by Marie Harte
“Tell you what, whip off your pants and I might give you a shot.” She tilted her wineglass toward him, took a sip, then set it down. She didn’t want to get drunk…unless it was on Brad Battle.
He laughed. “How about you take off your pants instead?”
“If I do, you won’t last.”
“Oh ho. More comments about my staying power, Lois?”
She frowned. “Quit calling me that.”
“What? You look like a Lois.”
“Well, you’re no Superman.”
“You sure? I have superpowers.”
“Like what?”
He joined her by the couch and pulled her to her feet. “The ability to make you come in a single bound.”
She flushed. “That was lame.”
He grinned. “It was. But I still plan to make it happen.”
“With my clothes on?”
He tsked. “Of course not. You stand still, and I’ll do all the work.”
“Yes, Sergeant.”
He chuckled as he rid her of all her clothes, saving her glasses for last. “Seriously. These things are so damn sexy.”
“Maybe you’re just weird.”
“Could be.” He looked her over, staring hard at her breasts. “Here’s what we’re gonna do,” he said, his voice husky. He walked her down the hall to his bedroom and positioned her with her back to the closed door. “You stand right here. If you can resist me, we’ll stay right here and make out. If you want more, you just turn the handle, we’ll go inside, and fuck.”
She couldn’t help the shiver that shook her, or the fact that Brad smiled with delight upon seeing it. A glance down his front showed him aroused. Then the bastard took off his shirt, and all those muscles seduced her as he’d promised.
“Drooling yet?” he asked and flexed, grinning.
“Is all that flexing for me or yourself? Because I think you’re getting off on it.”
“Honey, I’d rather be getting you off.” He stared between her legs, where she’d left a trim strip of hair over her mound, shaved smoothly everywhere else.
Avery felt daring and lifted her arms over her head, bringing his attention to her breasts. “Well, let’s get to it, Super Hunk.”
He chuckled. “Fine by me.” He kissed her, as she’d known he would. And even steeling herself for his touch, she couldn’t stop herself from melting in his embrace. Especially when he drew her in for a hug and her breasts brushed his hard chest. He groaned and deepened the kiss, and she clutched his shoulders, needing to touch more of his hot skin.
Avery drew back against her will. “N-no touching. You can only use your mouth.”
He slowly withdrew, his smile wicked, his breathing rough. “Even better.”
Brad surprised her by turning her around to face the door and placed her hands on either side of the doorframe. “Keep them there.” He pulled her hips toward him and spread her legs. If he looked closer, he wouldn’t be able to miss how wet she’d become. But why turn her around? He couldn’t kiss her with her back to him.
And then she felt his lips trailing her shoulder to her arm, kissing the side of her breast and down her ribs.
The soft touch sent electric shocks throughout her body and had her panting with need.
He continued to kiss her all over, running his mouth over her back and lower, along her spine. “I love your body,” he whispered as he kissed down her ass to her thighs. “So soft over firm muscle. You work out?”
How can he think when I can barely stand? “Oh, um, sometimes. Not like you,” ended in a gasp as he moved his kisses to the insides of her thighs.
“Mmm. You smell so good.” He scooted around, between her legs, and knelt, his back to the door.
She glanced down at him and saw his face directly in front of her pussy. His kiss was a breath of air against her folds, and she trembled, so ready to feel him inside her.
“Only my mouth, huh?”
“Y-yes.” She moaned when he nuzzled her folds to find her firm nub and sucked hard.
She ground against him and didn’t complain when she felt his hands on her hips, holding her in place. He licked and sucked, making love to her with his mouth and bringing her to climax with little effort.
“God,” she said when she’d caught her breath. “That was…”
He scooted away and suddenly stood behind her. “Fast?” He teethed her earlobe.
She gave a hoarse chuckle. “I deserved that.”
“You deserve a lot more than that.” His remaining clothing dropped at their feet, and he kicked it aside. “Guess it’s okay to use my hands now?”
“Well, if you must.”
He gave a mean laugh. She heard something rip. The condom wrapper. “I’m all about being handsy.”
She groaned. “Never going to let that go, are you?”
“Nope.” Those talented hands stroked her back, her shoulders, then rounded to her front to cup her breasts. She felt the heat of him behind her and sagged her head, leaning her forehead against the door.
“Tired, baby?” He ran those hands down her front and thrust a finger inside her. “You’re so wet.” He groaned, pumped his finger a few times, then withdrew. His hands returned to her breasts. “Spread wider for me.”
She moved her feet apart, felt him along her back, and arched back into him.
“I’m a lot bigger than you are,” he said, grinding his cock along her buttocks and lower back.
“Yes.”
“Stronger,” he said, his voice gritty. “Put your hands above your head on the door.” When she did, he captured her wrists in one hand. “You like that?”
“Yes,” she hissed when he angled his cock between her legs.
“Ready for me?” He kissed her throat, sucked, and started to penetrate.
Was she ready? Was he dense? Could he not tell? “I—oh, oh, yes.”
He filled her with every inch, so thick and hard. So damn big.
“Christ. You feel so good.” He turned her head to kiss her, one hand on her wrists, the other gripping her hair while he fucked her. He kissed her harder, his tongue thrusting in time with his cock. The passion overwhelmed, and she met him jolt for jolt while he manhandled her, taking her with brutal strokes.
“Too much?” he asked through gritted teeth and slowed down.
“Harder,” she begged, and cried out when he hit a sensitive spot deep inside her. “More.”
“Fuck. Yes.” He took her with force, and she loved it, his dominance taking her to a new orgasm while he shuddered and jerked inside her, his climax joining hers.
He made the sexiest sounds, groaning and panting while he released.
They stood, joined, breathing hard, until Brad eased out of her and turned her around. He didn’t speak, just stared at her before kissing her soundly. Then he drew her with him into his bedroom and left her, disposing the condom in the bathroom.
When he returned, he kissed her again, running his hands through her hair. The kisses turned playful, not as intense, and he pulled back. “I think you broke me.”
She blinked. “What’s that?”
He sighed. “I keep getting hard, and I can’t stop until I come inside you.”
She slowly smiled. “Is that right?”
“Sadly, yes.” He hugged her to him, then hauled her up and into his arms.
“Brad!” God, he’s really holding me. I hope I don’t break his back.
He lifted her easily, pretending to toss her a few times until she gripped his neck. “Hmm. One forty?”
“You put me down right now.” She fake-glared at him, taken with the teasing glint in his eyes.
“How about we have dessert?”
“I can’t eat another thing.”
“That’s too bad.”
It took her a moment to un
derstand the naughty look on his face. “Seriously? You just came and you want a blow job?”
“Well, not right now.” He laughed and sat them in the blanket-covered chair in the corner of his bedroom. He straddled her over his lap, and she liked being able to sit on her heels over him, to see his expression. He kissed her hand. “You ever have sex this good?”
“Did you really just ask me that?”
He rolled his eyes. “I did, yes. I’m a fucking moron. Don’t answer.”
She liked his lack of filter. “All those brain cells are taking a while to get back in line, eh?”
“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “Look, Avery. I don’t just want you to hang out for sex. But I can’t help myself with you. I thought tonight we’d slow it down. We’d have fun out, talk, come back here, learn more about each other, then maybe make love before bed. I swear I had no plans to fuck you against the door.”
“Too bad. That was pretty intense.”
“I know. I was inspired.” He caressed her throat, her breasts. “You make me lose it.”
“I’d say you were pretty controlled. I went crazy.”
“Good.” His satisfaction was impossible to miss. But she didn’t care. Not after he’d made her come so hard. “You okay with this?”
“What? Us touching each other naked?” She didn’t want to miss out and ran her hands over his chest, glorying in his strength as she felt his arms and shoulders, teased his chest, and stroked his nipples.
He sucked in a breath when she touched him there, so she leaned forward to kiss his nipples.
“Fuck. That’s good.” He groaned.
She pulled back. “I like knowing what you like.”
He rubbed her hips. “I like you.”
The simple statement packed a punch. She just knelt there, looking at him, and realized he saw her. She smiled. “I like you too.”
He brought her closer. This kiss felt warmer, deeper than the others. “Life can be so fucked up, you know? But here, now, with you, feels so good.”
“Yes.” It felt completely natural to tell him anything in this moment. “Brad, I like myself more when I’m around you.”
“Yeah?” His hands kept moving, touching her, grounding her.
“You remind me of the mistakes I made and how I’m not making them now. And seeing what you do, how you make people feel better, it makes me think I can do that too. And that it’s okay.”
He paused, his hands leaving her hips to cup her cheeks. “Avery, what you do is just fine. It’s your life,” he said, his gaze intense. “Never let anyone make you feel bad for being who you are.” He swallowed. “I had a good friend who made that mistake, and it cost her everything.”
To Avery’s shock, Brad’s eyes turned shiny.
“She’s gone now. Some days it’s like she was never there. Others like she never left. I miss her.”
She sensed his hurt and hated that he felt it, so she hugged him. “I’m sorry. I have no idea how much it hurts to lose someone close. You’re so strong, Brad, but it’s okay to give a little.” She kissed his cheek and hugged him tighter, aware he let her.
Empathizing, she felt closer to him than she ever had to anyone else. Sharing felt so right. The void she’d always sensed but never acknowledged, a need for intimate closeness with a lover, a partner, had finally been filled.
Kissing and holding him, caressing with no other intent but to offer comfort, slowly turned into something else. Nothing existed for her but Brad, and she wanted to give him everything. They kissed and touched, her hands on his chest and down to his cock that thickened in her palms.
He moaned her name and pinched her nipples, rolling the buds with a firmness that triggered extreme desire. Her body lit up, totally in tune with his. She pulled back from a kiss and stared into his eyes as she held him, pumping his thick shaft, needy for more.
“I want you in me,” she breathed, loving that he looked just as lost in his desire for her.
“In the drawer.”
She knew what he meant and hurried to grab a condom. She returned and put it over him.
“God. Avery.” He sat her over him, watched as she took him inside her so slowly while he stuffed her full. “I need you.” His hands on her hips urged her to move. Then he pulled her closer to suck her nipple. Teasing. Demanding.
She moved faster. He reached between them, finding her clit and rubbing while she felt the rise to climax. He moved his mouth to torment her other breast then kissed her mouth, rising off the chair to deepen the contact between them while she slammed down, riding him with a furious desire.
Their coupling seemed to go on forever, a closeness weaving them together as one. And something in Avery gave, allowing Brad deeper inside the vault of her heart she kept locked.
“I’m coming. So hard.” Brad swore as he jetted inside her, the pressure of his thumb between her legs pulling Avery with him as she moaned his name and joined him in bliss.
They sat together, locked in ecstasy, the knowledge of what they’d shared fading as time passed.
Avery couldn’t believe how much she’d wanted to forego the condom. She was on birth control, and she trusted Brad when he’d said he was clean. Still, no condoms usually came after a long relationship. Her previous sexual partners had been around for months before she’d allowed skin-to-skin contact.
Brad? About three weeks and she was ready to throw caution to hell.
She groaned and, not wanting to dwell on what this meant between them, kissed him again. Kissing Brad made everything right. Especially when he kissed her back and sighed her name.
“I came a lot,” he whispered against her lips.
“I want to move, but I don’t know if I can.”
He grinned, and the sight of him happy, no longer with shadows in his eyes, took away any lingering doubt that tonight had been less than perfect. For both of them. What it meant tomorrow, she couldn’t say. But she wouldn’t bargain for trouble. Instead, Avery would enjoy his affection and not worry about the future.
That would come all too soon.
* * *
While Avery finished the shower they’d been taking, Brad got out and dried off. He needed time to process what the fuck had just happened, and to wonder if he’d been half-drunk or just stupid. “Take your time,” he told her. “I’m going to get dressed. I’ll be in the living room.”
“Okay.” She sounded happy, so he didn’t rush to reassure her about his leaving her alone. No, because she’s a mature woman who just indulged in fantastic sex. I’m the basket case.
Being with Avery, especially around the anniversary of Dana’s death, had shaken something inside him. He’d been with women since losing Dana. Sex didn’t often reduce him into a tearful lover. But fuck if he’d been able to hold it back when Avery had sat on his lap, seeing into the heart of him. Her blue eyes lasered into his soul, and he felt as if she knew his secrets yet still found him worthy.
It was nonsense, but he’d felt it all the same. He had no idea why this year seemed harder than all the others. Then again, he’d never known a woman like Avery. She owned up to her mistakes. She didn’t cater to him, didn’t treat him as if he could do no wrong. And she didn’t seem to be asking anything from him.
Dana had been his best friend for years, starting in the second grade. Confidants, friends, and at one time innocently dating until they’d both realized they did better as friends. He’d been there for her while her parents’ controlling grew heavier and heavier. His mother hadn’t been the easiest woman to deal with, but erasing that part of his life while with Dana made the pain go away for a bit.
Then Rochelle had moved close and become another source of comfort. He only wished she could have been that same warmth for Dana. But Dana let few people into her world. Her parents wouldn’t let her.
He sighed. All this feeling crap wasn’t l
ike him. He’d been through this a long time ago, had thought he’d conquered his demons. Then he’d cried with Rochelle and again with Avery. Hell. He hoped she hadn’t seen how emotional he’d become.
Maybe it was the sex. Coming so hard had shaken his brain.
He let himself feel that pleasure all over again. No doubt about it, he connected with Avery on a whole other level. Jesus, he’d wanted to come inside her. Without a condom. When had he done that last? Three years ago with Jennifer, now that he thought about it. But like all the rest, Jennifer had found a lasting love with someone else because Brad “held too much of himself back and spent too much time with his buddies.”
Well, sue him, but being with Brad meant being able to handle a firefighter’s life. He worked a high-pressure job and needed to relax at home. Late nights, sometimes no nights, and understanding that his friends were family were part and parcel of being his girlfriend. Would Avery be able to handle that?
Did he want her to?
He fixed himself a bowl of ice cream and stood at the kitchen counter in his shorts, eating, nervous, and hating himself for it. Brad handled women just fine. With respect, mutual affection, and an eventual friendly parting. Avery would be the same. Just…their beginning seemed a lot different than his past relationships with lovers.
First, he hadn’t been sure he even liked her before sucking face with her. Hell, he’d been pretty annoyed, to be honest. And he’d barely come to trust her before having sex the first time. Times? They’d gone at it like rabbits last week.
But tonight, he’d been closer to her than he’d been to anyone not family in years. Like the way he’d once been with Dana.
Was that it? The reason he felt so close to her, because some part of her reminded him of the girl who’d been his best friend? Avery and Dana didn’t look alike, and they sure didn’t act alike. Dana had been so unsure all the time, depending on him to make her happy, to be her wall when her parents kept knocking her down.
Avery told him to kiss her ass and challenged him to hold his own with her. Yet he’d seen her vulnerability. She wanted love from a father who had a hard time expressing it. He wanted a mother whom he could count on. He had it in Rochelle; he just wanted that support from the woman who’d given birth to him.
