First to Fight Box Set: Books 1-5

by Nicole Blanchard

  “Like this?” he asks, and I only have seconds to prepare before he’s palming the heavy, yearning weight of my breast in one of his big hands.

  My skin is pale against his and I watch, absorbed by the sight of his thumb teasing one nipple to a desperate peak. Then he does the same with the other, then both at the same time, sending my head back and underneath the spray of water. A shiver courses through me and his lips twist with dark satisfaction.

  Needing him, his taste and scent, I bring my lips back to his. There’s nothing tentative about this kiss. It’s wild and all consuming. There’s little room in the stall to maneuver so Logan forgoes his studied calm long enough to press the length of my back against the cool tiles. His lips fused to mine, I twine my arms around his neck and wrap a leg around his waist, needing to be closer to him in every way possible.

  His hand comes to my thigh, opening me to him. I can’t seem to get close enough and I shift against him, needing something I can’t quite communicate in words. With a grunt, he shifts his arm beneath one leg, then the other, and hefts me up against the wall. He starts to say something, but when he backs away my lips follow and I swallow his words.

  I can tell the moment he breaks.

  As his body inches closer the length of his cock brushes against me, the head resting against my clit. Beneath my hands his muscles turn to stone and I revel at how strong it makes me feel to cause a man like Logan to have such a reaction.

  His breathing rough in my ears, his body shaking beneath my hands, he hovers on the precipice of indecision. My own body thrums with potential and after a few beats of temptation, I can’t resist writhing against his cock, my body searching for the pressure it needs to assuage the ache. If I had the ability to speak coherently, I would have begged. I would have offered him anything.

  “Fuck.” His breath is harsh against my ear as his body presses even closer against mine and his arms stretching my legs so wide it’d be uncomfortable if I had the presence of mind to give a damn.

  “Now, now, now,” I pant. Arching against him only causes more frustration. “Please.”

  My half-lidded eyes catch his and I can’t look away. He shifts his stance and then presses the head of his cock to my entrance. I suck in a swift inhale and my hands clamp down on his shoulders. As he presses forward, a long, low groan steals from my throat. The first taste of fullness sends a tidal wave of pleasure through me and I wonder briefly what the hell I was thinking when I wanted to push him away.

  Now, all I want to do is get closer.

  His head comes to rest on the tiles beside me and his harsh breathing fills my ears. Trembling hands grip the small of my back and the long, slow glide of his cock is seemingly endless. Twisting against his hold is useless as he pins me against the wall with his weight, thwarting my attempts to speed up his claiming.

  “Stay fuckin’ still,” he growls. “I’m trying not to be too rough. You’re so . . .” I squirm against him despite his warning and his lips press into a line. “Jesus Christ.”

  My movements cause him to slide the rest of the way in and we both inhale simultaneously at the fullness. Even if my head weren’t spinning from the effort of drawing in the steamy air, the sensation of having Logan inside of me would have sent me on a tailspin. He hasn’t even moved and already I’m towering on the edge of completion.

  I can’t help it, I shift on him, using my hands on his shoulders to grind against him. I’m not able to lift my hips as they’re pinned by his hands and weight, but each little movement our position allows is electric.

  He hisses out a breath and shifts to pull out in a wickedly slow stroke. My breath catches in my throat and I freeze. It’s never felt so good before. It’s never felt so right before. My eyes flick up and I find him watching me. When he thrusts back in I watch his own pleasure streak across his face.

  Emotion rises up inside of me as his slow strokes cause my belly to tighten. His own response is mirrored in his eyes and the moment swells between us, a moment of connection so pure and timeless I don’t want to break it by speaking. He must approve because the determined gleam in his eye warms, his lips soften.

  “That’s it,” he says.

  “W-what?”

  “That’s what I was waiting for.” He takes my lips for a long, leisurely kiss.

  “What were you waiting for?”

  “Don’t bullshit me.”

  His thrusts slow, his hips a fluid piston that somehow knows just the right angle to hit just the right places. My mouth falls open and had I the breath, a scream of frustration would have ripped out of me.

  “You feel it?”

  This time, I can’t bullshit him. The rawness inside my chest is tantamount to carving myself wide open and giving my heart to him, but with Logan’s strength around me, I know he’ll keep it safe. If I run, I know he’ll be right there behind me every step of the way.

  “Yes,” I hiss. “I feel it.”

  With renewed vigor, his thrusts resume and he invades my mouth, his tongue just as demanding as his cock. He begins fucking me without restraint and with my legs hooked over his arms, there’s no escaping it—or him. I can’t contain my response and I whimper against his lips as heat blooms.

  I can’t tell where one kiss ends and the next begins. I wish I could stay in his arms like this forever, the rest of the world and my worries completely obliterated. There is only us, only this. As I cling to him I realize I won’t ever be able to let him go after this.

  As the climax rises inside of me with stubborn insistence, I fight against it, not wanting the connection, the moment, to end. But the denial of pleasure only increases it and Logan shudders against me.

  “You feel so fuckin’ good, honey. You’re almost there, I can feel you around me so tight.”

  “Wait,” I manage to say after I tear my lips. “Wait. I don’t want it to be over.”

  “We got plenty of time,” he says, then kisses me again.

  I sink against him and it forces his cock inside me impossibly deeper, hitting a place that rips a scream from me. He takes it along with my pleasure, drawing each thrust out to maximize the crashing waves of the most intense orgasm of my life.

  He shifts again and then the orgasm catches and flings me higher. A strangled sound escapes him and then he’s pumping his hips faster and he stiffens, shuddering against me with his own climax chasing mine.

  I swim out of the haze of bliss some time later to find Logan turning off the now chilly water. Without speaking, he offers me a hand and helps me out of the tub. My legs shake and nearly give out when I step onto the bath mat, but he catches me and carefully wraps a fluffy towel around me. A matching one is tied around his hips, dipping enticingly low. For a half-second I consider the arrow of that Adonis belt and then he’s herding me out of the bathroom and to my bedroom.

  I manage to sit on my bed and give half a thought to getting dressed, but my tired muscles give a scream of protest. Dismissing that idea, I crawl right up the bed, remove the towel and toss it on the floor. I grab Logan’s hand from where he’s standing beside the bed and tug him down. He follows without comment and pulls the sheet and comforter over the pair of us.

  “You tired?” he asks as he wraps his arms around me.

  “No, not really. I just wanted an excuse to hold onto you a little longer.”

  He kisses my temple. “You don’t ever need an excuse to hold onto me.”

  Looking up, I blink away the mist of tears. “You’re a good man, Logan.”

  He tucks me closer into his side in response and hits a button to turn on the T.V. to something that will take our minds off everything else outside of our little bubble. As I rest my head against his chest, I’m tempted to stay in it and never leave.

  Logan

  There’s a comfortable air between us the next day. Hell, I was there and I can’t even explain it. Something changed. When I watched her tip over the edge of orgasm this time, a piece of me went along with her. I’ve slept with my fair sha
re of women, but sex has never been an emotional act for me. Probably because I never let it be one. I wince, considering my ex-wife. I guess she wasn’t the only person to blame for our failed marriage, if I’m being honest.

  Piper looks up from the pot of chili she’s tending at the stove and I want to lick the little smile she sends me straight off her lips. Truth be told, I’ve had a hell of a time making myself keep my hands off her now that I know what it feels like—really feels like—when she comes. But she needs space, not a big ass guy crawling all over her, no matter how much she insists that she’s fine.

  “Do you want sour cream with this?” she asks as she ladles up a bowlful of the fragrant mixture.

  My mouth watering, both for her and the food, I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

  She tops the chili with a generous helping of cheese and sour cream, then brings it to me along with an entire sleeve of crackers. “Sweet tea?”

  “Yes, please,” I say after a spoonful.

  My phone rings as she sets the glass in front of me. I pick it up with a carefully blank expression as I note Colson’s name. She gives me a curious glance as she retrieves her own plate and sits down in front of me.

  “Blackwell.”

  “Logan, I have news. Are you with Ms. Davenport?”

  I glance up at Piper, who studies me around a sip of tea. “Yes.”

  “We had the dogs search the area, follow the trail we believe he may have taken.” As he speaks, I set down my spoon and carefully lay my hands on my thighs. For a second, I’m concerned I’ll snap the utensil in half with all the tension coursing through me. “They led us through the woods and across the street.” He pauses, sighs. “Dammit, Logan, he’s been camped out at one of your aunt’s unoccupied bungalows. We found the victim’s hair, a bunk he’d made. Empty food containers.”

  “Logan?” Piper says at the fierce look on my face. “What’s wrong?”

  “What about him?” I force out of stiff lips, though a sinking feeling in my gut already knows the answer. If they’d found him, he would have led with that news instead.

  “It was empty by the time we got there. We spoke to the lodge across the street and the receptionist there gave us a description, but it’s not much to go on. Man in his twenties or early thirties with hair that could have been dark blonde or light brown. Average height and build.”

  “Vehicle?”

  “None that they’ve seen, but he has to have a way to get around. He didn’t wander to Nassau out of thin air.”

  “What’s your plan?” at my low voice Piper places her cup and spoon back on the table, chili forgotten.

  “We have officers out now canvassing the area. If I were you I’d recommend taking your lady to a safe place for the night while we look for this guy. Just as a precaution.”

  I lock eyes with Piper. The fear that had been there this morning returns when I don’t respond to her tentative, encouraging smile.

  “I’ll have her out within the hour. Take her to someplace safe.”

  “Where?” He cuts me off before I can answer, “Never mind that. Don’t tell anyone. If I need you, I have your number.”

  “If I don’t answer, you can call hers.” I rattle off her number.

  “I’ll have an update for you by tomorrow morning if we don’t have any results tonight.”

  “What about Lance?”

  Colson’s responding sigh is drawn out. “No updates yet on his whereabouts, either. They’re still looking.”

  “Thanks for the update, Colson, I appreciate it.”

  “Take care now, you hear?”

  “Will do. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  “What happened?” Piper asks before I have the chance to end the call. “Did they find him?”

  Heart heavy, I stand and move to her side of the table where I take her hands in mine and crouch by her chair. “They found where the person’s been staying. He’s been camped out at one of the cabins Aunt Diane hasn’t had the chance to renovate and rent out yet.”

  Her hands jerk underneath mine. “He’s right here?”

  “He was. They found the place empty when they got to it. They’re going over it now.”

  “And they still haven’t tracked down Gavin’s whereabouts, have they?” Her words are slow and measured, like she’s taking great pains to keep the words even.

  “That’s right, but he’ll call if there’s anything new.”

  She bites her lip, releases it. “And what was that about taking me somewhere?”

  “I’m not going to let you stay here knowing he’s had eyes on you this whole time. We’re going to grab some stuff to go and we’ll go to a hotel down the highway a ways where I can make sure you’re safe until this mess is resolved.”

  For the first time, she doesn’t fight me. Instead, she removes one hand to run it over my hair. “All right, then. I guess we’d better finish this quickly.”

  I kiss her hands and we sit to eat the chili, though the comfortable feeling between us has been poisoned with both of our worries. Rocky sits by our feet, his tail wagging every few seconds when we glance down at him throughout the rest of the meal.

  After we’re done, I gather the dishes to rinse and put in the dishwasher while Piper retreats to her room for suitcases. I let Rocky out to do his business and water the garden one more time. Vaguely, I hope they last through the first chill bound to come, as the flowers have been enjoying the few days of warm weather.

  Rocky and I find Piper in her room, her movements robotic as she folds and stuffs laundry into her suitcases. “I’m going to run to my place to pick up some things, then we’re going to head out.”

  She nods without speaking and, not wanting to betray my own fears, I leave her to her packing and turn silently. I cross the short distance between our places and unlock my front door. The first thing I notice is the stale air—the smell a place gets when it’s left empty for too long. Seeing it after hearing Colson’s news causes me to imagine what he must have been doing all this time, what he must have been thinking.

  Through the far living room window, the one facing Piper’s, I can see the repeated flash of police lights. About three doors down, on a curve that follows the road, officers walk in and out of the front door. Others amble about along with the crime scene techs and the bobbing of Colson’s signature hat.

  With the angle of the road the way that it is, he would have had at least the sliver of a view into her home. Surely the whole porch and space between our houses. If he’s been watching, he’s definitely seen us both going back and forth over the past few weeks. Seeing me with her may cause him to be even more aggressive.

  That in mind, I stride to my bedroom and grab random clothes that smell relatively clean and stuff them into a bag. I don’t bother with toiletries; if we’re gone longer than a couple of nights I can pick some up at a store nearby. Instead of heading to the bathroom, I detour to the closet, where I keep a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol. I strap it into a shoulder holster and put a jacket on over it. Colson said to play it safe, so I also take my Smith & Wesson Model 60 Chief's Special 5-shot .38 Special and secure it in an ankle holster.

  I don’t want to leave Piper alone in the house, even if I’m next door, for long, so I grab my bag and lock up behind me. Piper is waiting on her porch with a suitcase on one side and Rocky, tail swishing back and forth, on the other.

  She starts down the steps with him following close behind and they both meet me at the truck. Without saying a word, we load up our bags in the cargo area behind the front seat of my truck and get in.

  I glance over and find her eyes glued to the activity going on at the other cabin. Streams of people flow in and out, everyone with a serious look on their faces. Nassau is a small town and hasn’t seen violence like it did today. When things happen here—everybody feels them. As we pull by, Colson nods, then he has to turn his attention back to the scene and the techs clamoring for his attention.

  “Where are we going?” she finally asks when w
e put the scene in the rearview mirror and are out on the main road.

  “The interstate is just up here. I’m going to drive a couple exits over and we’ll stay there for a few days. At least until they’re certain he’s out of the area and not watching you.”

  “They think he’s coming for me, don’t they?” she asks. I glance at her and find her slumped against the door, her head propped up on her hand. “He’s going to come for me to finish what he started in Miami. Because I got away.”

  If I didn’t have bumper to bumper traffic surrounding me, I would have pulled the truck over. Instead, all I can say is, “He’s not going to do a damn thing to you.”

  She shakes her head. “You can’t stop him Logan.”

  I grit my teeth. “Fuckin’ watch me try.”

  Finally, she glances over and for a second, I take my eyes off the road to send her a look. “If he—if he hurt you, I don’t know what I’d do, Logan. I can’t lose you, too.”

  My anger fades and I tug her over on the seat to me, nudging Rocky to the other side. “You’re not going to lose me.”

  “Promise?”

  I take her hand and press a kiss to her knuckles. “I promise. I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Piper

  I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have Logan’s hand to hold on to. He is my beacon in the darkness. We drive on the interstate for a while, passing at least four exits on the way. He really wasn’t kidding about putting distance between us and him, wherever he may be.

  After about an hour, he takes an exit to a nondescript little town. There isn’t much by way of accommodation, but there is a squat little hotel. They take cash, don’t bat an eye at Rocky, and don’t ask many questions. Logan pays for a couple days up front and the manager gives us a key and gestures to the back of the lot.

  “Nice place,” I comment as his truck jolts through potholes. He spares me a scathing glance, causing me to laugh for the first time in what feels like forever.