Unpredictable Risk (R.I.S.C. Book 5)

by Anna Blakely

  “Maybe you should just show me how much you like it.”

  Her words spurred something inside him and before Brynnon knew what was happening, she found herself being lifted back into his arms. A man on a mission, Grant carried her over to the bed where he laid her down gently.

  The mattress dipped below her as he crawled onto the bed. Leaning down, he kissed her before giving a soft warning.

  “This first time isn’t going to last very long.”

  “That’s okay.” She cupped his rough cheek. “You’ve already taken care of me, so this part should be about you.”

  “Wrong.” He shook his head. “I can’t wait to be inside you, but there’s something I have to do first.”

  For a second, she thought maybe he was talking about getting the condom, but then Grant began sliding his body lower, leaving hot, wet kisses in his wake. Brynnon’s pulse began to race when she realized his true intentions.

  Spreading her legs wide for him, Grant made a guttural moan of satisfaction when he settled himself between her thighs. His hot breath puffed against her bare sex and though he’d already made her come once—and recently—her body ached for his touch.

  As though he could read her mind, Grant began lazily tracing her slit with his finger before adding his other hand and parting her folds. Without warning, he leaned up and ran his tongue along her opening.

  Brynnon cried out, her body reacting instantly. On reflex, her pelvis rose to meet his every touch. She moaned, writhing beneath his mouth. Her hands fisted the bedding at her sides as Grant mercilessly continued lapping up juices he alone had created.

  “Jesus,” his deep voice vibrated against her swollen pussy. “Never tasted anything like it.”

  His words sent another rush of arousal to her entrance, and Grant moaned loudly as he licked her clean. The sounds he made and the soft, gentle way he was touching her was like a road map to his deepest desires.

  “Grant, please,” she begged. “I want you inside me.”

  “Not done,” he growled, continuing his exquisite torture. “Need you ready.”

  Brynnon squeezed the blankets tighter. “Trust me,” she panted. “I’m more than ready.”

  “Almost.”

  The single word response was her only warning before he speared her with one of his large fingers. Brynnon cried out again, her head bowing back against the soft mattress as he pumped in and out of her body like before.

  He growled again, the sound bringing her focus back on him. Like the operative he was, Grant’s entire concentration was on the task at hand...Literally.

  With hungry eyes, he watched his finger pumping in and out of her body. With his head between her legs, Grant remained intently focused on her pleasure. Knowing that brought him pleasure aroused her even more.

  Adding a second finger, Grant leaned down and swiped her clit with the tip of his tongue.

  “Grant!” she practically shouted his name. When her lower belly began to tingle, Brynnon knew she was about to come again. “I’m so close.”

  Hearing this, he pumped his fingers harder. Faster. His tongue pressed down, flicking her bundle of nerves a few times before Grant wrapped his lips around it and sucked.

  Brynnon’s hips shot off the bed, her sex pushing against his mouth as she flew into a million pieces. Moving quickly, Grant replaced his fingers with his tongue, licking and sucking every single drop flooding her core.

  She was still flying high when she felt him get off the bed. With her eyes closed, she could hear his soft footsteps as he padded across the room, presumably to retrieve the condom. Sure enough, she heard the telltale sound of foil being ripped open.

  Greedy, Brynnon opened her eyes back up just in time to see Grant rolling the thin protection over his solid length. The hard shaft bobbed as he walked back to the bed and crawled over her body again.

  Brynnon smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

  Chuckling, Grant shook his head. “I should be thanking you.” He brushed some hair from her cheek. “Seeing you fall apart like that was the most beautiful fucking thing in the world.”

  For the second time since coming into this room, Brynnon was rendered speechless.

  “You ready?”

  Brynnon nodded. “Definitely.”

  With his eyes locked on hers, Grant leveled himself on one elbow. Reaching between their bodies, he lined his hot, blunt tip against her sensitive opening and began to press his hips forward.

  Despite the fact that he’d primed her body—twice—Grant was well above-average size, so it took a few tries to get the tip in. Once that happened, he slid his cock all the way inside, not stopping until he was fully seated.

  His body stretched hers to the point of a pleasurable pain, and they moaned in unison from the glorious sensation. She’d never felt so full. So right.

  With his weight on both his elbows, Grant whispered in her ear. “You okay?”

  She nodded, her hair brushing softly against her pillow. “I’ll be better once you start moving.”

  A rush of heated air hit the side of her face as he laughed silently. “Whatever you want,” he told her. And then he began to move.

  Grant slid himself in and out. Brynnon’s fingernails dug into his back, her hips rising in time with his. They moved slowly at first, enjoying the way their bodies felt together...as one.

  Soon, Grant’s breath became more strained and Brynnon’s huffed in and out with more force than before. He thrust inside her with more speed, his movements becoming rougher, but not too much so.

  The rooms filled with sounds of sex. Masculine moans and soft purrs of pleasure. Loud exhales and skin slapping together. Wet heat meeting with hard steel.

  Though she never would have thought it could happen, Brynnon felt a magnificent pressure building for a third time. As if he could sense it, Grant slid a hand down the outside of her leg and lifted her knee.

  Shifting his hips, she gasped loudly when she felt his body rubbing against the exact right spot. Brynnon dug her heel against his taut ass.

  “Jesus,” Grant panted. “Come on, baby.” He slammed into her. “That’s it.” Another thrust. “Come for me.”

  “Grant!”

  “Ah, fuck!”

  Every muscle in their bodies tensed, their climaxes hitting simultaneously. Tiny, white stars flashed behind Brynnon's closed eyes, and she held on tight while Grant finished his ride. Pulling every ounce of pleasure from them both, his movements eventually slowed. Their bodies becoming relaxed.

  Brynnon lay there, more satisfied than ever before, while Grant gently released himself and went to take care of the condom. She was still floating when he made his return.

  Without a word, Grant lifted her from the mattress, pulled down the covers, and tucked her in. Like before, he crawled in beside her, pulling her body flush with his.

  Rough hair tickled her bottom as he leaned over and pressed his lips to her temple. “Goodnight, Princess.”

  Brynnon’s whispered, “Goodnight,” was the last thing she remembered before falling into a deep sleep.

  ****

  Chapter 16

  Grant woke to a soft, barely-there touch. Lying on his stomach, he kept his eyes closed and forced himself not to smile. If he did, if Brynnon knew he was awake, she might stop.

  Doing his best to control his breathing, Grant remained perfectly still while she continued tracing the tattoo on his back with her fingertip. The large, feathered wing covered the upper right portion of his back and shoulder, flowing seamlessly into the full sleeve encasing his entire right arm before stopping at the wrist.

  He knew she’d ask about it the second he woke. Surprisingly, he didn’t find the idea of sharing more of himself with her as scary as before. Probably had something to do with the mind-blowing sex they’d had.

  Christ, he’d never felt anything like her before. Sure, he’d had his share of women, and always left satisfied, but what he’d felt last night with Brynnon? It was fucking indescribable.
>
  The sex, itself was hands-down the best he’d ever experienced. But it had been more than just sex. Much more.

  When Grant slid inside her welcoming body, it felt as if he’d finally found the one place he belonged. Not only was their physical connection stronger than he could’ve imagined, the emotions he felt both during and after were unlike anything he’d ever known.

  One night, and he was already questioning his ability to walk away once this job was over.

  Brynnon’s fingertip hit a particularly sensitive spot causing Grant to move away on reflex.

  “You are awake.” There was humor in her husky voice. “And apparently ticklish.”

  “Don’t even think about,” he warned, his own voice rough from sleep.

  She giggled but didn’t press her luck by tickling him more. Instead, she surprised him with, “You got this for your mom, didn’t you?”

  Grant swallowed, then nodded. “On the year anniversary of her death.”

  “It’s beautiful.” She traced another feather. “Must’ve taken a long time to do.”

  “It took a few sessions. Started with the back and worked my way around.”

  “Is she the one who taught you to dance?”

  “She was.”

  He rolled over so he could see her face, his breath catching in his throat at what he saw. At some point she’d taken her hair down from the style she’d had it in last night. Now, the tussled, auburn waves fell over her shoulders and beyond.

  Jesus, she’s gorgeous first thing in the morning.

  Leaning on one elbow, Brynnon was quiet for a moment before asking, “Why the waltz?”

  Grant rolled his eyes, his chest rising with the deep breath he took. “The school I went to had this stupid prom tradition. Every year, the Junior class had to do a traditional waltz as the first dance of the night. Everyone’s parents would stay and watch and then leave once it was done. I think it all started in the early nineteen hundreds or something.”

  Brynnon smiled wide. “I think that’s a fabulous tradition.”

  “You would.”

  Her jaw dropped. Feigning offense, she teasingly slapped his chest. “Hey!”

  Grant chuckled. “Anyway, in the weeks before my Junior prom, my mom forced me to learn how to do the waltz.” A corner of his mouth curled up at what was now one of his most treasured memories. “Every night after dinner, we’d push the table and chairs against the wall, and dance in the middle of the kitchen.”

  “She was an excellent teacher. I bet she loved watching you and your date on the dance floor.”

  A familiar pain struck his heart. “She didn’t see me.”

  She raised a brow. “Please tell me you didn’t chicken out.”

  “She didn’t see me dance because I didn’t go to my junior prom.”

  Confused, Brynnon asked, “Why not?”

  The memory was damn near as painful as the night it happened. Still, he found himself wanting to share it with her. “I came home from school that day and found her on the living room floor. She was unresponsive.”

  “Oh, Grant. I’m so sorry.”

  “I picked her up and carried her to my car. Drove like a bat out of hell across town to the hospital. They made me wait in the hallway even though I fought like mad to stay with her. I sat there, alone and waiting for what felt like hours. Prayed harder than I ever have for her to be okay. But, when the doctor came out of the room, I could see it on his face. Knew even before he said the words that she was gone.”

  Brynnon’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “That must have been awful.”

  “Yeah. It was.”

  Her smile surprised him. “Your mother would have been so proud of the way you danced last night.”

  And just like that, she took some of the sting away. Lifting his head, Grant pressed his lips to hers in a short, sweet kiss. “Thank you.”

  “This is the SEAL Trident, right?” Her hand brushed across the artwork on his right pec.

  “It is,” he answered. “Got it right after BUD/s.”

  Brynnon’s eyes fell on the small, broken heart covering his own. Grant prayed she couldn’t see how hard it was beating as he wondered what the hell to say next.

  “Is that for your mom, too?” she asked, slowly tracing the dark, jagged edges.

  His chest tightened. Part of him knew he’d have to talk about it at some point, but he’d always assumed it would be with one of the guys. She should know.

  The tiny voice was right. If he had any thoughts at all about starting an actual relationship with this woman, she needed to know the truth.

  “It’s for my son.”

  A set of wide eyes shot to his. “You have a son?”

  “Would have.”

  Understanding sadness washed over her. “You lost him.”

  No, he was fucking ripped away. “In a manner of speaking.”

  She hesitated before asking, “What happened?”

  The pressure in his chest increased, but soon Grant heard himself sharing the whole, twisted story.

  “You asked me once if I’d ever been married. I haven’t, but I came close once. About nine years ago.”

  Grant became focused on a lock of hair brushing against his skin. Taking it between his thumb and forefinger, he concentrated on that. Brynnon stayed quiet, giving him the time he needed to get through this.

  “Her name was Baylee. I met her two years before I left the Teams. She was the only serious relationship I’ve ever been in.” Biggest mistake of my life. “We’d been dating about eight months when I asked her to move in with me. She’d just started law school, and I was making enough, so I told her I’d cover the expenses so she could focus on her schoolwork.”

  “That was nice of you.”

  “I was an idiot.”

  With a scowl, Brynnon asked, “Why do you say that?”

  Grant filled his lungs before letting the air out slowly. “I’d planned to propose on our year anniversary. The week before, our team was granted an unexpected leave. I didn’t tell Baylee. Thought it would be fun to surprise her. Turns out, the surprise was on me.”

  He pressed his lips together, the anger he still felt towards the other woman very much present. “I walked into the house we were renting and found it empty. Furniture, dishes...even the fucking toilet paper was gone.”

  Brynnon’s jaw dropped again. “You’re kidding.”

  “Wish I was.”

  “What a bitch.”

  A low chuckle escaped from his chest. “You have no idea.”

  “Did she at least leave a note or something explaining why she left?”

  “Oh, she left a note. Along with a pile of bills she’d racked up while I was off busting my ass, including two credit cards she’d opened in my name and then maxed out.”

  “That’s horrible.” Brynnon shook her head. “What did the note say?”

  “That she wasn’t cut out to be a military wife after all. Or, a mother. That part confused me. She was on the pill and in school and I was always gone, so we figured we’d wait a while. It wasn’t until a different bill came to the house with her name on it that I understood what she meant. It was from a women’s clinic located a couple towns over.” Grant swallowed against the painful knot in his throat.

  “She had an abortion,” Brynnon whispered the words he couldn’t bear to say out loud.

  He nodded, blinking away the moisture suddenly forming in his eyes. “I didn’t even know she was pregnant. I drove straight to the clinic, expecting them to slam the door in my face, but Baylee had put me down as her emergency contact and had initialed the box stating they could share her information. I don’t think she really cared if I found out after the fact, because she knew she’d already be gone.” His jaw clenched. “Anyway, they told me everything.”

  Pausing, Grant gave himself a moment to regroup before continuing on. “She was about ten weeks along, which meant she got pregnant shortly after we moved in together. She’d gotten sick the week before
we moved in, and the doctors had prescribed some antibiotics. Apparently, they can affect the strength with which certain birth controls work.” He shook his head. “The doctor I spoke to said he was required to do detailed lab work prior to the procedure, in case anything concerning came back. That’s how he knew it was a boy.”

  Twin tears ran down her cheeks. “I don’t even know what to say.”

  “Nothing to say, Princess.” He wiped the moisture from her face before tucking some wayward curls behind her ear. “It was a long time ago.” With a deep, cleansing breath, he pointed to the small tattoo. “But, that’s why I got this. To help me remember.”

  Brynnon leaned up and pressed her sweet lips to the small tattoo. “And that’s why you drew so many lines,” she whispered softly. “To protect your broken heart.”

  A broken heart that, miraculously, was starting to heal. “I’ve never told anyone that story.”

  This surprised her. “Not even Jake or Coop?”

  “No one knows.”

  Emotion filled her eyes and she kissed his chest again. “Thank you for trusting me with it.”

  If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up trusting her with everything he had. You already do.

  Knowing that was one line he wasn’t ready to cross, Grant pulled gently on her shoulders. “Come here.”

  With a smile, she obeyed and for the next hour, he did everything he could to replace the bad memories floating in his head with some that were new. And hotter than hell.

  ****

  Later that afternoon, Brynnon found herself walking aimlessly around the showroom floor looking at furniture she was never going to buy.

  Following Grant’s emotional memory purge and an hour of toe-curling morning sex, she’d spent several hours locked away in her home office trying to catch up on some work. When the furniture store had called to let her know the bedroom set she’d ordered was ready to be picked up, Grant had offered to load it in his truck and drive them to the cabin.

  After a quick session of overnight packing, she was now waiting alone while Grant and a couple of workers loaded everything into the back of his truck. She’d offered to help, but it had gotten noticeably colder, and she’d forgotten to grab her coat. Naturally, her overprotective guard had insisted she stay inside.