by Brooks, Abby
“Bullshit,” Willow replied with a laugh. “You most definitely tell. Hell, you even told when you were contractually obligated not to.”
Worry clenched her stomach. It’d been a long night of drinking followed by a long night of sharing secrets when she told her friend about her arrangement with Peter. She trusted Willow, but the fact that she’d gone against her word didn’t sit well with her.
“Stop beating yourself up about it,” Willow said after a few seconds of silence on Juliet’s end.
“I'm not beating myself up.”
“Yes, you are. I know it bothers you that you broke your word. But come on, Julz. For one thing, I’m basically just an extension of you, so there’s no way you could not have told me. And for another, you were in a pretty shitty situation and needed to talk. Do you realize how pissed I’d have been if you ended up really getting hurt and that was how I found out what was going on?”
“I suppose you want me to tell you you’re right or something.”
“Nope. I want you to tell me about this guy. What’s his name again?”
“Ian.”
“Listen to you…” Willow sighed happily. “You can’t say his name without gushing.”
“I’m not gushing.”
“That was a gush if I ever heard one.”
Juliet laughed as she flipped over and a bead of sweat worked its way down her neck between her breasts. “Well,” she drew the word out, still deciding how much she wanted to divulge. Part of her wanted to keep Ian all to herself rather than share him with Willow. “Let’s just say that I’ve been happier in these last few days than I’ve ever been in my life. Ever. I love it here. And Ian makes me feel safe, and special, and cared for. And he’s so sexy, Willie…”
“There you go with the gushing again.”
“Fine. I’m gushing. He’s awesome enough to make me gush.” And scary as hell, she thought, but didn’t say.
They changed subjects and continued chatting. Willow filled her in on her life and Julz realized she didn’t miss the hectic energy of the city at all. Just listening to her friend’s story exhausted her. She’d take a slow morning and the rush of the waves over the hustle and bustle of living in New York any day.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ian
Holy shit. Juliet Lane was the hottest woman Ian had ever taken to bed.
So eager.
So willing.
So unrestrained.
And yet, there’d been moments when he worried he was too rough. She tried to pull her wrists out of his hands when he first pinned them over her head on the door…and he didn’t let go. She relaxed right after, even told him yes when he asked if she liked it…
But then she yelped when he slapped her sweet ass the first time, and he swore he saw fear in her eyes when she turned back to look at him. Of course, he made sure that fear dissipated, made sure to take the sting away and make her feel good and, oh boy, had she reacted well to that…
Ian sat back in his recliner and kicked his feet up, took a swig of his beer, and stared at the moon hanging low over the ocean. He couldn’t stop wondering if Juliet was sitting in her living room, those long legs tucked underneath her, watching the moon, too.
She was so fucking beautiful.
As if she’d been crafted exactly to his specifications.
That long brown hair. Those wide brown eyes. Those perky little tits, and that silky skin that felt so damn good under his hands.
But his mind circled back to the uncertainty in her eyes…
Maybe she wasn’t made exactly to his specifications.
He kept things pretty tame the night before and he wouldn’t say she seemed comfortable. Holding her wrists above her head? That was easy mode. What he really wanted was to tie her down.
One or two quick slaps on her ass? He could have taken all evening, alternating between spanking her cheeks red and sliding his fingers into her wet warmth, bringing her to the edge of orgasm only to pull out and start again.
Mixing pleasure with pain until she was a quivering mess of sensation.
Then he’d fuck her until she came all over his dick.
And he’d come too, gloriously, inside her.
Just thinking about it made him hard. He adjusted his pants before taking another swig of beer. His gut kept telling him that Juliet Lane wasn’t a broken bird, too scared to push the limits of her sexuality, but her reactions the night before hadn’t done anything to convince him he was thinking with the right head.
He wanted to find out how far she was willing to go. Was she like him? Were they simpatico sexually as well as emotionally?
If she wouldn’t let him take charge, or wasn’t willing to experiment, it’d be exceptionally disappointing. Ian was the way he was, and he couldn’t change that. He liked his sex rough and his women pliant. He wasn’t greedy. He’d share the pleasure he got from making her pliable by giving Juliet the best orgasms of her life.
But if she couldn’t trust him, he couldn’t be with her.
And that thought brought his hard-on crashing down because he really liked being with her. She made him laugh and laughed at his jokes in return. She was clearly driven, capable of taking care of herself, but something told Ian she didn’t like having to do it all herself. That she’d love to have someone step in and take the reins. And if that’s what she wanted, then he was the one to do it. He’d wrap his arm around her shoulders and guide her through the hard parts, protecting her, caring for her, keeping her safe for the rest of their lives.
“What the hell?” he asked his empty living room. “Slow down, Moore. Cart before the horse.” It was a little early to be thinking about the rest of their lives.
He threw back the last of his beer and clinked the tip of the empty bottle against his chin. Thoughts like that meant he definitely needed to know if Juliet could handle his more demanding sexual appetites. Sooner rather than later. He couldn’t let her any further into his heart if she wasn’t a good match.
At least I’ll have a hell of a time finding out how far I can take her.
Ian wandered into the kitchen for another beer, his mind circling with thoughts of Juliet, alternating between how much he enjoyed being inside her and how much he enjoyed being with her. For whatever reason, he zeroed in on the fear he thought he’d seen when he spanked her.
It stopped him dead in his tracks.
He’d seen that fear before.
In the pictures he saw of her with Peter.
The same pictures that showed the faint, healing bruises. The ones that were likely invisible to most people.
But Ian wasn’t most people.
Anger clenched his jaw and tightened his hands into fists. Had Vox hurt Juliet? Was he the one responsible for leaving those bruises on that delicious body? Had he left that fear in those soulful brown eyes? Damn it. That changed everything. If she’d been hurt like that before, he couldn’t push her to her limits for his own pleasure. He needed to know what she’d been through. He needed to know how she’d been hurt.
And if Vox had hurt been the one who hurt her? Then her reactions last night only proved that Juliet did trust Ian. That she was willing to go where Ian could take her, and damn, that only made him want to be with her more. To erase the scars left by that asshole. To show her what it was like to be with a man worthy of trust. He thought back to the pain that flashed on her face when they discussed her parents that morning. The way she took having nothing in stride, drinking her coffee out of a bowl and smiling about it.
How many years had she navigated murky waters by herself? That indomitable spirit keeping her afloat when so many other people would have sunken into the depths of despair? Ian swiped a beer from the fridge and twisted the cap open, tossed it onto the granite counter and took a long drink as it clinked toward the sink.
Whatever she’d been through, however hard it had been, Ian swore he’d make it better.
He’d take her hand and guide her to shore, and give her more reason
s to flash him that radiant smile.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Juliet
As planned, Juliet greeted Ian in her bikini the next morning. The second his eyes landed on her body, he dropped the bags and boxes he was carrying and swooped her into his arms.
“Well good morning to you, too,” she said, giggling as he carried her up the stairs.
“I'll make it a good morning, all right.” Ian tossed her on the bed and went about doing just that.
Later, with her hair mussed and her body relaxed, Ian led her back downstairs to show her what he brought—an entire kitchen's worth of pots and pans and plates and dishes. And enough coffee mugs to fill one whole cabinet.
“I take care of the things that matter to me,” he said over her protests. “I even brought some stuff for Chopper.”
“I thought you didn't like Lulu.” Julz emphasized the dog's proper name.
“Of course I like her. She brought us together, didn't she?”
After taking the time to find a home for everything Ian brought, they headed outside to start on the deck again. Juliet felt joyful as she worked. So joyful that she found herself humming time and again and eventually had to remind herself to keep quiet so as not to annoy Ian.
It was on their third day working in the hot sun, their bodies glistening with sweat and sunscreen, that he asked her about it. “What’s that you keep humming?”
“Just something I made up when I was a kid. Sneaks up on me sometimes when I’m happy. Sorry,” she said, swiping a hand across her brow. “I’ll stop.”
“Don’t you dare. It makes me happy, too.”
* * *
Several days later, the thought still made Juliet smile. Another one of those real ones, the kind she didn’t have to create, because it showed up all on its own. She stood on the now completely refinished deck, greeting the sunrise with Lulu.
Wave after wave of satisfaction rolled through her as her feet pressed into the wood.
She had helped pry away those rotting boards. Yanked rusted nails out and drove solid ones into place. She had rebuilt the porch—well, helped rebuild it. Ian patiently guided her through the process, giving clear instructions, laughing off her mistakes and helping her to learn from them.
It was more symbolic than she could handle.
The deck being a not so thinly veiled metaphor for her life.
And with Ian there, helping her? So strong and kind. Steering her toward success...
It was dangerous. Dangerous because her heart yearned for him when he left in the evenings. And she wasn't supposed to yearn for anyone, right? She was supposed to be able to do all of this on her own. But the more time she spent with Ian, the more she believed he was good for her.
She felt stronger. In all ways. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and a couple weeks working outside, physically, too. Her body felt harder and looked a lot darker, while her soul felt lighter and…damn if that didn’t feel good.
The crunch of tires on her driveway brought another huge smile to her face. Her heart leapt in her chest and those wonderful butterflies fluttered in her belly. She ambled around the deck to greet him and frowned to see his M4 instead of the truck.
“Mornin’, hot stuff.” Ian unfolded his long frame from the small car, then leaned on the roof as the sun glistened in his dark hair. “I hate to say it, but you’re gonna need to change.”
Confusion danced in her head, the change in routine making her uncomfortable. Was something wrong? Was he about to drop some terrible piece of bad news in her lap just as she was finally beginning to feel good and happy?
“What’s up?” she asked, bringing her hands to her hips.
The smile blossoming on Ian’s face helped settle her worry. “It’s a surprise. Now go change. No skirts. And wear sneakers.”
No skirts? Sneakers? What in the world did he have in store? She opened the door to her house and Lulu burst through, racing past Juliet to yip happily at Ian’s feet. “Good morning to you, too, Chopper.” Ian picked up the wiggling dog and Juliet shook her head, chuckling as she went inside. Her wardrobe choices were still very limited. Ian had kept her busy with the renovations and she hadn’t even started looking for a job.
She sighed.
Her little vacation from reality would have to come to an end sooner rather than later. She hadn’t needed to dip into her cash envelope much, just for food, but knowing there was a consistent outflow of money without any inflow made her nervous.
But, as usual with Ian, that was not the time to think about such things. She chose shorts and a tank top, checked the mirror, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, smoothing the fly-aways and wishing she knew where they were going.
“I didn’t know what to put on,” she said as she rejoined Ian outside.
His eyes swept over her and the hunger in his gaze set the butterflies whirling again. “You’re perfect.”
They put Lulu in the house and locked the door. Ian pulled Juliet in for a kiss, his hands roving her body, their tongues slow dancing as they stood in her driveway with the sun blazing to life behind the house. He pulled her closer, grabbed her butt and pressed her hips against his. She moaned, suddenly more interested in staying in than going out.
“I could stay right here all day.” He rested his forehead against hers.
“Me too.”
“But we can’t.” Ian stepped out of her embrace and guided her to the car, opening her door and closing it once she’d tucked her feet inside.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he pulled out of the driveway and headed in the opposite direction of Bliss.
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” Ian used what Juliet had called his Navy voice. It was firm and confident, slightly lower and colder than the way he usually spoke to her.
“If you killed me, we couldn’t have all this fun together anymore.”
He laughed, his gaze bouncing between Juliet and the road. “You make a good point.”
“I always do,” she said, with a light shrug of her shoulders.
The drive was long and winding and once again, Juliet found herself considering leaning across the seat and giving him a blow job while he drove. What was it about him? She’d never, not once, done such a thing and there she was contemplating it in broad daylight. For the second time in a handful of weeks.
“Where’s your head at right now?” Ian asked, rubbing Juliet’s leg.
“In the gutter.” She gave him her best wicked smile.
“Right where I like it.” His gaze flickered over Juliet’s face. “Feel like sharing?”
She pretended to consider. She was on the verge of confessing, looking forward to shocking him. “I’m not sure I’m brave enough to do what my dirty little mind is working on.”
“That’s why you’ve got me. To hold your hands through the scary parts.”
Something warm and welcome blazed through her heart. How did he know how to make her feel so good? “But if you hold my hands, I won’t be able to do what I’m thinking about doing.”
Confusion pursed his eyebrows. Juliet had learned that Ian loved to figure things out. He didn’t want to be given the answer, he liked to find it himself. She waited while his quick mind worked back through what she’d said and when realization dawned across his face, she dropped her gaze and smiled up at him through her lashes, a blush flaring hot and pink across her cheeks.
Ian smiled wide, an exhilarating mix of shock and pride. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”
“Sure am.” Juliet sat back, filled to the brim with self-satisfaction. It looked like Ian liked her idea as much as she did and when she ran her hand up his thigh, she got all the encouragement she needed when she felt the hard bulge at his crotch.
He sighed and dropped his head back to the headrest, his hands clenched tight on the wheel. “As much as I’d love to see how far you’re willing to go here, you’re gonna have to stop.”
Embarrassment crushed the flare of excitem
ent in her heart. Had she misread his reaction? “I’m sorry…” She snatched her hand back.
“Don’t be.” Ian rolled his shoulders and blew air out of his mouth. “I’m all for what you had in mind, you dirty little thing you, but we’re getting close to our destination and I can’t go anywhere looking like I do now.” He glanced down at his jeans, the outline of his erection clear and distinct. “The things you do to me should be illegal.”
That sweet edge of satisfaction worked its way back into Juliet’s chest and she sat back in her seat with a sigh. “Ditto.”
“That’s all I get? Ditto? Dang. And here I thought I was rocking your world.”
“You leave me speechless. You’re lucky you even get a ditto.”
“And see, there you go, making another good point.” Ian slowed and flicked on the turn signal. Juliet studied their surroundings, trying to get an idea as to what they were doing, but they were in the middle of nowhere. The tires crunched into a long driveway surrounded by wide open fields, but Juliet wasn’t looking at the fields.
She spun in her seat, her eyes fixed on the sign they passed by the road, her heart tapping a crazy rhythm as she understood what Ian had in mind.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Juliet
“Skydiving?” Juliet squeaked. “We’re going skydiving?” She couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice.
“Yep. You said you were curious. And for a woman who told me she’d be a bird if she could, well, I have no doubt you’re gonna love this.”
“Ian! I don’t…I can’t…” Fear twisted in her belly. Sure, she loved the idea of skydiving, but the reality of it? She’d learned her lesson about the difference between fantasy and reality the hard way and she wasn’t interested in learning it again.
“Leaving you speechless again, am I?” Ian’s tone was way too light for the panic that tangled her thoughts.
