The Other Brother (Snow and Ash Book 3)

by Heather Knight

  Someone on the general’s staff arranges all the formal affairs. Whoever it was set name cards in front of our plates. Kent and I are at the opposite ends, and my mood sinks. I wanted to be next to him. But I’ve got my sister to my right, and Nico on my left, so it’s not like I have to talk to someone I don’t know, like Maj. Arpin’s fiancée. They put her next to Nico.

  Tish entertains Nico and me with all the adventures she’s had since I left. With Tish, everything is an adventure. Before I know it, it’s already time for the third course.

  “Tenderloin, Mrs. Barry?”

  I study the platter. Do I want to eat all that steak, or should I just hold off and wait for the veggies? And what’s the starch tonight? If it’s anything with cheese melted over it, I’ll die. At this rate my butt’s going to be bigger than the state of Tennessee by New Year’s.

  “Make up your dang mind, Bee; we’re starving.” Tish giggles. Nico joins her.

  Flushing, I take whichever one is on top and set it on my plate. It’s got to be two inches thick, and it’s bloody. Gross. But there are people starving out there. I have no business complaining.

  I peer down at Kent, but he and Col. Ernshaw are paying rapt attention to Ernshaw’s companion. It’s the same girl he was with the other night. She has long, sleek dark hair and she’s dressed in a white halter dress that fits her like it’s a tattoo. She’s built right for it. Well, up top anyway. For all I know, she could have cankles.

  “Bianca, seriously, you have got to love this,” Tish murmurs with a smile. “Everyone here is at least ten years older than you. Except me, of course. You’ll never feel old.”

  “Old? I feel like I’m in kindergarten.” I reach for my water and knock a spoon off the table. It lands with a clatter, and several pairs of eyes turn to me. I go rigid. I fix my attention on my plate, on the oozing muscle that practically still walks. A private scoops up the offending cutlery and places a clean one next to my plate.

  God. Could I be any more awkward? It wouldn’t be so bad if I was sitting next to Kent. He takes care of everything, and all I have to do is eat. He directs the conversation, and I never feel incompetent or left out or like I don’t belong. Let’s face it. I shouldn’t be in a setting like this. I shouldn’t be wearing fancy clothes or chatting up foreign dignitaries. I belong in sweat pants.

  Tish squeezes my arm and offers me a smile. She means to comfort me, I know that, but now I’m so hot I could burst. I glance up at Kent just in time to see him laugh at something Ernshaw’s companion says.

  Laughing. He’s laughing. Kent never laughs.

  Ernshaw glances my way at that exact moment. He raises his brows and clears his throat. “Col. Barry, your wife looks lovely tonight.”

  Kent blinks as though pulled from a dream and peers down at me. “Thank you. She does, doesn’t she?”

  I smile my thanks, but I’m too shy to speak, especially when I’m being tossed pity.

  There was a time I could take on a two-hundred-pound man and kick him unconscious.

  “You know who that is, don’t you?” Nico murmurs.

  “Who?”

  He leans toward me. “The girl next to Ernshaw.”

  I move in closer. “No. Should I?”

  “That’s Ayden Deigh. Kent used to date her. It was a while ago, of course. Before the accident. Before, you know, his face.”

  I flick another glance at Ayden, and my stomach kinks. “Were they together for long?”

  He shrugs. “Couple of years, maybe? They had something entirely different. Kent’s actually pretty considerate where you’re concerned. Usually he’s a real bastard. With Ayden it was all heat. It was an S&M thing. Pretty violent sometimes, from what he’s told me.”

  Oh great. “Well she sounds like a bitch, breaking up with him after the fire.”

  “It’s not like that. She ended it a couple months before that happened.”

  I sigh. Of course she did. I want to smooth my hair into a tight braid. I want to grab a tablecloth and cover myself.

  Nico chuckles. “Relax. You’re his wife. She’ll never have that.”

  I shrug as I cut into the disgusting mass of flesh. “I’m not worried.”

  But I am. For the rest of the dinner, I watch as Kent, Ernshaw, and Ayden flirt, laugh, and exchange what is probably intelligent, witty conversation. And why not? She’s beautiful. She looks older than me, too. I’m that teenage girl he got stuck marrying for the sake of politics.

  By the time dinner is finished, my cheeks hurt from fake smiling and all I’ve eaten is a spoonful of soup, a too-small salad, and a bite of bloody steak.

  “I need to talk to Col. Ernshaw,” Tish says, and she sashays off to meet him.

  Kent is talking to Maj. Arpin and his fiancée, whose name I still don’t know, and Nico abandoned the room the second Kent stood up. I’m just standing there. By myself.

  At least he’s not talking to Ayden. If he does, I’ll lose it.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Barry. We had a wonderful time,” Col. Wagner says.

  I’d put him and his wife, Diana, at well over forty. Not that I’m an expert. Diana must be at least six feet tall, and when she smiles down at me, it feels distinctly maternal.

  “I’m sorry about canceling this afternoon, Mrs. Wagner.” I shoot a glance at my sister. She’s still talking to Col. Ernshaw. He’s wearing this stunned, eyebrows raised, am-I-in-the-middle-of-a-tornado look.

  “Oh, bless your heart.” She actually grabs my hand and pats it. “If my sister surprised me like that, I’d kick y’all out.”

  I smile back at her. She’s got what my mother calls old Southern charm. People used to make fun of it, but it comes in handy. Like right now, when I need someone to be nice to me. They leave, and so does stupid Ayden, who does not thank me. It’s all I can do not to turn around and check to see if she does have cankles. Or a huge ass. I’m betting she doesn’t.

  Kent’s still talking to the major and his fiancée, the girl I don’t know. I shouldn’t say girl, though, because she looks at least as old as Tish.

  I sigh. I consider grabbing my sister away from the colonel and fleeing the room. Tish touches his arm and laughs, but he doesn’t return it. In fact, he’s frowning. I am not getting in the middle of that.

  The major shakes Kent’s hand, and he and his companion turn to leave. Kent is alone now, but I am so not going to him. I’ve had to watch him flirt with that woman all night. If he wants to talk to me, he can come over here. I cross my arms over my chest. But then he catches my eye and waves me over. Damn him. After a moment’s hesitation I cross the distance between us. I am absolutely certain, without a doubt, that my hair is frizzing.

  When he places his hand in the small of my back, I stiffen. He tucks a finger under my chin and gives a half smile. “What’s with that face?”

  I bite my lip. If I bring up the old girlfriend, will he be mad at me? Is that crossing some kind of line? I’m just his arranged wife, some girl with no social grace whatsoever. Then again he told me very specifically not to hold things back. He reminded me again last night, and that’s something I’ll never forget. But…

  I look away. “Nothing.”

  “Bianca.” His voice is full of warning.

  I flick him a glance and cross my arms again. “It’s just…Nico told me y— I mean, he said that girl you were talking to, you two used to be—”

  “What is this?” His brow collapses over his eyes.

  Oh God. Why did I say anything? “I just…nothing.”

  “No. You’re out of line, Bianca. What happened between Ayden and me is private.”

  Shock tingles my scalp and ices its way down my spine. “What?”

  “What happened in my past is none of your concern. It has nothing to do with you and me.”

  Is he kidding me? “You told me if I was upset, I shouldn’t keep it from you. You called it lying!”

  He sighs. “She’s nothing. She’s just an old girlfriend. You’re my wife. Why are we having this
conversation?”

  His political wife, a voice whispers inside me. “Because she’s…”

  Kent’s looking at me like I’m crazy, and I grit my teeth. “Never mind.”

  He draws me in a loose hug, but he’s looking over my shoulder. Like I’m not even there. I’ve made him mad. Why did I have to do that? She dumped him at least a year ago. He’s got to be over it by now. Right? And he’s so kind. And we are so not vanilla, at least as far as I know.

  He steps back and traces a finger down my jaw. “We have tonight. Remember? I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

  I give him a sure-you-were look, but I allow him to put his hands on my hips and pull me just a little too close for polite company. He’s got a chub. I giggle.

  He kisses my forehead. “You’re silly, but you’re sweet. Will you be waiting for me?” A sparkle lights his eyes.

  Heat flushes through me as I remember last night. Being childish and jealous is not how you please a man. What Kent and I have is special. Why am I ruining it?

  “I’ve been thinking about you all day, too,” I admit finally.

  He pulls away and leers down at me. “Have you?”

  I nod. I allow a close-lipped smile to escape.

  The warmth returns to his eyes, and when he smiles, both cheeks move, so it’s real. “You’ll be waiting for me then?”

  I blush and look at the floor. “I will.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  He’s right. It doesn’t hurt. A chill breeze from under the door raises goose bumps on my skin, but I don’t move. I’ve showered and lotioned for him, and I’m on my knees with my hands behind my back. For some reason waiting for him like this, knees spread and breasts available for whenever he gets around to me, kind of turns me on. I want him to hurry up; I want him to wait and torment me more. Do other women do this for their husbands? Not something I could exactly ask my mother. Tish never talked about sex back when she was in college and there were things like birth control.

  If tonight is anything like last night, I just might turn into Jell-O. My nipples go hard at the thought. I want to touch them, run my palms over them, and get a taste of what he’ll give me, but I don’t. He said to wait.

  So I do.

  The ancient mantel clock chimes. I’ve been on my knees over an hour now.

  When the door finally opens, I catch my breath. The first lick of moisture seeps between my legs. He hesitates at the door, and I feel his gaze caress my body. I blink and my skin warms, but I keep my gaze fixed on the floor.

  The wood creaks, and Kent is off to the bathroom. I’m still sore between my legs from last night, but I don’t care. I ache to take him inside me. The shower is running, and I imagine him moving the soap over his hard, chiseled body, and wish I could be there to watch. To do it for him.

  Ayden, though. What is the deal with her? What did Nico mean when he said Kent and her were violent? Does Kent need that? Would he go to another woman so he could get it? I don’t know if that’s something I could even do. It’s one thing to put your trust in another, but I don’t know if I trust anyone that much. People have hurt me for their own pleasure in the past. I don’t think I could go through that again and survive.

  The water stops, and I curl my toes. He’ll be drying himself now. Is he thinking about me? My right hand clenches my left wrist. I want to touch him.

  The door opens, and a thrill of heat licks my core. The floorboards creek. Will he ignore me again? Will he make me wait?

  Out of the corner of my eye I sight his bare feet, the hairs on his legs, and I moisten my lips. He pauses in front of me, and my heart leaps against my chest. He crouches. He’s hard and ready, and a delicious wave of longing hits me. I’m not getting enough air.

  He runs a hand through my hair. “So soft,” he murmurs. He trails his fingers down my neck, down my collarbone. He cups my breast and gently tweaks the tip between his thumb and finger. My pussy tightens, and my eyelids flutter at the exquisite shiver he brings.

  “Good girl.” He even sounds pleased. He slides a finger over my clit, down my pubic lips, and grunts. I am so wet down there I could drown him. When he works a finger inside me, I melt into a thousand nerve endings. I arch my hips, which is hard to do in this position, but I must get closer to him.

  He chuckles, withdrawing his fingers. I wet my lips. Did I do something wrong?

  He stands. “You can look at me, Bianca.”

  Immediately my eyes flash to his, and oh God, I could come just looking at the lust in his eyes, the hardness of his cock.

  “Are you sore?” he asks softly.

  I swallow. “Only a little.”

  “We’ll wait another day, then.”

  No! “But—”

  “I said we’ll wait.”

  But I can tell I’ve pleased him. His eyes are warm, and a softness hovers about his lips. Resigned to waiting another day, I nod.

  Again he runs his hands through my hair, and I breathe deeply at how good it feels. I move to get up.

  “No.” His hands tighten in my hair, and the tingles change to a sting.

  I’m doing it wrong! Fuck! What is wrong with me?

  “I like you this way. On your knees, legs spread, all open to me. It tells me you’re ready to please me in any way I want. At least I think it does.”

  I nod. Of course I am. I would do anything for him.

  “Good.” There’s a smile in his voice. “Suck me off.”

  I gasp at the abrupt change in tone. I go even wetter at his command. He taps his dick against my lips, and I open. I suck and lick and squeeze until his hips rock against me. I cup his balls, rub them in my palm, and take him deeper into my throat. Then he seizes my head in an iron grip and takes over. All I have to do is let him slide along my tongue; all I have to do is relax my throat and let him do what he likes. He stops to catch his breath, and I suck the tip, run my tongue down his length, and suck his balls into my mouth.

  “Jesus Christ, you’re good at this.”

  Pleasure sweeps through me, and I give his cock an especially eager suck. I pump my lips over the tip until he moans nonstop, and then I take him all the way past the gag, into my throat. My nose is pressed into his pubic hair when his hands fist my hair. I swirl my tongue over his base, but then I gag again and he retreats into my mouth. I grab a couple breaths before he shoves forward again. Slowly, deliberately he fucks my throat, and every time I gag, he grabs my hair like he’s about to explode. I don’t mind that it’s uncomfortable for me. Kent seems to love this, so I want him to have it. I want him to understand how much I love him, that I would do anything for him.

  “God!” Then he lets out an inarticulate shout as he shoots his seed. I try to suck it straight back and swallow, but there’s so much of it that some escapes my lips and leaks down my chin.

  There’s no more cum, and yet he still slides himself against my tongue.

  “God, Bianca, that mouth of yours is a weapon. Fuck.”

  My toes curl at the pleasure his words give me. I’m not useless. I’m not vanilla. I’ve pleased him. Maybe I’ve even given him a reason to think about me tomorrow when I’m not around.

  I clean up in the bathroom and brush my teeth, and when I return to the room, I almost hop into the bed. Then I smile. “May I sleep in your bed tonight?”

  He grabs me and pulls me down to him. “You’re not sleeping anywhere but here.”

  He wraps his arms around me, spoons me, envelops me completely. I feel like I’m a part of him, somehow. I know I’m not, but I want to be. I want to be so necessary to him he’ll never be able to be without me. “I love you, Kent,” I whisper. I think he might not hear me, I say it so softly, but his arms tighten around me and he buries his face in my hair. A sound escapes him, and I’m not sure if it’s a sigh or something else. But his grip doesn’t loosen, and I feel warm. Appreciated. Treasured.

  But…Ayden.

  Right now I please him. I suspect this might be as far as he takes things. He knows my p
ast. I’ve overcome some incredible wounds to get this far. What if this isn’t enough for him? He might turn to Ayden or someone like her to get what he really needs. I don’t know if I can live with that. Not now. The other alternative is to let him go wild on me. I let him shove his dick down my throat. That didn’t feel so great, but it gave me pleasure just because it made him feel so good. Last night he slapped my breasts in punishment. It degraded me, but it didn’t hurt. Not really. I don’t think he’d really hurt me—hurt anyone. Maybe in a little while I can let him take it a step further. I know he cares about me somewhat. I’m his wife, after all. Nico said it was only a little while before I found myself bent over and caned. I can’t imagine what that must feel like, but it can’t be any worse than the degradation those men spewed into me.

  I don’t know. I don’t know if I can ever really go that far. But I can try.

  ~ ~ ~

  “You should have heard Col. Ernshaw last night. You’d have thought I demanded he cut off an arm.” Tish spells out mammoth on the Scrabble board.

  “He had no idea you were coming?” All I have are vowels. This game sucks.

  “No. I was supposed to go straight to my geriatric treasure, but Dad changed his mind at the last minute.”

  “Did he really think I’d embarrass him?” By now he’s probably thinking he should have sent Tish to the Barrys. She definitely would have been better at doing the whole Biltmore House thing. Even thinking about her in my shoes makes my shoulders go tight. I would never, never, pretty much ever, give up Kent. I stick a U between a B and a T.

  “I doubt it. You always were the good one. He probably wanted to make sure you weren’t living in a dungeon and they weren’t planning an attack.”

  “I guess that makes sense.” I reach inside my neckline and adjust my bra strap. I bet Ayden never has wardrobe malfunctions. Then I think about how Kent saw her naked probably hundreds of times and my stomach burns.

  Tish does a double take. “Bianca, what the hell are you wearing? God, I know Kent wants you to dress the part, but you look like you have no boobs.”