She nodded. “Usually. Nika loves playing in the bath with all her foam toys, but when I have to get serious with the soap, she’s never happy about it.”
Vaughn followed the two females into the nursery. The walls were pale green with thin yellow stripes. He wondered if the paint job had come with the house or if Brielle was one of those moms who was not a fan of all pink for girls all the time.
When the toddler was diapered and clad in soft one-piece pajamas, Brie sat her in the crib and handed her a teething ring.
“Whew,” she said, fanning herself. “That exercise burns a lot of calories.”
Vaughn stared at her, his heart pounding. “Your shirt is all wet,” he said hoarsely. “I can see...”
Brie looked down at her chest. The red in her cheeks deepened. Though the navy fabric was not at all transparent, her puckered nipples were outlined beneath the soft cotton.
“I’m cold,” she said. “I should change.”
“You just told me in so many words that you were hot.”
Her chin jutted, her eyes flashing. “And now I’m cold. What’s your point?”
He took her wrist and reeled her in. “No point, beautiful mama. Except that you still want me, don’t you?”
Seven
Brie could have pulled away. Vaughn’s grip on her wrist was loose. But she went to him so easily, he must have thought she was sex starved. She would never tell him she hadn’t had sex with anyone since he’d made her pregnant. That was too much ammunition for a man who was already shockingly arrogant.
He gripped a handful of her hair and tipped back her head so he could sink his teeth into her throat. “I want to strip you bare,” he said roughly. “Your breasts are bigger. I can feel them. God, Brie, it’s been an eternity since I’ve been inside you.”
The gruff, carnally explicit words turned her into a shuddering mess. She was so desperate for him, her whole body trembled. Suddenly, they were racing toward a precipice she had sworn never to face again. This was madness, pure and simple.
Drawing on every ounce of strength she possessed, she pulled away and wiped her mouth. “Excuse me,” she said, her tone ridiculously formal. “I need to rock the baby to sleep.”
Vaughn was visibly shaken. He took several deep breaths and raked his hands through his hair. “I can do it,” he said gruffly. “I won’t drop her, I swear.”
She couldn’t read him. Not at all. Other than the lust. That was clear. And yet every time she redirected his focus to Nika, he jumped to help with the baby. Was he curious about this whole fatherhood thing? Was he testing the waters?
“Fine,” she said abruptly. “I’ll be in my bedroom if you need me for anything.”
One dark eyebrow went up. Green eyes sizzled with heated amusement. “What a lovely offer.”
“Not that, cocky man. You know what I mean.” She escaped before she could say something else stupid.
Grabbing a shirt from her dresser drawer, she hid in the bathroom to do the quick change. Even her bra was wet. When she removed it and didn’t bother to replace it with a dry one, she knew she was making a choice.
Who could blame her? She hadn’t felt a man’s touch on her body in almost three years. It had been so long she wasn’t sure she remembered what it was like to be a woman consumed with arousal.
When she was decently covered in a fresh shirt, she returned to her daughter’s room and lingered quietly in the doorway. Vaughn was reading the toddler a book. Nika must have asked for it. Her eyes were heavy. She nestled trustingly against her father’s chest.
A baby couldn’t possibly know the truth, could she? Was there some instinctive connection Brie didn’t understand? Was the power of blood strong enough to bind child to man?
Brie kept silent, loath to intrude on the scene. Vaughn wasn’t entirely comfortable. She could see that. But he plodded on. As crazy as it sounded, his clumsy rendering of the story made Brie’s heart turn over. At least he was trying.
When the story wound to an end and Vaughn closed the book, Brie stepped into the room. “I’ll take her now. Why don’t you go grab yourself a drink and relax?”
He nodded, his expression inscrutable. Moments later, Brie was alone with her daughter. Danika’s body was limp, her breathing heavy. There was really nothing left to do but lay her in bed and tiptoe out of the room.
In the hallway, Brie leaned against the wall and put a hand to her heart, trying to still the wild thumping. Nothing was going to happen right now. Not until she made up her mind.
Vaughn was a gentleman to the core, despite his libido. He wouldn’t force himself on her.
But what if the tables were turned?
She found him in the living room sprawled on one end of the sofa, his expression moody as he channel surfed. For safety’s sake, she chose an armchair several feet away. “It’s still early,” she said. “I’m sure you have things to do. Thanks for dropping by. You’re welcome any time.”
He shot her a fulminating glare. “You don’t have to lay it on so thick, Brie. If you don’t want me here, I can take a hint.”
For a moment she thought she might have bruised his feelings, but that was absurd. “I don’t think it’s wise for us to be alone together.” There. That was plain enough.
He sat up straight and tossed the remote aside. “So because I noticed your nipples, you’re kicking me out?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t be absurd. You wanted to spend time with your daughter. And you did. Now she’s asleep. End of story.”
His expression softened. “You’re not wearing a bra, Brielle, even though you were before you changed clothes. What is a man like me supposed to take from a thing like that?”
Chewing her lip, she stared anywhere but at him, feeling her face flame. “It was wet.”
“Ah. And you only own the one?”
He had her there. Why was she being such a coward? She wanted to have sex with him. When she’d omitted the bra, she thought she knew where the night would go. But she was allowed to change her mind. She didn’t want to get sucked into his masculine force field again. She couldn’t let herself be vulnerable to his charming, rakish ways.
“Fine,” she snapped. “I’m not wearing a bra. Big deal. Lots of women take their bras off when they get home from work.”
He rolled to his feet, all six feet plus of him. “Do you want me as much as I want you, Brie? You don’t have to be afraid to say it.” The taunting tone in his voice lit her temper.
“I’m not scared of you, Vaughn Blackwood. Feel free to go.”
The fact that she took two steps in his direction dampened her dismissal.
Vaughn’s shirt still hung open. In fact, it barely clung to his shoulders. She could see almost every inch of his tanned, muscular, yummy-enough-to-lick chest.
The arrogance faded. His smile was kind now, alarmingly so. “I’m not going anywhere, sweet Brie. Not unless you walk over to that front door, unlock it and tell me—unequivocally—to leave. Are you going to do that?”
If he had been a jerk about it, she might have followed through on kicking him out. But he was letting her see how much he wanted to stay. That sincerity, in the end, tipped the scales.
She sighed. “It’s only seven forty-five. Isn’t that too early for hanky-panky?”
He chuckled. “I’d say it’s about two and a half years too late. I’ve missed you in my bed, woman.”
“We’ll be in mine this time,” she warned. “It’s only a queen, and the mattress sucks.”
“I think I can handle it.”
“And we both agree this means nothing.” Somehow, it was important to lay that out there.
“Whatever you say.” He shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it aside.
Dear. Sweet. Lord. Gooseflesh broke out all over her body. Erogenous zones she had forgotten about beat out a
chorus of pulsing, erotic intent.
“I, uh...”
He grinned widely. “The Brie I remember didn’t used to be so shy.”
“I’m not shy,” she protested. “I’m just not sure of the protocol for scratch-an-itch sex.”
Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms and strode toward the hall. “Well, for one thing,” he said, breathing a tiny bit harder than her weight should have warranted, “it doesn’t usually get off to such a slow start.”
She laid her head against his chest, feeling weepy for no particular reason, so she cracked a joke to lighten the mood. “As long as you get me off, big guy, I won’t complain.” This was what she had missed...what she wanted and needed. Laughter and verbal sparring with the man who had been such a pivotal part of her life.
But that relationship was over now. Whatever was left was so much less than what she had once hoped to have in a partner.
He kicked open her bedroom door and tossed her onto the center of the mattress. “Don’t go anywhere.” With impressive speed, he stripped out of his clothes. When he was bare-ass naked, she inhaled sharply. Vaughn Blackwood was one big, bad, gorgeous male.
His wicked smile made her squirm. As he sprawled onto the bed beside her, he began unfastening buttons and such.
Brie lay perfectly still, her fingers clenched in the covers. Every muscle in her body was rigid.
At one point, Vaughn stopped and looked at her with a little frown creasing the spot between his brows. “Brie? Are you sure this is what you want?”
She forced herself to relax. “Yes,” she whispered. “Sorry. I’m just nervous.”
He leaned over her on one elbow. “Why, sweet thing? It’s like riding a bike.” His droll comparison was meant to make her smile, but she was too tense.
“Bicycle crashes hurt. I don’t want to get hurt again. I need you to know that I don’t expect empty words or romantic gestures. All I want from you is an orgasm or two. So don’t get the wrong impression. We’re not picking up where we left off.”
His frown deepened. “Are you finished?” he asked, his green-eyed gaze glacial.
“With what?”
“Reading me the fine print.”
She had made him angry. Too bad. There had to be ground rules. Otherwise, having her baby’s father back in her life would destroy Brie. They weren’t playing house.
“I’m finished,” she said.
He moved half on top of her with an audible groan. The man was fully aroused and ready to go.
So was Brie. Her body wept for him. The fact that she now had stretch marks and a stomach that was no longer taut and firm made her self-conscious for about thirty seconds. After that, Vaughn’s voracious appetite told her more loudly than words that he wanted her exactly as she was.
He spread her thighs, poised to enter her.
“Wait,” she cried. “Condoms?”
Vaughn seemed shocked. “You’re not on birth control?”
“No. Single moms with full-time jobs don’t have much time for extracurricular activities. Sorry. I wasn’t expecting this.”
His hunger for her blazed in his eyes, making her shiver. “Neither was I,” he grumbled, “but I do have one condom in my wallet.” He retrieved the protection and rolled it on.
The fleeting disappointment Brie felt at knowing this was a one-shot event amazed her. Was she really so lost to reason? Apparently, the answer was yes.
When he entered her, reality narrowed to Vaughn’s face—his fierce, brilliant green eyes—the flash of white teeth when he smiled. The labored sound of his breathing.
In that moment when their bodies joined completely, flesh to flesh, heart to heart, there was a hush in the room. Almost as if everything that had been out of kilter in Brie’s world finally settled into place. Such thinking was self-defeating, but she couldn’t shake the notion that this man was her soul mate.
How pathetic was that?
Thinking and reasoning were a lost cause, anyway. All she wanted to do right now was feel. And heaven help her, there were so many feelings. His skin was hot against hers, his breath warm on her cheek. When he buried his face in the curve of her neck and groaned, the sound reverberated throughout her body.
She loved making him lose control, always had. In the past, they had made love often two and three times a day. She’d had no way of knowing precisely when he actually made her pregnant. She used to imagine which time it had been. Where they were. How it had felt.
The result of their passion lay sleeping just down the hall. Brie and Vaughn had created that—how perfect, how wonderful, how unbearably poignant.
She dragged her attention back to the present, more than content to live in the moment, at least for now. A lock of Vaughn’s hair had fallen across his damp forehead. She pushed it back, so close to him she could see the tiny flecks of amber in his deep-emerald irises.
“I’ve missed being with you,” she whispered. Maybe later she would regret her honesty, but it was true.
He kissed her again, bruising her lips, thrusting his tongue against hers in desperation, the same desperation she felt. “God, yes.”
He felt huge and hard inside her. Intimidating. In charge. But she wanted this. More than anything. She wasn’t afraid of Vaughn Blackwood. Not at all.
Nothing he had ever said or done to her had made her fear his physical domination. Despite his size and the fact that he outweighed her significantly, his care with her during their lovemaking—past and present—made her feel safe and cherished even in the midst of their wildest passion.
Then, in a flash, it was over. They were both too close to the edge, both too needy to make it last.
Vaughn cursed ruefully. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Were you...did I...” His uncustomary awkwardness surprised her.
“I’m good.” And physically, she was. Emotionally? The weirdness was back. Two years apart. A baby. A man who wanted to be free.
Tears stung her eyes.
Vaughn nuzzled his face between her breasts. “It’s not enough,” he said hoarsely. “I want more.”
“We don’t have any more condoms.”
She saw on his face that he had forgotten. “There are other ways,” he whispered, licking her nipple until it budded hard and tight. “Why don’t I go clean up and then we’ll improvise?”
When he separated their bodies, Brie felt the disconnect as a physical pain. “Okay.” She should have said an emphatic no. Any smart woman would have. But Brie was caught up in an erotic web of longing and need. “I’ll wait for you.”
Eight
Vaughn staggered into Brie’s tiny hallway bathroom, hoping she hadn’t noticed that his legs were rubbery. He felt drunk. Out of control. Completely off his game.
Was he insane to stay the night and keep fooling around? They had no more protection. None. He couldn’t slide inside her warm, tight body and empty himself in spasms of intense pleasure.
He was no teenage kid willing to come any way he could manage. A grown man had needs.
But if the alternative to full sexual contact with his lover was to walk out of this house right now, he couldn’t do it. Not when Brie had finally burst back into his life.
Vaughn dealt with the condom and washed up, finishing by splashing water in his face. When he looked in the mirror, his eyes glittered with strong emotion.
Was it exhilaration he saw? Simple lust? How could a man not understand his own responses?
He needed Brie. He wanted her. Nothing beyond tonight mattered. He would deal with the future later.
When he returned to the bedroom, he found Brie huddled up against the headboard with the sheet pulled to her chin. Her eyes widened as her gaze dropped to his erection. Was it excitement or fear he saw in her baby blue irises?
He joined her on the bed. “I won’t do anything you don’t like, Brie.”
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“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Her wry smile touched him.
The note of humor defused some of the tension in the room but did nothing to reduce his hunger for her. Slowly, he dragged the sheet away. Even though he’d already memorized the feel of her body against his, there was nothing he could do to muffle his sharp inhalation at the view. The sight of her was a punch to the gut. He wrapped two hands around her ankle and slowly pulled her down in the bed.
“Turn over,” he said softly.
After a moment’s hesitation, she did as he asked, her arms stretched over her head.
Now he didn’t have to disguise his reactions and his intent. Lord, she was beautiful. Her body was lithe and strong, her waist narrow above flared hips that had cradled their baby.
He put two hands on her ass and massaged her heart-shaped backside. Brie made a tiny noise, but she didn’t try to stop him. Her skin was soft and smooth.
Though he wanted to pounce and gobble her up, he focused on giving her pleasure. Moving his hands slowly, he kneaded her tense muscles from waist to shoulders, coaxing her body into limp surrender. She worked hard. For tonight, he wanted to make her forget everything but how good it felt to be naked in bed with a lover. With him.
The more Brie responded to his massage, the harder he got. She might be relaxed, but this exercise was having the opposite effect on Vaughn. He changed positions and started on her thighs and calves.
His breathing roughened. His hands shook. When he couldn’t bear it a second more, he rolled her onto her back and kissed her with long, slow, drugging kisses.
He came perilously close to sliding inside her without protection. His arousal was a living, breathing ache. Doggedly, he clamped down on his carnal impulses. He’d promised they could improvise. He was a man of his word.
When he parted her legs and kissed the inside of her thigh, Brie squeaked in shock. “Relax, sweetheart. You’ll ruin the effects of the massage.”
Her fingers clenched in the sheet. “How can I relax with you doing that?”
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