by Watson, Gina
A few tears spilled over and down her cheeks. He wiped them away with the pads of his thumbs. “You’re welcome.”
The door to the office opened and in walked Logan in full-on rant mode. “There you are. It’s megalomania out there. Crazy bleach-blond bachelorettes—too much peroxide has damaged their brain cells.” He looked from Cory to Brook. “Something going on between you two?”
Cory offered a sly smile. “We’re friends.”
Logan frowned, and then he drew Brook away from Cory.
“No, no, no. I like this one, Cory, and don’t intend to lose her to one of your boneheaded moves. It ain’t gonna happen.”
Brook ducked her head, trying to hide her smile. “I was just leaving,” she said.
Logan helped her through the door, not allowing her a chance to say goodbye to Cory.
As she left, she heard them whispering. Their voices got louder the farther she moved away until she heard Cory say, “Fuck off.”
Brook returned to her duties, hoping that she hadn’t caused trouble between the brothers. She liked Logan, respected him even. But she couldn’t help her attraction to Cory. She knew it wouldn’t go anywhere—the guy hated kids and didn’t want marriage, things she knew she wanted one day, but why couldn’t they enjoy one another while the attraction lasted?
Brook was behind the bar washing and drying pint glasses when sinewy arms wrapped around her from behind and a pair of hands covered her eyes.
“Hey!” she yelled.
She whirled and found Parker Avants, wearing his sexy smolder, standing behind her. Parker’s family owned an oyster harvesting business, and they provided oysters for the bar and brewery. His timing was great because they’d already run out of oysters for the evening.
“Hey, girl.”
He leaned in to hug her, rubbing his hand across her lower back. His rich cologne made her think of passion-fueled nights. Too bad that when she pictured a man sharing those nights it wasn’t Parker’s face she saw.
They’d been friends since she’d started working at the brewery. Parker wanted to be more, but Brook wasn’t feeling it. She thought of Cory and wondered what the difference was. They were both sexy and brooding, but Cory had an I couldn’t give a shit attitude, and he was so arrogantly confident that picking at him was fun. He took himself way too seriously, living by some code he’d devised. Story all over town was he wouldn’t date someone more than once. She’d wanted to splinter that ruse and show him he wasn’t impervious to cracks within his foundation. God, when they were together it was much more than a crack, it was an explosion. And she knew he felt it too. She planned to show him she was good for more than just a few nights.
Parker’s muscles had muscles and his sexy jaw line was usually covered with a few days of stubble, but Parker was just Parker. No layers. When she kissed him, it didn’t jump-start her motor. When she’d kissed Cory, she could have benefited from a fire extinguisher.
Today Parker wore a tight V-neck shirt with designer jeans snug in all the right places and a belt with small spikes. He’d been in the Marines and still wore a chain of dog tags around his neck.
“Can I get you a pint?” she offered.
“Thought you’d never ask.” He leaned next to her against the counter.
Brook handed him the beer. “You still available to help me pick up the animals next week?”
“Yeah, I told Dad I’d need to borrow the cargo van. I thought I’d come a bit early and take you to breakfast.”
“Sounds great, I love breakfast.”
“I know.” Parker winked, his cheekbones highlighted by the overhead light.
They’d been out as friends so many times, she’d lost count. He’d always been gentle with her, even when she stopped him as they were rounding second base and she could feel his stiffness through his jeans. She wished she was as attracted to him as she was to Cory. Parker had the large family she’d always dreamed of belonging to. He would do anything for her and had. He was always considering what she liked and disliked. Whenever she asked him what he liked to do, he’d just shrug and say he liked being next to her. He was so nice she felt guilty at thinking him a huge bore.
The energy near the bar suddenly shifted, and Brook knew what she’d see before she turned. Cory stood directly behind her. His eyes were narrow and his head was tilted back, accentuating his chest.
“Who the hell’s this guy?” He sipped his beer, never taking his eyes from her.
“Parker, meet Cory, Logan’s brother. He’s the new vet in town.” Parker extended his hand. “Parker’s family harvests those oysters you like so much.”
Cory’s brow rose, and his lips quirked as he extended his hand. “Is that so?”
His eyes bored into Parker as they shook hands, Cory holding on for longer than was customary. When Cory finally released him, Brook saw Parker flex the tendons in his hand. Stupid man. Evidently, he was not as unaffected by her as he put on. If so, he wouldn’t be marking his territory like one of his animals.
Parker leaned in and hugged her as he said, “I gotta go, but I’ll call you.” He kissed her cheek and turned to Cory. “Nice meeting you.”
If looks could kill, well, she’d be in trouble. Cory stabbed her with his gaze as he mumbled and huffed under his breath.
“What’s that?”
“I said, what kind of name is Parker?”
“What’s wrong with it?” If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was bothered by her closeness to Parker. But she knew such a thing to be ridiculous.
“It’s weak.” He leaned so close to her that their arms touched. Their connection sizzled.
Brook shrugged. “I like it.”
He nodded. “So you and Parker, then?”
“Me and Parker?” If he wanted information, he would need to ask her outright for it. She had no intention of making any pursuit too easy for the man.
“Hey, beer wench! Get your ass over here.” The scratchy shrill voice invaded their intimate conversation. Maybe a couple of minutes with the divas would give her the chance to think of new ways to tease Cory. He really needed someone to help him loosen up.
Brook threw a towel on the counter. “Excuse me, but duty calls.” She grabbed two pitchers with the ladies’ preferred elixir, the Penis brew.
Logan had named his brews after various organs and systems of the body. Spleen and Kidney had won awards. There were also Pancreas, Liver, Colon, and Uterus brews. As crazy as the names were, they were devised in honor of his years studying to be a doctor. He’d actually completed his pediatric residency. But he’d left medicine behind to follow his gut, which meant becoming a brewmaster. Brook understood and respected that move. He’d told her he couldn’t stand the thought of someone suing him because they thought he’d put their child at risk. He’d also mentioned something about insurance companies and the game of Russian roulette they played, but she hadn’t understood what he meant. He was the smartest person she’d ever met, but she sensed he was dealing with something, some overwhelming issue, that she didn’t know how to help him with.
When she arrived at the bridal party’s table, the maid of honor, Julia, started pumping her for information about her relationship status with Cory. All eyes were shifting from Brook to Julia and back again. Refusing to answer, Brook dropped off the full pitchers and reclaimed the empty ones. She returned to the sink area with Julia clacking at her heels. Brook wondered how bad the bride had to be to have deserved such a woman as her best friend.
As Brook rinsed the beer pitchers, Julia said, “Corrigan St. Martin likes to have sex with lots of women. Lots! And he doesn’t serial date either. Once he has you, he’s moving on. Case in point, we fucked just last week.”
Brook kept her eyes focused on the task of rinsing and drying the pitchers. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She knew Cory did all of those things, she just didn’t know why he did them. She couldn’t imagine him screwing this wretched woman. Didn’t most guys have a type? If Cory liked this Julia
, then she couldn’t see how he could have been attracted to her since they were complete opposites in looks and personality.
“He doesn’t believe in marriage or conventional dating. My advice to you would be to move on and let a real woman satisfy him.”
Brook turned to the obviously surgically enhanced woman and eyed her up and down. Her boobs were too high and too round to be real, her lips were injected with collagen, her nails were gelatin, her skin was overly tanned, and her hair was streaked with bleach.
“A real woman, like you? Can you even consider yourself real?”
Julia’s eyes narrowed as she shot daggers at Brook and an evil smirk spread across her face. “I’ve never had any complaints. Least of all from Corrigan. It could be why he keeps coming back for more.” Julia begin to chew lightly at the nail of her index finger.
“Thank you for the advice.” Brook knew she must be lying.
“You’d do well to heed it unless you want to pick up the pieces of your broken heart from the dirt. Corrigan doesn’t believe in marriage, did you hear me say that earlier? So that’s not an option if it’s what you’re after.” She surveyed Brook from head to toe. “You’re a little girl, but Corrigan is a man, with a man’s needs. Needs you could never satisfy like I can.”
Cory stepped behind Julia. He winced and looked to Brook. “Julia, don’t you think you’ve had enough? Why don’t you go home and sleep it off.”
Julia pivoted to Cory, nearly falling as she did so, and circled her index finger around on his chest. “I was just telling this little whippet of a thing the kind of woman you desire.”
“That’s interesting considering I just found out myself. Until recently I’d no idea I preferred whippets. I also discovered I’m very fond of freckles and fresh, clean skin, a natural woman with no enhancements or fillers.” His eyes bore into her as he spoke the words she longed to hear. “They say natural foods are good for one’s diet. It turns out natural is also good for desire. Now get the hell away from her before I slap you sober. You always were a sloppy drunk.”
As Julia sashayed away, she shot back, “You would know.”
Brook’s mind buzzed at the words Cory spoke. And her heart started jumping as well. Did he just state his type out loud? Describing her?
She quickly brought her thoughts into line—he was probably just blowing off Julia. That had to be it.
She studied him. Yeah, just as gorgeous as ever. But he didn’t look like a guy who’d just declared himself.
Brook picked up a rag and started drying the area she’d drenched in water.
She knew her thoughts had been mistaken. Cory St. Martin wouldn’t brag on her, declaring his interest to the world.
He rubbed his fingers on the back of his head as he looked down. “I’m sorry about her. She’s always been a crazy bitch.” He rubbed his head again. “The truth of it is”—his gaze roamed slowly up her body until he met her unbelieving stare—“you satisfy me more than any other woman ever has, and I need more of you.”
5
Cory sat on Brook’s daybed, reading a psychological thriller. He and Brook had come to an agreement—getting together for sex whenever the mood struck. And the mood had struck every day—sometimes two and three times a day—for the past several days. They’d had sex at her house, in his office, at the stables out at his house. He couldn’t get enough. And she seemed just as hooked. But he’d made it clear it was sex and sex only. Well, that and seeing that a few repairs were done on her house. Nothing big, just some basics. There was no reason for her to make do with problems when he could so easily replace a faucet and buy parts for her toilet.
He was at a hair-raising scene when a car door slammed out in the street. He heard the snick of a key in lock, and the door opened to reveal Brook on the threshold, admiring the new red front door. There had been something new for her to admire everyday. Yesterday he’d had all the screens replaced, the day before that he’d had a new set of steps delivered for the back entrance.
Cory watched as she slid her palm across the glossy paint and grasped the nickel-finished handset. She pushed it closed and leveled her green eyes on him. Her gaze was lush, like a tropical forest canopy capable of devouring him. As she walked toward him, she shimmied out of her skirt and pulled her shirt over her head. She eased between his legs and bent to kiss him lightly on the mouth as her hands palmed his head.
No words needed to be exchanged. Cory pulled the cups of her bra down and was rewarded with the sight of her nipples growing hard and dark. He grasped the mounds in his hands and sucked them into his mouth, one after the other, licking and tasting and suckling. Brook pressed closer, her breath catching, and he drew from her breast even harder. He loved the taste of her tits, her skin. Loved making her go wild.
He licked a trail from her chest to her navel and while he played with her, he slid her panties down and off. When he was satisfied, he leaned back and stared at her clad in only cowboy boots. Now that was pretty. And damned arousing.
Still fully clothed, he stood and pulled her to a recliner. With one hand between her shoulder blades and one at her neck, he eased her down and positioned her with her stomach across the arm of the chair. Using his foot, he spread her legs wide and pushed her deeper into the chair, lifting her ass until the lips of her cunt spread and revealed her bubble-gum-pink channel.
Cory groaned. Using his index and middle fingers, he massaged her lips, spreading around her wetness. When Brook’s breathing changed, he walked around to stand in front of the chair, where her head rested. Her eyes followed him. He removed his shirt and unbuttoned his fly slowly, watching Brook’s eyes track his hands, and slid his pants down, pulling them from his body. Looping his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers, he pushed them down and gripped his raging hard-on.
Cory stood naked in front of Brook with a painfully engorged cock, stroking himself from root to tip. Her groan was low and hoarse as she watched him masturbate. His strokes started slow and steady, but turned violent. When he was ready to come, he pressed his cock to her lips. “Open,” he said. She did, and he spewed his seed into her mouth. She greedily swallowed him down. He pulled free of her mouth, but stepped closer to her. He stroked her cheek as he worked to catch his breath. But she made that hard for him by nuzzling his cock and his thighs, rubbing against him. Licking wherever she could reach.
“Damn, why do I want you so much?”
She had him twisted up inside, but he still couldn’t get enough. And he felt damned good when he was with her. It wasn’t right that a woman should make him feel so good.
He moved around the chair to stand between her spread legs.
“Please, Cory. Don’t make me wait.”
He reached for her ass with both hands, alternately rubbing and kneading. She squirmed as he did, her mouth releasing sounds that drove him crazy. Sounds that made him hard again. He smacked her on the right globe of her ass. She let out a squeal of surprise. He cupped the spot, trapping the heat under his hand. She moaned. He repeated the smack to her left cheek and then thrust deep into her from behind. From this position his cock could press deep, and he sank to the root, causing Brook to gasp on a choked cry. He gave her a few seconds before he pulled slowly out and then he drove in again, starting a frenetic pace.
Cory spread his legs and used her hips to rock her back and forth on his shaft, but he wanted her to feel more.
“Touch yourself, baby. Rub your clit.”
She shifted and slid one hand between her legs. The other she used as leverage against the chair.
The wet slaps against her sex and her own fingers brought her quickly to ecstasy; Cory felt moisture flood her, rush over his cock, and used it to increase his speed. She cried out his name and squeezed around him, gripping and sucking him deeper. God, he was going to die, it felt so good. “Ah, fuck.” He stilled her hips and shot thick ropes of cum deep inside her again and again, until the last tremble left his body.
He knew he should help her up, rub
the kinks out of her back and legs, but he couldn’t move. He simply could not pull away.
After a few moments, with both of them breathing heavily, Brook put her hands under her and pushed. He got the message and lifted away, helping her upright as he did so. She steadied herself against the chair and he ran his hands over her hips and thighs, once again kneading her flesh. But this time he sought to comfort rather than arouse. He pressed close when she stretched, and when she dropped her hands over his back and pulled his head close to hers, he went willingly. They stood unmoving until their hearts finally settled.
And then Cory carried a laughing Brook over to the daybed, lowered himself into it without dropping her, and then held on to her, eyes closed, heart content. This was a first for Cory, snuggling after sex. He didn’t understand it, but he knew he needed to be near her, as close as he could get. If his dick wouldn’t scream at him for doing it, he’d cram himself inside her even as they simply sat quietly.
“Cory?”
“Yeah, babe.”
“You know I don’t care about Julia or any other woman you’ve had, but I do care about you, so I’d like you to explain something to me.”
She never demanded anything of him and gave him so much, so he figured she deserved an answer or two. “Sure. What is it?”
“What did she mean when she said you don’t believe in marriage?”
Shit, she certainly went for the big one with that question. He’d heard that women got introspective after sex but since he usually took off before they could ask him questions, he hadn’t been prepared for what Brook might say.
Still, he’d told her to ask.
He’d never explained to anyone where his notions about marriage came from. To do so would be like exposing himself, exposing the inner man. But he knew that Brook wouldn’t use the information to manipulate him. He’d watched her, listened to her, with others. She didn’t use their frailties to hurt them. He dropped his head to her shoulder and sighed. He’d never thought that about a woman before Brook, that he could trust her. He’d thought women were all out to get what they could, any way they could.