Broken Rebel: A Lawless Kings Novel

by Sherilee Gray

  Her mouth dropped open as she stretched around me, hips lifting then rolling slightly, working me in deeper, inch by painstaking inch. Her head fell back and I held her waist, holding her up as she got lost in sensation, the feel of me finally filling her. She was soft and languid in my hands and when she lifted her head and looked down at me again, beautiful blue eyes on me as she dragged her hands from my chest to my abs, I had to fight the relentless urge to thrust up into her as hard as I could. Finally, she took the last couple of inches of me deep inside, her pussy contracting around me like a fucking fist, and my eyes damn near rolled back in my head.

  “Jesus Christ.” I started to shake. “I need you to move, baby girl. Rock those hips for me. Shit, please, sweetheart.” Now I was the one begging, pleading, and I didn’t give two fucks.

  Her hands slid to my chest and she did as I asked, rolling her hips forward, keeping me deep while she did it, making me crazy, close to losing my damn mind. I gritted my teeth, tightening the leash on my control while she took exactly what she needed from me—how she needed it. The color in her cheeks darkened and she started to move faster.

  “That’s it. That’s it, baby, take it, show me. Show me how good it feels to have your man finally inside you,” I rasped. “Tell me,” I demanded, all of a sudden fucking desperate for her to say the words. “Tell me how good it feels.”

  Her eyes stayed on me as she rocked and ground down on me, working herself on the head of my cock deep inside, grinding that stiff little clit against me at the same time. “Oh God. You feel . . . so much better than good.”

  A startled cry burst past her lips and I felt her start to tighten even more around me. “Who am I, Ruby?” I grunted. “Tell me.”

  “My man,” she gasped, then she screamed and started coming around my cock, squeezing me so fucking tight I was seeing stars.

  I blew up with her, no way could I hold off with the way she was tightening around me. Not after hearing those words on her lips, watching her hot, curvy little body take pleasure from mine.

  She finally fell forward, sliding her legs down along my body. My cock was still buried inside her, and I didn’t want out, not any time soon. Her lips slid against my neck, kissing me, hot breath making my scalp tingle.

  I dropped a hand to her ass and squeezed, twisting to kiss the top of her head. “Okay?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound as overwhelmed as I felt, that she didn’t feel the way my heart was close to pounding right out of my chest.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  She didn’t say any more, was quiet for the longest time, and I thought she was asleep, until she spoke into the darkness.

  “Did this actually happen?”

  My chest squeezed. “Yeah, babe.”

  “I’m not going to wake up in the morning and have this be some kind of dream?”

  “It’s not a dream.” My voice suddenly sounded as wrecked as the organ beating behind my ribs.

  “It feels like a dream,” she said softly.

  She wasn’t wrong. I’d wanted this for so damn long, but never thought I would ever have her like this.

  But I knew Ruby wasn’t saying what she was thinking. I could hear the doubt in her voice. She was afraid, afraid I’d push her away again. And that was on me. I was the one that’d destroyed the trust between us, and it was my job to build it back up again. The only way to do that was to be here in the morning. To be here every morning until she didn’t wake up surprised I was still here, but expected it.

  I wrapped my arms around her. Words wouldn’t do shit. I’d have to show her.

  She’d figure out soon enough.

  I was never letting her go.

  * * *

  Ruby

  “Wake up, babe.”

  Neco’s voice penetrated my sleepy brain, which half woke me. Then his body covered mine, arms curling around me, and he rolled to his back, taking me with him. I blinked my heavy eyes open and stared down at his chest, then lifted my head, shoving my hair out of my face, looking up at his.

  His rough-skinned fingers slid down over my butt, down to my knees, making me shiver as he slid them apart, so I was straddling him.

  “Morning,” he said in a husky voice as he tilted his hips, sliding the hard length of his cock through my already slick but highly sensitive flesh. He was already wearing a condom.

  My lips parted on a moan, still trying to work the fuzz from my brain, while grinding back down on him, sensation winning out over full consciousness. “Morning,” I managed to say back as he slid his fingers lower, dipping between my thighs.

  A rough sound vibrated through him. “Shit, Ruby, you’re already wet.”

  “Mmm.” I ground down on his fingers, seeking more.

  He took his hand away, and before I could protest, pushed his cock inside me with one deep thrust of his hips.

  “Ahhh.” My forehead dropped to his chest, hands sliding up to circle his neck, hanging on as he held me down, thrusting up into me over and over.

  “Come here,” he rasped. “I need that mouth, baby girl.”

  I lifted my head, stretching up so I could kiss him. He kissed me back hungrily, still holding me immobile while he drilled into me. The angle was perfect, my clit getting the attention it needed. He thrust up harder and I gasped. God, he’d only been inside me a few seconds and I was close to flying already.

  “Shit, I’m nearly there.” It started building, steady and strong and I pulled away from the kiss, nails digging into his shoulders, dragging down his chest, lips parting on a cry as it shot through me—a full body orgasm that had me trembling from head to toe, sucking on his skin, biting as my body jerked, fighting against his hold on me. Somehow, being held like that intensified everything.

  “Fuck,” Neco muttered. “So fucking hot, sweetheart. Shit.”

  Then he rolled me to my back, and holding himself above me, staring down, jaw tight, expression intense, and started fucking me again, deep and slow. Sweat coated his skin and his biceps were twitching.

  I lifted my knees higher, reaching down to grab his ass. “I’m okay,” I said. “You won’t hurt me.”

  His next thrust was harder. “You sure?”

  “Oh God.” I whimpered. “Yes.” It should be impossible, but I felt another orgasm building. The angle he thrust into me hit deep, sliding across that spot that made me catch my breath on every pass. “I’m going to . . . Oh shit.” My head pressed back into the pillows and I quivered and groaned as it slid through me, my toes curling, hips lifting to meet his. Not as strong as the last, but still so damn good.

  Neco started pounding into me harder, but still controlled, his big body shaking hard enough to make the bed quake beneath us. I forced my eyes open to watch him. His were on me, locked onto mine, expression fierce as he took me. And that’s exactly how I felt. Taken. It was hard to hold his gaze, the intensity was too much, almost frightening. I wasn’t scared of him, but something was different now, and I wasn’t sure what that meant for me . . . for us.

  Then he slammed forward one last time and grunted, shaking and growling as he pulsed inside me, coming as hard as he’d made me. He dropped to his side, carefully dragging me in close. One of his hands slid over my chest, cupping my breast possessively.

  “I could watch you come all fuckin’ day,” he said against my shoulder.

  I had no idea why, maybe it was the light coming through the window, taking away the shadows, bringing in the harsh light of day, but suddenly I felt . . . self-conscious. Heat crawled up my neck and I cringed inwardly. This was Neco. My Neco, and he was naked beside me—I was naked beside him. He had just finished fucking me. We’d had sex. Twice. This was everything I’d wanted and now I had it, I felt . . . completely out of my depth.

  “Why are you blushing?” he asked, a smirk curving his lips. “Don’t tell me you’re getting shy on me?”

  I tugged the blankets up over my head, face getting hotter. “No?”

  He chuckled low and rough, making my nipples ti
ngle. The sheet was tugged away and he dragged me back up over him. “Look at me, Ruby.”

  I kept my head against his chest. “I’m good like this.”

  “Look at me,” he muttered again.

  Goddammit. Woman the hell up. I forced myself to lift my head, my face still embarrassingly hot, which just made me more embarrassed. It was a vicious circle.

  “What’s going on?” he asked. “You had no problem calling me in the middle of the night, causing me all kinds of trouble, and now you’re gonna get embarrassed because I watched you come? Which, by the way, is the hottest show on the face of the earth. I’m not lying when I say I could watch you scream for me all damn day and never get sick of it.”

  My face got hotter still. Crap. “It’s not that . . .”

  A frown lowered his brows. “What is it?”

  I quickly shook my head. He looked worried now and that’s the last thing I wanted. “I guess, I never thought . . . you and me . . . it’s always been this, this abstract thing in my head. I never thought it would actually happen, you know?”

  His frown deepened. “And the real thing doesn’t measure up?”

  I lifted to my elbows, so fast I felt dizzy. “No . . . God, no. It’s not that . . .” I shook my head. “What we did last night, this morning . . . I never imagined it could be like that. It’s never been like that . . .”

  The frown vanished and he grinned. Wide.

  Cocky bastard.

  He brushed my hair back from my face, keeping the strands between his fingers and tugged lightly. “Then what is it?”

  I shook my head and glanced away. “Just drop it, would you?”

  He stilled, fingers sliding under my chin, holding it, forcing my eyes back to his. “I can’t and I won’t. Something made you uncomfortable. I need to know, so you don’t ever feel that way again.”

  I couldn’t leave him hanging now, knowing he thought he’d done something wrong.

  He brushed the backs of his fingers down the side of my face, waiting for me to say something. Neco had a short fuse, but he could also be patient when he needed to, especially with me. The crap he’d put up with from me over the last few years was a testament to that. He wasn’t going to drop it, I knew that much. Neco never dropped anything.

  I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to look at him. “You and me . . . like this, it’s just going to take some time to sink in. How this all works. I’ve never even been in a real relationship before.” Everything had changed between us so fast. One minute he was pushing me away, and now I was in his bed.

  He was quiet for several seconds, deafeningly so. I opened my eyes again, and his eyes had softened.

  “I’ve never been in a relationship either.”

  “You’ve had girlfriends. I’ve only ever had a few one night stands.”

  He shook his head. “Anyone before you . . . they’re nothing. Meant nothing. I don’t remember anything about any of them. This is you and me; what we’ve got is special. We’ll make our own rules and figure it out together.”

  A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Okay.”

  “But there’s more, yes? I can see it, hear it in your voice.” His gaze slid down to my mouth. “Talk to me.”

  “It’s nothing . . .”

  His eyes narrowed.

  Now I felt like a dick, but there was nothing for it. If I didn’t say it, he’d find a way to get it out of me, he always did.

  “Well, you’re just so . . . you’re intense . . . the way you look at me, while you’re . . . moving inside me. I guess I feel a little self-conscious.” I wasn’t going to tell him that the look in his eyes scared me sometimes. That he overwhelmed me. But it was the truth. The way he looked at me was almost fierce.

  “The way I look at you, that isn’t going to change.” His fingers slid down the side of my face, cupping my jaw, his green eyes boring into mine, making my belly squirm. “What you’re seeing is the look of a man who knows how fucking lucky he is. A man who knows he doesn’t deserve what he’s got, but is gonna keep that gift anyway.”

  Oh my God.

  My eyes started stinging. Again. I blinked rapidly, fighting the rush of emotion. I had no reply. Nothing.

  He tugged my hair again, obviously seeing how his words had affected me and giving me a break by lightening the moment. “You’ll get used to it.”

  I didn’t think he was right. I’d never get used to it. And I realized I didn’t want to. Neco did something to me, got to me like no one else had ever been able to. His edge, the danger, the intensity, was part of that. It was an oxymoron, but that barely leashed part of him that made me a little nervous was also the part of him that made me feel safer than I’d ever felt. Cared for.

  Neco kept me on my toes, made me feel like I was home, and gave me a rush of the best high I’d ever had.

  He was my drug. A fix like no other. And I had no intention of ever quitting.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Ruby

  “Thanks for the ride, Harry.”

  I’d just completed my first full day as an employee of Hains Investigations. It’d gone well. Nothing too strenuous, or exciting . . . unfortunately. I spent most of the day doing background checks. Though, I did get to help Harry with an infidelity case he was working, which was kind of cool. I’d scaled a fence and snapped pictures of a woman and her lover boinking on the kitchen floor while her husband was at work, so kind of gross as well.

  “No problem. Neco bringing you in tomorrow? Or should I swing by and pick you up in the morning?”

  I was going to drive myself. Neco just didn’t know it yet. “I’m all good, thanks though.”

  He left and I locked up after him. My bruises were gone now. I felt great, actually, and after a rather heated exchange and three days of sitting around doing nothing, Neco had given in and agreed that I should be good to go to work. He was worried, I got that, but there was no reason for me to be sitting around doing nothing. Scott might be unstable, but he wouldn’t just come strolling into the agency after me, and if he tried, I’d see him coming with the surveillance equipment Harry had installed. Plus, I had my gun . . . and my Taser. Scott wouldn’t be much of a threat after I’d zapped him with fifty thousand volts.

  When Neco got home, we were going to have words. He’d driven me this morning, but I wanted to drive myself. I wanted my life to get back to normal, and this time I wasn’t going to let him distract me with sex. Snatching up my phone, I checked for messages. Nothing from Neco, but there was one from Lulu checking on me. I quickly fired one back, filling her in on my current state of mind and asking her to grill her fiancé for information. Uncool of me, I know. But I was getting desperate.

  Neco had left early this morning for work. No details. In fact, he was being cagey as hell. I’d worked for them, for God’s sake. I knew what they did, how they made their living. There was no reason to keep things from me. Unless it was about me, in which case I was pissed as hell.

  Lulu replied quickly. I have ways to make him talk.

  Hmm. Maybe she was onto something there. I shook my head—like I had any power over Neco whatsoever. The man did what he wanted, when he wanted. One small, occasionally irritating, woman—naked or not—couldn’t get that man to spill his secrets. I sighed, dropped my bag on the table by the door, and then flopped onto the couch. I was lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out my next move, when someone knocked on the door.

  Neco’s apartment was like Fort Knox, the security the high-tech kind. Only someone with the codes could get up here. I climbed to my feet, walked to the door, and peeked through the peephole.

  Zeke stood there, expressionless. Dirty blond hair, messy, like he’d been running his hands through it, beard thicker than when I last saw him.

  I pulled the door open. “Hey. What’s up?”

  “Neco’s going to be late,” he said, giving me a good dose of that Southern drawl of his. That, combined with the husky, rough quality to his voice, sent a
little shiver down my spine. The man was a total enigma.

  “Why didn’t he just call me himself?”

  “He’s on a job, didn’t have time.”

  “Right. And why didn’t you just call?”

  Zeke shrugged.

  Of course, Neco told him to check on me. Annoying. I eyed Zeke, wondering if he’d give me more information. “You want a drink or something?”

  He shook his head. “I’m good.”

  “Does Nec have some kind of lead . . . about my case? Is that why he’s going to be late?”

  Zeke stood there, his tall frame making me feel like an Ompa Loompa by comparison. Zeke wasn’t as built as Neco—he was leaner. He was hard, corded, muscular strength. With the amount of hours he spent in the workout room in the office, this was understandable. The man never seemed to just . . . relax. He was on. Always. I wanted to feed him cheeseburgers and force him to watch TV with me. It would never happen.

  He stared down at me. Damn, what was it with these guys and their scary-intense eyes? “If there’s something you need to know, Nec will tell you.”

  “Is that a yes, then?”

  He kept staring at me, damn mouth zipped shut. I broke eye contact first because no one could hold Zeke’s gaze for any amount of time and not be intimidated. He didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t even think he was fully aware of it. But whenever I looked into his eyes, those demons riding him, they looked right back. All his pain, the scars he’d collected, the horror he’d seen while he was overseas, they were frighteningly clear.

  An idea sprung to the front of my mind out of nowhere. It must have shown on my face because he raised a brow. I smiled. He frowned, mouth turning down the corners.

  “Have you got some time to kill?” I asked casually.

  He shrugged again.

  Christ, he was a hard nut to crack.

  I crossed my arms. “So I had this idea.” A shudder moved through me before I could hold it back, images flashing through my mind like a projector on the fritz. “When Scott . . . you know, came after me, I let him get the better of me . . . I dropped my guard.”