#Selfie

by Cambria Hebert

  He popped open the door and turned toward Rimmel so he was blocking me from view. I was grateful for the few seconds of privacy to compose myself.

  God, I was such a mess.

  “What happened?” Rimmel gasped. “You ran out of here like the house was on fire. I’ve been worried sick!”

  He ran out of the house when I called?

  “Ivy had a minor accident.”

  I made a sound. “I don’t think the deer would call it minor.”

  “Oh no!” Rimmel exclaimed. I saw her hands waving for Braeden to move out of the way. “How awful!” When he was gone, Rimmel reached for my hand. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be.” I smiled.

  “Come inside! It’s cold out here.” She glanced at the jacket I was wearing but didn’t say a word.

  I reached for Prada but left all my other stuff behind.

  We walked inside together, and Braeden followed close behind. Funny, he could probably be ten miles away and I’d still notice him as if he were right beside me.

  “Please tell me Rome left some beer,” Braeden groaned once we were inside as he went past us to the kitchen.

  “It’s behind the milk and juice. He hides it from his mother!” Rimmel called.

  Braeden’s laughter filled the house. “Please. Valerie knows what’s in this fridge.”

  Rimmel looked at me and laughed. “Oh, I’m sure she does.”

  I giggled. Rimmel leaned forward and hugged me. “You okay?”

  “Watching it die like that, it was horrible.”

  Rim nodded emphatically. Inside the carrier, Prada whined. I unlatched the door and she waddled out, sniffing as she went.

  “Hey, girl,” Rimmel said, and Prada wagged her tail and went to her.

  Thinking of the training pads, I said, “I have her stuff. It’s outside.”

  “We’ll get it in a minute.” Rimmel didn’t seem too worried about it.

  Murphy appeared and stared at the puppy from across the room. Prada saw him and went bouncing across the floor to check him out.

  Murphy took off running, and Prada followed.

  Rimmel laughed. “Murphy’s gonna get his exercise tonight.”

  I smiled.

  “Want something to drink?” Rimmel asked.

  “Hot chocolate?”

  “Of course!” She dragged me into the kitchen with her and went about making the drink.

  Braeden was sipping at a beer and his eyes swept over me from head to toe over the rim of the bottle.

  I remembered I was still wearing his jacket, and I reached for the zipper to tug it off and return it. He caught my eye and shook his head.

  I dropped my hand. If he didn’t want me to take it off, well, I didn’t feel like arguing.

  Yeah, that was totally the reason I was listening.

  When the hot chocolate was made, Rimmel turned to Braeden. “Ivy and I were gonna watch movies. I take it by the way you’re chugging that beer you’re going to stay and watch, too?”

  “You two need a babysitter,” he muttered. “You eat all the food?”

  “I haven’t touched it,” Rimmel said.

  I was shocked he wasn’t out hooking up with some random girl. “What are you doing here anyway?” I asked, disgruntled at the thought.

  He gave me a weird look. “I came by to talk to my sis. I knew Romeo was gone, so I wanted to check in with her.”

  Of course. I felt dumb. Braeden cared about Rimmel. He never hid it, so it was only natural he’d be here to check up on her.

  “You don’t mind if he stays, do you?” Rimmel turned her eyes on me. Her eyes swept over his jacket.

  I felt like blushing. She totally saw through me right now. She totally knew.

  “Of course not.” I tried to inject enthusiasm into my tone.

  “Great! Why don’t you guys pick a movie? I’ll be right there. I’ll take Prada outside for a potty break and grab the stuff for her out of the truck.”

  “I’ll do that,” I protested.

  Rimmel shook her head. “No, you need to sit down. Go with Braeden.”

  I nodded and she went off in search of Prada.

  Braeden grabbed an unopened bag of chips out of the cabinet and went into the living room. I trailed along behind him. On the way, Rimmel passed us with a wiggling puppy and slipped out the door.

  “You’re really gonna stay?” I asked.

  “You really don’t want me here?” he countered.

  “I…”

  He smirked. “Have a seat, Blondie. Let’s watch a movie.”

  It was almost like a dare. Like he thought I couldn’t just sit in the same room as him without trying to jump his bones or something.

  What a douche!

  I spied a totally girly movie on the table and picked it up. “Yes, let’s.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Don’t even think about putting that estrogen-saturated disc in the DVD player.”

  I fluttered my eyelashes at him.

  “There’s a thriller right there under it.” He shoved three whole chips into his mouth.

  He was so gross.

  “I want to watch this one,” I maintained.

  “Yeah? Well, I want to see you naked and riding me, but we aren’t gonna get what we want.”

  I gasped. My entire body flooded with awareness. The stark image of what he suggested filled my mind and my lower abdominal muscles contracted.

  Wide-eyed, I gaped at him. Did he just admit he wanted me again?

  He avoided my stare and tipped the beer up to his lips.

  Rimmel padded into the room, the puppy at her heels and her cell in her hand. By the smile on her face, I would bet she talked to Romeo.

  “How’s Rome?” Braeden asked.

  I still couldn’t stop staring at him.

  “He’s good!” Rimmel replied. She sank down into a chair across from the couch and pulled the blanket off the back around her. “What are we watching?”

  “This,” Braeden said, getting up and snatching the thriller off the table. As he was putting it in, I noted the only other seat that faced the TV in here was on the couch, where Braeden was.

  Great.

  “Sit.” Rimmel motioned and picked up her hot chocolate.

  I busied myself setting a few things up for Prada, but when there was nothing left to do, I sat on the far end of the sofa, away from Braeden. I squished myself against the arm and pulled the only other available blanket around me like a shield. I still felt jittery from the accident. My nerves were totally shot.

  The fifty hours of previews they put before every movie actually started playing across the screen and Braeden sat down once more.

  “Ivy?” Rimmel said, concern written on her face. “Are you sure you’re okay? You feeling sick or something from the accident?”

  I felt Braeden’s eyes as soon as he looked at me. The piercing dark gaze of his threatened to dissect me where I sat.

  “You seem tense,” Rimmel added.

  I smiled at her. “I’m fine. Still just a little shaken up I guess.”

  “She’ll be okay, tutor girl,” Braeden said. The sweet nickname reminded me of what he called me not so long ago. “She just needs a distraction. Once the movie starts, she’ll relax.”

  He reached up and clicked off the lamp beside him, and the room was plunged into darkness except for the flickering light of the television screen.

  Reaching over, Braeden tugged some of the blanket down so it wasn’t so tight around me. I glared at him and kicked out my foot, hoping to connect with his side.

  He caught it with a silent smirk and wrapped his palm around my arch. Instead of shoving it back at me, he tugged it into his lap. Then he adjusted the blanket so it covered my foot and his hand.

  I stared at him, my pulse kicking up. His thumb caressed the underside of my foot and chills raced up my spine. Even through my sock, I could feel his warmth.

  I didn’t pull away.

  I left it there, just as his hand stayed where
it was.

  And I barely paid any attention to the movie on the screen.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Braeden

  The sound of soft whimpering aroused me from sleep.

  I ignored it at first and burrowed farther down in the position I was sleeping in.

  But it persisted, and it turned into a sound I couldn’t ignore.

  My eyes snapped open and I blinked against the darkness. I didn’t know what time it was, but I knew it had to be very early in the morning. The room was nearly pitch black; the only illumination came from the dim light left on in the kitchen.

  Rim had gone to bed hours ago, and I promised her I’d stay. Partly because I’d had a few beers and partly because I wasn’t sure leaving both girls alone was a good idea. Especially after what Ivy had been through.

  The sound cut through the silence again, and I jerked up out of the chair I was sleeping in. I thought maybe it was from the dog, but it wasn’t. It was coming from Ivy.

  From across the room, I could see her body shaking on the couch. Her blond hair was like a beacon in the dark, and her head tossed from side to side as she made whimpering noises of someone who was very frightened.

  I pushed out of the chair and moved across the room.

  “Don’t touch me,” she murmured. “Please, don’t.”

  My blood ran cold. Clearly, she was having a nightmare, but just the sounds she was making and the words she was saying made it feel all too real to me as well.

  “Ivy,” I whispered. “Wake up.”

  She thrashed around a bit more, not hearing me. I took hold of her arms and spoke her name again.

  She gasped and her eyes flew open. I knew right away she wasn’t fully awake, that she didn’t see me, but she felt my hands and she panicked. “No!”

  I released her right away but knelt down beside the couch. “Ivy, it’s Braeden. You’re dreaming.”

  Her body stilled. I saw her blink and awareness slip in.

  “Braeden?” she whispered.

  “You were having a nightmare.”

  Her eyes squeezed shut and she shuddered.

  “Hey,” I murmured and reached for her again. This time she didn’t panic when I touched her arm. “Wanna talk about it?”

  “No.” She rolled away from me, burying her face in a pillow. Her body was still trembling.

  I cursed and stood. I started to walk away, but then I stopped and turned back. In one fluid movement, I picked her up off the couch, blanket and all.

  Ivy gasped as I lay down on the cushions, taking her with me and tucking her along my body. She trembled a bit more, so I pulled at the blanket until it covered us. I thought she might protest or try and get away.

  She didn’t.

  She curled her arm around my waist and sighed.

  This was way more comfortable than the chair I just left.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “For what?”

  “For everything you did tonight. Coming to get me. Helping me.”

  “If you need me, I’m gonna be there.”

  Her hand tightened at my side.

  I pulled my fingers through her hair. The trembling in her limbs stopped and her breathing grew even. I thought she’d fallen back to sleep when she spoke.

  “I wish things were different between us.”

  “I want you, Ivy,” I confessed. It was like the words just wouldn’t stay in anymore.

  She lifted her head off my chest, and in the dark, I could see the whites of her eyes pointed right at me. “I want you, too,” she whispered.

  I lifted her so she was draped across my chest and took her face in my hands. She met me halfway, our lips pressing together.

  It wasn’t tentative at first. I knew exactly what I wanted. I kissed her like I’d been longing to do since we got on that plane in Florida. It was the kind of kiss I knew would lead to sex. She seduced me with her lips, so full and pliant. She yielded to me in every perfect way but gave it all back, matching my desire. When her tongue slid over my teeth, I growled like a lion and ripped my mouth away. I kissed down her neck, dragging my teeth as I went and sucking her supple flesh into my mouth.

  She moaned quietly and her hands fisted in my shirt.

  I released her face and slid my hands over the small of her back, pushing her T-shirt out of the way and exploring the smooth skin of her lower back with my fingers as we started kissing again.

  My hands caressed higher, beneath the fabric of her top, and I noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra. My fingers glided down her sides and brushed against the side of her breasts where they were pressed against me.

  I ripped my mouth away and tugged at her shirt. Because we were so plastered together, it wouldn’t come off. I swung my legs over the couch and sat up, leaning back and allowing her to sit facing me in my lap.

  When I started to pull the shirt over her head, she stopped me. “Rimmel,” she whispered, looking toward the bedroom.

  “We’ll just have to be quiet,” I murmured.

  She dropped her hands, and I swept the top over her head to reveal creamy, perky breasts. Her nipples were hard already when I filled my hands with them and jolted forward to take one into my mouth.

  Her head fell back, and I sucked her deeper. As her hips rocked a little on my lap, I grabbed her hip with one hand to encourage the movement.

  I lavished attention to her breasts until she started panting and her nails dug into my shirt. Ivy started ripping at the fabric, so I tore it over my head and threw it beside us. She shoved me back against the couch and came forward to draw one of my nipples in her mouth.

  Sighing, I buried my hands in her hair while she kissed and licked every inch of my chest. As she nipped at the underside of my jaw, her fingers deftly unfastened my jeans.

  She pulled back, her hand caressing the bulge in my open pants. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

  “God, baby,” I moaned. “Me either.”

  Ivy slipped off my lap and onto the floor between my legs. I helped her pull off my jeans and boxers, and when they were gone, she reached for my shaft.

  The second her hand wrapped around the base, my stomach muscles spasmed. I tried to think of something else, something that might cool me down just a little so I didn’t explode just then.

  But I couldn’t. Her lips wrapped around me and slid down, taking all my inches deep.

  My fingers tangled in her hair as she worked my cock. The way she licked and sucked made me whisper a prayer. And her teeth… Most women would be too afraid to use their teeth to lightly run along a man’s pulsing cock.

  Yet she wasn’t. She dragged them right over the tip and to the bottom, making me shudder.

  When I seriously couldn’t take it anymore, I pulled her up and yanked down the pajama bottoms she was wearing.

  She glanced over the back of the couch, worrying if Rimmel was going to come out and catch us.

  I pulled her into my lap. “It’s just me right now. Only me.”

  “Oh, Braeden,” she sighed. “It’s been just you for a long time.”

  “Wrap your legs around me, baby,” I whispered and sat up a little so she could do just that.

  We were both completely bare, her slick, warm center teasing my hard and ready dick. She rubbed up against me, and I marveled in the bare contact for a moment before reaching for my jeans and pulling out a condom.

  I slipped it on quickly, then lifted her hips so she could position herself above me. She looked like a fucking goddess on top of me; her curves were insane and her skin was so smooth. Ivy was perfection personified. I’d seen a lot of naked women, but none of them looked like her.

  I fit my hands in the dips of her waist and guided her down over me. Inch by delicious inch.

  Her teeth sank into her bottom lip and her eyes latched onto mine. I sat forward and tugged a nipple between my lips, sucking it deep. Her fingers dug into my back as she rocked a little, taking me in the rest of the way. I pulled back,
unable to breathe from pleasure.

  We stared at each other while I was buried inside her. Her inner walls clenched me tight, like she wouldn’t ever let me go. Still holding her gaze, I reached between us and found her clit. It was already swollen and exposed. I used some of her juices to wet my finger and then circle around her the hardened bud.

  Ivy shuddered.

  She stroked my cheek unexpectedly, and I turned my face to kiss her palm. Grabbing the blanket beside us, I draped it around her shoulders. I wanted to see all of her, every last inch, but since we weren’t really in private, I thought it was best to give her some modesty.

  She started moving against me, and my head fell back on the couch. She licked up my neck as she rocked, making small, almost silent sounds of satisfaction as we made love.

  Yeah, made love.

  This wasn’t sex. It was far too intense for that.

  When I thought I might tumble over the edge, I grabbed her hips to stop her from rocking. “Not yet, baby. Not yet.”

  I sat up to kiss her, to tangle our tongues in an impossible puzzle. Twisting my hand around her hair, I kissed her until I felt lightheaded from lack of oxygen.

  When I finally released her, she fell against my chest, spent.

  But I wasn’t done with her yet.

  With one arm holding her close, I pushed the other down between us again. She trembled when I found her clit, and I smiled against her hair.

  I rolled it between my finger and thumb, teasing it until she moved against me restlessly. Just when I knew she was at the edge, I drew back, grabbed her hips, and surged upward, pushing as deep as I could go. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

  Ivy bore down on me and rode me until an orgasm broke over us both.

  Her teeth sank into my shoulder as we shuddered, and when the tremors turned to deep breaths, her body was boneless in my arms.

  I wrapped her up, holding her as tight as I dared.

  “I always feel so safe with you,” she whispered. Her voice sounded drunk.

  My stomach tightened, but I pushed that feeling away. I wouldn’t let anything come between us in that moment. Not even me.

  “I’ll always protect you, baby. I swear.”