by Mandy Harbin
Unable to wait any longer for him to possess her, Xan reach down and guided his dick to her aching opening. As soon as the head nudged her, Brody grabbed her ass to hold her still and plunged home, driving to the hilt.
Xan gasped.
Brody growled.
And he was pumping into her with no hesitation. She threw her head back, hitting the wall, panting for breath as he fucked her hard. He released one hand from her ass and grabbed her hair, bringing her face down to his.
“Is this what you want, baby? Damn you.” He kissed her again, groaning into her mouth as he plowed into her with passion, with anger, with desperation she still didn’t understand.
But it didn’t matter. Electrical shocks traveled down her back, settled at the base of her spine as her orgasm started to build. She dug her fingers into his hair, pulling it free of the thong, and clutched it as she moaned into the near-painful kiss.
Oh God, she was about to come. Her pussy fisted around his cock and she knew she was about to go over. She could feel it rushing toward her like a runaway train, and it would crash over her in seconds.
Brody’s thrusts became frantic, and she screamed into his mouth just as her climax detonated. His mouth ripped from hers, his head burying in her neck as a roar released from him. Then he bit her shoulder hard to stifle his cry as he came with her. She winced at the power of his continued thrusts into her oversensitive pussy and his teeth locked on to her skin, but the pain only intensified the pleasure.
Long moments later his grip on her ass eased, his teeth unclenched, and his thrusting stopped. She was panting, sweat trickling down her cheek. He was moaning, rubbing his forehead against her shoulder.
“Sorry,” he breathed. “I shouldn’t have taken you so hard.” He actually sounded upset by that, and Xan couldn’t allow that. She wouldn’t.
“You shouldn’t have waited so long to take me,” she said softly, stroking his hair.
He chuckled and she smiled, pleased he wasn’t going to dwell on it. He eased her down and stared into her eyes, stroking her cheek. The emotions she saw were unfathomable. Roxie was right—Brody was fighting something. Before she could ask, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and then her shoulder where he’d bitten her, where she was sure a bruise was forming if not already there.
“I intend to make up for lost time,” he mumbled against her shoulder. Then he kissed her neck and bent down, hooking his arm behind her knees and lifting her to him. He carried her down the hall, into his bedroom, and through the master bathroom door. He gently eased her to her feet and turned to the whirlpool tub, turning on the water and gauging the temperature until he was satisfied with the heat, then flicked the stopper. “As much as I love this outfit of yours, baby,” he said as he trailed a finger along the thin strap. “It has to come off.”
Even after that mind-blowing orgasm, her body tingled with awareness, but she was suddenly struck with a small case of shyness as he peeled the negligee off her body. She’d had to give herself a major pep talk to show up at his house in this thing, but she knew the benefits far exceeded any urge to be bashful. She’d never before put forth effort like this to attract a man. Hell, after getting free from Marco, men freaked her out. She’d done everything in her power to avoid those Y-chromosome carriers, and here she was tempting the biggest, sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.
When she was naked save for her stockings and stilettos, Brody kissed her chest…right over her heart. And it raced at his tender attention. Then he pulled away and caressed the skin where his lips had just been, gazing into her eyes. She inhaled quickly, not quite a gasp because she was too mesmerized to react suddenly.
And then as if the intensity was too much for him to bear, his eyes blinked away and back before looking down at his hand over her heart. The emotion pouring from him was like a living thing in the room, and Xan swayed as if physically impacted. Emotionally, she was already too far gone. Brody grasped her hips as he knelt before her, keeping her steady. Slowly, so slowly, he removed her shoes and slid her stockings off, following the path with his lips, kissing her inner thighs, knees, the arch of her feet. Xan had never felt this kind of attention from another man. It was as if she were the most precious thing to him, as fragile as spun glass, and she didn’t know how to define—or even embrace—the warmth surrounding her.
He followed the path back up her body, his mouth lingering on her nipples, and her head fell back on a moan. Okay, she could attempt definitions later.
He kissed a path up her neck to her ear. “It’s ready,” he breathed, and before she had the chance to acknowledge him, he swooped down and picked her up, eliciting a screech out of her.
Brody chuckled as he stepped over to the bathtub, and she tried to fight the heat creeping up her throat from her shocked outburst. He gently placed her in the hot water and turned on the jets. Reaching past her, he grabbed a washcloth and some soap, which reminded her of an outdoorsy scent. It didn’t really smell like Brody, but it was definitely not a girlie fragrance. He lathered up and then started washing her.
Her head fell back, eyes closing. This was heavenly. Pure ecstasy. No one had bathed her since she was a little girl, and this was just wonderful. She groaned when he massaged the shoulder closest to him, rubbing harder than necessary for just washing her. Not that she was complaining.
“If you come over to my house every night and do this, I’d be at your mercy.”
“Hmm, I think that can be arranged.”
Xan opened an eye, glancing at him without turning her head. He was concentrating on her bath-massage, working her tight muscles and washing her skin, but even with him touching her like this, he still felt too far away from her.
“You should join me. I could return the favor.”
He looked at her and gave his head a quick shake before continuing with his sinfully delightful ministration.
“Why not?”
“This is for you,” he said, keeping his eyes on his task.
“Then you should get in because that’s what I want.” She stuck out her lip with a fake pout, and he smiled crookedly at her.
“You don’t play fair?”
“What gave that away? The fact that I showed up here half naked?” She winked and a chuckle slipped out of him before he could stop it.
“Okay. You win.”
Brody stood and removed his pants. His shirt had disappeared a long time ago. She scooted forward when he stood straight and stepped back over to the tub. She turned her head, watching as he stepped in behind her, trying not to smile when he winced while settling in.
“Jesus, it’s hot.”
“You’re the one who ran the water.” She giggled as she leaned into his chest. “Don’t be a crybaby.”
“Crybaby?” he murmured, picking up the cloth and washing one breast as he kneaded the other one with his free hand. He bent his head down to her ear and nuzzled it. “I’ll show you crybaby.”
He gave her nipple a sharp tweak and she cried out. “And to think you said that I didn’t play fair. That’s cheating.” He laughed as he soothed the pain, rolling her nipple between his fingers. The pain quickly turned into a pleasure she couldn’t hide. With a soft moan, her head rested on his shoulder, her knees falling slightly apart. Brody dropped the cloth and gave her other nipple the same attention. The dual assault was too much to take, so she writhed in the water, her motion causing more waves within the jetted bliss.
He nipped her ear, his breath coming hot and hard against her skin, and her hips kept churning, seeking contact with something, anything. She backed up against him and he shifted down into the water so that his body was at more of an angle. Her buttocks rubbed his erection and he growled into the ear he was ravishing. She rose, leaning all her weight against him, and grabbed his cock from between her legs.
“Oh God, Xan,” Brody groaned as she stroked him. But it still wasn’t enough. His mouth was on her flesh. His hands were on her breasts, and he was rocking th
at hard-as-steel cock in her hands, but she needed so much more. She moved and angled his cock at her entrance. She had to have him. Again. “Baby, it’ll hurt you in the water. Give me a sec, and I’ll—”
She didn’t wait. She leaned forward and took his cock inside her halfway. It registered somewhere in the back of her lust-filled brain that he was right—his cock didn’t slide in easily. She didn’t have time to process that even if she could break through the passionate fog that consumed her because Brody’s breath caught, and he snaked one arm around her belly as he hoisted them out of the water and onto the ledge of the tub. He propped himself against the corner of the wall, his feet still in the water, and she sank all the way down, taking him to the hilt.
He clutched her hips as she rode him reverse-cowgirl style. If she wasn’t so turned-on, she’d find the whole cowgirl concept funny considering her previous dislike for all things country. But she was already close to coming so that thought fled as soon as it entered. She braced her hands on his knees and she bounced on his dick with greedy abandon, grinding against him. His panting echoed off the tiled walls, and she could tell that he was close too. He shot up, pressing his chest against her back, wrapping an arm around her, while the fingers of his free hand sought her clit. “You feel so good, baby. So fucking good.”
He thrust up, meeting her on each downward stroke while he fingered her aching nub. Her orgasm built. Tingles licked her spine and she knew it was over.
“Brody,” she panted, reaching back and grabbing his neck. “I’m gonna come.”
“Yes, baby. Ahhh, fuck!” He slammed up again and she screamed. Explosions of colors, lights danced before her eyes as she continued to ride him, ride out her climax, ride out his joint release. Wrapped up in passion so strong, she trembled.
She was so relaxed she was vaguely aware of him lowering them back into the tub, him crooning softly in her ear. While she was curled into his body, fighting unconsciousness, he washed them both quickly, but thoroughly. Then he shut off the jets, pulled the plug and dragged them from the bathtub. He dried them both and carried her to his bed.
He eased in beside her, pulling her into his arms, gently tracing lazy patterns along her hip, and she realized she’d never felt this protected. This loved. Brody may not be in love with her, but she couldn’t deny the fact she was in love with him. She wasn’t sure when it had happened. Maybe that first time she saw him at the garage when her body had recognized his importance to her before her brain had. Or maybe it was the first time they’d kissed and she’d never felt that kind of desire from another man. Or maybe it was the first time they’d made love, which was why it’d hurt her so much when he’d immediately rejected her. She didn’t know when she crossed the point of no return with Brody Jackson. She just knew she had.
It didn’t matter if Brody would ever feel the same way about her. She learned the hard way there were no guarantees in life, but she wanted to make the most of their time together.
And she wanted to lift the cloud that’d settled over him during the last week or so. She didn’t know what was bothering him, but she wanted to help him.
That was what people did for those they loved.
She rolled over, startling him, catching him lost in his own thoughts.
“I thought you were out,” he murmured.
“Almost. You wore me out.”
He smiled and her heart melted. His long hair unbound, fanning over his shoulders, made her want to run her fingers through it just to feel him, soothe him. “I’ll take that as a compliment, darlin’.”
“You should.” And she couldn’t help it—she smiled back. “So tell me something about you?”
And just like that, his smile disappeared, and those storm clouds rolled into his eyes. She hated to see his happy and relaxed demeanor change, but she wanted to help him with whatever was bothering him. And she had to start by getting to know him better.
“What do you want to know?” he hedged, and she didn’t like the fact he was guarded.
She reached up and stroked his cheek and gently brought his head down to hers, kissing him lightly. He didn’t respond right away, but he couldn’t resist her for long. No matter his reasons for his recent avoidance, he still wanted her. He kissed her back but let her control it. When she pulled away he grunted and she smiled, loving that his need was so transparent where she was concerned. “Where did you grow up?” She figured she’d start with something easy and continued stroking his cheek, encouraging him to answer.
He sighed, shutting his eyes and giving his head an infinitesimal shake. Okay, maybe that wasn’t an easy question to start with, but when he opened his eyes and gave her a sad smile, she knew he was going to answer.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
He shifted, bringing her closer to him. He cupped her hand against his face, holding it to his cheek. “I mean I was in a bad accident many years ago and don’t remember anything that happened before then.”
“Oh.” Wow. He really didn’t know where he’d grown up. “How long ago was that?”
“Um, I’m guessing around thirteen years. My early memories are vague. I just remember bits and pieces of being in a hospital. I know it wasn’t more than thirteen years ago because that was when that hospital opened.”
“What happened?”
“Not really sure. I was told it was an accident, assuming it was a hit-and-run, but there were no vehicles. Colonel, my boss, found me and helped me out, then gave me a job once I was able to work.”
“And you like working for him?”
He smiled. “Yeah. It’s cool. I’m good with cars and stuff, so I figured I at least tinkered around with them before my accident.”
“You seem to get along well with the other guys.”
“Blade and I are tight. Bear’s a good guy. Helps a lot but doesn’t take any shit from anybody. Hunter grew up around here and moved back after something went down. I think he’s here licking his wounds or somethin’. Roc is an ass—”
“That’s the one who told me about you and Mimi.”
Brody’s eyes narrowed. “I know. We sorta got into it. I’d whip his ass if it wouldn’t cost me my job. Hell, I just might do it anyway if he pisses me off again.” He sighed, shifting and bringing her closer. “Anyway, Gage’s the newbie. None of us are itchin’ to trust people, so he’s still kind of an outsider where the other guys are concerned. But I ain’t got any problems with him, and he’s been helping me… Er, I mean, he’s helpful, eager to be a team player, so I cut him some slack.”
This was good. Brody was opening up to her. Of course he wasn’t spilling anything heavy yet. But it was a start. She liked the casual chitchat, especially doing it naked in bed, but she had an objective here, and she needed to get to it. “You wanna tell me what happened? Why you started avoiding me again all of the sudden?” She posed her questions casually, so she couldn’t come off defensive and hinder her shot at an honest response from him.
He looked at her, and the light in his eyes dimmed. His jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth, but his expression wasn’t one of anger or even avoidance. It was more like shame, and she immediately regretted asking. Sure, she wanted to know his reason, but not if talking about it would cause him more harm than just letting the topic go.
“I, er, I’m sorry. You’re right, I was avoiding you. But I want you to know it had nothing to do with you.” He leaned up, braced himself on his elbow and gazed into her eyes. “You are perfect. An angel. And I’m…I’m not. There are things in my past I’m not proud of. I wish I could change them, but I can’t.”
He looked desolate, so alone, and it didn’t make sense, but she wanted to help ease his pain. It was, after all, the real reason for getting him to open up to her. “We are who we are because of the things we went through.”
“You have no idea, Xan. I’m a monster, a mur—”
“It doesn’t matter to me what you are.”
“It should.” He fell b
ack onto the bed, rubbing his eyes. “I have to tell you something, and I’m not even sure how to do it.”
Chapter Eighteen
Xan got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, but even the prickling foreboding didn’t stop her from wanting to comfort him. “My ex-husband tried to kill me,” she blurted. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but it wasn’t that.
Brody’s hands fell away from his face as he gaped at her. Great. Now that she’d dropped that little bomb on him there was no going back.
“I got married very young. Marco was…” she trailed off, remembering how charming he was to her at the beginning and smiled at the memory that was a lifetime ago. “I don’t know. He was larger than life.” She pinned Brody with a stare. “And he wanted me. See, my parents died when I was ten. They had me late in life, and my grandparents had died when I was younger. My uncle on my mom’s side was in a nursing home, and my aunt on my father’s side was all I had. She was retired and tried to help me as much as she could, but she had a heart attack a year later. That’s when I entered the system.”
Brody stroked her arm, and she felt his encouragement through his gentle touch. She took a deep breath, drawing in the strength she needed to continue, inhaling his scent and immediately recognizing the strength he presented. And not physical strength. No, just having him near her seemed to feed her needs, whatever she needed, when she needed it, and right now she needed that strength. She couldn’t explain, but she relished it, figuring this was normal for someone in love. Well, normal for normal people.
“I met Marco when I was in high school. He was a few years older. In college, or so he said. After a few years of bouncing from one foster home to the next, being treated by someone like I was the only person in the world who mattered was nice. Really nice.” She stopped to gather her thoughts. This was harder than she thought it was going to be, but she needed to forge ahead. If she wanted an open, honest relationship with Brody, he needed to know everything about her.
