The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection

by Alexis Winter

  “I’m so sorry, Hudson,” I say against his lips, but he shakes his head.

  “Don’t be. All I need is you. I don’t give a fuck about anything else.” His lips close in on mine again, and my hands tangle into his hair, pulling him closer. My hips have a mind of their own, and they start grinding against his length, which is already hardening against me. A moan escapes and he lets out a growl.

  “Fuck, you don’t know what that sound does to me,” he says, picking me up against him and carrying me to his room. He slams my back up against the door, and it knocks the air from my lungs, but that only fuels my body more. I grab his shirt and as much as I like it, I want it off. I want to rip it off. I pull and tug, and the sound of the material ripping cuts through the silence. It doesn’t stop him though. He just pushes it off his arms before his hands find my shirt. He pulls it off in the same fashion, ripping it down the center until my breasts are spilling out. His greedy hands move upward, cupping each one, his thumbs grazing over my nipples, causing an electric current to shoot from my chest straight to the needy junction between my thighs. He breaks our kiss, and his eyes look down at my chest where he’s touching me.

  “Mmmm, fuck, I’ve missed you.” His head dips forward, and his mouth closes in around my nipple, sucking it into his hot mouth as his tongue flicks against it. I see stars. I can’t do anything but lean my head back against the door while his mouth takes everything it wants from me.

  “Fuck me, Hudson,” I plead.

  He releases my nipple with a pop. “You know how I like you to beg,” he says, setting me on my feet and dropping down to his knees. He looks up at me, and he’s wearing a sinful grin as his hands push my cloth shorts down my legs, exposing all of me to him.

  “Please, Hudson. I need you. Please, fuck me.” I have no problem begging. My body has missed his touch for weeks.

  “That’s better,” he says, picking up one leg and setting it on his shoulder. His hand trails up my inner thigh, tickling and teasing until he gets to the place that needs him the most. Without warning, he inserts two fingers into me, making me call out. His eyes stay locked on mine, watching the pleasure as it crosses my face.

  “Look at me,” he demands when my eyes flutter closed.

  They pop open again, locking on his.

  His tongue comes out, gliding across his bottom lip. “You have no idea how much I missed tasting you. Do you want me to taste you?”

  I nod.

  “Say it.”

  “Yes, please,” I beg.

  The moment the words leave my mouth, his mouth is on me, tongue sliding between my folds while his fingers push up into me. A loud moan escapes and my knee goes weak. Before I can collapse, he catches me with his left hand on my hip.

  His tongue flicks and swirls and sucks at my bundle of nerves until I’m panting and seeing stars and calling out his name like the lovesick woman I am. God, I never want to live another day without his touch. I’ll be his dirty little secret for this. Who cares if I never get marriage or kids or the pleasure of introducing him as my boyfriend? This is worth it. I’ll take what little I can get because that’s what Hudson Slade does to me.

  After I come undone, he stands and wipes my juices from his glistening lips, his hands finding the button on his jeans. I watch his hands hungrily, waiting for the moment he has them off. All I can think about is sliding him to the back of my throat. I want my jaw to hurt. I want my throat sore, and I’ll take every bit of it with a smile because he’s all I need, and if I can have him this way, I know I’ll be okay.

  He pushes his jeans down his thighs, and I fall to my knees before him. He looks down at me with a clenched jaw and hungry eyes. I swear I can see flames dancing in them.

  With my eyes on his, I wrap one hand around his shaft as I place the tip between my lips, causing a hissing sound to escape his mouth. He watches me like I’m the most captivating thing he’s ever seen. The deeper I take him, the shakier his legs become. When my lips hit the base, he moves one hand out, placing it against the door to support him. The other tangles into my hair, moving my head forward and back at the pace that pleases him the most.

  “You better never fucking leave me again. You hear me?”

  I nod as best I can. I can’t respond at all; he takes up all of my mouth with his large girth.

  He lets out a powerful moan before pulling away completely. “I can’t take another moment of this shit. I need to fuck you right now,” he says, picking me up against him as we fall onto the bed with me beneath him.

  One roll of his hips has him sliding into me. We both let out a relieved moan as he pushes deeper, harder. The headboard knocks against the wall hard, and I hear the sound of the plaster peppering the hardwood floor, but he doesn’t stop or pause. He just pulls out and thrusts so hard into me that it feels like I’m being ripped in half. Pain ripples through my body and I call out, but he silences me with a hard kiss. Instead of pulling back out right away, he grinds into me, rubbing that perfect spot and my clit at the same time. Without warning, a building orgasm rips through me, and I can’t do anything but moan and whimper into his mouth.

  “Fuck,” he mumbles against my lips. “So good,” he says, quickly pulling out just to push into me again. The headboard rattles loudly, and the neighbor bangs on the wall.

  I jump from the loud shout coming from the other side. “We should quiet down,” I whisper.

  “Fuck that,” he grinds out between clenched teeth as he keeps going, harder, faster. I can’t hear anything but the headboard hitting the wall, the sounds of our skin smacking together, the squeak of the mattress beneath us, and the sounds that escape both our mouths. We both finish with a loud groan that I know the neighbors will hear.

  He collapses on top of me, panting and breathing heavily. His heart is pounding so damn hard I can feel it against my own chest. His skin is littered with beads of sweat ready to roll down his skin. And as happy as I am right now, all I can do is hold him against me as tears slide out the corner of my eyes.

  I suck in a large gulp of air, hoping that he doesn’t notice the tears, but he lifts his head and wipes them away.

  “Talk to me.”

  I shake my head and giggle. “I’m just being stupid.”

  “Did I hurt you? I know it was rough, but I thought you liked it that way. Fuck, baby, I’m sorry if I did something—”

  “No, you didn’t do anything. It was perfect. I’m just…”

  “What?” he asks, pulling out of me and settling at my side.

  “I’m just so happy and relieved. I thought I’d lost you forever. I wouldn’t have blamed you. I was being my crazy, stupid self, the girl who has to ruin everything. Please forgive me.” I place my hand on his jaw and look into his blue eyes.

  “There’s nothing to forgive, Deven. You were right.”

  “What?” That catches me off guard.

  “You were right. We can’t be ourselves like this. We have to tell Brad.”

  I shake my head. “No, we don’t have to. I’m more than happy to keep things secret. I just…things were so great that I wanted more. I wasn’t appreciating what I had until I ruined everything.”

  “You didn’t ruin anything.”

  “I did,” I argue.

  “We’re here. We’re together. That’s all that matters.” His hand lands softly on my jaw and he directs my eyes to his.

  “Yeah, but you went on that date with that whore.” I laugh out.

  He smirks. “That date was nothing. It was a favor to Brad. That’s it. I didn’t kiss her. Hell, I didn’t even touch her. I couldn’t do anything but think of you the whole time. If you wouldn’t have jumped on me in there, I was already planning to jump you. But fuck, baby, I’m fucking glad you did. You have no idea how hard this has been on me, to look at you and not be able to touch you. I never want to feel like that again. We’re telling Brad and getting this shit off our chests and bringing everything out in the open so that we can be together the way we’re supposed to.
” He presses his mouth to mine and I get lost in this kiss.

  This kiss is so unlike the rest. This kiss is everything. It’s him and me. It’s our past and our future. It’s broken promises and promises that haven’t even been made yet. It’s everything. My world.

  The rest of the night is spent in a haze of sleep and sex. My body is exhausted and drained. I’m happy and excited, yet scared and worried at the same time. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I don’t care. Right now, all I can allow myself to think is how we’re back together and how happy I am.

  We finally drift to sleep around three a.m., and it’s the best sleep I’ve ever gotten in my entire life.

  “What the fuck!” someone yells, pulling me out my sleep. My eyes pop open as my whole body jumps. I find Brad in the doorway.

  Hudson sits up at my side, his eyes full of sadness and guilt when they land on Brad. “Just let me explain,” he says, holding his hand out, palm facing my brother.

  “Explain what? You’re in bed with my little fucking sister!” Brad shouts, his hands flying up to his dark hair.

  Hudson goes to get out of bed, but he suddenly remembers that he’s naked. His bare hip shows and Brad flips when he sees. He pulls back his fist and sends it flying toward the bedroom door and through the cheap material. Hudson jumps up quickly and grabs his boxers off the floor, pulling them up in record speed.

  “It’s not what you think,” he says as Brad leaps for him.

  Hudson quickly dodges him, and Brad goes falling into the dresser in the corner of the room. It wobbles backward, spilling everything that was on top.

  “This isn’t just fucking around, Brad,” he tries again.

  “All she does is fuck around,” he snaps, diving for him again. His words feel like a slap in the face, but I don’t have time to think about it because Hudson doesn’t duck away this time. Brad lands on him, bringing him to the floor.

  Everything happens so fast that I can’t do anything but sit and watch. I hear grunts and slaps, the sounds of bones cracking, and bumps and bangs on the walls and floor as they fight for who’s on top.

  I quickly step into action, standing from the bed and wrapping my body in a sheet. I grab Brad by the shoulder, trying to pull him off of Hudson, but Brad is lost to his anger. He doesn’t even think when he turns around and pushes me away. I stumble backward, tripping on the long sheet and falling. I barely miss the bed, instead landing on the floor and bumping my head on the bedside table. It hits hard with a thud. My vision blurs and starts to darken around the corners.

  “What the fuck, man?” I hear Hudson say. “You fucking hurt her. Get off of me.”

  The next thing I know, Hudson is picking me up against him and laying me down on the bed as he inspects the back of my head. I’m dizzy, but I’m alright and it doesn’t feel to be bleeding.

  “I’m fine,” I say, pushing his hands away and trying my best to sit up, but I’m dizzy.

  Hudson looks back at Brad who’s still on the floor. “Are you fucking happy now?”

  I finally manage to sit up and my eyes lock on Brad’s. His eyes are dark, looking so much like my own and our father’s. All I see shining in them is anger, pain, sadness, and disappointment. I’ve disappointed him. Again.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, not bothering to move.

  I nod as tears sting my eyes. Not tears of pain, but tears of sadness from causing the look on his face. He’s the only one I have, and I did this. I let him down. I disregarded everything he said and took exactly what I wanted like I always do.

  “Good.” He stands up and head for the door but pauses in his open doorway. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but I know one thing.” He turns around to face us. “You were supposed to be my friend. I specifically told you that she was off-limits, and you went behind my back. How long has this been going on?”

  “A few weeks,” I admit.

  “Weeks?” he practically snarls.

  Hudson holds up his hand. “Look, I know you’re angry.”

  “Damn right I’m angry. You’re my best friend and she’s my little sister! I’m supposed to be taking care of her, protecting her from men like you!”

  I see Hudson’s back straighten with the insult. “Look, we were going to tell you. We just wanted to be sure before we did.”

  Brad laughs. “Oh, you were going to tell me? Tell me that you broke the number one rule? That you’ve been fucking my sister behind my back?”

  It all sounds so bad that way. Why couldn’t he have just waited for us to explain?

  “I’m leaving. When I come back, you both better be gone. I’m fucking done with both of you.” He turns and leaves the room.

  “Come on, man,” Hudson yells, but the only reply is the front door slamming.

  Eleven

  Hudson

  I can feel my eye swelling and have no doubt that it’s starting to bruise. My jaw is sore and a pain shoots through my hand every time I clench it. I hated fighting with Brad, but despite the pain, I deserved every hit he got in.

  I wrap my arm around Deven as she cries, my hand rubbing up and down her bicep as I keep her held tight against my side.

  “Shhh, it’ll be alright,” I whisper into her hair as I press a kiss to her head.

  “How do you know? He was really mad,” she cries.

  “I just know. We just need to give him some time. Come on. Get dressed, and you and me will leave for a few days, give him the time he needs.”

  She looks up at me, her big brown eyes full of tears and worry. “Where are we going to go? I don’t have enough money for my own place yet. I only just got my first check.”

  “I have more than enough. We’ll stay at the motel a few days, then I’ll try talking to Brad again after he’s cooled off.”

  She nods, not liking my answer but having no other choice. She stands and begins to gather her clothes. I finish getting dressed and pack my things back into my military-issued duffle. I turn the light out and close the bedroom door behind me, looking back at the hole that’s now through it.

  I take my bag down to the truck while she throws her things into it. It takes me three trips, but our stuff is all loaded up. I drop my key onto the coffee table, and she does the same, with sadness in her eyes. As happy as I am to have her back, all I can think about is how I fucked this shit up. She lost her brother because of me. I won’t rest until he hears me out and forgives her. I don’t care if he ever forgives me or not. I don’t need him in my life, but she does.

  I take her hand in mine and lead her down the stairs and out to the parking lot. My truck is parked right next to her car. We stand between them and I pull her to my chest, hugging her tightly. “I swear, I’ll make everything right.”

  She doesn’t respond. She just nods silently.

  “Do you trust me?”

  She looks up into my eyes, and I can see the honesty shining in them as she nods. “I trust you, Hudson.”

  “Good.” I lean forward and press my mouth to hers, giving her a long, slow kiss. I pull away with a forced smile. “See, we’re not even hiding.”

  That makes her smile a little more.

  “Meet me at the motel?”

  She nods and I back away, moving around the truck to climb behind the wheel.

  It only takes minutes to drive to the motel here in town, and her silver car is behind my truck the whole way. I rent us a room and carry our things inside. The motel is old and out of date, but it’s better than sleeping in our cars. I don’t complain and neither does she as we dig out our everyday items and put them away.

  Once our things are put away, there’s still an awkwardness between us. It’s like we’re both thinking, “What do we do now?” I head to the bathroom and run a hot bath, filling it with the body wash provided by the motel so it makes a nice bubble bath.

  When I walk back into the room, she’s sitting at the table, staring off into space. I hold out my hand, and she studies it with her brows pulled together.
r />   “What?”

  “Come on. We need to relax,” I tell her, pulling her to her feet. She follows me to the bathroom, and when she sees the tub full of bubbles, she smiles.

  I step in front of her and pull her shirt over her head. “Just for today, pretend that this morning didn’t even happen. Okay? Just make yourself believe that we’re still hiding, that Brad doesn’t know about us. I told him that I was going to be helping my brothers, and you told him you’re going back home to see some friends. Nobody knows that we’re here. Okay?”

  She nods as she allows me to remove the rest of her clothes and mine. I step into the tub and slide back. She comes and sits in front of me, her back to my chest. I push her hair over her shoulder and rest my chin on the other.

  “Tell me, Dev. Where do you see us going now?”

  She glances over her shoulder at me and offers up a small smile. She takes a deep breath and lays her head back against my chest, staring up at the ceiling. “I see us getting our own apartment and living together for a while. You will work at the fire department, and I’ll work at the boutique. After some time, we’ll take the next step and get married, then move into a bigger house so we can start having children. We’ll have two boys and a girl. The two boys will be exactly like you: smart, handsome, brave, but good and always wanting to tell the truth and do what’s right. And our daughter, she’ll be a mix of the both of us. She’ll have my skin tone with your blue eyes. She’ll be the wild one, the one who gets into a little trouble, the one who pushes the rules but doesn’t quite break them. She’ll make me proud and drive you crazy.” She laughs.

  “I like the sound of that,” I reply, kissing her head.

  “Me too,” she agrees.

  “Brad will come around. I know he will. We just need to give him some time. Do you believe me?”

  She spins around to face me in the tub. She bites her bottom lip. “You don’t know my brother as well as I do. He’s changed a lot since you guys were friends in high school. He had to grow up really fast. When he feels like he’s been attacked, he doesn’t just forgive and forget. He may forgive us, but it’s not going to happen overnight and it’s not going to be an easy task.” She reaches out and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling herself into my lap so she’s straddling me. “But right now, I’m not thinking about him. I’m thinking about us and how we finally don’t have to hide. How I can fall asleep in your arms and wake up in the morning in the same position. We finally get to be us.” She leans in and presses her lips to mine. Her tongue demands entrance and I open willingly for her, needing her to taste her and feel her, to remind myself of what I have because I never plan on living without her again. I’ll propose right now if I have to, but something tells me that I don’t have to because she’s just as happy to be here as I am.