“You look confused,” she said, her voice a whisper.
He had to tear his attention away from looking at her body to look up at her face. For the first time in all the years he had known her, Bran had never seen her look so unsure of herself.
“I’m not confused.” He couldn’t tell her what he was thinking right then. That this moment would be the beginning of the rest of his life…and her life. So, he chose his words carefully.
“I’m just stunned. I knew you were beautiful, but I just didn’t know how it would affect me.”
She rolled her eyes, even as her face turned the most delicious shade of pink.
“What?”
“You don’t need to say those things. You got me in bed.”
It irritated him that she was blowing off what he had said to her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He didn’t mean to shout it, but he couldn’t help it. Even before she said it, he knew what was coming.
“It’s just that I know you’re used to saying things like that to women. You don’t have to say them to me. I don’t need pretty words.”
He wanted to tell her that for every day for the rest of their lives he would give her those words. But he told her part of what he was feeling, to let her know this wasn’t just about another night.
“Aw, but Tess, you deserve them.”
Her face turned pinker and he was delighted. Bran was pretty sure that Tess kept that softer part of her hidden for so many reasons. His heart light and his body raring to go, he slipped her pants and shoes off, dumping them on the floor behind him.
He climbed back on the bed but she shook her head. “Nope, Marine. I want you just as naked as I am.”
Bran laughed. “You do, huh?”
“Yep. I want to see the body all the girls went crazy for at Annapolis.”
Heat filled his cheeks and she laughed. The sound danced over the air to him and sent a thrill through his blood. Tess had always had the best laugh but now it seemed more intimate.
“Oh my God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush.”
“I’m not.” His face turned hotter and he realized she was right. “Stop laughing.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, snorting to keep from laughing at him.
Then, he couldn’t help it. She was happy, laying there naked in bed waiting for him. A man couldn’t ask for more in life. So, he joined her laughing as he stripped out of his clothes. He climbed back on the bed. Taking one of her feet into his hands, he kissed her ankle then started to make his way up her leg. Her last laugh came out as a moan, as she closed her eyes and arched her back. Lord she was a sight. Tess wasn’t a woman who would hide herself from a man while they were in bed.
Bran wanted to taste every bit of her flesh. Right now. Urges he had been ignoring for years came roaring to life. Still, he wanted to take his time and savior the woman Tess was. So, instead of doing exactly what his body begged him to do, he took her by the hips and turned her over.
She giggled and looked back over her shoulder at him. The surprise and desire in her eyes caught him unawares.
“What do you think you’re doing, Bran?”
Her voice had deepened and it sent a rush of need racing through him. He might be considered a speed demon, but he knew a thing or two about control. Right now, he couldn’t figure out why that was so important. Still, Bran forced himself to take a little time enjoy the treasure he had unearthed.
He skimmed the back of his fingers down her delicate spine. He knew she was strong, stronger than a lot of men he knew. But there was something so fragile about her at the moment. Leaning down, he kissed the path his fingers had taken. She squirmed and he gave her ass a playful swat.
“Settle down, Keller.”
She laughed and laid her head on the pillows. “No problem. Just thought pilots were known for their speed.”
He knew it was a challenge, but he couldn’t seem to ignore it. He kissed the small of her back, enjoying the softness of her skin, then he rose, flipping her over in much the same fashion.
He took one of feet in his hand.
“Don’t tickle,” she warned. Her feet were her downfall. He knew that, but he was ready to know more. He made his way up those long legs of hers until he reached the apex of her thighs. Drawing in a deep breath, he hummed as he exhaled.
“Damn, you smell good.”
He said nothing else as he set his mouth against her golden curls. She tasted of seductive desires and a need so desperate it almost overwhelmed every good intention he had. But Bran forced himself to pull back, to control himself. Over and over he slipped his tongue between her folds, teasing her and himself to a degree. Soon, it was all too much to take. He was losing his grip on his control. He kissed his way up her body. The taste of her on his tongue, the way she shivered each time his mouth touched her…it was enough to make a man beg.
It was then he realized he’d forgotten a condom.
“Shit.”
She laughed. “Way to sweet talk your lover, Johnson.” Before he could tell her why he was irritated, she said, “In the top drawer, Marine.”
He gave her a hard, smacking kiss. “Always love a woman who’s prepared.”
Within moments, he was joining her back on the bed. He kneeled between her legs, pulling her up by the hips and entered her in one swift thrust. As he continued to move, he leaned down and kissed her, not breaking eye contact.
In that moment, he had the thrill of watching her eyes go blurry as she bucked up against him losing herself in pleasure. He wanted to watch her again, feel all those ripples against him as he joined her.
It only took a few more thrusts to send her up and over that edge one more time. He followed her, moaning her name as he gave himself over to ecstasy.
* * * *
Tess was pretty sure she was dead. Or at least half dead. Her brain had melted, along with her bones. She was a big pile of gooey mess. And she wasn’t sure she would ever recover.
“That was…” She couldn’t even come up with words for the experience.
He laughed and sat up, then rested his weight on one of his elbows. “If I rendered Tess Keller speechless, I think it was fantastic.”
He was smiling down at her and in that instant she knew nothing had changed. She was in love with Bran, had been forever. This time was different though. Instead of sitting on the sidelines waiting for him to pay attention, she was right there with him. It was going to be even more painful when he slipped away from her, as her heart would break.
Tess knew what she was getting into, but she really didn’t care. It was her one time to be stupid, and she was going to ignore all the alarms in her head.
“Tess?” Bran asked. He was frowning at her now, and that just wouldn’t do. She had to keep it light. Bran wasn’t a man who wanted to settle down. True, he wasn’t a man-whore like a lot of men she knew, but she knew he didn’t handle serious relationships well.
“You were always such a smart ass.”
“As MJ always said, it is better than being a dumbass.”
She smiled and patted him on the cheek. “It is always really sexy to be quoting your sister to a woman while in bed. That’s usually a huge turn on.”
He snorted and leaned down for a kiss. The moment his mouth touched hers, her heart skittered to a stop, then started back up again as quickly. Tess didn’t think she would ever get used to having him touch her like that. Her mind definitely couldn’t handle it, and her body…
Suddenly, he surprised her by rolling them over the bed switching their positions. She sat up and pressed against him. He was already hard again. He grabbed another condom and had it on in what she could only term as record time.
“Take me in, Tess.”
She did, slowly sinking down on his cock. Tess was particularly satisfied when she heard him groan her name with a mixture of frustration and yearning. She started to ride him, taking it slowly at first. He skimmed his hands up her sides and found her breasts.
Sitting up, he took one of her nipples into his mouth. Heat lanced through her blood when she felt the scrape of his teeth against the tip. She shuddered and slipped her fingers through his hair.
Slowly, surely, they continued in that fashion, enjoying each other. But soon, it wasn’t enough. She increased her movements and before she was ready for it, her orgasm slammed through her. She gasped then moaned his name as she felt another one surge through her.
Apparently, Bran had enough. He reversed their positions again by tumbling them over the bed. He thrust into her again and again, pushing her further and higher. Need warred with fear.
“Tess, baby, come. Again.”
He was stripping away all of her shields, and she didn’t think she could take that. She felt so damned raw.
She shook her head, but he leaned down and kissed her. Just like that, she felt another orgasm approaching, taking over her every thought. She bucked up against him, pleasure and pain coursing through her body.
“That’s it. Yeah, all those fantastic little ripples.”
He thrust into her one more time then stilled, groaning her name again. He collapsed on top of her but she didn’t care. She wrapped her arms around Bran and closed her eyes.
It wasn’t forever, but it was enough for now.
Chapter Seven
Bran pulled out the carton of eggs, setting them on the counter next to the stove. One thing about knowing Tess so well, he knew just how she liked her eggs.
Tess.
He couldn’t seem to think of anything else. Bran hadn’t wanted to leave her to shower by herself. It had been hard because he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. Partially because the realization that he had fallen for his best friend was new and exciting. The other reason was because Bran was pretty sure if they hadn’t been at her house, she might bolt.
He grabbed the butter, throwing a couple of pats in the skillet, then cracked the eggs carefully dropping them in the butter. As the sound of them sizzled, he started to think of the next step. They were too old to play games and they knew each other too well.
Not that well, now that he thought about it. He would have never thought she’d be such a delight in bed.
“Earth to Johnson.”
He shook his head and realized he was standing at the stove daydreaming about her. When he focused on her, it took him a second or two to come up with any words. How had this happened? Tess had always been his best friend, the pal he could talk to about anything. Now, though, he was at a loss to say anything to her.
“You know, I like my eggs over easy not over hard.”
Her comment brought him out of his stupor. “Sorry.”
“But I guess I shouldn’t complain since you are making breakfast.”
“And I made you coffee. So give me a kiss.”
She glanced at him, as if trying to gauge his mood. He had been right. She was going to try and keep some distance between them.
Leaning over, she gave him a kiss. He wanted more, more than just the little peck she gave him, but he let it go. At least for now.
She poured them both a cup then set them up on the breakfast bar. He finished cooking and soon they were eating in silence.
“So, what are your plans today?”
“I think sleeping. That would be good.”
He chuckled. “Sorry. I should have let you sleep last night.”
“You don’t sound sorry, and you shouldn’t be. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about last night.”
That made him feel a little better. “But other than that…what are your plans?”
She set down her fork and looked at him. “I think we need to talk.”
Okay, that didn’t sound good but Bran decided to play along. “About what?”
“Well, last night was great, but I think we need to make sure that we don’t get too serious.”
“What do you mean…don’t get serious?”
She shrugged and wouldn’t look at him, which was irritating. “I just think it would be best if we make sure we don’t get too…involved. We’re both focused on our careers, and this could get in the way. Not to mention, the issue of our families.”
He blinked trying to decide what she was talking about. Then, it hit him.
“You want to be friends with benefits?”
Bran didn’t mean to yell the question, but he couldn’t help it. It was one thing he hadn’t expected her to say. Granted, he knew she was wary of him, but that shocked him to his toes. Tess Keller, the girl who always played by the book, was offering to be his bed buddy.
“I don’t know why you’re so mad.”
She looked genuinely confused by his reaction. Hell, he was confused by it. In most cases, he was completely comfortable with keeping things light, not making a fuss over a relationship.
But that wasn’t going to work now because he was in love with her.
Shit.
He was in love with her. She was beautiful and smart, dedicated to her job and too much of a know-it-all for her own good. Even knowing that, he loved her. Hell, he even loved the fact that she was always trying to tell him what to do. For once, he wanted to take things to another level and she didn’t.
And because it hurt him more than he would ever admit, he struck out.
“I thought you had more respect for yourself than that,” he said.
“What the hell does that mean? It’s okay for you to run around with women, but someone you know isn’t allowed to do the same thing…even with you.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but her cell buzzed. She picked it up and sighed.
“Yes, sir.”
He watched her and knew that she was being called into work again.
“I will be there ASAP. No problem, sir.” Then she hung up. “I have to go into work.”
“Yeah, I gathered that. I thought they would at least give you a little more time off.”
“I’ve been gone for almost twenty-four hours. Plus, this is considered an emergency. Another wave of stomach flu has taken out a few more of the nurses.”
He wanted to tell her she had to stay there and they had to decide what to do about this, but there was one thing he understood and that was duty. She was needed at the hospital and he couldn’t stand in the way of that.
“Well…”
She looked unsure of herself and that wasn’t Tess. He knew she didn’t want to leave him either.
“Go,” he said as gently as possible. They had things to work out, but he knew she needed her mind on work.
She nodded and rushed back to her room to get ready for work. As he sipped his coffee, he realized he couldn’t stay at her house. It made things too…familiar. He needed some distance, they both did. Somehow, he was positive that would help. It might help her see their relationship differently. He hadn’t really courted her…to use an old fashioned term. With time and distance, he might be able to figure out a way to get her to understand his feelings.
When she came back out, Bran felt his heart turn over. Damn, now that he realized how much he loved her, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to seeing her. Even now his pulse was dancing some kind of funky two-step and he felt lightheaded.
And she wasn’t even dressed sexy. A pair of green scrubs and no makeup. She gave him a wary smile.
“Hey, I was thinking of moving out.”
Her smile faded.
“No, don’t look like that. I just…I think we need some time and you’re getting called in so much.”
She nodded but didn’t look like she believed him. “Well, I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
When she turned to leave, he knew he couldn’t let her go without touching her one more time. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to him.
“Not so fast.”
“Bran…I have to get to work.”
Even as she said it, he heard the yearning in her tone. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He could build on that and prove to her that they were meant for each other.
He tugged her into his arms and kissed her. Bran had meant to keep it easy. Tess had to get to work and he had things to sort out. But the moment his mouth touched hers, he was lost. He closed his eyes as he slipped his tongue between her lips. She sighed and leaned into him.
Moments later, he was pleased he was the one who pulled back first. Her eyes were still closed and her lips were still wet from his kiss.
“Hey, Tess, better get to work.”
She opened eyes and he wanted to cheer. Bran could see the need there in the depths of them and he knew if he pushed it, he might get her back in bed before she went in. He wouldn’t do it, but it was nice to know she was affected by the kiss as much as he was.
“Well, I guess I should go.”
She walked toward the door, then made a disgusted sound and turned back to get her purse and keys. He smiled as he watched her go, but then felt it fade. He couldn’t believe she still thought they would be friends with benefits. He knew he loved her, knew that there was a chance she was the only woman for him. But now he had to play things cool and figure out his next step.
If there was one thing a Johnson understood, it was how to strategize. His older brother might be best known for it, but Bran knew how to use it to his advantage. Tess was just going to have to learn he was there to stay.
* * * *
Tess sighed as she finished the double shift. Work was hard enough. The last week had been horrible, but now add in the layer of stress of Bran…that was almost too much to handle.
They had left things open that morning. She had been happy at the time. Happy to avoid any argument, because that was the way she was raised. Tess could debate anything that wasn’t personal, but she didn’t like getting into personal spats.
Her parents never argued. In her entire life, she couldn’t seem to remember a fight between them. Her mother always seemed to allow her father to have his way. Tess knew her mother hated living in Florida, but her father had wanted to go, so she went along without a fight.
Tease Me Page 5
