No Fear (Bomar Boys Book 3)

by Jess Bryant

She grit her teeth. He knew her too damn well for a man that she’d known a little over a month. He knew that her stutter was related to her nerves, related to her fear. But what they were talking about did make her nervous. They were talking about how she felt about him.

  “I’m not scared of you!” The words came out like bullets so that she didn’t stutter and her face flamed hot as she lowered her voice, “I’m n-not scared of you. I’m s-s-scared of how you make me feel.”

  Remy studied her for a moment and his face softened. His thumb stroked over her wrist and she knew he could feel her pulse pounding. She didn’t know if he did it on purpose, if he even knew that he did it, but he tugged her even closer, until their hips were flush and his voice was low and husky when he spoke again.

  “How do I make you feel, Rachel?”

  “Wanted.” She admitted softly, “Desired. Beautiful. Special. Nobody’s ever looked at me like you do.”

  “Baby, you’re beautiful. Don’t tell me other men haven’t wanted you. Unless they’re all deaf, dumb and blind, I don’t see how it could be true.”

  She frowned when he made light of something she took so seriously, “Not like you. They… they… They looked at me like… not like you. They… They didn’t make me feel like this. You make me feel safe. I trust you and I want you.”

  “God, Rach…” He winced as if her words struck him and she swallowed hard.

  “What?”

  “You have no idea what you do to me, do you?” Remy wrapped his free arm around her waist, his hand settling at the small of her back as his intense, dark blue eyes stroked over her face, “When you say things like that, all I want to do is kiss you.”

  She bit her lip and he groaned. Slowly, so slowly that she knew, again, that he was trying not to scare her, he raised his hand and stroked his thumb over the swell. He popped her lip from between her teeth and when she instinctively licked her lips and her tongue grazed his finger he sucked in a rough breath.

  “Can I kiss you Rachel?”

  Her blood was pounding in her ears but she heard him, somehow. He asked and her heart swelled in her chest. This was why it had been so easy to trust him from the start. He was so careful with her. As if she were precious. And she knew right then, at that moment, that she wasn’t just half in love with him.

  He had her whole heart. It was his to break. She could only hope he would be as careful with it as he was being with her body.

  She nodded.

  “I need to hear you say it.”

  Her voice was barely a whisper, “Yes.”

  Remy lowered his head, his eyes open and pinned to hers. Slowly, carefully, he pressed his lips to hers and at the first contact her lids slid shut. Warmth suffused her veins as he gently worked his lips against hers. His touch wasn’t tentative. He knew what he was doing but he went slowly, for her, and knowing he cared enough not to press too hard, too fast, was her undoing.

  Rachel moaned and melted against him. The butterflies in her stomach did somersaults and her head felt foggy. Reality slipped away and her entire world was reduced to nothing but this amazing man and the way he kissed her.

  Warm, wet lips sliding together. A slip of a smooth tongue, teasing against her upper lip, making her gasp and then groan as he tasted her. He took long, deep sips of her mouth, coaxing her into responding in ways she didn’t even know she could. Her own tongue slid forward to find his and earned her a rumble from somewhere deep in that beautiful chest of his. The sound of his pleasure made her bolder and she wrapped her arms around him, pressed closer to him, wanted to meld them together so that nothing could ever tear them apart.

  Her first kiss, her first real kiss, and it was perfect. It went on and on for what felt like forever and it still wasn’t long enough. He pulled back as slowly as he had started it, in increments, as if he knew that taking away all of him after something so overwhelming would be too much for her already overheated and overpowered body and mind.

  Finally, Remy broke the kiss when she never would have been able to and dropped his forehead against hers. He was breathing hard and dimly she realized that she was too. They were both panting as if they’d forgotten to come up for air and wow, maybe they had because she certainly felt oxygen deprived. Foggy, weightless, as if she was floating on the simple pleasure of his kiss.

  Their eyes met and she shivered at the desire he didn’t try to hide. He wanted her. He’d kissed her as if he needed her and she knew she couldn’t hide what she was feeling in that moment. It was too much, too powerful and she had no experience with this kind of impossible longing.

  She wanted more, so much more.

  Remy groaned as he held her close, his rough fingers stroking across her cheek, “God, Rach… what am I gonna do with you?”

  “Protect me?” She whispered softly, needy.

  Remy smiled at that, “Always.”

  Chapter Six

  He’d been wrong earlier. When he’d told Rachel that good mornings didn’t exist he’d been wrong. This, here, now, this was a good morning. It had just been so damn long since he had one that he’d forgotten. But waking up to find Rachel in his kitchen, cooking him breakfast no less, talking to her, touching her, getting to kiss her… it was hands down the best morning he’d ever had.

  Remy had to forcibly clench his fists to keep from raising his fingers to his lips like some love-struck teenage girl. His lips still tingled. He could still taste her and she tasted just as good as he’d been imagining. Sweet, soft, he licked his lips… God he wanted to kiss her again. He could spend the entire day kissing Rachel.

  He wanted to do a hell of a lot more than just kiss her but for now, that was enough. More than enough. He knew that there was no way he would ever push her for more. He wouldn’t rush this, rush them. She was wary, tentative and clearly she’d been hurt before. He’d spent too long fighting his own demons to risk becoming someone else’s, particularly not when every fiber of his being demanded he protect this woman.

  There was something about her. He’d known it from the moment he met her. Something about her that called to him. He was attracted to her, sure. She was a beautiful girl. But it was so much more than that. Some deep caveman part of him wanted to claim her and keep her as his. He wanted to protect her from anything that could possibly hurt her, right all of the wrong that had been done to her and murder anyone that dared to touch her.

  Jesus, was this how his brothers felt all the damn time?

  He couldn’t even think straight. From the moment he’d seen Rachel standing in that barn last night, the rest of his life had ceased to exist. She had become the focal point. His sole reason for being. He’d asked what he was supposed to do with her but he already knew. He was going to keep her because she was his.

  But first, he had to get some answers and so far this morning his sweet, beautiful girl had been as quiet as a church mouse about why it was she came to him last night.

  He shot another glance at her out of the corner of his eye but she was picking at her nails and her legs were still bouncing up and down nervously. He swallowed his questions for the tenth time, not wanting to upset her further. She’d been this way since the moment he suggested they run by her trailer to get some of her things before work this morning.

  The suggestion had almost ruined the entire morning. Their easy conversation over breakfast had been sweet and flirtatious. He’d held her hand, stroked her pulse and basked in the way it jumped whenever he smiled at her. Hell, if that wasn’t reason enough to make him smile nothing was. But when he’d suggested they get ready for work, that she could ride in with him since the salon was right next to the tattoo studio, she’d paled visibly and withdrawn.

  She hadn’t wanted to go home. Not even to get clothes. When he’d told her that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her, she’d finally admitted that she had an extra bag of clothes in her locker at the salon for emergencies so there was no need. He’d known there was more to her need to keep a bag at the salon but he hadn’t pressed her
to find out what it was when she all but shut down at the mention of going home.

  To say that he was worried was an understatement. There was being scared and running away and then there was this. She’d walked into an illegal underground fight just to find him because she needed protection. She’d packed a bag and stowed it at the salon as a backup plan. Whatever had happened, it was more than a simple fight between two siblings.

  He slid his hand over onto her thigh and when her legs immediately stopped twitching he smiled at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of a grin lighting her face before she dropped her chin and her dark hair fell forward to hide her expression from him. He was about to move his hand, to push her hair back so he could see her when she surprised him by settling hers against his and lacing their fingers together.

  He squeezed and she returned the gesture.

  “You think Skylar’s gonna be mad I made you late this morning?”

  She grinned at the icebreaker question like he’d hoped she would, “I don’t know. I’ve never been late before.”

  “Never?”

  “Never.” Rachel confirmed with a nod. “I open the salon for her since she’s usually the one running late. I unlock and get everything set up for the day that way, when she does roll in, all she has to do is tie on her apron and she’s good to go.”

  “Maybe if we’re lucky she’s running behind too and we’ll beat her there.”

  “Maybe.” Rachel giggled. “But she’s gotten better about being on time since Colt moved in with her. I think he wakes her up and makes sure she doesn’t fall back asleep.”

  “M-hmm, I just bet he does.”

  She blushed at his innuendo, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I know. That’s why you’re so cute.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles as that blush crept down her neck.

  He was wondering just how low those blushes of hers went as he parked the Challenger in an open slot in front of the tattoo studio his brother owned. It really was ridiculously convenient that Colt and Skylar owned businesses right next door to each other and an amazing coincidence that he and Rachel worked for them. Okay, well not all that coincidental considering Lincoln had forced Colt to hire him and Rachel had been working for Skylar long before he came back to town. Still, he liked the idea of them being able to carpool to work like this on a regular basis. He grinned again as he released her hand and stepped out of the car.

  When she moved in with him, it would be even more convenient.

  Fast, too fast, his brain warned but his heart told it to shut up. Rachel was what he wanted. She was what he needed. And no matter how bad the circumstances were that had brought her to him, he didn’t intend to let her go when it was all over.

  He’d been honest and upfront with her this morning. He wanted all of her. Forever.

  “Looks like her cars not here.” The hopeful tone of her voice made him feel bad as he circled the front of the Challenger.

  “But Colt’s truck is.” He nodded over his shoulder, “I bet they rode in together.”

  “Crap.” Rachel squished her nose up adorably, “I guess I should get over there and explain myself then. Thank you for the ride and…”

  Remy cut her off with a kiss. He couldn’t help himself. The idea of letting her go and watching her walk away from him sent sharp, stabbing pains through his chest. He wasn’t ready yet. And if she thought she could brush him off, she had another thing coming.

  Rachel responded almost instantly this time and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She’d told him over breakfast that she’d never really been kissed before and that caveman inside of him had cheered. He’d been her first kiss, which also made him wonder what other firsts he would be for her. All of them if he had any say in the matter.

  First and last.

  “Hmmm-hmmm!” Someone cleared their throat loudly nearby and Remy reluctantly broke the sweet goodbye kiss.

  He glanced up and saw his little brother standing in the doorway of his tattoo studio, glaring at them. Colt stepped outside, coming even closer, but Remy ignored him and focused on Rachel. She’d gone stiff in his arms and he didn’t like that at all.

  Rachel jerked back from him, her cheeks flushed and her breaths ragged. She glanced around, as if she’d forgotten where she was and damn, that was good for his ego. But then he saw it, saw the moment she realized they were standing on the street and someone had caught them kissing. Her eyes went wide. She ducked her chin and her shoulders began to curl in, as if she wanted to hide.

  Remy held on to her with one hand when she tried to pull away and tipped her chin up with the other so that she had to meet his gaze, “Hey… hey… we’re not doin’ anything wrong.”

  There was fear in her eyes again and it felt like a punch to his gut. He’d worked all morning to put her at ease. He thought they’d managed to get past it but he should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. He’d never been able to forget his past and his fears that easily so why had he thought she could?

  “I-I know.” She muttered softly and he grazed her damp bottom lip with his thumb.

  “Don’t run from me, Rach. I’ll chase you.” He dropped his forehead to hers so they were eye to eye, “And we both know I’ll catch you.”

  She smiled softly, her eyes twinkling, “I’m not running from you.”

  She wasn’t running from him. Wasn’t pulling away from him. He swallowed his knee jerk reaction to assume it was his fault, that he’d done something to scare her and took a deep breath. They’d been fine until the interruption. She’d kissed him right there on the street. It wasn’t him.

  It was their intruder that scared her.

  “Good.”

  He brushed his lips over hers again and swallowed a groan when she tilted her head up to kiss him back. For a girl that said she’d never properly been kissed until this morning, she certainly caught on quick. Her taste spread through him and he groaned as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Her tongue stroked against his, taking the lead, and he felt a little weak in the knees. This girl, she was going to be the death of him, because even when he heard his name, he couldn’t force himself to pull away from her.

  “Remy!”

  He broke the kiss and held Rachel close as he glared over her head at his brother, “What?”

  Familiar light blue eyes narrowed at the way he snapped but moved away from him too fast for him to gauge anything else. Colt’s lips pursed when he looked at Rachel and Remy felt an insane urge to tuck her behind him, to hide her away. Colt wasn’t a threat to her, he knew that. Logically he knew that Colt would never hurt Rachel just like he knew that Colt was madly in love with Skylar and wouldn’t try to take her from him. But he’d never felt all that logical when it came to this girl so he kept a possessive hand on her so there was no way his brother could mistake what he’d seen as something casual.

  “Rachel.” Colt said with more warmth than his stony face showed.

  “Good morning Colt.” Rachel answered shyly but steadily.

  His brother snorted, “No such thing sweetheart.”

  Remy glared at his brother when he used that endearment. He barely resisted the urge to clench his fists. He would not hit his brother. He would not hit his little brother. He grit his teeth and thought of all the times he’d called Skylar by that particular endearment. His eyes narrowed, wondering if his brother was trying to get back at him for that. If so, it was brilliant because he swore to himself right then and there that he wouldn’t call Skylar that anymore so long as Colt didn’t call Rachel by it.

  Rachel only smiled at his brother, “I guess it’s genetic.”

  “What?” Colt looked between them.

  “He said the same thing this morning when he woke up.”

  At that, Colt’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline and his gaze winged straight to his brother, “You two spent the night together?”

  “I… well… we…” Rachel stuttered and
Remy cut her off with a frown.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  Colt glared right back at him, “See, that’s where you’re wrong. When my girlfriend freaks the hell out because she,” he pointed to Rachel, “left a note saying she was in trouble and then neither of you pick up your phone. That makes it my business.”

  “Oh God!” Rachel gasped and her face went pale as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, “Oh God, oh God… I-I forgot. I forgot about the n-note.”

  “Note?” Remy asked in confusion.

  “Y-yeah, I… I… crap. I just…”

  Colt nodded knowingly when she stuttered, “Yeah, Sky freaked out. You’d better get inside so she can see you’re okay. She was really worried about you. We both were.”

  “Remy…” She glanced up at him, worrying her lips but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

  “It’s okay. Go. Go to work and I’ll come over to check on you later. Maybe I can bring by lunch and we can eat together. How does that sound?”

  “Too good to be true?” She smiled and he chuckled.

  “Don’t leave that salon without letting me know, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll see you soon, baby.” He kissed her softly and far too briefly before pulling away and pushing her towards the door of the salon.

  He stood there, watching her walk away from him, and he had to fight the urge to go after her. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight and knowing that she was an adult, that she had a job she needed to get to, did nothing to lessen that need to hold her close and keep her safe. He watched her until she disappeared behind the glass door and it felt like his heart went with her.

  Jesus, he’d never known he could feel like this. So out of control, so needy and possessive. He loved his brothers but he’d still left them behind when he had to in order to save himself. With Rachel, he wasn’t so sure anything but death would ever keep him from her side.

  He jolted when a loud, female squeal echoed out onto the street. He took a step towards the salon before he even realized he was moving. Only a strong hand on his arm managed to stop him and he jerked his attention to his brother.