by Maya Banks
Her blood stirred and rushed just a little faster, heating her skin and bringing a flush to her cheeks. They stared at each other, not like two potential lovers, but two people who might just devour each other before the night was over.
“It’s been a long time for me,” she said evenly.
One part of her recognized that she was stalling, while the other part wondered why she was babbling like an idiot.
“Paulo was my last lover.”
“Was he any good?” Ian asked bluntly.
She turned her head and studied him. Such a strange conversation to be having.
“Yes, he was,” she said. “Very good. It was for that reason that I had such an easy time turning Ricardo down when he showed interest. I was young and starry-eyed. The older brother would have been the better choice since I wanted security and family. I wasn’t the choosiest of women back then. I was more interested in the trappings than the actual man.”
“If that were true, you would have dropped Paulo with no compunction,” Ian pointed out.
She shrugged. “Paulo was actually very good to me in the beginning. I’m not defending him. He turned into quite the asshat, but for a while we were happy. For a while I actually hoped that I’d fit in. That I’d have the things I wanted.”
“And what do you want right now?” he asked, bringing them back to the two of them. In this room. Right now.
“I want you,” she said softly.
“Is that the drugs talking?”
She smiled. “I won’t lie and say I’m not a bit loopy. I won’t even lie and say that I might not regret it tomorrow. All I can tell you is that tonight, it’s what I want more than anything. Can you accept that?”
His breathing sped up, and his eyes glittered with lust. “Yeah, I can accept that. As long as you realize that tomorrow, when you may or may not regret it? Too damn bad. Because once won’t be enough.”
Her hand went automatically to her stomach and the thick bandage. Excitement rocketed through her body at his words. This was supposed to be on her terms. She called the shots. But she had the distinct feeling that once they made love, she was going to be giving a much larger piece of herself than she planned.
“I won’t hurt you, Katie,” he said softly.
His fingers curled around her wrist, and he moved her hand gently away from her wound. She watched with shocked arousal as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her belly. So soft, she nearly didn’t feel the slight brush of his mouth.
Carefully he pushed at her shirt until it rode high on her belly, baring the skin and the bandage to his gaze. And his lips.
She shivered when he kissed her navel then trailed his tongue around the indention. The stubble of his jaw scraped delicately against her skin. Then he slipped her shirt higher until it gathered at her neck.
Free of constraint, her nipples puckered and stood erect. He palmed one breast, molding it in his hand. His thumb rubbed across the tip and then back again. Her breath caught when he pinched it slightly between his fingers.
Her gaze moved beyond Ian to the doorway where she was stunned to see Braden leaning against the wall. She stiffened as she locked stares with him.
Ian’s head turned to follow her line of vision, and then he looked back at her, his expression odd and unreadable.
“Why is he there?” she said in a low voice.
Braden heard, though. He straightened his stance and stared at her with hungry eyes. She looked back at him, remembering his kiss. Hungry was an apt term. He’d devoured her. There was nothing gentle in his approach. Not patient as Ian was being.
Desire burned low in her belly, spreading like a fire she had no control over. She wanted them both. Wanted what they could both give her, or what she thought they could.
“He’s here to protect you…from me,” Ian said. “Can you forget his presence, or is it going to be a problem?”
Her gaze slid to Braden once more. He stared back challengingly, a slight smirk on his face as though he dared her to go the route of the prude and put on some hysterical fit because he was watching.
“Maybe I don’t want to forget his presence.”
Braden smiled. A slow, arrogant smile that was a tad triumphant. She wondered then what had gone on between the two men outside of her room. The last thing she wanted was another pissing match between brothers. Been there done that, had the dead bodies to prove it.
“Do me a favor then and try not to forget about me,” Ian said dryly.
She glanced back and gave him a small smile. “If you’re good enough, you won’t have to worry about that.”
Ian’s eyes narrowed, and Braden snickered from across the room. Then Ian braced both hands on either side of her and leaned in until he hovered over her, his face inches from hers.
“That, little wench, was a challenge, and I never back down from a challenge.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Katie reached up to wrap her arms around Ian’s neck. “Kiss me,” she whispered.
He lowered his mouth until their noses touched, and then he angled to the side, his lips so close that hers trembled in reaction.
“Tell me something, Katie. Tell me you want me and that it’s not the drugs talking. I think I know, but I want to hear it again. If I really thought you were impaired, I’d be out of this bed so fast it would make your head spin.”
Her eyes widened fractionally as she stared up at him.
“I think you’d like to use the drugs as an excuse to give yourself permission to want me, to have sex with me, but then I also don’t have you pegged as a coward.”
She stroked the muscles in his back, enjoying the feel of her palms against his flesh. Firm. Toned.
“I take full responsibility for my decision, and if I beat anyone over the head about it, it’ll be me, not you.”
“Christ, you two are going to talk each other to death,” Braden muttered.
Ian turned fiercely and scowled at his brother. Katie had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. The entire situation was beyond absurd. She’d agreed—no—she’d instigated sex with a man who could well turn into a jaguar on her. A man who for the most part irritated the living piss out of her. And his brother, a man who’d kissed her senseless just hours before, was standing by, prepared to watch them have sex, all so he could protect her if Ian freaked out and shifted.
Sex had become more complicated than it was worth.
Curious, now that Ian seemed distracted by Braden’s presence, she slid her hand down his firm abdomen and between his legs to cup him intimately.
“The question is, do you want me?” she murmured.
He surged against her hand, immediately filling it as his jeans tightened. His erection pushed impatiently at her fingers, straining to be free of constriction.
“Hell yes,” he growled. “If I don’t have you, I’m going to go nuts.”
“Hmm, and how do you feel about that?”
“It wasn’t my first choice,” he said honestly.
She laughed, and he seemed relieved that she wasn’t pissed by his bluntness. “How about we dispense with the recriminations and get on with it?”
“Hallelujah,” Braden muttered. “I at least want to see her naked.”
Katie grinned. She couldn’t bring herself to be self-conscious over the fact that Braden was watching. Instead it made her feel naughty and desirable. She licked her lips, remembering his kiss. Hard. Bruising. Like he couldn’t wait to get at her. It had been a long time since she’d felt those things in a man’s arms. She was ready to get back to that.
She let her hands fall away from Ian’s neck and pulled her shirt away from her throat.
He pressed his lips to the valley between her breasts. “Let me.”
He worked the shirt over her head, and she extended her arms upward so he could take it off.
“You have beautiful breasts,” he said as he stared down at her. “Perfect.”
“Not big enough according to Tits.”
&n
bsp; “Tits is a damn fool. Yours are gorgeous. Full and plump.” He licked one taut point, eliciting a deep spasm from her chest. She moaned softly and arched up, wanting more. Wanting his mouth, his tongue, his teeth.
“Careful,” he warned. “Lie still so you don’t open your stitches.”
She made a frustrated sound through her teeth. How could she remain still when her skin was alive and itchy with want and need?
“I’ll do all the work,” he purred against her ear. “You just enjoy the ride.”
She sighed. Oh hell, she loved that in a man. Before Paulo lost his mind, he was an extremely attentive lover. He spoiled her, and she wanted that again. Without the obsession and insanity, preferably.
Ian—and Braden—had afforded her the first real possibility of any sort of intimacy with a man since she’d run from the reality of what she’d done to Paulo. She craved a stolen moment. Just one. She wanted a strong man’s arms around her, and if that made her weak, she’d just have to deal.
Warm, sensual lips stirred along her skin, lighting a heated path from below her ear to her collarbone and down to the swell of her breast. His dark head bent to capture one nipple, holding it against his tongue with his lips.
She twisted her hands in his hair, urging him closer, hoping she could convey her need with the sharpness of her fingers. His teeth grazed the rigid, puckered flesh. Ahh. God, yes, that was what she needed. Only more. She wanted that edge of pain. She didn’t want soft and sweet.
He nipped again, and she rewarded him with a moan and a gentle caress at his nape. Then he moved to her other breast, plumping the swollen mound with one hand while he sucked at her nipple. Hungry, like he couldn’t get enough.
She stirred restlessly beneath him as need powered through her body.
“Slow down, baby,” Ian whispered against her skin. “I’ll give you what you want.”
His sensual promise sent shivers of absolute delight racing down her spine.
For a long while he played and toyed with her breasts, tweaking the nipples between his long fingers and nibbling with alternating gentleness and sharpness. He was careful around her wound, kissing a circular pattern around the bandage.
He licked at her bruises, his warm tongue abrading the sensitive skin. When he got to her navel, he dug his fingers into the band of her pants and tugged until it curled down her hips.
She sucked in her breath when he pressed his mouth to the tender expanse of flesh just above her mound. Her pussy tightened, wanting, little twinges of excitement stirring and exploding. Her clit swelled, aching. She closed her eyes, imagining his mouth on her, his tongue delving deep to her innermost sanctum.
And then her underwear inched downward under his coaxing fingers. He rose and leaned back on his heels, carefully bent her legs and freed them from the confines of the panties. Then he settled her thighs on either side of his hips and spread them wide.
He stared down at her, his hands wrapped around her ankles, a look of deep satisfaction on his face. Her gaze never left his as she reached down with her hand to part the folds of her pussy. Her fingers caressed the softness and then delved deeper into the wetness.
His eyes flared, and she saw his groin bulge and tighten when she fingered her clit in a slow up-and-down motion.
“Kiss me…there,” she whispered.
Ian lowered himself until his shoulders nudged at her thighs. “Spread yourself for me, Katie.”
Cool air blew over her clit as she complied with his dictate. Then she felt the warmth of his breath. She shivered in anticipation before finally his mouth touched her. Slightly. Just a gentle press. A kiss that didn’t end.
Her other hand snaked down to thread into his short hair. She gripped his scalp, holding him against her as she worked her fingers in unison with his mouth.
His tongue laved through her folds, sparking electric currents. She moved her fingers to give him better access to her erect clit. Her legs trembled uncontrollably as he licked and sucked. She wanted to move, to buck, but he gripped her hips to keep her still while he worshipped her with his tongue.
Her head fell to the side, and she looked at Braden with glazed eyes. He watched her with glittering intensity, his eyes bright and feral. The decadence of having him watch, of him being a passive participant, thrilled her and heightened her arousal. She began to imagine what it would be like to have both men touching her, kissing her, their mouths and hands sweeping over her body as though they owned it.
As she stared at Braden, his hand slid over his hip to the bulge between his legs. He rubbed and massaged while he watched Ian’s head move over her pussy.
Ian quietly lapped between her legs, each stroke so intensely pleasurable that she closed her eyes against the agony of such sweet bliss.
Her knees shook. Her orgasm welled. Each touch of his tongue brought her closer to the edge. And then he moved his arm and slid a finger inside her entrance, touching the tip against the swollen passage.
“Ian, please,” she gasped. “I need you inside me.”
His head slowly came up, and he locked eyes with her. He shifted forward and kissed her belly. As he continued to move up her body, he pressed gentle kisses over her skin until he reached her neck.
She arched her throat upward, baring the expanse of flesh to his mouth. She wanted him to bite her and bite hard, to mark her.
“You’re beautiful,” he rasped as he tugged at her hair to expose her neck further.
He bent and sucked hard, his teeth nipping sharply at the column of her neck. He latched onto her skin and suckled, a steady rhythm that had her nipples and pussy tightening in unison.
His jeans abraded the insides of her thighs, and she impatiently reached down, tugging at the waist, wanting to be rid of the barrier.
He laughed softly against her neck. He kissed just below her ear one more time before pulling away. The bed dipped and swayed as he crawled carefully off her. For a moment, he obscured her view of Braden as he quickly shucked his jeans.
Her gaze was riveted to the white briefs and the bulging outline of his dick, straining against the thin material. And then with one shove, the underwear slid down, revealing the thick, ruddy erection.
Surrounded by dark hair, it jutted upward, the swollen, distended length rippled with a heavy vein on the underside. Moisture beaded at the tip, just one clear drop of fluid clinging to the head.
She licked her lips, and an agonized groan echoed across the room.
“You’re killing me, woman.”
“Take me,” she said in a sultry, entreating voice. “Please, Ian. Don’t make me wait.”
He bent and scooped at his jeans, his hand delving into one of the pockets. He yanked out a condom and tore the wrapper with shaky hands.
She watched with rapt attention as he slowly rolled the latex over his cock. His thick, heavy erection strained at the transparent covering, and she wondered if it would hold.
Excitement scuttled at the back of her throat as he stalked forward, closing the distance between them once more. Placing one hand on the mattress at her side, he got onto the bed and settled between her splayed legs.
“Are you ready for me, Katie?” He slid one hand fluttering past the curls at her apex and into the softness beyond.
She flinched when he found her swollen nub. With calculated roughness, he spread her and slid one finger deep, testing her slickness. When he pulled it out again, she could see her fluids glisten on his knuckle.
He put it to his mouth and licked it clean. Then he lowered himself to her, taking care not to put his weight on her belly. He propped himself up on his arms and flexed his hips. The movement sent his cock over her clit and lower to her waiting pussy. She moved frantically, trying to sheathe him, but he stilled her with his thighs.
He reached down and positioned himself. Her breath caught in her throat as she nearly came apart at the first touch of his crown rimming her entrance. He put his arm back at her side and then rolled his hips forward, sinking into her
with excruciating precision.
She closed her eyes and expelled the pent-up breath in long, painful bursts.
“Am I hurting you?” Ian panted.
She opened her eyes to stare up at him. “You aren’t hurting me nearly enough. Take me, Ian. Hard. I want you.”
He surged against her. She could feel him swollen and stiff deep in her pussy.
“You destroy me,” he whispered.
He began to stroke, back and forth, deep, hard, foregoing the gentleness he’d been so careful to exert. Even so, he was careful not to brush against her wound.
She wanted so much. She wanted to wrap herself around him so tight that he’d never let go. She wanted to roll him over and ride him hard and unrelenting. She wanted him to ride her mercilessly.
“Fuck me,” she panted. “Let go, Ian. Stop trying not to hurt me and let go, damn it.”
A snarl rolled off his lips, and he slammed against her, rocking her up the bed. Oh God, yes. Finally.
“Harder,” she urged. “Make me feel it, Ian.”
He swooped down and ravaged her lips in a hot, open-mouthed kiss that was as carnal as she’d ever experienced. He breathed into her, for her, with her. He rammed into her, forcing himself harder and deeper.
Pain speared her abdomen, but she didn’t care. She wanted it, needed it, craved it like an addict craved a fix.
His thighs slapped against hers, and he reached down to pry her legs further apart. He looped them over his arms and shoved upward, forcing her into a position of greater vulnerability.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes!”
His balls pounded the curve of her ass, the crisp hairs tickling her anus as he wedged himself deeper into her pussy.
“Come, damn it, I’m close,” he grated out.
“Don’t stop,” she demanded. “Please, please don’t stop. Oh…I’m going to come, Ian, please don’t stop.”
Her pleas came out as half uttered, brainless sobs. He gave an agonized groan and then ripped into her, his hips driving with ruthless intensity.
Her orgasm stabbed, sharp and edgy, suddenly exploding like a short fuse on a stick of dynamite. She heard him shout, felt him pummel into her one last time before he stayed there, deep and straining, pushing himself as though he couldn’t get far enough into her.
He leaned into her, burrowing his hands underneath her body so he could gather her close. For a long moment, he heaved against her, his breaths exploding in the silence. Her pussy pulsed around his cock, sending aftershocks floating through her belly.
It had been way too long since she had such a magnificent orgasm. Man, she missed good sex.
Unfortunately she was going to pay for this. Pain ripped through her belly, fierce and edgy. A whimper escaped her lips before she could call it back.
Ian rolled off her immediately, his eyes flashing with concern. “Goddamn it, I knew I’d end up hurting you.”
She shushed him before he got too absorbed in his self-condemnation. “I don’t regret a minute of it, and so help me, if you don’t shut up, I’ll castrate you. But yeah, it hurts like a bitch about now.”
He slammed his lips together, and she could tell it was killing him to remain silent. He scrambled off the bed, and it was then she noticed that Braden had left. She didn’t spare a lot of thought as to why he bolted, because frankly she was too busy sucking wind as waves of pain assaulted her.
“This was stupid of me,” Ian muttered as he yanked on his jeans. She nearly laughed when the pants met his cock—his still-condom-covered cock. He swore then yanked it off and aimed it at a nearby garbage can. He shoved his semi-erect cock into his pants and then fastened the fly.
“Don’t move. I’ll be back with something for pain.”
“Sure…” She trailed off as he turned and stalked out of the room.
So much for post-coital glow.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Braden looked up in surprise from the darkness of the small kitchen when Ian
