Brody

by Victoria H. Smith

  I handed him the big, brown bear I chose. “A big bear for the big guy.”

  He laughed, shaking his head at me. Once he settled down, he nodded, taking the bear.

  “Okay, so now that you made me look like a punk bitch, I need to redeem myself,” he said, eyeing the games. My hand was back in his and he pulled me over to the game with basketballs and hoops. He had to get so many shots in so little time, that I worried for his pride. This would be tough.

  He pulled back already short sleeves, revealing his biceps. “I’m gonna make quick work of this, darlin.’ Just you watch now.”

  I wasn’t confident but I humored him, so imagine my surprise when not only did he make the shots he needed in the few seconds he had, but he made every shot. One after the other, he sunk baskets like he was on the court instead of at a small carnival. Once he was done, he let me pick a prize and the bear I got ended up being bigger than the one I gave him.

  “You’re kidding.” I blinked, shocked by what he told me moments later. We were on the Ferris Wheel now. “Your brother is a professional basketball player?”

  Brody merely gave that throaty chuckle, deep from his broad chest. He draped an arm behind the back of our car, the Ferris Wheel giving us both a wide view of the tiny carnival. Multi-colored lights glittered around us, lighting up the darkening sky. He looked my way. “The kid had to get it from somewhere.”

  I kicked his ankle across from me. His date for the evening was a big brown teddy, mine a tan colored one next to me. I giggled. “Modest much?”

  He threw his head back, those blond strands flowing over his eyes when he came back. “My pop had us all playing at the rec center. It kept us all out of trouble and we made friends, too, so that was a bonus.” He shrugged. “It was good times.”

  From his photos, his family seemed to have a lot of good times. What would that be like having so much and being so close? I loved my sister, but things sure had been hard for us; between us. Brody didn’t go on and I noticed he never mentioned his mom in this equation of family. I also didn’t see her in the family photo, only an older woman. I wondered if she was around. Not wanting to get too heavy, I left that alone. We were supposed to have a good time tonight and there was so much I didn’t know about this guy. This kind guy that came to my rescue so many times.

  He reached for my cotton candy and I gave him some. I loved sharing with him. “So why don’t you play?” I asked.

  A shoulder lifted as he shook his head. “I didn’t have a passion for it. That’s Griff’s thing, the one who plays professionally. The baby of us is on that track, too. His name is Colton. I don’t know. That’s just not what I wanted to do.”

  I ate some of the blue fluff, letting it evaporate in my mouth. I went to ask him another question, but the candy hadn’t fully dissolved yet. Brody noticed and his smile went in my direction. I covered my mouth with a laugh, wiping it right after. “Is truck driving your thing then?” I went on. “Traveling?”

  “Nah, not really. It just pays the bills, you know?”

  He had said that to me before, at the bar. I crossed my legs. “What do you want to do then?”

  He sat back in the chair, his fingers dangling over the sidebars absentmindedly. He didn’t answer the question right away and I didn’t know why. Maybe he simply didn’t know what he wanted to do yet. He was young, not much older than me.

  His eyes narrowed, his gaze far away, but then he came back to me with that boyish grin of his.

  “Would it be weird if I said anything I want?” he asked, and I shook my head. I think that’s what we all wanted in the end. But it was an interesting response to the question. He stared off again. “Do you want to check that out before we leave?”

  His added finger point took my attention below, down to a brightly colored building with abstract angles, a fun house. I was game if he was. We waited for the full rotation of our ride to conclude, then headed toward the house, my bear in my arms with Brody’s under his. But getting closer my steps slowed, the lack of line evident. Usually that meant something if all the other rides were packed. We even had to wait ten minutes to get on the Ferris Wheel.

  I touched Brody’s arm and he stopped. “Should we do this? I mean, there’s nobody here waiting. That usually means something, doesn’t it?”

  He set blue eyes on me. “This going to be too much for you or somethin,’ Alex? This is a funhouse. I don’t think anything in there will get you.”

  I scoffed, shaking my head. “Nothing’s too much for me to handle.”

  His eyes crinkled in the corner at that, smiling with his lips. “I definitely know that.” In the next moment, he slid my bear out from under my arm, then took his and mine both to the ticket guy. “Can you watch these for us, fella? We’re going to take a round in the house.”

  The guy looked uninterested, but did take the bears, placing them behind his podium before taking our tickets. Brody’s hand went out behind him, for mine, and I took it more than willingly.

  He guided me inside through a striped hamster wheel, helping me keep my footing before we crossed it and went behind a dark curtain. All lights went off immediately and my heart did jump a bit.

  “Don’t lose me.” I laughed, squeezing his hand.

  He squeezed back. “Can’t happen. Just stay close.”

  I did, putting my hand on a warm back. He stopped for a moment and my hand rested there. For just a moment though, just a moment. He went on and I got a glimpse of him. Strobe lights hit his big body and I shook my head at all the flashing.

  “You all right back there, Alex?” he asked, pulling me forward.

  “I’m glad I don’t have epilepsy,” I joked, tugging his hand.

  “Right. Let’s get out of this. We’re moving. Watch your step.”

  A wooden step caused me to take one, leading up to five more. The stairs led to our first lit room, one all trippy with jagged angles. A set of house furniture was nailed to the top, giving the illusion we were in an upside down home.

  I nudged his arm when I got beside him. “Aren’t you glad you made me come in?” I joked, bumping him at how cheesy the set up was.

  He rolled his eyes, but did take it in good stride. We went through a few more rooms, some really lame and some just trying too hard to entertain. We finally came to a house of mirrors, multiplying me ten times over, and I laughed at the abstract distortions. One made me look fifty feet tall and another a short, stubby thing. I put my hands out, placing them on the glass.

  “This room is a little better,” I said behind me. It was interesting seeing the different angles. I didn’t hear a response though. I turned around and only saw myself in another mirror, then another when I took a step.

  “Brody?” I called. I didn’t remember losing his hand. I must have been distracted. I cupped my mouth. “Brody, where are you?”

  Still nothing. I didn’t know what to think. He was probably just trying to play a joke on me. I shook my head at the thought, placing my hands on my hips. “If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not going to work. I told you I can handle anything.”

  More silence and I couldn’t get over how weak this attempt was to freak me out. He probably planned to jump out at any moment. I cupped my mouth again. “Brody, if you don’t come out right now and quit playing around, I won’t speak to you for the rest of this trip.”

  I had no plans to honor that of course. I just wanted him to come out, and to my surprise, he did right after the words left my lips. I thought he’d at least drag his joke out for a few more minutes, but he didn’t. He came out, approaching me, and once he did, he didn’t stop until he was in front of me. He got close—so close.

  My breaths went shallow and I swallowed to get them right. “Why did you come out? I thought you’d carry this on for a minute or two.”

  His chest moved rapidly and I knew his breaths were short, too. He drew in even closer, blond lashes flicking down. “Because you asked me to,” he said, and so direct, the statement couldn�
�t be anything but true. He raised his hand and my gaze followed. His fingers went to my arm, cupping my shoulder before touching my neck. “You were just joking about that, right?” He gave a crooked smile. “About not talking to me.”

  I swallowed once more. “Correct.”

  His fingers didn’t move another inch, but his body did. A warm chest touched mine and then a familiar mouth returned to my lips, one I only remembered in my dreams, it had been so long since I touched it, since he touched me. He kissed with vigor, hard and fast, and didn’t pull back after a few moments like he had at the bar, no.

  And I didn’t pull back either.

  An ache hit my throat as I wrapped my arms around his neck, my tongue whisked away in the heat he gave off. A rough groan touched the air, radiating deep from somewhere within the confines of his chest, and when it did, it casted off the mirrors within the wide room. It ricocheted like a constant boom and Brody, he held me, pinning me to the wall by my hips. My hands covered in lengthy blond wisps and the smell of the shampoo he used this morning made me muss it more.

  Strong hands went to my thighs in response, his fingers hooking into the line of my jean shorts.

  Touch me. Please touch me.

  We went for it almost like he heard my silent plea. His large fingers unbuttoned the tiny fastener. I widened my legs, my sneakers squeaking on the tiles beneath us.

  He dragged his mouth over my cheek, my zipper going down by his hand making me quiver. I grabbed the thickness of his arm and guided him, summoning him to touch me.

  His hand went cautiously at first. Like he was scared I’d pull away or stop him, but I didn’t. I wouldn’t. I opened my legs wider and his fingers slid past the line of my panties. His other went to my hip. Bracing it, he lifted me and with only one hand, he held me against the wall.

  I stared at him while he ventured, not letting go of his gaze as he brushed my mound, exploring, before pushing my sensitive lips apart.

  My eyes closed as he played, his fingers finding a precise rhythm with my clit. His mouth found mine and he eased me up the wall by my bottom. A finger pushed its way inside me, then two. He crooked them and his thumb took its place, stroking me into ecstasy. He was greater than the euphoria of any drug. He always had been.

  The mirrors bounced the sounds we made back to me, my cries and his groans. I listened to his voice, strained in his throat and his shallow breaths. I wanted to hear them as he made love to me all night.

  I thrust my hips forward, trying to get him deeper. But he took care of that, his hand up my shirt, hot on my lower back. He brought me to him, never letting me get far, and I was surrounded by him in ways I was too scared to imagine before.

  I pressed a hand to his cheek, sighing into his mouth as I drove my hips to meet his hand. His fingers pushed to the hilt, getting me off and fucking me so thoroughly.

  “Come, Alexa,” he beckoned, the word deep in my mouth as he kissed me. “Come so I can taste you.”

  My face found the crook of his neck, pushing into it, fighting the orgasm, but to no avail. My legs shook and my pussy easily gave into him. There was no fighting, not at all.

  His thumb moved faster, dragging out the feeling. My juices coated his fingers, my walls pulsating around them, then very slowly, he lowered me to the ground, my sneakers touching the floor. His fingers left easy and then he did with them what he promised. He tasted one, pushing them both into his mouth. Closing his eyes, a warm sound hummed from his throat like he’d never had anything so satisfying. Once he was done, he guided me back to the mirror, zipping up my shorts. He got me together slowly, taking his time until some laughing sounded behind us, other people somewhere within the funhouse. Brody turned in that direction and when he came back, he did so with a wide smile.

  I smiled, too.

  He grabbed my hand, kissing the back before pulling me away with him, jellied-legs and all. When we came out, the attendant asked if we had a good time.

  I couldn’t even look at him with a straight face.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Alexa

  We went into the motel room just after ten, the room dark but neither one of us changing that by turning on a light. Brody told me he’d booked two rooms, but we were only using one tonight.

  Seeking hands pushed down on my thighs, bunching up the hem of my shorts. His mouth kissed a trail along my cheek, my neck, and then he sat on the bed, pulling me to him. He pressed his large hands to my thighs, squeezing before looking up at me.

  “You want this?” he asked, his eyes searching for so many answers in mine. “We don’t have to if you don’t want this.”

  I closed the space between us. Blond tendrils covered my fingers when I pushed into them. I lowered my head, kissing deep into the locks and his hands braced me, holding me to him.

  “Don’t be so good,” I whispered, kissing again, brushing my nose in the length. “Don’t be so kind.” Because he didn’t need to be so gentle with me. I trusted him completely.

  He lifted his head, summoning me to do the same. I placed my hand on his cheek and he moved into it, sliding his mouth to my palm.

  “I can’t be any other way with you, Alex,” he said, sighing warm heat over my fingers. “I won’t be any other way.”

  Outlining his jaw with my thumbs, I made him look up at me, and when he did, I smiled. “That’s why I want you to,” I told him, meaning every word. “That’s why I want you.”

  Those large hands allowed themselves to escape their barrier, his restraint when they pushed up my body. He gripped my shirt and I lifted my arms, letting him slid the tank off me. He dropped it to the floor, then skilled fingers unbuttoned my shorts for the second time tonight with a simple flick.

  Moving my hips, I let him work them off me, his teeth going to the line of my panties. Using them, he revealed a tiny bit of flesh at my hip, nibbling as he pressed his lips to my skin and squeezed my thighs.

  My head fell back and I held onto his shoulders, him going down at his own wonderfully slow pace. His soft mouth escaped breaths at the sensitive skin below my panty line and he cupped my mound while he kissed, played.

  My legs quivered underneath me, Brody’s shallow breaths turning me on even more below.

  “You have such a beautiful body, Alexa. So perfect for my hands,” he said, kissing up my thigh. “My mouth.”

  And he pressed that mouth right there, right between my legs, and sent a sharp tingle straight into my pussy lips, making them wetter. He sat me back as he rose like a mountain above me, a never-ending mountain that had my legs burning to be around him. I crawled back on the bed with my elbows and hands and he chased me, pulling his shirt over his head as he came.

  I was met with a body I’d seen far too little of and never wanted to be away from again; muscles spacing off into individual sections, perfection in what they created as a whole. His abs disappeared into his jeans. His chest firm when I placed a hand on it. Sliding over my thumb, I touched that white line, the one that separated the right hemisphere of his chest from the left.

  He watched me closely. He touched my hand, bringing it to his mouth and I knew, for now, that was something we’d leave at the door. He had a past just as much as I had, but like he did with me, I’d give him time. I’d give him whatever he needed.

  He pushed his jeans down revealing black boxer briefs. He caught me smiling at those, him smiling as well, but then the expression disappeared. It went away when he pushed his face in between my thighs.

  Upon pulling my panties down, the sound of his deep breaths drummed within the room. His nose got his fill and his mouth had its way. I threaded my hands in his hair, his tongue dancing its way between my lips, taking long strokes before flicking. He went lower, making a suction with his mouth. I reached down, playing with my bud.

  His groan couldn’t be denied and I assumed it was at what I was doing. His hand joined me, his other finally reaching up to touch my breast. He squeezed, his hand so big on the lace, so big.

  “
You’re heaven,” he said, sighing, but he was wrong about that. He was wrong because he was heaven. He came above me, lips wet and swollen. He used those lips to kiss me, his massive body covering me, surrounding me.

  I couldn’t stop shaking, but it wasn’t because I was scared. I’d never felt something so emotional and all he was doing was kissing me, his lips pressing at the corner of my mouth so sweetly. The feeling overwhelmed me; the euphoria of it.

  Reaching down, I pushed boxers down tree trunk thighs and over a round bottom. I squeezed his ass then. I couldn’t help it and he laughed into my neck, the sound like magic.

  “You like that?” he asked, smiling. Reaching underneath me, he got a handful of mine. “I guess we both do.”

  I moaned, pressing my face into his chest, holding him tight. His fingers drew my bra straps down and a large mouth swallowed me whole, suckling my breast.

  I tended to the other and his hand joined me. The disorientation came on then, the two of us pleasuring me at the same time. I got lost in the sounds he made and how much he seemed to get pleasure just out of hearing mine. I’d been with more men than I wished I had in the past, but that? Him? Was an absolute first for me.

  A foil wrapper made it into his hand from the jeans he tossed. He reared back to his haunches, exposing himself as he rolled it on. A weaker girl might be intimidated by what he held so modestly in his hands, pulling that second skin on all the way to the base of a ready shaft, but I couldn’t hide from that. I wanted it so much. I wanted him so much.

  He covered me again and had the audacity to be so sweet, asking once more if I was sure.

  I kissed him, easing my legs apart and let him fill me, let him reach me in a way I’d never been reached by anyone before him. He used those thighs to drive that force into me, holding the back of my neck while he guided himself in and out in steady repetition. He had so much power behind him, but he was always so gentle. He said he couldn’t be any other way with me.