Carly doubted the answer was that easy.
“Maybe you can help him now that you’re living together.”
“I already said I’m the wrong type of doc—”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Mary Ann,” Carly said slowly and distinctly. “We’re only roommates, nothing more. And not even that, really. More like neighbors who share a common area.”
The older woman waved her hand around again. “Nonsense. If you two are around each other enough, you never know what can happen.”
Carly spine stiffened for a moment before pushing her chair back abruptly. She carried her plate to the sink and didn’t face Matt’s mother when she said, “I am sooo not the answer to your son’s problems.”
Especially since she was saving up her money to adopt a baby and Matt wanted nothing to do with children. That put the kibosh on any relationship between the two of them, other than it being anything but sexual in nature.
But Carly couldn’t tell his mother that.
7
Matt stood in the open flap to his tent and regarded the dark house. It was late. His shift had dragged on longer than expected due to a man leaving Crazy Pete’s bar who decided he was sober enough to drive.
The man had been wrong.
Luckily, the drunk hadn’t hurt anyone and only ended up with a few bruises of his own. When Matt received the call from county dispatch, they advised him the car ended up in ditch, and it certainly did. He found the driver asleep behind the wheel. Or passed out cold. One or the other, not that it mattered. By the time he got the guy processed and released, his eight-hour shift ended up stretching to almost ten.
He’d grown used to long days and even longer sleepless nights while in the military, but since Carly had moved into the house a couple nights ago, he felt a bit more anxious to head home than normal.
Since it was after one in the morning, he had avoided the house and went straight out to his quarters. Instead of heading to his cot to sleep, he found himself staring at the house, wishing for some sign she was awake and waiting up for him.
He couldn’t get his mind off of her. The silky robe she wore this morning had clung in all the right places. The outline of her nipples showed through the thin fabric, making him want to latch onto them with his mouth and suck them until she cried out.
His cock stirred at the thought. It had been a long time since he’d had sex and after the past two nights of welcomed release, he was tempted to go into the house and join her in bed. Her beauty rest be damned.
Since tomorrow was Saturday, she most likely didn’t have to work, anyway. She could catch up on any interrupted sleep.
He scrubbed a hand over his hair and blew out a breath. Look at him trying to justify his desire to go in and fuck her…
He shook his head and glanced back over his shoulder into the dim interior of his tent. This was his sanctuary. Once his brothers had helped him set it up, no one, not even his family had been inside.
This was his space. His to retreat to. His comfort zone.
The therapist didn’t like that he had it. Then again, Matt didn’t give a shit what the therapist liked or didn’t like. He only went to see the shrink because he was given no choice. A stipulation Max demanded in order for Matt to return to active duty for the police department.
So he attended his weekly sessions with gritted teeth. The VA doctor had even given him a prescription for some sort of anti-depressant. Though he never filled it. He was not going to start popping pills.
Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
A flash caught his eye and he glanced back at the house. Through the windows of the sunroom, he could see the kitchen light had been turned on.
He secured the flap on his tent and strode toward the house with a purpose. And that purpose was to be between Carly’s soft thighs within the next few minutes.
He slowed as he walked through the sunroom and entered the kitchen. She was bent over in front of the fridge, moving things around. She straightened with a large pan in her hands. When she turned, she squeaked in surprise, and then visibly relaxed when she recognized him.
“Jesus, Matt. You gave me a freaking heart attack.”
“Sorry.” He moved closer and glanced at the dish in her hand. “Is that my mother’s lasagna?”
Amusement filled him as her cheeks reddened and she looked guilty.
“Yes. I couldn’t sleep. Her lasagna kept calling out to me.”
“Good shit, isn’t it.” Not a question but a confirmation. His mother’s cooking definitely was the bomb. She always stocked the kitchen and then acted like he couldn’t figure out who did it.
He knew she had a key. He wouldn’t complain about her invading his privacy as long as she continued to drop off homemade dishes like her lasagna. It sure beat military chow. Or MREs. Or a mouthful of sand.
Matt frowned.
“Are you mad I’m eating it? It’s addictive.” She slid the pan onto the counter and pulled off the plastic wrap.
He realized she thought he was frowning because of her actions, not his own thoughts. “No. I don’t blame you for pilfering my meal.”
She smiled. “Want some?”
“Hell yes, I want some.” His voice even sounded husky to his own ears.
She turned toward him with a spatula in her hand, her robe gaping enough for him to get a healthy eyeful. “You’re not talking about lasagna, are you?”
“No.”
“Is this going to be a nightly thing?” she asked, smirking. She licked some sauce off her finger, causing his cock to stir.
“Lasagna?”
“No. Sex.”
He sure hoped so. “I’ll leave that up to you to decide.” He closed in, unable to keep his eyes off her in that sexy, clingy robe. Wrapping his arms around her, he slid his palms along the silky fabric at her waist and buried his nose into her neck, inhaling deeply.
“Oh, sure. Put the pressure on me,” she murmured, dropping the spatula on the counter with a clatter.
Her nipples pebbled beneath the robe, and he tucked a finger where the fabric met in the V over her breasts. He tugged and, from where he tucked his face, could see the upper curves of her breasts easily.
His cock grew painfully hard. He broke her hand free from the counter where she gripped it like a lifeline and placed it over the bulge in his BDUs. “No pressure. You can say yes to this, or no.”
“Sounds fair,” she said, swallowing hard.
“Very fair. Which one is it? Yes?” He slid her hand up to the top of his erection. “Or no.” He pushed it back down. Her fingers closed around him and squeezed. He groaned against her skin and thrust into her palm.
“By the way, I told your mom we’re just roommates,” she said, her voice ragged, her breath hitched.
“Good,” he whispered into the crook of her neck. He traced her collar bone with his tongue, pushing the fabric out of his way, then sank his teeth gently into her shoulder.
Carly gasped and leaned back against the counter. He quickly untied the sash of her robe and it fell open.
“You don’t want lasagna?” she asked shakily, her eyes hooded as he dropped to his knees in front of her.
“Fuck the lasagna.”
“Don’t ever say that in front of your mother, she’d cry—” Her words turned into a gasp as he pressed his mouth against the skin above the narrow strip of hair at her pelvis.
Her fingers gripped his head, directing him lower, but he resisted and looked up her body instead. “Turn around.”
Her face appeared flushed, though not from embarrassment. From need. She clearly wanted this as much as he did. She turned to face the counter.
“Drop the robe.”
Without a word, she slid the silky fabric over her shoulders and it slipped to the floor. He nibbled along the globes of her ass, appreciating the roundness, the firmness. He separated her cheeks, running his tongue along the crease.
“Matt…”
“
Hush.”
Her thighs trembled against him. He stroked a finger between her legs, finding her wet with arousal. She was so responsive to his touch. The thought became heady and intoxicating. As he slipped a finger inside her with ease, she groaned, pushing her hips toward him, giving him better access to slide in another. Her pussy, slick and ready, gave him no resistance.
He climbed to his feet and observed the woman before him. Her head bowed, making her loose blonde hair a curtain. Her breath became rapid, ragged.
She was perfect.
Her head rose and she peered over her shoulder when he stepped away to pull out one of the kitchen chairs. He shoved his BDU’s down to his ankles and stepped out of them, his hard-on bobbing painfully with each movement he made. He sat on the wooden chair and held out a hand to her. “Come sit on me.”
Without hesitation she came over and straddled him, perching above him. He grabbed the root of his cock, placing it at her entrance and when he held it perfectly aligned, she sank down upon him with a shaky sigh. He closed his eyes and held his breath as her wet heat enveloped him. The weight of her body pushed him inside her as far as was possible. Balls deep, he blew out a breath before opening his eyes.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she gazed down into his face. And then she smiled, which made his cock twitch deep within her. When she began to move, she controlled the pace.
She started excruciatingly slow, rising and falling on him. Tilting and circling her hips. He released her waist and brushed his thumbs over her nipples, marveling how hard the flesh could become. He sucked a nipple deep into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the tip, flicking it. Little noises escaped her with each lift and lower of her body.
Oh fuck, he belonged inside of her. She had been made for him. Why did he find her too late? Why couldn’t he have met her before he became too broken to fix?
He pressed his mouth against her other nipple, scraping his teeth over the peak. She cried out and ground down upon him, drawing a gasp from him.
She repeated something over and over. His name. “Matt… Matt… Matt…”
His chest tightened as he looked up at her. She tried to make eye contact, attempting a connection. He couldn’t allow that to happen. If he did, he could be…would be lost.
And maybe this time forever.
He couldn’t take any more pain, or loss, or—
She cried out in pleasure and, most likely, frustration at him closing himself off. But he couldn’t offer any more than what this was. He buried his face between her breasts and groaned as she ground down upon him harder, working to drive herself over the edge.
He slipped a hand between them to find her slick clit. He pushed the sensitive nub, pressing, circling until she tensed above him. Her nails dug into the skin of his shoulders and her inner walls squeezed him tight. When the first ripple surrounded him, he let himself go with her. It felt like a dam shattering and waves broke over them both.
One heartbeat, two, and then she collapsed against him, boneless. Her warm breath beat a tattoo against his ear. He closed his eyes and held her for a moment. Only for a moment would he allow this weakness before wrapping his fingers around her waist and lifting her from his lap. They both cleaned up in silence.
As she tightened the robe’s sash around her, she asked, “Hungry?”
He couldn’t see her face, but he heard the disappointment in her voice. Matt glanced at the forgotten lasagna on the counter. “Always.”
8
“What do you mean it’s not covered one hundred percent? Why the hell am I paying those high premiums for then?”
Carly paced the sunroom, her cell phone gripped so tightly in her hand it caused her fingers to cramp. She fought the urge to throw it across the room.
But then she’d have to buy another one.
At this rate, from what the insurance agent spewed on the other end of the phone, they would only cover a portion of a new vehicle for her. She wanted to laugh. No, not a new vehicle. Only a portion of a new-to-her vehicle. So much for having full coverage. Fucking insurance companies. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
Kind of like men.
She saw the object of her thoughts come around the side of the house and slip into his tent. She glanced at her watch; he must have just gotten home from his shift.
“You know, I live in northern Pennsylvania where you need an SUV in the winter. Oh, you live here too? Well, good. And guess what, I’m a doctor and I need to get to the hospital in emergencies—” She paused, listening to the lame excuses on the other end of the phone. “Yes, well, I can’t afford another SUV with what your payout is. I may be able to afford a 1988 Escort.”
Carly stepped up to the sunroom window, watching Matt exit his tent, secure it, and head toward the house.
Shit.
“Really? That’s how you’re going to leave it? With me in the lurch. A single woman struggling to make ends meet?”
Carly cursed under her breath as the back door to the sunroom opened and Matt stepped inside, stopping when he noticed her.
“Yes, I know I’m a doctor, thanks for reminding me. That doesn’t mean we all can afford a Mercedes or BMW. Some of us try to live within our means.”
Matt had his hands on his hips and his brows knitted together as he watched her pace.
“Okay, whatever. See if I use your company to insure my new 1979 Pinto station wagon.” She pushed the End button, wishing she had an old land line so she could slam the receiver down. It would have given her a little more satisfaction than tapping fiercely on a cell phone screen.
She spun on her heels to face him across the room. “Fucking insurance company is only covering eighty percent of the value of my Honda. Now I need to find something I can afford with that pittance.” She dragged a hand through her hair, and cursed.
“I’m sure we can find you something.”
We? She cocked an eyebrow at him. Since when were they a “we?”
They weren’t. She reminded herself of that every night when, after they had sex, he slinked back to his damn tent. He hadn’t slept in her bed once. Because, heaven forbid, the world might collapse if they actually did some after-sex cuddling.
The sex was great and all, but sometimes a woman needed a little more. And she didn’t mean more as in an engagement ring. She simply wanted a little spooning. Or him tucking her against his side.
Or… What the fuck.
She was looking at the wrong man for that. He had made that perfectly clear. Suck it up, buttercup, or find a new lay.
“Yes, I’m sure I can find something. Though it’ll wipe out my savings.” She plopped onto the couch and dropped her head in her hands. This was the last thing she needed. She was slowly building up her funds even with sending her parents money every month to help them out, and now with the super cheap rent, she hoped her account would grow even faster.
But no.
Damn deer.
She wanted to scream, but let out a low, frustrated wail instead.
The couch sank beside her. He wrapped his fingers around her wrists pulling her hands away from her face. “What are you saving up for? A house?”
“No.”
Holy crap, she did not want to have this conversation right now after fighting with the insurance company. He got spooked when she tried to maintain eye contact during sex. Last thing he needed was for her to drop the B-word.
“Carly, what are you saving up for?”
She could lie.
Or she could just tell him the truth and let the chips fall where they may. “A baby.”
“You’re going to buy a baby?”
She frowned at his question. “No, I want to adopt one.”
“Why the hell would you want to do that?”
Her mouth fell open, then she shut it and glared at him. “You know, Matt, not everyone is like you. I actually want to have a child. I know that may be hard for you to understand.”
She pulled her hands from him and
stood up, pacing the room all over again. She needed to burn off her frustration at the situation. Too bad she wasn’t a runner, or she’d go for a long, exhausting run. She may have long legs, but they were definitely not made for running or jogging.
“I realize that some people want to have—”
She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “I have two problems. One is the money and the second is not having a permanent home and a spouse. Maybe that’s three.” She scrubbed her hands over her face and moaned. “They want adoptive parents to have stability. A home. I have none of it!”
She stopped in front of him. She waited for him to say something but he stayed quiet, his gaze not even focused on her. He seemed stuck somewhere inside his head.
She just wanted to shake him sometimes to snap him out of it. “People throw away their babies every day. They leave them in hospitals or, hell, in trash cans. And I can’t even get one. Not one! I have all this love to give and no one to give it to.” She sucked in a breath. “I can’t even give it to you.”
Oh fuck. She wanted to pound the heel of her palm against her forehead at the slip of her tongue. Especially when he stiffened. And that pissed her off even more.
“Don’t worry, I’m not professing my love to you, asshole.” She stomped out of the room.
Matt sat in the dark on the edge of his cot. He had no desire to light any of the lanterns. He brushed a hand over his hair in frustration.
Watching Carly melt down over her finances, and then over her desire to have a child had hit him harder than expected. After she stomped out of the room, he left and went to the diner for dinner by himself. He had a brief thought of heading to his parents’ house, but wasn’t in the mood to deal with them.
Now he sat here. Alone.
The quiet didn’t help. Thoughts raced through his mind at warp speed. Flashes of Carly. Flashes of his tours. Memories he fought hard to keep at bay.
He’d been practically numb—shut-down—when the Marines discharged him. He had to be, or he would have lost his mind.
Brothers in Blue: The Complete Trilogy: Brothers in Blue Boxed Set - Books 1-3 Page 46
