Pleasure Bound (Hard to Get 2)

by Anne Rainey

  Jonas tensed at the visual that brought to mind. “Arm wrestling? That’s not even close to a fair fight, Deanna. Your brother is a big man. I have to assume he was big in high school.”

  “He’s always been muscular. But Dean taught me self-defense. He’s shown me all sorts of little tricks to use against a guy.”

  “Have you ever had to use them?”

  She snorted. “I should’ve used them on Gary, but my heart was involved then. Not so easy to hurt someone you think you love.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “No, it’s not,” he murmured. “So, what’d Dean say about you taking this trip with me? He couldn’t have been happy.”

  “Uh, I didn’t exactly tell him.”

  “He doesn’t know?”

  “By now he does. Mom or Wade would’ve told him.”

  Jonas cupped her chin in his palm and urged her to look at him. “Are you ashamed to be here with me, Deanna?”

  Deanna rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’m not ashamed. It’s just that Dean is more protective of me than Wade. It’s like he can’t bring himself to believe I’m all grown up and allowed to have sex. I think if I’d become a nun, he would’ve been thrilled.”

  Enticed by the temptation of Deanna’s taste, Jonas brushed his lips back and forth over hers. “I wouldn’t have been happy if you’d become a nun,” he confided in a hushed tone.

  Deanna laughed. “I’ll just bet.”

  Jonas started to ask if she was going to talk to Dean when they returned to Ohio, but his cell phone rang, shattering the moment. He picked it up from the table and looked at the time on the clock on the wall. “It’s midnight. What the hell?”

  It rang again. “Answer it,” she urged him. “Maybe it’s an emergency.”

  Jonas flipped it open, not bothering to check the caller ID. “Hello?”

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing taking my sister to that beach house, you motherfucker?”

  Jonas’s gaze shot to Deanna. “Dean,” he said, and watched as Deanna’s eyes grew round with shock. “What a pleasant surprise.”

  “If you hurt her, Phoenix, I’ll bury you.”

  Jonas sighed. “I didn’t kidnap her, Harrison. She wanted to come. She’s a big girl.”

  “Put her on the phone.”

  “Nice talking to you, too, buddy.” Jonas handed the phone to Deanna.

  Deanna snatched it out of his hand. “Before you open your big, stupid mouth, you better remember that I don’t answer to you. Nor do I answer to Wade. I came on this trip because I wanted to spend time with Jonas, so back off!”

  What did it say about a guy who got a hard-on over his woman’s anger? Jonas’s dick was so hard he felt like he could drive nails through a two-by-four. She went quiet, and Jonas was curious what Dean was saying. When Deanna’s eyes began to water, a red haze of rage clouded Jonas’s vision.

  “Yes, we’ll talk when I get home.” She paused, her gaze on his when she ended the call by saying, “I love you too.”

  In Jonas’s mind, he heard her saying those words to him someday. It was a nice thought. He wasn’t sure he deserved a woman like Deanna, but a guy could dream. After she closed the phone, she handed it back to him. He tossed it onto the table and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. “What’d he say, kitten?”

  “You won’t like it.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t like you upset, either.”

  “First he complained about my phone not being on. I didn’t get a chance to tell him I’d merely forgotten to charge it today.”

  “And then?” He nudged her, knowing there was a hell of a lot more.

  She smoothed one hand up and down his bicep and softly answered, “He told me you’re just using me. That you just wanted to get me into bed and you knew this was your best chance at achieving that goal.”

  The son of a bitch. If he weren’t Deanna’s brother, Jonas would beat the shit out of him. But he was family, which meant hands off. Christ!

  Jonas took hold of Deanna’s shoulders and pulled her off his chest so he could look her in the eye. “Did you believe him?”

  “No.”

  She answered with such vehemence that Jonas knew she told him the truth. Thrilled she hadn’t let Dean get to her, Jonas kissed her, keeping it quick. “Good, because it’s not true. I understand he’s concerned for you, but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Not about this. Not about us. The only thing that could screw that up is you and me. That’s it.”

  She cupped his cheeks in her hands and leaned close. “I misjudged you and for that I’m sorry.”

  He quirked a brow at her. “You mean the oversexed playboy thing?”

  “Well, you do have quite the overactive sex drive.” She kissed his nose, which Jonas found completely adorable. “But I was way off about the playboy remark.”

  “I like to think of it as an overachieving sex drive, and only with you, kitten.”

  She laughed. “I enjoyed it when you tied me up,” she whispered. “I got all hot and bothered when you spanked me. The ice, though cold as heck, was even exciting. It occurs to me that maybe we’re both overachievers.”

  “And don’t forget you sucked my dick and swallowed my cum, because I sure as hell won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.”

  Deanna drew in a breath. “It was certainly memorable.”

  “Damn straight.” He wrapped his arms beneath her ass and stood with her in his arms. Ready to take her to bed where he could hold her in his arms the rest of the night. “So, maybe you could give us a chance?”

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

  The quiet answer sent a jolt of electricity straight to his heart. “You won’t regret it, kitten.”

  She smiled. “I know.”

  “Time for bed. Tomorrow’s our last day, and I want to hold you in my arms for a while.”

  Deanna rested her cheek against his chest and let him carry her out of the kitchen. “I’d like that, too, Jonas, very much.”

  16

  It was early Monday morning, and Deanna had been awake for hours. She’d wanted to make a few adjustments to the computerized design she was going to present to Valdez when they met on Wednesday. If they met. She still needed to talk to Jonas about his suspicions that Valdez was a criminal. She had the design nearly finished and it was gorgeous. Deanna only hoped it wasn’t going to be all for nothing. If Jonas was right and the gentle, older man truly was a drug dealer, then she’d just have to eat the time and trouble she’d put into the job, because she wasn’t going anywhere near the guy.

  When she heard the doorbell, her heart began to race like a little puppy doing laps around a living room. It was pathetic how much she missed Jonas. It’d been less than twelve hours since he’d dropped her on her doorstep with a promise to call on his lunch hour.

  She glanced down at the time on her computer monitor and frowned. Who on earth would be at her front door at eight in the morning? Even though she knew it couldn’t possibly be Jonas, she still crossed her fingers, hoping he’d decided to bring her breakfast again.

  The doorbell chimed once more, forcing Deanna to shout, “I’m coming! I’m coming!”

  As she ran down the steps and approached the front door, she realized she’d forgotten to grab her robe. She was still wearing her black pajama shorts and tank. Deanna peeked through the peephole and frowned. She twisted the lock and flung the door open. “Dean? What is it? Is something wrong?” It wasn’t like him to visit so early. He should’ve been at some construction site the way he always was this time of day.

  “Can’t a guy visit his sister without there being an emergency?”

  “Yes, but not this early in the morning.”

  He looked her over and scowled. “Were you in bed?”

  “No, I was up working on a design for a client.”

  “Then can I come in?”

  She stepped aside to let him enter. “Of course. Sorry.”

  He shrugged a
nd walked through the door. “Don’t suppose you have coffee? It’s cold as shit outside.” He unzipped his heavy cotton work coat and tossed it onto the couch, then started to rub his hands together to chase away the chill.

  Deanna laughed as she started toward the kitchen. “Cold? With that thick thing?”

  As she went about making a fresh pot, Deanna heard Dean let out a weary sigh. “I do love that coat, but I swear Ohio winters get colder and colder every freaking year.”

  “You’ll get no arguments from me.” Since Deanna had just come from warm, sunny Florida, she wasn’t all that in love with the cold Ohio winters either. “So, to what do I owe the honor of your presence?” she asked, even though she suspected it had something to do with Jonas.

  He went to her cupboard, took down two mugs, and brought them to the table. “I think we both know why I’m here, Dee.”

  Deanna’s hopes fell flat. “Jonas.”

  “Yeah, him,” he muttered.

  As he sat down in one of the chairs, it creaked a little, causing Deanna to ask, “You’ve put on a few more pounds of muscle, haven’t you?”

  He nodded. “Been working out.”

  “Me too. I might even be able to take you in a match.” She flexed her bicep, as small as it was, and grinned. “Care to place a bet?”

  He laughed. “Best save your money now that you’re a freelance interior designer. It’s not an easy gig.”

  Deanna sat across from him and waited for the coffee to finish brewing. “You’re just afraid I might show you up.” When Dean didn’t say anything but simply stared at her, Deanna slumped in her seat. “Might as well start the interrogation.”

  “It’s not like that. I’m just worried about you. Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Jonas?”

  “Because until this past weekend, I wasn’t.”

  He leaned forward in his chair. “You went out of town with the guy and he hasn’t even taken you on a date?”

  “He tried to take me on a date.” Deanna pulled her feet up under her to warm them. She loved her hardwood floors, but they were cold in the winter and she hadn’t bothered with slippers. “He tried to take me on several dates, but I kept turning him down.”

  “That was smart. Going to Miami with him, not so much. What were you thinking?”

  “I like him, Dean,” she explained. “And he likes me. What’s so bad about that?”

  “This is Jonas we’re talking about, sweetheart. The guy would make a porn star blush.”

  She snorted. “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating just a tad?”

  “If it’s all so wonderful, then why didn’t you tell me you were going away with him? Why did I have to find out from Mom?”

  “Because you would’ve tried to stop me,” she shot right back. “You wouldn’t have approved, just like you never approve of the guys I date.”

  “I’ve never tried to interfere in your personal life.”

  She didn’t speak, merely quirking a brow at his blatant lie. When the alarm on the coffeepot beeped, signaling it’d finished brewing, Deanna stood to retrieve it. After she poured them each a cup, she placed the pot back on the warmer and sat back down. She watched as Dean attempted to gather his thoughts. She could practically see him formulating a plan of attack. He was terrible at hiding his feelings from her. What he didn’t know, what she hadn’t even realized until she’d woken up without Jonas beside her, was that she loved Jonas. And no one, not even her well-meaning twin, was going to keep her from having a chance to explore that wonderful new feeling.

  “Okay, so I worry.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  “You mean the way you were hurt by Linda?”

  Dean stiffened. “She has nothing to do with this. This is about you and Jonas.”

  Deanna hated the pain she heard in her brother’s voice. It tore her up to know how much Linda’s betrayal had changed him. “That’s not entirely true,” she said in a soft voice. “You’re worried Jonas will hurt me because you were hurt. But I don’t want to shut myself off from love, Dean. I care about Jonas. I need to see where this could go.”

  “And if he hurts you?”

  Yeah, that’s the part she was concerned about too. “Then I’ll deal with it,” she answered, hoping he didn’t hear the catch in her voice. “It wouldn’t be the first time a guy hurt me, Dean.”

  His frown darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Uh, newsflash, bro, I’m not a virgin. I have been in relationships, believe it or not.”

  “Yeah, I’m aware, smart-ass. What I’m asking is which of those asswipes hurt you.”

  Deanna picked up her cup and took a sip. Good. A little strong, she thought, but good. “That’s not the point. The thing is, I was hurt, but I got over it. I moved on.”

  Dean shook his head and picked up his own mug. “Puppy love isn’t the same thing, Dee.”

  “No, you’re right,” she conceded. “It would hurt more if Jonas betrayed me.”

  “Wait, are you saying he’s the one? That you’re in love with the guy?”

  “I—” A loud pounding on the front door interrupted her morning confession. She stood to go see who it was. “This place is turning into Grand Central Station.”

  “Deanna,” Dean growled as he shot to his feet. “You aren’t even dressed. Go put something on while I see to your visitor.”

  Her face heated as she imagined opening the door to the UPS guy. “Uh, not a bad idea. I just want to see who it is first,” she said, still hoping Jonas would stop by.

  As Deanna approached the door, she looked through the security hole. Her heart rate picked up when she spied Jonas standing on her porch. He was wearing a brown leather jacket and jeans. Ooh, yummy. Deanna quickly turned the knob. Between one breath and the next, Jonas crushed her against his muscular chest, his arms wrapped around her waist so tight she thought she might break a rib.

  “Damn, I missed you,” he groaned as he nuzzled her.

  “Jonas.” Her arms snaked around his neck, and she inhaled his warm, masculine scent. “I thought you were going to call at lunchtime.”

  “Yeah, that was the plan,” he murmured as he loosened his hold and leaned back to look at her from head to toe. “Christ, you look good enough to eat, kitten. In fact ...” His sentence drifted off as he slammed the door with his foot and took her mouth in a hard, claiming kiss. His tongue demanded entrance, and Deanna was helpless to the passionate assault. She sighed and parted her lips. Jonas delved in, tasting and playing. Deanna melted against him, and she heard a low growl deep in his chest. When he dipped his tongue out and licked over her bottom lip, Deanna felt as if she were drowning in bliss.

  Oh, my, the man could kiss. Before she had time to think clearly, his hands slid down her back to cup her bottom. When he started tugging her shirt upward, Deanna forgot everything else and surrendered. Having Jonas so hungry for her had a way of doing that. Her body tingled everywhere his hands touched. Excitement skittered down her spine when she felt his rock-hard arousal against her belly.

  Then someone cleared his throat.

  Too late, Deanna remembered they weren’t alone. She broke away just as Jonas glanced over the top of her head. He scowled as he straightened. Deanna noticed he didn’t bother to release her. “Dean,” Jonas muttered, clearly unhappy at the interruption, “what a pleasant surprise.”

  “I take it you didn’t see the big red pickup parked on the street in front of Dee’s house?”

  Jonas grinned down at her. “I was a little distracted.”

  “I noticed,” Dean said as he glared at her. “Maybe some clothes would be good?”

  Deanna rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She looked up at Jonas and smiled. “I’ll be right down. There’s fresh coffee. Help yourself.”

  Jonas placed a gentle kiss to her forehead before releasing her. “Take your time.” He winked and patted her on the bottom. “Dean and I can entertain ourselves.”

  “Yeah, by
engaging in a few rounds of boxing, no doubt.” Deanna had the forethought to send up a silent prayer for her furniture. “Anything gets broken and you’ll both pay dearly.” With that deadly warning, Deanna turned and left the room.

  Jonas wasn’t a happy camper. He’d been hoping to find Deanna alone, maybe even a little rumpled from dragging her out of bed, which he would’ve dragged her back into. Instead, he had to deal with her overprotective twin. Oh, joy.

  “So, what brings you to Deanna’s this early?” Jonas asked as he unzipped his coat and laid it over a chair. “Shouldn’t you be on a job somewhere?”

  Dean scowled. “Do you always leave Wade to do all the work, or is this just a special occasion?”

  “Wade knows I’m here.” Jonas shrugged. “He’s fine with it.”

  “I’m not Wade.”

  Jonas snorted as he headed for the kitchen. “Thanks for the heads-up on that one.”

  Dean stepped in front of him before he could get to the coffeepot. “Look, Phoenix, for whatever reason, my sister cares about you. I think she has poor taste in men, but that’s beside the point. I can’t stop her from seeing you. Just know that if you hurt her, you will pay.”

  Jonas’s morning was seriously turning to shit. He dragged his fingers through his hair and muttered, “I told you before, I have no intention of hurting Deanna. What’s your problem with me, anyway?”

  Dean’s eyebrows shot up. “Christ, are you serious? I know some of the things you’ve done. The women, the dangerous ops you eagerly participated in. Life is a game to guys like you. Do you honestly think I want my sister with someone like that?”

  Jonas clenched his fists at his sides in an effort to keep from strangling Deanna’s brother. Something like that would surely put a crimp in their new relationship. “You’re on dangerous ground, Harrison,” he warned. “Watch it.”

  Dean stepped closer so that only a few inches of air separated them. “What’s wrong, Jonas, can’t handle the truth?”

  “Deanna isn’t a game to me,” he gritted out, vying with his anger for control. “And while I’m willing to be your punching bag for her sake, don’t ever put her in that category again.”