I was disappointed she didn’t bring an overnight bag. “You should go by your house and pick up some clothes.”
A smile stretched her lips and her eyes brightened visibly. “It’s in the car…I didn’t want to be presumptuous.”
“I want you to sleep with me every night, so don’t worry about being presumptuous.”
She continued to smile. “Okay.”
I wasn’t ready for her to move back in, but I wanted her in my bed every night. Not only was she a dreamcatcher, but I loved holding her all night. Our bodies intertwined around each other, unable to be distinguished from one another. My leg was wrapped around hers, and her arm squeezed my waist tightly. We were practically one person.
When we were finished, we tossed everything in the garbage.
She eyed the living room. “You want to watch TV?”
“Not really.” I wanted to get to bed.
The realization came into her eyes. “Okay.”
“I’ll get your bag.” I walked out and snatched it from the car before I headed upstairs into my room.
She was sitting on the bed, waiting for me.
I placed the bag beside her. The static sparked in the air between us. The chemistry was undeniable, and it was obvious we were both thinking the same thing. I wanted to feel her small body underneath mine, to take her and feel the warmth I was so familiar with. I wanted to let myself go, to fall into her all over again.
But I couldn’t—not yet anyway.
But shit, it was hard.
“I’m going to shower.” I disappeared into the bathroom without looking at her. Seeing her sit on my bed wearing her shorts was making me lose my manners. Her long legs didn’t escape my notice. I wanted them to wrap around my waist, her quiet moans accompanying it.
I needed a cold shower—definitely cold.
After I washed my body and cleared my thoughts, I stepped out and dried off. I pulled on my boxers then headed back into the bedroom. She was standing in front of my dresser, wearing a black thong and a matching lacy bra. She pulled out a shirt then examined it.
Fuck.
My eyes immediately went to her chest. Her tits were round and perky, just the right size to my preference. They were small, but they were firm with tinted nipples. Compared to her small waist, they were voluptuous.
I averted my gaze when my cock enlarged.
Fuck.
She pulled the shirt on without looking at me, letting it reach her knees. It was practically a burlap sack on her.
Thank god her curves were hidden—but not her legs. I loved those damn things.
She slid into the bed and pulled the sheets over her. “I love your bed…”
“Comfy?”
“The most comfortable bed in the world.”
I moved beside her then wrapped my body around hers. “Does that have anything to do with me?”
“Maybe,” she said playfully.
“I hope it has everything to do with it.” My mouth was close to her ear. I spooned her from behind and pulled her body tight against me. My hard-on was pressed against her backside but there was nothing I could do to tame it. Having the most gorgeous woman in the world in my bed wasn’t exactly calming.
We lay still and said nothing. I listened to her even breathing in the darkness, wondering what she was thinking. My thoughts were in the gutter. Were hers? I wanted to feel her naked body against mine while I kissed her. I shouldn’t be intimate with her, not yet. It would give her the impression that everything was perfectly okay when it wasn’t. But I wanted some intimacy with her.
I pressed my lips against her neck and trailed kisses to her throat. She tasted delicious, and she smelled just like she always did. She moved slightly against me, rubbing against my cock. A quiet moan escaped her lips and then she gripped my thigh.
Keira turned into me, exposing her mouth. My lips crushed against hers and breathed my warm breaths into her mouth. Her lips were soft and tasted like honey. The arousal shot through me and I pulled her on her back, moving over her. Her legs wrapped around my waist, yanking me to her. My lips sucked hers, giving her purposeful and precise kisses. I was shaking because I wanted her so much. I missed this. I missed being with her in this way. It was the best and most profound way for me to show how much I loved her. I never kissed anyone like this. No girl had slept in my bed. And I never made love to someone before. Just her.
Her hands moved up my naked chest, feeling the grooves of the hard muscle. Her fingers felt every crevasse and valley. She moved to my shoulders and gripped me like she might fall.
My hand moved to her hip on its own and I grabbed her thong. Then I yanked it down her legs. Her eyes lit up in desire while I dragged it down. When it was free, she grabbed my boxers and yanked them off.
I wanted to see all of her, not letting her hide under my shirt. I pulled it off then unclasped her bra with one hand with the experience of a man who had done this more times than I could count. When I saw her naked body under me, my spine shivered. My lips immediately moved to her right hip, kissing the wide curve. She had birthing hips, the body of a real woman. She moaned while she felt my tongue trail around the area. My mouth explored her body, sucking on her nipples then kissing her stomach. I moved back to her mouth then lay my body on hers. “This is as far as I can go.”
The disappointment flashed for just a moment but then it disappeared. “Okay.” Her hands cupped my face and she kissed me passionately, her tongue ravishing me like she hadn’t kissed me in years.
My hand moved between her legs and found her sex. I felt the moisture on my fingertips and I moved my fingers inside her. She moaned then shivered beneath me, her fingers moving into my skin. My thumb touched her clitoris and I rubbed it in a circular motion.
She shook underneath me, breathing hard into my mouth. Then her hand tightened around my shaft and she started to rub me the way I liked. The higher level of friction didn’t downplay the pleasure I felt. Not having sex or touching myself for three months made my threshold substantially lower. Giving into each other in the best way we could, we touched each other while we made love with our mouths.
When she moaned louder, whispering my name repeatedly, I knew she was spiraling out of control. The sound of her quiet whimpers hit my trigger and I crumbled to her ministrations, releasing myself to the pleasure I felt with her. We stared at each other while we breathed hard, and after a moment of staring, our lips combined again and we kissed for the rest of the night, not caring about the time on the clock or the rising sun.
After my last class of the day, I ran into Scotty.
He was heading to the parking lot where his truck was. His keys hung from his hand and he flicked them with his fingers. When he finally looked up, his eyes met mine. Annoyance drifted across his face, but then he bottled it before averting his gaze.
He was still angry with me.
I kept walking until I caught up. “Hey, man.”
“Hey.” His tone was clipped. He put his hands in his pockets and kept walking forward.
I was growing tired of his resentment. He was a good friend, Keira’s cousin, and I didn’t want this feud to be between us. “Dude, what’s your problem?”
He halted in mid-step. “Keira made it clear she wants me to stay out of your ‘relationship’ so that’s what I’m going to do.” The anger flashed in his eyes. “She insists you aren’t playing with her, and I sincerely hope she’s right.” He kept walking, his shoulders tense.
I breathed through my frustration then followed him. “Look, come to the business conference room on Friday at two. You’ll see what Theresa and I have been doing.”
He stopped and looked at me again. “What you’ve been doing?”
“Yeah. It’ll clear this hatred you feel toward me. And frankly, it’ll make you feel like shit. I hope it does.”
The threat in his eyes started to diminish. “The business faire?”
“Yes.”
He ran his fingers through his hair then si
ghed. “You’re doing a presentation, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded slowly. “Now I see…”
“I haven’t been fucking around, and I would never do that to Keira. Together or apart, I’m still hers. I’ve always been hers. And I will always be hers.”
Scotty fell silent, unsure what to say.
“We’ve been doing well lately. I’m starting to feel like she really trusts me.”
“Because she does,” he said quietly.
We faced each other on the path, both of our hands in our pockets. The awkwardness hung heavily in the air. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked across campus. Students were walking to and from the buildings, in their own world.
Scotty sighed. “I’m not just her cousin, I’m her parents. I’m just—”
I raised my hand. “It’s okay. I get it. Honestly, I appreciate your concern for her wellbeing. But remember, you know me pretty well. I may have been a dick in my past, but I’ve been nothing but perfect to her. I’m not a cheater, a liar, or a player—at least not with her.”
The contrition was on his face. “I’m sorry I assumed the worse.”
“It’s cool.” I stuck out my hand to shake his. “Are we okay now?”
He stared at my hand for a moment before he took it. “Yeah, we’re cool.”
“Good. Because you’re going to be my family someday. The last thing I want is a rift between us.”
“Whatever rift was there is now gone.”
“Good.”
Silence stretched again.
“So…you guys are back together?” he asked.
“For the most part.”
He smirked. “That sounds complicated.”
“A little. But we’re getting there.”
“Good. I want her to be happy. The last few months have been hard on me. I don’t like seeing her miserable.”
“I didn’t like being miserable either.” I had to remind him I was the victim in all of this.
“Well, I made it pretty clear to her I didn’t like you or trust you. She stood up for you every time, saying she didn’t know what you were doing with Theresa, but it didn’t matter. You would never lie to her.”
Happiness flooded through my body. She defended me to her cousin, her best friend in the world. Maybe she really did trust me. Maybe all our problems were solved. I could trust her again, give her my full heart and soul.
“Adrianna apologized to us a few weeks ago. But when it comes to her, I can never tell if she’s being genuine. She hasn’t bothered us since but that doesn’t mean I trust her.”
Scotty cocked an eyebrow. “She’s been seeing some guy, but last time I saw her she had a bunch of bruises on her face. I suspect she’s getting what she deserves.” The darkness was on his face. “I can’t believe I ever slept with her…” He shook his head in shame.
Wait…. “What did you say?”
“You’re going to make me repeat it?” he asked incredulously. “I fucked her when she was sabotaging my cousin’s life. I feel like a complete—”
“No. You said she had bruises on her face.”
“Oh.” He scratched his head. “I saw her at the Gaslight the other night. She looked beat up pretty bad. When I asked her what happened, she said she fell. But, how do you get bruises like that from falling? I think the asshole she’s with pulled a number on her.”
I didn’t like Adrianna. Actually, I hated her. But any man hurting any woman was completely unacceptable. “You think he did it?”
“I can’t see any other explanation… It’s hard for me to give a shit when she used me to get dirt on my cousin. I’ve never felt so dirty in my life.”
My mind was racing. Despite the anger I felt toward Adrianna, I couldn’t stand the idea of a man exerting his size and strength and inflicting pain on her, marking her virgin skin and popping blood vessels. My purpose in life was to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. Bitch or not, there’s nothing Adrianna could ever do to deserve that treatment. “I have to go…” I turned and headed to my truck.
“What are you thinking?” He followed me.
“I have to see her.”
“Who? Keira?”
“No. Adrianna.” I unlocked the truck then opened the door.
“What? Why? All she’s done is make your life miserable. She’s a manipulator and a liar.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I snapped. “She’s still a woman. That shit is unacceptable.”
“If she really needs help, she’ll call the police.”
“Sometimes that makes things worse.”
He grabbed the door so I couldn’t close it. “This isn’t your problem, man.”
“Yes, it is.” Only Keira would truly understand why. “Now let go of my door.”
With a sigh, he released it.
I started the engine and drove straight to her house, needing to see the inflictions myself.
I pounded my fist on her door until she opened it. Her apartment was near the college. She didn’t have any roommates. I knew this because she invited me over to have sex with her multiple times. Of course, I never took the bait.
Adrianna didn’t open the door. “What?” she shouted.
She probably didn’t want to show her face. “I want to talk to you.”
“I’m busy. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Adrianna, open the damn door.” My patience was waning. I needed to see her.
“I’m not—”
“Open the door or I will break it down!”
Silence ensued. After a few seconds, the lock turned and the door cracked. Her face was hidden behind the wood. “What do you want?”
I pushed the door open with my hand, making her step back. I got inside then switched on the light. Her face was illuminated, highlighting every cut and bruise. Her left eye was swollen and purple. A scratch marked her cheek and a cut was on her lip. Her arms were covered in yellow bruises. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked away.
“Who did this to you?” I demanded. I felt my body shake just from looking at her. Any man who hurt a woman was a piece of shit and deserved to be beheaded.
“I fell…”
I grabbed her wrist, the only thing not marked. “Don’t lie to me.”
She tried to pull away but I wouldn’t let her.
“Tell me.”
She stared at the floor. “I was carrying some boxes and I tripped on the stairs. The boxes fell on my face.”
“And your new boyfriend had nothing to do with that?” I asked incredulously.
“No…”
I saw the lie in her eyes. “Don’t bullshit with me. Tell me who he is and I’ll take care of it. I won’t let him hurt you.”
“Why do you care?” she hissed. “You hate me.”
“My despise for you is irrelevant. You’re still an innocent person who doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. I will help you get out of this. But you need to let me.”
She pulled away from my grasp. “I’m fine.”
It was my sister all over again. “Adrianna, tell me who he is. I’ll talk to him, beat the shit out of him, and make sure he doesn’t bother you or any other girl on this earth. Now stop stalling and just tell me.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Liam, I fell. Now please go.”
I sighed in frustration. “Why did women stay with these jerks? They let their bodies be marked over and over. It didn’t make any sense.”
“I promise I’ll protect you.”
She hid her face. “Just leave me alone.”
“Why won’t you let me help you?” I snapped.
“It’s my life, Liam. Just stay out of it.”
What do you do when someone doesn’t want to be helped? “He’s just going to do this again. And again.”
She stayed away from me, saying nothing.
I growled. “Call me when you change your mind. I just hope it won’t be too late.” I walked out and slammed the door behind me. The guil
t weighed on me as I walked to my truck. If I had been firmer with Eva, maybe she wouldn’t have died. But what could I do? If Adrianna didn’t want me to help her, there was nothing I could do. So, I walked away, hoping she would come to her senses and reach out to me.
“Is everything okay?” Keira asked later that night.
We were lying in bed, but I didn’t feel like fooling around like I usually did. Adrianna was on my mind. I didn’t care about her as a person, but I loathed the man doing this to her. How many other victims had he had? Why did he feel the need to hurt something weaker than him? It made no sense. “No.”
She rubbed my chest. “What’s on your mind?”
“Adrianna.”
She stilled. “Why…?”
“Scotty told me she was banged up by her new boyfriend. Needing to see it for myself, I went to her apartment and confronted her. Her eyes are black, her face is scratched, and the bruises are everywhere.”
Keira’s eyes widened but she said nothing.
“I offered to help her, but she kept lying to me, saying she fell. I don’t know what to do…”
She rubbed my chest again. “Unfortunately, sometimes women just don’t want to be helped.”
“I’m realizing that…”
Her hand moved to my shoulder and she caressed me. “Hopefully, she’ll come to her senses and reach out to you. Maybe I could have a talk with her…”
“I don’t know.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “I don’t like Adrianna. She’s a manipulative bitch and I despise her, but she doesn’t deserve to be beaten because of her annoyances. Why are men such assholes? Why are they pigs? Didn’t their mothers raise them to be real men?”
She kissed the skin over my heart. I loved it when she did that. She only did it once in a while, but the gesture conveyed all the love she had for me. “It’s unfortunate that not all women can have the perfect man.”
“I’m not perfect,” I whispered.
She kissed me again. “The fact you don’t realize it makes you even better.” She gave me a fond look while she rested her face on my chest.
I hooked my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me. “I’m so glad you didn’t have the same fate as Eva… And I don’t want anyone else to either.”
Uncrushable (Forehead Kisses #3) Page 9
