by Fiona Archer
He pressed deeper into her sweet cunt, feeling her heat against his cock, the way her muscles clenched and released in time with her soft cries of pleasure. “Look at me, Harper.”
He wanted her eyes on him. “I love watching your face when I’m inside you.” Clenching his teeth he slowed down, way down so that his cock raked over her g-spot in one long, tortuous glide.
“O-o-oooh.” Harper’s mouth stayed open, her eyes wide as he repeated the motion. Twice. Three times.
He felt her walls tighten around him, and though it was like drawing his aching cock though a hard, tight ring that nearly sent him over, he pulled out. Her plaintive wail filled his ears, but he wasn’t nearly done.
Slapping her outer thigh, he flipped her onto her stomach. “On your knees, sweetness.”
She rushed to obey, eager to finish what they’d started.
“Lean on your elbows.” He moved in behind her and sank himself into her, grunting at her low moan as he began deep, diving thrusts. “That’s it,” he encouraged as she pushed back, hot, wet and ready for him.
He grabbed her hip and squeezed, loving the sight of her curvy arse pushing against his body. Reaching forward, he cupped her breast and pinched her nipple, chuckling at the way she threw her head back and cried out. That mass of long, brown hair falling over her back was a sight to behold. He trailed his hand down over her now sweat-dampened body to her pussy.
“Beautiful. So fucking beautiful.” All the time he kept pumping, the sweet, hot glide of flesh on flesh enhanced by the vision of her lush body before him. His. To take. To cherish. He swiped his fingertip over the nub of her clit. His loud chuckle at her desperate whine was cut off as her inner muscles clamped around him, reminding him Harper had her own methods of revenge.
He answered with harder, wilder thrusts, forcing them both toward that shattering tightness. Only minutes before, he’d planned to take her mouth, but not now. He needed to come inside her, joined as one.
Wrapping one arm around her lower belly, he gripped her hair in his other hand, winding the long strands around his wrist and pulling gently so her chin rose slightly. The carnal animal within him roared in pleasure at the primitive nature of his hold. “Look at you. Hungry and ready.” Faster he stroked, watching her mouth open as her body bucked with the power of his thrusts. “You want this, don’t you, Harper. Want me to fuck you.”
“Yes, fuck yes!” she cried. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip seconds before he felt the first wave of spasms along her inner walls. She opened her mouth with an uninhibited cry of pleasure.
His balls lifted and tightened, his only warning before the first shuddering bursts of his release struck him with brutal force. He closed his eyes and threw his head back, never letting up his pace, wanting every second to count, to have impact. Each wave of searing joy was drawn out by the tight hold of her greedy pussy. He groaned long and low as he rode out the last vestiges of his climax.
Slowly, he unwound her hair from his fist and breathed deep. The musky scent of their lovemaking filled the air. Gently, he lowered her limp body to the bed. “Let yourself fall, sweetness.” He eased himself from her warmth, and allowed a slight smile at her soft groan. The now faint light in the room gave only a hint of her damp skin. His fingers trailed a line from her shoulder to her hip, feeling the wetness, the heat—all testimony to the thoroughness of his taking.
Harper turned her face to the side, blinking up at him. “Seth.” She swallowed against her croaky voice. No wonder. How many times had she cried out? And he’d fucking loved every moment, every desperate sound and pleading note.
He lowered his head next to hers and spoke in a low voice. “Now you’re home.” His kiss was hot and demanding, further imprinting his dominance. And the way she opened her mouth and accepted him cemented his claim.
Ending their kiss, he traced his tongue over her shoulder, tasting the saltiness of sweat. Her satisfied sigh turned low, pleasured, as his teeth nipped the skin near the base of her throat. “Back in a minute.”
After quick trip to the bathroom, he was back in bed, using a warm washcloth to clean her. Seconds later, he had the sweet woman in his arms, her sleepy form cuddled against him. Listening to her gentle breathing, he hoped the steady rhythm of her chest rising and falling would lull him into the same easy restfulness. But sleep evaded him. His mind was crowded with competing thoughts. Where did he start? The shocking arrival of Lincoln and how to navigate a path towards, hell…something meaningful with his brother? Catching the bastard who wanted to ruin his family?
His sigh seemed to drain out his last remnants of energy. The one thing he was certain of was the woman lying beside him was a treasure he wanted to hang on to. And yet, his frustration with everything happening around him—and feeling cornered, pressured for answers—meant he craved space, a few minutes to think.
Anybody, especially a woman who already felt vulnerable and exposed emotionally and physically, could take that isolation as rejection.
If he didn’t play this smart, he risked alienating the one person who, right now, he wanted and needed in his life the most.
CHAPTER TEN
Harper gazed out Seth’s passenger seat window at the craftsman house. The crisp surfaces of the winter gray exterior, with its cream colored detailing, shined fresh in the bright summer sunshine. “Gorgeous looking house.” She glanced back at Seth.
Damn, he looked good in the denim shirt that showed off the tanned skin of his throat. There was something about a guy in a working man’s shirt, especially when he had a strong, masculine face and square jaw. Seth could pull off the designer shirt and dress pants like a GQ model, but with his long legs encased in jeans and that wide chest in a tight fitting tee, his undeniable manliness revved her pulse that little bit faster.
“We painted it, all of us, about a year and a half ago.” A faint smile graced his features before it slid away. “The last time we were all together before Adam left.” Without another word, he exited from the car, effectively ending not only their conversation but any chance of closeness the car’s interior provided.
Harper’s sigh sounded too loud in the Tesla’s interior. Seth’s remote attitude from last night hadn’t gone away with the new day. Had she made a mistake coming? When they’d dropped Mal off at her apartment she could have made up some excuse to not go to the barbecue. A worker sick at the café? Stuff to do at home since she was working tomorrow? But wouldn’t that be childish? Seth needed people around him, not to be allowed to dive deeper into his pain.
She reached for the car’s door handle, but Seth got there first, opening the door for her. The gesture was welcome but also drove home the point of her concern. The guy could be closed off, but he still did the little things that signified he was aware of her, felt her presence. So his lack of communication wasn’t about being so preoccupied that he didn’t know she was there. He knew, and chose not to talk—the exact opposite of how he’d been with her before now.
Once out of the car, she retrieved from the back passenger seat a basket filled with treats she’d baked yesterday. Hopefully, the cupcakes would ease her path with his brothers. What was that saying about a way to a man’s good side was through his stomach?
She headed to the wide front gate in the gray and white picket fence. A handsome cop with a craftsman home at Green Lake. How was Heath still single?
“Harper, wait.” Seth wrapped a hand gently around her forearm and slid his hand down to grasp hers. “I need to apologize.”
She blinked her surprise at his change of mood.
“Last night was difficult for me. I tried to deal with things the best way possible, but I didn’t make it easy on you.” Seth glanced toward his brother’s house and back to her. “Just now, looking at Heath’s place, reminded me you’re here without any allies, apart from Dillon and me.” He stepped closer, spreading his hand into her hair she’d left loose to fall down her back. The sensation of his fingertips on her scalp sent a flurry of tingles do
wn her neck and over her shoulders. “You’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position for me.”
“Yes.” She squeezed his hand. “Because right now, that’s what I need to do. If we’re going to take whatever is growing between us further, I need to get to know those guys, and vice-versa.”
Seth’s lips quirked. “So you’re not asking for space anymore?”
The moment of truth. She straightened her shoulders as her nerves dipped and dived in her belly. “You know, all that space can be kind of lonely. Sometimes you want someone close.”
He tugged on her hand, pulling her against his body. “I learned that lesson after last night.” He bent his head and claimed her mouth in a soft kiss, and moved their joined hands to rest at the small of her back, molding her to his hard body.
“If you have to twist the lady’s arm to get a kiss, there’s something wrong with your technique, bro.” A voice rang out from the front of the house.
“Christ, my brothers,” Seth muttered as he lifted his head.
Harper’s giggle turned into a squeak when she saw Adam standing in the front doorway. Of all the brothers, it had to be him who caught them. At least he was dressed in jeans and a navy T-shirt and not his black combat gear as if he was about to take down an enemy insurgent at a moment’s notice—namely her.
“Don’t worry, coffee girl. If he’s joking, he’s in a good mood.” Seth chuckled as he led her past the gate and the clipped shapes of shiny green rhododendron and azalea shrubs.
Right. She gripped the handle of her cane basket just that little bit tighter. Smile and take no crap. That had been Jinx’s advice as she dropped Harper off at Seth’s office yesterday. All rightly then.
With each step, she felt Adam’s laser-like gray gaze studying her. Nothing she could do but be herself. Isn’t that what caught Seth’s eye in the first place?
“Hey, Adam.” She greeted Seth’s brother as they reached the bottom step of the front veranda. “Let me assure you, Seth’s technique is off-the-charts fabulous.”
Seth wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his eyes dancing with glee. “Glad to hear it, luv.” He graced Adam with his self-satisfied smirk. “Anytime you need pointers with the ladies, big bro, just shout out.”
Adam made a sound that could have been a laugh, or him just clearing his throat. But Harper could swear she saw a glint of amusement in his eyes. “I could kill you in your sleep and you’d never hear me coming. Remember that.” Adam half turned toward the front door. “Come inside. Heath’s ready to show off his barbecuing skills, and we all want to discuss your recent trip down memory lane with Lincoln.”
Harper wasn’t surprised at Adam’s words. The guys must be anxious despite the phone calls Seth had shared with each of them last night.
Seth guided her up the steps. “You’ve been digging and have something to share?” he asked Adam, who lifted one brow in answer. Seth nodded. “Of course you have.”
Adam turned and disappeared deep into the house while Seth closed the front door behind them.
A large foyer area with waxed floorboards fed into a wide hallway. To the right was a spacious living area with two large sofas, a tiled green fireplace and a large screen TV. A mixture of earth-toned scatter rugs covered some of the floor. Iconic black and white Ansel Adam prints of Yosemite graced the wheat colored walls. The space looked warm and inviting.
On the left was a bare room, its floor covered in ground sheets. Rollers and unused painting trays were stacked against one wall.
Seth caught her gazing at the unfinished room. “Heath’s been doing up the house since he bought it cheap at a foreclosure sale a few years ago. Place was a dump. Could have paid others to do the work, but he wants to leave his mark.”
A sudden thought entered her head. “Is that what you’re doing with Shazad. Leaving your mark?”
He glanced at her with, not surprise, but…yes, wariness in his gaze. “Making my mark. The sale is the first step.”
“So making your mark isn’t about leaving a legacy of great products, but about the payout generated from the sale of the company?” It really all came down to the money? She understood goals and success, but surely he wanted something deeper than a dollar figure as his measure.
Seth leaned closer. “Everyone recognizes the power of money, Harper. Even the drunken sheet-metal worker and his bitter wife in suburban Sydney, nobody can ignore you when—” Seth stopped, stepped back, his features losing the hard intensity from seconds ago. “Come on, everyone’s waiting.”
He led her down the hallway, but her mind was stuck on his words. ‘Drunk sheet-metal worker. His bitter wife.’ Seth’s grandparents. The money, the sale, the achievement—everything tied back to his grandparents and proving himself. ‘Making your mark and showing your worth.’ He’d said those words at their first dinner together, but she hadn’t understood his motivation.
Some rejections cut deep wounds, deep enough they never healed.
God, how sad. Her heart ached for the once little boy and the man he’d become.
“Harper, you’re here.” Milly’s excited cry startled her. The little girl, dressed this time in a pair of pink shorts and a T-shirt featuring Elsa from Frozen, sat on a stool on the far side of Heath’s wooden kitchen counter. “Uncle Adam said you and Uncle Seth had a lip lock problem.” Her little mouth turned down at one end. “Did it hurt?”
The strangled sounds of barely suppressed male laughter filled the now quiet room. Harper’s face flamed, and she studied the checkered cloth covering her basket with enough focus to tally the material’s thread count.
“We’re fine, kiddo.” Seth moved around the counter to kiss his niece on the forehead, taking the opportunity on the way to punch Adam in the arm a mite harder than was considered polite.
The commando’s grin was devoid of shame as he sat on one of the kitchen stools with his laptop on the counter in front of him.
She smiled as the little girl, with some help from her uncle Seth, slid off the stool and came around to Harper. Dropping down so they were eye level, Harper wrapped her in a soft hug, smelling the fresh scents of shampoo and sunshine in the little girl’s braided hair. “I didn’t know you were coming today, Milly. But I packed a treat for you, just in case one of your uncles could pass it along.”
“Cool.” The little girl clapped her hands together. “I kept the box you gave me last week.” Her face shone with her excitement. “For my hair ties, and the butterfly clips Uncle Heath gave me.”
“Oh, how gorgeous!” She’d have to get a couple more boxes for the little sweetie. Maybe Abby would decorate them with some of her Sharpie drawings?
“Harper, glad you made it.” Heath’s low voice drew her gaze. The detective was laying out steaks on a metal tray. His bare feet, AC/DC T-shirt and jeans gave an air of casual relaxation that stood in marked contrast to the perceptive sheen in his blue gaze. He came close and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “How’s things?”
Heath had seen her twice during the week, and called too, primarily to keep her updated that they were still searching for her intruder but had no suspects. The detective’s frustration at not being able to find his suspect endeared him to Harper. “I’m good. Heath, you have a fabulous home.”
“Thanks. It’s getting there.” He smiled as he reached for a bottle of olive oil near the stove and placed it next to the tray. “Only the front room and the second bathroom to finish, and I’m done.”
Dillon closed the fridge door and held a bottle of white wine in his hand. “Hey, honey, great to see you.” He walked over and kissed her cheek. His handsome face was unshaven today, giving him a harder edge. It suited. “Drink? Heath’s got a nice sauvignon blanc.”
She smiled at the oldest Justice brother. “Yes, please, Dillon.” She lifted up the loaded basket. “I brought goodies.”
“Grill’s ready.” Zach walked in past the open sliding glass doors. He stopped next to Seth, giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder. His jeans and brown T
riumph T-shirt looked worn but clean. Old favorites. He smiled at Harper, and the resulting look proved guys with beards and tats didn’t always have to look super scary—in fact, far from it. “Great seeing you, babe.”
Seth lifted his chin at Zach. “You made the drive from the cabin? I didn’t think you were coming today.”
Zach leaned an arm on the counter. “After your call last night, I’m thinking, yeah.” His dry tone forced a self-depreciating laugh from Seth. Zach sent a meaningful look at his daughter, who had moved back to sit next to Adam and was coloring a sheet of paper he’d given her with some crayons. “Milly’s brought her DVD of Frozen. She’s going to watch that while we chat.”
At the mention of her movie, Milly looked up from her drawing, her hazel eyes bright. “Do you like Elsa, Harper? Isn’t she gorgeous? She’s my most favoritest Disney star ever.”
Harper caught the indulgent looks of her father and uncles. What must it feel like to be surrounded by so much protective love? “Elsa’s my niece Becky’s favorite, too.” Harper played her trump card. “Just to say, I’m my family’s current SingStar champ with “Let It Go”.”
“Oh, Jesus.” Heath dropped his head. “It’s only been a week since we had that song on replay. I went to bed with it playing in my head.”
“Brother, the record is seven days in a row. I pray you never know my pain.” Zach said, his voice wry.
Milly, however, was in heaven. “Uncle Adam plays SingStar with me. His voice is awesome.”
Harper knew her jaw had dropped, but for the life of her, she couldn’t shut it before Adam drilled her with his gaze. “It’s our thing.” His deep voice held a note of warning as he gently laid a hand on Milly’s head.
Oh, my. This trained killer performed SingStar with his niece. Harper felt her nose sting. “Adam, that’s so sweet.”