by Katie Reus
She opened her legs wider for him, needing to get closer. That wasn’t happening unless they lost their clothes. While she might be a little off-kilter tonight, she hadn’t completely lost her head.
Maybe.
Because when he slid his hand up her leg, she was reconsidering everything. She’d taken off her sweater dress and tights earlier. Now, freshly showered, she had on leggings and a T-shirt that said Keep Calm, I’m the Wedding Planner, given to her by a client—
“Oh,” she whispered as he continued going higher and higher, sliding his hand up her shirt. He stopped right at her ribs, his big hand spanning her waist.
“I want to make you come.” His words were harsh and unsteady against her ear as he bit down on her earlobe.
She loved the way he said exactly what he wanted. He’d always been like that. And he wanted to make her come?
For a long moment, they were frozen like that, his face buried against her neck, her fingers linked behind his neck, and the only thing she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. “I think…” Words escaped her as she tried to finish her thought. Him making her come sounded like the best idea ever. Her body craved his touch on a level that made her tremble.
“You think that sounds like a good idea?” He leaned back slightly so he could look at her.
“It sounds like a very bad one.” Because it would just confuse things between them. As if them kissing right now wasn’t confusing.
“Very bad can be really damn good.” His gaze dropped to her mouth and another rush of heat flooded between her legs.
She hadn’t bothered with a bra—because she didn’t need one—and right now her nipples were hard points against her T-shirt. The friction as she took a deep, steadying breath sent a frisson of awareness rolling through her. It wouldn’t take much to make her come right now. “Brooks—”
He groaned and let his head roll back for a moment. “Love it when you say my name.” Then his eyes were on hers again, pinning her place.
She couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. Which she didn’t.
His hand crept higher and she hitched in a breath when he cupped one of her breasts. Oh, hell. She was definitely done. When he gently strummed his thumb over her already hard nipple, she made an incomprehensible sound at the pure pleasure shooting through her.
He was barely touching her and she was ready to come apart in his arms. It was simply because she hadn’t had sex since Brooks. Right. She couldn’t even swallow her own lie.
“Let this be about you. I just want to feel you coming around my…fingers.” He sounded desperate for it.
Which was insanely hot. “Brooks.”
“Say my name again.” His words came out all growly and raspy.
Her cheeks flamed at his words. This was the only time he ever lost control. Normally he was the laid-back, steady cowboy. Except when they were getting intimate. Then it was like he lost all vestiges of civility. He loved talking dirty to her—and she ate it up. She might not return the dirty talk, but he didn’t mind. “Brooks,” she whispered again.
And when his other hand moved to the band of her leggings, her inner muscles tightened around nothing. She could already feel him touching her, cupping her—then he was.
His slid his hand down the front of her panties until he was cupping her mound, his middle finger lying lazily against her clit. “I’ve missed touching you. Missed the way you look when you come.”
He had to stop saying come. “I’ve missed you too.” Missed everything about him. But she couldn’t find all the words to tell him how she’d missed waking up in the mornings to him. Missed the way he’d surprise her in the shower. Missed…him. Just Brooks.
Slowly, he slid his hand down a little farther. “You’re so wet.”
“Hmm,” was all she could manage as she brushed her lips over his.
He shuddered at the gentle kiss and began strumming her clit. Methodically and perfectly; he hadn’t forgotten how she liked to be touched. Clearly.
She bit his bottom lip as her body shook from the pleasure spiraling out to all her nerve endings. It was too much and not enough. And maybe tomorrow she would regret this but for now she was going to take this pleasure. Then she wanted to give it back to him.
But first… She bit down again, harder this time. He groaned into her mouth, rolling his hips against her, simulating sex even as he strummed her clit. Teasing her over and over, her inner muscles tightening with each stroke. She was so damn close.
He crushed his mouth to hers, taking over in that dominating way of his, right before he slid two fingers inside her—and pushed her over the edge.
He held his fingers inside her and kept teasing her clit, the sensation too much for her to show any restraint as her climax slammed through her.
Her head fell back as pleasure punched through her, spiraling out to all her nerve endings until she felt like she wasn’t in control of her body anymore. She wanted to climb right out of her skin and get as close to him as possible, to feel all that rock-hard body against hers. She wanted to rub up against him like a cat in heat and feel no shame.
Her inner walls convulsed around his fingers as she came down from her high. Feeling sated and as if her body was made of noodles, she brought her hands up to his face and cupped his cheeks. He didn’t have a smug or satisfied look on his face. Well, he did look satisfied, but mainly he just looked sexy as he leaned down to nibble at her lips.
When he withdrew his hand, she immediately felt the loss. And when he sucked his fingers into his mouth, her cheeks heated to epic proportions.
“Just like I remember,” he murmured.
That was just like she remembered as well. Perfect.
Wanting to give him as much pleasure as he’d given her, she reached for the button on his jeans but he clasped her wrists and held them at her sides on the counter. The sensation of being slightly restrained made her inner muscles clench again. He’d tied her up before and she’d loved it. Something she’d never even considered before him, but he’d made her throw all of her inhibitions out the window.
“That was just about you.”
“I want it to be about both of us.” She tugged slightly, even knowing he wouldn’t let go.
“It will be about both of us once you commit to me,” he murmured, his gaze falling to her lips.
Annoyance snapped to life inside her. “What is that? Some kind of sexual blackmail?”
He snorted at her questions. “No blackmail. I’m just saying, until we’re together—for real—my body is off-limits.”
She barked out a laugh at the ridiculousness of his words. “Fine. Mine is off-limits as of this point as well.”
“I can have you begging for it.” His voice dropped dangerously low, a hint of seduction in his dark eyes.
“And I can have you begging for it too.” She tugged her hands free and grasped the hem of her shirt, lifting it up and off.
If he thought she was just going to fall into a puddle at his feet, well, he was mostly right about that. But he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She was going to remind him of that.
“Fuck.” The word sounded savage.
Cool air rushed over her hard nipples and she resisted the urge to cover up. He’d literally just made her climax and had seen her naked countless times. “Still want to play this game?”
“I don’t want any games.” He pinned her with his eyes.
“I’m not playing,” she whispered as the mood went from heated to…she wasn’t quite sure. “But I’m not ready to commit to anything right now. We’re just…getting to know each other again.”
“I know everything I need to know about you.”
Do you really? she wanted to ask. Because once upon a time he’d assumed the worst of her, had made it clear he didn’t know her at all. Yes, he’d apologized, but that was just words. She knew more than most how useless words could be.
Feeling far too vulnerable all of a sudden, she wrapped her arms around herself.
She wasn’t sure what to say.
Abruptly he stepped back. “I’m going to do a sweep of the house one more time.”
It was just an excuse to get away from her because he’d already locked down her house earlier—and her alarm system was on. But clearly, he wanted distance. She did too, so she didn’t call him back.
Once he was gone, she sucked in a deep breath, able to actually breathe again. Things had gone from zero to sixty in a second and she wasn’t sure how she felt about anything right now. The one thing she was sure of: she definitely wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.
Not with Brooks in the room next to hers.
Chapter 14
—I’m more confused than a chameleon in a bag of Skittles.—
Brooks practically jackknifed up when a slender form stepped into the guest bedroom doorway, then he immediately settled down. “Everything okay?” At two in the morning, there was no reason for Darcy to be here. Unless she wanted sex, and he was pretty sure that was off the table. For now, anyway.
He was still reeling from the way she’d come apart in his arms earlier, the feel of her muscles tightening around his fingers as she came for him.
She hovered in the entrance, still wearing the yoga pants and T-shirt from before. “Yeah.” Moonlight from the hallway illuminated her enough that he could see every tense line of her body. A body he’d seen naked too many times to count. Too many and not enough. Because they should be tangled together right now.
“Want to come in?”
“Yeah.” But she still didn’t move.
He tugged the covers down on the side opposite him. “I won’t bite.” Unless she asked.
Laughing under her breath, she stepped inside, slowly and tentatively. “I’m… I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about your meeting tomorrow with that agent and wondering what it means for…well, me and my sister and Peter. And then I feel selfish for having those thoughts when there might be a bomb somewhere even as I’m saying this.”
“Come on.” He motioned toward the bed and, to his surprise, she slid right in next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He closed his arms around her tightly.
It was surreal to be holding her like this. Surreal and as perfect as he remembered.
“I’m sorry you can’t sleep,” he said quietly. “Your worries are normal.” Hell, she wouldn’t be human if she wasn’t concerned.
“I know. Doesn’t help me any.”
They were both quiet for a long time, something he didn’t mind. He’d spent years in the Marine Corps, and many of those he’d been alone or with his spotter, out wherever they’d been sent behind enemy lines. The quiet soothed him. So did having Darcy pressed against him.
“When did you start sleeping with clothes on?” Darcy murmured, taking him off guard. Curled up against him, she smelled like sunshine and strawberries.
“Why? Hoping to get a peek of the goods?”
She just snorted and pinched his side.
He’d worn a shirt and boxers since he was here to keep her safe. If her house was infiltrated, he didn’t want to get into hand-to-hand combat with his dick hanging out. “I didn’t want to disrespect you,” was all he said. When she didn’t say anything else, he continued, “I had a weird conversation with my dad yesterday.”
“Yeah?”
Of all people, she knew about his strained relationship with his father. Her relationship with hers was a lot worse. Try nonexistent. “Yeah. It was…strange. I feel like he wants to be friends now. Or maybe not friends, but make up for lost time or something. He even started talking about my…mom.”
“Wow. How do you feel about all that?”
He wasn’t used to talking about his emotions. There didn’t seem to be much use in doing so, but something Darcy had said about him shutting her out made him realize that there were some things he did need to talk to her about. If he had a chance in hell of ever getting her back, he needed to put himself all out there. She was worth it. “Honestly, I don’t know. If someone had asked me that a year ago, I probably would have brushed it off. And I probably would have shut him down. But he’s sincere. That much I know.”
“Then I hope you let him in.”
“Have you heard from your father lately?” When he’d been with Darcy, her father had reached out to her and asked for an introduction to Brooks. Darcy had shut him down cold. And it had taken all of Brooks’s restraint not to reach out himself to the man and kick his ass.
“Unfortunately, yes. He’s got some serious nerve.”
Brooks stiffened slightly, already knowing what she said was going to annoy him. Her father was a waste of space. “What did he want?”
“He said that Emma wouldn’t answer his calls and he wanted to know how his girls were doing.” She gave a tired, brittle laugh. “He wasn’t even subtle about it. He wanted to know about the man she was marrying and why he hadn’t been invited to the wedding. Then…”
“What?”
“When I told him to stop bothering me, he got in a dig about me losing you. About how I couldn’t even hold on to… Well, whatever. He’s an asshole. But what I don’t understand is why he even bothers. He married into a wealthy family. He got what he wanted. He made it clear he wanted nothing to do with my mom or Emma and me years ago.”
Brooks was quiet for a moment then said, “He got fired from his job a year ago. Something to do with sexual harassment. They cut him loose fast. Now his wife keeps him on a short leash. He’s on an allowance.” The thought made Brooks laugh.
Darcy sat up and stared at him. There was enough moonlight streaming through the slat blinds that he could see the nuance of her expression. “How on earth could you know that?”
“I looked into him.” And he wasn’t going to apologize for it.
She blinked once. “Why?”
“You want the truth?”
“Yes,” she said slowly, pushing away from him slightly.
“The stories you told me about him pissed me off. What kind of man abandons his family for something ‘better’ and then turns his back completely on his own children?” Brooks’s dad might have been an absentee father but he’d never abandoned him, and he’d made sure that Brooks had anything he could possibly want. And now that he was an adult, he could see that his father had been grieving. Not that he was making excuses for him, but he understood the difference. “I’d planned to see if there was anything I could do to make him suffer financially.” Brooks knew it was a totally shitty thing to do, and he didn’t care. “But it turned out he was a piece of shit and got himself fired all on his own. But I did call a few companies in his industry and blackballed him. Not that I really needed to. They wouldn’t have touched him after the scandal he caused at his former company.”
She blinked once. “I…really want to kiss you.”
His cock jolted to life at that. “I won’t stop you.”
Shaking her head, she laid it back down on his chest and snuggled up against him. “That’s just asking for trouble.”
He bunched the covers at his waist, covering his erection as best he could. Hell, he was in bed with Darcy. How could he not be hard? Especially when he’d made her come only a couple hours ago, could still taste her on his tongue. Okay maybe not, but it was fresh in his mind.
“Thank you, for what you did. I feel super mean for even saying thank you, but…”
“He’s not a good man. Karma caught up to him all on its own.”
“Sexual harassment?” she asked a few minutes later.
“Yeah.” Brooks wouldn’t give her the details unless she asked.
Thankfully she didn’t. He didn’t want to talk about her piece-of-shit father. He wanted to talk about them, but…he realized she’d dozed off.
Even though he’d wanted to keep talking to her, he couldn’t help but laugh a little. He shouldn’t be surprised. She’d once told him that whenever she was in bed with him, in his arms, she felt safer than she’d ever felt.
He should have remembered that—sh
ould have treasured what he’d had when he’d had it. Sighing, he pulled her closer and closed his own eyes. If he wanted to be on his game in a few hours, he needed sleep.
* * *
Brooks didn’t want to leave Darcy at all, but knew he had to. Because he was going to be there for that meeting with the Fed.
Leaning against the countertop in her kitchen, Darcy lifted her coffee mug to her lips. For a moment his gaze dipped to her mouth but then he managed to focus.
“I hate leaving you.”
Her lips curved up the slightest bit. “I’m seriously fine.”
“Have you heard back from your mechanic yet?” he asked, even though he knew the answer.
“Unless he called me in the last ten minutes, no.” She set her mug down but still kept her distance from him. “I’m going to be at the Markov residence all day. Which isn’t the best thing in the world, but I’m not afraid to be there—especially since you told me that Semyon was truly concerned about my car issues.”
Brooks didn’t respond, though it was true. Gage had been listening to all of Markov’s conversations in his vehicle via the planted listening device, and Markov wasn’t behind Darcy’s car troubles. That much was clear.
She continued. “The rehearsal dinner is tomorrow so the place will be packed with people setting up. I’m going to be safe, surrounded by tons of people—witnesses.”
“I still don’t like what happened with your car.”
“I don’t like it either. But I have a rental and it’s only a year old. A lot nicer than my car.”
“Keep your phone on you all day.”
She lifted an eyebrow, at his tone, no doubt.
“Please keep it on you.”
