The Strand Brothers Series: Complete Set

by Lora Ann

I reluctantly pulled out of her wet heat and then lay on my side, tugging her onto my chest. I stroked her back, up and down, soothingly as we drifted towards sleep. The last thought I had was, my wife forever.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Aimee

  I was still not sure how many times Nik had woken me up through the night to make love. When my heavy lids lifted, there he was staring down at me, humming. I stroked his shadowed jaw and mentioned, “Aero Smith. We like a lot of the same music.” I propped myself up on one elbow and kissed the corner of his mouth, then reached over for my iPod. Once I hit one of the play lists, I directed, “Sing for me.” He winked as he sang along with “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Yep, his deep, raspy voice alone could absolutely send me into eternal bliss.

  I had put the song on a loop. So once it ended that first time, I mounted my husband and sank down on his sizeable penis. Sure, I was sore, but I couldn’t have cared less at the moment. Afterwards, I gently eased off of him and made my way to the bathroom. He followed, swatting my butt as he said, “Hustle up. We have a plane to catch.”

  I grinned, “What, you’re not going to join me in here?” I let my fingers travel down to my wet sex as I held his gaze.

  On a growl, he joined me in the shower. Once we were temporarily sated, we cleansed one another. I had a feeling, no matter how many times either of us orgasmed, we were never going to be completely satisfied. Fine by me. There was nothing in this world I wanted more than my body joined with his. While those thoughts passed through my mind, I licked my lips. His eyes met mine in the mirror. “We have the plane as well as the entire weekend to make love, insatiable wife of mine.”

  “It’s your own damn fault.”

  He cocked a brow. “How’s that?”

  “You’re just too fucking good at making me come.”

  His grunt of satisfaction, along with the deep grind of his hips into my backside, was all I needed to know I’d just made him a very happy man. Then he kissed the side of my neck and murmured, “Goes both ways, little one.”

  For some reason, him calling me “little one” brought back the masquerade. Why did Nik remind me so much of my mystery man? What was the connection? I had planned to ask, but suddenly my mouth was invaded by a most persistent tongue. All thought left, in a whoosh of sensation, as he devastated me once more with his oral talents. Hot damn! The man’s expertise knew no bounds.

  *****

  We were late arriving to the plane. Not that it mattered. I mean, Nik owned the darn thing, so it wasn’t as if we held up other passengers. Once onboard and seat-belted properly, we took off. Tired, I closed my eyes as Nik’s thumb rubbed soothingly along my wrist. My intention was to make love to my husband on our five hour journey; however, sleep prevailed. I didn’t budge until we landed in St. Lucia.

  I awoke to gentle lips on mine and whispered, “Hi.”

  He chuckled, “How was your rest, Sleeping Beauty?”

  I blinked several times to clear the fog from my brain. “I suppose it was fine.” When my stomach grumbled, he smiled, “We’ll eat as soon as we arrive at the resort.”

  My eyes widened as I leaned forward to look out the window. “Crap. I slept the entire flight here?”

  “To be fair, so did I.”

  “No way!” I exclaimed. “Some honeymoon couple we are.”

  He nuzzled my nose with his. “We barely slept last night,” he purred. “I think rest was foremost this morning. Besides, we’ll be busy later.”

  Oh, my. The promise that went with the statement was unmistakable. I brushed my lips against his softly and declared, “Then, I think we better get there. Like, now.”

  He stood and proffered his hand to assist me.

  *****

  The spectacular island made our drive beautiful, at times breathtaking. But Jade Mountain itself was phenomenal. The galaxy sanctuary was remarkable. It was one thing to take in the fifteen-foot high ceilings and the eclectic furniture; however, the awe-inspiring infinity pool, where the fourth wall should’ve been, was nothing short of magnificent. A full two-hundred-and-seventy degree view of the Caribbean Sea was not a sight I would soon forget. If ever.

  When hard, muscled arms enveloped my waist, I leaned back and enjoyed the feel of his body pressed against mine. He whispered, “You like?”

  I turned in his arms and locked eyes with him. “Nikko Mathias Strand, you have outdone yourself,” I praised. “This place is incredible.” I pulled his face to mine. “Just like you.” Then I proceeded to show him exactly how appreciative I was.

  Once we came up for air, he murmured, “I love the sound of my full name on your lips.” To prove his point he licked his way around my mouth.

  Wow, his attention to detail could not be matched. As if he needed to show me just how meticulous he could be, he began to work lips, tongue, and teeth down my body. All the while, his equally gifted fingers undressed me until I stood fully nude: he remained clothed. Now that was freaking hot! He laid me down gently on a chaise lounge as he fell to his knees, and then continued his sinful ministrations over and around my core. The orgasm crested, strong and proud, as he proceeded to show me my body was more than capable of multiples. Good Lord, I wasn’t sure I would survive. Oh, but the la petite mort was so damn worth it.

  Once I’d recovered from the dizzying climax, my stomach rumbled. Embarrassed, I laid my hand over the loud beast. Nik shook his head and announced, “Right, time to eat.”

  Well, it looked as if my plans for him were going to have to wait. That’s fine. Later, I would show him he was multi-orgasmic as well. A sly smile played at the corners of my mouth, which caused Nik to question me. “Now, what is that expression all about?”

  While I slipped on a sundress, I replied, “For me to know, and you to find out.”

  He placed his hands on my shoulders and growled, “Don’t tempt me, woman.”

  I bit my bottom lip and then teased “Or what?”

  He spun me around so fast I would’ve lost my balance if he hadn’t pushed me up against the wall and held me in place with his hard body. As he licked my ear, he cautioned, “You’re playing with fire.”

  Holy crap. Torn between my angry stomach and the desire to push him further, I wasn’t at all sure which one I wanted more.

  He made the decision for me when he stepped backwards and chuckled, “We need food to keep our strength up. Let’s go.” Then he tugged me out the door.

  As I looked at him sideways, I confirmed, “You’re right.” Then I promised, “Afterwards, I have plans for you. Wouldn’t want you passing out from all I’m going to do to you.”

  “Oh, little one, I can’t wait to see you try,” he rumbled.

  *****

  We ate alfresco beneath the romantic canopy overlooking the exquisite Caribbean Sea. I inquired, “Will this be all we see of this beautiful island?”

  His brow arched. “If you would like to explore, I’m fine with that. If not, I’m more than okay. The decision is completely yours.” He grabbed my hand and brought it to his mouth, where his wicked tongue began to dance along the sensitive skin between my fingers.

  Wow, it was as if those spots had a direct line to my clitoris. Never had a man been able to arouse me like Nikko. Hmm, I wondered if he let me call him that. ‘Cause honestly, the name was as sexy as the man. Time to find out. I whispered, “Ah, Nikko, you’re beyond insatiable.”

  As he rested his forehead against mine, he groaned, “Say it again.”

  Along the seam of his mouth, I breathed, “Which one?” Even I could hear the desire drenched quality to my voice.

  He licked the outside of my lips before he answered, “My name.”

  I susurrated, “Nikko.”

  His hand fisted my hair as he took my mouth with a hunger I so easily matched.

  Our server interrupted us, “Erghm. Would you like dessert?”

  Nik broke our kiss, keeping his eyes on me. “Yes. But not here.”

  She blushed profusely as she answ
ered, “I see. Then I will take my leave, sir.” She winked at me. “Ma’am.”

  Once she left, we did as well.

  *****

  Intention didn’t always mean follow through. In other words, we were headed for our sanctuary, but our passion refused to wait. Exhibitionism had never been something I’d aspired to. Although when the obscure hammock presented itself on our walk…well, you could do the math. And, yeah, I admit, my curiosity regarding sex swings had just ramped tenfold. Goodness, he was buried deeper inside me than ever before. No wonder those things were so effin’ popular. Thankful we had just climaxed and were fully clothed, because we were suddenly not alone. After quickly putting ourselves to rights, I buried my head in Nik’s chest as he greeted our intruders. “Hi.”

  The other couple stared wild-eyed for a moment before the guy responded, “I hope we didn’t…”

  Nik was fast when he replied, “No, not at all. I apologize if we have embarrassed you.”

  The guy expediently answered, “’S all good, my man.”

  Nik gave a self-satisfied grin. “Yes, it was.”

  I gasped as I caught the other man’s gaze go from the hammock to his woman, and back again. Oh, looked as if we weren’t the only ones who would enjoy exhibitions alfresco.

  As we walked away, I stifled a giggle.

  Nik reproached, “Stop that.” Then he smiled.

  Dear me, would I ever grow accustomed to that heart-stopping grin of his. No, probably not. I reached over to caress his sculpted lips.

  He cocked a brow. “What?”

  I honestly answered, “I can’t believe you’re mine.”

  He stopped and hauled me against him. “Always.” Once more, he took my mouth with his. After a few moments, he whispered against my lips, “And you are mine.”

  The possession was an aphrodisiac. I clasped his hand and drew him along the walking path. “I need more,” I stated when he shot me an inquisitive glance.

  He responded on a growl, “Fuuuuuck.”

  He really had said it best. That one word meant a dozen different things at the moment.

  I coyly replied, “And then some, baby.”

  All of sudden, I was in his arms, and then he began to jog back to our own private haven.

  Chapter Thirty

  Nik

  Good God, I wasn’t sure I could’ve gone another round. We’d been at it for hours. And I had lost count of how many times I’d come—which, that right there, was a damn miracle in and of itself. Before Aimee, I had only managed to climax twice in one night. But my siren had me fully erect and ejaculating on command. So. Fucking. Hot. Spent and exhausted, sleep finally won the battle.

  The next day when we awoke, it was well past lunchtime. After we grabbed some food, we headed out to do some snorkeling. Although I would much rather have been buried inside her welcoming body, I was glad to enjoy a couple of hours of fun. We were still getting to know each other in many ways, so having some downtime was necessary. Unfortunately, we had a plane to catch. Though, I mentally made plans to come back here for at least a week, soon. Very soon.

  *****

  Before Aimee fell into a deep sleep on the flight back, I informed, “We’re stopping in Chicago for about twenty-four hours.”

  “Hmm. What for?”

  “The business we spoke of earlier.”

  “Together?”

  “Yes, my little one. I plan on us staying together.”

  She smiled before fully losing consciousness.

  While I hated that Franco was unable to handle his cousin, and that the situation had escalated, I was excited I would be able to tease Aimee’s memory. Silently I prayed, Please, let her remember me from that night at the masquerade. Somehow I knew, once she connected the dots, things would be much better between us. Not that they were bad. Oh, hell, no. On the contrary. But I hated having knowledge about something she didn’t. It felt like lying. And the last thing I ever wanted to do was lie to her. Never her.

  I glanced over at my precious wife. No, she wasn’t perfect. By far, she was too good for me. Yet, something about her lit up my soul in a way no other ever had or would. To cherish her would never be a burden. I gently kissed the top of her head and then drifted off myself.

  The nightmare was not one I could wake from. Terrifying. No, this was not a memory like all the others. Still so frickin’ vivid, I could’ve sworn it was happening in real time. I saw my beautiful wife lying in a mangled car against a huge pine tree. No movement, body broken and bloody, just as Rachel’s had been in my work truck all those years ago. Same damn curve on Highway 89, and like before, I was impotent. All I could do was scream as something or someone restrained me. If I could only turn my head slightly, I would be able to see who or what had my arms wrenched behind my back. But no, it was as if my head were being held in place, forcing me to watch her die. I woke on an ear-splitting howl that scared the hell out of Aimee.

  “Nikko?” she gasped, “What is it? What’s wrong, baby?”

  As she rubbed her hand up and down my arm, I pulled her onto my lap. I buried my head in her hair and breathed deeply. “Dream,” I uttered. “Sorry I frightened you.”

  She caressed my back and asked, “Another memory?”

  “Nah. It was nothing.”

  She pulled back and held my eyes with hers. “Bullshit. Talk to me, please.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t. Not yet, anyway.”

  She stroked my jaw and then leaned in to brush her lips against mine. I held her a little tighter as I tried to slow my heart rate. If I lost her, I would never survive it. And that knowledge made me want to whisk her away. Protect her. Make sure no harm ever came to her. But I knew that wasn’t even an option. Aimee wasn’t the type of woman to let me go all caveman on her. It was actually one of the traits I admired most about her. I closed my eyes and emptied my brain of the horrid nightmare—reminding myself, only a dream, Nik. Just a dream.

  Before I drifted off again, I heard her say, “I love you.” She ran her fingers through my hair and reassured, “No more nightmares. Rest. I’ve got you.”

  She really was a godsend in more ways than I was willing to count.

  *****

  We awakened as the plane was making its decent. Aimee moved from my lap to her seat, and cinched the seat belt around herself. As she clasped my hand with hers, she asked, “How’re you feeling?”

  I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed her palm. “Better, thanks to you.” I laid her hand on my face. “You always have a way of taking the sting out of my nightmares.”

  She leaned her head against my shoulder. “If I could take them away completely, I would.”

  I kissed her beautiful blonde hair and admitted, “I’m fully aware of that, lille.”

  Since it was late, I’d informed Franco and Gina we would stop by the next day. Of course, that meant we had the entire evening to continue our explorations of one another’s bodies. Discover all the ways to bring each other pleasure. Yeah, this was a very good thing indeed. Aimee glanced over at me in the limo and caught my hooded, lustful eyes watching her. Deliberately her tongue darted out and slowly worked its way across her full bottom lip. On a growl, I attacked her mouth and showed her just how much I hungered for her, as I swallowed every gasp and moan that escaped her. Oh, she tasted so damn good. I suddenly wanted my mouth all over her. Drinking. Feasting. Until she writhed underneath me and pled for my mercy—which would never happen. I wanted to show her heights she hadn’t imagined existed. Against her mouth, I breathed, “It’ll never be enough,” then declared, “I won’t ever have my fill of you.”

  “Me, either,” she replied. “No matter how many times you take me, I will always want more.”

  Our tongues dueled for the entire ride to the hotel. And, still, I needed more.

  *****

  The elevator ride was a journey through the seventh circle of hell. Every ounce of my control was tested as I fought the urge to ravage her. Right here. Right now. There was no
way I could keep my mouth off hers. As the car traveled to the top floor, I pinned her against the wall and ground my hips into hers harder than I intended. She cried out my name when I spread her thighs with my knee and placed my monstrous quad right between her legs. I rubbed back and forth, causing friction up against her clit. As she released, I bit her, in that super sensitive spot, just below the ear.

  She panted, “Oh, Nikko. I need you inside me.”

  My breathing was heavy as I answered, “I know, little one. Hold on to me.”

  Her small arms looped around my neck while I swooped behind her knees, and then carried her down the hall. Once we reached the door to the suite, she reached inside my front pocket for the keycard and decided to play with my cock for a few moments. “Wicked imp,” I growled.

  After she’d had her fun, she worked the card into the slot. And I whispered, “I’m going to take you on every surface inside that room.”

  Her purr of approval was all I needed.

  The door closed behind us as I shoved the front of her into the wall. While I licked and nipped along the nape of her neck, I tugged her blouse from her skirt. Her back arched in response, which brought her ass right up against my swollen dick. Then and there I lost my patience, tugging her slightly away from the wall and ripping her shirt apart. Tiny buttons flew across the room. She groaned when my rough hands drew the cups of her bra down her breasts, freeing them, so I could stroke her hard peaks. When her hips gyrated against my crotch, I damn near came from the glorious torture.

  I hiked her skirt up to her waist and pushed her lacey boy shorts down her lovely legs. What tiny thread of self-control existed vanished the moment I slid my zipper down and freed my weeping cock. I knew this would be hard and fast. She did, too. As she spread her legs wide for my entrance, I slammed home. I tweaked her nipples while I pounded her luscious body like a deranged maniac. Never in my life had I been so hot and bothered. It was as if each time I took her only made me crazed to have more. So much more. On a shout, I came. And she followed on a scream.