Brothers in Blue: The Complete Trilogy: Brothers in Blue Boxed Set - Books 1-3

by Jeanne St. James

  The therapist explained that it had been his coping mechanism… Shutting people and things out.

  But something changed.

  “Matt.”

  That something might be the person at the entrance to his quarters.

  “Matt,” she called again through the thick canvas. Her voice sounded raw, like she had been crying. “I’d knock but there’s no door. Can I come in?”

  He fought down the panic threatening to bubble up. She wanted to come into his quarters, into his space. Even in the dark, he knew everything was in order, everything in its place. Everything where it belonged.

  A pain shot up his arm and he realized he clenched his fists tight. He jumped to his feet and called out, “No. I’ll be right out.”

  He heard her make a noise on the other side of the flap. However, he wasn’t going to let her in. He couldn’t.

  With a deep breath, he slipped through the flap, securing it behind him. The light coming from the sunroom windows reflected off her blonde hair, but her face remained shadowed. He stood inches from her, surrounded by her sweet feminine scent. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.” She shook her head. “Everything. I wanted to apologize.”

  “For what?”

  “Earlier.”

  He tipped her chin up toward him, wishing he could see her face more clearly. “Nothing to apologize for.” He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek and felt the wetness. She not only had been crying, she still was.

  He closed his eyes and cursed to himself.

  Carly was a strong woman, and to see her lose herself like this killed him. Though he understood the feeling. When things got overwhelming, you either shut down or you looked for comfort.

  Clearly, she came searching for comfort.

  From him.

  Anyone who knew him would find that laughable. Even he, himself, did. But here she was, asking him to give her something he may not be able to give. And he had warned her.

  He couldn’t be her everything. He just couldn’t.

  Gathering her close, he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. Once he wrapped her in his arms, her body heaved against him as her sobbing started in earnest.

  He whispered against her ear, “It will be all right. We’ll figure it out.”

  “It’s so stupid,” she sobbed. “It’s just a damn car.”

  “It’s not just the car.” He rubbed her back. This breakdown was hardly about a car. It was about losing control of her life. Her financial burdens. Her desire to have a child of her own.

  He couldn’t help her. Hell, sometimes he couldn’t help himself. He pressed his nose into her hair and it smelled like coconut. Like the Caribbean, a place she wanted to travel to one day, but couldn’t afford to.

  He bent down to hook her knees and swung her up into his arms. She let out a little yip and he got a better grip before striding toward the house.

  “Put me down! You can’t carry me.”

  “I can and I will,” was all he said, determined to prove her wrong. “Turn the knob,” he told her as he climbed the three steps to the back door. When she did, he kicked the door open, spun on his heels, and kicked it shut again with a bang.

  He placed her on the couch and settled himself next to her before she could move to get up. He laid them both down and gathered her in his arms again, tucking her still-damp face against his neck.

  “Matt,” she murmured against his skin.

  “Shh.” He closed his eyes, fighting the unwanted feelings that struggled to surface. Especially when she sighed and relaxed her body into his.

  He could comfort her. He could do it. Even if only for a little while.

  9

  Something hard and hot pressed against her ass. She came awake with a start. The pinkish glow from the rising sun crept into the sunroom. Matt’s cock wasn’t the only thing stiff. She shifted to get some relief for her screaming muscles, but her movement only caused Matt’s arm to lock down tighter around her waist as he pulled her closer to his chest. Strands of hair tickled her ear as they moved back and forth with his steady breathing.

  The apprehension she felt last night over her finances, her car, her inability to get pregnant, seemed to have dissipated with Matt’s solid body wrapped around her. Something could be said about the power of a simple hug. Or sexual release.

  Or both.

  She nudged her butt against his erection. If he wasn’t awake, at least that part of his body sure was. But she got no other reaction.

  She pushed against him again, this time giving her hips a little circle. And another, just to make sure he was paying attention.

  His breathing shallowed and the hand draped around her hip clenched, his fingers holding her in place. She ground against him harder and he released a guttural sound from the back of his throat that instantly turned her nipples to points.

  “We didn’t—” Her words caught in her throat. She tried again. “We didn’t have sex last night.”

  “No, we didn’t.” His voice sounded low, husky, whether from non-use or arousal, she didn’t know. Either way, it sent a thrill all the way to her toes.

  “What are you going to do about it?” she asked.

  His chuckle made her smile.

  “What are you going to do about it?” he countered, one hand cupping her breast over her shirt. “Tell me what you’re going to do to me.”

  “Fuck you,” Carly murmured, wishing she could see his face.

  “You gotta be more specific than that.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” he confirmed.

  She pushed away from him and up to a seat. Looking over her shoulder, she said, “Get naked. Now.”

  They both climbed to their feet and slowly undressed while facing each other. Their gazes met and never wavered, even when he pushed his BDUs down his hips. She fought the urge to look below his waist, not wanting to break the eye contact.

  “I’m naked,” he announced.

  “So you are.” She kept a smile from her face and pointed to the couch. “Sit.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” And he sat, his erection pointing towards the ceiling.

  She stepped between his thighs and pushed them wider with her knee until she stood directly over him, looking down into his face. His eyes became dark, his lids heavy, his expression tight.

  “This is what I’m going to do to you… I will sit on your cock and ride you hard. I will dig my nails into your skin, leaving marks. I will take your mouth and leave you starved for oxygen. I will bite you hard enough so you’ll remember this later today, even into tomorrow. And you will not say no. You will let me do it. You will ask me for more. And then when I’m done, once I’ve received my satisfaction, then, and only then, I’ll let you come. Do you understand me?”

  Her own words surprised her, excited her. She didn’t know where this came from. She had never been this demanding with a man before. But watching a flush work up his chest and anticipation flash in his eyes, she realized he wanted it like this. This did it for him.

  He wanted to be told what to do.

  “Do you understand me, Marine?”

  His nostrils flared and his fingers flexed on his thighs. He barked, “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!”

  Goosebumps broke out all over her body at the ferocity of his answer. She gave him a sharp nod and climbed onto the couch to straddle his thighs. She clung to his shoulders as she braced herself to rise above him.

  He stared straight ahead.

  “Look at me,” she commanded.

  He stared up into her face, a muscle in his jaw jumping wildly. As she lowered herself slowly, he quickly reached under her to align himself with her opening. When the crown of his cock nudged her entrance, she closed her eyes and held herself still, letting the desire to sink down upon him drive her to the point of unbearable.

  Her eyes popped open. “Soldier—”

  “I’m not a soldier, I’m a Marine,” he corrected her between gritted teeth.

  “You a
re what I say you are”

  His body tensed and his fingers dug into the flesh at her hips.

  “And right now you’re mine.” She dropped to his lap, her weight driving him deep. With a gasp, she clenched him tight within her. Her body quivered with need as it took every inch of his hardness.

  Matt lowered his head, capturing a hard nipple in his mouth, sucking it between his lips. With an arch to her back, she tilted her hips slightly, seating him deeper. Teeth scraped against her nipple, sending a ripple through her all the way to her core. Then she began to move, rising and falling, in complete control of the pace. He took two handfuls of her ass and squeezed.

  “Kiss me, Marine.”

  Matt released her puckered nipple, leaving it shiny and wet. She grabbed his head and pulled him close, crushing her lips to his, invading his mouth with her tongue, breathing his breath. Their tongues tangled, fought. But she wouldn’t let him win the fight. Moving faster, she rode him, coming down hard until he grunted and she didn’t just win the battle…

  She won the war.

  Releasing his mouth, she followed through on her threat, sinking her teeth into his neck, then his shoulder, leaving small marks behind. Marking him as hers. She pushed away from him just enough so she could scrap her teeth over his heart, then she bit down. He didn’t make a noise even though she knew it had to hurt.

  “Tell me you want more.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Beg me for more.”

  “More…please.”

  She swirled her tongue over the bite mark and moved back to his neck, brushing her lips and tongue along his jugular. She reached around him, digging her short nails into his skin, raking them over his shoulder blades.

  His flexed jaw and his narrowed eyes were his only signs of pain.

  “You like that.” It wasn’t a question because she had no doubt he did.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he ground out between tight lips.

  He released her ass to grab her hair, ripping her head back. Smashing his mouth to her neck, he sucked hard.

  Carly whimpered and slammed herself down on him over and over. The climax built from her center and radiated out in waves. She gasped and dug her nails in deeper.

  His cock twitched. But she wasn’t finished with him. “You’re ready to come, aren’t you, Marine?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m not done with you yet.” She leaned into him, licking along the outer shell of his ear, then sucked his lobe into her mouth before grabbing it in between her teeth. She tugged on it and when she released it, she whispered, “I’m so not done with you.”

  She rocked back and forth on him, her clit brushing against his pelvis. She couldn’t get enough pressure on the sensitive numb and she groaned in frustration. Out of desperation, she pressed her own fingers to it, to circle and press. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes closed, and her whole body tightened around him until she finally surrendered to her climax, letting it wash over her, through her, as she cried out.

  “Carly…”

  She opened her eyes to see him struggling, his expression desperate. She cupped his cheeks and pressed a soft kiss against his lips before settling her forehead against his. “Now you may come, Marine,” she said gently.

  With a grunt, his hips rose off the couch, lifting her slightly, as he released deep inside her, his breath ragged.

  Leaving her forehead pinned to his, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him tight. His broad hands splayed along the small of her back and she felt secure in his arms. She didn’t want to move from his lap. She wanted him to remain inside her as long as possible. As their breathing leveled out she realized she could get used to taking control like that.

  She finally lifted her head from his and said, “I’ll take a look at your back.” She didn’t want an infection to fester where she scratched him.

  “I’m fine.”

  “How do you know? You can’t see what I did. I can’t even see it.” She brushed a finger over the bite mark on his chest, the one over his heart. “I didn’t break the skin, luckily. You’ll just have a bruise.”

  He lifted a shoulder slightly. “It’s nothing.”

  A movement caught her eye and she straightened. Matt’s father strode with determination through the yard, heading toward the tent.

  “Holy shit.”

  “What?”

  “Your father,” she answered, trying to keep the panic from her voice.

  Matt jumped to his feet, not only dislodging himself, but almost dumping her ass first onto the floor. He caught her in time and they both ducked. With all the windows in the sunroom, they were hard to miss since there weren’t any curtains or shades.

  “Matt!” Ron’s voice boomed out. “Matt! Are you in there? Get your ass out here if you are.”

  “Oh fuck,” was all Matt said as he shoved her pile of clothes at her, then pulled on his BDUs in record time.

  Carly struggled to get into her shirt. Then her yoga pants. She had no idea where her panties had ended up. She’d have to find them later.

  “Matt!”

  They both turned toward the voice as it got closer. The older man stomped up the back steps and stood at the glass door, looking directly at them.

  “Whatcha doin’, boy?”

  Carly felt heat rise from her throat into her cheeks. They weren’t actually caught red-handed, so they could potentially play this off coolly if they tried.

  Ron let himself inside and stood staring at the two of them with his hands planted on his hips. “You two look like hell.”

  Carly brushed a hand through her hair, trying to tame the knotted mess.

  “You’re all flushed. You getting a cold, Dr. Carly?”

  “No, Mr. Bryson. I’m fine.”

  “Call me Ron since I have a feeling you might end up calling me Pop at some point in the near future.”

  Carly’s jaw dropped for a second, then she collected herself. “Why’s that?”

  “Because you’re wearing your shirt inside out.”

  Matt’s gaze shot to her shirt and she glanced down. She indeed had her shirt inside out.

  Shit.

  “You know, it seems once my boys are caught, it’s all over for them.”

  “There’s no catching to be had, Pop,” Matt said.

  Finally. Her partner in crime actually spoke.

  “Sure. Whatever you say. But you may want to shower. Your Ma wanted me to take you to breakfast at Dino’s. Thought we could use something called bonding time.”

  “You’re not going to tell Ma, right?”

  “That you’re knocking boots with your roommate? No. That we’ll keep between us and your boots. I’m giving you ten minutes to get cleaned up. That’s eight more minutes than you got in boot camp. Go!”

  “I gotta get some clothes—”

  “Go!” Ron barked again.

  With a frown, Matt jogged out of the sunroom toward the tent.

  “You better double-time it, boy!” Ron yelled out the door.

  Carly watched Matt shake his head as he disappeared into his tent. Not even thirty seconds later he carried a neat pile of clothes in his arms and headed back toward the house. Clearly in no rush, though.

  As he casually passed his father, Ron glanced at his watch. “You’re getting slow. You’ve got eight minutes left.”

  Matt waved a dismissing hand at him and went through the house. Carly could hear the stairs creaking under his weight.

  “All right, time for me to get ready for work,” Carly said, giving Ron a small smile.

  “You gonna share the shower with him?”

  Carly paused. “No.”

  “Then you have a few minutes while that knucklehead son of mine is getting cleaned up. Sit.”

  His command reminded her of the one she gave Matt not even fifteen minutes earlier. Nevertheless, she sat, feeling like a teenager caught coming in after curfew.

  Matt’s father didn’t sit; instead, he stood legs spr
ead and arms crossed as he regarded her. “You seem like you’re a good woman. Especially with you being a doctor and all. And, hell, you delivered my first grandbaby.” He paused and Carly waited for the “but.” And as if on cue, “But I hope you know what you’re dealing with here.”

  There were a lot of unsaid words in that sentence. Though Carly understood what he was trying to warn her about. “I’m aware.”

  “Not that I don’t love my son, but I see how being over there affected him. He took doing his patriotic duty to his country a few steps too far. Even though I’m proud of him, I’m scared for him also. And, let me tell you, as a Marine myself and a thirty-year police veteran, not much scares me.”

  Carly could see the concern on his face and hear the worry in his voice. Matt was lucky to have such a loving family, fortunate to have a place to come home to. People who supported him.

  “You’re a doctor—” he started.

  Oh, here we go again. She interrupted him. “An OB/GYN, Ron, not a psychologist.”

  He nodded anyway, like it didn’t matter. “Yeah, but you’re smart.”

  “Smart would be not getting involved with your son.”

  Ron pursed his lips and knitted his brows together. “You’re probably right about that, Dr. Carly. However, some women find my sons irresistible. Just ask Amanda and Leah. As much as they tried to fight it, they couldn’t escape.”

  Carly snorted. “I’m not so sure that’s a glowing recommendation.”

  “No, it’s not. Though it’s the truth. I have a sense you’re already stuck.”

  Funny, she had a feeling she was too.

  “By the way, you got some panties hanging from the ceiling fan. Were you dusting?” He pointed upward.

  With dread, Carly’s eyes reluctantly followed the direction where he indicated. Yep. There were her no-nonsense, tan cotton briefs caught on the fan blade. She groaned. At least they weren’t rotating.

  “Mary Ann will have to pick you up a couple pairs of those sexy panties that she buys for special occasions at uh… Oh yeah, Victoria’s Secret. I’m sure Matt would like those better. Just let her know your favorite color.”

  Carly sank to the couch and put her head in her hands, avoiding Ron’s crystal blue eyes, which wrinkled up at the corners.