by Susan Arden
“How much experience do you have with women who don’t have sex on a regular basis?”
“I’m not going to hurt you. Ever.” He took her face between his hands and kissed her. Softly, as if to prove he wasn’t a raging bull, but then his kiss turned hungry and ignited the pulsing heat simmering low in her belly. He lightly bit her bottom lip, rolling it between his teeth, then sucked her tongue. Her hands reached inside his shirt, moving over his chest and tweaking his nipples.
“God, I want to feel you against me.” She stood back, admiring his muscular body. At least what she could see. He raised his arm and his shirt cuffs twinkled.
“We can easily make that a reality.”
“Let me,” she said. He wore cufflinks and she moved her hands down his shirtsleeves, rippling muscle under her fingertips. With her fingers on his cuff, she removed each gold link inscribed with an NFL insignia, and set it on the nightstand. His shirt front fell open, revealing a smooth expanse of his tanned, muscular chest. A breathtaking work of sinewy art. She pushed his shirt off his body and noticed a scar on his left shoulder. She pressed her palms over his skin, pushing off his shirt, and brushed her cheek over his pecs. With his shirt removed, her hands were free to explore a torso that invited her attention. His stomach tightened under her fingers into bulging ripples of six-pack perfection.
Without breaking eye contact, Brett kicked off his shoes and stepped free from his trousers and boxers, removed one sock and then another. By the time he was done, Cory had unlaced one shoe, but didn’t want to test her balance. Brett naked was a mind-altering sight that would forever brand in her brain what a man should look like. She’d be spoiled from ever finding a man to compare. Of that, she was completely certain.
She poised her knee at the edge of the bed and began working on the knot in the leather lace of the other shoe. The sound of crinkling foil came from behind her. She glanced back to see him tear the top of a condom packet. She met his gaze, then lowered her eyes to his cock as he gripped himself and swathed his length in latex.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
“I’ve got it.” She wished she had a pair of scissors to cut those darn laces. Finally, the knot came undone and her fingers trembled while unwinding the lace around her ankle.
“You’re beautiful. Relax for me.” He skimmed his hands over her back, down to her hips and lower. His hard-on slipped between her legs, eliciting a long, low groan from him. He grazed the broad head of his cock against her folds, unfurling a wave excruciating pleasure through her body.
“Brett,” she moaned, shivering from the spiraling ache between her thighs. She felt herself grow unbelievably hot, swollen and wet each time Brett’s cock nudged against her. The erotic teasing to her senses made it almost impossible to concentrate on the lace at her ankle. His hands were on her hips the moment she removed her shoe and he wedged her legs wider apart.
He shifted her position, wrapping his arm under her leg and holding her against him. “I’m going to fuck you standing up. To start.”
God, the feel of this commanding man, bending her body, owning her, made her dig her nails into the coverlet on the bed. He was at her entrance, hot and ready, and she leaned over, pushing back against him.
“Please,” she whimpered. In the next breath, she felt him thrusting into her. Slowly as he tightly squeezed her hips between his hands and rivulets of pleasure washed over her.
He grunted low, moving into her arduously. “So tight, kitten. You make me want to explode.”
His cock surged forward, not all the way but enough to have her moaning in need as a current of wanton bliss spread along her nerve endings. The sensation of being overtaken by him hiked up her hunger to have him fill her. She arched and ground her aching sex down upon his cock, impaling herself on him. He leaned over her, blanketing her body with heat, encircling her within his arms as he drove himself inside her.
“So good. God, I could fuck you for hours.” He stopped for a moment, giving her time to adjust to his cock buried deep inside her.
He flexed back, arching upward away from her body as he languidly drew his cock from within her, and the cool air filled in the gap where his warm body had lain. He held her by the hips, then forcefully drove his length back into her. A loud groan reverberated in his chest. The seesaw of heat roiling off his skin and the chilled air in the room made the delicious thrusts of his cock even more erotic.
“Bite me,” she said, craving that he give her something to take with her after tonight. “Please. Now.”
“What a turn on that you want me to mark you.” Bringing his hard chest and taut belly in full contact over her back, he bit down on her neck, sliding deeper inside her. “You like my cock inside you? Baby, you feel fucking amazing.”
“Yeah, just like this,” she murmured, giving flight to the desperate desire to have him rocking into her.
“Rough?” he asked, his mouth against her neck, and the scrape of his teeth unbolting her hunger for him.
“With you. Yes.”
He sucked a point on her neck, then nibbled her skin until she dug her nails into his arms. “I’ve got you,” he murmured, tightening his grip on her. He pulled his cock out, teasing her with the tip, then pummeled his length into her.
“Oh God.” The words rasped from her lips.
They moved toward each other, increasing the speed of their bodies in hurling thrusts. Each time he plunged, he drove himself so deep inside her, she shuddered and fought to keep from falling. Her nipples tightened into hard peaks. Pleasure crashed in thunderous waves with each of Brett’s slamming pumps into her. His mouth returned to bite her shoulder, her neck, and whispered decadent snips of what fucking her felt like. They were joined hip-to-hip, their breaths in synch, and then he began to move faster, going farther with each thrust until the only thing that mattered was him filling her as the rest of the world fell away.
“I want to see your face as I drive my cock into you and make you come.” He pulled out of her and in one rapid motion swept her up and onto the bed.
He was down next to Cory, parting her thighs, and moved his hips in between her legs, fisting his cock. Poised at her entrance, he clenched his jaw at the sight of her pink and melting around him. He plunged deep inside her in one full throttle thrust. He hooked her legs and brought them over his shoulders, and began to pummel himself into her, over and over. Faster and harder came each of his slams.
“So good,” she moaned, raking her nails through his hair.
Gripping her thighs, he drove into her with a deep thrust, followed by a grind against her. He didn’t relent, but continued his pounding motion, urging her with his voice, his cock, his touch.
“How close are you?” he panted, sweat dripping down his cheeks.
So close, she called out his name. “Brett, please!”
“Fuck, I’m going to burst. You feel so amazing like this.”
The shattering pleasure blasted apart from deep down in her belly, a rippling bliss that built into a tsunami of ecstasy and then crashed, leaving her moaning and digging her nails into his back.
He yelled her name, “Cory! Fuck.” His hands lifted her bottom and he drove his cock into her with a jagged slam, a shudder tore through his body in his release. “Baby.”
After setting her hips down on the bed, he gently kissed the inside of her knees. She moved her legs from his shoulders, as he lowered himself to lie between her thighs. Their breaths were uneven as he kissed the side of her neck, working his mouth up to her jaw where he sucked a point that made her come completely undone.
“Brett,” she moaned, pulling on his hair.
He gazed down into her face, his eyes wide, and then he crushed his mouth down upon her lips. His hard kiss turned soft and tender. Sucking her lip, he groaned. When he released her mouth, he smiled. “You drive me crazy, cowgirl.”
“Back—” She was about to return the compliment but the loud pounding on the door interr
upted her words.
He shook his head. “I’m not a fan of ground floor rooms.”
CHAPTER 8
Brett rose from the bed, peeled off the condom and slipped on his trousers. Shirtless and barefoot, he went to see who continued to pound the hotel door like a madman. She sat up on the bed, running her fingers through her tangled hair. Her body jerked at hearing a female voice and worse when said voice clearly mentioned her name.
“Oh, God,” she whispered, her heart thundering, and all she could think about was getting dressed in two seconds before a mob of angry women overtook Brett’s hotel room.
Without an extra pair of hands, she could only get the dress zipper halfway up. And tying those darn shoes required more concentration than she possessed, with the insistent voice at the door getting louder. She heard Brett say firmly to wait. What would he think? She wouldn’t blame him if he never acknowledged this evening. Ever.
He appeared at the bedroom doorway, his face grim, and he walked toward her with her purse in his hand. “Your sister-in-law has been taken to the hospital.”
She dropped her shoe and stared up at him. “What? When? Is she going to be alright?”
Brett set her purse down on the bed next to her. He lightly traced the edge of her jaw with his fingertip. “Apparently, she began to have contractions and then her water broke.”
“I’ve got to go.” She swallowed a lump the size of a hay bale but couldn’t seem to get rid of the choking feeling. Brett came over to her and stood behind her. He took hold of her dress and helped her tie the straps, then zip the back. He bent down and picked up her shoes and settled her on the bed, a slight curve to his lips as he looked down at her.
“The ambulance already left with her. I’ll drive you.” He picked up his shirt and slipped it on, rolled up the sleeves and began to button it.
She held her shoe and hastily tied the lace around her ankle. “Who was at the door?”
“Gillian and Rich, a guy from my team. He showed her down here.”
Her gaze shot to the doorway. “Is she still waiting in the hall?” her voice sounded thin and scared.
“No. She went back to the group. They’re getting ready to leave. No one knew where you were and she had enough to sense to find a football player and ask instead of calling the police.”
“I didn’t think anything would happen. It’s all my fault. I basically twisted her arm into dancing. I hope Carolina and the babies…” She rose and folded her arms over her waist. Her chest constricted, tightly wrapped by worry.
“Hey, this isn’t your fault. You’ve no control over when a baby or babies are going to be born. I don’t know much about pregnant women, but your sister-in-law looked like she was close anyway…you know, to delivering.”
“She’s not due for another few weeks. I need to find my family.”
He crossed the carpeted floor and pulled her up, close to him. Wrapping his hand in her tangled hair, he forced her to look up. “I’m right here if you need me. Or I can stay in the background. We need to talk. I’m not a mind reader, nor are you. When we leave this room, I want you to promise me, you’ll not get lost. Your family, from what I can tell, is somewhat overbearing. Am I right?”
“That’s putting it mildly. I don’t want you to have to deal with their emotional upheaval which I’m sure will be a regular circus in crisis.” She inhaled, bending her head forward to rest on his chest. Her hands came up and squeezed his waist. He kissed the top of her head. Gentle and without pushing her, she wanted him to swallow her up for one more second before all Annona hell broke loose. Matt would be on his way by now with a carload of other family members. A two-hour drive from the ranch to Dallas. She wondered if he’d make it in time to see his babies being born.
“We’d best be getting you to the hospital, then.” His fingers slid down her arm and he picked up her hand, weaving their fingers together.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
He finished dressing, grabbed his wallet and keys and led her from the bedroom out the door, then down the hall until they were in the hotel lobby.
Cory had her cellphone out and dialed Gillian’s number. She saw all the messages, texts and phone calls. With her cell resting on her cheek, she didn’t really pay much attention to the ding of the elevator until the doors opened and out walked Ashley and two men. To say her cousin looked disheveled didn’t adequately describe her smudged makeup or matted hair. Wrecked came to Cory’s mind. Their eyes locked and Cory met her cousin’s sneer with an arched a brow.
Ashley had her cell in her hand as well. “Good lord,” she said across the lobby, stumbling forward, and one of the men reached out and grabbed her. When she came up to Cory, she narrowed her eyes, giving Cory a slow onceover and shook her head. “What’s going on?”
The fumes coming from her mouth repelled Cory and she immediately looked to both of the men.
Floored, Cory halted and shot a questioning look to Brett. “Uh…”
“Well?” Ashley demanded.
“We need to get to Southwestern Medical Center. Why don’t you come with us?” she asked.
“She was due, wasn’t she?” Ashley replied dryly. “We just had a few drinks and damn, I get slammed by a million messages. Carolina’s ability to upstage anyone is now confirmed.” One of the men, the guy Brett had referred to as Kenny, had his arm casually encircling Ashley’s waist.
Kenny glanced over at Ashley and snorted. “Damn, that’s harsh.”
Ashley snapped, “You haven’t met her. I can’t imagine why she even came.”
Brett’s fingers were at the back of Cory’s dress, pinching the material in a firm grasp, and it was a good thing. Cory’s fingers curled into fists. She’d had enough of Ashley. “Then you’re set to get back to whatever you had going on. You know where the hotel is, or are you staying here?” Cory asked.
“I don’t know yet. I doubt a group of twenty will be allowed to crowd into the maternity waiting area of any hospital. Maybe you should give them space and not add to the confusion as well, Cory. You’re not versed in birthing. The only people Carolina needs are her family, and none of those crazy Spanish-speaking hot heads are here, thank God. The wedding was enough to drive us all bonkers.”
Cory labored to take a breath, fighting to keep from overreacting. This was, after all, Ashley. Cory reminded herself her cousin was a jerk through and through, and had once again proved herself a complete moron. Why did she worry about what this woman thought or said?
“Close your mouth before you say something even more ridiculous. I’m warning you not to say another thing about Carolina.” Cory spoke between gritted teeth. “The only person who should have stayed back in Annona is you. You’re nothing but a bitter, mean-spirited gossip who couldn’t even find a date for her prom. Your daddy had to pay a ranch hand to take you. And tonight, you’re not faring any better. Stop pointing your finger.”
Her cousin blinked slowly, like a drunken cat. “Oh, and I suppose with your rumpled dress and messy hairdo you weren’t getting busy between the sheets with him. Did you have to give him directions on what to do?” Ashley had her hands on her waist. She laughed victoriously at Cory’s sharp gasp.
“You need to learn some manners.” Before she could fully conceptualize her actions, she stepped up to Ashley, so close she felt her cousin’s exhalation. Cory lifted her hands, ready to shove the woman.
“Oh, shit,” the man next to Ashley swore. He tugged her cousin backward as he moved in between them. “Brett, get hold of your girl if you don’t want to have to break up a cat fight.”
Brett had already intervened by taking hold of Cory’s arm. Her chest heaved in unexpressed fury, but she didn’t fight him. “Come on,” he whispered against the back of her head. “She’s not worth it.”
He was right. Cory nodded and raised her palms “I’m good.” She turned her back on her cousin. “Can we please leave?”
He nodded. “I’m parked in t
he garage. Did you want to check the club and see if anyone else is there?”
“I received a text that said everyone is on their way to the hospital.” She refused to say another word to Ashley. She’d wait until she returned home to deal with her cousin. Accordingly to Gillian’s recent text, Carolina had been taken to a hospital with a high-risk birthing center and a neonatologist had been called in. Brett walked alongside her, silently comforting with his hand on her lower back. He steered her over to his car. Convertible and low, sleek, and black, the type of ride she’d expect someone like him to drive. He opened the passenger door, helping her to climb inside.
She texted Gillian that she was on her way and then she dialed her mother’s cell number. Her finger shook and before she pressed talk, she turned to Brett. “Do you need directions?”
She cringed at her words after what Ashley had said, and slanted a glance in his direction from beneath her lashes. Her world was about to crash. Would he be around instead of disappearing was the real question, not her.
“Unfortunately, I’ve visited every hospital in Dallas over the years.” He backed out of the spot, his hand holding onto the neck rest behind her, and his thumb rubbed the top of her head.
“Right,” she said. “Probably not the maternity wing though.” And with her family this would be memorable, even if Carolina and her nephew and niece were perfectly fine.
“More like the ER, or surgical units for friends. I’ve had a couple a visits myself.”
“Your shoulder?” she asked.
He flashed her a quizzical look. “Yes. The scar?”
“I noticed. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Heck, no. I’m not vain. It’s an ongoing issue. In my line of work, injuries end careers. No one likes to discuss them. It’s more than an image thing. It’s an impression, and those impact contracts, trades, a whole domino effect, really.” His mouth set into a tight line as he shifted gears and drove from the garage.
