by J. Woods
“Sorry guys, gotta take this call.”
“That better not be a guy,” Max muttered under his breath. Roxy blew him a kiss over her shoulder before moving away from the table but still in ear shot.
“Smurf!” she squealed. “Oh my god, how are you?”
“Smurf?” Max asked staring at his two sisters across from him.
“It’s a nickname,” Stella laughed. “A girl she went to college with. She’s like one of Roxy’s closest friends, I’m surprised you’ve never met her. She’s been to Mom’s for dinner quite a few times.”
“Wow, she sounds hot,” Max said rolling his eyes as he took a bite of the steak in front of him. With a nickname like Smurf all he could picture was a little blue man with a white cap.
Sexy.
“Well she is, just so you know. Actually she is really cool. You’d like her.”
“Yeah? Does she sing a happy song?” Cameron snorted around the sip of beer she’d just taken causing him to laugh.
Chapter Two
Brie Murphy stared around her empty living room at the still full boxes she had yet to unpack. She pursed her lips and ignored the chocolate ice cream that seemed to be calling to her from her freezer. She slumped into the only chair in her apartment smiling at the small accomplishment of calling one of her best friends Roxy and setting up a plan to meet for coffee tomorrow. She had been so excited to hear that Brie had just moved to back to Vancouver after accepting a promotion at her work. And she was excited too. She needed a change. Her life was, for lack of a better term, a complete and utter mess. She closed her eyes remembering when her boss presented her with the offer; it was after a heavy phone call with her rigid mother berating every one of her life decisions cloaked under the guise of her weekly check in. It was the same phone call every week; their conversation was reduced to unsupportive questions and one word answers followed by silent eye rolls, counting down the minutes until she could hang up the phone. Her mother had always been a cold woman, but the death of her warm and loving father five years ago seemed to take every ounce of motherly love she had in her. The phone call from the one person she should be running to and the one person she didn’t want to talk to was the last straw in seven months of what the fuck? Her mother had distantly offered Brie to come back to their home and have her old room back which Brie immediately turned down. The thought of living in the mansion her mother called a home, the same one Brie grew up in was appalling, the same idea obviously running through her mother’s head when Brie told her where her new apartment was. She was used to a lavish and expensive lifestyle. Money was no object to Brie’s family, something she never wanted to take for granted. Brie wanted to work for her own. She wasn’t one to sit on a trust fund like so many of her childhood friends. It was a trait her father had told her he was proud of and one she would continue to live by. Her mother wanted her to attend black tie functions every weekend, high tea on Saturdays and hold her nose up to those who had less than them. The Murphy family name was one that held a lot of power and it was that power that her mother thrived on. The idea of eating ice cream out of the tub and wearing sweatpants was positively vulgar. It was in those moments that she couldn’t see through the facade, couldn’t see what her father saw in her mother. He was the kindest man she had ever met and it was his money that allowed them to live the life of the rich and famous. Brie knew it wasn’t just the money that sat between them. On top of the pile she knew there was love. But even as a child, Brie couldn’t remember those with her mother in them. She was always playing the part, acting the socialite with her friends while her father would be the one to make mud pies and sand castles. She had grown up with a constant staff around but when her father was away on business, she was a lonely child. The house would remain quiet until he bound through the door, hollering that he was home. She would be thrown into his arms and swung around the foyer as his mother politely waited her turn to greet him. When her father passed away five years ago, being an only child, his fortune was left to her and her mother. That money still sat in a bank account. There was enough that Brie never had to work a day in her life, and she refused to touch it. Her father had always preached his praise at her independence, a carbon copy of himself he would tease and it was the lessons he would teach as he wove them into funny stories that made Brie want to want for herself. She wanted her own money, her own life, not one where it was all laid out for her, where she didn’t have to think about brushing her teeth if she didn’t want to because someone would be right there to do it for her. Thinking about her father made her nose burn with emotion and she knew that he would tell her how proud it was of her, that everything would work out. But staring around the small, vintage apartment in a neighborhood she didn’t know, Brie wasn’t so sure.
And it all started on a business trip that landed her in the city she again called home, a restless urgency to just lose herself and a hot night in a strangers bed where she did just that. For seven months she had endless sleepless nights of remembering and questioning as the tall, dark and sexy stranger filled her every spare moment with fantasies. So when her boss presented her with a promotion that would lead her to the Vancouver office and the accompanied title of Director of Marketing, Brie had to swallow back the instant lump in her throat and the immediate yes that sat ready on her tongue. It was an amazing opportunity but it was also a chance to start over. And she made sure she grabbed on with both hands.
She couldn’t help but think of the calm before the storm, remembering the night that turned her life upside down.
She sat in her hotel room looking out over the darkening city. The conference this afternoon was incredibly boring and she was starting to feel the walls close in on her. She needed to go out, be exciting and daring for a night. She used to be that girl, when she was in college only a year ago, her and Roxy and their friend Lauren would hit as many bars as they could in a night - it was a game to see who could attract the most free drinks - they never actually figured out who won. On a whim, she pulled out the sexiest outfit she’d packed including a pair of the highest heels she owned, blew out her long blonde tresses and covered her eyes in a smokey shadow. Looking in the mirror she smiled, echoes of the daring girl pushing their way to the surface; she was tired of living in her office, she just wanted one night away from making a name for herself as a smart, successful business woman in a company full of men. And she had, but now, she just needed to be Brie.
Stepping into the warm summer night air, she walked to the bar the concierge had directed her to and she could already hear the muted sounds of music that sent excitement through her belly. She was stopped momentarily in her tracks as she laid eyes on the guy standing out front, laughing at whoever he was talking to on the phone.
Damn.
Shaking her head out of the trance she had been sucked in to, she held her head high and walked past him with confidence, managing not to falter when he finally laid eyes on her. Sending him a small smile, she pushed her way through the double doors and made her way directly to the bar. Grabbing a stool, she waited to order her drink, surveying the Friday night crowd. Suddenly the air seemed to still, and her skin prickled with excitement as his deep voice caressed her like a physical touch. “Looking kind of lonely over here.” She turned to look at him raising her eyebrow with a teasing smile.
“Is that the start to a cheesy pick up line or something?” His surprised laughter came easy, lighting up the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She guessed that women just stared at him and nodded their heads with whatever he said; he was the type of guy who had groupies, a long list of females he could snap his fingers and one would come running, no doubt naked and willing. She wasn’t one of those girls. The smile stayed on his face as he surveyed hers with narrowed eyes.
“I’m Max.”
“Brie.” He caught the attention of the bartender, beckoning her over.
“Can I buy you a drink, Brie?”
“Whiskey and Coke with a lime,” she told him, her eyes mov
ing from his, to his mouth with lips that begged to be kissed and back. Instinctively she licked her own as he relayed his drink order without looking away from her. It was something about Max; he was a magnet, a very dangerous magnet, but she could have fun for one night. She was leaving tomorrow morning and he could go back to the women she already knew were giving her dirty looks from across the bar.
After two hours of laughing and drinking, she found it unusually easy to talk to him, laugh with him. He was so easy going, easy to get along with. The smile rarely left his face and she found her cheeks hurting from mirroring it back to him. “Brie, I hope I’m not being presumptuous when asking, do you want to get out of here?” It was an easy decision and one she had made almost the moment she had laid eyes on him. She desperately wanted to see the toned muscles she knew he was hiding underneath his well fitting, worn jeans and black t shirt. She wanted to run her fingers through his inky dark hair that stayed in a state of ‘just fucked’ and she yearned, actually yearned, to have his lips slide over hers, his tongue in her mouth, hers sliding up his neck.
“Lead the way.” He leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before standing up and leaving her absolutely breathless from a small touch. He extended his hand for her to take and she found her fingers reaching for his.
They walked the few blocks to his apartment building, their hands never pulling away from the entanglement of their fingers. The elevator ride up to the top floor was quiet, her stomach conducting acrobatic flips with anticipation. He pulled her closer to his side. “You okay?” he murmured. She nodded her head right when the elevator doors opened and he led her down the hall and through the one of only two doors on the floor. She wondered what he did, what his family was like, how many girls he had actually taken up here. She shook her head, no, she didn’t want to know any of that, she thought. Tonight was going to be a no strings, one night stand. It was daring, exciting - and something she had never done before. As she stood in his front entryway, she watched him take off his shoes and head into the kitchen. “Want something to drink?” he called. No, she wanted him. Placing her purse on the couch, she walked up behind him and as he closed the fridge and turned around, she pounced. His surprise quickly melted into a hot passion that only consumed her further. She couldn’t get enough of him as his tongue plunged into her mouth, his greedy hands all over her body as if he didn’t know where to touch first. It sent thrills through her to know he wanted her just as much as she did him. She felt him lift her off the floor before her ass met the cool surface of the counter. Spreading her legs he stepped in between, the evidence of his arousal pressing exactly where she wanted it. Moving his lips across her cheek and down her jaw, she gasped as he nipped at the soft skin beneath her ear. “Tell me more, Brie. I want to know more about you, I need to know more about you.”
“Like what?” she breathed eventually, unable to think when his lustrous assault clouded everything but the movement of his lips, the press of his hard body against hers.
“Anything. Tell me your last name,” he murmured against her collarbone.
“No last names.” She almost let out a whimper when he pulled back and looked at her as if he was trying to see inside of her head. “Please Max, can it just be us tonight? Just Brie and Max, nothing else.” With a sigh he leaned his forehead against hers.
“Tell me something else then,” he whispered. “What’s your favorite colour?”
“I think my new favorite colour is blue,” she admitted, looking into the almost clear blue of his eyes. He grinned wickedly and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he led her into his bedroom. She slid down his body slowly, keeping her arms around his neck as he reached down and gripped the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head. Her skirt went next followed by the smallest pair of underwear she owned. He groaned at the site of them and she knew he was holding back the urge to rip them off of her. Instead he pulled them down slowly and guided her back to the bed. She climbed on top of the large king sized mattress and propped herself against his pile of pillows ready for him to put on the show she had been fantasizing about for the past couple of hours. “God damn it, Brie. You’re so fucking sexy.”
“Strip,” she commanded. He raised an eyebrow in challenge before peeling his clothes off in a slow seduction and at another time maybe she would have enjoyed it more but at the view of his six pack abs she didn’t care about the show anymore. She wanted him hard and ready and overtop of her. Almost as if reading her thoughts, he pulled his jeans off quickly at the same time as his black boxer briefs and prowled to her until he was exactly where she wanted him. Her hands couldn’t touch enough of him, she wanted her fingers everywhere; across his chiselled chest, down his broad back, gripping the most perfect male ass. It was as if she knew she had to fit everything into this one perfect night. And she didn’t have enough time. She had never felt this urgency before with anyone else, this need to experience everything she could with Max because she was never going to have it again. And he was amazing, his lips touching every inch of her bare skin, whispering sweet words and filthy words, telling her how beautiful she was at the same time telling her exactly how dirty he was going to be with her. Sliding down her body, his hand cupped her breast before his mouth consumed the already rigid peak of her nipple. “You have the most perfect breasts,” he murmured against her skin before she found herself bucking off the bed when he grazed his teeth over her.
“Max, I need…” Her words were lost on the pleasure filled cry that escaped her lips. He made a humming sound as if to encourage her to finish her thought. Her fingers gripped his hair and she pulled him back up to her face; she needed to take some sort of control because she felt herself getting lost as her desire mixed with his. She pulled his bottom lip between her teeth causing a low growl from him that shot straight to her aching core. “I need you to fuck me. Now.” Her words darkened his eyes, his movements becoming rougher, more insistent before he reached over to grab a condom out of his bedside table. With fumbling hands they managed to rip the packaging off before she stole it and slowly pulled it over his mouth-watering erection. Damn, but the man was perfect. Everywhere. He sucked in a hissing breath through clenched teeth and she revelled in the moment of having that effect on him. He pulled her exploring fingers up to his mouth, kissing the inside of her palm and she knew instinctively it was because he couldn’t have her hands on him. He positioned himself at her entrance and slid slowly, too slowly, inside. She felt everything. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she arched to meet him. He stilled, his breathing hard over top of her and she opened her eyes to find him staring down at her. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, before pushing deep inside of her. Her mouth opened on a sharp exhale and unable to tear her eyes away from his, his hips started moving in a rhythmic motion that had her unable to catch her breath. He bent his head down and took her lips in a kiss that only spurned them both, his thrusts becoming faster with need, her cries being swallowed by his groans as she dug her nails into his back urging him to give it to her harder, faster, deeper. She could handle his dirty talk, hell she loved it, it only made her want him more. But she couldn’t handle the warm sweet words that followed as he continued to give her the most pleasure she had ever experienced. She didn’t want emotion and that was exactly what he was laying at her feet. What had started off as a one night stand of hard, stranger sex was quickly turning into a passionate, desire filled night of love-making.
They’d had sex two more times that night, once in the shower and again in his bed before they both fell asleep. She awoke in Max’s arms and the feeling of too right sat heavily on her chest. She needed to get out of there; afraid she was leaving a piece of her heart in his palm, never to have it back. Plus, she had a plane to catch. She turned to look at him one last time, leaning in and daring to kiss his lips softly eliciting a soft moan of her name before slipping out of the bed silently. She couldn’t find her shirt and after a moment of panicking she saw his lying in a cr
umpled pile on the ground. She picked it up and threw it over her head, slipping out the front door without a sound. She wanted to ignore the churning of her stomach as she stepped into the elevator and left Max and his lovely apartment, his wonderful bed and his delicious muscles behind. Forever. She pulled the collar of his soft t shirt to her nose. It smelled exactly like him - a hint of cologne, freshly clean and completely masculine - all Max. She walked back to her hotel and within an hour she had her suitcase packed and climbing into the cab that took her to the airport. She gazed out the window watching the rain start to fall from the ominous clouds above - fitting, she thought. It matched her mood completely.
Brie opened her eyes; her hand immediately flew to the flutter deep in her rounding belly the way it always did whenever she thought of Max. And now she found herself back in the city where it all happened. She didn’t know what to do, should she call him? She didn’t even know how to find him, because of her own stupid rule, she thought rolling her eyes at herself. She looked down at her stomach again, her fingers trailing light circles over the tiny living being growing inside of her. She knew she should try and find him, because this baby was half of her and half of him. But Max wasn’t that type of guy, he wasn’t a guy to settle down, he was the kind who had a harem of women waiting at his beck and call. And she was just another notch on the belt that hung so perfectly sexy on hips that made a girl think dirty thoughts. She let out a disgusted sound, what was wrong with her? She had no idea how it happened; they were careful, they had used protection. It didn’t matter, when she had found out she was pregnant she had decided that she was going to raise this baby on her own. Lots of mothers did it, she could do it too. She was starting over and her and Blue, she had started calling the flutter that turned into kicks ‘Blue’ because whenever she thought of Max she thought of his eyes, would have a wonderful life here in Vancouver. It was a big city, she probably wouldn’t ever run into him. He didn’t even have to know. But what if he wants to know? The little voice in her head asked. She threw up her hands, fed up with the inner dialogue arguing with her. She had things to look forward to - a busy day of presentations and coffee with Roxy tomorrow, a meeting with her new doctor the day after. She nodded her head as if in conclusion and opened the nearest box at her feet.