Brave

by Natalie Gayle

  That was all I needed for now.

  Chapter 15

  Eden

  My eyes flew open to a beeping noise. It was strange and for a split second I had no idea where I was. Then it came to me in a rush when I realised for the first time ever I wasn’t in bed alone. Xander was pressed against the length of my back and he had one arm under my pillow and the other over my waist.

  But it was his hand cupping my breast that really had me coming alert quickly. His fingers tightened for a moment around my T-Shirt covered breast and I sucked in a breath. It felt so good. What felt like his thumb brushed across my nipple and I gave a little shiver.

  The damned alarm kept sounding and he rolled away and fiddled with it then, to my surprise, he rolled right back to where he was and replaced his arm and hand. This time I didn’t miss the press of his hips into my lower back and the feel of his erection pressed tightly against me.

  His mouth settled in to the curve of my neck and he nuzzled a little.

  “Good morning, Gem.” It was a rough sexy whisper and my body seemed to flush hot from both his words and the sensation of his lips teasing at my neck.

  “Good morning,” I croaked out, not really sure what I should do. The hand at my breast was gently massaging and it felt better than anything I could remember. My nipple was hard and pressed into the palm of his hand, seeking contact.

  “Relax, Gem. Just feel, enjoy,” he whispered into my ear and as if on command my body seemed to go lax, and snuggled back tighter into his. Then the hand that had been teasing my breast descended down over my stomach and I held my breath. Would he go further? Was I okay with it?

  Just as I was dying from wondering what would happen next, his hand slipped under the material of the T-Shirt. Then his palm was pressed flat against my belly and I couldn’t help but shiver under his touch. The skin of his palm was slightly rough and it set up little trails of hot sensation, which tugged hard on my feminine core.

  Then his hand worked its way upward and found my breast again. His fingers teased and massaged until he was cupping me completely in his hand.

  “I’d love to see what I’ve got in my hand. How do you feel about that? But before you answer I should warn you. If I see your breasts I’m going to want to put my mouth on them—to lick and suck your nipples. You decide if you’d like that or if it’s too soon.”

  Fear shot through me. Not at what he wanted to do. That sounded so good and my body was screaming for me to say, “Oh yes please.” But I wasn’t sure. The scar seeped across my breast. His hand continued to massage and roll my needy flesh.

  “Tough question?” he prompted me some more.

  Finally I found my voice. “The scar goes across the side of my breast.”

  His lips found my neck again and nipped at my ear lobe sending another tremor of sensation through me. I could feel how wet I was becoming between my legs.

  “Mmm, I figured that when I saw it last time. What did you decide?” His fingertips lightly pinched at my nipple now and I wondered what it would feel like to have those full, sensuous lips of his, licking and teasing instead.

  “I…ahh it’s not pretty, Xan,” I tried to warn him.

  “I’ve seen nearly all of it, Gem. I’m still here wanting you.” He pressed his hips against my back firmer to emphasis his point. “Let me see. Then there’s nothing more to hide. You can learn to relax and just enjoy what I do to you.”

  What he said made sense and my body was begging me to say yes. I just needed to ignore the little voices of uncertainty in my head. “Okay.” My voice was small and sounded uncertain.

  “Oh, my brave girl.” He traced his tongue around the shell of my ear and I rolled back towards him on the wave of a shiver he’d set up. My right shoulder met the mattress and suddenly I was looking into the deep, dark depths of his eyes.

  A tiny hint of smile curled up one side of his mouth and his lip seemed to twitch before he dropped a light kiss on my lips. Then he pushed my shirt up with his hand until it was just under my chin. I could feel the cool morning air brush against my heated skin and my nipples seemed to tighten even more.

  “Can you sit up for me, Gem? I want to take this off you.” Xander rolled back onto his knees and offered me a hand. He pulled me up so I was sitting, then he reached for my shirt and pulled it off over my head.

  I watched his face intently and not once did he flinch or retract. In fact his eyes seemed to have gotten hotter and more intense.

  “How can you stand to look at that mess?” I truly wondered. Even now, at times, when I looked in the mirror I couldn’t hold back the feelings of loss and revulsion at the ugliness of my skin.

  “Lay back, honey.” He didn’t answer but instead followed me down. His hand finding my perfect left breast and his mouth my scarred right. What he did next shocked the hell out of me. Rather than close his mouth around my nipple as he had said he was going to do, his tongue ran the length of the scarred skin on my breast. I wriggled away at the sensation and the surprise.

  His head popped up and a slow grin formed. “Tastes just like regular skin but gives me a lot more hills and hollows to explore. And I promise you now I will explore each and every one of them when we have a little more time. But I did promise I was going to suck your nipples, and I decided last night I’m going to be a man of integrity and honesty, one hundred percent from now on.”

  He said no more, just dropped his head and took my nipple into his mouth and just as he promised, he sucked and licked long and hard. White-hot sensation connected my breasts to my core and it felt incredible. Like nothing I’d ever experienced before and I wanted more. A lot more.

  My hand gripped onto his shoulders and my hips seemed to be bucking upwards seeking him.

  A low moan escaped my throat and he sucked me deep again before moving across to rain the same shower of pleasure down on the other one.

  “Oh Xander that feels so goooood…” My voice was breathy and foreign to my own ears.

  Then he pulled away slightly before dropping a kiss on the nipple. Finally, he looked at me. “Your breasts are just as gorgeous as I knew they would be, but I shouldn’t have started this, because we don’t have time to finish it. Reed is a stickler for punctuality, even if it is a casual social thing.”

  Before I could say or form any more thoughts, his hand slid down my belly and cupped between my legs. Even through the soft fabric of my sleep shorts, my supersensitised skin seemed to be able to make out every tiny nuance of his hand.

  “Next time I’m going to explore down here. You’re so hot and I know you’re wet for me. It’s taking every last bit of my control not to pull these shorts off you and run my fingers and mouth all over you here.” He squeezed a little for emphasis and my hips shot up on their own accord. “I think you’d like that. I know I will. Think about it, Eden, as you’re sitting behind me on the Quad today, pressed up against me. That’s where I’m going to be exploring next. I know I’ll be thinking about it.”

  I was stunned and wanting. Never before had I ever been this turned on and judging by the wicked grin Xander gave me as he pushed up off the bed, I knew that had been his intention. How could he leave me feeling like this?

  He headed towards the bathroom, but turned slightly as if he could read my thoughts. Then gestured towards the huge tent in the front of his boxer shorts.

  “You’re not the only one suffering, Gem. I promise we’ll take care of it very soon if that’s what you want.” With that he turned and retreated into the bathroom closing the door.

  For the first time in five years, I felt like a woman and not just the broken shell of somebody that had once been so much more.

  * * *

  Xander

  “Eden, I’d like you to meet my friend and trainer, Reed.” Somehow we’d managed to get ourselves organised and out the door. My dick was under temporary control but far from happy with me at the moment. The little knowing glances Eden had been shooting me were a reward in themselves. Her confid
ence was growing as a person, as a woman. My woman.

  I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist. As had become her habit, she always kept me on her right side. In a way I was her shield to the right side of her body. It wasn’t ideal but at least she wasn’t looking at the floor so much.

  She held out her hand tentatively and Reed took it in his. “Hi Reed, nice to meet you,” she said quietly. There was still a tentativeness in her voice but she seemed a little more confident.

  “Nice to meet you too, Eden. Now I know what had Pretty Boy here racing out on me yesterday like his arse was on fire.”

  “Pretty Boy?” She looked up at me in confusion.

  “My ring name that Reed so kindly monikered me with,” I explained to her.

  “Well, you’ve lived up to it. You haven’t smashed up that pretty face yet.” Reed gave Eden a playful wink and she giggled a little. Yeah, he was enjoying taking the piss out of me, but I didn’t care if it meant Eden got to joke around a little, too.

  “I’ve no intentions of getting this face smashed up. I don’t fight to lose.” I gave Reed a hard look. I hadn’t said I was taking the fight yet and I know he was trying to read me. Taking the fight had to be my decision and Reed wouldn’t pressure me. There was no point.

  I had to be two hundred percent committed or I would get my face smashed up. That didn’t scare me. What did scare me was, not being able to commit. Not being able to go the distance. There couldn’t be one doubt in my mind. Fighting was as much mental as it was physical. I had to be prepared to take the pain. Not the obvious pain of being hammered at in the ring, but the pain of the training. I had to be committed to keep getting to my feet when I was beyond exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. It was going to be eight weeks of the worst hell I had ever faced. Plus, I had Eden to consider now.

  Eden looked between us and I knew she was trying to figure out the under currents but was polite enough not to ask. I’d explain it all to her later. Before we got much further into a conversation Reed’s wife Carmen came round the house from the side.

  A big smile lit up her face and she pulled me straight into a big hug when she reached us. “Hey, Xander good to see you! It’s been too long.”

  She let me go and took a step back. “And who’s this?” Her smile for Eden was just as genuine and warm. Carmen was one of those genuinely happy people that saw the best in everyone and immediately made a room feel warmer just by being there. She was short and a little on the rounded side with a puffy cloud of hair just about every shade of brown. It matched her light brown eyes and the whole look seemed to work for her. Reed was a lucky man and he knew it. Not many would put up with his snarly arse. But maybe she had enough smiles for both of them.

  “Carmen, this is my girlfriend, Eden.” I’d wrapped my arm back around Eden when Carmen had released me from her hug. I felt Eden tense slightly at my choice of words before she seemed to snuggle a fraction closer. I didn’t miss the narrowing of Reed’s eyes though. Eden went to stretch out her hand to her, but Carmen was having none of that and pulled Eden away from me and into a hug as well.

  “Welcome, honey. I’m a hugger even though it pisses off my big grizzly here.” Carmen released Eden and dug an elbow into Reed’s side playfully. He just growled and shot her a look that conveyed that secret language only couples shared.

  “No, I’m a little nervous to be honest.” Eden giggled a little and I knew instantly that she was going to be comfortable with Carmen.

  “Oh, you’re in for a treat. It’s such a beautiful morning and we have some awesome trails out here. Plus Xander will keep you safe; just enjoy yourself.” She clapped Eden on the shoulder.

  “Right, Xan. Let’s get going before Carmen talks us all to death.” Reed made a move towards the large red quad he was getting out of the shed as we pulled up. Carmen rolled her eyes and flicked Reed on the butt as he walked past. They enjoyed playing games; it was their thing.

  “Okay, Gem. Let’s get organised.” I steered her over to my quad which I had unloaded as soon as we arrived. I loved this bike. It was big, black, large and powerful. What could be better? I grabbed a helmet from the tray of my truck and passed it to Eden.

  “Girlfriend?” she asked.

  I felt a little self-conscious and covered it with a shrug. “You got a problem with that?”

  “No, but I just wasn’t sure how you felt.” Her words came out hushed and in a hurry.

  “Make no mistake. That’s how I feel. I figured this morning would have been enough of a clue but obviously not. We good?”

  She smiled. “We’re good!”

  I took the other helmet for myself. I hoped we wouldn’t need the helmets but you never know. I strapped a small duffle bag to the bag rack behind the seat, then turned my attention back to Eden.

  I leaned in and brushed my lips briefly against hers. “This is going to be fun. Just hang on. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “I know.” She gave me a grin that said nervous but excited all at the same time. I could see the trust in her eyes and damn, if that didn’t make me feel ten feet tall.

  I threw my leg over the bike and settled myself then took her hand to steady her as she climbed on.

  “Slide in close to me and hang on around my waist. I’ll take it steady to start with. Carmen’s right, the trails up here are awesome. You’re going to love this.”

  Eden’s arms wrapped around my waist and closed tight. She was wearing another of those long sleeved T-shirts she seemed to favour. About three sizes too big. Eden would be a complete knock out in clothes that actually fit. Her body was gorgeous and I knew now without a doubt it was my job to convince her of that.

  The scars were there but I hardly seemed to notice them anymore, but I could understand why she would feel differently. Being a beautiful woman and having a scar on your face must be about as bad as it gets, I guessed.

  Eden settled herself a little more by wriggling tight to my body. I could feel her breasts pressed up against my back. Those nipples of hers were going to be hard in just a few seconds and I’m sure my dick would be the same. This ride was going to be exquisite torture. She was getting bolder by the minute and I loved it. I had a feeling she would remain a little reserved around most people for a while. But she was really starting to open up to me, and the more I got to know her, the more I was attracted to her as a person. Eden was easy to be around.

  Reed and Carmen rode past us and headed out onto the gravel driveway that led up to the house. They lived on a hinterland property about forty minutes from my place. It was beautiful—lush and green, very subtropical looking. The only downside was it was a little far out of town for my liking, but Reed didn’t seem to mind the drive and most of his business was done over the phone or via computer connection. Carmen was an artist of sorts and made commissioned pottery pieces. Some of her work was absolutely magnificent. So the seclusion of this property certainly suited them.

  Just before the driveway joined the road there was a gate and Reed hopped off and opened it. Once we were all through, he took off again across the ridge top and I followed. I’d been this way many times in the past, but it never got old. The view was incredible. To the left the whole of the Gold Coast and the Pacific Ocean was laid out. It was enough to take your breath away.

  The terrain was fairly subdued, a few little bumps, but nothing to really be concerned about. It was all about taking in the view at the moment and it seemed to be the perfect way to start the day.

  “Oh wow, Xan! I’ve never seen the Gold Coast from up here. It looks incredible.”

  I stopped for a moment and kicked the bike into idle and turned a little so I could look at her better.

  “See down there, that really tall building is Q1. Have you done the walk to the top of it?”

  “No. How stupid is that? I live less than an hour away and I’ve never been there.”

  “Well, it’s something we can do together then. I’d love to show
you some time. There’s a couple of really good Japanese restaurants there and a French one that is supposed to be out of this world. Would you like that?”

  She hesitated for a moment. “It sounds really tempting but I haven’t really eaten out much beyond the likes of the café.” I could tell she was a little embarrassed by her lack of cultural experience.

  “Don’t sweat it. We’ll have an awesome time when we go. Although it won’t be for a few weeks. I’m on a diet as of tomorrow.” The hard training I could really get into and almost relish, but the highly controlled diet would have me really pissed off by the end of the time. But it was all part of totally committing to a fight.

  “Can I help you with stuff while you’re training?” Eden squeezed me tighter as she asked the question. I could tell she genuinely wanted to help.

  “They’ll be plenty of things you can help with. My biggest problem is going to be keeping Onigashima going while I train. I’m going to need to get some of my higher students to step up and lead a few classes. I’ll have a chat with them all tomorrow then we can work things through.”

  She looked at me intently for a few moments. “Have you really got time for us or am I going to be a distraction? You need to answer me truthfully, Xander. I don’t want to be a distraction or an inconvenience when you’re trying to focus on something.”

  “Eden, you’re neither a distraction, nor an inconvenience. You’re important to me. When things are important you prioritise and remove things of lesser importance off your plate. You’re right at the top of my priority list.”

  She seemed to blush a little and dipped her head a fraction, feeling a little self-conscious.

  I tilted her chin up with my hand and popped a light, teasing kiss to those sweet lips of hers. I wanted to take it deeper and show her just how serious I was about her being a priority, but Reed had chosen to double back to see why we weren’t behind him. As he approached he shook his head and looked annoyed.