Falling Under

by Lauren Dane

  This was so beautiful—she was so beautiful—he’d begun to wonder if he was imagining it. Thought perhaps he’d embellished it in his head while he’d been sad and lonely twelve hundred miles from home.

  Not much had been farther from the truth.

  This was coming home. Being away from her had only cemented that.

  “Take it from me.”

  Carmella circled her hips, pressing her clit against his thumb, meeting his fingers. Her skin had gone pink and the valley between her breasts glistened with sweat.

  She moaned and came apart around his fingers.

  His cock hadn’t been this hard and smeared in precome since he was sixteen. But then he’d had to settle for an awkward hand job that ended about a minute after it started.

  Now he was confronted by a gorgeous woman all curves and heart.

  She reached down to wriggle free from her panties, tossing them to the side before rolling up to her knees. “On your stomach.”

  “Carm, baby. I—”

  “Don’t Carm-baby me. Have I ever let you down?” She shot him a saucy grin.

  He turned over and she straddled his thighs like she had before and then the drizzle of the almond oil against his skin had him closing his eyes.

  She began to knead his muscles. “I’m sure you spent the last two weeks taking care of everyone else so let me take care of you. There will definitely be a happy ending, just so you know that going in.”

  “Counting on it. But I’m always glad to hear it.” He smiled into the pillow.

  “Do you want to tell me about it?” She dug in a little deeper and he groaned.

  “Later. After. I just need you right now. You tell me things.” His voice was muffled by the pillow but she understood him.

  Because she loved Duke and had spent two weeks without him, realizing it more every single day, she needed to tell him.

  “I never believed in real love until you. I let myself believe a huckster was the best I could do. And because of that, I let myself get jaded. I told myself that because Virgie was a fail in the love department and my previous try had been a disaster, it wasn’t possible. I had a life before you. Responsibilities. But I also had fun. Admittedly way less. But anyway.”

  “I want to turn over for this. I want to see you when you’re talking.”

  “You want me to massage your chest?”

  He flipped her over, tossing her to the side to grab a condom from the table nearby.

  “No. I want to fuck you.”

  “I want to suck your cock and then fuck you. After the massage. I had an itinerary.”

  “Uh. I’m sorry?”

  She started laughing. “I’m saying I never let myself believe anyone like you could exist for me. And there you were. You’re nothing like the men I grew up around. You’re strong and you keep your word. You take care of me. I can’t quite believe that you love me. I’ve been in shock since you told me the first time because how does a girl like me get you?”

  “A girl like you gets me because I’m really fucking lucky.”

  She scooted down, kissing over his hips and breathing against his cock. She rubbed her cheek against it and then licked against the crown.

  “I missed your taste.”

  She had.

  Carmella swirled her tongue around the head, digging the tip into the slit and then into the spot just below. He was close, already sticky with come. Excitement flared in her belly that she’d been the one to do this to him.

  She kept it slow, not setting a rhythm that would send him over the edge. He wanted to be inside her and she’d be just fine with that. But a warm-up wasn’t going to spoil anything.

  She knew he watched her, which was hotter than any stranger. Carmella gave him a show, licking him slow, keeping her fist around him loosely. The vein throbbed with the beat of his heart.

  Carmella risked a meandering lick around his balls until the fingers he’d dug into her hair tightened.

  “Going to be hitting that point of no return very soon,” he ground out. “I want in you.”

  She gave him a parting kiss, and once he’d gotten the condom on, she straddled his body and then backed up slowly, taking him inside bit by agonizing bit until she sat up straight and tucked her feet back up, and under her butt.

  “I was going to have you use my cock against your clit to make yourself come. I’ve been jerking off to that fantasy for a while now. But I don’t think I can stand it right now. I’d come in two seconds.”

  She gave an experimental bounce and his resulting groan made her do it again.

  “I saw this in a porno. The woman sitting this way, I mean. She is way more acrobatic than me. But the bounce is nice and I don’t feel like I’m going to crush anything necessary.”

  His laugh was edged in discomfort. “Saw it in a porno?”

  “Yes. Did you think I never watched porn? Jeez. I mean, well, I don’t. Not for very long. But it gets the job done.”

  He grabbed her hips and held her in place. “Don’t move.”

  Carmella writhed at the pleasure/pain of his fingertips digging into her muscles.

  He cursed under his breath and urged her up into a bounce. A bounce he met with a thrust. It wasn’t as artful as a movie, but it was a million times hotter to have Duke’s hands on her, his cock deep inside over and over. He’d moved one of the hands at her hips to her pussy as he squeezed her clit.

  She’d lived in the same place growing up. She went there at the end of every day, but it had never been her home. Her little duplex was the same. A house, not a home.

  But in his arms? Well, that was home. Beautiful, wonderful, and it made her feel like she could do anything. Be anything with him on her side.

  Climax the second time around was intense. The edge of it was nearly too much. Nearly pain. She forced herself not to cringe away, knowing if she did, it would only reward her with the bloom of pleasure that hit her moments later as she came on a hoarse shout.

  He continued to meet her bounces with his thrusts until he did a little growl and fucked her hard enough she saw little white stars at the corner of her vision.

  And then he froze, his growl cut off as he came.

  “Don’t move,” he said, voice rough.

  He needn’t have said anything. She couldn’t have moved outside a real emergency. In fact, when he came back, he had to pull her into place against him.

  Her voice worked, though. “I love you because you see me. And because you make me feel like I can do anything but that if I fuck up it’s okay too.”

  “That’s a really good one.” He kissed her. “I’m not sure if I’m ever going to tire of hearing you say that.”

  “My brother needs some major help,” Duke said finally. “He needs a type of program that can deal with the type of problems he has. I think I convinced my parents to support that plan. His doctors and the ones at the hospital in Los Angeles all agree that it’s the best option. My parents are going to get counseling too. Danny’s ex is pretty cool. She’ll help if he makes a commitment to get treatment. He’ll lose everything if he doesn’t.”

  “Did you work on anything with your parents?”

  “Most of the time I was just around. I did a lot of listening, gathering up all the information I could get so I could understand what was going on. Once I did, and once I was convinced what they were recommending was the best for him, my parents and I were able to talk a lot more. It was difficult and it’s not solved by any means. I don’t know that I’ll ever be as close as the other four are. But it’s okay for me to be whatever kind of close we are.”

  “Are you truly?” He heard the challenge in her question. Most people would have let what he’d said about being okay pass. Not this one.

  He paused, thinking because it was a smart question and one he’d skirted. “I want that sort of relationship Asa has with his mom. I was wrapped up in this idea that I should want to pick up the phone to share things with them. And them with me, especially the big stu
ff like rehab. But the longer I was there, the more I realized even if I lived next door, it wouldn’t be like that.”

  “It’s not you.” Carmella put her hand on his chest, above his heart.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Duke said. “I wasn’t sure even on the plane back up here if this situation with my family was something I could be all right with until you. When you walked into that restaurant tonight, I knew you. I looked into your eyes and I saw to your heart and all the worry and upset dropped away. I thought, Carmella’s here, everything will be okay now.”

  And what a revelation that had been. To see her and feel suddenly so very safe and all right. She calmed down all that agitation he’d had in his belly for weeks.

  “How are things with Virgie? I’m sorry I haven’t been here to help you through it.” The guilt of that hung heavy in his gut. He’d been torn the entire time he was in LA because he’d known she had to process all the stuff with her mother moving.

  “I haven’t spoken to her in a week or so. I’d be lying to say I hadn’t considered just driving over there to see it for myself. I got to Issaquah once. But I stopped and got doughnuts and came back home.”

  “She doesn’t deserve how much you care about her.” Virgie and Steven Hay made him livid. “You’re so fucking good and kind and they just shit all over you.”

  “Just because I love you doesn’t mean I want to hear this. It is what it is.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “I hate it, Carm. You’re over here worrying and she doesn’t even check in?”

  “Now it’s my turn to say you should listen to your own very good advice.” She shifted so they lay side by side, hands linked. Ginger hopped up on the bed and looked carefully over the mound of blankets to see if she was going to get busted.

  Carmella wore a smile as Duke patted the mattress for Ginger to lie down.

  “I know you want to fix things for me because you love me. But you know as well as I do that some things can’t be fixed. I hope she’ll have a happy ending. But I feel like her story will end in tears.”

  He heard the emotion in her tone. “I’m sorry. The last thing I want is to upset you.”

  She snorted. “Now you’re going to apologize all the time? Neither of us knows how to be with someone like this. So we’ll feel our way along. Fight. Because you’re pushy in a chipper and yet steadfast way and that’s super annoying.”

  He laughed. “I missed this most of all.”

  “Me telling you how annoying you can be? That’s probably true as most people are too busy fawning over you.”

  “You don’t fawn over me?” he teased.

  “I ogle you. I don’t have to fawn, though, because you’re mine. But you’re vexing sometimes and I’m going to say something when you are. I’ll blow it off mainly, I’ve come to discover.”

  “I do have a superhuman ability to piss you off.”

  “You like to rile me up.”

  “We all know I’m a danger junkie. You’re so fucking magnificent when you’re mad I can’t help it.”

  Carmella sighed. “Tomorrow is a big day, Mr. Bradshaw. Grand opening. Wait until you see the new showroom. It’s gorgeous. You left before they did the last bit of paint and finish work.”

  “Everyone has been sending pictures but I’m pretty excited to see it myself tomorrow. I love you. I’m going to say that a lot more now since you’ve finally admitted you love me too.”

  “No complaints here. I love you too.”

  Adam Gulati can have any woman he wants—but there is only one he craves. Mick Roberts has lived all over the world—but there is one pleasure he still seeks. Jessalyn Franklin loves two powerful men—but fear has kept her from both.

  One night will bring these three people together, open the door to a forbidden world, and change everything …

  Please see the next page for a preview of

  COMING BACK.

  CHAPTER

  One

  Jessi gave herself one last look in the in the rearview mirror. This would be the first time she’d seen Mick since moving back to Seattle just the month before.

  The last time she’d seen him, he’d broken her heart.

  She’d come back to Seattle after living in another state and trying to love someone else didn’t take. She admitted to herself at long last that Franklin women loved too damned hard, but it was what it was and despite that broken heart, it still flowed with love and it didn’t matter that she shouldn’t love who she did. Or whether or not that love was returned.

  So, she bought a sexy new outfit, had her hair and makeup done at the salon near her studio, and as soon as she finished her internal pep talk, she’d get out and saunter right through the Twisted Steel doors.

  “You can do this. You are awesome and you have nice tits and pretty eyes and you know all the words to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ You are the perfect woman,” she told herself after touching up her lipstick.

  Red. She wasn’t normally a red lipstick, smoky eye, perfectly coiffed chick in a sexy dress. But this new stage of her life needed a little drama and magic. Mick needed to get an eyeful of what he was missing so she could get the man to come to his senses.

  All right then. Jessi grabbed the pretty little bag that went with the fantastic shoes and dress and got out. As she hit the alarm on her key fob and turned to face the main doors of the new Twisted Steel showroom, she saw a shiny black Mercedes.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  Jessi had to walk past the Mercedes anyway to get to the party, and when she got close enough, she could see it was indeed an AMG GT. Super pricy. Very fast. Powerful everything. And only one man she knew would have one with that license plate.

  Of course Adam would be there too. She turned around to walk away, trying to get her breath. Could she do this with both of them at the same time? Maybe she should try again another day. Take each one alone.

  Three beautiful women walked past. They were going inside, so why not her? Jessi firmed her resolve and followed them through the open bay doors where the party lay just beyond.

  Inside it was all ink and chrome. Cars and motorcycles gleamed as men and women rocking a whole lot of tattoo work and piercings milled around them. Every imaginable idea of party wear was on display, from suits and ties to leather and denim.

  This world wasn’t one she was very familiar with. She’d known Mick since they were kids, and while he was good with his hands and had loved cars, this was a whole different level. This was a culture, and she suddenly felt like a total outsider.

  He was different now, obviously. Maybe he was done with her forever. Maybe he’d moved on. She wasn’t used to being out of her element and it left her on shaky ground.

  A server paused, offering a glass of champagne. Jessi had it halfway drained by the time she got three steps away.

  She was utterly wowed by the space. Soaring ceilings, and fans with blades that resembled airplane propellers rotating lazily. Large windows at the roof level would flood the room with light during the day, but right then it was lit with a golden glow at the walls, and the showcase spaces for each of the projects they had on display perfectly highlighted the gleam of curves and edges of a car or motorcycle. The floors were gorgeous honey-toned hardwoods with customized tile work.

  Whoever designed it all was worth every penny.

  Jessi scanned the crowd. She’d seen a picture online of Mick and the other two guys who started Twisted Steel. He hadn’t changed that much on the outside, but the shadows in his eyes made her heart ache.

  Adam was there. She’d have known it the moment she walked in, even if she hadn’t seen his car outside. His energy seemed to hum from him like a live wire. He was nearby.

  Growing up he’d been intense, but the way he’d felt the last time …

  In the last few years, she’d seen Adam three times. Once she’d thrown a drink into his face. Once she’d burst into tears and run away, and the last time, she’d ended up in a dark corner of her parents’ basement with him f
ingering her to climax while people were just upstairs at a party.

  A blush heated her face. At her parents’ house.

  He’d kissed her and when she’d gotten back upstairs after a few minutes of pretending they hadn’t been in the basement making out, he’d left!

  Jessi tapped the woman next to her as they’d been looking at a ’34 Ford. “I need an honest opinion.”

  The woman grinned. “Okay.”

  Jessi motioned at herself. “How do I look? I mean, if you had foolishly dumped me several years ago, would you look at me tonight and think about how stupid you were?”

  “Give me the three-sixty so I can see it all.”

  Jessi did and the other woman nodded. “He will totally be worried he was so dumb. You look great. I’m PJ.” She held out her hand for Jessi to take.

  “Jessi. Thanks for the opinion.”

  “How do you get your hair so smooth and sleek? I had a long bob like that for a while, but the humidity makes it curl up all the time.”

  “There’s no way I could get it to look like this daily. Are you kidding me?” Jessi laughed. “I went to a salon earlier and they did it all. Once I wash it, it’ll be curly again.”

  “I really like that you just admitted that. And that you’re not so perfect you can get your hair like that regularly. Okay”—PJ looked around the room and back to Jessi—“who are you looking for? I might know him. I do a lot of paint for Twisted Steel—and full disclosure, I’m with Asa Barrons, one of the owners—so I’m around here a lot.”

  “Oh.” Obviously she’d know Mick. “Uh, you do know him. Mick Roberts.”

  PJ’s brows went up and then she leaned in. “I knew you’d be gorgeous.”

  “Me? What? You did? He talked about me?” Holy crap, she needed to find a sentence and go with it instead of word vomiting.

  PJ waved a hand and rolled her eyes. “He’s a dude so he hints at lost love. You didn’t hurt him, did you? I’m pretty protective of my dudes, you know.”