An Alpha's Storm (Water Bear Shifters 1)

by Sloane Meyers

  Brett swallowed back his anger as he saw Aubrey walking back toward their table. “You guys can sit here and act like worrywarts all night if you want,” he said. “I’m going to go have some fun and dance.”

  Brett stood and left the table, leading his beautiful date toward the dance floor. He wasn’t going to let the guys and their worries spoil his fun. Not when the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was standing just a few feet away, ready to waltz across the room with him.

  * * *

  Aubrey could tell as she walked back toward the table that Brett’s friends weren’t happy. The looks on their faces bordered on angry, and, from the way they suddenly fell silent as she approached, she was willing to bet that they had been discussing her. She did her best to brush it off as Brett stood and walked toward her, asking if she wanted to dance. His face looked strained and upset, but Aubrey didn’t mention it. If he wanted to talk about it, he would tell her. Maybe the guys thought Brett was trying to rebound with her, and had told him it wasn’t a good idea. She wouldn’t have blamed them for saying that. She was still feeling a bit gun shy herself about going on a date with Brett so soon after his dramatic breakup.

  “What’s wrong?” Brett asked, breaking into Aubrey’s thoughts as they stepped onto the dance floor. A soft pop ballad was playing in the background.

  “Nothing, why?”

  “You’re frowning,” Brett said, giving her a suspicious look.

  Damn it. She’d been caught. “I was? Sorry, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how I hope you meant it when you said I wasn’t just some replacement for your ex.”

  Brett sighed and pulled Aubrey in closer to him. “I’m not replacing her. I’m just really into you. You’re beautiful, and fun, and you can actually hold a conversation with my buddies. What’s not to like?”

  Aubrey’s frown deepened for a moment. She wanted to ask Brett why everyone had looked so upset when she got back to the table, if everything really was great like he seemed to be saying. But she let it go. She didn’t want to ruin a fun evening.

  And the evening did turn out to be fun. The beat picked up with the next song, and Aubrey had the chance to see some of Brett’s dance moves. For such a big, muscular guy, he was surprisingly graceful on the dance floor. They danced and laughed through several songs before taking a break to grab a cocktail. Then they danced for several more songs. By the time the ball came to an end, Aubrey had all but forgotten about the strained atmosphere at the table earlier. Brett’s friends seemed to have put it behind them, too. Or, they had at least decided for the time being to forget about whatever the issue had been. They all shook Aubrey’s hand and wished her well as they left, leaving Brett and Aubrey to make the short walk back to his car alone.

  Aubrey tried to think of something to talk about with Brett as they climbed into the car and he began to drive, but the only thing she could focus on was where the night was going to go from here. Brett must have been pondering the same thing, because as soon as he pulled up in front of her driveway and put the car in park, he looked over at her with a questioning look.

  “Did you have a good time?” he asked.

  “Yes, a very good time. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “Good enough that you might consider letting me take you on a second date?”

  Aubrey paused, and started chewing on her bottom lip. She wanted more than anything to throw her arms around Brett’s neck and tell him she’d love to spend all of her free time with him from this moment forward, but something was stopping her. An insistent little voice in her head kept telling her that doing so wouldn’t be the responsible choice.

  “I just don’t think I have time for a relationship right now,” Aubrey heard herself saying. She knew she was throwing away a chance to be with the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen, but she couldn’t stop herself. She didn’t want to scale back on her career, which meant her time was limited. And she didn’t want to be hurt again by a guy who got upset that he never had a chance to see her.

  “I understand busy schedules,” Brett said, reading her mind. “I’m not going to be upset if you’re really busy with work most of the time. I am, too. I get it.”

  Aubrey frowned. “I just don’t want the pressure of a relationship. The last several guys I’ve dated have said they understood that my schedule was limited, but they got upset and left just as I was falling in love with them. I’m not ready to open my heart up again right now.” Aubrey did her best to keep her voice firm, even though she felt like she was shaking on the inside. She couldn’t stop herself from wondering whether she was throwing away the best chance at happiness that she would ever have.

  Brett stared at his hands, which were firmly gripping the steering wheel. After a long pause, he sighed. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll respect your wishes. But can we at least be friends? I don’t really have any other friends besides the guys you met tonight. It’d be nice to have someone to hang out with who has a life outside of the Coast Guard, you know? Sometimes you just need some space from work.”

  Aubrey felt her heart leap, and she smiled. It looked like she wouldn’t have to completely say goodbye to Brett, after all. “I can understand that,” she said. “I could definitely use some friends who aren’t work colleagues, too.”

  Brett smiled and looked over at her. “Okay then,” he said, and held out his hand to shake hers. “Friends?”

  Aubrey took his hand and shook it. His grip was warm and strong “Friends,” she agreed.

  “With benefits?” he asked, lowering his voice.

  Aubrey looked into his eyes, which were blazing with desire. He continued to hold her hand, even though their handshake was done. She didn’t answer him, because she didn’t know what to say. Her heart and her head were tangled up in a confused mess of emotions and reason, and all she could think about was how sexy he sounded when he spoke in a deep, quiet tone like he just had.

  He took her silence as encouragement, and leaned in closer to her, until his face was only about an inch from her face. He smelled like the ocean, salty and fresh. The heady scent made her forget her list of reasons why sleeping with him would be a bad idea. The only thoughts passing through her mind right now involved wondering what it would feel like to have his strong arms wrapped around her naked body.

  “With benefits?” he asked again, his voice husky.

  Aubrey nodded. “Friends. With benefits,” she said.

  And then his lips covered hers. He moved his hands up to hold the sides of her face as he pushed his tongue into her mouth and let her taste his mouth. The evening was warm, and a few beads of sweat had formed at his hairline, but he didn’t seem to notice them. His eyes were closed as he focused on their kiss. When he pulled away this time, Aubrey didn’t try to brush off the moment, as she had done a few days ago during their sunrise kiss at the beach. Instead, she lifted her gaze to his, and spoke, her voice laced with desire.

  “Do you want to come in?”

  He nodded, and pulled his keys out of the ignition. Aubrey waited while he got out of the car and walked around to her door. He opened it for her, then followed her to her house as she fumbled with her keys. The moment they made it through the front door, she dropped the keys as he pushed her up against the wall. Their lips met in a frenzied mess, and Aubrey felt the flames of desire burning hot within her. His hands rested on her hips as his tongue pushed deeper into her mouth, searching for her tongue and dancing with it as she placed her hands on his broad chest.

  It had been a long time since Aubrey had kissed a man, and even longer since she had done so with passion. She’d spent most of her last relationship worrying about what kind of fight she and her partner were going to get into next—fights that always revolved around the fact that Aubrey spent the majority of her life out on the water. But since Brett had agreed to being friends with benefits, she didn’t have to worry about that. She could enjoy the passion of their bodies coming together without worrying about whether she was spending enough t
ime with him to keep a fight from starting.

  She just had to be careful not to fall in love.

  Brett was reaching down now, trying to grab the hem of her dress as he continued kissing her. He gathered the fabric in bunches and pulled it up and over her head, leaving her standing against her living room wall in a black strapless bra, a black lacy thong, and her strappy black high heels. He stepped back and looked at her, then whistled.

  “Damn, Aubrey. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful and perfect as you.”

  Aubrey blushed with pleasure, then gave Brett a sly look as she reached for the buttons on his jacket. “Let’s see what you’re hiding under there, Mr. Handsome,” she said. She got his jacket off and loosened his tie before he decided that she was moving too slowly and picked her up in his arms. She shrieked as he carried her across the living room, then laughed as he paused and looked down at her.

  “Um, I was going to carry you into your bedroom, but I just realized I have no idea which door it is,” he said, his face sheepish.

  Aubrey laughed. “That way,” she said pointing to her left. Brett grinned and moved in the direction she had pointed, nudging the door open with his toe and then letting her fall onto her queen sized bed with a bounce.

  “Now, where were we?” he asked sliding onto the bed next to her.

  “I think we were in the middle of taking off your clothes, mister,” Aubrey said.

  Brett grinned as Aubrey rolled over to reach for the buttons on his shirt, moving quickly down the row as she unbuttoned them, and then pushing the shirt down and off his arms. She reached down for his belt buckle, and unfastened it before unfastening his pants as well. She sat up and struggled to pull the pants down and over his ankles, leaving him wearing black briefs along with black dress socks and shiny black dress shoes. She laughed.

  “That’s a pretty sexy look, there,” she said, pointing at the socks that covered his bare legs. He rolled his eyes at her, then pulled off his shoes and socks.

  “Better?” he asked, giving her a wink. “I’m sorry that my shoes aren’t quite as hot as yours.”

  Aubrey laughed again. She had never had this much fun in the bedroom. Things with Brett were easy. Fun. Funny. She could get used to this. Was this how things always were when you had a friend with benefits? Or was Brett just special?

  Aubrey didn’t have long to think about the question. Brett was reaching behind her back, searching for the clasp to her bra. When he found it, he deftly removed the garment, leaving Aubrey’s ample breasts exposed. Her laughter had faded into a serious expression as she carefully watched Brett taking in the sight of her exposed chest.

  “Damn,” he said, his voice low and husky. “You’ve got some nice breasts.”

  He reached over and pushed her down onto her back on the bed, then moved his tongue to her nipples. He traced a circle around first her right nipple, and then her left, moving his hands to cup her breasts from underneath as he started nibbling. The pressure from his teeth was gentle, but firm, and Aubrey closed her eyes as she let her head fall backwards onto a pillow. She breathed in and out deeply, enjoying the sensation of Brett’s mouth on her breasts. She could feel the moisture growing between her legs as her body begged for more. She felt a tingling thrill of anticipation run through her as his groin pressed against her. A few minutes ago, she had been too busy teasing Brett about his socks and shoes to notice how large the outline of his dick looked beneath his briefs. But now she could feel it, and, holy hell, was he large. She trembled with excitement at the realization that he was going to be inside of her soon. She had never been with a man whose size could be considered anything more than average, so the sudden recognition of what she was about to experience sent a fresh wave of desire oozing from between her legs.

  Brett continued to work his magic on her nipples for several minutes, alternating between nibbling them and massaging them with his tongue. He knew how to apply just the right amount of pressure to drive her wild. He would take her right up to the edge of pain, and stop just short. Aubrey’s body grew hotter by the moment, as the desire that filled her grew stronger and stronger. She felt safe and completely at ease with Brett. He made her feel like royalty, paying attention to when she responded well to his touch and repeating those movements.

  When he finally raised his head to look at her eyes, the passion in his gaze took Aubrey’s breath away.

  “Are you ready for me?” he asked.

  Aubrey nodded. She was ready. She could hardly wait to feel him inside of her. She wanted to know what it felt like to have a truly large man slide into her. Brett smiled and stepped off the bed for a moment to take off his briefs. Then he reached for Aubrey’s skimpy thong, and hooked his fingers around the hem. He slid the lacy garment off and tossed it aside. Aubrey lay in front of him, naked and vulnerable, but feeling perfectly at ease. She let her eyes glide down to his dick, which stood erect and hard between his muscular thighs. The sight of it took her breath away. She had never seen a man so large. His entire body was sculpted like that of a god, and his manhood was no exception. He looked like perfection in human form.

  Aubrey realized she was still wearing her heels, and she started to try to kick them off, but Brett placed a hand on her leg.

  “Don’t,” he said softly. “Leave them on. You look so sexy, lying there in nothing but heels.”

  Aubrey smiled, then started trembling again when Brett climbed back onto her bed, straddling over her and looking into her eyes with a smile. His sapphire-blue eyes looked bluer than normal. Maybe it was the lighting in the room, or maybe it was the ecstasy of the moment. Whatever the reason, Aubrey had never seen anyone with eyes as expressive and gorgeous as Brett’s.

  “Are you on birth control?” he asked gently. Aubrey nodded, and Brett kissed her on the forehead.

  “Okay,” he said. “Just wanted to make sure our friends with benefits arrangement wasn’t going to come with any, uh, unexpected extra benefits.”

  Brett winked at Aubrey, and then closed his eyes before slowly lowering himself into her. He took his time, moving slowly and allowing her to experience the full sensation of him inside of her. His solid, huge dick pushed against Aubrey’s insides, filling her with the most intense pressure she had ever experienced. She felt warm and wet, and she couldn’t hold back the shudders of delight that passed through her body every now and then. When Brett was fully inside of her, he paused for several beats, letting Aubrey take in the satisfying sensation of him connected to her.

  They lay there, both perfectly still except for the rhythm of their breathing. Beads of sweat formed on both of their foreheads. They hadn’t put much forth in the way of physical exertion yet, but the heat in the room was overwhelming. The passion they both felt left them flushed and panting for release.

  After a few moments of holding still inside of Aubrey, Brett began to move up and down. Despite his large size, he slid easily in and out, thanks to how well-lubricated Aubrey’s entrance had become from the juices of her anticipation. Aubrey squeezed her eyes shut and enjoyed the intoxicating rhythm of Brett’s motion as he began to thrust faster and harder. The heat and pressure became unbearable, and she began to cry out. She shouted louder and louder in an effort to release the tension building within her, until, finally, with a particularly vigorous thrust, Brett pushed her over the edge. Her orgasm came quickly and relentlessly, sending quake after quake of delightful muscle spasms through her body.

  Brett slowed down the motion of his body to let Aubrey recover from the aftershocks of the moment. Aubrey breathed rapidly, trying to catch her breath as she relished the soft tremors that continued to pulse through her. When the moment had finally subsided, Brett started thrusting again. Once more, he started out slowly, but he quickly picked up speed until he was rocking Aubrey’s body in a frenzied motion. Aubrey bit her lip as she felt passionate pressure starting to build up within her again. It seemed impossible that she would be on the verge of exploding into a second orgasm already, but befor
e she could even wonder at what was happening, she was overcome by another round of tingling muscle spasms. Brett found his release at the same moment, stiffening for a split-second before letting out a roar and pulsing a stream of hot passion into Aubrey’s body.

  They lay together for several minutes, tangled in each other’s embrace with their bodies connected. Brett finally rolled over to lie beside Aubrey instead of on top of her, and he reached down to pull a blanket over Aubrey before snuggling up against her. A few moments later, Aubrey heard his breathing turn soft and steady, and she knew he had fallen asleep.

  She stretched her arm behind her to reach the lamp and turn it off, letting darkness envelop the room. She wrapped her fingers around Brett’s hand, which he had draped over her stomach, and she stared up at the dark ceiling while her eyes adjusted to the loss of light.

  Sex with Brett had been mind-blowing. She had never experienced anything like it before. He had a way about him that put her at ease. She felt completely comfortable, and this feeling of absolute safety let her relax. It had allowed her to concentrate on all the ways he was pleasuring her, instead of worrying about what he might be thinking of her naked body.

  Aubrey sighed and snuggled deeper into her bed. Brett breathed in deeply next to her, letting out a small sigh of his own in his sleep. He didn’t wake, though. Aubrey glanced over at him, his face looking so peaceful and strong. In another life, she would have jumped at the chance to date him. Even now, as she watched him sleeping, her heart told her that she was acting like a fool by limiting him to a friends with benefits deal. But she shook off the feeling. She could never admit to him that she was on the edge of giving love another chance for his sake.