Stronger With Us (The Strength Series Book 3)

by JA Hensley

  “This is the most important day of my life, and I wouldn’t have it without the two of you. You’ve become my sisters over the years, and I don’t know what my life would be like without you in it. I want you to know that I cherish your friendship and your willingness to come out here and help me avoid my mother,” she says with a chuckle. “Seriously, you girls are my family, no matter what.”

  I can feel the tears prick at the back of my eyes, and when I look at Stephanie, she’s trying to hold it together.

  “Before we ruin our makeup, let me say this. You two are my only friends in the world. I don’t trust anyone else like I do you. So, let’s all agree that we’re sisters, we love each other, Becca’s marrying her Prince Charming, and we’re going to party tonight.”

  They both stare at me silently until Becca starts laughing.

  “Leave it to you, Christin, to make an emotional moment more tolerable. Let’s go get me married off,” Becca says, linking arms with us and pulling us out of the room.

  13

  Weddings are like walking the plank. You know you’re going in the water, but you just don’t want to. At least that’s how I feel about it. My brother, on the other hand, is like a man possessed trying to fight his way through the pirates to the water. Or something like that.

  “Colin, if you don’t stop pacing, I’m going to knock your ass out,” I say for the third time in ten minutes.

  “Fuck you, Jude. You have no idea what it’s like to be in love. I feel like I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t see her soon.”

  “What the fuck? It’s only been twenty-four hours.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s too long. Hopefully someday you’ll understand what it's like.”

  “I never want to be that dependent on one pussy. That’s insanity.”

  Kevin and Runt are laughing as they come in the room.

  “Ready to go, man?” Kevin asks my brother. We’re all dressed in our suits but it doesn’t feel formal and stuffy.

  “I’ve been ready forever. Let’s go,” Colin replies as he walks out the door, leaving us no choice but to follow.

  The wedding chapel is a fairly large room for our small group. It doesn’t look like those cheesy Las Vegas chapels you see in the movies or on television. We line up on the right side of a glass table and Runt sits in the front row to watch.

  Classical music starts playing and the girls walk in one at a time. Stephanie is first and she looks at Runt the whole time. They both have matching grins and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

  Christin enters next, and I am paralyzed. She has her long blonde hair piled high on her head, with enough falling around her face to look almost angelic. Her dress is purple and it fits perfectly. I can see those luscious curves that are made for holding onto. Those amazing tits are on display in a way that’s classy, but tempting. She doesn’t look at me, but I can’t tear my eyes away from her.

  “Dude, close your mouth. You look like a cartoon character,” Colin says quietly. I blink, and I’m pulled out of whatever trance I was in. Then I feel my pants tighten and I realize that I have a different problem to deal with.

  The music changes and everyone looks toward the back of the room. Thankfully that gives me a chance to adjust my dick without being noticed. Adele’s version of “Make You Feel My Love” plays as Becca walks slowly toward Colin. He’s smiling from ear to ear and moves up the aisle to meet her halfway. They stop and talk quietly before he turns around and escorts her to the altar as the music fades away.

  The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur. I remember handing Colin the ring, but that’s about it. I spent the time trying not to stare at Christin, fantasizing about the one time we were together and figuring out how to make that happen again. Before I know it, everyone is clapping and it’s over.

  “Let’s go party!” Kevin exclaims and everyone cheers in agreement. Thankfully, there aren’t going to be any formal pictures. Colin and Becca lead our group out of the chapel to the casino where people we don’t know offer their congratulations or applaud.

  “So, how was your skank?” I hear Christin’s voice in my ear.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, you know, your entertainment last night. How was she?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Obviously I do, but if I’ve got any chance of having her later I can’t admit that.

  “Jude, I interrupted her walk of shame this morning. I know it when I see it.”

  “I don’t know what you think you saw, but last time I checked, it’s still a free country. I’m an adult, and you don’t have anything to say about how I live my life.” Great, way to fuck it up, Jude.

  “Okay, you’re right. Fuck you, too,” she says as she storms off. Why does she make me a raving lunatic?

  I make a beeline for the bar. I’m obviously going to have to drink to feel sane again.

  “What’s up with you two?” Kevin asks as he takes the stool next to me.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You and Christin. It’s obvious that you want her. Why are you fighting it so hard?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Isn’t it always? That’s what makes it worth going after.”

  “What do you know about it?” I don’t know Kevin well. We worked a couple cases together when I was DEA, but I’ve never seen him with a woman.

  “That’s a long story for another time. Just trust me on this. You need to get over your shit and see where this thing could go. I think you’ll be surprised to find exactly what you’ve been looking for.” Before I can respond, he takes his beer and walks away.

  I slam my 7 and 7 down, trying to process what Kevin said. I signal the bartender for another one when I’m overwhelmed with her scent.

  “I’ll have what he’s having,” she says as my drink is delivered. I’m shocked that she came back so soon.

  “You don’t know what I’m drinking,” I say as I turn toward my greatest temptation.

  “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. I’d recognize my favorite drink from a mile away.”

  “You’re a whiskey drinker? I would have pegged you as a hard cider woman.”

  “Screw that. Why waste time with that shit? There’s nothing better than the burn that you get with whiskey. I like to live boldly, especially with my alcohol.”

  “Well then,” I say raising my glass for a toast, “To living life on the edge.”

  “We’ll see,” she says as she touches her glass to mine.

  14

  My head is pounding, I feel like I’ve eaten a roll of toilet paper after several people shit in my mouth. Also, I’m too fucking hot. I try to open my eyes but the room is much too bright. Rolling over to put my head under the pillow, I bump into a body.

  “Holy fucking cheeseheads!” I shout as I sit up quickly. That, of course, makes my head swim and my stomach churn.

  “Shhh, I’m sleeping,” a male voice says.

  I take a moment to squint and glance around. It looks like my hotel room; I see my suitcase by the closet. There are clothes all over the place. My bra is hanging off the mirror on the dresser. But who is in my bed?

  I don’t have time to ask before running to the bathroom to vomit. I trip over a shoe and bang my shoulder against the doorframe, but I’m able to make it to the toilet before losing it.

  As I puke my guts up, I feel strong hands gather my hair and hold it back from my face. This is so humiliating. I never get sick from drinking, ever.

  “Are you done yet? I have to pee,” he says. Who is this guy?

  “Yeah, I’ll get out of your way if you’ll let go of my hair,” I mumble as I try to stand.

  “Thanks. I’ll be right out,” he says as I shuffle past him. Thankfully the sink is outside of the bathroom so I can wash my mouth out. I try to find my toothbrush while I inspect my appearance. As I figured, I look like road kill. I have huge circles of eyeliner smeared under my bloodshot eyes, my hair is sticking out all over the place, a
nd there’s a little drool dried on one side of my mouth. The worst part is I still have no idea who’s in my bathroom, and I’m not sure I want to know.

  I wash my face and brush my teeth as fast as I can. At first I think he must have a huge bladder because I get both tasks done before he comes out. Then I hear the shower turn on so I know I’ll have a little more time until I have to face the music. I find a shirt and pull it over my naked body before climbing back into bed to wait for the mystery man to reappear.

  I don’t remember much of last night, but I do know I had sex. There’s a soreness between my legs that tells me that things got pretty rough, but not in a bad way. I smile a little knowing that I can throw that in Jude’s smug face later. Maybe he’ll have the opportunity to meet this guy as he leaves my room. That would be sweet justice.

  “Do you know where my pants are?” His low voice breaks me out of my little fantasy. I look up and find my worst nightmare staring at me.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. What are you doing here, Jude?”

  “Well, right now I’m trying to get dressed. Why are you wearing my shirt?” I look down and see that, in fact, I’m in a man’s undershirt.

  “Fuck. This just keeps getting better. I’ll get dressed and you can have it back.”

  He drops the towel from around his waist, and I can see that he’s getting ready to go again. I can’t tear my eyes away from the V of his abs and the proud cock that’s pointing at me.

  “Keep looking at me like that and we’ll never leave this room,” he says as he stalks toward me. I know I should put a stop to this, but I can’t make myself say the words. Unfortunately, my body wants this more than I’ve wanted anything in my life.

  “I don’t have any plans today,” I whisper as I take his shirt off and throw it aside.

  “That’s good because there is so much more I want to do to you.” He climbs on top of me, pushing my legs apart as he uses his dick to rub my clit. It doesn’t take much to get me wet and then he’s slamming into me.

  “Yes!” we cry out at the same time as his balls slap my ass. He thrusts in and out a couple of times before stopping.

  “See, isn’t this better than fighting?” he asks before pulling out to the tip and hovering there.

  I stare at him, waiting for him to move. He stares back but doesn’t do anything. I wiggle my ass a little, and he shakes his head.

  “Answer me or I won’t give you what you so obviously want,” he says with a smirk.

  “Fine, yes, this is much better than fighting. Now, fuck me, Jude,” I relent. He doesn’t disappoint and gives me one of the best orgasms of my life. I feel him come inside me before I can catch my breath.

  Once I’ve recovered, reality hits home, along with the headache I had when I woke up.

  “How did this happen? I thought you hated me,” I say, rolling over to look at the man who has occupied more wet dreams than I care to admit.

  “Honestly, I don’t remember getting here. And I never said I hated you. Things have been really tense between us since the first time, so I stayed away.”

  “I’m not going to get all emotional here, Jude. We can both call this what it is.”

  “And what is that, exactly?” he asks propping his head up on his bent arm. The sunlight peeking through the curtains hits his eyes just right and they look like they’re glowing.

  “A hookup. And we need to honor the Vegas code.”

  He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What are you talking about?”

  I sigh and shake my head. “You know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Please tell me you’ve heard that before.”

  He drops back down to the bed and lies on his back. His amazing abs are on display, and I find myself wanting to trace the ridges with my tongue, especially when they bunch up as he laughs.

  “Ah, I see. So we can just blame this on Seagram’s and Las Vegas. That sounds legit,” he says sarcastically.

  “Well, how do you explain it?” I ask irritably.

  “I don’t think you can deny that there’s an obvious attraction here. I’m not opposed to this happening again after we get back.”

  “Oh, so I’m just supposed answer your booty calls? Sorry, that’s not how I do things. In fact, I normally don’t go back for seconds. I’m going blame that on Vegas, too.”

  “Don’t get so pissy. Jesus, I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I’m saying that I’m willing to explore something more if you are.”

  I can’t help rolling my eyes. “You’re full of shit, and we both know it. Neither one of us is relationship material so don’t even try. Now, I’m going to take a shower. I trust that you know where your room is and you’ll be gone when I get out.” I don’t give him a chance to respond, walking stark naked away from him and closing the bathroom door behind me.

  15

  Did she just kick me out of her room? What the fuck? This girl is seriously messed up.

  But why are you drawn to her? Probably because she’s messed up.

  I’m so fucking screwed.

  As I sit here on the bed, I know I have two choices; stay and see what she does, or leave and try to go back to normal. If I could remember more about last night it might make this decision easier.

  The wedding is over and she picks a fight with me as the wedding party goes to the casino to get a drink. She comes up behind me when I order a second drink. I challenge her about drinking whiskey.

  “Bottoms up,” she says raising her glass. I mirror her movement and only take a sip. She practically slams hers.

  “What are you, a pussy?” she asks raising one eyebrow. What the fuck?

  “No, I’m enjoying my drink. What’s your excuse? Do you shoot it like that because you don’t like the taste? I knew you couldn’t handle the good stuff.”

  “Actually, asshole, I like it just fine. I was thirsty.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you get away with that for now.”

  Colin and Becca come over and get some champagne. The rest of our group follows and we’re standing in a circle with the bubbly.

  “I think it’s appropriate for me to make a toast,” I say, raising my glass to my brother and his bride. “I’ve never believed in love. It seems fleeting and difficult. For some reason, though, you two make it look really easy. I wish you all the love and happiness in the world. To my baby brother and his beautiful wife.” Everyone lifts their glasses in a toast.

  “I want to say something,” Christin adds. “Becca is my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do without her. Colin, you’ve saved her once and since that day you have continued to show her what a man is supposed to be. So, thank you, for making my friend happier than she’s ever been in her life.” We all clink glasses and finish the champagne. The girls hug each other and the guys just look around.

  “Thank you all for coming out here with us. It means the world to Becca and me. Now, instead of a formal reception, we’ve decided to take you all to dinner at Herringbone here in the resort.” Everyone smiles and follows Colin to the restaurant.

  Dinner was a wonderful combination of seafood, wine, and conversation. After dessert, everyone decided to go their separate ways. It’s obvious what Colin wanted to do with Becca. Based on the way James is looking at Steph, they won’t be in public very long either.

  “What are you going to do, Kevin?” I hear Christin ask. I get the feeling she’s trying to avoid me.

  “I’m going to a club to meet some friends that live here. You’re welcome to come with me, but I can’t guarantee you’ll have fun. It’s a bunch of DEA agents.”

  Christin wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. “Thanks anyway, but I’m going to pass.”

  “I understand. I’ll catch you guys later.”

  “I’m going to the Blackjack table. You can join me if you’d like.” She looks at me suspiciously, so I shrug and turn to walk away. I hear her sigh loudly before her heels are clicking on the floor behind me.

  “You don’t have to walk so f
ast, you know.”

  “I didn’t realize that I was.” She reaches out and grabs my arm, effectively slowing my stride and waking up my cock. This woman does things to me that nobody else does.

  I hear the shower turn off and get up to put my pants on. I open the curtains and stare out at the amazing view of Las Vegas. When the bathroom door opens I hold my breath in anticipation of the ass chewing I’m about to receive.

  “I should have known,” she says. I turn around and find her standing just outside the bathroom wearing only a towel.

  “Known what, exactly?”

  “That you wouldn’t take direction well. Your reputation screams defiance and from what I’ve experienced, you do what you want no matter what the cost.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “Yes. I want you gone and you’re still here. That’s bad, Jude.”

  I can’t help the grin that breaks out on my face. This woman has no idea what she really wants.

  “Your body says otherwise.” I nod toward the towel that has slipped from her spectacular breasts to display her rosy nipples hardening to peaks that beg to be worshipped.

  “It’s cold in here. Get out, Jude.”

  “I tell you what, I’ll leave right now if you can honestly say that your pussy isn’t dripping wet and begging for my cock right now. Better yet, I should probably check for myself.”

  Her breathing increases as I move toward her. I can tell that she’s trying to figure out what her next move is going to be. I reach out and rip the towel from her trembling body.

  “You are fucking gorgeous. Now, let’s see if you’re ready for me,” I whisper as I trail my hand down her arm to her hip and to her core. “Well, Christin, it seems that I’m right.”

  She whimpers as I find her clit and circle it slowly. She’s so warm and soft that I want to melt into her and stay for a while.

  I start to kiss down her neck and she grabs my pants. It takes mere seconds before I’m just as naked as she is. I reach her mouth and take it in a blistering kiss while I reach for her hips and pick her up. She wraps her legs around me and slides down on my dick that has turned to steel.