The Complete Tempest World Box Set

by Mankin, Michelle

  In only her purple bra and panties with all those curves and creamy skin, Lace was amazing. I’d been telling myself for years that my memory had exaggerated her perfection. Not so much. She was my every fantasy made real.

  “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” I framed her beautiful face in my hands. “I love you. Never stopped loving you. I need you to know that.”

  “Stop looking so serious.” Her fingers ghosted across my lips, settling over my mouth like a soft kiss. “I love you too.” She smiled, dazzling me with her happiness and her words. “I’ve always loved you.”

  Her declaration settled deep in my soul, the cure to the restlessness that had plagued me since I’d given her up as a teen.

  Lace was the cure, my own sweet remedy.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Lace

  I stared at this handsome man, watching as his cautious veneer fell away. The guardedness dissolved like a mist, there and then gone forever right before my eyes. The love that remained was a bright beacon, a shining light at the top of a tall tower.

  Bryan was the culmination of all my dreams. I was helpless to resist him, not that I ever wanted to.

  So many wrongs in my life. Have I finally gotten something right?

  I pulled his head back down to me, feeling his grin against my lips right before his tongue dipped inside and slid slowly across mine. One languid stroke, and my body became a hot whirlwind of sensation.

  We took turns tasting each other. He was hope, if hope had a taste. Bold, brilliant, and blinding. The heavy weight of him crushed my breasts, and the hard length of him pressed between my thighs. Feminine and masculine, we were two opposing puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.

  I traced across the breadth of his shoulders with my palms and raced down the indentation of his spine with my fingertips, grabbing his ass in my hands and writhing against him.

  “Bry,” I said on a moan. “I want you.” I was on fire, burning everywhere our skin touched.

  “I want you more.”

  He gave me a wicked smile before torturing me by doing wicked, wonderful things to me with his mouth. With long, purposeful licks he teased me, his tongue sliding across my skin—up and over and near, but not quite touching the nipples that ached to receive the same attention.

  My heels dug into the mattress, and my head thrashed. Desire roared hot and then hotter still when his mouth finally closed over my nipple. I arched off the bed.

  “More,” I begged greedily.

  When he took me deeper into his mouth, I whimpered. Wetness rushed to my core when I felt the edge of his teeth, and his tongue lash the throbbing tip.

  He thoroughly explored every inch of my breasts with restrained nips that jolted through me like lightning, followed by light, soothing strokes that prolonged the pleasure. Worshiped, I was on a sensual high as I watched him through my lashes, praising him by panting his name.

  I started to protest when he lifted his head, but stopped when his hands moved lower, on their way to where I most wanted him to go. Delicate shivers racked me as his skilled fingers glided lightly across my fevered skin.

  I moaned low and long when he skimmed his palm over my throbbing wet center. His touch was teasing, as soft as a breath, but it made my entire body flush with heat.

  “That’s it, babe.” He stared down at me, his lids heavy and his gorgeous light eyes darkened with passion. “So sexy. So beautiful.” He increased the pressure over my swollen clit, rhythmically rocking his palm.

  “Bry . . .” Breathlessly, I lifted my hips and rolled with his motion, pulsing beneath him.

  “Don’t hold back, Lace. I want to see you come for me first, and then I promise I’ll give you more.”

  While he watched, so possessive and so attentive to my needs, I came fast, and I came hard. Tremor after tremor rolled through me. This man owned me, and my body surrendered to him as readily as my heart had done so many years ago.

  Before the glow of my climax had dimmed, Bryan grabbed and rolled on a condom. Positioning himself, he slid deep inside me. His cock a hot brand, he reclaimed me as his.

  “Lace, oh, Lace.” He caged me within his arms, and as he promised, he gave me more, more than I’d bargained for, more than I’d ever dreamed.

  My eyes were locked on his. I was his to have, my body and my soul, molten metal and malleable.

  “You feel so good,” he said low, stroking inside me deep, his passion-roughened voice adding another level to the pleasure.

  “Only this good because it’s you.” Peering up at him, I urgently caressed the smooth skin and flexing muscles of his back. “I’m only like this for you.” My hands on his ass, I squeezed the tight flesh and lifted my hips to take him deeper.

  “Only you.” He groaned, and his muscles bunched beneath my grip. “Only ever you.”

  My body tingled with heat. My skin shimmered, every nerve ending sheared. His cock was thick, filling me so perfectly. I burned, this time hotter than before, a sun about to supernova as he moved in a practiced rhythm that was insanely deep, impossibly hard, and meant to unravel me.

  As his cock provided the perfect friction against my sensitive flesh, his name slipped from my parted lips. His handsome face was all I could see, his amazing body all I could feel. Pulse after electrical pulse surged through me.

  Chanting my name, he drove into me deeper, his strokes faster and more erratic. Taking everything he gave, I lifted my hips and strained for the pinnacle—slippery, hot, and wet. His skin damp, his muscles taut, he strained for it too. His heavy breaths lifted the hair from my temples, and mine filled the air. We were out-of-control harmony, the slap of his hips against mine perfectly tuned.

  I cried out as it hit me, a bolt of pleasure so deep and sharp that it hurled me over everything I’d known.

  Roaring my name, Bryan threw back his head and his cock stiffened as he erupted inside me. His pleasure was my pleasure, taking me higher than I’d ever been, and he was right there with me.

  All that he was, I accepted. All that I was, he received. All the bests in my life were him, always him.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Lace

  After the haze of sensual bliss cleared, reality reasserted its claim. I didn’t want it to. I wanted to bask in Bryan’s love and the afterglow of our lovemaking. Savor it.

  So I did, reveling in the pleasure of him holding me and holding him right back. Only maybe I held him a little more tightly. But eventually, the condom had to be disposed of, and I had to get cleaned up.

  “I love you,” I said, giving him a gentle peck. Even just the touch of my lips to his made my knees wobble. A little unsteady, I padded into the bathroom for a quick shower.

  When I returned, Bryan was propped up in bed on his elbow, still naked, the sheet draped casually around his waist. He was distracting as hell with his hair tousled and all that exposed skin over tight muscles. I was totally into him, and he knew it. His amused eyes gleamed back at me beneath his lowered lids.

  My heart constricted as if he’d squeezed it in his hand.

  Bryan Jackson was the perfect man for me in every way, the standard to which no other man could possibly measure up. The second—well, technically the third time—with him only made me more certain of that fact. With Bryan, making love was a two-way exchange, a gift we gave to each other, the physical expression of our love. We’d only just finished, and I already wanted to do it again.

  Badly.

  The old Lace would have jumped right into taking what she wanted without considering the consequences. My life had made me the person I’d been. Desperate, needy, grasping for happiness where I could get it, not expecting it to last.

  This, though, with Bryan, had to last. Starting now, I had to do things differently.

  I inhaled deeply and offered him a tentative smile. He studied me a minute, and his forehead creased.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked warily. “What’s going on inside that beautiful head of yours?”

  I c
ouldn’t fool him. There was no use trying.

  I moved to the side of the bed and took a seat with my back to him. Gathering my thoughts, I knotted the bathrobe sash tighter around my waist. I only hoped tighter would give me the courage I needed.

  “That was amazing,” I said. “You’re amazing. I want to do it again. But first, I think we should talk.”

  “I agree.” His voice was deep and certain, and he scooted in behind me, his legs stretched out on either side.

  That felt really good. Bryan was warm, strong, everything I needed.

  He brushed my hair off my neck and kissed the spot where it met my shoulder. A shiver ran down my spine. Turning me around, he shifted me, arranging me so I sat on his lap. That felt even better.

  He gazed into my eyes, and I realized I’d never seen him look as serious. “I want you to move in with me when we get back to Seattle.”

  I wanted to. There was nothing I wanted more.

  My heart leaped, but I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands, so he couldn’t see how much I wanted to say yes. To be with Bryan 24/7, to wake up every morning looking into those gorgeous gray-green eyes, to go to bed with him every night—it would be awesome, the best, a dream come true.

  Only it wouldn’t be right to accept, not yet.

  “That sounds wonderful.” I let out a wistful sigh, dropping my hands and opening my eyes to find him staring at me expectantly. “I really want to, but I can’t. At least not yet.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t?” His muscles tensed beneath me. “The way I see it, we should have done this years ago. Maybe if we’d—”

  “Don’t. Please don’t. Regret is a dead end,” I said sadly. “One of the things they taught us in rehab is to use the lessons from our past to build the future we want. The best isn’t behind us, but in front of us.”

  I ran my hand down his stubbled cheek and trailed a finger under the black leather cord with the silver skull bead that he wore around his neck. I stared into his eyes, willing him to understand. But his guard was up again, and it made me sad to see that.

  “Bry, I want a future with you, but to have it we need to establish the right foundation. You went from being my best friend in high school to being my lover. Even if things hadn’t gone all wrong for us, I don’t think I would have been ready to handle something like that back then. And I’m still not.”

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” He set me aside abruptly and made a sweeping gesture with his arm, indicating the bed. “Were you not just there with me? You know as well as I do what we did was a whole hell of a lot more than just two people getting each other off. It’s always been more with you and me.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Are you saying that this was a mistake?”

  I shook my head. “No, of course not.”

  “Good.” He gave me a curt nod. “Because it’s not prom night anymore. But let me lay it all out this time, just so we’re clear, and there’s no chance for misunderstanding. I love you. I want you with me all the time. Don’t make it more complicated than that.”

  “I’m not trying to.” I put my hand on his arm, laying my fingers over the black scrolling of his tattoo, but he shook me off.

  My throat tightened as I watched him stand, going for his pants. While he yanked them back on, I pulled the lapels of the robe closer together, suddenly feeling scared and cold.

  “Bry, please listen and try to understand.”

  “I’m listening.” He turned back around, his eyes flashing with confusion and pain. “But this doesn’t make sense.”

  “It does. You would have to be blind not to see what a wretched mess my life is right now. I need to get things straight first, get myself straight before I get into a relationship.”

  “I’m not just some random guy you hooked up with, Lace. We already have a relationship.”

  Shit. I panicked. That wasn’t how I meant it at all. Bryan was taking everything I said and turning it inside out.

  “I know that . . . God, I know that. I’m so grateful for that, for you. You’re my best friend,” I said, finding it difficult to breathe. This was going even worse than I’d feared.

  Noticing how freaked out I was, he moved back to the bed and knelt in front of me, his expression softening. “I know this is scary, Lace.” His voice gentled as his gaze drifted over me. He covered my clutched hands with his. “All the more reason for us to be together, so I can help you.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “That’s just it. I can’t let you do that for me.”

  Frustrated, I dug deep for the right words. If only I could explain it so he could understand.

  “Look, Bry, I can’t keep jumping from relationship to relationship every time I need a rescue. I’ve got to learn how to take care of myself for a change. It’s going to take work to become a better person, and that’s work only I can do.”

  I glanced up at him, hoping that I’d finally gotten through, but my heart stuttered when I saw how completely closed off he was to me now.

  His gaze hardened. “So you’re telling me you want me to put my life on hold again. To be on standby. To wait.”

  “Yes.” I held my breath as I waited for his reply. “I want to be a woman you can be proud of. Someone you need and can rely on, the way I rely on you.”

  “How long do you estimate this process will take?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.

  “I don’t know. Just until I prove to myself that I can do it on my own, I guess.”

  An oppressive silence filled the room. The air-conditioning kicked on, and as cold air blew against the back of my neck, icy trepidation trickled down my spine. I knew even before Bryan spoke what his answer would be.

  “No, Lace,” he said, his jaw rigid. “I can’t. I won’t wait. I’ve already waited through two guys for you, and I’ve done all the waiting I’m gonna do. I want you now, so you need to decide. I need a yes or no answer right now.”

  My heart froze, and my chin dropped to my chest. A cold fist tightened around my throat. “Then it has to be no,” I whispered. “I can’t give you less than the best of me. I won’t.” Stubbornly, I added, “You deserve better.”

  Bryan didn’t say anything, and that said it all. When I looked up, he was scooping his shirt off the floor.

  Stop, my heart cried.

  Please don’t go, my eyes pleaded.

  But his face was an impenetrable fortress. No mere wall between us, no rampart to tread. I was outside the castle, and he was too far away for me to reach now.

  “Good-bye, Lace.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Lace

  For a long time, I stared at the door Bryan had slammed closed behind him, and I didn’t move at all. So long my rigid muscles went from tense, to burning pins and needles, to completely numb.

  But sensation eventually returned, and I had to feel the pain. Razor sharp, thousands of cuts, every memory with him brutally ripped away. Bryan had just blown my world to bits. Razed to the foundation, it all crashed down on me.

  Obliterated, my heart lay scattered like shrapnel all around me. Big, sobbing shudders shook my body as I looked at the tangled sheets, as I breathed in the lingering scent of his cologne, as I tasted him. Hope rapidly faded, washed away by the salt from my tears.

  I jerked up out of the bed and turned my back on it. Sinking to the floor, I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

  Surely, I’m doing the right thing.

  I rocked back and forth, staring straight ahead, tears blurring my vision. My future gone. Bryan gone. All I had left was pieces of me and pain.

  And unlike before, there was nothing to ease that pain.

  For a fleeting moment, I seriously considered getting up, getting dressed, and going out for some drugs. But if I went down that path again, there would be no coming back from it a second time. I would end up in the ground just like my mother.

  My arms tightened. No fucking way. I steeled myself and stuck a fork in that
chapter of my life. It was done. Over. I was never descending into that pit again.

  I’d have my cry. I was entitled to that. It had been a long time since I’d cried, so I made it a good one. I felt sorry for myself and all that shit. Stuff regular people go through, processing without anything to numb the pain.

  Not a step forward, maybe, but holding myself steady on the ground I’d gained.

  • • •

  When the sun came up, my throat was raw and my Kleenex box was empty.

  Processing time over, I got up off the floor. I had to use the bed as a crutch because my legs had cramped so badly, but I wasn’t going to allow myself to linger in this sad place. It was time to be tough and resilient, a woman who changed her world instead of allowing her world to change her.

  My steps steady, I went into the bathroom and cleaned myself up. Taking a long, hot shower, I washed and conditioned my hair. I scrubbed twice with the fragrant hotel soap, scouring the traces of Bryan’s scent from my skin.

  God, the scent of him. I almost wavered, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

  Pressing my lips into a firm line, I stepped out onto the bathmat and wrapped a towel around myself. With a hand towel, I wiped away the condensation from the mirror. I stared at the pink-faced woman who looked back at me. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but her gaze was determined.

  I liked her.

  She was hurt. She ached inside, but she would do what needed to be done.

  She was worthy. A keeper.

  She was sick and tired of life knocking her the fuck down.

  Now it was time for her to start fighting the fuck back.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Lace

  I pounded on my brother’s hotel-room door with my fist.