Brazen

by M. Malone

  He hooked his thumbs in his sweats then casually shucked them like he hadn't been hiding some kind of tree trunk in there.

  My eyes went wide, and I stared. There is no way.

  You’ve slept with him before. It fits.

  No. I must have imagined sleeping with him, because there was no way I stretched that much. A nervous laugh trilled out as I let my eyes drift closed.

  His voice was soft but authoritative. “Hailey, look at me.”

  I shook my head.

  His touch was soft on my cheek. “Shh, look at me.”

  I peeled my lids open. “Oskar, I—”

  “I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here with you. All you have to do is touch me. Don’t be nervous. All I’m here to do is make you feel good.” He slid into bed beside me, and I had to scoot over to make room for him. “You with me?” he asked as he drew me close.

  I swallowed hard and nodded against his chest as I inhaled. Sandalwood. I sighed and immediately relaxed. I loved that smell. The moment I was wrapped in his arms, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged.

  Oskar pressed featherlight kisses along my temple, my forehead, my jawline, the tip of my nose. When he reached my lips, he barely skimmed them with his own, and I whimpered as heat spread through me. He angled his head and deepened the kiss, anchoring my face in his hands as he devoured me.

  Desire spiked again as his expert tongue licked at the roof of my mouth. How in the world could he make me feel like this again?

  As I met his tongue with mine, a spike of heat had me writhing against him. The crisp curls on his chest brushed my nipples, turning them into hardened peaks. His muffled moan made his chest rumble. And the friction against the sensitive peaks of my breasts sent a pull of desire straight to my core.

  The length of his erection pressed into my thigh insistently, and I reached down to wrap my hand around the rigid length of it. A flare of panic seized me again when I realized my fingers didn’t touch.

  He muttered something in German that I could only assume was a swear, and his hips pushed into my hand insistently. “Jesus. Hailey—”

  I could do this. I was terrified of making love to the tree trunk, but I could make him feel good. With sure fingers, I continued stroking him, running my hands over the velvet-soft length of him. When I ran my palm over the sensitive tip, his hips jerked, and a drop of moisture leaked from the tip to lubricate my palm.

  “Hailey. Fuck.” My name came on a harsh breath, making me feel bold enough to repeat the action. His hand closed over mine as he directed my motions, and lust chased away the doubt. “God, woman.” He stilled my hand and squeezed his eyes shut. “I have been dreaming about having you again.” He ground his teeth as his hips jerked again and his dick twitched in my suspended hand.

  I smiled against his lips. “When I saw you again, I wanted to hit you. Then I wanted to run my hands all over you.”

  He sucked in a strangled breath. “I would have been fine with both because it would have meant you touching me.” He growled low and kissed me deep.

  Just like that, any lingering doubt dissipated. His fingers dipped between my thighs, and I held my breath. God yes. He slipped a finger inside me, my body more than ready. Gently, his thumb caressed my clit and I moaned, parting my thighs to allow him better access.

  “God, you are so wet. So ready.” He pressed deeper, his fingers finding my G-spot and rubbing.

  “Oh God, Oskar.”

  “Mmm?” he asked as he trailed kisses along my throat then my collarbone, eventually sliding to my breast. With his mouth poised over a nipple, he paused. His breath tickled my skin, and I writhed. “Say please.”

  I would slap him… later. But right then, I was down for doing what I had to in order to get his mouth on me. “Oskar, please.”

  “Please what?” His warm breath was a tease.

  “Please kiss me.”

  He placed a kiss right above my breast. “Right there?”

  I arched my back in frustration. “No, damn it. On my breast.”

  Oskar kissed the underside of my breast. “Oh, you mean here?”

  “Oskar!” I threaded my hands through his hair. “Stop teasing me.”

  He kissed the underside of my other breast. “I like teasing you.” He hovered over the tip of my breast again. “You like it when I tease you.” All the while his thumb continued to circle my clit. While I panted, he slid another finger into me, then a third.

  He kept the pace nice and easy, no matter how much I angled my hips, moving against his fingers. Finally, he brushed his lips over my nipple, and I cried out.

  With a deep chuckle, he settled his lips around my nipple, and a pull of lust pierced my core. Blood rushed in my head, and all I could think about was Oskar. His lips, his fingers. Like everything else in the world had vanished and all that mattered now was this moment, this time with him. Another orgasm danced on the edge of my senses, but I couldn’t grasp it.

  “Oskar, please. I need you to—”

  “Shhh, I hear you.” He removed his fingers from my heated skin and rolled his big body over mine, bracing himself over me. His erection nudged my cleft, and he swore. “You’re so wet.”

  At that point, the need had chased away any fear. All I cared about was grasping that elusive orgasm, and I didn’t care how I got there. I rotated my hips, sliding my cleft along the length of him. “Please, I need it…”

  He dropped his forehead to mine and kissed me softly. When he rolled away from me, I whimpered. What the hell?

  But I cut off my protest when he opened the bedside table and pulled out a pack of condoms. Magnums, of course.

  He had himself sheathed in record time, and then he re-settled between my thighs. His tongue licked at my bottom lip before he nipped. “Now that you’re here again, I’m not letting you go.”

  His erection slid against my slit before partially sliding into me. We both gasped. I met his gaze as he pierced my soul. In that moment I knew I would never be the same. His lips tight and brow furrowed, he kept eye contact as he retreated then slid forward again.

  I held my breath as I clutched on to his shoulders. When he realized that I wasn’t breathing, he reached between us, his thumb sliding over my clit with firm pressure.

  That immediately had me exhaling a puff of breath, and my body relaxed. With another retreat and slide forward, he was fully seated inside me. And it felt—Holy shit. That last slide rubbed right over my G-spot, and I had to gasp.

  With a cocky smirk, he retreated again, then slid home again. Oh, that felt… full, yes, but also…wow. So delicious. So good. So. Damn. Good. “Oh God.”

  He removed his thumb from my clit and buried his hand in my hair. “I promised to take it slow this time. But God, you feel so good.”

  “This feels…” I couldn’t even finish. The electric currents running through my body were making me dumb.

  “I know.” He kissed me again, his tongue mimicking what the thick length of him was doing. As he increased his pace, I dug my hands into his back. How the hell had I been scared?

  I met him thrust for thrust. He kept his gaze on mine, never breaking the intimate connection as another orgasm coursed through me. Oh God. I bucked as the pleasure rolled through my body.

  With rough, muttered words in German, Oskar dug his hands in to my hair, dropped his forehead to mine, squeezed his eyes shut, and held on tight as his orgasm pounded through his veins.

  Before he collapsed, he whispered, “Too late to run now.”

  14

  Oskar

  “Let’s get this meeting going.” Noah glared at each of us around the table in turn, his way of reminding us to pay attention.

  Okay, maybe he just glared at me. I couldn’t help it that I had a bad habit of falling asleep during these things. Keeping a crew as diverse as ours in line was probably a full-time job so I couldn’t fault the dude for trying to regulate. But there were times you just had to accept that certain things weren’t going to happen.r />
  Me staying awake during a status meeting was one of those things.

  These meetings were important, but oftentimes they were an opportunity for Matthias to show off his research skills. Meaning, exciting for him and boring as hell for the rest of us. So I usually took it as an opportunity to catch up on some quality time with the backs of my eyelids.

  “Okay, let’s get started with the Livingston case. Where are we?” Noah leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled.

  And that was my cue to fall asleep. I’d gone over all the background info on the Livingston case a million times, but I couldn’t turn my mind off. All I could see when I closed my eyes was Hailey dropping that robe. I rubbed a hand over my face and glanced around before pulling at the suddenly tight crotch of my jeans. Jesus Christ, the girl was trying to kill me.

  That little maneuver was going down in history as one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen. Probably only topped by the weekend I’d first met Hailey. It was still as vivid in my imagination as the day it happened. She’d been a force to be reckoned with even then. Twenty-one years old, devastated but not broken, she’d captivated me with one look. Sure, it wasn’t the smartest thing to get drunk with a stranger and cavort through Sin City, but damn if it hadn’t been one of the best times of my life.

  It was taking all of my will not to push the issue, but also there was a part of me that was just pathetically grateful she didn’t want to call me out for my dumbass behavior that weekend. I sighed. In the moment, leaving had seemed like the best option. The only option. But with the advantage of time and a little maturity, I could see how my impetuous decision had cost us both. Because Hailey had been on her own all this time with no one to look out for her. It was the reason why we were here now discussing her case. Yes, my past was a shitstorm. And yes, there was a chance being with me could have put her in danger, but apparently she’d found danger on her own anyway. At least if I’d been around, I could have protected her before some asshole tried to abduct her from that alley.

  If you’d still been together, that is.

  There was no denying that my track record with relationships wasn’t great. But that was because I’d never clicked with anyone the way I had with Hailey. I’d never wanted to stick around for longer than one night or a fun weekend. The only reason I’d managed to leave her the first time was because I did it before we had time to get completely attached. But something told me that if I hadn’t bailed in the heat of the moment, I would have still been in Hailey’s life.

  Mainly because I couldn’t imagine having the strength to leave her alone after we’d been together for a while. I already suspected there was no way I’d be able to just walk away after this assignment ended. After following her around, sleeping in her apartment, and now having her in my bed, there was no way. She was going to have to adjust to having a six-foot-plus shadow for the rest of her life.

  “… is married.”

  The words permeated my brain, snapping me out of the near stupor I’d fallen into.

  “Sorry, what did I miss?”

  Matthias pointed at the screen. “Only the most important part. During the background check, I discovered that Hailey Livingston is married.”

  “What the actual fuck?” I stood so suddenly that my chair toppled over, making a loud sound on the polished concrete floor. A rage unlike anything I’d ever felt swept through me, and I had to bury my hands in my hair to keep from grabbing the closest person to me and throwing them through the wall.

  “How the fuck did you miss that the first time around?”

  Matthias moved closer, and then suddenly everyone was standing. This was a firm filled with aggressive, testosterone monsters, and throwing down a verbal challenge like that was a great way to invite an afternoon of bloodshed. I fought dirty, but Matthias was dirtier and more skilled. Even I knew that, but at the moment, I just didn’t give a shit.

  Because in my head, I needed someone else to blame. I wasn’t ready to accept my own part in this, and it was easier to point at someone, anyone, else.

  “Okay, cut the shit. Both of you sit your asses down.” Noah wasted no time getting between us, throwing off waves of aggression of his own.

  “Matthias, finish the presentation. Oskar, sit your ass down or I’ll put you down.”

  I picked up my chair and righted it. After another pointed look from Noah, I parked it and kept my mouth shut. I had to battle the insane jealousy that arose at the thought of Hailey having a husband. After our magical weekend together, it had been the most difficult thing in the world to leave Hailey behind. But I’d done it knowing it was best for her. I wanted more for her than a life in danger. I wanted her to have it all: a career, to fall in love, to have the family she’d always dreamed of.

  It shouldn’t be a shock to me that she’d pursued those things after I left. It was her right and with a woman as beautiful and sweet as Hailey, almost inevitable.

  But after what we’d shared last night, I’d started to believe in the impossible. That maybe we could find a way around the things that had once kept us apart. Maybe I was just fooling myself, but it had been amazing to pretend that she was mine again. I wasn’t ready to give that up.

  “Okay, I’m cool now. Sorry, M.”

  Matthias actually grinned. “No problem. But if you’re already off the rails now, wait until you learn more about her husband.”

  “Who is he? Is he involved? Does Hailey know that he’s back?”

  I shot out question after question, trying to quell the mounting panic that there was something out there we couldn’t protect her from. Clearly Hailey didn’t think her husband—my teeth ground at the thought—was any threat or she would have at least mentioned the guy.

  Maybe that was the part that was bothering me the most. Hailey had never said anything about having a husband. After everything we’d still been avoiding each other. And I was furious about the news. Not exactly rational. But whatever.

  “I built a profile about this guy. Wait until you see this.” Still grinning, Matthias clicked a few more buttons, and then a huge image appeared on the screen.

  An image of my face.

  There was a pause as everyone at the conference table looked at each other, and then Ryan started laughing. Noah squinted at the image before sitting back in his seat. He didn’t look any more amused than I felt.

  Jonas leaned forward. “Is this a joke?”

  Matthias shook his head. “Nah, mate. There’s no joke. Hailey met her husband, Oskar, three years ago in Las Vegas. This guy is a real wanker. Look, I found more pictures of him.”

  He clicked another button, and a huge image of a naked ass appeared on the screen. There was a yellow butterfly tattooed on one cheek. It was an image I was very acquainted with since I saw it every morning when I got out of the shower. It served as my daily reminder to wonder what the hell I’d been thinking all those years ago.

  When Noah’s eyes flipped my way, I instantly shrank down into my seat. “Where did you get that? Please tell me that’s not floating around out there somewhere on the internet?”

  “Oh no, don’t worry. I took that one straight from your personal laptop.” Matthias raised his eyebrows. It was clear from the rare smile on his face and maniacal glee in his eyes that he was enjoying this. A lot.

  I groaned and covered my eyes with my hands. “Fucking hell. Is everything a joke to you? This is serious. Hailey is in danger and we don’t have time for practical jokes.”

  Matthias leaned over the table, his face as serious as I’d ever seen it. “There is a marriage license registered in Nevada with your name and Hailey’s name on it. This is not a joke. This is not a drill. What this is, is a major fucking problem.”

  Noah stood. “Everyone back to work. Matthias and Oskar, in my office. Now.”

  Hailey

  I was completely absorbed in my work when I felt it. You know, that prickly feeling you got when someone was watching you. I always got the urge to swat at an imaginary spi
der because it felt like my skin was crawling.

  Oskar stood just inside the doorway, leaning on the frame, watching me. The blue of his eyes looked even more intense for some reason. Maybe it was the light.

  Or maybe it was because you missed him?

  I tried to control the silly little smile that wanted to break free at the sight of him. Keep it cool. Keep it casual. I’d promised myself that I would not turn into a giggling, fluttery girl at the sight of him. Just because we’d slept together and just because he knew how to do some truly amazing things with his tongue was no reason to lose every bit of my self-respect.

  But no, my inner girly girl was currently twirling her hair around her finger and blowing kisses. That little hussy had no shame.

  My neck protested when I sat back and rolled my shoulders. “Oh hello.”

  There. That was perfectly casual and noncommittal. I thought it hit just the right balance between surprise and nonchalance.

  “Are you ready to go?” He glanced around the office as if verifying that I was alone.

  That’s when I noticed how dark it was outside and how quiet it was. How long had I been buried in research? The clock in the upper corner of my computer boasted that it was after eight o’clock. I hadn’t gone home that late all week. Having personal security had actually helped my work/life balance. It was a lot harder to justify staying late when someone else was waiting around for me.

  “Yes, I am. I didn’t realize it was so late. Sorry if I held you up.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Something about him was really off today. Maybe he was feeling the awkwardness just as much as I was. We’d had sex and it had been amazing. The thought brought a private smile to my face. It was the understatement of the year to call sex with Oskar amazing. Blazing hot or ridiculously explosive would be more accurate. When I’d woken up this morning I had been sore in places that I didn’t even realize I’d used the night before. The man was not only completely insatiable but had no limits. There was no filter on that dirty mouth of his, and he had no problem doing anything and everything that would bring me pleasure.