by Jenika Snow
He continued his upward path along her curved calf, over her knee, and continued onward until he was moving his tongue over her firm thigh. He repeated the action to the other leg, making sure to pay the same amount of attention to it. He licked a path over her hipbones, around her belly button, and continued over her ribs and to her breasts.
He sucked on her nipples for far longer than necessary, but that was more because he liked the feel of her under his tongue. Finally, forcing himself to continue memorizing her body with his mouth, he trailed his mouth up her throat and claimed her lips. For long seconds, all they did was kiss deeply, swirling their tongues together and mimicking the sexual act they had just done.
He gathered her into his arms and sensed her slip into a deep sleep. “I’m never letting you go, Kenzie.”
With that, he wrapped his body around hers, and let himself close his eyes. He knew this would be the most restful sleep he had ever had, since his mate was safely protected beside him.
“You’re mine, Kenzie.”
She sat up in bed, her heart racing, sweat covering her body, and her hands shaking. The dream was the same, intense and powerful, always about the control Rook wanted over her.
Kenzie looked to her side and saw Bram sleeping deeply. Thank God she hadn’t woken him up. She silently slipped out of his bed and padded into the bathroom. Once the door was shut, she turned the light on and looked at herself in the mirror. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and perspiration had her hair sticking to her forehead.
She’d been with Bram for several days now, and this was the first nightmare she’d had of Rook. Kenzie should be thankful over that, but the thought of waking him up because she screamed out, and then having to explain why she had done that, was something she didn’t want to do.
“Get a grip, Kenzie.” She turned the faucet on and rinsed her face off. This was the beginning of the rest of her life… right?
26
A little over a week had already passed, and Kenzie actually felt safe. She hadn’t had another nightmare, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t always on her mind. Her dreams weren’t dreams at all, but memories of Rook’s treatment of her. One day at a time. That was all she could tell herself and not break down in the process.
Being with Bram, secluded in his cabin, was like nothing she had ever experienced. He was caring, attentive, and had her crying out in pleasure, not pain, every single night. How had she ever thought she could leave him? He was the only person she had ever felt like this with, and she had actually let the foolish thought of leaving it all behind consume her for a short time.
In just the short time she had been with him, she knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure she was protected. They went on walks through the thick woods that surrounded his cabin, and he had even taken her to a small creek that was only a mile from his home. Everything was so serene, peaceful, and Kenzie never thought there was anything like this in the world.
Kenzie stood over the sink in the kitchen and stared at him through the window. He was shirtless, and the loose-fitting jeans he wore hung low on his hips. That incredibly defined V of muscle was outlined to perfection and only seemed highlighted by the perspiration that covered his chest. He was cutting wood, and he lifted the axe above his head and brought it back down, splintering the wood in one swing.
He did this for another five minutes, and all Kenzie could do was watch this very big male, her very big bear, using all his power and taking his aggression out on each log of wood. She was supposed to be making sandwiches for lunch, but once she had seen him working outside, it had been impossible to drag her gaze away from him.
It had only been three days since she had given herself to Bram, and it was like the bear couldn’t keep his hands off her. It wasn’t just about sex though. They had spent countless hours just talking about random things, and it was those conversations that drew her to Bram even more.
She found that with each passing hour, Rook moved further and further into the recesses of her mind. It was shocking, because she didn’t think she’d ever get to that part in her life, especially so quickly, but having Bram beside her helped speed things along.
She wasn’t a fool to think she would ever fully get rid of Rook, especially when it seemed he still had her mind captive, but she was now seeing a brighter future, one in which she wasn’t constantly thinking about the abuse he inflicted on her.
Even the very small things she learned about Bram made her feel more connected to him. At thirty-three, he was one-third of a family-owned construction company, which wasn’t surprising given his ripped physique; but in-between those intimate talks, there was a lot of touching, kissing, and licking. Every part of her felt taken by him, and even more so every time he licked her body like he wanted to memorize her with his mouth.
Bram tossed the last log away and grabbed the towel that hung on a nearby tree branch. Kenzie finally forced herself back to making lunch.
There was this magnetism between them that she couldn’t control, and quite frankly she didn’t want to. She loved being owned by him, loved that he couldn’t keep his hands off her. His concerns for her were nothing like the obsessed ramblings of Rook. Bram came from something sweeter and gentler. He didn’t push her to do anything she didn’t want to do, and even after only a few days, she couldn’t see herself leaving him. He was her mate in every sense of the word, and their relationship, at whatever stage it was in, was explosive and uncontrollable.
But even knowing all this, there was a part of her that feared for him, and she knew until Rook was brought down, he would never give her any peace. He hadn’t come for her yet, but she knew him well enough that he was biding his time, plotting out exactly how he was going to punish her for everything wrong that had ever happened.
His presence was a very real entity, and a part of that evil resided within her. After eleven years of being with him, his darkness had seeped into her, and no matter how much she tried to dispel it, there was never a way to get rid of it.
The backdoor opened, and the scent of clean male sweat filled her nose. It was such an arousing aroma. Focusing on the tomato she was currently cutting had her mind elsewhere, and she didn’t sense Bram until he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her back against his sweaty chest.
“Hey, Bambi.” He trailed his lips down her neck, and she tilted her head to the side to allow him better access. Although she still wasn’t sure about his little nickname, she loved everything that came out of his mouth. The rough, almost growly timbre of his voice always had the same effect on her: wet, swollen, and ready for his big body on top of hers. “I’m all sweaty. Want to jump in the shower with me?” He moved his hands up her belly and cupped her breasts. “I wash your back, you wash mine?” She felt him smile against her throat and chuckled.
“If I join you, we won’t end up eating lunch.”
“Mmm.” He hummed against her and pressed his stiffening cock against her lower back. “I’m only hungry for one thing, and it doesn’t have tomatoes on it.” Kenzie smiled, but her amusement vanished when Bram let go of one of her breasts and moved his hand down her middle until he reached the top of her pants. “I could slip my hand down your jeans and fuck your pussy with my fingers, and you’d beg for more, wouldn’t you?”
Although she knew he was aware of that truth, she’d give him anything he wanted, even her voluntary surrender.
27
Kenzie let her head fall back on his hard chest and closed her eyes. “You know I would.” She was a fiend for him, and she knew that wouldn’t end. He flicked the button of her jeans open and slid her zipper down.
Resting her hand on the counter, she let the sensations of his fingers trailing over the small strip of flesh right below the hem of her shirt wash through her. Right when he was about to push her panties aside and deliver on his promise, there was a knock on the door. Immediately, she tensed.
“It’s okay, baby. My brothers have a way of coming at the worst possible
time.” He kissed her neck once more before pulling away from her. Kenzie turned around and saw the massive erection tenting his jeans.
“That might get their attention.” She smiled when he groaned.
“Tell me about it. I’m the one who has to walk around with this fucking thing in the way, and all I can think about is bending you over the table, pulling down those obstructive jeans, and—”
The sound of more knocking cut him off. He growled, and she smiled, zipping and buttoning her jeans.
Kenzie stayed back when she heard a deep male voice waft through the living room. Her heart started to pound, and she grabbed a hand towel off the counter and twisted it in her hands. Bram rounded the corner, and a second later, two men older than Bram but closely resembling him followed him in.
“Kenzie, these are my older brothers, Charlie and Ford.” Bram’s brothers smiled. “Guys, this is my girl, Kenzie.” She felt her cheeks heat at the attention. “My mate.” There was so much pride in Bram’s voice she looked at him sharply. He was grinning ear-to-ear and seemed to be beaming.
“Damn, brother.” Charlie slapped Bram on the back and took a step toward her. The deer inside her grew skittish at the approaching male, but Bram moved between her and Charlie, effectively blocking her from view.
“She’s not all about the touching and hugs, Charlie. Besides, I’m not all about sharing my girl, even if it is just a hug from my older brother.” She let out a deep breath and let her forehead rest against his back. Had her facial expressions been that transparent? Over the years, she learned to hide how she felt from Rook, because letting him know what was going on in her head would only end up with her in pain.
“No worries. I don’t blame you, ‘cause I’m the same way with Ary.”
Bram stepped to the side so she could fully see Charlie and Ford, but Bram immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to the comfort of his body. Ford stayed to the side, watching her almost curiously. She wanted to stand on her own two feet one day, without having to feel like she needed someone to give her safety.
That was the dream she was aiming for, but then again, there was a part of her that liked the feelings Bram evoked inside her by his protectiveness. He sensed her unease and wanted to help rid her of that discomfort. And each day, she was falling harder and faster for him.
“Well, not to be an ass, but I didn’t come over for a social call.” Charlie sat at the dining room table, but it seemed Ford was content leaning against the wall. “I tried calling, but you didn’t answer, and it’s kind of urgent.”
“What’s up?” Bram kissed her on the temple and moved to sit beside his brother. Kenzie turned back around and finished cutting the toppings of the sandwiches, trying to tune out the three men and give them some privacy.
“We have a foundation issue on the Hampton project. Looks like the ground wasn’t leveled properly by Markus.”
“Well, shit.”
Kenzie glanced over her shoulder, not sure what they were talking about, but feeling out of place as they started going into more technical detail about their construction business. Besides, it was hard to tune out three fully grown male bears when they were just a few feet from her. She quickly put several sandwiches together and placed them among the men.
“I’ll leave you guys.”
“You don’t have to leave, Kenzie.”
She smiled over at Charlie but lifted her hand. “That’s all right.”
What did they expect her to do, sit there and stare dumbly? She would feel more comfortable folding her laundry anyway. She quickly headed down the hallway and into Bram’s room. Bram had refused to let her sleep in the guestroom since they became intimate, and that had been fine until she had that one nightmare.
Now, she was worried every night before she fell asleep that she would wake him up. Sitting on the edge of his bed, seeing the clothes he had bought her in town, and smelling their combined scents fill the room had Kenzie wishing things had been so different.
The bedroom door opened, and she turned around and saw Bram enter the room. He shut the door behind him, smiled at her, and sat beside her on the bed.
“I’m sorry about that. I haven’t had time to talk to my brothers about us.” He lifted his brows, and she laughed lightly at what he was implying. “I didn’t know they would just show up.” He brushed her hair off her shoulder and kissed her cheek. It was such a sweet, almost adolescent act, but she loved it nonetheless.
“Listen, baby, I have to go into town to fix this shit some newbie fucked up. How about you tag along, and afterward, I’ll take you to this little Italian restaurant right outside Sweet Water?” He nuzzled her neck, and she giggled when his day-old scruff tickled her skin. “It’ll take me a few hours to get this squared away, but you can hang out in the trailer on the site.”
“A little Italian restaurant, you say?”
“Oh yeah, Bambi.” He licked the shell of her ear, and she sighed in bliss. “They have amazing linguini.”
“It sounds like a date, our official first date.”
His deep chuckle sent sparks to her core. “Our first, but not our last. Why don’t you put on that pretty little black dress we picked up in town, you know, the one that dips low in the back and shows me those sexy little dimples right above your ass?”
Goose bumps covered her arms and legs. His question wasn’t all that sexual, but the way he phrased it was filled with eroticism. With one more kiss to her shoulder, he stood.
“I thought you told me you only want me wearing that at the house? Thought you’d get too jealous?” She smiled broadly, loving that she could tease him.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Wear a pair of my sweats and a sweater. No, wear a couple of them, in fact.” She nudged his shoulder and grinned wider. “You get ready and meet me in the living room in ten, okay, baby?”
She watched him walk out the door. God, she was so gone for that bear.
28
They had arrived at the construction site an hour ago, and the time seemed to be dragging. It was most likely from the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about Bram taking her to dinner, on her first real date.
Rook had never taken her outside of his home, not unless he was on the run, and he had always insisted that other males were eyeing what was his. Rook’s jealousy had taken over a lot of his life, and hers, and because of his dominating and controlling ways, she had been isolated and depressed, never thinking she was good enough.
The sound of the men working outside had moved to the back of the building they were constructing. Kenzie couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t a little bit pleased they had moved their foul language, crude humor, and ear-piercing construction equipment being used. Bram had come to check on her a few different times, but she assured him she was fine with the three-year-old People magazine.
Kenzie could look into Bram’s eyes and see the worry that she would leave him. She had woken up a few times in the middle of the night to see him staring at the ceiling wide awake.
When she questioned him, he hadn’t lied or held anything back. He had been honest with her about his fears. Right here was where she was meant to be.
She heard the sound of the door opening behind her, and her smile grew. “I told you I’d be okay, Bram. You don’t have to keep checking on me, although if you want to keep me company—”
The chair she was in was spun around violently, and she stared wide-eyed at Rook. Marek and Tank were nowhere to be seen, and that brought a fresh wave of fear inside her. Was Bram okay? What about the other men?
“Well, well, well.” Rook let his eyes travel down her body and lifted his eyes to hers again. “It looks like it took less than two weeks for you to give yourself to the bear.”
She saw no wounds on him, verifying that he had been hiding out long enough so he could heal. He was just waiting for the right moment to get her alone, and here she was, right out in the open yet closed off from others. She went to stand, but Rook’s sharp voice
stopped her.
“You’re going to sit right there and do exactly what I say. Do you understand?” He placed his palms flat on the table and leaned in so his face was right in front of hers. “You’ve been a very bad girl, Kenzie, and caused me a lot of pain.” His eyes searched her face, and she was paralyzed under his stare. “You’ve become tainted by that fucking bear. His scent is all over you.” He looked at her throat. “And his fucking mark is on your neck.” In a voice menacingly low, Rook said, “If I can’t have you, no one can.” He reached behind her, grabbed a chunk of hair, and pulled her head back. A cry left her, and she gripped his hand, hoping to ease some of the pain, but only finding more agony. “Get the fuck up.”
He yanked her up by her hair before she could do as he said. Eyes watering and heart plummeting that she was back in this situation, Kenzie was pulled roughly toward him. Rook brought her close to him, and she instantly repelled against his touch. He smelled nothing like Bram’s addictive scent. Instead, Rook smelled like death and decay, pain and degradation.
“Did you actually think I wouldn’t come for you?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer as he held her head back so she was forced to look at him. “No, you knew I’d come, and you knew I wouldn’t let you get away again.”
29
Bram yelled at Zac, who was hauling a thick piece of lumber over to the foundation. Luckily, there had been an easy enough solution to fix the problem, but now it was just a matter of getting all the shit straight before they could resume with the construction of the Hampton building.
He watched a few more of the guys level things off before he turned to Charlie and Ford, and said, “I’m gonna head out early, since everything is good to go. I am taking Kenzie to that Italian restaurant right outside town.”
