Slow Burn (The Archer Brothers)

by Rose Harper

  “I, um …” I take my bottom lip between my teeth, almost making it raw to the touch, when the room brightens from a clap of lightning, showing me the emotions resting on his breathtaking face. “God,” I whisper breathlessly, unwrapping my arms from around his neck, cupping his cheeks between my hands. “Can I—Can we—”

  When my eyes flick down to his lips, before bringing them back up to his, the light begins to fade in the room just as it does in his eyes. “Sparrow. No.”

  “Why?”

  Sighing, I almost groan in ecstasy when his fingers tighten on my hip as the other slowly treks down my spine, grazing over my ribs, before settling on my other hip, tightening to the point of bruising. His touch lights a fire inside of me, making me crave every part of him.

  “We can’t,” he replies gently, so soft I barely hear it.

  “Who says?”

  “Sparrow, you’re treading on uneven ground right now,” he warns. “Your brother—”

  I interrupt, saying, “Is not in this room right now. It’s only us.”

  Groaning, I whimper when his hands slide painstakingly slowly from my hips, feeling every valley and crevice between each rib as his hands come to rest just under the swell of my swollen breasts.

  “Declan,” I gasp, arching my back, pressing my breasts toward him.

  As if he’s whispering it to himself, he says, “God, do you know how much I’ve wanted you? How every time I see you, I can barely stop myself from holding you just like this.”

  A break in the storm clouds allows moonlight to shine through his bedroom window, bathing every sliver of his skin in its silvery glow. He looks like a god sitting under me, virile, strong … perfect.

  “Take me,” I utter, panting as his thumb strokes the underside of my breasts, almost coming into contact with my taut nipples. “Take me and never stop.”

  “What if you wake up tomorrow and regret everything, little bird?” he rasps, pulling me toward him.

  My breath halts in my chest as he pulls me closer, his cock growing harder beneath me. First, he softly forces my chest against his. Then, he slides his hands around me, the blunt tips of his fingers pulling me closer as his hands flatten against my shoulder blades. My pulse thrums wildly as our faces grow closer and closer, the scent of him teasing my nostrils, almost becoming unbearable.

  My entire world tilts on its axis as his face continues growing closer and closer, forcing me to tip my head to the side as he puts his face against my collarbone. A breath hisses out of me as I feel the warm suction of his lips as he presses a soft, tender kiss on my chest before lightly skimming his lips over my collarbone, steadily rising. Dragging his lips up my throat, I gulp harshly, shuddering in his lap as his mouth sucks the sensitive part of my neck that rests below my ear.

  “Little bird,” he sighs, allowing his bottom lip to slowly slide up my jaw until it rests at the base of my earlobe. “You have no idea what you’re asking of me—how hard the temptation is to resist.”

  “Why resist?” I ask, my breathing growing shallow. “Please, Declan. Plea—”

  My wanton pleas break him, shattering his resolve. My body trembles against his as a whimper slides from between my parted lips, and I shift to get closer to him. My entire body heightens with arousal as his arm rises, his fingers weaving through my soft tendrils as he pulls his face away from mine. As our eyes connect, whatever he sees in them solidifies his decision.

  Licking his lips, his eyes drop to mine as I do the same, seconds before both arms tighten around me and his lips crash against mine. I open for him, wrapping my arms around him to bring him closer, as his tongue slips between my parted lips, skillfully dueling with mine. Groans reverberate in his chest so harshly I feel it all the way to my soul.

  Slowly, I rock against him, whimpering into his mouth as I feel his hand on my back deftly undoing the buttons on my silk nightgown. With each button, I feel the dress giving away more and more until finally, the straps fall away from my shoulders, allowing my nightgown to pool around my waist in a mess of silk.

  Breaking the kiss, he leans away, his eyes slowly lowering, eating me up with his gaze. My nipples tighten further under the onslaught.

  “I’ve never—my God,” he growls. “You’re so goddamn beautiful.”

  His admission causes my cheeks to heat with pleasure instead of embarrassment. People say everyone’s first time is supposed to be awkward, as both parties fumble around the other’s body. Only, there’s no fumbling on Declan’s part. He knows exactly what he wants and can take it.

  Leaning forward, my head flies back when he latches onto my nipple, rolling his tongue over the throbbing bud. Crying out, my chest rises and falls harshly, then mind-numbing pleasure overtakes me when he wraps his lips around me, suckling.

  “Oh, God,” I pant, shuddering.

  Shifting us, Declan spreads me out on the bed beneath him, never once breaking contact with my breasts. My fingers continue running through his thick, raven-colored locks, pulling at the strands when he starts grinding his hardened length against my soaked panties.

  “Tell me to stop,” he whispers, his mouth unlatching from my breast. “Tell me to stop right now, and I … Goddammit, I swear I will.”

  Licking my lips, I boldly take his face in my hands, bringing his lips back to mine. “No. I want you. I want every part of you.”

  Slowly, Declan’s hand inches up my thigh, causing wetness to pool in my core as my clit starts throbbing with arousal. His touch is nothing like my own when I’m alone in my room. It makes me needier, more wanton than anything I’ve ever felt before. His touch feels so euphoric I never want to be without it again.

  “Then you’ll have me, little bird. You’ll have everything your pure heart desires.”

  Grabbing my panties, he slides them over my hips before slowly divesting me of them and dropping them on the floor. Spreading my legs, I watch him silently, seeing his eyes hooded with desire as he stares back at me, removing his pajama pants.

  A soft gasp resonates through the room when I spy his velvety smooth, iron hard cock bob when he pulls his pants down to his legs, then tosses them off the bed to land beside my panties. Situating himself between my spread thighs, we both groan when his cock slides against my folds, teasing both of us with the idea of what’s to come.

  “Are you on birth control, Sparrow?” he asks seriously. “Because I don’t want anything between us for this. I want to feel all of you, and I want you to feel all of me.”

  “Yes,” I release, sucking in a sharp breath when a breathtaking smile morphs his features.

  Positioning himself, he leans down on one forearm, resting his hand on the side of my face, caressing my cheek as he lovingly stares into my eyes. “Sugar, I know you’re still innocent, so I’ll take this slow, okay?”

  Nodding, I couldn’t speak even if I wanted it. My emotions have formed a lump in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe, let alone speak.

  Staying silent, I stare up at him with wide eyes when he reaches between us, positioning himself at my entrance. When I feel the blunt head of his cock rest there, I stiffen, unknowing. He senses my reaction, giving me a reassuring smile as he holds his breath, pressing forward.

  Pressure I’ve never felt before blooms in my pussy, forcing me to release a grunt as it becomes too much. But he doesn’t stop like I think he will—he keeps onward, slipping in an inch at a time, taking precious care of me as he goes. When the head of his cock nudges the barrier, a pinch ensues as he pushes past, causing tears to prick my eyes and heat to bloom in my pussy.

  Grunting, he shuts his eyes tight, his arms shaking like a leaf and forces himself to push forward. I cry out as pain shocks my system, feeling the slow burn rise to a blazing inferno. His body leans forward between my spread thighs, and his lips take mine in a ravenous kiss. I open for him, whimpering as he stops and allows my body to adjust to the new intrusion.

  “Shh,” he coos, breaking the kiss. “The pain will be over in just a min
ute. I promise.”

  Sucking in a sharp breath, tears leak down the sides of my cheeks as he looks deep into my watery eyes. Hiccupping on a sob, I nod, knowing Declan wouldn’t knowingly hurt me. Pressing his lips back to mine, I put my all into the kiss—my pain, my pleasure, my love.

  Groaning, his hand cups my face as he gets just as lost as I am. When he takes my bottom lip between his teeth, biting, it distracts me as his tongue begins to swirl with mine. A rush of adrenaline sears through me as energy I didn’t know I had zaps every fissure of my body. Deepening the kiss, I’m taken off guard as he forces the rest of his thick cock into my tight cavern, taking any part of the innocence I have left.

  I force my head back into the pillow. “It hurts.”

  “It’s okay. Give it a minute,” he retorts, peppering my face with loving kisses.

  Staying inside, he never moves an inch as I accustom myself to the feel of him. Before long, the blistering pain lowers to a dull ache, and finally, to nothing more than the fullness of him being inside me. Glancing up, panting, I nod my head at him to continue.

  Testing it, he withdraws, causing pleasure I’ve never comprehended to spread through me, replacing the pain entirely. Moaning, I tilt my hips up as he presses back inside me, his cock easily slipping in. Leaning all the way down, he rests on his forearms as he starts thrusting in and out, in and out, setting a rhythm that has me squirming beneath him.

  “You’re heaven, little bird. You’re what every sinner craves; every man’s last wish before he leaps into hell’s fiery lake for all eternity,” he groans, pumping in and out, growing in speed.

  Sweat peppers our skin as the sounds of our coupling reverberate off the walls, the melody of our bodies joining over and over again as we moan with each push and pull. His hips connect with mine, growing faster and faster. His body wrings every ounce of pleasure out of me as mine does the same to him.

  I don’t know what this feeling is, but if I had to describe it, it feels like two souls branding each other.

  It feels like the start of forever.

  Chapter Three

  Sparrow

  Present Day …

  This is not happening. No, no, no, no—hell no! I refuse to believe it. I’ll call bullshit until the day I die. Because my brother isn’t as ignorant as his actions make him out to be.

  First off, I never expected my brother to go through with this sham of a wedding. That’s fault numero uno.

  Two, and this one is a biggie—I never expected him to choose the only person who makes my blood boil to be a part of the goddamn wedding party. That reason is like two through a million. Fuck that. Infinity.

  He hates me.

  That’s the only logical explanation.

  My brother’s getting a kick out of this crap, and it’s all at my expense. I swear, I think he’s doing this on purpose just to see my reaction when I finally see that asshole’s face again.

  Otherwise, Declan Archer’s invitation to Derrick’s wedding would have ended up in the trash instead of the post.

  In the trash, with a raunchy pile of dog shit on top of it.

  “You can’t be serious,” I say, fuming.

  Derrick knows Declan’s absence fucked with my head. He doesn’t know the reason why, but shouldn’t my innate loathing of him be enough to stop him from inviting him? I mean, come on.

  Before Declan left, I was open, loving, everyone’s best friend. Now, I’m a shell of a person I once was—the total opposite of who I used to be. I constantly keep my guard up for fear of anyone doing me the way Declan did. There’re only so many times you can go through that before there’s no hope for you.

  “Very,” Derrick offers, smiling.

  “Tell me again why he’s coming back?” I ask, trailing after my brother.

  “We’ve been over this already, Sparrow. Declan’s my best man.”

  Scoffing, I reply, “So? That doesn’t mean anything. He can wish you goodwill and great sex from his penthouse two thousand miles away.”

  A little over ten years ago, Declan Archer left without so much as a goodbye. Hell, he didn’t even leave me a note letting me know why after the last night we spent together. He simply left like a thief in the night, packed his bags and whisked away to the other side of the country. For what? I have no clue. But he did, and I doubt I’ll ever get an explanation why. The only person who knew where he was and what he was doing, or lack thereof, was Derrick. The damn asshole that kept a tight-as-fuck lid on that shit, refusing to tell anyone. It was years before he had enough balls to tell me where Declan ran off to, and the answer left me with my jaw hitting the floor.

  He took off to Hollywood to be some type of entrepreneur. When I asked Derrick what kind, he couldn’t even tell me the answer to that. All he said was, “that’s his business, and I don’t get into Declan’s business.” I went through years of heartache and depression. Years of wondering why I wasn’t enough to make him stay, but instead, caused him to run the other way as fast as his legs could carry him.

  Years of believing I’d never be enough for anyone if I wasn’t enough to make him stay.

  Thanks to him, I got so low, cowering within myself, that I couldn’t see anything in front of me. I was so lost, gutted—felt so unwanted—I didn’t know what to do with myself. I ambled from day to day, wondering if my life was ever going to look up. I didn’t want to do anything, go anywhere, or be around anyone.

  However, that all changed when Drake came into my life. With him, even the most daunting of times seemed bearable. The storm clouds opened up, allowing the sun to shine for the first time in months. He made me realize that I was strong. Stronger than I gave myself credit for. I was no longer the cowering little woman Declan left behind. I was a woman who got my act together, went after what I wanted, and went toe-to-toe with the devil himself if I didn’t get it.

  I was, and still am, the frigid bitch no one wants to mess with. Except, apparently, my older brother.

  “You know that’s not how it works.” My brother laughs out, completely disregarding my inner freak-out session. And I am—freaking out, that is. You would be, too, if the bane of your existence was about to walk through the door to start off a week of hell.

  “Why can’t that be the way—”

  “Hello, is anyone home?” A voice I would know anywhere—since it plays on repeat in my dreams—calls out through the foyer, just before the sound of luggage slaps against the entrance floor.

  Kill me now.

  “I don’t know what happened to make you hate him, but everything is going to be just fine,” Derrick assures me, backtracking as he makes his way toward the front door. “It’s been a decade, Sparrow. When are you going to forgive and forget?”

  If only he knew what I needed to forgive, he wouldn’t be so … so … team Declan that it’s almost nauseating.

  Of its own accord, my head starts slowly shaking back and forth. No. Nothing about this is going to be fine. How am I supposed to survive a full week being in the same house as this man? Especially knowing what I know and what Declan doesn’t?

  Yes, I have my own secret he’s not privy of, too. And if it’s left up to me, he’ll never know. Because there’s no way, even if I did forgive him—and my brother is a certified dick for even saying that.

  Releasing a huff, I turn around and make my way toward the living room. As I pass through the kitchen, Margie, our cook, continues to prepare our dinner for this evening. When our eyes meet, her smile morphs into a frown. I should have known she would notice the storm clouds brewing over my mood. She’s always been intuitive when it comes to me. Plus, it’s probably kind of hard to miss the resting bitch face I’m sure to be shooting her way.

  She doesn’t know what happened, either, but that doesn’t stop her from hating on Declan as much as I do. In fact, out of all my family, she’s the only one who appears to be on my side. If it were left up to my family, Declan could do no wrong. They think the sun rises and sets in his ass, even after all this
time.

  Out of my whole family, Margie is the closest to me, and the only one who has an inkling of what happened between Declan and me. All she had to do was notice my behavior after he left and put two and two together. Even then, she doesn’t know everything—not like my best friend and college roommate, Brandy Jacobs. She doesn’t know the secret I’m keeping from my family or anyone remotely connected to my family.

  It’s something that very few people need to know about. I’ve always heard the more people you get involved, the more likely the entire situation is bound to blow up in your face. I, for one, like my face the way it is. I worked hard for it, and I don’t need anything ruining it anytime soon.

  “You got this, love. Remember, it’s only a week,” she whispers, winking.

  Her reassurances do nothing to lighten the storm clouds gathering over me, threatening to crack open and downpour at any moment. If anything, it makes it worse. So much worse.

  Sighing, I give her a tight smile and say nothing. As I make my way through the hallway, I find myself straightening my shirt, dusting off my skin-tight capris, and feathering out my long, luxurious multi-colored locks, as if to make myself more presentable. The fuck? Stopping mid-fluff, I roll my eyes and growl under my breath. Declan is nothing more than the asshat who’s best friends with my big brother. He doesn’t deserve to see me at my best, especially since he couldn’t take me at my worst.

  Quietly, I ready myself with a long inhalation for courage and step into the living room. I come face-to-face with the man who’s been the object of my thoughts, anger, and lust for the past ten years. He’s standing in a three-piece, tailored-to-fit-him suit that makes him look like a million bucks, with not one hair out of place.

  If I didn’t hate him before, I’d hate him on mere principle now. Especially for being able to travel a bazillion miles and still look like he’s fresh out of the shower. Prick.

  As much as I hate it, and will probably bleach them out later for it, I can’t stop my eyes from roaming slowly over him, seeing he’s just as tantalizingly fit as he was back then. Actually, now that I’m looking closer, he seems bigger, more muscular, more defined. Pair that with a clean-shaven face, gelled hair, broad shoulders, towering height, and just a smidge of tattoos peeking above the top of his collar—no wonder women fawn all over him. He’s the perfect package … even though he’s a dick.