by PJ Friel
“Oh, god. Stop fucking around!” she called out.
I jogged back to the bedroom, cupping my bouncing cock while trying not to wipe out all her wall hangings on the way. At the door, I stopped and struck a pose, holding up the foil packet. “Got it right here, baby.”
She laughed. “Then get your ass over here. I came on your fingers, so you owe me that cock.”
“You came on my face, but close enough.” I walked over to the bed. “You’re awfully cussy today, Ms. Ullman.”
“I get testy when I’m waiting to be satisfied.” She arched a brow at me, but the grin on her lips ruined the imperious look I knew she was going for.
She’d pay for that remark, regardless. I ripped the condom packet open with my teeth, rolled the latex down my cock, and then crawled back over her. I spread her thighs wide with my knees, lined up my cock at her entrance, then tunneled my hands underneath her and gripped her shoulders.
“Your pleasure is my only goal tonight,” I said, then drove inside her, back arching, hands pulling her hard onto my aching cock.
Sweet fuck she was tight. The feel of her hot body surrounding me drove the breath from my lungs. My hips ground against her, rubbing her slick heat into my skin, wanting to absorb her.
She moaned and animalistic growls ripped from my throat. Those growls weren’t just mine. Any other time I would have been scared to death to share this with that thing in the cage, but lust drove me. All I cared about was thrusting into her hot body. I needed to make her scream, make her come, make her mine.
“Who’s making you feel so good right now, baby?”
“You are. Only you.”
She ran her nails down my stomach and rubbed where our bodies were joined. I pulled almost all the way out and her fingers skimmed over every inch of me as I drove back in, hard. She screamed and I smiled, the feel of it feral on my lips.
“I wanna hear the name, baby. Tell me the name of the man who’s fucking you better than anyone ever fucked you before.”
“Trygg,” she gasped.
“Louder, Bryn,” I grunted into her ear.
“Trygg!” she screamed.
“That’s what I want, now let me taste us.”
I grabbed her hand, resting between our bodies, and pulled her soaking wet fingers into my mouth. When I’d sucked them clean, I shoved them between our bodies again.
“Give me more, baby.”
She whimpered and did what I told her, this time gripping me when I pulled out then releasing me so I could drive back in. Her hand was shaking so badly this time that she couldn’t even hit my lips, so I let her rub it against my face, bathe me in her scent.
“Fuck, your scent makes me crazy,” I groaned.
She watched me, mesmerized for a moment, then grabbed my neck and pulled me to her. She licked my chin then drove her tongue into my mouth and I tasted the sweet mix of my sweat and her essence.
Frenzied, I rose up onto my knees and pulled her with me, my hips still pounding. Then I sat back on my haunches and dragged her legs around my waist. Leaning back, I grabbed her ass and worked her on my cock, hips pistoning and sweat dripping on her belly.
Her thighs clenched and she dug her fingernails into my forearms. “Trygg, slow down. Gonna make me come.”
I grinned at her and she shook her head, eyes pleading with me, but she wasn’t giving the orders tonight.
I pushed my hand between us and circled her clit with my thumb. “Give it to me, Bryn. Right now.”
Her eyes flew wide at the command then her pussy throbbed and those gorgeous blues of hers went glassy.
“Mine,” I growled into her skin. Then I drove into her one final time, pulsing and shuddering, as I took us both over the edge.
While she was checked out, I laid her on the bed and took care of the condom. Then I climbed back in bed and pulled her against me. My eyes drifted shut and the scent of us filled my lungs. If only we could freeze this moment and live in it forever. I’d never felt more peaceful in my life.
The caress of Bryn’s fingers against my cheek drew me from my lazy, blissed-out sprawl and back into consciousness. Her gaze roamed my face and the look of wonder brought out the peacock in me. I wanted to hear her say how good I’d made her feel.
“What are you thinking?” I kissed her palm.
“People praise the female form, but they’ve never seen you like this. You take my breath away,” she said.
Not what I thought she’d say at all. My heart lurched in my chest. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to fall in love with this woman. Not that I could ever admit that to her. There were already too many secrets between us and they keep accumulating with every day together. My feelings would be one more added to the pile.
Instead of laying my heart at her feet, I sipped at her lips, nuzzled her face, pressed kisses to her shoulders. Soft unintelligible murmurs took the place of my words until my breathing returned to normal and I finally felt I could control my mouth.
“Did I hurt you?” I pulled away and looked at her body, searching for any marks I might have left.
She shook her head and drew me back down beside her. “I’m fine. Everything is fine.”
Lazily, I rubbed her belly, enjoying the heat of her against my side. Her fall apple scent mixed with my own snowy burnt pine, creating a mouthwatering fragrance. I’d just made up my mind to drag her underneath me again, when she dropped her hand over mine and stopped my movements.
“I’m sorry. Does that bother you?” I asked.
Bryn curled tighter against me, threw her leg over mine, and wrapped her arm around my waist. Her breath picked up speed, blowing against my collarbone.
“I was kidnapped when I was seven.”
I tensed, stunned that she was telling me this. I hated that I had to play stupid about what she was saying, but if I could keep her talking about it, then the incident at least would be one less secret between us.
“By who?”
“You know that I’m an Outlander, just like I know you’re one,” she said, ignoring my question. “How do you know that?”
She was asking tit for tat. I couldn’t tell her where I got my ability, but I could tell her that I had it. I pulled her hand up to my nose and inhaled deeply. “I can smell it on you.”
“Smell it?” She lifted up and wrinkled her nose at me.
I laughed. “Yeah. I call it my Super Sniffer.”
She grinned then rested her head back against my chest. “What do I smell like?”
I kissed her knuckles. “Under that body spray you have on, which is a mix of black raspberry, rose...” I turned her arm and pressed her wrist against my nose. “Vanilla and plum...you smell like apples.”
“You’re screwing with me. You must have seen my body spray in the bathroom,” she scoffed.
“Baby, I haven’t been anywhere but in your arms.”
“Hmm.” She tapped my nose. “Apples. How does that tell you I’m an Outlander?”
“Because humans smell of the earth. Only the Aesir and the Vanir smell like apples.” She stiffened, but I kept going. “There’s also a dark undertone to it that tells me you’re part Svartalf.”
“That’s a pretty sensitive sniffer.”
She pulled her hand free and rolled away from me, but she still kept her body touching mine. I rolled over and spooned her, tugging her ass into my lap. She was silent for long minutes. I’d fucked up and now she was done sharing.
Way to go, big mouth.
“It was my birth father who kidnapped me,” she whispered.
“Away from your mother?” She nodded. “And that’s when she left you at the hospital?” Another nod. “How did your father not find you again?”
“I’m hungry.” She sat up and looked over her shoulder at me. “You hungry?”
I already knew most of it but because I’m a lying liar who lies, I was making her rehash her darkest secrets. That way, I could keep my own. And keep her. That’s all this was about now. I didn’t give a
damn about what was happening with the Devourers. Grimm and Harry could figure that out. All I cared about was keeping Bryn safe and happy and in my arms. I needed her.
“Not for food.” I hooked my arm around her waist and flipped her back onto the bed, moved on top of her once more. “I haven’t had my fill of you, Ms. Ullman. Also, your neighbors don’t know my name yet.”
“Oh, really?” She smirked. “How are you planning on solving that? Gonna go around and introduce yourself?”
“Nope. You’re going to introduce me from right here.”
“Mmm…” She tapped a finger against her chin. “That would take a really loud voice. I’m not sure I have the pipes for that.”
“Fortunately for you, I offer vocal projection lessons.”
She burst into giggles, blue eyes sparkling, and the pain shadowing her face finally disappeared. “Not to doubt your abilities, but I need to see your teaching certificate, Mr. Mackenzie.” She nibbled on my chin.
I rubbed my hardness against her. “I’ve got my certificate right here.”
CHAPTER 28
BRYN
My eyes opened to a pitch black room.
Condition red!
No knife under my pillow. Heavy arm pressing me into the mattress. I drew my elbow up for a strike and the warm, hard body curled around me stirred. His scent washed over me.
Trygg.
For a split second I could breathe, but then the panic was back, clawing at my throat, squeezing my chest.
Get up! Being prone means death.
My two LED night lights weren’t giving me enough light to clear the room. Still too many shadows. Too many points of ingress to cover. The bedside lamps were my sentinels, always on, always guarding my back, but they were asleep on the job.
Trygg squeezed me tighter.
My warrior wasn’t, though. He had my back. I didn’t have his. I wasn’t a worthy partner, not in the dark. I needed the light to protect him, but if I turned on those lamps, he’d wake up. He’d see my terror, know the battle I fought every night.
Couldn’t have that.
I’d brought him into my home, made love to him, fed him dinner, curled against his side to watch TV, let myself fall asleep in his arms on my couch.
I’d revealed secrets. Showed him my belly. Now, he was in my bed and I was defenseless because I’d let my guard down, let him in, let him carry me into the darkness.
No final sweep of the apartment.
No turning on the lights.
No knife under the pillow.
No gun on the nightstand.
What are you most afraid of, Brynja Pruedatter?
Panic, like claws, ripped down my throat, tugged at my collarbone, the pressure so great it should have cracked in half.
This was not smart. Not smart at all. He could have my days, but I couldn’t trust him with my nights.
Gently, I slithered out from under his arm.
“Babe?” he murmured.
I bit back the whimper. Sucked in enough air to whisper, “Bathroom.”
“M’kay.”
Bathroom. Defensible, brightly lit—vanity with four one-hundred-watt, retina-burning light bulbs.
Before his next breath, I crossed the room and shrugged on my robe.
Slipped through the bedroom door and closed it behind me.
Twelve steps, light switch on right, close your eyes against the burn.
I didn’t need sight to arm myself.
Three steps, open vanity doors, crouch, reach out then up.
A Glock was mounted under the sink, already loaded and chambered.
I sucked in a breath. Lights were on, weapon in hand. Bring it down. Condition orange. I peeked through my lashes and swept the room.
Clear. All clear. Condition yellow?
The claws tickled my sternum and I shook my head. There would be no shaking it off. Not tonight. Tonight was an orange night. I shut the bathroom door and jerked one of the daggers out of the wall. Every wall hook in my apartment and office hid a pointy thing.
Suitably armed, I climbed into the bathtub, put my back into the brightest corner, and crouched down. My apartment had a clock in every room. The one beside the vanity showed that I had three more hours until sunrise.
I settled in to wait.
CHAPTER 29
TRYGG
Two weeks and four days’ worth of nonstop grind on the Gideon investigation—but who’s counting—and last night I’d finally hit the wall like a Mack truck with a cut brake line. For the past eighteen days, we’d both put in a full eight hours at our day jobs and then met for dinner, case review, and bar hopping to search for Drew.
So far, the only things we’d gotten out of it were hefty bar tabs and hot nights filled with bone-melting sex after the bars closed.
None of Gideon’s other friends had seen him in weeks and if they knew anything about what he’d been doing, or a significant other, they were keeping their mouths shut.
The police were just as stumped. The autopsy had turned up no hairs or fibers other than Gideon’s. He didn’t use social media, which was bizarre for his age, but not unheard of. The BOLO on his vehicle was ongoing, but it was likely the car had been chopped up and sold off for parts.
Our inquiries at the fast food restaurant where Gideon had worked produced a giant goose egg, too. He’d quit his job a month before he died. Both parents had been seemed surprised by this because neither had given him money recently and said he hadn’t asked for any.
Bryn had been completely dodging Gideon’s father for the past two weeks as well and hadn’t mentioned the boyfriend to the man. She wanted to avoid talking to David rather than lying about Gideon’s sexuality. She said that David wasn’t really strong enough to learn about his son’s secret life yet. I didn’t know the guy, so I took her word for it.
After a typical jaunt of canvassing bars for Drew, last night I’d kissed Bryn senseless at her door and then told her I was going home. She’d looked disgruntled as hell. Throwing down the gauntlet—Wilbeth Road Trailhead, eight a.m., dress for a run—as the elevator doors closed had gotten me a murderous look and a middle finger.
Now, here she was pulling up on her Ninja, wearing her full set of leathers and helmet, looking brighter than the sun. The only substitution from her normal riding gear was running shoes instead of boots. She looked good enough to eat, but I was determined to keep my hands to myself. She and I both needed some non-sexual exercise.
I might have missed out on some of the best sex of my life last night, but seeing Bryn looking well rested with a challenging twinkle in her eyes was worth it. She was worth just about anything to me.
I gave her the once-over twice and enjoyed the shot of adrenaline looking at her gave me. “Are you running in that?”
She pulled off her helmet and smirked at me. “Do you have a leather fetish, Mr. Mackenzie?”
“Possibly. Or maybe I just have a Bryn fetish.”
Her cheeks went pink and she rolled her eyes, then proceed to strip out of the leathers.
Into spandex. Midriff and hip-hugging, black-and-lime spandex that matched her bike, her helmet, and her leathers.
Fuck me.
That I noticed her motorcycle fashion sense was testament to my multitasking abilities because in my head I already had her undressed and bent over her bike.
Thankfully, she couldn’t read my mind—as long as I didn’t let her touch me. Did I really care if she knew what I was thinking right now? If that cat-who-ate-the-canary look on her face was any indication, she already had an inkling of what I had on my mind, even though my jockstrap and baggy black sweats hid the semi-hard evidence.
Then again, wasn’t making love to her always at the top of my mental To-Do list?
Making love?
I mentally back-flipped from the L-word and saw that somehow, without me even noticing, Bryn had secured her helmet and leathers to her bike with her cable and lock. And was bent over, stretching.
“Fucking he
ll.”
“Hmm?” Bryn pressed her palms to the ground and her forehead to her shins. Her legs went on for miles.
“Bench.” I pointed. “I’ll be by the bench waiting until you’re done stretching and...yeah.”
I pointed my hips away from her and power walked in the opposite direction, my eyes still glued to her ass. When it became a choice between pulling an Exorcist or turning to look where I was going, I finally faced forward. I occupied myself by picturing how amazing her ass would look running in front of me. Because…ladies first, right?
“Ready?” Bryn called out.
When I turned around, she bounced on her feet, arms stretched behind her, chest thrust out, gorgeous eyes dancing with mischief.
Fucking hell. I was ready, but not for any exercise that involved remaining vertical.
“You know what, forget this. Let’s go back to your place.”
Bryn shook her head. “Did you or did you not challenge me to a race last night?”
I groaned. “Maybe.”
“No maybe about it. You did. Now you’re about to pay for it. I want a friendly little wager.”
“Friendly as in, if you win, you get to have your wicked way with me?”
“Mhmm. Anything I want to do to you, you let me.”
Someone really needed to paddle her naughty little ass. I cleared the lust from my throat. “Do I get a safe word?”
She chewed her bottom lip and let her gaze roam my body. “If you think you really need one.”
Goddamn. I wanted to kiss her, lick that lip she was abusing, and show her just how wicked I was prepared to let her be. She watched me with hungry eyes and I realized that nothing was actually stopping me from doing what I wanted.
Half a dozen steps and I had both hands cupping her face. I tilted her lips up to mine, let her share my breath as I told her what she wanted to hear. “You’re throwing away a victory, beautiful. You don’t need to win to have your way with me. Just ask for it.”
She closed her eyes and I ran my thumbs down her neck, felt her swallow. Just one sip was all I needed. My lips pressed against hers, soft and questing, until she opened and let me taste her. Her hands skimmed down my sides, to my hips, then onto my thighs, fingers massaging my muscles, making me shiver.
