by Leah Brooke
Lucas chuckled, a sound that she hadn’t heard from him before, a sound that increased the sense of intimacy between them. “That’s because we won’t let you, but darlin’, you tried.”
Caleb nuzzled her hair. “Are you hungry?”
Frowning to realize she was, she lifted her head. “Starving.” Lethargy had her head falling back to his shoulder again. “Don’t want to eat.”
Caleb chuckled. “Yes, you do. I’m making pancakes.”
Lifting his head, he held her slightly away from him to smile down at her, his eyes searching. “Why don’t you go take a shower with Devlin while I fix breakfast?”
Turning her head, she met Lucas’s thoughtful gaze. “Don’t you ever cook?”
His gaze lowered to her lips, pausing briefly before lowering to her back and even lower, trailing over her bottom, where it lingered. After several tension-filled seconds, he blinked as if coming out of a trance, his expression cool and remote again. “No.”
He slid from the bed and rose, walking out of the room without another word, leaving her alone with Caleb and Devlin.
Running his hand down her back, Devlin bent to kiss her shoulder. “Let’s go take a shower. I want to get my hands on you.”
Stormy eased clumsily from Caleb’s lap. “I can take a shower by myself.”
Devlin bent, pressed his shoulder against her belly and straightened, leaving her dangling over his shoulder as he strode across the hall to the bathroom. “Yeah, but it wouldn’t be as much fun.”
Only then did she realize that he was naked.
Staring down at his muscular ass, Stormy tried to figure out where she should put her hands. “Put me down!” A giggle escaped when he lightly slapped her ass and immediately began to rub it. “I’m not washing your damned back.”
“Okay.” He paused to open the shower door and stepped inside. Setting her on her feet, he ran his hands up her sides as he straightened, steadying her. “I’ll wash you.”
He moved her aside to start the water, and as soon as he’d adjusted the temperature, he reached for her, pulling her under the spray. “Feel good, baby?”
Closing her eyes, Stormy tilted her head back, letting the warm water wash over her. “It’s fine.”
Brushing the water from her face, she reached for the shampoo, unable to resist glancing at his cock. Stunned at the size of it, she fisted her hand to resist reaching out to touch it. “I guess I pissed Lucas off.”
Taking the bottle from her, Devlin squeezed a dollop into his hand and handed the bottle back to her with a frown. “Lucas isn’t mad at you. Why would you think that?”
A moan escaped when he began to massage her scalp, the feel of his hard cock pressing against her belly sending a shiver through her. “Lucas is cold to me, and he watches me like I’m a bug under a microscope. He’s been that way since I met him.”
Devlin’s lips twitched. “Actually, Lucas has a soft spot for you. A big one. I think it makes him uncomfortable.”
Stormy blinked at that, sputtering when he nudged her back under the water again. “You’re kidding. He hates me.”
Rinsing her hair, he bent to touch his lips to hers. “You have no idea of the effect you’ve had on us, do you?”
Sucking in a breath when he moved the loofah over her sensitized nipples, Stormy glanced at his cock again, finding it hard to believe that something so hard and large would fit inside her. “Yeah. I piss Lucas off. I’m a source of amusement to you, and Caleb…”
Devlin looked up at her as he knelt to wash her legs, parting them to use his hand to wash between them. “And Caleb?”
She sucked in a breath and blew it out in a rush when he rose again. “Caleb wants me.”
She knew it would hurt, especially if Caleb’s cock was as thick and long as Devlin’s.
Drawing a steadying breath, she waited for Devlin to touch her more intimately, bracing herself for the pain she knew would come.
“Yes. He does.” Gripping her chin, he lifted her face to his. “And that unnerves you, doesn’t it?”
Sliding his hands down her body, he closed his hands on either side of her, running his thumbs over her nipples. “I want you, too, Stormy.”
Unnerved by his seriousness, Stormy glanced down at his cock pressing against her belly, forcing a smile. “I see that.”
Gripping her chin again, he stared into her eyes, the tension between them as thick as the steam around them. “You’re more than nervous. You’re scared.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “Are you a virgin, Stormy?”
Her eyes burned with mortification, but something in his gentle tone had her confiding in him. Staring at his chest, she reached with her fingertip to follow the trail of soap bubbles streaming down the center of his chest. “I don’t know.”
Running his hands down her back, he gripped her bottom and lifted her to straddle his waist, surprising her by nuzzling her temple. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
Still staring down at his chest, Stormy drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Buck, my mother’s boyfriend hurt me, but—”
Her throat closed, making it impossible to finish.
With an arm supporting her bottom, Devlin ran his hand over her cheek, pushing back her wet hair and tilting her head back until she looked at him. “But what, honey? What happened?”
Finding it more difficult to say out loud than it had been to say it to herself, especially when confronted by the tenderness in his eyes, Stormy swallowed again, lowering her gaze to his broad chest.
She didn’t remember everything she’d said during the night and found it even more difficult than she’d thought to speak of it in the light of day. “I was asleep. I woke up, and he was there. I don’t know if it was him or the thunder that woke me up.”
* * * *
Devlin held his breath, his blood boiling even hotter when she shivered. He swallowed heavily, drawing her head to his shoulder and moving forward to keep her under the warm spray. “What happened when you woke up?”
He felt the change in the air, a break in the steam that signaled that someone had walked in.
Lucas.
Her hand went to her throat. “I couldn’t breathe. He was holding me down by the throat.”
Her voice firmed, devoid of any emotion. “He was too strong. He tore my underwear off.” She swallowed again, flattening a hand on his chest. “He pushed his finger inside me. It hurt so bad.”
Holding her against him, Devlin stroked her back, brushing her lips against her hair. “It’s okay. No one can hurt you. Take your time.”
She closed her eyes as reliving the memory. “I never knew anything could hurt so bad.”
Devlin’s chest swelled in fury and possessiveness. He wanted to wrap her in the softest silk and surround her with love and happiness. “It’s over. No one will hurt you again.”
Love. Jesus.
Her monotone continued. “I heard the front door open and knew Logan had come home. I tried to scream. I couldn’t. No air. Buck stood up. Started to undo his pants. I could breathe again. I screamed.”
She took a deep breath, her entire body shuddering. “Logan came.”
Devlin could only imagine the rage a young Logan had felt at being confronted at the sight of his baby sister being molested.
“What did Logan do?” He had a good idea, but he wanted to get Stormy to get past the horror to being saved by her brother.
She looked up at him, a small smile playing at her lips. “He kicked Buck’s ass.”
Devlin hugged her, running his hand up and down her back. “Good for him.”
He’d like to have a shot at the man himself.
Understanding her mistrust of men, as well as her relationship with Logan, he set her on her feet, determined to lighten the mood.
“Let’s get you washed so you can eat before you wither away to nothing. I need to change your bandage.”
Through the steam, he saw Lucas turn and leave the room, his head bowed.
Knowing the torment Lucas would be going through, and that Lucas would share the information with Caleb, Devlin decided to prolong their time together.
He wanted to get her to play a little and wash the memory of Buck away.
“Turn around so I can wash your back.” He turned her himself, bending to touch his lips to her ear. “And lower. I’m dying to get a chance to admire your gorgeous ass.”
To his relief, she giggled. “Does my ass amuse you?”
Going to his knees behind her, he nuzzled the silky, wet cheeks of her ass. “Amuse is not the word I would use.”
He ran his hands over the cheeks of her ass, sliding his thumbs lightly between them. “Fascinates.” He pressed his lips to her left cheek, finding it both soft and hard with muscle. “Humbles.” Sliding his thumbs lower, he kissed her right cheek, smiling at her gasp. “Arouses.” He moved back to her left cheek. “Excites. Enthralls.”
He slid his hands down her legs, marveling at the sleek muscle just beneath the surface. “I want to take my time exploring every inch of you.”
On a hunch, he teased the soft skin at the back of her knees, grinning like a fool when she yelped and giggled. “Hmm. I found a ticklish spot. Wonder how many more there are.”
Spinning, Stormy shoved at him, still laughing. “Don’t you dare!”
Grinning, Devlin raised a brow. “You’re gonna learn, darlin’, never to dare me.”
For the next several minutes, the sound of laughter and amused outrage filled the room, but Devlin couldn’t quite shake his rage.
Smiling down at her, he reached for the loofah with a sigh. “But I need to change your bandage and feed you before you fall over. Your brother was right. Your smart mouth and kick-ass attitude make me forget how damned small you really are.”
Stormy turned to him and, to his delight, took the loofah from him and began to wash his chest. “I’m tall for a woman.”
He squeezed a dollop of body wash into his hand, his possessiveness for her stronger than ever. “Of course you are, baby, but compared to us, you’re just a little thing.”
Her eyes closed when he ran his soapy hands down her back. “Yeah, but I’m tougher than you think.”
“I know you are.” Devlin respected her strength but knew that staying in Desire and being surrounded by people who cared about her would give her the confidence she lacked, and the safety she needed, but would never admit.
Once she had the security she deserved, she would become even more of a handful, and he found himself very much looking forward to having the chance to handle her.
Coming to grips with the fact that he wanted her in his life proved easier than he would have expected.
Once they finished showering, Devlin wrapped a towel around his hips and began to dry her.
She tried to take the towel away, but he wouldn’t release it, enjoying the opportunity to take care of her. “I can dry myself, Devlin.”
“Yeah, but I like doing it.”
Lucas strode into the room, closing the door behind him, the robe they’d bought her slung over his shoulder and a fresh bandage in his hand. His eyes flared when his gaze raked over her, but Devlin saw the anger simmering just beneath the surface. “Breakfast is ready. I want to change your bandage before you get dressed. I want to see how you’re healing.”
Hurriedly wrapping the towel around herself, Stormy shook her head. “I already told Devlin that I can change it myself. It feels fine.”
Lucas watched her cover herself with a frown. “Which means that I’ll just have to take it off to check it and rebandage it. Either way, I’m checking it.”
Stormy glared at him. “Fine. Whatever. You bandage it.”
Lucas raised a brow at that. “I’d planned to.”
Stormy smiled. “Are you trying to tell me that it’s easier just to agree with you from the beginning?”
Lucas’s lips twitched, his gaze softening at her smile. “I knew you were a smart woman.”
Enjoying watching them, Devlin hid a smile when Lucas moved closer to her, clearly enthralled.
Stormy lifted her chin, meeting Lucas’s gaze squarely. “I am a smart woman. I’m also nothing like the women who live in Desire, so don’t think that my acquiescence has anything to do with submitting to you. I only gave in because arguing with you is a waste of time and so is having you replace a bandage I’ve already replaced. I’m hungry, and I want to get to my breakfast before it’s cold.”
Lucas retrieved a comb from the counter and handed it to her. “No. You’re not anything like the women in Desire. You don’t have their confidence.”
Accepting the comb, she reached for her robe, gasping when Lucas tugged her towel free. “Damn it, Lucas!”
Wrapping a hand around her arm, just below the bandage, Lucas pulled her closer. “I’ve already seen you naked. There’s no reason to hide your body from me. Besides, I need to change your bandage.”
“You only need to see my arm, not the rest of me.” Stormy glared at him as he pulled off her bandage. “You really are arrogant. Why do you think I don’t have their confidence? Because I disagree with you?”
Lucas inspected her wound with a frown before applying the fresh bandage. “No. It’s because you’ve been hurt and you’re vulnerable but won’t let anyone in. The women of Desire know they have their men supporting them, and it gives them a sense of security that allows them to feel stronger and more confident.”
Stormy snorted, clearly not believing him. “Bullshit. The men probably push their way into their lives and take over.”
Lucas’s lips twitched, and to Devlin’s amusement, he tapped Stormy’s nipple, earning a gasp. “You’ll get the chance to meet one of them soon.”
He bundled her into her robe, smoothing his hand over her ass. “Go get dressed. Hoyt and Nat will be here shortly.”
“What if I don’t want to get dressed?”
“It’s better if you’re dressed, especially if we have to move quickly. I’d also prefer that you aren’t wearing only a robe when Hoyt gets here, but if you’re in pain and more comfortable wearing your robe…”
“I told you that I’m fine.”
“So you said, but if you’re lying—”
“I’m not lying! Tell Caleb I’ll be out after I get dressed.”
“Of course.”
Amused at Lucas’s manipulation, and Stormy’s frustration, Devlin tossed the towel aside and pulled on his underwear, wondering how long it would be before Stormy learned to manipulate them.
Instinct told him that she would learn quickly, and she would enjoy doing it, which would add greatly to her confidence.
Stepping into his jeans, Devlin had to admit that he was very much looking forward to it.
Devlin followed Stormy into the bedroom, and once he’d finished dressing, he stood by the door, waiting for her to slip on her socks.
Looking slightly distracted, she glanced up at him. “Go ahead, Devlin. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“I’ll wait.”
Stormy shot him a dirty look. “I have to use the bathroom, Devlin, and I don’t need company.”
Inclining his head, Devlin smiled, hating that he’d embarrassed her. “Okay, baby. I’ll tell Caleb to keep your breakfast warm.”
Walking away, he turned back in time to see her go into the bathroom again, closing the door behind her, wondering why he had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Chapter Eighteen
Stormy turned her phone off and tucked it back into her bag, dropping onto the edge of the bed with a sigh. She combed and braided her hair, mentally replaying her conversation with Kathy.
Kathy’s surprise at learning Nicole Johnson’s real identity seemed insincere.
Or was she just imagining it?
Kathy’s claim to have met Nicole while attending her computer class seemed even more unreasonable, considering the fact that Eliza Ricci was the sister of a high-level drug dealer.
Not impossible, but unlikely.
Stormy found it hard to believe that the soft-spoken woman she shared an apartment with could be involved with someone as corrupt and evil as Dominic Ricci.
Young and naïve, Kathy trusted too easily, and had probably been duped, but Stormy couldn’t ignore the cold pit in her stomach.
Getting up, she went to the kitchen, not quite willing to tell Lucas, Devlin, and Caleb about her suspicions—at least until she had more time to think about it.
Appreciating that Devlin hadn’t made a big deal out of her admission, she met his gaze as soon as she walked into the kitchen.
He patted the seat next to him, pulling it out slightly in invitation. “Sit darlin’. We’re all waiting for you.”
Seeing that they had, she plopped into her seat, reaching for the mug of coffee already waiting for her. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. You should have eaten.”
Caleb bent over her from behind, kissing her hair before lowering himself to the chair on the other side of her. “That’s not the way things are done in Desire.”
She set her coffee aside, smiling when Caleb began to fill her plate. “We’re not in Desire.”
Chuckling, Caleb filled his own plate. “You can take the man out of Desire, but you can’t take Desire out of the man.”
Digging into her breakfast, Stormy felt Lucas’s gaze, and lifted her head to meet it. “How long have all of you lived in Desire?”
Lucas finished his bite of pancake and reached for his coffee. “Almost fifteen years.”
Stormy blinked. “Oh. The way you talk about the town, I assumed you’d lived there all your life.”
Caleb gestured toward her plate. “Eat. No. We found Desire by accident after we left New York.”
Surprised by that, Stormy glanced at each of them. “New York? I would have never guessed you grew up in New York.”
Lucas reached for his fork again. “It was a long time ago. We left as soon as we turned eighteen.”
“And your parents?”
Devlin sat forward, reaching for his coffee. “None of us know anything about our parents. We all grew up in foster homes. Ended up in the same one when we were twelve.”
