by Lexi Blake
Chapter Eight
I’m fine, Drew,” Shelby said. Hours later, the house had finally calmed down. Noah was settled in the pool house and the family had all gone to bed.
Drew frowned her way. “Have you noticed the scrape on your shoulder? You’re not fine. You should have seen a doctor. I’m going to call and see if I can get the security cameras. There have to be some around that parking lot.”
“I already put in the request with security,” she replied in a calm tone because it looked like she would have to soothe the savage geek tonight.
Drew was restless, his irritation evident in the way he paced. Drew was normally still, like a predator waiting for a nice fat rabbit to show up. Not tonight. He was a tiger in a cage.
Likely because he’d spent the day trying without any luck to find his mentor.
She was interested in that SUV, too. Though it seemed like Noah had shaken it off and Mia and Carly had moved on to helping plan the reception, Shelby couldn’t quite stop thinking about the incident.
She hadn’t been able to tell if it was a man or a woman driving. The SUV had swerved out of the proper lane and into the oncoming one. If she hadn’t pulled Noah away, he could have been hit and killed.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Drew said as he closed the bedroom door.
“What am I thinking?” They were finally alone. It had been interesting to sit beside him during dinner. Seeing him with his family had been a revelation. They all looked to him. Every one of them.
Mia had asked his advice about buying a condo in Dallas. She wanted him to look at the contract before they signed on the dotted line, but she also wanted his advice on whether they should go ahead and get a house.
Bran wanted to talk about work and managing some difficult project. Carly needed advice on her start-up company.
Even Riley had called.
Drew was the head of the family, but from what she could tell, he took nothing for himself. He was there for everyone in his family, but he forgot that he could need support, too. When she’d gotten back and asked Bran if Drew had found Hatch, he’d merely smiled and told her not to worry. Drew would find him.
Shelby knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his brothers and sisters adored him, but Drew needed to realize that they had families now.
And Drew had someone he could count on, too.
Drew paced the floor. He was still wearing his slacks and shirt from earlier in the day, though he’d taken off his loafers. The sight of his socked feet struck her as intimate. “You think it’s Hatch.”
She’d changed into jeans and a tank top, but she was ready to get comfortable. A long, hot shower was exactly what she needed.
Maybe she shouldn’t take it alone. Maybe it was what they both needed.
“I think it could have been a lot of things.” She definitely wasn’t having an argument with him when she had no proof. The security team had promised to check the tapes and send her anything they could find in the morning. Even then she probably wouldn’t discuss it with Drew. He had enough on his mind. “Besides, I don’t think Hatch drives an SUV. He has a Porsche, right?”
Drew nodded. “Yes. It’s a midlife crisis on four wheels. And I swear, Shelby, he’s not capable of this. Hatch might be worried about Noah, but he wouldn’t physically hurt him. He’s at some cheap-ass motel with a bottle and a prostitute who I pray to god knows to use a condom.”
“He needs some time,” Shelby pointed out. “Things are happening quickly and he needs time to adjust. He found out a woman he thought was dead isn’t, and now she had an extra kiddo. Some people would say it’s a reasonable reaction to a shocking life twist.”
Drew frowned. “I should go back out. I checked his usual haunts, but I haven’t started on the dive bars yet.”
He had a meeting at eight in the morning. She knew because he’d spent every second he wasn’t out looking for Hatch on the phone talking about the board meeting. If he was out all night looking for Hatch, he wouldn’t get any sleep. Stress would heap upon stress, and no one would even know because Drew wasn’t human to them. He was Superman and Captain America all rolled up into one. Never faltering. Never, ever failing.
Never needing.
“Or you could stay here and get some rest.”
He scrubbed a hand through his hair, his weariness apparent. “Even if I stay, I have to work. I have a meeting in the morning.”
Which she was sure he’d already prepped for. “You’re ready for the meeting. Come to bed.”
His eyes strayed to the bed, longing plain in them. He might not know how to ask for it, but it was clear what he wanted.
He wanted a little peace, some pleasure. A few moments that belonged to him.
She was the only one who could give him that.
“I don’t think so. I’ve been thinking, Shelby. It wasn’t fair of me to force you to sleep with me.” He flushed a little, but he looked straight at her. “I thought if I could get you into bed, you would end up sleeping with me. I mean not sleeping . . . fucking. I thought you would end up fucking me.”
He was cute when he was flustered. The very fact that he was apologizing meant something to Shelby. He wasn’t a man who apologized. He manipulated.
“I agreed to move in with you.”
“Because I kind of put you in a corner and forced you to,” he pointed out.
He’d also given a whole new life to a woman who’d needed it. She’d talked to her friend earlier and she was beyond happy in her new home.
“Would you have left Noah in jail if I’d refused your bargain?”
He sighed. “If you’d walked away entirely, then probably, yes. I would have been perturbed and he would have been a logical target. If you had simply stood your ground, I would have backed off.”
“I knew that, Drew.”
“Then why . . . were you trying to teach me a lesson?”
She stood up. It was time to make a few things plain to him. “I let you manipulate me into this room because deep down I wanted to sleep with you. I signed that contract because I wanted to get to know you. Now that I know you better, I think I would like to move forward, but I can’t do that if you never concentrate on what you need for yourself. What do you need more tonight? Do you need more work or do you need to spend the night in bed with me? Think about it while I take a shower. It was a long day and if you decide on work, understand I’m going to masturbate, and if that offends you, too bad. I’ll be out in a little while.”
Shelby turned and walked into the monstrosity of decadence that made up his bathroom. It was far bigger than her apartment had been and probably cost more than her entire building.
She turned on the water to hot. The shower itself was practically a room.
What would he choose? Would he no longer enjoy the game because she’d taken control of it? Would she scare him off? It was better to know now than to get her heart broken later. Carly was right. She couldn’t change who she was, and maybe her assertive nature wasn’t what Drew would be attracted to.
She turned and had her answer. Drew was standing in the bathroom, his eyes on her.
“Tell me this isn’t some play to get me to do something you want,” he said.
Really? “It isn’t, but you’re kind of the king of that move. Do you want to accuse me of that?”
“I want you to be better than me. I want to be able to trust you even if I don’t deserve it at all. Even if you can’t trust me. How fair is that? If I had any honor at all I would walk away from you right now and spare you the pain.”
So much drama. She pulled her top over her head and tossed it aside. “I don’t see you walking away, Lawless.”
His eyes went straight to her chest. “I told you I would do that if I had any honor. I don’t.”
She slid out of her pants so she was standing in front of him wearing not
hing but her bra and panties. They weren’t particularly sexy, but she couldn’t tell it from the way he was looking at her.
“Tell me why you picked me.”
“I have to do that when your breasts are on display?” His voice was husky as steam began to fill the room. “Have you looked at yourself? You are absolutely the sexiest woman I’ve ever set eyes on. Take off the bra. I want to see all of you.”
She wanted to see him, too, but beyond that she needed to lead him to a place where they could be totally honest with each other. “So you just wanted to sleep with me and I happened to have a set of skills you could use?”
His lips curled up in the sexiest smirk. “Baby, if all I wanted to do was sleep with you, I would have come at you in the beginning. I do have some charm when I want to call it up. I don’t want to use charm with you. I want you to like me for the nasty bastard I am. I want you to know me and still not be able to walk away.”
That was exactly what she wanted to hear. “So this isn’t some kind of one-night stand? Are you planning on continuing the relationship even after we’ve finished the work we’re doing together?”
“I will want you after all this is through. I’m not some wishy-washy prick who’s going to change his mind, but I think you will. I think when you figure out who I am and what I’m capable of, you’ll walk away.”
She was made of sterner stuff than that. She let her hands drift back to unhook her bra. “Well, if I’m going to run soon, I should at least enjoy you while I have you.”
His eyes darkened. “If that’s the way it’s going to be, then I’ll take it. I’ll take anything you give me. God, you’re beautiful. Let me touch you.”
She slipped her undies off, her body heating up at the thought of finally giving in to him. Though it was more about giving in to herself, her own needs. She’d spent the years since her brother’s death in a holding pattern, mourning everything she’d lost. It was time to live again. She’d lost one family, but if Drew was being honest with her, she could find another one here with him.
It was what she’d thought about all night long.
“I told you what I was going to do, Drew. I want a shower. I want to wash off the day and I want to feel good. If you want the same thing, come and join me.” She stepped into the shower, hot water hitting her skin.
It wasn’t more than half a minute before she felt something else. Big hands cupped her shoulders.
“I want to be with you,” he whispered against her ear, his body pressing against hers. “I want to be the one who makes you feel good. Let me do that for you. For however long it lasts, I’ll be your man. I’ll take care of you.”
She was sure he would, and in more ways than sexually. “Will you let me take care of you, too?”
His hands slid down her arms and she could feel warm, naked skin against her own. “Oh, I will definitely let you take care of me, baby.”
She turned because this was important. “I mean it, Drew. You push yourself too hard. If we’re actually going to try this, I want to be able to take care of you.”
He stared down at her, his hands coming up to smooth back her hair. “I need you. Just like this. I want this between us.”
“I want it, too.”
He wouldn’t understand how she could take care of him until she’d shown him. And for now, she didn’t want to think about anything except how good his hands felt and how much muscle he hid under his shirts and slacks.
She’d been one hundred percent correct. He was a Greek god under all those clothes. She took a moment to take him in. Broad shoulders, a magnificent chest, and abs that belonged on a superhero. She let her hand drift up. So smooth and warm and alive. His hand quickly covered hers, holding it to him.
“How long has it been for you?” Drew asked.
“A while, but don’t think I’m a blushing virgin. I enjoy sex and I’ve had a couple of long-term partners.”
“I ask because it’s been a while for me. Almost a year.”
This man hadn’t had sex in a year? “Seriously?”
“I got sick of it being a bodily function. I want it to mean something, but until I met you I didn’t find anyone who moved me. I think watching my siblings pair up and move on affected me. Do you think it’s a herd-mentality thing? There has to be a psychological reason for it.”
If she allowed him to, he would discuss the biological reasons for love. She wasn’t about to let the professor side of Drew take over. “I think it doesn’t matter as long as it makes you happy.”
He was staring down at her breasts, and then his big hands came out to cup them. He sighed as he stroked her, his thumbs running over her nipples, getting them hard and aching. “This makes me happy. Oddly enough, sleeping with you made me happy. I even like fighting with you. No one fights with me.”
Because he was the ultimate authority in his world. He called the shots and made the rules. Some people would think that sounded amazing, but she rather thought it made Drew lonely. He had to question everyone’s motives.
“I’ll fight with you and then we can make up,” she teased him.
He towered over her, his eyes so serious as he looked down. His hands came up, tilting her chin and gently forcing her to look into his eyes. “Promise me. Promise me that when we fight, we’ll talk it out and make up. Promise me you won’t walk out and decide I’m a lost cause. Promise you’ll listen to me before you toss me out.”
She wasn’t sure why he was practically begging her for forgiveness when he’d done nothing wrong. Her whole soul softened and she gave him what he wanted. “I promise, Drew.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” he vowed before his lips descended.
He took her mouth with dominant power, his hands caressing down her back to her hips. He molded their bodies together, nothing between them now. This felt good and right, and Shelby didn’t bother to play demure. She let her hands roam over the warm strength of his skin. His back was strong and supple, and she loved the way his ass felt in her hands. He was so masculine and for a while, he was all hers.
His tongue surged in, moving against her own. Pure heat sizzled through her and she could feel her body getting ready.
His mouth stroked against hers before he moved down, kissing her jaw and neck. She let her hands run through his hair. She liked it like this, wild and out of control. Just like she wanted him. Suddenly he lifted her up and settled her on the bench that would normally be used to place shampoo and conditioner. It was oversized, like everything in Drew’s house, and she fit neatly on it, her legs dangling. It fixed her at the right height for Drew to make a place for himself between her legs, lean over and suck a nipple into his mouth.
A shiver went through her body as she felt the bare edge of his teeth at her breast. The tiniest pain sizzled through her and tugged deep inside. Arousal made her moan. His tongue whirled around her nipple as he held her. Her back bowed, offering him everything he could possibly want. Shelby leaned back giving Drew access to her breasts, her body, anything. He teased one nipple with his lips and teeth and tongue while he rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger.
Without conscious thought, she wound her legs around his hips. She wanted him closer. As close as they could be.
“Please, Drew.”
“Anything you want.”
“Make love to me. Make love to me now. Don’t make me wait.”
He straightened up, his eyes intent on her. “Yes.”
It was all she wanted to hear from him.
• • •
Drew’s head was spinning. It had been from the second Shelby made her announcement that she would be masturbating if he wouldn’t give her the real thing. The minute she’d turned and walked away like she didn’t care what he chose, he knew he was in serious trouble. Like a lifetime’s worth of trouble.
Except he likely didn’t have a lifetime with her.
And he was totally wrong. It hadn’t begun with Shelby’s announcement. It had started when he learned from Case, who’d heard from Mia, that Shelby was nearly murdered by a runaway SUV. Oh, they’d called it an accident, but he wasn’t so sure about that. It was so coincidental. Too coincidental that just as his mother resurfaces he learns about a surprise baby brother and his girlfriend almost gets killed.
“Don’t leave, Drew.” Shelby’s soft voice brushed over him. “Whatever you’re thinking about, forget it for now. Stay here with me.”
“I was thinking about the fact that you nearly died and you didn’t bother to call me.” His hands moved on her breasts, palming her. It didn’t matter that he had a flare of anger running through his system. He couldn’t stop touching her.
His anger dissolved in the face of his need.
“I was going to tell you, but we were fine and I didn’t want to worry you,” she said even as her body moved restlessly against his.
At least he wasn’t alone in his need. “You can’t leave me out like that.”
“I promise I won’t. Please, Drew. Stop thinking and feel. This is our place, our time. We can go back to everything later, but when we close the door to that room, I want you here with me.”
She’d looked at him with hot eyes and asked him to make love to her. He wasn’t a man who made love. He fucked. So why did he find himself nodding and agreeing?
Because this meant more to him.
He wanted more than a quick fuck from her. He wanted to be in her bed, to be the only man who brought her pleasure, who took care of her. He wanted to be the man she looked to when she was in trouble, the first person she called.
He sucked her nipple again, unwilling to rush things. For once in his life, he wanted to take it slow, to lavish her with his affection. He let his hand slide down toward the juncture of her thighs.
His fingers found her pussy and he nearly groaned at what he found there. Shelby was soft and soaking wet. So fucking wet. She responded so beautifully to him. And naturally she was right. He needed to stop thinking about anything but her. Anything but how good she made him feel.