Stronger Than You Know--A Novel

by Lori Foster

  “Yes.” Gripping his shoulders, Kennedy caught her breath.

  Yeah, maybe he should have gone a little slower. He was larger than a lot of guys, something other women had enjoyed. But this was Kennedy, and other women didn’t matter anymore. It was what she felt, how she responded, that mattered to him.

  “You okay?” She held him in a snug, wet vise, making speech near impossible. “Tell me you’re okay, babe.”

  “Fine,” she breathed, tightening around him even more, followed by a shifting of her hips.

  “Ah, hell.” Balanced on his forearms, he tipped his head back and drove into her with urgent need. Worry hovered around the periphery of his consciousness, because no matter the naturalness of her response, she had a dark past that could dredge up memories at any second.

  But lust, tinged with something softer, stronger, drove him on despite that. As long as she didn’t call a halt, he had to have her.

  It helped that she moaned, that she hitched her legs around his hips and lifted into his every heavy thrust.

  When he felt her tightening yet again, he wanted to shout with pure male satisfaction. Stiffening, her head back and her body arching, she cried out with another, stronger release.

  That was it. Reyes couldn’t wait a second more, so he let himself go.

  Gone. Lost.

  Probably a little in love.

  And even that revelation didn’t unsettle him. As he sank down against her, utterly replete, his world seemed at peace.

  All because he had Kennedy in it.

  * * *

  ONCE DURING THE NIGHT, Reyes awoke to find her propped on an elbow, staring down at him.

  “Hey,” he said, still half asleep. “You okay?”

  “Perfectly fine.” She drifted a hand over his chest.

  “Then why are you awake?”

  “We forgot to turn out the light. The rain woke me and I remembered you were right here, that I could look my fill, and sleep didn’t seem as interesting.”

  He lifted his head from the pillow and glanced at the window to see steady trickles of rain tracking over the panes. “What time is it?”

  “I don’t know.” She leaned down to kiss him. “Go back to sleep.”

  The lecherous look on her face amused him. “So you can ogle me?”

  “Sure.”

  He grinned. “I have a better idea.” Pulling her up and over him, he kissed her and wanted to go on kissing her. “We’ll sleep after, okay?”

  Instead of answering, she took his mouth again.

  Yeah, he could get used to this, all right.

  * * *

  THE NEXT TIME Reyes woke, it was to see Kennedy’s naked rump sneaking from the bed. Damn, but that was an eye-opener for sure. Tiptoeing, she slipped into his bathroom. Seconds later he heard the toilet flush, then the water running, and he glanced at the clock. Seven o’clock.

  With a family meeting on the agenda, it was time to rise and shine. Indulging an elaborate stretch, he came fully awake.

  A deep contentment had invaded his bones. Hell, he was smiling. Who woke with a smile?

  Obviously, any guy lucky enough to have phenomenal sex with Kennedy.

  Creeping over to the door, he peeked in and saw her cleaning her teeth with a toothpaste-covered finger.

  Still naked.

  Lord love the girl, she looked fine at his sink.

  “You’re welcome to use my toothbrush.”

  She blanched, jerked around to face him—finger still in her mouth—and glared. Turning back to the sink, she rinsed and spit before saying, “You were supposed to stay in bed.”

  “Why?” Eyeing her body, he propped a shoulder on the door frame. “You didn’t.”

  Color suddenly tinged her cheeks. “I was trying to wake up enough to truly appreciate you.” She indicated the toothpaste. “And I didn’t want to have morning breath.”

  Reyes grinned... Truly appreciate you. Kennedy was absolutely the most unique woman he’d ever met. “Sorry to have spoiled your fun, but we can head back to bed if you want.”

  Her brows lifted over blurry eyes, her expression that of someone offered a gift. “Really?”

  His grin widened. She truly amused him in the mornings with her sluggishness. “We have a little time before we need to head over to Dad’s. We can sneak in a quickie if you want, but we can’t linger. I’m sure Bernard is putting together a big breakfast.”

  “So early?”

  He shrugged. “We’d be cutting it close, but I can manage if you can.” It was his experience that women generally took longer getting ready than men did.

  “Blast.” Looking very disappointed, Kennedy said, “If you want me verbally functional, I need coffee before I meet anyone. Lots and lots of coffee.” She huffed a sigh, then strode up to him and stood, defiantly staring into his eyes. “Look, I know I started this with wanting just a kiss, but we shot past that last night, right?”

  “Er...right.” Where was she going with this? Hopefully, she didn’t have regrets now.

  Then again, she’d just been cleaning her teeth with a finger and planning on keeping him in bed, so...

  “Good, we’re agreed.” She opened her hand over his chest, lightly petting him, testing the strength of his pec muscle, using her thumb to brush over his left nipple.

  “Kennedy—” Much more of that and she wouldn’t get a single sip of coffee.

  Smiling up at him, she whispered, “Last night was a surprise. You’re a surprise.” She pursed her mouth thoughtfully. “Actually, I was the biggest surprise.”

  His heart softened. “Because you enjoyed yourself?”

  “Far, far more than I knew was even possible,” she confirmed. “And now that I’ve had a taste, I’m not done.”

  Catching on, he asked, “You want more, is that it?” Definitely not a problem for him.

  “I really do. But actually, waiting until tonight might be a good idea.” She scrunched her nose. “I’m more alert in the evening, and honestly... I’m a little sore.”

  Had he been too enthusiastic? “A shower would probably help.”

  “After coffee. But for now, can I count on a repeat?”

  That quickie was sounding better and better. “Guaranteed.”

  A beautiful smile bloomed on her face. “Perfect.” She stretched up on tiptoe to peck his lips, then headed for her top and bottoms. “Let’s do coffee before I perish. It took all my resolve to accomplish cleaning my teeth without it. The rest might have been wishful thinking.”

  Reyes stood there grinning inside and out. He’d had sex, varied and often, but knowing he’d pleased Kennedy, that he’d overcome the ugly memories of her past, was a gift he’d always cherish.

  Funny that, good as the sex had been, he still couldn’t compete with caffeine. Should have known there wouldn’t be a typical “morning after” with Kennedy.

  She was different, so it figured this would be different, too.

  With her, it was also better.

  * * *

  YES, REYES HAD SAID, in an offhand way, that his dad was loaded. She still hadn’t expected this.

  Good God, it appeared the man owned a mountain, or at least a good chunk of it, so that he had complete privacy.

  And his house... Her eyes were round enough to drop out of her head as Reyes drove up higher and higher along the private road. When she spotted the smaller house to the right, she let out a breath of relief. Maybe his father lived there, and the other building was an upscale lodge or something.

  But no, he went right past the very nice, moderately sized home.

  “Who lives there?” Kennedy asked, thinking the smaller home felt cozier.

  “That’s Madison’s place, though she, as well as Cade and I, have private suites in Dad’s house just in case there’s ever an emergency. His security is the
best.”

  Kennedy stared at him, agog by that notion since Reyes had his place completely locked down. “Better than yours?”

  Snorting, he said, “No comparison. Everything at Dad’s is state-of-the-art shit, like the government would use, you know? Most of it isn’t even available to the public. He has some crazy-cool stuff.”

  And Reyes’s weird darkening windows weren’t crazy cool? “If you say so.”

  He gave her a quick, knowing look. “Don’t be nervous, honey.”

  “Oh, right. You tell me your father is an ogre and that he’ll likely try to intimidate me, you say he has equipment not available to the rest of us mere mortals, and I can see he’s insanely wealthy—but I shouldn’t worry about any of that.”

  “No,” he said gently, “you shouldn’t. Dad is just...my dad, you know? Sure, the situation is a little different, but you’ll hold your own, I don’t doubt it.”

  “Cade and Madison will be there?”

  “Sterling, too.”

  That was something, at least. Safety in numbers and all that. Being among his family would serve as a buffer against her new, somewhat raw awareness of Reyes as a sexual man. Left alone with him, she’d probably keep him in the bed all day.

  He’d probably like the sex, but would he start to feel smothered? Already she’d practically insisted that he keep on sleeping with her, when that had never been his intent. He’d been very up-front about avoiding commitments.

  Shame that her heart hadn’t listened.

  But even that, the sweet ache that filled her chest every time she looked at his impossibly handsome face, could probably be written off as lust. For so long she’d believed the scum who’d kidnapped her had stolen her sexuality in the process. In her mind, intercourse was something to be suffered, not enjoyed.

  Yet with Reyes, the pleasure had been so intense she didn’t know how to describe it.

  “You have a certain look about you,” Reyes mused aloud. “Want to share your thoughts?”

  “Sex,” she blurted, seeing no reason not to share. “It was all so hot and powerful and—”

  “Wet,” he agreed, his voice low and deep.

  It felt like her stomach tumbled over in a very pleasant way. She fanned her face, feeling flushed. “Topic switch, okay? I don’t want to be flustered when I meet your dad.”

  His satisfied smile nearly did her in, but he obliged her by asking, “What do you think of the house?”

  “It’s big enough to be a lodge that could hold a few hundred people.” Not only did it sit partially in the mountain, but colorful aspens were everywhere, as well as giant boulders. Who needed landscaping when Mother Nature did such a remarkable job?

  “You should see it at night, with all the exterior lights shining like amber along the stone columns. It’s pretty. And the sunsets here are spectacular.”

  The sunsets at Reyes’s house were beautiful, too. When she left there—because eventually she would—she’d miss it so much. The fresh air, the sounds of nature all around, sunrises and sunsets, the privacy. To her, Reyes had the perfect setup, and it was much nicer than this massive structure.

  She didn’t care if that wasn’t fair. Yes, the house was beautiful, stunningly so, but herein lived Reyes’s father, and she already disliked the man based on Reyes’s descriptions.

  He pulled right up near the front door instead of using one of the many parking spaces. After he turned off his truck, he asked, “Ready?”

  Not even. Forcing her mouth into a smile, she nodded.

  As usual, Reyes walked around to her side and played the gentleman while she continued to take in the grandeur of the place.

  A circular deck on the second floor created a covered porch at the front double doors. Wings extended in both directions, sort of hugging the mountain, with the entirety of the house enclosed by a smooth stone wall. The same stone was used in the giant pillars that supported the second-floor deck.

  She was still craning her head around, taking it all in, when the front doors opened.

  Sterling stood there grinning at her, while a tall, elegant man fussed behind her. “My job,” he stated in lofty tones, reaching past Sterling to wrest the doorknob from her hands so he could sweep the double doors wide. “Reyes,” he said, and then he smiled at Kennedy. “And you must be Ms. Brooks.”

  She almost said, Guilty, but caught herself in time. “Hello. You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you. Though it’s actually Parrish’s, I claim it as well.”

  Ah, so this wasn’t Reyes’s father. He had to be midsixties, tall, thin, with silver hair and a reserved expression—except for his eyes. Those eyes were full of mischief. “You’re Bernard?”

  He surprised her by saying, “None other. And so we’re clear right off, Chimera is mine.”

  Grousing, Reyes took her hand and tugged her over the threshold. “Let up, Bernard. She hasn’t even been here a minute.”

  Bernard looked obstinate about it, so Kennedy turned to Sterling. “It’s good to see you again.”

  Watching them, her gaze bouncing back and forth between Reyes and Kennedy, Sterling grinned. “Nice work, dude.” She offered Reyes a high five.

  Shaking his head in stern warning, Reyes took Sterling’s wrist and lowered her arm to her side. “Behave.”

  “Never. At least not with you.” She grinned at Kennedy. “I still owe him a whole lot of hassling, so you’ll have to bear with me while I get it out of my system.”

  “Hassling?” she asked, confused by the whole exchange that had just happened.

  “When I first came here, baby brother ribbed me endlessly, making me feel like a worn-out boot.”

  “I did not,” Reyes complained, but he looked abashed as he said it.

  “Come on.” Sterling latched on to Kennedy’s arm. “Bernard needs a few more minutes to finish up one of the most amazing breakfasts you’ll ever have.”

  “Thank you,” the stately Bernard said. Kennedy saw a definite twinkle in his eyes.

  Sterling quickly propelled her through an immense room and toward a hall. “Where are we going?”

  “I’ll show you around. The place is big enough that, without a guide, you’ll get lost.” Over her shoulder, Sterling said to Reyes, “Go find your sibs. They have things to tell you. Kennedy and I will be along shortly.”

  Reyes didn’t look happy about it, but neither did he reclaim her. No, he just let Sterling abscond with her.

  Luckily, Sterling was with her, because it was true—Kennedy would most certainly get lost on her own.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “WE’LL BE EATING on the deck,” Sterling said, “but no one is out there yet so we’ll have a minute to chat.”

  Going through tall French doors, Sterling led her to a covered deck unlike any she’d ever seen. It seemed to go on forever and gave incredible views of snow-topped mountains, rocky terrain and a calm, beautiful lake.

  “Wow.” She could sit out here for hours, Kennedy thought. Tension seemed to seep away.

  “Pretty, right?” Sterling indicated a table and chairs already set with china and a tablecloth. “It’s getting chillier every day, so we won’t get to sit out here too much longer. Figured we should take advantage of the sunny morning.”

  “You made the decision?”

  Sterling laughed. “Bernard likes me, so he always gives me a choice.” She leaned in a little closer. “I brag on his skills in the kitchen. Works wonders on softening him up.”

  That made Kennedy smile. “You like it here?” Because she felt really small, and almost...insignificant.

  Turning to lean on the railing, Sterling said, “It’s a little overwhelming, I know.”

  “Very.” Moving to the railing, too, Kennedy stared out at the scenery and concentrated on conquering her nervousness.

  “So...” Sterling nu
dged her. “You and Reyes did the nasty, huh? And judging by the way you two were ogling each other, I’d say you even liked it.”

  Was she really that transparent? Did she want to confide in Sterling? She glanced up—because seriously, Sterling was a tall one—and saw her friendly but knowing smile.

  She liked Sterling. The woman was like an open book, tossing out her thoughts without censoring, so that you didn’t have to guess what she really thought about things. It appeared Sterling liked her, and she could use another friend, so... With a mental shrug, Kennedy said, “Yes, and yes.”

  “Awesome.” Again Sterling offered a high five, and unlike Reyes, Kennedy accepted, reaching up to smack her palm to Sterling’s.

  “Before everyone joins us, I’ll give you a fast rundown on the family, beyond what you already know, I mean. That way, you’ll be better prepared.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “First, Parrish tries to be snooty, but he’s not so bad. Just stare him down. He respects that.”

  Kennedy could easily imagine Sterling employing that tactic. Her? Not so much. “Reyes told me a few things about him.”

  Snorting, Sterling said, “The brothers are a little biased when it comes to their dad. He’s heavy-handed, and they’re not the type of guys to take kindly to that. Cade was more open in his rebellion, to the point he skipped out and joined the military. Reyes hung around and just became an annoying ass.”

  The insult pricked Kennedy’s temper. “He’s not.”

  “Not to you, maybe.”

  Okay, yeah, she’d witnessed herself how Reyes baited not only Sterling, but Cade also. “Well, from what I’ve seen, you bring some of that on yourself.”

  “Oh, for sure.” Sterling grinned. “Part of the fun of being in this family is getting Reyes riled.”

  Unable to resist, Kennedy conceded with a smile.

  “Now, Bernard, well, he’s the sweetest, but he’s also a tad pompous. He takes the whole butler-slash-assistant-slash-chef thing way too seriously, complete with his nose in the air and pretentious manners. Only time I’ve seen him rattled was when he and Reyes were battling over the cat.” Sterling chuckled. “Reyes never had a chance. Bernard was so cute, cuddling the mama cat, loving on her kittens. It was something to see.”