Full Exposure

by Cathryn Fox

  “It’s yours,” she whispered, his tone making her shiver. “I’m yours.” He stilled inside her, just holding her for a long time and letting her get used to the fullness. Warm hands stroked her back as her body grew hot for more.

  She moved, and he sucked in a seething breath. He rocked into her, and as basic elemental need took over, she reared back to meet him. A warm hand slid up her spine and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He tugged and she cried out, from pleasure, not pain. As arousal crept through her, her clit throbbed, aching for attention.

  In tune with her needs, he reached around her and pressed his finger to her clit. The air grew heavy as they indulged in each other’s bodies. His cock stroked deep, and he growled. He thrust harder, reaching deeper, as if he was seeking more than just release. His finger played between her legs, and as pleasure peaked, she let go, her orgasm helped along by his touch.

  “So good,” she cried out, almost forgetting to breathe.

  “Fuck, yes,” he said. His hips picked up speed, moving against her, grinding…taking.

  Grunting sounds crawled out of his throat as his breathing grew rapid, hot on her back. She wet her lips and tried to swallow against the dryness of her throat as he rammed into her. He drew out and plunged back in again, her body fully open to him now. Sensations whipped through her at the throbbing of his cock.

  “I’m there,” he growled. Her legs weakened, and he gripped her hair harder, stilling her movements. “Fuck,” he groaned, and came high inside her ass.

  “Yes,” she said as their bodies unified, bringing them even closer together.

  Damp hands gripped her hips, and he held on like their lives depended on it, then he slowly withdrew his cock. He slid to the side of the bed, and she ached at the loss of his nearness. He pulled her to him, and she tried to get her head on straight as she soaked in his warmth. Honest to God, she knew sex with him would be good, but she hadn’t anticipated just how good, or that she’d fall so damn hard for him.

  He stroked her stomach, the soft ministrations, the tender way he was touching her, filling her with a different kind of need. She kept her gaze focused on his hard chest, not daring to look at him.

  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked.

  She shook her head. He hadn’t. At least, not yet. But he would, when he left, because she’d made a mistake and let him in, in more ways than one. She’d asked him to teach her about sex, and in the process, she’d learned about love. A long time ago, she once thought she’d give her virginity up to someone she loved, and wouldn’t you know it, she’d gone ahead and done exactly that. How would she recover when he left?

  He climbed from the bed and gathered her into his arms. She went soft against his hard chest as his strength surrounded her. “Let me take care of you.”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Because she was afraid she’d ask for something that wasn’t part of the bargain. Forever.

  Chapter Five

  “Well, well, who do we have here?” Sam asked, leaning against the doorjamb as Jack led Danielle inside his parents’ home for the second time. Only this time, they weren’t going to have sex in his old bedroom.

  “Piss off,” Jack said. He put his arm around Danielle and tugged her closer, keeping her away from his brother’s roving eye.

  Sam pushed off the doorframe to block their path. “What, you’re not going to introduce me?”

  “Danielle, this is Sam.” He touched his head. “You remember Sam, the slow one I told you about.”

  Sam just laughed, then took Danielle’s hand in his. “Sometimes slow is just what the lady needs. Isn’t that right, Danielle?”

  Danielle watched the sibling rivalry, a smile playing on her mouth. It must have been wonderful to grow up in this family.

  Jack tugged Danielle back. “Christ, Sam. Get your filthy hands off her. ”

  “Sam,” his mother yelled from the kitchen. “Let your brother in.”

  He mouthed the words, “Momma’s boy,” and stepped to the side.

  “Ignore him,” Jack said, giving Sam a shove. He guided her into the kitchen, and his mother’s dark eyes lit when they fell on Danielle.

  “Mom, this is Danielle. Danielle, meet my mom, Cindy.”

  “So nice to meet you, Mrs. Rider,” Danielle said. Danielle held out her hand for a shake, but his mom shooed it away.

  “Call me Cindy.” With a quick flick she tossed her dishcloth over her shoulder, took the cheesecake Danielle was holding and put it on the counter, then pulled Danielle into a hug. At first Danielle froze, a sad reminder that she wasn’t use to a loving family like his, but then she relaxed in his mother’s embrace.

  His mom pulled back. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”

  “It’s my way of thanking Joseph for looking at the house for me. He seemed excited by the idea.”

  Cindy wagged a finger. “That’s because he’s supposed to be watching his cholesterol. I guess he figures he can get away with eating it if you brought it.”

  “He won’t be able to have any?”

  His mother rolled her eyes. “Of course he will. That man…”

  “What about me?” Joseph asked, rubbing his stomach as he stepped into the kitchen.

  Cindy whacked him with her towel, and the smile on Danielle’s face warmed Jack’s heart as she folded her arms and hugged herself, taking it all in as if it was the first time she’d ever been around a functioning household. A noise at the front door drew Danielle’s attention, and a moment later Jamie and Luke came rushing in, each jabbing at each other. They both went still when they saw Danielle standing there.

  “What, you’ve never seen a girl before?” Cindy asked, waving her towel in warning. “You,” she said to Luke. “Set the table.”

  “But Mom, there’s a ball game on.” When she leveled him with a glare, he sighed. “Fine.”

  Cindy’s stern eyes turned to Jamie. “You can help me carve the roast.”

  Just then, Sam came into the kitchen, a cocky grin on his face, one that Jack was determined to knock off later. “Can Danielle sit by me?” he asked.

  “You,” his mother warned, pointing a finger. “You mind your manners and leave Danielle alone. I want her to come back, and I don’t need you scaring her away.”

  Luke tackled Sam, wrestling him into a headlock and dragging him to the other room to help with the table.

  Danielle’s smile widened as she turned to Jack. “Is it always like this?”

  “Always,” he said.

  Cindy touched Joseph’s arm. “Why don’t you run to the cellar and get that nice bottle of wine I’ve been waiting to open.” She turned to Danielle. “You do like wine, don’t you?”

  “I do,” she said.

  Jack laughed. “She’s a bit of a lightweight, though.”

  “That’s okay,” Sam yelled from the other room. “I can make sure she gets home safely if she has too much.”

  Jack glanced at Danielle and shook his head. “See what I mean?”

  “Ignore him,” Cindy said as Joseph disappeared downstairs.

  Danielle looked around the kitchen, zeroing in on all the pots on the stove. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “You’re a guest, you don’t need to help.”

  She nodded eagerly, and Jack couldn’t believe how comfortable she was with his mother. She was changing under his touch, and damned if that didn’t do something to him. “I really like being in the kitchen, and would love to help.”

  “I do have some vegetables that need tending to.”

  His mother reached into the drawer to grab another dish towel, and Jack touched Danielle’s arm. “You want me to stay?”

  “No, go enjoy the game. I’m good here with your mom and Jamie.”

  “Don’t worry, bro, she’s in good hands,” Jamie said, and Jack turned away, forcing himself not to show possessiveness, even though Jamie was right. She was in good hands.

  Jack wandered into the living room and plunked hims
elf down on the couch. Eventually the guys all came in and joined him. His dad handed him a beer. Every now and then, laugher erupted in the kitchen, and his heart warmed, happy that Danielle was enjoying herself. When had her well-being become so important to him? This week? Back in high school?

  Half an hour into the game, his mom poked her head in. “Dinner’s ready.”

  They all climbed to their feet, and Sam tried to rush ahead of him. “Don’t you fucking dare,” Jack warned. “She’s not sitting anywhere near you.” Sam laughed and punched Jack in the side.

  Jack elbowed him back and walked into the dining room to find the table beautifully set. He pulled his usual chair out and gestured for Danielle to sit in it. Then he grabbed the one next to her. Her lips turned up in a smile as he shifted closer. Everyone sat, his mom at one end of the table beside Danielle, his father at the other, and the three guys he loved most across from them.

  “Everything is so beautiful,” Danielle said. “Thanks for inviting me.”

  His mom smiled. “Anytime.” She waved her hand over all the bowls in the middle of the table. “Now let’s eat.”

  Soon enough everyone had their plates filled with potatoes, vegetables, roast beef, and gravy. Maybe he’d make it through the meal unscathed, after all.

  “So Danielle, Jack told you I was slow, did he?” Sam asked from across the table.

  Guess not.

  “Sam,” Jack warned.

  Undeterred, Sam pressed, “Did he tell you he hates cherry pie?”

  “Jesus, Sam. Let’s not go there,” Jack said, glaring at his brother. “Danielle isn’t interested in your stories.”

  “No, he never mentioned it,” Danielle said. She smoothed her napkin over her lap, blinking eagerly at Sam. Jack shook his head. Goddammit, she was loving this.

  He nudged her with his thigh. “Lies, Danielle, remember?”

  Sam took a drink of water and grinned over the rim of his glass. “Well, if you don’t believe me, you can check the log at the fire department.”

  “What does the fire department have to do with disliking cherry pie?” she asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “I wouldn’t say it was nothing,” his dad piped in.

  “Not you, too.” Jack planted his elbows on the table and rested his forehead in his palms.

  “You see, Dani.” Sam paused. “Can I call you Dani?”

  “No,” Jack growled, his hands falling. Sam just grinned at him. Like hell was Jack going to let his brother give her a nickname.

  “So you see, Danielle. My little brother here somehow got a hold of a Roman candle. He lit the damn thing in the backyard, but didn’t have it pointed at the right angle.” He made a face and tapped his head, suggesting Jack was a bit thick. “Math, angles, those kinds of things weren’t his strong suit. Anyway, those fireballs shot straight into Mrs. Hinch’s window. Blew up the cherry pie she had cooling on her windowsill.”

  Danielle chuckled, and Jack’s head jerked around. “Are you serious?” he asked. “You’re siding with them.”

  “Never seen anything like it,” Luke added, throwing his hands up in the air and splaying his fingers like they were exploding. “Cherry pie everywhere.”

  His father grinned. “And a kitchen fire that nearly destroyed the whole house.”

  He turned to his father. “If I remember correctly, I didn’t get out of my bedroom for three weeks after that.”

  Joseph reached for the bowl of potatoes and nodded. “That’ll teach ya not to play with explosives.”

  Jack took in all the smirking faces. “You know, Sam, I seem to recall an incident where you wanted to play car accident.”

  “Oh, shit,” Sam said. He took another big drink of water as his mother gave him a stern look for swearing. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

  “I remember you pushing an old pedal car that you’d outgrown straight into a tree.” Jack tapped his head and nudged Danielle with his elbow. “Like I said, slow.”

  “What was so bad about that?” she asked, playing right into his hands.

  Jack toyed with the carrots on his plate and continued. “Oh, it would have been fine, if he hadn’t been running so fast. You see, he couldn’t stop when the car hit the tree. Newton taught us that an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by a force.” His lips twisted in a smirk. “Newton, science, those kinds of things aren’t Sam’s strong suit.”

  “And when that force was acted upon him”—Luke clapped his hands—“Sam’s face, meet tree.”

  “Blood everywhere,” Jamie added.

  Sam snorted. “Okay, so maybe that wasn’t one of my brightest moments, but I was a kid.”

  “I seem to remember you doing it with a tricycle the next year,” his dad said.

  Everyone laughed, and Cindy put her hand over Danielle’s. “They never learn,” his mother said with an eye roll.

  “And what about you, Luke?” Jack asked. “Wasn’t there an incident where you convinced Jamie to hold a balloon so you could practice your knife-throwing skills?”

  Jamie touched his ears, and Danielle covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Check out the piercing. I think Luke missed his calling.”

  “Now let’s get back to this cherry pie and the fire that nearly destroyed the neighborhood,” Sam said.

  She put her hand over Jack’s. “Don’t worry about that. It was just a slight miscalculation. A mistake. Could have happened to anyone.” She gave a casual shoulder roll. “It’s not like you purposely dismantled a bunk bed, only to have it land on you,” she said, coming to Jack’s rescue.

  Laugher erupted around the table, and Jack flipped his hand over until he was holding hers. He gave a little squeeze. Not only was Danielle sweet and sexy, she could hold her own against his brothers. There was nothing he could do to wipe the smile from his face.

  “She’s going to fit in here nicely,” his mother said, turning her attention back to her meal.

  “All right, time to talk about something else,” Sam complained, staring at his place like a petulant child, one who’d just been shut down by his baby brother—or rather his baby brother’s girlfriend.

  Girlfriend?

  Jack struggled to think as that thought bounced around inside his head like a loose pinball. Attention was turned to Danielle and her recent graduation. As she began to explain the family counseling business she wanted to open, and how she was eager to redesign the main floor of her dream home, everyone listened in. Luke and his dad, who now knew the structure well, even pitched ideas on how to shape the space.

  After dinner, Danielle served up her dessert, and conversation kicked in again. The cell phone in Jack’s front pocket started buzzing, and his mother gave him a look.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I know, no phones at the table.” He pulled it from his pocket and was about to turn the ringer off when he saw the number. “I’m sorry, Mom, but I have to take this.” He jumped from his chair, walked into the living room, and plunked down on the arm of the sofa.

  “Jack,” his manager said when he answered.

  “Coleman,” he returned. “What’s up?”

  “Looks like Coach wants you back for training. He expects to see you on the field a week from Monday for assessment.” Jack’s mind raced at this sudden turn of events. He must have taken too long, because his manager asked, “Jack, you there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “So good news, right?”

  “Great news,” he said. A knot tightened in his stomach, because this was great news. News he’d been hoping for. So why the fuck did he feel like his dinner was about to make a second appearance? He glanced in the dining room, and his heart hitched. Seeing Danielle at the table with his family felt right in so many ways.

  No one had ever made him feel the way she did. In the span of a week, she’d given him purpose. Truthfully, he hadn’t been alive before meeting her; he’d been merely living. He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged. Christ, he should have known fr
om the get-go that she wasn’t the kind of girl he could have a casual affair with. But now that he had a taste of her, and knew how good they could be together, he wanted more. Wanted what his parents had—with her. But what did she want? Was this thing between them really just a two-week sex lesson, or something more? Maybe it was damn well time to find out.

  “I gotta go,” he said, and powered his phone down.

  He pushed off the sofa and started toward the dining room. His mother’s voice reached his ears. “I hope Jack brings you around more often. It’s nice to have a female in the house, not to mention company in the kitchen.”

  “Hey,” Jamie said, feigning offense at the kitchen comment.

  “I enjoyed it, too,” Danielle said, grinning at Jamie. “But Jack and I are just friends. He’s just helping me out with a little problem I have.”

  And there you have it.

  Feeling like he’d just been sucker punched, Jack forced his legs to move. He stepped into the dining room and held up his phone, hoping his voice didn’t give away the shitstorm going on inside him. “That was my manager. Looks like I’m heading back to Seattle a week from Monday.”

  Chapter Six

  Most of the week passed in a blur of physical therapy in the morning, splitting his time between helping his dad in the bay and Liam on the field in the afternoon, and falling into bed with Danielle every evening. Now here it was, Thursday night, two days before he’d hop on a plane and leave town. It was also the night he’d promised Danielle he’d take her to the club, to give her one last session on sex—the big one…a threesome. Talk about a memorable way of saying good-bye…

  He turned and found her staring at him from the passenger side of the car. “Everything okay?”

  She nodded and smiled. “I went to see my foster parents today.”

  He found her hand and squeezed. “Yeah?”

  “It was really nice, Jack. We talked for a long time. I’d always kept my distance, but this time, it was different. I don’t know, seeing you with your family…it did something to me. June and Frank always wanted that with me, but I was always too afraid to let them in.”

  “And now?”