The Sweetest Mistake (O'Brien Brothers #2)

by Susan Coventry

  “You’re right.”

  “And furthermore… Wait…did you just say I’m right?”

  Laughing, he said, “You’re right, and I was wrong, and I’ll keep on saying it until you believe me.”

  Narrowing her eyes at him, she said, “This doesn’t make everything better, you know.”

  “I know,” he said.

  “And we still have a lot of talking to do.”

  “I know that too.”

  “And you should also know that I’m not happy about Cam being back in your life.”

  “I’d never expect you to be,” he said, reaching out to finger a lock of her hair.

  I love it when he does that. “And from here on out, I want to be in the loop.”

  “Got it,” he said, moving his other hand up to cradle her cheek.

  Damn. Now I’m doomed. “I don’t want you keeping things from me, even things that you think might upset me.”

  “Noted,” he said, rubbing his thumb over her trembling bottom lip.

  She shuddered from the touch, her limbs loosening, her brain going numb.

  “And?” he said, eyebrows raised.

  “And what?”

  Eyes sparkling with amusement, he said, “I was just expecting another and.”

  But she was done ranting. Standing this close, breathing his scent, having his hands on her—he had the same effect he always did.

  “And…if we have sex right now, that doesn’t mean you’re completely forgiven.”

  He smiled then, slid his arms around her waist, and pulled her close so their hips were touching. “We don’t have to do this,” he said, giving her the option to change her mind.

  Rubbing against his erection, she replied, “You’re wrong about that too.”

  Chapter Five

  Connor lifted her up then, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her down the hall to her bedroom. But unlike the first time they’d had sex, they didn’t immediately rip each other’s clothes off. This time, his movements were slow, deliberate, and he stripped her defenses with every look, every kiss, every caress.

  She needed this, needed him, and she suspected that he needed this too. It was like they were reaffirming the relationship that they’d just started building before it had all come crashing down. When Connor removed his shirt, Julia’s hand immediately went to his tattoo, and as she traced the design with her finger, she remembered the first time she’d seen it up close…

  Breathing hard, Connor looked down at her and said, “You sure about this?”

  “Positive.”

  Acting like he hadn’t heard her, he said, “Because the last thing I want is for you to regret this in the morning.”

  “No regrets,” she said, untucking his shirt from his jeans.

  “I mean it, Julia. I’d rather be your friend than have you hate me.”

  “Who says I’m going to hate you?”

  “Just saying.”

  She’d untucked his gray Henley, and now she slid her hands underneath it, reveling in the feel of his solid, warm chest beneath her fingers. And then she stilled her hands and gazed up at him.

  “Regretting it already?” he asked, his voice gruff.

  “No. Just wondering if you’re going to kiss me or not?”

  “That was one of the songs they played tonight,” he said as her hands splayed over his chest.

  “Just answer the question.”

  “Hell yeah, I am.”

  And the next thing she knew, his lips were on hers, capturing her mouth in a searing kiss. She melted into it, letting herself get swept up in the moment. They were slammed up against the front door, her hands roaming under his shirt, when suddenly he cupped her butt cheeks, picked her up, and started walking toward the couch.

  “No. Not here,” she said, her lust-drunk voice barely recognizable to her own ears. “The bedroom.”

  Other than the dim light that filtered in through the blinds, it was dark, so she couldn’t read his expression, but he halted mid-stride. “I’m gonna ask you one more time…”

  “Stop asking. I thought you wanted this.”

  “I do, but it’s you I’m worried about.”

  “Well, don’t be. Last door down the hall on the right.”

  When they reached her bedroom, Connor let her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor. And it was then that she realized what she was agreeing to. She’d never done this before—invited a man into her bedroom that she wasn’t seriously involved with. But something about it felt extremely liberating and right. And it wasn’t about Connor and what he wanted. It was about her and what she wanted. Looking at him standing there in the moonlight that was seeping in through the blinds, she was even more sure.

  “You gonna stand there and stare, or are we gonna get naked?” he asked, his voice smooth and sexy.

  “Oh, we’re going to get naked, but you first.”

  Eyebrows raised, he said, “Whatever the lady wants.” And with that, he yanked his shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor.

  She saw a glimpse of the black ink on his right bicep as he moved his hands to his belt buckle, and she shivered.

  Smiling, Connor continued his striptease, slowly unbuckling his belt and then unfastening his jeans.

  Frozen to the spot, Julia waited, and then in a flash, his jeans and boxer briefs hit the floor.

  Swallowing hard, she took it all in, letting her eyes leisurely wander over him from head to toe and back again. She’d known he was built from seeing him work outside at the studio. The way his muscles strained and rippled when he’d shoveled mulch or trimmed the trees and bushes. The way his jeans had stretched over his tight butt and rode low on his narrow hips when he’d reached for something. But she’d never seen him like this—erection jutting out proudly, begging for her touch.

  He’d let her look, but now he sounded impatient when he said, “Your turn.”

  Julia wasn’t hard-packed like him, but she took care of herself, and she was proud of her curvy figure. She’d expected to feel nervous about getting naked with someone she didn’t know that well, but for some reason, she wasn’t. The way Connor looked at her when she was fully dressed gave her the confidence she needed to undress before him.

  Treating him to the same kind of show he’d given her, she began unbuttoning her shirt and then slipped it off her shoulders. As she was pulling her cami over her head, she heard his sharp intake of breath, and she smiled.

  “Damn, woman,” he said, zeroing in on her ample cleavage. “Didn’t realize you were so…stacked.”

  Smiling some more, she reached around her back and unclasped her bra, and then she slowly slid down the straps to reveal her full breasts.

  Connor took a step forward, looking eager to touch, but she put up a palm and said, “Not yet.”

  The look he gave her made her feel powerful and in control of the situation instead of the other way around. She wondered for a moment if this was new to him—if he was used to being in charge.

  Julia kept her eyes pinned on his as she unfastened her jeans, and hooking her fingers in her panties, she shimmied out of them. It was late fall, and the temperature had gone down considerably, but her body felt like it was burning up under his intense gaze.

  And then, two seconds later, they tumbled onto the bed, hands, mouths, and tongues clashing together in a lusty battle where they were both winners.

  Julia fully abandoned her cares as he explored her body, palming her breasts in his large, work-toughened hands and then replacing his hands with his mouth, sucking a nipple deep into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it. They were lying on their sides, and she arched her hips forward to rub against his erection as she coiled her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in the soft hair at his nape.

  In a quick move, Connor rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she straddled him. Pushing against his chest, she sat up and slid her center back and forth along his hard length while he plucked her taut
nipples.

  “Not gonna last if you keep doing that,” he said gruffly.

  “Me neither,” she said, her voice fluttery.

  Gripping her hips, he lifted her off him and bent over the edge of the bed to retrieve his jeans. While he was rolling on a condom, Julia lay on her back and waited, anxious to have him inside her. But once Connor was sheathed, he leaned over her and ran a fingertip down the center of her body, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.

  “So pretty,” he said before dipping the same finger into her opening.

  “Ahhh,” she moaned as he flicked her most sensitive spot.

  “Good?”

  “Um-hmm.”

  He kept going, teasing her with one finger and then two, until she squirmed and tightened beneath him.

  “Hold that thought,” he said, and then nudging her legs wider apart, he entered her, her hips tilting up to receive him.

  Once he was fully rooted, there was no stopping either one of them. Holding her head in his hands and locking eyes, he rocked into her with hard, deep thrusts that had the bed groaning under their weight. Soon they came with equal intensity, each of them vocal in their enthusiasm.

  Afterward, Connor rolled off her, and she tucked into his side, palm on his chest, as their breathing returned to normal. He played with a lock of her hair, twirling it around his fingers repeatedly, neither of them saying a word.

  Finally, after a few more minutes of silence, Connor said, “Be right back.”

  She watched him pad naked from her bed into the attached bathroom and close the door, and then she pulled a sheet up over her, suddenly cold without his body heat.

  Staring up at the ceiling fan, she thought about what they’d done, but amazingly, she didn’t have any regrets. She knew what this was about—what he was about—and she was okay with it. True, it wasn’t a real relationship, and it might never be, but what was wrong with having a little fun? They were young and single, and nobody was going to get hurt as long as they were open with each other. She could handle this.

  And then he padded back in and crawled under the sheet next to her. Propping himself up on an elbow, he peered down at her and said, “Regrets?”

  “No.”

  “Wow. Gotta say I’m a little surprised.”

  “Why?”

  “I didn’t expect this to happen tonight.”

  “But you expected it to happen someday, right?”

  Brushing her hair off her shoulder, he said, “I hoped so.”

  She was surprised too, not just at herself, but at his tenderness. Even though their sex had been—hurried—he’d been thoughtful and considerate, seemingly as interested in giving pleasure as in receiving it.

  “I enjoyed it,” she said quietly, afraid to give him too many accolades. She was still determined to maintain control of the situation.

  He chuckled. “I kind of gathered that.”

  “What about you?” she asked, turning on her side to face him. She couldn’t help but be curious, considering that he’d probably had a lot more sexual experiences than her.

  “It was even better than I imagined.”

  His admission made her heart squeeze along with another part of her, but it was her heart she was worried about. “You probably say that to all the girls.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “You’re wrong.”

  Since they were venturing into dangerous territory, she decided to change the subject. “Turn your arm this way a little more. I want to see your tattoo.”

  “It’s a compass,” he said, twisting his arm so she could see.

  Julia ran her fingertips over the ink, tracing the pattern thoughtfully. “What does it mean?”

  He laughed. “It doesn’t have any deep meaning. I just liked the design.”

  “When did you get it?”

  “A few years ago.”

  “Hmm. Does it have anything to do with you being adventurous?”

  “Maybe. It’s kind of like a reminder that there’s a great big world out there and you can travel in any direction you want to go.”

  And now here they were, bringing each other pleasure amidst the uncertainty swirling around them. His body was familiar to her now, but no less exciting. She knew exactly what he liked, and vice versa. And after the slow buildup, when Connor finally slid inside her, she felt her worries disappear.

  She let go of the need for control, of her fears about their future, of her worries about his ex-girlfriend reappearing in his life. She simply let herself feel. Running her hands down his broad back, she gripped his buttocks tightly as he thrust into her, and she clenched her sex around him.

  Her lips were swollen from when he’d sucked them into his mouth, her skin sensitive where his day-old stubble had rasped against her. His fingers dug into her hips as he picked up the pace, chasing his release as she bucked up beneath him.

  And the whole time, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her, hadn’t allowed his eyes to close. It was like he needed to see her respond to him, needed the affirmation that she still wanted him. And she did. She’d never stopped.

  Leaning over her, he paused for a moment and gazed at her, looking like he had something to say. But her body was already too far gone to wait.

  “Connor…I need…”

  “Tell me.”

  She wanted to say, “I need you,” but instead, she said, “I need to come.”

  Knowing the best way to get her there, he flipped them over so she was on top. In this position, she controlled the tempo, and it didn’t take long before she shattered against him, his climax following right on her heels.

  Afterward, she lay tucked into his side, her hand splayed across his chest, his hand stroking her hair. This, she knew. This, she understood. Their physical connection. They’d had it from the beginning, and in that regard, nothing had changed. Although everything had, and she feared their physical connection wasn’t going to be enough to propel them forward. But maybe it was a step in the right direction. If nothing else, it had instilled her with a sense of calm that she hadn’t felt for the last several days.

  “You never answered my question,” Connor said, turning onto his side to face her. “Will you come over this weekend when I tell my family?”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to do it alone?”

  “Positive. I’d like you to be there.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  Eyes lighting up at her answer, Connor leaned in and softly kissed her. It might have been his form of a simple thank you, but she still felt it all the way down to her toes. Leaning up on her elbow, she looked past him to the clock on her bedside table and was surprised to see how late it was.

  “It’s getting late,” she said.

  “Are you kicking me out?” he asked while he traced a circle around one of her exposed nipples.

  “No. It’s just that we both have to work tomorrow.”

  Trailing his finger over to the other nipple, he repeated the pattern, seemingly mesmerized by the sight of them hardening in response to his touch.

  “I’ll leave if you want me to,” he said, gliding his hand down the midline of her body and pausing right above her sex.

  It probably would have been the wise thing to do, to ask him to leave, but her body disagreed.

  “I guess it won’t hurt if you stay a little longer,” she said breathlessly. So much for staying strong.

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, his hand disappearing between her legs.

  And so, they got lost in each other again, using their hands and mouths this time since he’d only brought one condom.

  Bodies already primed, they peaked much quicker this time, and after they caught their breath, she said, “Okay. Now you have to leave.”

  Laughing, he crawled out of bed and started gathering his clothes.

  “I’ll let you get your beauty rest even though you don’t need it. You’re already beautiful enough.”

  She’d been sitting up in bed, sheet tucked around her br
easts, watching him dress and already missing him. But for some reason, she kept that little nugget to herself.

  “Thank you,” she said, beaming at the compliment. He’d told her she was beautiful before, so it was nothing new, but she still liked hearing it. Funny, Alec had told her the same thing, but his words hadn’t had the same effect. Maybe it was because Connor didn’t talk as much, so when he gave her a compliment, she knew he really meant it.

  “Let me walk you to the door,” she said and started to rise.

  “No. Stay there. I want to think of you just like that,” he said. He’d said the same thing after the first time they’d made love. She wondered if he remembered it too, and based on his grin, she knew he had.

  After she heard the front door click shut behind him, she burrowed under the covers and inhaled deeply. She could still smell him and still felt the warmth from where he’d lain. And for the first time since she’d found out about the baby, she fell into a peaceful sleep.

  Chapter Six

  Connor left Julia’s house feeling a helluva lot better than he’d felt for days. And it had nothing to do with getting laid. Of course, that hadn’t hurt. He’d gone to her house wondering if she’d even talk to him, with no expectations of having sex. But now his hope was restored that all was not lost.

  When she’d agreed to be there when he told his family about the baby, that had been the icing on the cake. He wanted her by his side even though he had no right to expect that of her. When he’d conveyed that to her, she’d gotten mad at him. He smiled remembering how feisty she’d looked with her hands planted on her hips, her deep brown eyes sparking with anger, her full, kissable lips set in a straight line. Even angry, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

  And he didn’t blame her for being angry—not one bit. This was the second time he’d screwed up in the past few months, and he had a strong premonition that it was three strikes and you’re out. He couldn’t afford to mess up again. As his Jeep bumped down the dirt road to his house, he recalled their first fight…