With her eyes closed, she allowed her mind to drift and envision Drake’s rock-hard body just inches away from her own. She’d trace the curves of his pecs, kiss them, and swirl her tongue around his nipples before heading further south to his taut abs. “Mmm,” she purred with her eyes still closed.
* * * *
Drake didn’t expect the scene he witnessed when he waltzed into the barn. During the trip back from the hospital, his mind was occupied with thoughts of Alex. He couldn’t shake her out of his mind and wanted to see her. Standing in the doorway to the barn, he watched her sitting on the bench inside. Her T-shirt was wet from dribbling cold water over it. Her eyes were closed, and she was smiling as if having a fabulous dream. She arched her back before biting her lip. He internally groaned and adjusted his cock when Alex began pinching her nipples with a soft moan filling the barn. Heaven help him. All he could think of doing was going to her, taking over the task and kissing those plump lips with his own. God, she was hot.
Alex wiggled and gasped. Her left hand continued to nip at her breasts while her right hand slid down between her thighs and began stroking her pussy through her denim jeans. The evidence of her excitement made her jeans wet. So fucking hot!
Drake didn’t know how much more of the show he could take. He wanted to know what she was thinking about, or rather who, and prayed it was him. Everything was more than he could physically endure. Just watching her lick her lips, squeeze her breasts, and stimulate herself had him hard with anticipation and want. No, don’t ruin it. He started forward, unable to stop himself.
“Yes!” Alex moaned and pulled her tank top down, allowing her petal-pink nipple to peek out. She rolled it between her fingers while continuing to stroke her nether region.
Fuck it. Drake’s feet swiftly carried him to where she sat. All the emotions from the stressful day had built, and he yearned to find solace from the pain. He fell to his knees quietly in front of her without her noticing. She was too wrapped up in her daydream.
When his tongue flicked out across her nipple, she squealed and her eyes snapped open. “Drake!” She gasped and pushed her back against the barn wall.
“It looked like you needed the company.” Drake kissed her soft breast.
Alex shivered and contracted from his touch, but didn’t try to run. “You’ve been watching me?” she asked in a high, squeaky voice as if it surprised her.
“Mmm, yes.” He pulled her erect nipple into his mouth and gave it a stern suck, causing her to gasp. He continued to nip and tease while she wriggled on the bench.
“We can’t do this,” she protested, closing her eyes and allowing him to continue. Her fingers gripped the edge of the bench with a soft moan floating into the air.
He lightly bit her nipple. “Why not?”
“Oh, God.” She grabbed his hair and pulled roughly against her breast. She inhaled a deep breath. “Someone will come in.”
Drake kissed up toward her neck, lightly nipping before kissing her soft skin again. “They’ll get one hell of a show.”
“No, I’m serious. We can’t.” Alex looked down into his eyes.
He reached behind her head and pulled her mouth to his. Their kiss became fevered and intense. Alex moaned into his mouth, grasping his hair between her fingers. Drake eased his hand down her chest, stopping to stimulate her nipple before continuing down to her hip. He gripped her jeans and pulled, sliding her off the edge of the bench. The long, slender legs she possessed wrapped around his waist with her mouth hungrily kissing him.
The intensity grew, heightening his arousal. Everything about Alex was strong, yet so soft and feminine. This was the type of moment he dreamt about. Holding her was like holding a dream, a tangible dream, if only he could break through to her. There was a sweet gentleness in the way her hands caressed his face, tracing the outline of his jaw. Her legs wrapped around him, holding him tighter. His knees ached, the strewn straw offering little in the way of cushion.
An aching sensation crept up his legs, burning, but not enough to make him stop. Alex’s lips were on his, a tender caress sweeping down his biceps. “You were thinking about me. Weren’t you?” he asked as he broke their kiss to look into her eyes. Rubbing his hard cock between her legs, he squeezed her hip. “You want my cock inside you, and I want nothing more than to please you with it.” He hated to sound so blunt, but his mind warred with pain, want, and desire.
She moaned as he returned his mouth to hers with his hips grinding the apex of her thighs.
“Just say the word,” he whispered between kisses. “I’m yours.”
“Drake, I want you. I do, but—”
“But what?” Drake kissed a trail from her mouth along her chin.
“I’m scared,” she admitted and pulled his chin up where she could study his face. “I’m scared of getting hurt.”
The words jumbled in Drake’s mind, pulling him out of his sexually induced tunnel vision. “I would never hurt you, Alex.” He traced her bottom lip with his thumb. She was so beautiful with her wide eyes and rosy skin. How could he even want to hurt such a gorgeous creature? Never before had he wanted a woman with so much intensity. Nor had any woman impressed or challenged him quite like this one.
“You say that, Drake, but you have a lot going on.” Alex put her hand on his cheek.
“So, you think I’m some sort of basket case?” He hated the turn of events.
“Maybe.”
Drake laid his head against her chest and stroked her arm. “My life is far from perfect, and yeah, it’s a little fucked-up right now—”
“You son of a bitch!” Drew yelled from the front of the barn.
Drake’s head came up and Alex screamed, “Don’t, Drew!”
“You just keep fucking up our lives,” Drew yelled, pulling Drake to his feet and punching him with a blow to his right eye.
“Stop!” Alex jumped off the bench, grabbing Drew’s arm before he could hit him again.
Drake stumbled back in a fog as adrenaline began to course through his veins, along with extreme anger. Drew pushed Alex out of the way and swung again, narrowly missing Drake, allowing Drake to return the gesture. Blood spurted from Drew’s lip when Drake landed a blow, making Drew stagger back and wipe his lip.
“All right. Fucking game on.” Drew gritted his teeth together.
Drake readied himself, on guard, waiting for him to try and do his best. This event had been coming and brewing for a while. It was only a matter of time before one of them snapped, and today was the day. “Drew, you’re a dick.”
Drew lunged and took Drake to the ground. They rolled with fists flying, pounding one another with all the strength they could muster.
“Fuck you, Drew.” Drake growled before hitting Drew with an uppercut to the jaw.
Drew returned the blow. “Spoiled-ass rich kid.”
Gasping, Drake fought for air, finding an opportunity to pull free. Drew stood up and came at him with a kick. Drake managed to grab his boot and push him away, causing him to stumble and fall. Before he could get back to him, a hand grabbed his arm, jerking him to his feet. Drake turned with a fist, stopping when he noticed Damon glaring.
“Break it up, you adolescent bastards!” Damon pushed Drake away.
Drew jumped up and started for Drake again, but Damon grabbed him. “Stop. Now!”
“He had it coming! Fuckwad here was all over Alex when I came in!” Drew fought against Damon’s hold.
“Drew, she’s an adult, blockhead.” Damon tried to shake some sense into Drew. “Do you hear me? Alex is an adult, and she doesn’t need your barbaric protection.”
“Yes, she does.” Drew wiped the blood off his lip with the back of his hand. His breaths were ragged and short. “She doesn’t need to hook up with this bastard!” he continued and pointed at Drake.
Drake lunged forward, striking Drew square in the nose. “Go to hell, Drew!”
Damon yelled, pushing between them and knocking Drake to his ass in a pile of hay. �
��Knock it off!” He worked to calm himself. “Drew, sit the fuck down!” He pointed toward the bench. “Drake, stay your damn ass right where you are.”
Drake didn’t move and watched, waiting for Damon to speak again. Damon was someone he looked up to and didn’t want to further jeopardize what relationship they had started. He hoped this incident hadn’t completely ruined it.
“Now, you two will knock this shit off. Do you hear me?” he said with a growl and looked at Drew then at Drake. “No one asked to be in this situation, yet here we all are. And look at you two dipshits! You’re in the barn, rolling around, fighting over something none of us caused.” Damon kicked the dirt floor in irritation. “Whether you like it or not Drew, we are brothers.”
“No, he isn’t my brother and he never will be.” Drew hissed from the bench.
“You two assholes better quit this shit. I mean it.” Damon growled. “Alex is up at the house crying. I hope it was worth it.” Damon stopped and put his hands on his hips. He shook his head while they all took deep breaths, trying to calm down. “It has been a stressful morning for everyone. Don’t compound the situation any more than it already is.”
Drake listened, sitting in a pile of hay and dirt. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and his ribs throbbed with pain. His face also hurt along with his right eye and shoulder.
“You two are something else. Y’all really look like a couple of douche bags.” Damon shook his head with a small chuckle.
“I’m going home. You two can kiss my ass.” Drew got up and walked toward the door.
When Drew was gone, Damon helped Drake off the ground. “Man, I’m sorry,” Drake apologized. “He came out of nowhere.”
“I know.” Damon studied him. “By the way, you look like hell.”
Drake nodded. “Yeah.”
“Don’t hurt her,” Damon warned.
Drake cleared his throat, feeling nervousness set in. Damon was dead serious. “I would never intentionally hurt her. I—”
Damon waved a hand, cutting him off. “Don’t hurt her.”
“I promise,” Drake replied, “I won’t.”
* * * *
Alex stood under the cool spray of the shower while sobbing. She felt terribly for Drake and was also angry with herself for allowing the moment between them to go so far. But never in a thousand years would she have ever believed that Drew would be so protective of her. He was so much like her older brother, Mason, who was currently stationed in Afghanistan. She missed him and wanted more than anything to hear his voice and know he was okay. They were close and relied heavily on each other. She could go to him with anything and he’d be there for her, well, until he joined the army two years previous. With her brother being gone and in danger daily, it spurred on her father’s overprotective qualities even more than usual. It was hard on all of them having Mason gone. Alex counted the days until he was to come home. Currently, it was a month and three days.
A knock at the door pulled Alex out of her thoughts. She turned off the shower and stepped out. “Just a minute.” She pitched her voice while reaching for a towel and drying her face. Her eyes stung from crying, and her nose was stuffed up.
Opening the door, she expected it to be Regan checking up on her, but wasn’t surprised that it was Drake instead. “Hi.” She looked down at the floor, holding her towel, not trusting herself around him.
“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t of acted on my want for you, this would have never happened,” Drake softly spoke.
She looked up, this time making eye contact and covering her mouth as she gasped out loud. His right eye was already turning black and blue, and his lips and nose were stained with dried blood. His normally casual hairstyle was a mess of tangles interwoven with hay and dirt. “Oh my goodness. Come in.”
Drake followed. “Are you okay, Alex?” He pulled her arm and made her turn around to face him.
Alex looked into his blue eyes that were searching hers for an answer. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she lied and pushed him to lean against the counter. “Be still,” she said while turning on the faucet and wetting a washcloth.
When she began to wipe the blood from Drake’s lip, he recoiled. “Easy.”
“So, how’s Drew?” Alex needed to get her mind off of why the fight started to begin with.
Drake chuckled. “Worse.”
“Seriously?” she asked, having a hard time believing it, because both seemed pretty evenly matched, and Drew was a tough country boy whereas Drake was not.
“No, we both look like hell,” Drake admitted and caressed her face while she tended to his cuts and scrapes.
The heat from their close bodies and the touch of his hand sent a new wave of energy pulsing inside her. Just the thought of two men fighting overwhelmed her, but it also excited her. Drew, the big brother type trying to defend her honor, and Drake, the man she wanted desperately to bed. The situation and timing was awful though. Their father was in the hospital after having a heart attack, and the news media was crowding the front gate for a glimpse into their lives. She had to laugh, because all she could think about was exploring Drake’s body with her tongue and fingers.
“Is that amusing to you?”
“Yes—I mean–I mean no,” she stuttered. “What I mean is”—she paused, trying to find the right words to express how she felt—“it’s just a crazy situation. That’s all.” She rubbed Drake’s forehead a little harder than she meant to.
“Oww,” Drake complained and scrunched up his eyebrows.
“Sorry.” She giggled, feeling the stress start to lift away. For some reason, it was soothing for her to tend to him. She was a soft and loving person, her weakness mainly being animals. But now, her weakness was Drake. Inside his tattered shell was a good man. She could see it in his eyes. They seemed to reflect his soul, and it was gentle.
“Thank you for cleaning me up. Again, I’m sorry for catching you at a weak moment.” Drake shifted his weight and groaned.
“Oh, no.” She watched him hold his ribs. “Did you take a hard blow to the ribs?” she asked and pulled his hand away.
“Yes, but the damage was from a previous adventure.”
“Previous adventure?” Alex looked up to him for an answer.
“I have a couple of cracked ribs. It happened four days ago,” he admitted.
“What? And you were out working cattle?” She pressed lightly against his ribs, making his groan louder. “You shouldn’t have been doing that.”
“I’m fine.” Drake grabbed her probing hands. “Look at me.” He pulled her chin up. “I’m fine.”
Staring into his gorgeous eyes, she got lost in them as all rational thought left her mind. Softly she kissed his lips. Once, twice, and a third time. He didn’t move or respond. “What’s wrong? Am I hurting you?”
“No, I’m just—damn it.” He sighed. “I don’t want to hurt you. Ever.”
The thought of him working in his condition and fighting today pushed her buttons, making her wild with desire for him. His heartfelt confession pushed her over the edge. She wanted him to take her now, right in the bathroom, against the wall or in the shower. Her excitement made her tremble, and she felt a warm rush of her wetness trickle down her thigh. “I want you, Drake,” she whispered against his mouth, kissing him again.
* * * *
Drake warred with himself. This was what he wanted. Alex was hot and ready for him, practically begging. The sweet smell of her shampoo invaded his nose. Her soft kisses on his sore mouth reminded him of everything at stake. Hell, he didn’t know where his life was heading or what he planned to do after this little venture was over with. Alex, on the other hand, had life firmly in her grasp, and the thought of derailing her hurt him deeply. It was odd to feel so much for her in only a couple of days, but she was unique and very special. Not at all the type of woman he’d ever spent any time with before. Damon’s words haunted him. “Don’t hurt her.”
“What is it? It’s like you can’t make up your mind.” She
trailed her index finger down his chest. “This is what you wanted. Wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I did. I mean I do, but—”
“But what? You think you’re going to hurt me? Do you honestly believe I’m that fragile?” She gave him a disbelieving look.
“I don’t know, but I do know that it would kill me if I did.”
“Or your brothers. Am I right?” Alex backed up a step with anger swirling in her eyes. “My father thinks I’m naïve, Damon and Drew think they need to protect me, and you think I’m fragile.” She shook her head. “You know, it would be nice just once to be thought of as an adult.” She stormed out of the bathroom leaving Drake standing in a stupor.
Strike three, dumbshit. “Damn it.” That was not at all what he expected or what he wanted. She just looked so vulnerable with her reddened eyes from crying. What kind of an asshole would he be if he bedded her in that condition? He wanted her and was proud that he resisted her advances, but it angered her and now he suspected she felt a little burned by the incident.
Drake walked to his room and pulled a clean set of clothes out of his suitcase. He could use a shower, a pain reliever, and a nap.
Chapter 6
Drake awoke to the smell of the food cooking wafting up the stairs and into his room. He looked at his watch, unable to believe he had slept nearly six hours. Sitting up, he turned and put his feet on the floor while worrying about Alex, and strangely enough, about his father. He rose up on his feet with his muscles aching from the fight with Drew. He could have done without duking it out with the guy. Now his progress on healing his ribs was delayed, or worse than they started to begin with. He grimaced when he touched his swollen cheek. He’d give it to Drew. The asshole had one hell of a punch.
Walking out of his room, he glanced down the hall to see if Alex was in her room. The light was off, and he hoped she was downstairs with Regan. He took the stairs one at a time, not ever remembering hurting so damn much in all his life. It was just another reminder that he needed to make some changes, positive changes in his life. Reaching the bottom step, he was relieved to not only be down, but also to hear Regan and Alex talking.
Drake [The Texas Senator's Sons 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 6
