I knew it was bad but I couldn’t think past my own lust, I called his name as I came. He continued thrusting drawing out my orgasm until he finally hit his own with my named on his lips. I was exhausted, as he pulled out and pulled me to him, I tried to get my senses back. Tiredness pulled at me and I was so sated from that epic orgasm, I fell back to sleep.
******************************
I woke up to red, soft curls tickling my nose. Inhaling the sweet scent of the woman, still asleep in my arms, made me smile. I hadn’t planned on seducing Synclair last night, but somewhere in the middle of the night, I felt her hands rubbing my chest, stroking my cock and her mouth murmuring my name. Still half asleep I began to stroke her face and run my lips across her jaw, her neck and then down between the valley of her breasts. After that I was lost, I wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or I was, but I couldn’t stop. I nearly came when she told she loved me, my heart pounded and I felt giddy.
Of course, lying here in the late morning, I was worried about her reaction when she finally woke up. Was she going to regret it? Did I take advantage of her? Damn, the best sex of my life might just get me castrated.
Feeling her move, I froze. “I’m awake Reece, I’m not going to kill you so you can stop protecting your balls,” She said smiling against my chest. I looked down, I hadn’t even realized that I had moved a hand over my man parts.
She pushed up to a sitting position and tucked her unruly curls behind her ears.
“I’m not sorry.” I blurted out. I wasn’t, and I wasn’t going to sit here while she told me how much she regretted our love making.
She cocked her head to the side and regarded me through sleepy hazel eyes. She smirked. “I’m a big girl Reece, I know what I did and what I said and what I chose to do.” She said simply.
I’m sure the shock showed on my face, I had expected anger, violence, denials, but not… what was it? Acceptance?
Grabbing my hand she smiled. “Listen, I have slept with men Reece.” Okay that I didn’t need to hear. “But I never do repeats, that’s what Rachel meant by my one and dones,” She explained, helping to calm the jealousy that was rising.
“You hurt me Reece, a lot. You were the first person I let into my heart and you crushed it. I believed you were different from everyone else, everyone always just wanted to use me, my mother included.” The sad look on her face made me want to hold her. I pulled the hand that was holding mine closer but she resisted.
“No, I gotta get this out, Reece.” She pulled away, grabbing the sheet around her she got up from the bed and paced.
“I never had anyone to rely on Reece, Chef Maxwell was the first person who believed in me and Uncle Jack was the first person that I could rely on. I couldn’t rely on my mother Reece because she was a drug addict, and I never knew my father. So after you, I didn’t let people close.” She sighed and looked at me. “Rachel got to me, in her own optimistic way, she made me care about her, and I love your brothers, and I love the way your home is so warm and comfortable.”
I wanted to leap from the bed, this was all good right? She cared about my family, my house was warm and comfortable and none of those other bastards that had touched her, ever really had a chance. My heart lifted with hope.
“I don’t know how to erase the insecurity of someone really loving me Reece and I live in Vegas, my life is there, I’m going back there to rebuild my bar, I’m going to get that land. I even called a friend of mine to see if they could find out who bought it from UJ since he won’t tell me.”
Shit, I’m am so fucked. I tried not to let the panic show on my face. I was the one who purchased the land that had once held Jack’s bar. No one knew, not even my brothers and since I hadn’t really spent most of my inheritance and my vet practice was lucrative it hadn’t been a hardship. Jack had sold it to me to keep Synclair from rebuilding in Vegas. It was the one thing he and I really agreed on. Synclair needed a family, since he was going to be in Ireland, he trusted me to make her happy here, and if I didn’t, of course, he would cut my balls off. What had once seemed like a solid plan, now seemed like the nail in my coffin.
“Reece, are you even listening to me?” Her angry voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I looked at her standing there, hands on her hips, bedsheet tied around her chest. Nope, I wasn’t listening, I didn’t care what she said as along she didn’t give up on us.
“Honestly sweetheart you lost me as soon as you told me you didn’t regret last night, I’ve been staring like a loon since.” Okay, I had caught some of her rants, but mostly I had been staring.
Her face softened, and she sat in front of me, perched on the edge of the bed. Soon to be known as our bed.
“I still have feelings for you Reece, I’m trying to be mature and not lie and not run. I don’t know what is going to happen in a month when UJ releases the money to me, I can’t promise you anything.” She lowered her head, and I immediately raised it back up with my fingers under her chin. I couldn’t stand the sadness in her eyes. She was being honest, she was scared, but she wasn’t running. Damn how I loved my brave girl. I kissed her softly on the lips and smiled when she sighed.
“Just give me a month, to be friends, lovers, and maybe something else, I swear I won’t hurt you. Let me show you that your heart is safe with me and that you belong here.” I implored her, silently vowing that no matter what she answered, I was not giving up.
She smiled up at me, still looking unsure. I could tell she had made her decision when she sat back and removed the knot in the bed sheet. It tumbled to her waist and my mouth watered at the sight of her pink nipples, so hard, just waiting to be suckled. She grabbed my hands and placed them on her naked butt.
“Hands on my ass Hudson, you’ve got 29 days and no matter what, no regrets.” She decreed as I pulled her to my waiting erection, my hands never leaving her ass.
I could do this, I was so going to do this, and I was going to win.
******************************
Okay, it's official I had lost my mind. No, I mean like, I was certifiably batshit crazy. I don’t know if it was waking up encased in Reece’s strong arms or the orgasms he had given me the previous night, or the ones he gave me again that morning, but I was walking around with a stupid grin on my face.
For the next three weeks following our talk, Reece made me breakfast in bed, the bed I was now sleeping in every night- Hey! Don’t judge me, the man has talented hands, I was wearing comfortable jeans, sweaters and flats, I don’t even know where my combat boots are. Reece had been going to his vet practice at about eight in the morning, coming home for lunch, and a quickie, then coming home to a dinner I made. Okay, I know I sound like a sell-out, but cooking is my hobby and I am damn good at it.
I threw out every microwave meal in that damn freezer and Dalton and I filled the fridge with fresh foods and meat. Since I was not eating hamburgers every night, I decided I would cook. The Hudsons must have liked it because they all showed up at seven every night for dinner and Rachel says they hardly ever ate together before.
It was a little scary how easily Reece and I had fallen into a routine. I didn’t stay home and clean the house all day though. I spent my time with Sara at the diner. She really did have a good business model, just didn’t have the funds to revamp the diner. She was smartly avoiding taking a business loan because she didn’t want the debt. She kept hinting about how great it would be if I stayed in Carson City, how she would be open to building an add-on that housed a bar portion so that the diner could now be a family restaurant on one side and a sports bar on the other.
Of course, I just smiled at her blatant hinting, but never acknowledged it, very much like she did when I mentioned the night at the Hudsons when she sat in Lucas’s lap. I don’t know what happened that night since by the time Reece and I emerged the next morning both Lucas and Sara were gone. Sara wasn’t dishing on the details and apparently, according to Reece, neither was Lucas.
I had to admit,
it was a foreign feeling to feel happy. I felt like I belonged somewhere. Of course, I was pushing down the small bit of panic that came up when I thought about what would happen in the next week or so. I had already spoken to UJ several times, and he was blissfully happy in Dublin with his daughter, he had no wish to return to Vegas. I was more than a little worried about what I was going to do when it came time for me to go home. There was no sense dwelling on that, I figured I would deal with it when it got here. Yeah, I thought it was a chicken shit plan too.
“Hey, love.” A familiar baritone voice called. Reece walked over and gave me a kiss on the forehead and I blushed. Yeah, I was still a little uncomfortable about these declarations of affection he was always doing. The way he carried on when other guys were around, I thought he’d pee on me to mark his territory.
“Well if it isn’t my favorite vet, what brings you by the diner?” I teased, straightening out his crisp, green, dress shirt. Damn the man was fine.
Kissing me quickly on the lips he rocked back on his heels and regarded me silently for a moment. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight?” He asked, his eyes bright with happiness.
Looking back at Sara, I gave Reece a smile, “Sorry Reece, I promised Matt I would meet him here tonight and help him with something.”
I saw Reece’s smile turn into a scowl. I sighed, Matt had been asking me to help him with his profile on the escort website. I had taken a marketing class to help me promote the bar, so I offered to help him. We had been working on it off and on for about a week or so, but I promised him I wouldn’t tell Reece what it was. However, I also told him I wouldn’t lie. So, I told Reece I was helping Matt, but Matt had asked me not mention what it was.
For some reason, Reece got sullen every time Matt and I would go off and work on it. I wasn’t sure if he was actually jealous of his brother, or just jealous of the time I was spending away from him. It had caused more than a few arguments, but Reece usually backed down after he realized he was being a mule head.
“What?” I asked feeling irritated by his deep scowl.
“What about dinner tonight?” He asked.
Hands on my hips I spoke through clenched teeth, “Rachel is putting the casserole I made in the oven. Matt and I are eating here and you need to stop treating me like I am some wayward wife, who’s trying to escape the kitchen you’re trying to put me in.” I was definitely mad now, either he didn’t trust Matt or he didn’t trust me and neither was okay.
“Why the secret Synclair?” His voice was raised in irritation.
“It’s not my secret Reece and when Matt wants to tell you he will. Who is it you don’t trust here, Matt or me?” I knew my voice was getting higher. I didn’t want to have trust issues with Reece, but I wasn’t going back on my word with Matt.
I watched him fume silently as he mulled over my question. I could tell he was battling something in himself, apparently I wasn’t the only skittish one in this relationship, and the only difference was I had never given him any cause to not trust me.
Finally, his face turned into a sheepish smile. He blew out a breath and cocked his head to the side. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I find I lose my mind around you, I just don’t want to lose you.” He wrapped me in those strong, warm arms and I buried my head in his chest.
I was about to tell him that all was forgiven when the lunch I had eaten an hour ago suddenly decided to make an appearance. Suddenly, sick to my stomach I pulled back and bolted for the bathroom, my hand on mouth.
******************************
I watched as Synclair ran down the aisle toward the bathrooms. I took two steps after her when Sara grabbed my arm. “Hang on Reece, no girl wants her guy around when she’s tossing cookies.”
“What’s wrong with her?” I was worried, I had seen her bolt for the bathroom twice this week. She had told me it was nerves, and I hadn’t thought anything of it.
“She’s got a bit of the stomach flu, I had it a week ago and almost had to close the diner it was so bad. She just needs some juice and crackers.” She replied. Reaching behind the counter, she grabbed a handful of packaged saltines that she served with soup and dispensed a small glass of apple juice. “Go take these to her, that girl loves you, Reece, you gotta trust her or you’re gonna lose her.” She turned me and gave me a slight push toward the bathrooms.
Just as I was half way down the aisle, Synclair emerged, noticeably pale but smiling.
“I’m an idiot,” I told her, handing her the juice and crackers. I watched her sip her juice. “I know you haven’t been feeling well and then I show up here acting like a jealous asshat. I’m glad you’re helping my brother Synclair, your big heart is one of the reasons I love you so much.”
She looked relieved as she tore open the cracker wrapper with her teeth.
“Reece.” She began, suddenly serious. “This is new for me too, I'm as honest with you as I can, I know that you’ve been hurt in the past, but I’m not Amber and you’re not the same douche-bag you were a decade or so ago. You have to trust me, as long as we’re straight with each other, then everything will work out.”
She popped a cracker in her mouth and sipped some more of her apple juice. “You’re a totally new kind of douche-bag.” She teased, I watched her pull a pack of gum out of her jeans pocket and pop two pieces into her still pale mouth.
I smiled and kissed her on the forehead. I was stupid, this was my Synclair. She wasn’t Amber out to trick me or screw me over. In fact, if I was honest I was the one doing the tricking. I hadn’t told her I was the one that bought the property in Vegas. I was afraid if I told her now she would bolt, but I was beginning to think that maybe there was no good time at all. Besides, Matt was my brother, and he loved Synclair like a sister, they would never screw me over.
Lifting her onto the counter, I ignored her shocked squeak and the looks from the customers and kissed her in a hot, demanding manner. When I pulled away, she was breathless.
“I’ll see you at home Reece,” She called as I backed away. Home, she had called my house home. Grinning from ear to ear I turned toward the door, just as my brother Matt walked in with his laptop in hand.
“Hey bro take care of my girl, she’s not feeling well,” I told him.
Clapping me on the shoulder Matt laughed, “I got this big brother, go home.”
Feeling like things were going my way, I sauntered out of diner to my truck. Synclair was going to see me later at home, our home. Yep, life was pretty damn good.
It was about four hours later, after eating the casserole that Rachel had popped in the oven, that all of my fears began to eat at me. Synclair was used to a faster pace of life, she had lived in Vegas for Pete’s sake. Would she be happy in a small town? Why was she spending so much time with Matt and why did they seem so comfortable together? What about kids, what if she wanted kids and wasn’t open to adoption, could I really deny her the chance to feel a child kick in her belly?
That was when the whiskey started. I had one glass for my nerves, then four more for the fears that I was letting get to me. I knew I had to tell her about the Vegas land deal, I knew I had to let it be her choice if she stayed or left. If I trapped her, she would never forgive me, but I was so deep in my own shit that it felt like no matter what I did might lose her. I was so busy wallowing in my own misery that I missed the knock on the front door. The door opening got my attention, I knew that Dalton and Rachel were out at a movie and Matt was with Synclair, I couldn’t imagine who would be walking into my house.
I stood up so quick, the room spun. Damn whiskey. Wiping my spilled whiskey off my jeans with my hands I looked up at the face of the person who was intruding on my pity party.
“Reece?” Came an annoying voice from my past.
Shit, I sat down. Okay, I actually flopped back down onto the sofa.
“Get out, Amber,” I growled. The woman was bad news and had always been bad news.
“Something must be wrong Reece, you only drink whiskey
when you’re upset.” Came her smirking reply.
She was right, though, I only rarely drank anything other than an occasional beer. She should know, during our brief, lie of a marriage I had drunk whiskey a lot.
“Nothing is wrong, get out Amber-y-your b-bad news.” I slurred. My head was starting to spin again, I put both hands on my head to see if I could make it stop.
“I thought you might want to know what your brother and that street rat were doing behind your back, baby.” She cooed in that sugary voice that nauseated me.
“Don’t call her that,” I shouted, my own voice ringing in my head making my head thump harder.
“I have proof, Reece, they slept together and you need to know. I hired a private detective to find proof that she’s not the good person you think she is.” Amber insisted. Matt and Synclair? The idea was ridiculous. Not so ridiculous that you didn’t think the same thing, asshole.
“A private detective?” I asked trying to clear the fog in my brain. Amber sat down next to me on the sofa, I shrugged off the hand she tried to place over mine. I would never believe her, Synclair would never, Matt would never. She loved me, I know she did.
“Reece hon, look at this video. My detective found it on the web.” She pushed her Galaxy cell phone into my hand. I rubbed my eyes. It was Synclair, she was in a cute tank top, sitting at a bar. She was talking to two men. I recognized one as my brother. Matt was dressed in a suit I had never seen him wear, his hair was groomed perfect and he was smiling. There was no audio, but it was clear, it was Vegas, I saw the Bellagio water fountains in the background. What the hell? Matt and Synclair had met before? Why didn’t they say anything?
I turned the phone over and then back up again, in my drunken state I thought it would change the picture I was seeing. To my horror, the video showed Matt and Synclair again in the bar, then Matt picked her up off the barstool and kissed her, the camera followed them walk out of the bar toward the elevators, with my brother’s hands and mouth all over what was mine.
Back to You: A Hudson Family Series- Book 1- Synclair and Reece Page 16
