Loving War

by C. M. Owens

  I kiss him like I can’t ever stop—like I can only breathe his air.

  “Take the limo,” Rain announces, referring to our girls’ night ride she rented.

  I wave in the air to acknowledge I heard her because my lips are otherwise engaged. Kode is owning my mouth with his tongue, his teeth, and his growls of pleasure. It’s like fire on ice with every twist of his tongue, because I’m fully dissolving right now.

  His hands tighten on my ass, and though I don’t know how he does it, he makes it outside.

  “Home, Ms. Noles?” The limo driver asks, making me realize we’ve already reached the car.

  I start to say yes, even though it’s painful to break away from the kiss. Kode puts me down, as Hank—the driver—holds the door, looking very much amused.

  “Actually, I have a different address.”

  Kode tugs me into the car as I laugh and tell Hank Kode’s address instead. Leo had another date with Jamie tonight, and I don’t want us competing for who can be louder at my house.

  Hank grins while closing the door, and Kode pulls me onto his lap, his lips quickly moving back to my neck to resume devouring me. I grin when he thrusts up, mimicking the action he wants to do without clothes as Hank pulls out of Silk.

  When his lips reclaim mine, it’s so powerful that I moan and grind against him. It takes me a second to realize his hands have moved from my ass and are working against the button on my shorts. My smile grows, and I break the kiss and press my forehead to his.

  “Not here. We don’t have enough time, and I want more than a limo fuck,” I tell him, smiling as he groans.

  Then his eyes look up to meet mine, and he tugs me closer, brushing his lips against mine just barely.

  “Tell me, Tria,” he murmurs against my lips, confusing me.

  “What?” I ask, but all coherent thoughts cease when I sink lower onto his lap and feel how hard he is.

  Eight days is way too long to go after you’ve had Kode Sterling.

  The question becomes lost as we hungrily kiss each other, desperate sounds of pent-up desire coating the car and possibly scarring Hank’s ears. As soon as we reach the house, Kode is lifting me out of the car, keeping my legs strapped against him, as Hank holds the car door for us.

  “Have a good evening, Ms. Noles,” Hank says, laughing lightly.

  I just wave, because talking is impossible while I’m suckling Kode’s tongue and swallowing his growls. Kode fumbles to get his door open, but he finally manages, still carrying me.

  “Tell me, Tria,” he says again, breaking the kiss as we blindly make our way through the dark house.

  My body is suddenly being lowered to a familiar bed that smells a lot like my perfume for some reason.

  “Tell you what?” I ask around a moan when he pulls my shirt down and puts his mouth around my nipple.

  Right now, I’m glad I skipped putting on a bra. But he releases his hold, sliding until his body is hovering over me, and his eyes meet mine, even though his silver pools are hiding in the darkness.

  “You know what,” he says, that sexy drawl thick and laced with lust.

  My whole body heats, and a smile spreads across my face as a lone tear escapes my grasp.

  “I love you, Ko—”

  His lips crush mine almost painfully, and my clothes become obstacles for him that he’s impatient to get rid of. I giggle when he breaks the kiss to curse my stubborn shorts after they don’t slide easily over my ass.

  He has to move off me, and with one hard tug, he jerks them down my legs, dragging my panties with them. With very jerky movements, he hurries out of his clothes, and I giggle while pulling my shirt over my head.

  He stops, looking down at me with hungry eyes that can barely be seen with the sliver of moonlight sneaking through the window. Then my gaze travels down his body, greedily taking in all the hard lines of definition, and of course the hardest part of his body at the moment that has me licking my lips in anticipation.

  Very slowly, he lowers himself onto me, running his hands along my sides.

  “Say it again,” he murmurs as he drops a soft kiss to my chest, eliciting a shiver from me in response.

  “I love you,” I whisper, sucking in a sharp breath and arching my hips as he continues moving lower with that divine mouth.

  He teases me, swiping his tongue across my lower abdomen, and I swear under my breath, making him chuckle against my tingling skin. But his laughter stops when he reaches the spot where I want him, and he flicks his tongue across that bundle of nerves in a way that has me writhing beneath him, ready to explode after only a few seconds.

  “Say it again,” he whispers against me before flicking his tongue once more, and I cry out, barely able to keep breathing, never mind talking.

  “I love you,” I whimper, desperate for him to finish.

  I start to curse him when he moves, but then suddenly he’s on me, in me, thrusting deep with one hard stroke, and I grip his shoulders as we both moan in unison. His lips find mine as he slowly draws back, and I bite his lower lip when he plunges in fiercely once more.

  “I love you,” I say on my own, earning a growl from him as he sets a furious pace that has me clawing and making feral sounds that don’t sound human.

  His forehead presses against mine as he grabs both of my knees, angling my body in a way that gives him more depth and more traction for his already hard thrusts.

  It’s almost too much—too much sensation, too much desire, too much need. I feel like I’m falling and climbing at the same time, holding on while simultaneously letting go, and my body spirals out of control while finding a serene place of control at the same time.

  When I cry out his name in unbridled ecstasy, arching off the bed as my body explodes around him, fireworks detonate behind my eyelids. I’m pretty sure I black out, because when I open my eyes again, Kode is stilling inside me.

  His eyes open as he gasps for a breath, and he drops to me like he’s exhausted. I wrap my legs around his waist, kissing his head as he pants for air. He doesn’t seem as drunk, but he’s not sober either. I’m really glad he’s not one of those guys who suffers performance issues after drinking too much.

  “I love you, Tria,” he says, grinning against my neck.

  I smile like a fool while holding him tighter, and a content sigh flows from my lips. “Need five minutes?” I ask, smiling bigger when he laughs.

  It might sound crazy, but I honestly believe Kode Sterling is mine.

  Epilogue

  KODE

  “No,” she hisses, glaring at me while I grin triumphantly at her. She’s not getting out of this.

  “You made a bet, Tria. Obviously I don’t want you doing it here, but soon. And somewhere public. You lost. I can recap the night you caved if you’d like.”

  She puckers her lips in a pout that has my cock twitching happily, and I shift in my seat, making sure the affected area stays hidden under the table.

  Rain and Dane are making their rounds as the newlywed couple, and Mom is holding her new grandchild in her lap. This isn’t the most appropriate time to tease her about collecting on our little bet, but I love getting Tria riled up. It’s not like she’ll ever follow through.

  “You’re an ass,” she grumbles, sipping her champagne.

  “An ass you happen to love,” I say, grinning over at her.

  When her lips twitch, she covers her mouth with her hand to hide her growing smile.

  “You two make a great couple,” Mom says from across the table, unaware of our private conversation. “Will you be getting married next?”

  I strangle on my drink while Tria smiles mockingly at me. Marriage? I hadn’t even thought of that shit. Then again, there’s no way in hell I’m letting Tria go, so it’s not like it would be the worst idea.

  “That’s not on the agenda just yet,” I say uncomfortably.

  “Really? We discussed it the other night, dear,” Tria lies with her overly sweet tone that has me glaring at her.


  “Oh?” Mom asks too brightly, clearly excited. Damn. “That’s perfect. Then you could start working on some more grandchildren for me.”

  Tria is the one to strangle on her drink this time when the tables turn, and I grin over at her. Fortunately, Carrie asks to use the bathroom, and Mom stands to oblige and escort her.

  “Not in a hurry to have kids?” I muse, teasing her.

  She shakes her head, and I laugh. “Me neither. So quit provoking my mother.”

  She rests her head on my shoulder, and I pull her as close as I can get her. Unfortunately, it’s not close enough, so I end up tugging until she’s in my lap. The second her sexy ass is pressed against me, and her entire body is resting on mine, I feel better.

  “Toasts!” Maverick demands, and then he points to Tria who immediately goes pale. She’s been dreading the hell out of this. I’ve helped her rehearse her speech all week long, but she still doesn’t want to stand up in front of everyone and speak.

  “We’ll start with the Maid of Honor,” Maverick adds, smiling tauntingly at her because he knows how much she doesn’t want to do this.

  The outdoor reception is being held at my parents’ enormous home, where Mom insisted to have it. Eleanor is wiping her eyes, still crying happy tears as she watches Tria stand up in front of me shakily.

  After a few deep breaths, Tria finally starts her speech to the quiet reception as Dane and Rain sit down at their own table.

  “Most of you know that the history between myself and my sister is a little rocky. We didn’t have the conventional start that most families get to experience. To be honest, I started envying Rain early on. Who couldn’t? She was amazing and strong and so damn smart. Then she had the Sterling boys taking care of her, letting the world know she was even more special, and of course that had most of the women in Sterling Shore teeming with envy.”

  That last part wasn’t in the original speech she rehearsed with me.

  Everyone chuckles, but it actually hurts me to hear that. Tria had no one, and Rain had an army of support. If I could go back in time… I’ll just have to spend my future making it up to her.

  “Out of those Sterling boys, she had the attention of the illusive Dane Sterling. It was evident when we were thirteen that they would end up together. They took a long road to get to where they are, but there’s no doubt in my mind they took the route designed to make them stronger—to make their relationship stronger.

  “It’s not easy to find the one person in this world designed specifically for you. But they’ve found that in each other. It’s rock solid, and if you’ve ever been around them, then you’ve seen it. You’ve probably felt it. And more than likely, you’ve longed for that same thing. So to my sister and my brother-in-law, I want to say I love you both, and I’m so unbelievably happy that you two managed to find each other.”

  Everyone starts clapping, and Rain smiles while dabbing the tears from her eyes. Dane leans over to kiss Rain, and a few catcalls sound out.

  I keep waiting on Tria to sit back down in my lap, but she doesn’t. Instead, the second the cheers start dying down, she continues speaking.

  “While I have your attention, there’s something else I need to say.” She turns to me, and I tilt my head, curious as to what she’s up to. She grins, and then faces the crowd again. “Most of you know Kode Sterling, and not too long ago, I started a small rumor about the fact he might not be all that into women.”

  Oh shit. She’s really doing this? Here?

  Everyone snickers, and Tria shrugs innocently before adding, “The truth is, well, I guess you know we’re together. But what you don’t know is that he’s probably the most phenomenal lover in the world. He’s the only man who has ever made my toes curl, and I swear I can’t get enough. So please don’t doubt that Kode Sterling is a woman’s dream.”

  Yeah… I’m fairly positive this is one of the few times I’ve ever blushed in my life, and the sounds of people choking, gasping, or laughing has me turning even redder. I’m kicking her ass.

  Tria drops back down to my lap, covering her laughter with her hand, and I glare at the back of her head as everyone hoots and mocks me.

  “That backfired, didn’t it?” she whispers, apparently finding amusement in this bullshit.

  “I told you I didn’t want you to do it here,” I growl, but she only laughs harder.

  “Did you? I must have misunderstood,” she says, feigning innocence.

  If I didn’t love her so damn much, I’d probably drop her ass to the ground. At this moment, I really wish I didn’t love her.

  Maverick is still roaring with laughter when he goes to make his toast as the best man, and Tria turns in my arms, grinning that teasing smile as she presses a soft kiss to my lips.

  “I love you,” she says sweetly, batting her lashes as though that will make it all better.

  “I can’t tell,” I pout, which only has her laughing harder.

  We miss Maverick’s toast because of the lingering whispers behind us that are going on about Tria’s announcement. My arms clamp around her waist, and I hold her to me while whispering, “You know I’ll get you back for that, don’t you?”

  She chuckles softly while kissing me again, and this time, I can’t help myself from giving in. Her tongue slips between my lips, and my grip tightens for a different reason.

  She can drive me out of my damn mind, but I love every wild moment of it.

  Music starts playing, forcing us to separate from the kiss that went on much longer than either of us intended, and she stands while pulling me up from the chair.

  “Go dance with Rain. I’m going to go dance with your brother,” she says while pulling me closer. “She doesn’t get to dance with her father, so she should get to share that dance with her best friend.”

  I smile down at her, and spin her to me before kissing her, thanking her for so many things in that moment. It was certainly a hell of a road to get her to realize that it was her I wanted, but it was definitely worth it.

  “I really do love you,” I say, kissing her nose while pulling back.

  “Obviously. You’d have killed me by now if you didn’t.”

  My laughter comes out as she grins, and she heads over to ask the groom to dance. This gives me a chance to thank Rain for something it took me a while to figure out.

  Rain smiles as I proffer my hand, and she takes it while standing up. I pull her to me like she’s my own blood, and we dance like the best friends we were always meant to be.

  “Thanks,” I say, moving her through the crowd that has begun to gather.

  “For?”

  “For hiring that guy to fuck with Tria that night at the bar. It was clever; I’ll give you that.”

  She snickers while tilting her head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Rolling my eyes, I continue the formal waltz, my years of stupid ballroom dancing at my family’s parties paying off right now.

  “I was too drunk that night to put two and two together, but when I sobered up it all seemed to fall into place. I knew I had seen that guy before, and I finally figured out where. He works for Dane. That can’t be a coincidence. And I’ve seen you talking to him numerous times. You wanted me to lose my mind when he touched Tria, but only after he touched you and I did nothing.”

  She shrugs, grinning lightly. “When drunk, you never were too perceptive of others fucking with me unless you were right beside me. But with Tria, you’re aware of her every move no matter where you are in the room. If I had done something like that, I would have factored that in. And if I had done that, then I would have told Corbin to get you to back away from her so that this hypothetical plan could go into action. And if I had done that, then I would have known that Tria would have done all that was necessary to keep you from going too far. And if this was real, I would have warned the guy he’d end up with some sore part on his body, but that I would make sure he was very well compensated. And I would have told the guys to stand down so th
at she could handle it. And if I had done it, I would have known she’d see the truth, and that it would be the breaking point she needed. If not, then I would have had a backup plan.”

  I grin at her. “That’s a lot of ifs.”

  She shrugs one shoulder, then says, “That’s because it’s a hypothetical situation.”

  “It was a risky hypothetical plan. I was drunk, and with Tria, I’m touchier than I’ve ever been with anyone. What if it had pissed her off?”

  Her grin is calculated, like she’s the mastermind of an elaborate scheme. “Tria is too defensive of you. She wouldn’t have done anything if she was worried about someone getting mad at you. So, that would have also gone into that plan. And she would also be vulnerable to your groping attacks.”

  Laughter falls out of me, and she grins victoriously just as Maverick comes over to steal her away.

  “My turn,” he announces, kissing her forehead as he pulls her close.

  Walking away, my eyes search for my girl. Dane is now dancing with our mother, so Tria is mingling within the crowd somewhere. While searching, I notice Kade Colton. He’s alone at the table, looking unapproachable as he drinks wine. If I knew what to say, I’d go over there.

  Raya is dancing with her father, and I can almost feel the tension between her and the Colton prince from here. Wren moves to the chair beside Kade, but he seems to be getting ignored as Kade focuses on nothing in particular, numb to the world around him.

  Ash is in Tag’s lap, kissing him leisurely, and Melanie is holding Trip while he plays with a set of toy keys. Turning again, I find Corbin propped up with his phone in his hand, smiling at the screen like he enjoys whatever he sees. Really don’t want to know what that’s about.

  No Tria. She seems to have gone missing.

  As my eyes continue to scour, they land on Dale who is chatting up a pretty redhead, and I laugh when she runs her fingers up his chest. Britt is sitting with Dad, and he’s flipping through some of the comic books she brought. She’s enjoying things a little late in life, but it’s a childish enthusiasm she was robbed of when she was an actual child.