Because I Said So: (A Texas Heroes Crossover Novel) (The Hell Yeah! Series)

by Sable Hunter

  Shane stared into his eyes. The only light on in the apartment was the hall light, but they were standing beneath it. There was no hiding who they were. “What are we doing?” she asked, her fists clutching the material of his shirt. Her eyes landed on the cross lying on his chest, then traveled up to meet his gaze, awaiting his answer.

  He bent his head and kissed her again. “We’re taking what we need from one another.” Yes, he needed her like he needed air. “You still with me?” God, please say yes. If she turned him away now, he’d die.

  Pushing aside her fears, Shane nodded. “I’m here.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him slowly, sweetly, pouring every bit of emotion and care into the kiss that she could.

  Brodie accepted and returned the kiss, even as he knew that they needed to maintain some distance. Keep up some barriers. Drinking the sweet nectar from her lips, he almost laughed out loud. How could they keep things platonic at the same time they were fucking each other’s brains out? And that was what he had to do – and soon. His body was demanding it, screaming for it. “Let’s go,” Brodie slid his arms around her, cupped that delicious ass and picked her up. “Wrap your legs around me. Where’s your bed?”

  “Down the hall, through the living room, first door on your right.”

  As he walked, he ate at her mouth. The sounds of their kisses was the most erotic thing she’d ever heard. With her legs around his hips, her pussy was nestled against his cock. She could feel the ridge pressing against her – thick, long, hard, and hot. Her sex answered his arousal by growing wet, swelling, readying itself for what she hadn’t been able to forget.

  Oh, yea, Shane wanted him again. Her pussy was closing on itself, pulsing, hungry to be filled. When he came to the bed, he dropped her on it. “Strip,” the word was said through gritted teeth, his hands busy stripping off his own clothes.

  Brodie was so revved up; it took a few seconds for the look on her face to register with him. Her hesitation, the way she chewed on her lower lip, he could read her mind like a book. She was apprehensive – of him, expecting him to treat her in the same disrespectful manner he’d done before. This beautiful woman was doubting herself because he was an idiot.

  Going to his knees, he pulled her forward, framing her face. “Don’t look like that, I’m sorry.” He kissed her gently. “I’m so sorry. Please, believe me. You’re the only woman on my mind tonight.”

  When she gave him a tremulous smile, he felt relief sweep over him like a cool breeze. Once he shucked his pants, her eyes widened. “I didn’t get to see you before.” Raising her hands in supplication, she asked, “May I touch you?”

  Brodie came forward, his cock bouncing as he walked. “You certainly may, but me first. Let’s get those clothes off that beautiful body.” Going to his knees by the bed, his hands shook as his efforts to undress her revealed a lacy, barely-there bra. He could see her plump nipples through the see-through material. With a moan, he leaned forward and suckled her through the material. She cradled his head, making sexy little whimpering moans that had him humping the side of the mattress. Reaching behind her, he unclasped the bra and threw it sideways, returning to kiss the beautiful globes, plumping one in his hand and engulfing the whole nipple and areola.

  Shane tried to be still, but having Brodie nursing at her breasts turned her on unbelievably. She writhed beneath him, forcing him to hold her still. “Easy, baby,” he muttered as he moved to the other breast to begin anew. Once he had both breasts blushing red from his kisses, he moved down to view the narrow strip of lace covering her pussy.

  Seeing the tiny strip of hair gracing her mound, he covered the sexy triangle with his mouth, using his teeth to scrape and tease. The scent of her arousal nearly drove him mad. Needing to bury his face between her legs, Brodie hooked his fingers in the elastic and pulled down. His mouth watered at the sight of her delicate pink femininity, softly swollen and damp with desire. “You are so fuckin’ beautiful.” He looked up to meet her big doe eyes. “All of you – your face, your body. Your tits are perfect, don’t ever let any man tell you they aren’t. And this…” He pressed an open mouth kiss right over her clit and gloried when she bucked beneath him. “This is what I want the most.”

  Taking his thumbs, he held her wide, using his tongue and lips to drive her mad – licking, kissing, spearing his tongue deep in her channel. This wasn’t something Shane had the opportunity to enjoy often; her husband had liked to receive but not to give. When Brodie groaned against her mound, announcing his appreciation, she gripped his hair, ensuring that he did nothing other than what he was doing right now.

  Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling a little. The burn excited the hell out of him, already he could feel his cum boiling in his balls. Knowing he had no intention of coming anywhere except inside her beautiful body, he clamped his lips over her clit and sucked hard. A loud cry erupted from her lips and she bent double, almost levitating from the mattress.

  “Oh no, you aren’t going anywhere,” he held her down and finished the job, swirling his tongue around and around the little bundle of nerves until she was spent.

  Coming off the floor, he wrapped a big arm around her waist and moved Shane farther up onto the bed. “Are you ready for me?” Shane nodded, wetting the corners of her mouth with the tip of a small pink tongue. “Don’t tempt me with that thing.” He kissed her, capturing her tongue between his lips. “I want to feel this tongue on my cock, but right now I have to get inside you. I’m going fucking crazy.”

  Taking his dick in hand, he dragged it up and down her slit, coating the tip with her juices. He loved how she still vibrated from her orgasm – so responsive, so open about her desire for him. “I remember how tight you were, you nearly strangled my dick. Are you going to squeeze me again?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was full of promise. “Lay on me this time, I want to feel you and see your face.”

  “You got it,” he agreed, his chest tightening. He knew some women loved to be taken from the back, but the way he’d done it…

  Aligning his cock, he dipped the head into the well of her vagina and pushed, their eyes locked, him loving it when her pupils dilated at her pleasure. Sinking in, he lost his breath at the exquisite sensation. The feeling was indescribable – so hot, so soft – tight enough to provide a luxurious friction. Brodie gasped, bowing his back and tightening his muscles – demanding that his body not betray him by losing control. Easing down, he rested the majority of his weight on her, holding himself up on his forearms. “Like this?”

  Shane wiggled beneath, not to dislodge him, but enough to tangle her nipples in his chest hair and spreading her thighs a bit wider to give him more room. “Exactly.” She sighed. “You feel so good. So right.”

  The last two words brought him smack dab down to earth. He had to keep some type of distance between them. But how could he do that, when being close to her was all he wanted? Pushing the concern from his mind, he set out to fuck her senseless, show off his stamina and holding power. The first time they’d fucked, it had been a long time for him, but this time he’d go all night long.

  By the time he’d impaled her two or three times, Brodie realized he was in trouble. Shane was doing things to seriously jeopardize his resolve. Wrapping her shapely legs around his hips, she dug her heels into his ass, pushing him deeper and herself farther up on his cock. If that wasn’t enough, her fingernails scoring his back and the sexy sounds coming from her mouth just added to his dilemma. And to add coal to the fire, she started moving her hips in time to the rhythmic clutching of her pussy around his cock. “God, Almighty!” He really didn’t even have to move at all, the woman was fucking him – he was being topped from the bottom in the most delightful way. “Honey, if you don’t be still, it’s all gonna be over but the shouting.”

  Shane gave him a shy, sweet smile, her eyes still glazed over in an erotic daze. “But it feels so good…I want more and more.”

  Shit. Brodie stopped her words with his mouth and a nip before h
is dick exploded like a stick of dynamite. “I’m about to give you just what you need. Hold on.” Sitting up, he slid his arms under her knees, opening her up so he could watch his cock move in and out of the tightest little pussy he’d ever known. Pulling out slowly, he watched her face, loving the sigh she gave when he pushed back in. Their gazes locked as he repeated the move, the emotion passing between them was palatable.

  Brodie shut his eyes. When he opened them, he shifted his focus back to where they were joined – reestablishing the notion in his head that this was physical – this was just sex – nothing more.

  After making another two or three slow thrusts deep into her pussy, Brodie felt the familiar tingling in his balls. Needing to move, he pressed her legs down, still bent, so he could power down straight into her warm, waiting sex. Lying his head on the pillow next to hers, he unleashed his primal male hunger, fucking her hard and deep. God, how he’d missed this. There was nothing in the world like sinking your cock into a warm, tight, wet… “Shane, fuck, baby,” he growled as she began milking him, using her inner muscles to steal his sanity.

  Sitting up once more, he was determined to give her some sweet payback. With a knowing sexy sneer, he used both hands to torment her – one to milk her nipple, the other to tweak her clit. All the time, he kept pumping – sliding in and out – just as deep as he could go.

  “Brodie!”

  Her cry was his reward. Pumping harder, he sought to push her over the edge, giving him permission to find his own, much needed, satisfaction. “Give me those eyes.” When she automatically looked up at him, he demanded. “Let go.”

  As if he’d flipped a switch, she began to vibrate beneath him, her pussy closing on his cock so tight, he thought he would pass out. “Shane!” This time, he called the right name, the name on his lips…not the… With a groaning bellow, he called it again, as relief and release flowed from him like a tide. “Shane, God, Shane!” Weak and sated, he collapsed on top of her, breathing in her scent.

  Holding onto Brodie for all she was worth, she ran her hands hungrily across his sweaty back. She loved that he was so affected by what they’d done. She tried not to read anything into it, recalling every word they’d spoken, the express details of their agreement. This was just physical release for him.

  He allowed himself to rest in her arms for a few more seconds, before tentacles of shame began to wrap around his heart. Brodie had enjoyed this – he’d reveled in it – he’d lost himself in another woman’s arms and the desire to find his way back wasn’t strong. What he’d done to both Shane and Mary was wrong.

  Abruptly – he jerked himself up and off of her, leaving Shane behind. Immediately, she slung her arm across her breasts, pulling the cover up to hide her nakedness.

  Without looking back, he retreated to her bathroom and shut the door. Leaning on the sink, he stared into the mirror, hating the man he saw reflected there. For a moment, he fantasized slamming his skull against the mirror, anything to obliterate the face of a man who’d just treated a woman like a willing…

  God, he was having trouble completing the simplest thoughts tonight. Sharp knives of pain kept slicing through his gut. Deep in his heart, he knew Mary wouldn’t want him to quit living, she wouldn’t want him to be without…anyone. Yet, he couldn’t move on. He needed sex, he craved release, but he couldn’t ever dare to love anyone else again. Not just for Mary, but because he could never risk losing someone else like he’d lost her.

  Giving himself one last look in the mirror, he did his business and returned to Shane’s bedroom, only to find her up and dressing. “What are you doing?”

  “Getting ready to show you out,” was her response.

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  Shane’s eyes raked over him. He had no idea the picture he made, standing there naked, every muscle delineated, his body the picture of the perfect male. Did she want him to go? “No. I want you to stay with me.”

  Mistake. Mistake. Mistake.

  Brodie ignored his inner voice. “Get naked and get back under the covers, I don’t intend on sleeping alone tonight.”

  …Sleeping in his arms was its own form of sweet torture. He might be thorny during the day, standoffish, wanting to keep his distance – except during sex. But at night, when he fell into slumber, the man became a teddy bear. He hadn’t just spooned her, he’d pulled her body on top of his, wrapped her in his arms, one hand cupping her butt and the other cradling a breast. Could she have slept like this? Oh, hell yeah. Should she?

  No.

  Spending the night together probably wasn’t the best idea. She knew what he was up to, however. Brodie was trying to make amends for the way he’d treated her. This new more approachable Brodie Walton was dangerous. If she allowed herself, she’d be lulled into a false sense of security and when she least expected it, he’d remember where his loyalties lay and slap her down again.

  A few hours before dawn, when he shifted on the bed, Shane rose and slept the rest of the night on the couch.

  When Brodie awoke, a few long seconds passed before he could figure out where he was. Turning his head into the softness of the pillow, the scent he encountered answered his question immediately.

  Shane.

  Where was she?

  Rising, he grabbed his pants and visited the bathroom. Once he was finished, Brodie went in search of her, finding Shane on the couch, lying on her side, her face buried into the back cushion. He paused, his eyes roving over her slight form. She’d given him incredible pleasure the night before, yet fled the bed once he was asleep.

  Could he blame her?

  No. He’d set the ground rules and she was following them to the letter.

  So, why did it irritate the crap out of him?

  Feeling his stomach rumble, he decided to find out if she had anything he could throw together for breakfast.

  …A few minutes later, the smell of bacon wafting in the air brought Shane’s head from the cushion. Huh? Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, the events of the evening before hitting her full force. She was sleeping on her own couch – and if her nose was any judge, Brodie was making himself at home in her kitchen.

  Without making a sound, she retreated to her room to get ready for the day. Brodie was off, but she had to report to the station in an hour and a half. After using the bathroom and changing into her work clothes, Shane took the time to put on a bit of mascara and to pinch her cheeks and bite her lips, all the time thinking how silly it was for women to cause themselves pain in order to look like they didn’t need any makeup at all. Staring at herself in the mirror, she squared her shoulders, noted her lack of curves – remembering Brodie hadn’t seemed to notice her short comings – and exited the bathroom.

  Brodie was dishing up scrambled eggs and bacon when Shane found him. “Good morning.” His first inclination was to welcome her with a kiss, but he stopped himself. That gesture would make this morning after ritual a bit too intimate.

  “Morning.” She went to the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk and a quart of juice. “What’s your poison?”

  “Both. I’m a growing boy.”

  She snickered. “If you’re still growing, we’re going to need a bigger bed.” Her comment was out before she could call it back. Shane wanted to bite her tongue. Deciding the best option was to just plow on to some other subject, she fetched three glasses from the counter and filled them up. “What are your plans for the day?”

  Brodie considered his answer. Originally, his plans had been to catch up on some work around his house. After last night, he seemed to have acquired a new outlook on things. The morning light seemed brighter than before. “I think I’ll go fishing. I haven’t been to Canyon Lake in a while. Pity you can’t go with me. You could show me your talents with a rod and reel.”

  “I would’ve liked that.” She was safe in saying so, since her joining him was out of the question. “Maybe some other time.”

  “Of course.” He joined her at the table, placing a p
late of food in front of her. Diving into the food, he tried to ignore the whisker burn on her neck. The red rash kept drawing his eyes. He’d placed his mark on her. Anger at himself roiled in his gut. “Hope you don’t mind that I helped myself.”

  “Not at all.” She took a bite. “I’m glad you did.” She wanted coffee, but she decided to wait until she got to work. Sitting with him like this was bringing impossible things to her mind’s eye.

  After a few endless seconds, she could feel the awkwardness rise between them. Endeavoring to fill the silence, she asked. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

  Shane groaned inwardly. Her question sounded like she was interviewing him for a job.

  Brodie was a bit surprised, not only at her inquiry but also at how it made him feel.

  Hopeful.

  Not too long ago, such a question would have brought only grief at what might have been – what he could no longer have. But today, today he found himself entertaining possibilities. “Well, I’ve always wanted to be a guide on Canyon Lake. If the EMT program is a success at Stonewall, perhaps we can get funds to bring on another team. That way, we can start a rolling schedule like the firefighters have, one that gives us more time to have a life outside of work.”

  A life outside of work.

  The phrase hung between them. Both knew what it meant to him, what it could have meant in the past. What it could mean for both of them in the future.

  Rejecting his train of thought, Brodie hastily cleaned his plate. Being this close to her, he had an almost uncontrollable urge to run a finger down the silk of her cheek, to find the pulse point at her neck. Jumping up, he put his dish in the sink.