Lucia Jordan's Four Series Collection: Chosen, Whipped, Lick, Risk

by Lucia Jordan

  Bryan made a disapproving grunting noise. “I’d like to see him try.”

  “He would have and not thought twice about it.”

  Bryan angrily slapped his open palms down onto the black granite countertop. “I’m very seriously thinking about flying up there this weekend and beating the shit out of him.”

  Gina felt her love for her brother bloom further but also knew he was very serious. It would be nothing for him to fly to Colorado simply to inflict pain on Zane. As enticing as the idea was, she shook her head. “It’s over. I just want to move on.”

  “Fine,” he grunted after several long silent moments.

  Casually they chatted as he made her breakfast. It felt so good to be with family again. When Gina was little their parents had been in a car accident, killing them both instantly. At eighteen Bryan had come home from college to take care of her. He’d worked and taken night classes while raising her. Thankfully the massive life insurance policy that her parents had made things a little more comfortable, but still, there was an aching loss they left burned into her heart. Bryan had put his life on hold for her once before, she refused to let him do it again.

  Once breakfast was over she cleared the plates and washed them.

  “I have a dishwasher, you know.”

  She laughed and shrugged it off. “I’ve never used one. Zane said if we got one I would get lazier and fatter than I already was.” The last word came out on a sob.

  “Okay. I think you need to get some rest and I need to go to work before I do something that will get my ass thrown in jail.” Bryan dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “Your room is second door on the right, just up the stairs. Go get some rest. I’ve got classes all day so I won’t be home until close to nine. There’s food in the fridge or if you want take-out there are menus in the drawer.”

  He removed his wallet and handed her a fifty dollar bill.

  “Jeesh, Bry, I don’t need that. I do have a little money and I know how to cook.”

  “Just shut up,” he said playfully as he put the money on the counter.

  “Make yourself at home. Love you.” He planted a kiss on her forehead and pulled her in for a quick hug before grabbing his briefcase and keys from the table beside the door.

  After the front door slammed shut, she sagged against the counter. Perhaps it would be a good idea if she got some rest. Deciding against unpacking her car, she grabbed her suitcase and made her way upstairs and to her room.

  She pushed the door closed and then kicked off her shoes. Without another thought she crawled into the center of the massive bed and let exhaustion claim her.

  ***

  Unsure of what had awaken her, Gina bolted upright in bed. The clock beside the bed said 3:46 in bright green letters. She’d slept for nearly eight hours. Feeling oddly refreshed, she slipped from the bed and walked to the window. The pool shimmered invitingly in the afternoon light. She decided a swim would be perfect.

  She rummaged through her bag until she came up with her swim suit. Hurriedly she changed and then grabbed a towel from the hall closet. Making her way down through the kitchen she picked up her sunglasses from the counter and got a beer from the fridge. If she was going to be here for a while, she might as well make the best of it.

  As she opened the patio door she was greeted by a blast of heat. “Ugh,” she groaned, forgetting how miserably hot it was during the summer in Arizona. Without hesitation, she removed the elastic from her hair and dove into the deep end. The cool water greeted her with a hug as she swam beneath the surface.

  Finally, feeling as if her lungs were going to explode, she broke the surface. She didn’t know why but she felt a little bit lighter than when she had arrived at her brother’s. She lay back and floated on the water’s surface. White puffy clouds drifted lazily overhead.

  Deciding she wanted to get a little bit of sun on her pale skin, she slipped from the pool and stretched out on the lounge chair. The sun dried the water and warmed her skin. She smiled as she began to doze, but a loud crash from the garage brought her upright.

  “What the hell?” She frowned.

  Without thinking she went to investigate.

  This is how women get killed in movies, dummy.

  Slowly she made her way over the stones and quietly turned the knob that led into the garage. At first she couldn’t see anything in the dim light, but then the sound of something crashing to the floor drew her attention to a rather large figure crouching in the corner in front of one of the shelving units.

  Gina’s breath hitched in her throat. Someone had broken in. Her eyes quickly scanned around for something to defend herself with. Her fingers found a hammer and a wrench. Picking up both she held them in front of her.

  “D—don’t move,” she squeaked out.

  The figure slowly stood and Gina was fairly certain she was going to pass out. The guy was huge.

  “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” she said with more bravado than she felt.

  “I’m looking for something,” came a smooth, calm voice. He was holding up his hands as he slowly turned around.

  “D—don’t move,” she screeched.

  “I’m just going to turn around. I know the guy that lives here. He has something of mine.”

  “Likely story pal,” she snapped.

  The guy turned around and took a step toward her and, as he did, she hurled the hammer at him. He flinched as it zinged past his head and clanged loudly against the garage door before clattering to the floor.

  “If you want to hurt me, you might want to have better aim,” he teased lightly.

  “I hardly think you are in any position to antagonize. I am the one holding a weapon” she said waving the wrench in front of her.

  “No, you are holding common tools. Yes, they can be used as weapons, but you just demonstrated how likely you are to be able to achieve such a goal.”

  “Are you always a condescending asshole?” she said with a frown.

  “No, I’m a lawyer,” he said casually.

  “Oh well then that answer should have been yes,” she said glibly.

  He took a step forward, crossing from the shadowed interior and into the circle of muddy light cast from the single bulb in the ceiling. Gina took a step back and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. The man standing in front of her was half naked, wearing only a pair of low slung swimming trunks. But while he was intimidating in posture, the gentle look on his face told her that he wasn’t a threat. At least she hoped that was what she was seeing.

  “Touché, my dear, touché. Are you Bryan’s student flavor of the week?” he asked as he arched a dark eyebrow at her and took in her scantily clad body. He placed his hands on his lean hips, causing the muscles in his arms and pecs to flex. What the hell kind of lawyer looked like that? Hers back in Colorado hadn’t. Gina tried desperately not to pay attention to his toned body as he stood in front of her. His eyes raked over her, slowly taking in every inch of her exposed flesh. She fought the urge to cover herself up but, truth be told, his inspection of her was having a disturbing affect. Her nipples tightened and began to strain against the thin fabric of her top.

  “What? No! Ew,” she said, grimacing in disgust as what he’d said finally soaked in.

  “The good professor isn’t to your tastes?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about and that’s just gross. He’s my brother you sick-o.”

  “Awww,” he made a sound of recognition. “So you’re the baby sister.”

  Gina frowned. “Yes. Now who in the hell are you and why are you in my brother’s garage?”

  “My name is Landon. I live next door.”

  “You’re the neighbor?”

  He nodded. “I am.”

  “Which doesn’t explain why you’re rooting around in here.”

  “I loaned your brother my pool skimmer last week and I needed to use it.”

  “Okay. So you just come and go as you please?” Unwillingly her eyes
traveled over the rippling expanse of his shoulders and down to the defined planes of his chest and abdomen. Holy shit, she thought, men with bodies like that are not supposed to exist in real life. The deep v that disappeared into the top of his low slung swim trunks made her inner muscles clinch together tightly. She shifted her stance slightly to ease the sensation that was starting between her legs. He had a tattoo running along his side that practically made her mouth water. Why was she looking at him like a starving man would look at a Christmas dinner? The ink on her divorce papers wasn’t even dry yet and she was already thinking about sinking her teeth into a nice juicy steak.

  “Pretty much. Now, are you going to stand there and stare at me all day long or are you going to help me find my skimmer?”

  Her eyes jumped back to his face and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. There was a wide playful smile on his face that put her at ease.

  “I—I wasn’t staring,” she stammered, “and I think I saw it out by the pool.”

  He chuckled and walked forward, closing the distance between them. He stopped in front of her, careful not to invade her personal space. “You were too,” he said with a playful wink as he slipped past her. He stopped just on the other side of the door and looked over his shoulder at her.

  “But if it’s any consolation, I was doing a little staring too.”

  Gina’s heart slammed against her ribs as she watched him stride away. Wow his back muscles were just as impressive. He even had cute little dimples at the small of his back and, wow, did he have a nice backside.

  He grabbed the skimmer and walked to the gate that apparently connected the two yards. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? As he opened the latch he turned. “It was nice to finally meet you…”

  “Gina,” she supplied.

  “It was nice to meet you, Gina. See ya around.”

  I sure as hell hope so. That was her only thought as he disappeared into his own yard. She must have stood there for a while because a little while later she heard a splash followed by the excited yipping of a dog.

  Maybe staying with her brother wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

  Once on the other side of the fence, Landon blew out a steady breath. He’d seen pictures of Bryan’s little sister but never in his life could he have imagined her to be such a beauty. The girl in the pictures had been blonde, with childishly pudgy cheeks and no curves. It most certainly was not the goddess on the other side of the fence, or the woman that had stood in front of him in a smoking hot bikini. Her dark hair had been piled on top of her head, her cheeks still rosy from the touch of the sun.

  He licked his parched lips as he recalled the beautiful shape of her breasts. They were large and his hands ached to feel their weight in his palms. He hadn’t missed her reaction to his open admiration. He had nearly lost it as he watched her nipples tighten. From her rounded breasts his gaze had traveled over her soft curves. She wasn’t thin but she was the perfect size in his opinion. Curves and softness in all the right places. His cock twitched to life in his trunks as he imagined what it would be like to watch those beautiful breast bounce as she rode him.

  Whoa, down boy. You just met the woman and here you are already thinking about nailing her. Get your head on straight. You are not in the right frame of mind for this, his inner voice chastised him harshly. As far as first impressions went, this one would be one for the record books.

  He groaned in frustration. Now his cock was rock hard. It had been months since he’d been with a woman. Now, after only knowing Gina for five minutes, he could only think about one he wanted to be with.

  “What in the hell is wrong with me?” he muttered as he walked over to his pool and began to skim the debris from the surface. Anything to keep his mind and hands busy and away from the next door neighbor’s little sister.

  ***

  Later that evening, Gina ordered Chinese and watched a bad movie. She climbed in bed before her brother came home. Sometime in the night she woke up. After lying in bed for what felt like hours, she finally slipped from beneath the sheets and climbed into the cushioned window seat. The glow of the city in the distance gave the night sky an orange appearance. She could still see the stars as they glittered brightly.

  Movement drew her attention to Landon’s house. There was a single light on in what appeared to be a bedroom. Curiously she watched. When he came into view, she gasped. He was completely naked as he stood in front of the window for a brief moment. Gina pressed herself back into the shadows, hoping that he hadn’t seen her watching him. She kind of felt guilty for watching him, but that guilt was pushed aside as human desire took hold.

  She chewed on the corner of her bottom lip as she watched him move around. It appeared that he’d just climbed from the shower. His skin was still slick with water. Her heartbeat picked up as something fluttered in the pit of her stomach. Even from the distance between the two houses, she could see he was impressively endowed. She adjusted in her seat, trying to clench her thighs together to stifle the ache.

  Look away! Stop being a voyeur and just look away.

  But she couldn’t peel her eyes away from his marvelous physique. He disappeared from sight and she sighed, though she wasn’t sure if it was from relief or disappointment. He appeared again a few moments later, this time standing closer to the window. She frowned when she saw he was wearing boxers, this time she was definitely disappointed.

  Her eyes traveled to his face. She could see the features clearly. His face was somber, almost melancholy. Then his gaze lifted and met hers. She gasped and shrank further back into the shadows. Surely he couldn’t see her. Could he? Her room was completely dark. There was no light anywhere near her. He stared at her, or her window, for a few moments longer. What was he thinking? Was he thinking about her as he stared at her window?

  “Don’t be stupid,” she said. She wasn’t anywhere near his type. She was certain a man that looked like that did not date women like her.

  She sighed wistfully as she watched him reluctantly move away from the window and climb into bed. Moments later, he reached beside the bed and switched off the lamp. Why in the hell was her stomach in knots over a man she’d just met?

  ***

  “So, I met your neighbor,” Gina said casually as she and Bryan ate breakfast. It had been over a week since she’d met Landon and curiosity was getting the best of her. She’d caught a few glimpses of him in the yard or when he came home from work. He’d flashed her a smile and given her a friendly wave but nothing more to cause her to obsess over him, and yet, he was all she could think about.

  Bryan took drink from his coffee. “Oh yeah? Landon’s a cool guy. When did you meet him?”

  “The first day I was here. I was out by the pool and he was in the garage. I though he was trying to steal something.”

  “Yeah, I forgot to tell you he has a key.”

  “You trust him that much?” she asked as she took a sip of her orange juice.

  Bryan nodded. “He’s a good man.”

  “Yeah, he said he was a lawyer.”

  “You guys talked that long?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. He told me that after I threw a hammer at him.”

  Bryan sputtered in his coffee and began to wheeze. “You what?”

  She looked at him innocently. “What? I thought he was stealing from you.”

  “So you threw a hammer at him?” He looked at her incredulously.

  Gina chuckled. “I missed.”

  “Thank God for small miracles.”

  “He said you guys were friends.”

  “Yeah when he’s not working and I’m not at school, we usually play some basketball or a round of golf.”

  “He seemed to know about me,” she said. She prayed that she was sounding as indifferent and casual as possible.

  Bryan met her gaze and his eyes lit up mischievously as a playful smirk tilted up his handsome features. “Do you have a crush on the neighbor?” he asked in a sing-song voice.

/>   Gina rolled her eyes. “Are you freaking twelve? No, I don’t have a crush. I would just like to know who is going to be coming and going in your house.”

  “I’ll bet you do!”

  “Seriously, right now Bryan? I’m barely divorced and the last thing on my mind is taking care of another man.”

  Liar, liar pants on fire.

  Bryan shrugged. “I’m just saying you could do worse than him. Landon’s a good guy.” He took another drink of coffee. “You’re my baby sister, of course I talk about you. Plus I’m sure he’s seen the pictures of us.”

  She laughed. “Nikki coming back over tonight?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “Nah,” was his simple reply.

  “You know if you get caught you’re going to get in trouble.”

  Bryan lifted his shoulder. “It’s not like I am abducting them and making them do anything they don’t want.”

  “But you’re not resisting them either. Isn’t there a code of ethics violation in there somewhere?”

  He pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “Not a violation unless someone complains. Goodbye baby sister.” He ruffled her hair playfully and walked back into the house, carrying his plate.

  She laughed as she watched him go. Her brother, for as long as she could remember, had always liked his ladies. Apparently that didn’t change after he turned forty. In the week since arriving, she’d run into at least three different girls doing the walk of shame out of his bedroom, each looking as if they were in college.

  At night, more than once, she’d heard the proof of their love making and it made her stomach twist anxiously. Her brother had no morals when it came to sex, but it wasn’t her job to poke her nose in where it didn’t belong. However, that didn’t mean she wanted to be witness to hearing the women moan their praises of her brother’s sexual prowess.

  “Gross,” she muttered. However, it did make her realize that it had been a very excruciatingly long time since she’d had sex with anyone.

  Her mind quickly took a left turn, wondering when was the last time Landon had been with a woman. That though made a small tick of jealously run through her.