Scorched

by Desiree Holt; Allie Standifer

  “Shit.” The word slipped out between clenched teeth. “I don’t know how much longer I can hang on here, Kasey. You’re burning me alive.”

  “Do it,” she breathed. “Now.”

  She was there, the climax bursting like a Fourth of July fireworks display, raking her from head to toe. Her cunt clenched around his spurting clock, milking it, pulling at it, her legs locked around him as they exploded together. She lost herself completely, the spasming of his cock driving her into yet another orgasm, the tremors shaking her like a leaf in the wind.

  And then they collapsed, totally spent, breaths rasping, hearts banging on ribs, both stunned by the enormity of their shared climax.

  Kasey had no idea how long they lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms. She wondered if it would be possible to just stay like this forever. Skyler moved first, carefully easing himself from the clasp of her body, kissing her mouth and each of her nipples as he shifted position.

  “I need to take care of business,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers once more as he stood up.

  Holy fucking hell!

  How the hell did he get so lucky? And had someone thrown a stick of dynamite into the living room or had he just experienced the most mind-shattering orgasm he’d ever had in his life?

  Skyler wrapped the spent condom in tissue and dropped it into the waste basket in the small bathroom. He rested his hands on the vanity counter and leaned forward, looking at himself in the mirror. His face still wore a completely satisfied look, but he saw the heat continue to flicker in his eyes. He looked down and saw his cock hardening again.

  Not possible!

  He’d heard other men occasionally talk about women with whom the sexual attraction was so strong they were sure they could stay hard forever. He knew it was an exaggeration but now he at least had a glimmer of what they meant. He just hadn’t thought women like that existed. Until now.

  He ran the cold water and splashed it on his face. Time to get hold of himself. Pull himself together. He’d come over here figuring after what he saw last night he’d have a quick recreational fuck, maybe see if she was up for an occasional friends-with-benefits arrangement. Now he wasn’t sure he ever wanted anyone but him even looking at her.

  Get hold of yourself, Brody. You just met her. Remember what happened the last time you let your guard down. Go slow. And for fuck’s sake, don’t tell your brothers about her.

  When he was sure he was steady enough to control himself, he found his way back into the living room. Kasey was lying exactly where he’d left her on the couch, skin flushed with the aftermath of passion, a siren smile playing on her lips.

  “So,” she said, with a teasing note in her voice. “Is this your idea of the Welcome Wagon?”

  He burst out laughing. “All that and a sense of humor, too? I think I hit the jackpot.”

  Chapter Three

  With one foot on the wooden rail of the porch Sky used his other foot to slowly move the porch swing back and forth.

  “Almost seven at night,” he mumbled. “Where the hell is she?”

  He looked across his lawn to the darkened windows of Kasey’s house. Granted they’d never actually set a real date, but still in all the time he’d spent watching her, Kasey had never come home this late.

  When the sound of a car engine reached his ears Sky’s heart sped up. As the only two houses at the end of the street the vehicle had to be Kasey finally coming home. He stood, not caring if he looked like a fool, to get a better look. Maybe she’d been avoiding him, maybe she’d had second thoughts after he left last night.

  After he’d taken her on the couch they’d moved their activities to the bedroom or at least attempted it. With her sweet naked body in his arms Sky hadn’t been able to resist touching her. One thing led to another until an hour later he’d used up another condom and had a serious case of rug burn on his knees. But it had been more than worth it to hear her screaming his name and coming around his cock.

  He’d scared himself with this overwhelming need he had for her. The last woman he’d felt even marginally this attracted to walked out on him when the stress of erratic hours and potential danger grew too much for her. While he wasn’t sure where this thing with Kasey was headed, Sky knew he didn’t want to lose her before he had a chance to find out. That’s why he’d shown her his driver’s license instead of his badge last night. When he got to know her better he’d tell her about his job in the homicide division.

  The sound of a car approaching grew louder, too loud to be his sexy neighbor’s little hybrid compact. With a sinking realization he knew who the vehicle had to belong to. Sure enough a large black truck pulled into his driveway less than a minute later. The driver’s side door opened at the same time as the passenger’s and two large, very familiar-looking men stepped out.

  “Hey,” the first of the two called out while grabbing bags from inside the truck. “Think you can bring your tired crippled ass over here. We brought food.”

  “Not because we wanted to.” The second man spoke around an armful of grocery sacks. “A certain blonde threatened us with bodily harm if we didn’t check up on her poor hurt baby.”

  The last comment had the two men cracking up with laughter as they hauled their burdens up the porch steps.

  Sky grunted and got to his feet. “I’ll be sure to tell Mom thanks for sending you two yahoos over here. I do have food here, you know.”

  His youngest brother, River, snorted as he disappeared inside the house. “Tell that to Mom. She thinks we did something horrible to make you leave the house.”

  Reed laughed. “I keep trying to tell her we’d kick River out before you, but you know how she is.”

  Sky did know. His mother had a backbone of steel and the heart of a melted marshmallow. To put in forty years as a cop’s wife and then raise three sons only to have them pick up the badge? Yeah, his mom was a warrior in her own right. Still he resented her for sending his brothers over to check on him.

  “There is such a thing as a phone. I talked to her yesterday. She said she and Dad love Arizona. They’re making friends and keeping busy. Nowhere in our conversation did she mention sending you two over to babysit me.”

  River came back out on the porch with two cold beers in his hand. He threw one to Reed then settled himself on the rail in front of his oldest brother.

  “Yes, but she called again late last night and you didn’t answer. She got worried about her baby boy. Woke us up first thing this morning and demanded we come over after work to make sure you were okay and had food. If we even had an inkling anything was wrong we were to call her and she’d catch the first flight out to stay with you.”

  Sky closed his eyes with a groan. Thirty-seven years old and his mother still wanted to baby him. “That woman is nuts. I didn’t answer my phone because I wasn’t home. Why didn’t she just leave a message to have me call her back?”

  Reed and River looked over at each other and shrugged. Reed answered with a grin. “Maybe because she’s just looking for an excuse to come check up on you?”

  Sky flipped his brother the finger. “I don’t need a checkup from Mom. I’m doing fine. The shoulder is almost all healed up.” To prove it Sky moved his arm in a complete circle. “The bullet went clean through. The only reason I’m on disability is because the idiot hit me in my shooting arm.”

  Reed held his hands up in defense. “Hey, you don’t have to tell me. I know you’re fine, but she’s your mother.”

  “And she’s not yours?”

  “Nope. Dad said my conception involved aliens, a light beam and gummy bears.” The middle tech-savvy brother smarted off, his light brown eyes gleaming with amusement.

  “Yeah, I can see that. You are kind of freaky looking,” River commented from his perch on the railing. “Big ears, small dick, it’s really kind of sad.”

  “Small dick?” Reed swiftly jumped to his feet. “You little shit. Wait until I get my hands on you.”

  River set his b
eer down safely and jumped off the porch, running to keep out of his brother’s reach.

  With a loud sigh Sky watched his idiot brothers race around his yard as the sun finally set. Reed had one arm wrapped around River’s throat while River did his best to give his middle brother a wedgie from hell.

  Wrapped up in his siblings’ antics Sky didn’t notice the quiet car driving down the street until the flash of headlights illuminated the faces of the two men still trying to beat the crap out of each other.

  “Shit,” he cursed knowing it would be too late to get rid of his family, currently rolling over his grass laughing and cursing each other loudly. “Get the hell up, you idiots.”

  Neither man paid him any attention as they continued to struggle with each other. Sky debated for a moment. The water hose would stop them, but he’d have to go get the thing, uncoil it, turn it on then walk back to hose the fighting freaks in the yard. No, he needed something a little bit quicker, but just as efficient.

  “Hey, Reed, watch out for the pile on your left. My neighbor’s got a huge pit-bull and he got loose earlier today. Left a nice warm land mine just about where your elbow is.”

  The words barely left his mouth when both men jumped to their feet, their hands quickly running over their clothing and skin. Sky laughed, grabbed both their ears and dragged them over to Reed’s truck.

  “Get inside before you shame the whole family. I swear it’s a wonder the city lets either one of you carry a gun.” He shoved them both at the truck just as he heard his name being called.

  “Skyler?”

  Kasey’s voice sounded a little hesitant and Sky’s immediate reaction was to run over and soothe her, but he couldn’t do it with his brothers there. More important his brothers’ big mouths. He didn’t want her to find out about his job, not yet, not before he got a chance to really know her and for her to know him. Things were too new, too shiny, too perfect to ruin with the mention of his career choice.

  Idiot, he mentally smacked himself, it had only been one night together.

  So he plastered a smile across his lips and hissed out of the side of his mouth. “Say one word about my job or injury and I’ll castrate you both.”

  “Kasey,” he called out, and grabbed her hand as she crossed his driveway.

  She took one look at him, one look at his disheveled brothers and tried to back away. “I can see this isn’t a good time. I can come back later when you don’t have company.”

  He kept a firm grip on her hand and used that to tug her close.

  “This isn’t company,” he tried to explain. “These are my brothers, Reed and River. River, Reed, this is my across-the-street neighbor, Kasey Jacobs.”

  Both men send her a friendly wave. Reed opened his mouth to speak, but Sky made sure to cut him off. “And they were just leaving, weren’t you?”

  River, always the quicker of the two, shot a quick look at Kasey’s hand protectively encased in Sky’s and nodded. “Yep, we just wanted to drop some stuff off. Let’s get going, Riv.”

  “Please, don’t go on my account.” She eyed each man and a small smile crept over her full lips. “Let me guess. Your mom had a thing for nature?”

  Sky winced. The three of them were so used to their names they forgot it seemed strange to other people. “Mom made the mistake of naming us while still under the influence of medication. You don’t want to know what she was thinking.”

  “I sure as hell don’t.” River said, “It was nice meeting you, Kasey. Hope to see you around again sometime soon.”

  Reed mimicked his brother’s words, got into his truck. When both doors were firmly shut he sent them a salute and backed out of the driveway.

  Relief coursed through Skyler as his brother’s taillights grew fainter. Feeling safe and happy he looked down at the gorgeous curvy woman in his arms and smiled.

  “Hello, beautiful. I missed you today.” He bent his head and took her lips in a kissed filled with need and longing. She tasted as sweet and hot as he remembered and Sky found he couldn’t get enough of her.

  When their lips finally parted they were both breathing heavily. Kasey raised her head off his chest and sent him a smile that shot straight to his groin.

  “It was a slow day at work,” she said, mischief twinkling in her bright green eyes.

  “Really? That must have made the day drag by forever.” He slid an arm around her waist ready to lead her into his house and straight to his bed, but she stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

  “Actually, no. I love days when the store is slow. It gives me time to think…to plot…the next sex scene in my book.”

  All at once Sky was filled with a desperate need to know exactly what her every thought at work had been. “Um…wow…anything I can help with?” Please, please, please, he mentally begged, let there be something for me to do.

  “Well, now that you mention it. I may have one or two pivotal plot points that I can’t seem to get right without actually trying them out. Feeling like helping work the kinks out?”

  “Lead the way. I’m yours to command.”

  “Oh I hope so,” she whispered against his lips, “I really hope so.”

  Kasey waited for a heartbeat or two in case Skyler was planning to invite her into his house. Maybe she could get a glimpse into his personal life. Even find out what he did for a living. True, they hadn’t left much time for talking so far. But she’d told him a lot about herself, and all she knew about him was he had two brothers. A fact she found out by accident. What was with him, anyway?

  “I have to take a shower before I do anything else,” she told him, unlocking her front door and walking into the house.

  “Sounds like a plan to me. Lead the way.”

  She looked over her shoulder. “You going to watch me shower?”

  “Hell, no. I’m getting in there with you.”

  He was already pulling his black t-shirt over his head as he followed her into her bedroom. “I thought maybe I could help you create a shower scene for your next book.”

  Kasey laughed as she began stripping off her own clothes. “What makes you think I haven’t already done that? Shower scenes make great reading.”

  He turned her to face him. “Not like mine.”

  When his mouth came down on hers she thought she was prepared for it, getting used to his kisses. She should have known better. Each one was like the first time—hot, predatory, and thoroughly bone-shattering. His tongue traced every inch of her lips, licking them like an ice-cream cone, before inching inside. He tasted the roof of her mouth, the inside of her cheeks, even the surface of her teeth before dancing his tongue against her own.

  He invaded her mouth, there was no other word for it, plundering it and taking all she had to give. Heat shot through her body and her pussy, quivering with need, dripped cream. She clutched his muscular shoulders, her fingers biting into his skin as she held on for dear life.

  Sky’s hands gripped her head, holding it in pace as he slanted his mouth for a better angle. Reality floated away as every molecule in her body was focused on the fusion of their mouths. When he broke the kiss she felt as if a lifeline had been cut.

  “Every inch of you tastes delicious, Kasey,” he purred, fire dancing in his coffee-brown eyes. “Inside and out. And I can’t wait to taste it all again.”

  He unclasped her bra, slipped the straps down her arms and took first one nipple, then the other into his mouth. Each pull of his mouth sent electricity straight to her womb, each flick of his tongue against the hardened tip was like the kiss of a soft flame. She was drowning in erotic sensation, her breasts throbbing, her pussy quaking. All rational thought had fled and all he’d done was kiss her and suck on her nipples. She wasn’t sure she’d make it into the shower.

  His warms hands slid down her arms and moved in to her waist, opening the button at the top of her slacks and slowly lowering the zipper. The click of the teeth separating was like some kind of erotic music. He brushed at the fabric until it swish
ed down her legs to pool at her feet. His hand insinuated itself between the thin silk of her bikini panties and the burning skin of her tummy. Down, down over her waxed folds, sliding one finger between them to rub against her aching clit.

  Automatically, as if they had a mind of their own, her hips rocked against him, riding the touch of his finger. She squeezed her thighs together, trapping his hand in her warm, wet flesh.

  Skyler bit down gently on each nipple, then soothed the nips with his tongue. When he slipped his hand away from her body she cried out in protest.

  “Don’t forget the shower,” he murmured.

  Shower? What shower?

  In seconds he’d removed her thong and his jeans, lifted her in his arms and carried her into her bathroom. Sitting her on the vanity counter he reached in and turned on the water, waiting for it to warm. His eyes were like live coals burning into her, the naked desire alone almost made her come. She wanted Skyler inside her so badly she didn’t know how she could wait. A shower seemed like an unnecessary endless procedure.

  She hummed in anticipation, rubbing her hands over Skyler’s chest, tangling her fingers in the soft matted hair. She wanted him inside her. Now. Right now.

  Sky held his hand under the water to test the heat, satisfied that it was at the right temperature. He had no idea how he was going to get through an entire shower with Kasey when what he really wanted to do was take her down on the bathroom floor and fuck her senseless. Touching her, feeling her hard nipples and that oh-so-wet cunt made his cock so hard he was afraid it would break off.

  Gritting his teeth to pull himself together, he lifted her off the vanity counter and stepped into the shower with her in his arms. He let her slide down his body, his cock rubbing against her, prodding at her bare pussy. He nearly lost it right then, but he forced his mind to other things.

  Think about mug shots. Ballistics. Forensics.

  He lifted the bottle of shower gel from the built-in shelf, poured some into his hand and worked it into a sudsy lather. Propping Kasey against the wall, he rubbed the lather over her petal-soft skin, beginning at her shoulders. He traced the line of her collarbone, the definition of her arms, the upper swell of her breasts.