to any guy in four damn years. Suddenly, I felt exposed.
“Well, thank you for the beers,” I said, breathlessly.
I stood up from the couch and felt Evan’s eyes follow my movements.
“I need to check in on my dad,” I said as Evan continued to sit silently studying me.
I set my beer on the coffee table and quickly made my way to the hallway. Once inside the bedroom, I closed and locked the door behind me and flopped down onto the bed. My emotions were at war inside me and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all.
The past four years of my life had been spent trying to forget, trying to move forward, but ultimately being stuck in one spot. Yes, I’d gone back and finished college. Yes, I’d kept up my friendships and I even occasionally went out. But when it had come to men and relationships, I’d closed that part of my life off.
I’d even convinced myself that I was fine with it. Something about Evan, though, was making me question my decision. Could I continue to live in fear? Did I want to? Did I want him to be the one to show me it was okay to trust again?
I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes and sighed deeply. One thing I did know, was that if I didn’t get out of this cabin soon, I was going to find out.
End of Sneak Peek. Would you like to know how this continues?
Click Here: Saving Mel
THE BETTER BROTHER
PROLOGUE
I turned to face him, and my eyes dropped to his lips. He was just inches away from me now, and my entire body was crying out for him.
Our kiss was hot and fast. The second our lips touched, his body reacted. He shoved me roughly against the elevator wall, holding me in place with strong hands. I’d been dreaming of this moment since he first picked me up that night. Seeing him in a tuxedo was almost too much for me to handle. I knew what was beneath those clothes, and I was desperate to get my hands on him.
“God,” I whispered as his lips found my neck. “I’ve wanted this all night.”
“You have no idea,” he growled, his lips still pressed against my skin.
His teeth bit down lightly, and I moaned. His hands roamed over my body, sliding over my hips and reaching around to grip my ass. Every inch of me that he touched lit on fire.
“Come here,” I demanded, pulling his face back to mine.
I kissed him so hard we were soon out of breath. My tongue slid into his mouth desperately. I could taste the martinis he drank that night, and it only made my head spin faster. Alcohol coursed through my veins, propelling me forward. I was reckless. I was horny. The elevator couldn’t rise fast enough.
His hand reached down for my thigh. He tightened his fist around the light material of my dress and pulled it upward. His finger caressed my bare thigh, moving higher with each stroke.
I moaned and let my head fall back. Panting, I wiggled beneath his touch. He slid his fingers even higher, soon realizing that I wasn’t wearing any panties.
When he touched my bare pussy, he groaned and buried his face in my neck. His fingers played with me, lapping up my wetness and then sliding upward to tease my clit. I moaned loudly and pushed my hips forward.
“You’re the devil,” he said roughly.
He pressed down harder on my clit and rubbed me roughly. The elevator door chimed behind us, and we jumped apart. My pussy was throbbing, aching for his touch, but neither of us wanted to get caught. We stood a few feet away from each other while the doors slid open.
There were a few people in the hallway, so he dipped down to grab my wrap off the floor, and we hurried toward our room. Neither of us said a word until were safely tucked away behind the door.
The second we were inside, he grabbed me and tossed me roughly on the bed. He crawled up below me, taking my legs in his hands as he moved. His lips traced light patterns over my calves as he moved upward, shoving my dress aside as he did.
Soon, I was completely exposed to him. He gripped my thighs and buried his face between my legs, his tongue already lashing out at my waiting clit.
“Fuck!” I cried out. For the first time in my life, I didn’t care about being overheard. I cried out his name repeatedly as his tongue flicked back and forth over me. Wet desire rushed between my legs, dripping onto the bed while he pushed me further toward the brink.
He reached around to grip my ass, holding me tightly while his tongue took me harder. My legs shook, and just like that, I came so hard that my back arched. My mouth opened but no sound came out. The cry of pleasure got caught in my throat as my whole body shook with ecstasy.
He stood up and tore his tux from his body. I wiggled upward just enough so that I pressed against the pillows. My eyes trailed down his body, growing wider when his rock-hard cock sprang free.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he told me as he climbed onto the bed, now fully naked.
“Prove it,” I teased.
CHAPTER 1
Julie
Either I’ll end up in a mental institution, or this will be the best damn decision of my life.
My new place was small but charming. The walls of the living room were painted a shade of green that lightened both the space and my mood. I leaned back in my desk chair and stared at the wall in front of me. Dallas was good to me, but there were too many bad memories now.
I needed a change. This place was just forty-five minutes outside of the city. Quaint. Quiet. Peaceful. And, away from pain – at least that’s what I wanted so desperately to believe.
Ennis, Texas, was the last place I ever envisioned myself settling down. I thought I’d spend my entire life i
n one big city or another, chasing my dream of being a journalist. Now, freelancing was all I needed. Living a quiet life seemed perfect and relaxing. After the last few weeks of hell, I longed for quality alone time.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, there was a loud knock on my front door. I frowned and got slowly to my feet. The only person who knew where I lived was my best friend Andrea, but I couldn’t imagine she would drive all the way down here.
“Hey!” Andrea said when I opened the door.
I laughed and shook my head. Standing aside, I let Andrea pass by me. She quickly made herself at home, kicking off her shoes and collapsing in a heap on my couch.
“I know it’s only like an hour,” she said. “But god, I really hate that fucking drive.”
“What are you doing here?” I sat down in my chair and spun around to face her.
“Ouch.” Andrea placed her hand over her heart and feigned a hurt expression. “Where’s the love, Jules?”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I just wanted to check on you.” Andrea shrugged. “I have the day off, so I thought I’d drive down. Are you settled in?”
I nodded. “Getting there. It’s going to take some time to unpack everything, but I love this house. It’s perfect.”
“I thought it would be,” Andrea said with a satisfied grin.
Andrea helped me find my new house about two seconds after I mentioned the move. She, unlike most of the other people in my life, was totally supportive of my desire to get out of Dallas.
“My parents came down yesterday,” I said. “They don’t feel the same way.”
“Like that’s a surprise,” Andrea said. “Frank and Janice wouldn’t know true style if it bit them in the ass.”
I laughed. “God, that’s so true. Do you remember that purple leather recliner they bought when we were in high school?”
“Oh my god!” Andrea groaned. “I forgot about that!”
“I don’t know how you could,” I said. “It still haunts my nightmares.”
