“Get up on the bed,” he ordered. I kicked off my shoes and then crawled onto the thick comforter. “Stand up.”
I did as ordered and then turned to face him. Apparently, I wasn’t close enough because he pulled me forward so that I was right in front of him and he was level with my pussy. “Hold on, sweetheart, I’ll be with you in a second.” He leaned forward and blew hot air that seemed to soak through the denim and make me very aware of just how soaked my panties were.
With one hand, he pulled the button on my jeans free and then tugged the zipper down. Then he slowly slid them down my legs and helped me step out of them.
For a moment I freaked, totally forgetting which panties I had worn, but a glance told me I was in my Friday ones. For once, I was wearing the right panties on the right day. I usually just reached in and grabbed a pair. As long as they were clean, what did I care?
Slowly he came around and cupped my butt, his fingertips softly massaging my cheeks.
“Are you sure?” His voice slipped into a husky timbre.
Actions were louder than words so I dropped to my knees and kissed him. He kissed me back, and my tongue slipped inside and tangled with his. That was all the control he let me have before he was pressing forward and demanding more from me. A small whimper slid from my mouth. I couldn’t think, and I could hardly breathe while I was experiencing one of the most soul-stealing kisses of my life.
The feel of him so close, the warmth of his skin, his tongue continuing to plunge deeper each time it found mine. The air between us sparked, and he caught my bottom lip between his teeth and bit it softly.
His hands trailed down my sides, curving over my hips and then hooking under me to bring my legs out so that I was flat on my back and my legs were hanging off the bed. He slowly slid my panties down as he let out a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“You. Do you normally forget the day of the week and need to check your underwear to be certain?”
“Shut up and get undressed.”
He was grinning as he pulled back, and I propped myself up on my elbows, ready for the show. I didn’t dare blink for fear that I might miss something as he toed off his boots and then pulled his T-shirt over his head. Holy hell, he was built. Okay, I knew the man was in shape, but this should be illegal. He even had that perfectly formed V that slightly showed above the waistband of his jeans, and I was dying to get my hands on it.
When he unbuttoned the top button of his Levi button-fly jeans, I held my breath. Was he a boxer or briefs guy or maybe a boxer brief guy? Please, just no tighty whities.
When the last button was undone and he slid his jeans off I felt like I should do penitence because the man was commando and his cock . . . oh my lord, it was huge.
He opened his nightstand and pulled out a condom packet, which had shivers racing down my spine and goose pimples tingling over my skin. He laid it on the bed next to my hip and then settled one knee between my legs.
“Yes, Reid.” I bucked, pushing my hips up to deepen his touch. Everything—his touch, his smell, his passion—was overwhelming, and it was all for me. Every muscle in my stomach contracted in time with his fingers as they slid in and out of me.
His mouth switched breasts and then lifted so that he was kissing my lips harder than before. His mouth slipped below my left ear and started nibbling and sucking.
“God, Reid, please.”
“Please what?”
“I don’t know. Just god.”
My neck was the most sensitive part of my body, and the evening stubble that peppered his jawline was sending a wildfire to my brain. He chuckled against my skin and nipped playfully along my jaw.
Each kiss had me getting wetter.
I wrapped my hand around his cock and stroked him a few times, but then he was hooking an arm under my knee and lifting my leg so that I was open to him. His strong fingertips softly stroked my clit before sinking a finger deep inside me. My legs jerked and held on to him tighter as nerves sang through my body. His mouth dropped back to my breast while his fingers continued their assault. At first just one and then two, over and over and over again. The sensations were too much.
“R-Reid—” I gasped, feeling my body starting to lock up. “I’m going to come.”
He didn’t stop but sped up, driving my body higher until I exploded.
My body was still quaking and his fingers were still stroking in and out of me slowly as my hand slipped between us. His gasp of breath as I wrapped my fingers around his cock was an aphrodisiac. He had so much heat trapped in his dick and my mind was whirling with all the ways I could help him release it.
His cheek rubbed against mine as his teeth nibbled at my ear.
“Fuck, Holland,” he groaned as I slid my hand up and down his cock. “I want you.”
Before I could say a word, he was over me. His hands squeezing my hips, holding me down as if he thought I were going to go somewhere. Not on his life.
His fingers shook as he ripped the foil and pulled out the latex to sheath his cock. Holding my breath, I waited until he was between my legs and then I guided his cock to my entrance.
He sank into me in one fluid motion. “Oh, fuckkk.” His words were a cross between a moan and a groan.
My back arched and my mouth let out a guttural gasp as he stilled deep within me.
“Jesus, Holland,” Reid hissed, his muscles straining as he held himself back until I adjusted to him.
Reid moved slowly at first before picking up his pace, and I pushed up to meet each thrust as he pounded into me. Grabbing my leg, he lifted it and stretched me so that it was over my head and he was deep, deeper than I’d ever imagined. His rhythm was hard but so fucking perfect. Tilting my hips, I tried to meet his thrusts, but the need inside me was begging for release and it was all I could do to hold it back because I didn’t want this one to end.
Reid apparently wasn’t willing to let me keep what bit of control I was clinging to because his thrusts turned to slow and deep as he rocked against me so he was rubbing against my clit with a delicious pressure.
“Fuckkkkk—”
I reached up and pulled our mouths together as my vision blurred under the onslaught of pleasure.
“God, you’re so fucking beautiful.” He didn’t stop as my body gripped him and my heart tried to hammer its way out of my chest. The more he moved inside me, the longer my orgasm stretched until I was ready to beg him to stop.
Then, like a flick of a switch, his thrusts turned to pounding once again, I could feel his cock hardening. My hands slipped along his sweat-slicked shoulders and I wrapped my legs around his waist pulling him into me. My body quivered as his cock pulsed inside me. My name mingled with the word fuck as his muscles stiffened and his eyelids squeezed closed.
Exhausted, he collapsed and I prepared myself to hold his weight but he caught himself on his forearms and stayed raised. Locking eyes his jaw twisted, and he kissed me on my cheek before moving to my mouth. Only then did I unwind my legs from him and allow him to pull out.
Chapter Eleven
Reid
I slid one arm out to pull Holland back against me, but all I felt were sheets—cool, empty sheets.
“Fuck.” After jumping from bed, I moved to pull on my jeans and grabbed a shirt. Then I hobbled and hopped as I tried to slip my shoes on as I made my way downstairs to see if she was still here. I knew better, though. Holland was long gone.
“Morning, don’t you look like death ran over?” Ellie greeted me when I came around the corner into the kitchen. “Must have been a wild night.”
I raised a brow, wondering how she knew. “Did you see her?”
“Who? Your fuck buddy? Nope.” She grinned as I glared. Holland was not a fuck buddy. I bit my tongue as I turned to the window and looked toward the Kelly stables, but the doors weren’t open yet.
“What’s up with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Something is, you aren’t acting normal.”
/>
“Okay, let me rephrase that. There is nothing wrong that I want to talk to my baby sister about.”
“Wow, you sure are surly for someone who got laid last night. Oh, wait, did she leave before putting out? You poor thing. Let me fix you some coffee and then you can go take a nice cold shower.” Ellie grabbed my mug and filled it for me.
“Remind me again, when are you getting your own place to live?”
“No clue. You said that your house was big enough since it was just you. Anyway, here you go.” She handed me my mug. “I have to get going, today’s my early day so I have to be at my first appointment by six thirty.”
I shook my head. “A bit early for dog grooming, isn’t it?”
“They want me to have it done before they leave for work. I only do this once a week. Most of my clients give me a key or garage code access.” Ellie picked up her lunchbox and headed out to her mobile pet grooming van.
I knew it was early, but Holland was always before the sun, so I snagged my phone and dialed her. For some reason, I wasn’t surprised when the call went to voice mail.
“This is Holland Kelly, if you are calling and were not personally given my number by me then you are a solicitor. I charge all solicitors twenty-five dollars per call. This message serves as notice, and all future calls from you will be billed to you and or your company.”
I laughed because it was epic Holland. When the tone finally buzzed, I spoke. “Call me, I didn’t like not finding you next to me this morning when I woke up.” I ended the call and then made my way to my office and got some bills paid and then I headed down to the stables.
“Good morning, Syd.”
Syd looked up from Slipper’s stall. “Morning?” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost afternoon.”
“Ha ha, very funny. It isn’t even nine.”
“Considering I’m used to seeing you around six, I’d say that is afternoon. You just missed Holland.”
“She was here?”
“Yep, she came over to spend a few minutes with Hightower. I thought maybe she was heading up to the house since she asked if I’d seen you yet this morning.”
“I must have missed her. I’ll go see what she needed.” It took every ounce of self-restraint I had not to run out of the stables to find her. I had zero hopes that Syd was fooled, though.
The hellion was mucking out a stall. “Asking about me this morning, huh?” I smiled when she jumped, happy to catch her off guard.
“No. I went over to see Hightower.”
“Hmmm. Why did you sneak out this morning?” Holland looked around before answering.
“I didn’t sneak out. I got up and left. You were sound asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”
That seemed reasonable enough, but the irrational side of me still didn’t like it. “Would you like to come over tonight? I’ll cook.”
“No.”
“No? Just no?” I shoved my hands into my pockets. It was the only thing that was going to keep me from wringing her pretty neck.
“Reid, last night was a mistake. We don’t even like each other.” She kicked at some hay that had fallen. “We got carried away. We’re stressed by everything with Holbrook, and we found a common ground in fighting this development deal. But when this is all over, we will go back to being two people who never speak.”
“We used to talk.”
“No, we used to make digs at each other. Me, giving you the bird doesn’t count as talking. Neither does me cussing you out. You and I would never work; we’re just too different.”
“Well, yes we are, I’m glad you figured that out. I thought they would have taught you the difference back in . . . I don’t know, sixth grade? Boys have this thing called a—” Holland threw a hand over my mouth.
“Shut up. That isn’t what I meant.”
“Fine, then what did you mean?”
“How many acres is your property?” Holland tapped the toe of her boot as she waited for me to answer.
“Five hundred more or less.”
“That is a hundred acres more than we have, and you don’t even have cattle.”
“So, I don’t see your point.”
“How far did you go in school?”
“All the way.” Holland raised one eyebrow and waited. My answer obviously hadn’t been enough. “I have my bachelors.”
“I graduated high school. Your stable houses how many horses?”
“I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”
“Just answer the question, Reid.”
“Forty-eight.”
“Iron Horse houses ten.”
“So?”
“So? So?” Holland threw her hands up. “Open your eyes, you and me, we come from two totally different worlds. We aren’t poor, but we aren’t Thoroughbreds. You are a Thoroughbred, Triple crown, Belmont, Preakness . . . you get the idea. I’m not like you, and I’m okay with that. I like who I am.”
“I like who you are, too . . . most days. Well, the days you aren’t throwing crap at my house.”
Holland let out a resounding sigh. “Let’s just concentrate on Holbrook, last night can’t happen again. Okay?”
Yeah, I wasn’t okay with that. So, I leaned in to give her a kiss before she had a second to pull back. “The way your body trembled when I was inside you wasn’t a mistake.”
Before she could deny it, I turned and left.
By the time I got back to my house, it was close to noon, I headed to my office to get it over with and call Brandy.
“Hello?”
Her voice sounded exactly the same.
“Hey, Brandy. It’s Reid Brooks.”
“Wow, Reid. Long time, huh?”
“Yep. It’s been what? Fourteen years.” We were both quiet for a few seconds.
“Something like that, how have you been?”
“Great. I’m down in Florida now, running my own stables.”
“Lucky you.” She laughed, and I totally understood. If she were still in Kentucky, she would be dealing with the thick of winter. “Your brother said your parents were pissed when you left, but I say good for you. You were always meant to do more than work for your brother.”
“Thanks.” I cleared my throat. “Listen, I hope you don’t mind, but I got your number from Adler. He said you helped him out with some problems he was having a few years back, and I was wondering if you could help me with something.”
“What kind of issues are you having?” Brandy’s voice had taken on a pure business-like demeanor.
I started at the beginning and ended when I walked into the Elbow Room and busted Holbrook for lying to everyone about how I’d signed the paperwork.
“Okay,” she said. “I agree that there is something strange about the councilman being involved, and there are legal repercussions for coercing people to sign contracts, but we would have to have proof.”
“I’m sure we can get proof if we need it, but I don’t think anyone has actually signed anything yet. What else do you need from me to get started?”
“I’m going to need the addresses of as many of the properties that he’s trying to acquire, as well as the contact information for the owners. If you can forward me any of the letters you’ve received from Johnson Holbrook, his attorney, the county, or the state, that would also be helpful. My email address is checkmate at brandylakote dot com.” I smiled at the address. Hopefully, she could help us checkmate Holbrook. “Send me what you have, and I’ll send you a contract.”
“Sounds good.”
“Okay. Then, I’ll catch a flight down to Jacksonville to see if I can dig up anything on road expansion plans for your area before heading your way.”
“Thank you. You really have no idea how much I appreciate you being willing to help.”
“No problem. If there’s anything crooked, I’ll find it, I promise.” Brandy disconnected, and I got to work scanning the documents she’d requested.
I spent the rest of the day gathering info for Brandy,
only stopping to sign and return the contract. That and to recover from the mini heart attack I had when I saw the fee she charged. But, then again, I wasn’t doing this for just me. I was doing it for Holland and everyone else in this town.
It had been two days since . . . well . . . since our night, and I wanted to talk with her. I hadn’t had the chance to tell her about Brandy, who was arriving sometime today. I tried calling her, no answer. I tried catching her when she came over to see Hightower, but the girl had an uncanny sense of knowing when I wouldn’t or couldn’t be there.
I grabbed my cup of coffee and I headed outside to wait for her to come back from her ride with Khan. But before I had a chance to drink the whole cup, she rounded the bend and I waved at her to stop.
“Whoa.”
“What do you want, Reid?” She pulled back on Khan’s reins and gave me an annoyed look.
“I’m not sure why you’re avoiding me.”
“I’m not avoiding you. I’ve just been super busy. You have Syd and those other guys, but I only have myself. So, that means that I have to work. Sorry.”
“Bullshit. You and I both know that this has nothing to do with you being busy.”
“No? Okay, how about this? I don’t feel comfortable around you.”
“Umm, darling, you were quite comfortable having you around me the other night.”
“Stop, will you? What makes you think that saying something like to me or anyone would be okay? So, what? Because we slept together once that means you have some claim on me and can just say whatever you want like you have some right? Have you lost your mind?”
“You know that wasn’t how I meant it. Damn it, Holland.” I raked my hand through my hair and blew out a deep breath. “One of these days, you’re going to have to grow up. You may be the youngest of your family, but you’re an adult, and it’s time to start acting like it. Running away when things get hard, scary, or complicated is bullshit. Throwing shit on someone’s house because you have half a story is immature. Avoiding phone calls and throwing around accusations like you just did is—” I stopped and raked a hand through my hair. “You know what? Never mind. I just came out here to tell you that the investigator called, and she has information for us about Holbrook.”
Steadfast (Iron Horse Book 3) Page 8