by Renee Burke
He turned on the shower and stepped under the spray letting it pound the tension out of his muscles. There was a lot Gretchen didn’t know about him. He would open her eyes to the realities soon enough. She had certainly sprung the surprises on him tonight.
A son.
He had a son.
He came back from the military thinking about her. He’d been thinking about her off and on since he had left years before. Her young hopeful personality had been so sweet and innocent. Something in Mark had kept him from doing what he’d known he could. He could have screwed her five ways from Sunday and married her for life back then, but they both would have been miserable in a matter of years.
He had known himself even then, that there was something about him that wasn’t as straight laced as she thought. The fact that he was a jealous son of a bitch was only part of it. The dominant streak in him was more than an edge needed for military precision. He had known that even as a twenty-two year old.
He had been ready to discuss the possibilities with Gretchen a few times but something stopped him. Probably her innocent smile and the possibility that he was about to screw up her normal vanilla expectations of him. He had held back until she turned eighteen. But the longer he was with her, the more seductive her sweet smile became.
Eventually he caved in and took her home for the night. One night that turned into a weekend while her sister was out of town. Once he got a taste, he hadn’t let her out of bed for two days. He knew then that he couldn’t take over her life. He would overpower her with a mixture of control and domination that she would likely squash her innocent personality.
Turns out she did have a mind of her own – one that kept his son a secret for years.
He switched the water from pounding hot to piercing cold. The spray took his breath away but his hard on still raged. Since he’d carried Gretchen out of those woods three days ago, he had been disgusted with himself for his constant state of arousal.
He’d followed her around like a puppy until he realized what he was doing. Back off before you scare her away had been the thought drumming through his head. Now that he knew he had a son, though, no one was going anywhere.
When his Dad had told him about Gretchen’s independent streak and tough girl attitude, he finally knew she could handle him. His plan to finesse her was over. He had left her feeling scalded and abandoned years before. He meant to give her time to warm up to him again. She obviously wanted nothing to do with him, and he had returned with intentions of making amends.
Not now.
Now, he wanted to take his anger at her secret out on her body. He was back to claim her. Body and soul.
He’d start with her body.
He dried off and made his way back to the kitchen to find a drink. It was early morning and he should be tired, but the adrenaline rush from seeing Gretchen stand under a falling tree had him wide awake. Instead of heading to bed, he grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and dropped onto the middle of the couch silently watching sports highlights on television and waiting for the crash to hit him.
His thoughts wandered back to Gretchen’s house in the storm. He thought she’d been badly injured or dead. Finding her lying under a pile of branches in those sweet and sexy little PJ’s with her body still whole was a sign. He had another chance to take care of their unfinished business.
There was no way he was leaving there without her. If she thought she was ever moving out of this house without him, she had another think coming. He was meeting his son later, and there was no way she would separate them again. The idea motivated him. Maybe he needed to go make sure that was clear.
He climbed the stairs her room. He found her in bed, curled up small and tight on her side. Frowning. The past few days had been a nightmare. Physically, she’d be fine. The soreness and scratches would heal quickly, but it would take a while to get over the fear. She had been the queen of denial in high school. Denying she needed him, needed help with her sister, even running from a relationship with his parents when they tried to get too close. Self-protective girl. No more.
He slid into the bed and touched her lips with his. She stretched and snuggled closer, breathing his name. Awake, asleep, or stuck somewhere between the two, he wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. It was his name she called this time.
He could help the wide grin that spread across his face. Or the lust he felt at seeing her peaceful and unguarded in the bed beside him. He stroked his mouth over her cheek and she sighed again. He let his lips play over the top of her breasts peeking out of her gown. She was always so soft there. Even though the time he’d taken her to bed had been short lived, he had played with her body a number of ways for the months before that. She was so real and luscious and giving with him. Or she had been. He wanted that again.
He lifted her hand and kissed her palm, easing her onto her back. He placed her hands above her head and slipped down the sheet.
“Gretchen,” he murmured. She sighed and sank deeper into the mattress as he opened the tiny buttons keeping her covered. He felt his blood heat as he saw her sexy cleavage, her tiny waist, her skimpy underwear. He should wake her but he knew her well enough to anticipate what would happen. Self-protection. Walls would go up. She would try to talk him out of this even though they both knew it would happen eventually.
Instead of waking her, he kissed her gently on the belly as his fingers slid over the soft fabric of her panties. He moved them in slow circles and watched in wonder as pleasure began to steal over her body, making her restless. Her nipples peaked, and he couldn’t resist a taste. He licked over the soft skin around the pebbled tip before sucking it gently into his hot mouth. Goosebumps broke out across her skin.
He slid his fingers between her legs to stroke the sheer fabric growing wetter by the second. Her excitement made it impossible for him to stay calm. He was hard and hot just watching her move. She slid against the sheets as she came alive from his touch.
“I’ve missed this.”
He pulled her underwear free and moved between her shifting legs. He twined his arms around her thighs, holding them wide, opening her to him.
Gretchen felt her body grow so heavy with lust she knew it was more than a dream. She’d had plenty of sexy dreams over the past few years but this was too real, too sexy. She was so close to coming that it couldn’t be only in her mind. Her eyes flew open in time to see Mark’s dark hair lodge between her legs. His eyes were slumberous and sexy as they stared at her. His mouth descended for a taunting lick before circling her clit and sucking hard. She tried to sit up, but Mark shook his head and delved his tongue between her folds again.
She groaned out loud from the sheer torture of the building orgasm. Her body swelled, heated, and coiled tighter.
“You taste amazing.”
There were so many reasons she should stop him but it wasn’t possible. The feeling of waking to such pure ecstasy was all encompassing. Her hips shifted in invitation to his mouth. She plunged her hands into his hair and held him close. She heaved out a breath as he touched his lips to her core in a soft kiss.
“Thought about you so many times like this.”
“Yes.” The word became a chant running through her mind. Yes. Yes. Yes.
He kissed her thigh and traced his finger up and down her slit. “Wet.” He licked again and plunged a finger inside.
She couldn’t stop the moans as he pumped slowly. Before she could beg out loud, he suctioned his mouth to her clit and whirled his tongue around the heated flesh. Her world spiraled to a pinnacle as the pressure in her core built to a final thunderous squeeze before warmth flooded through her belly and spasms rocked through her.
She couldn’t stop herself from gasping his name as she came. If there was ever a place she couldn’t hide from him, it was here in his arms.
He stood from the bed and quickly got naked. She ran her hands over his chest when he joined her on the pillow. He had always been fit, but now he was over the top, smooth and m
uscular from years of training.
“I should be pissed that you woke me up that way but I just can’t muster up an ember of anger.”
He grinned. Sexy and he knew it. “Good, but we’re not done yet.”
“I had a feeling.” She stroked her fingers down his belly and wrapped her hand around his hard shaft. “Do you have any suggestions on how we can take care of this?”
He sucked in a breath as she worked her hand up and down the length of him. “Need inside you.” He slid his hands up her arms until they were clasped in his above her head. The movement arched her back and lifted her breasts to rub against his chest, and she groaned her approval. His attention snagged on the peaks, and he took such care and time showing appreciation with his mouth that she began to shift and press her hips against him.
“Mark.”
“Hmmm?” He traced his tongue from one breast to the other and Gretchen felt a shiver move through her.
She bumped her core upward, rubbing against the erection she could feel hard and ready. “Can we?”
His eyes challenged her. “Say it.”
Her face flamed, and she closed her eyes. “Can we start?” When she opened them again, Mark was watching her.
“Say it.” His voice was a low growl. “Tell me what you want.”
“I think you know what I want.” Her eyes slid away.
“You were shy five years ago. I have a hard time believing you’re still that same innocent girl.”
She felt her face flame, this time not from the sensations rocking through her body. She felt a shiver of unease move through her, a thread of shame, but just as quickly he drove the thoughts away when he began to nuzzle the smooth skin where her neck met her shoulder. “Repeat after me.”
Her breathing sounded loud in the room. She lay still and watchful, not sure where this was headed. Her arms were still pinned above her head, loosely trapped.
His hand slid up to catch hers when she tried to move it from the pillow. “Leave it there.”
She said his name, and he quirked his lips in a thin smile.
“Repeat after me.” He nudged his hips into hers, rubbing against her before pulling back. “Fuck me, Mark.”
She could feel the heat on her skin as he eyed her closely, waiting for her response. She wanted exactly that. Fast and hard. It was all she could think about. Her mouth was dry, and she licked her lips to try to form the words.
He brushed his lips against her mouth. “Want to hear you say it.” His hips did a slow grind against her core.
“Fuck me please.” The words came out in an exasperated rush.
He positioned himself at her entrance and pressed just inside. “Since you asked so nicely.” He circled his hips, and she squeaked at the fullness. He hummed his approval and kissed her mouth, tongue thrusting as he slid into her. She groaned, overwhelmed at the fantastic full feeling after years of emptiness. She had tried dating, but most days she was just spent and lacked the energy to trust someone new.
His hips and tongue moved in languid thrusts, he took her to the peak of ecstasy again before coming. She ran her hands down his back, touching every inch she could reach. Getting her fill.
Because when Eddie came back, she wouldn’t do this again.
Had he gone to bed, Mark might have gotten better rest. Instead, he woke up grouchy and later than usual. Sun was pouring through the front windows bringing up his body temperature. He was a furnace anyway. He rarely slept in anything and kicked covers within minutes of going to bed.
His shorts were a concession to being in his father’s living room. He woke sprawled on the couch. It was a full-sized couch, but he was a big enough man he should have known better. His neck was in a kink, and the ringing of the phone dragged him to consciousness.
He snatched the phone up and growled a greeting. He glanced at the clock. Nearly ten. He could hear his father’s cane squeaking across the tile in the bathroom. He lifted his eyes through the open floor plan to room where he’d spent most of the night. No stirring there. Was she still asleep? The temptation to go up and see was nearly irresistible.
The voice on the line drew his attention back to the phone.
“The car is going to be a couple of days.”
“What’d you find?”
“It was a simple fix, really. Looks like the battery cables were loosened. That’s why it died last night. While we had it in the stall, I looked it over for anything else suspicious. Couple of things.”
He sat back on the couch. Someone had jimmied with the battery cables. It hadn’t broken down on her way from the clinic but after leaving here. He glanced toward the kitchen window. The idea that someone had tampered with her car while she was here under his watch sent a flush of anger coursing through him.
“The brakes need some repairs, and there’s a hole in the fuel line.”
Mark worked his jaw. “When you say the brakes need repairs, what are we talking about?” He wasn’t worried about cost. If they needed it, they’d get it. He wanted to know if they were worn from use or if someone had been interrupted cutting a brake line. He heard movement in the kitchen and turned to see Gretchen move down the stairs to the sink.
“Typical wear and tear, if you ask me. The fuel line, on the other hand, looks like someone took a screwdriver to it. The location looks like it was deliberate. Doubtful she caught something underneath that caused it. I just caught it because I saw the fluid streaming out. Nice and steady so it would take a while to run empty.”
“I see. Could you keep me updated on that?”
“Will do. Probably need to let her know that someone’s out to get her. Seems like she might be in need of protection right about now.”
“I’ve got it covered.”
Gretchen overslept. Sebastian normally had breakfast over an hour ago. She glanced around the counter and in the sink but no dirty dishes littered the area. So he was waiting patiently on her.
She pulled pancake mix and bacon from the fridge in lieu of the usual oatmeal or healthy cereal. She’d fix a bigger brunch meal and then prepare something he could eat when he was ready for a later lunch.
Mark’s deep voice resonated from the living room. He finished his call and moved into the kitchen. “Morning.”
“Same to you.” She was too tempted to look at him, so she kept her eyes on her hands. “Hungry?”
He moved beside her, standing too close before reaching up into the cabinet and pulling a glass down. She smelled his skin and thought immediately of sex. She pulled a mixing bowl from the shelf before he closed the door.
He ran tap water into the glass and tilted it back for a drink. She glanced his way again and caught the broad expanse of darkly tanned muscle. He was toned and smooth. His neck muscles worked as he swallowed, and Gretchen immediately felt her mouth go dry.
It had been a long time since she’d been physically attracted to a man. Spending time with her son and balancing work left her with no energy for romance or even just sex. She’d been burned enough by Mark to be afraid of the flame.
She wasn’t prepared for this flare of heat for him. He was dangerous to her state of mind, to her independence, certainly to her pride. After being gone so long, could she really let him stroll back in and take possession of what he so casually tossed aside years ago? Not if she wanted a shred of self-respect at the end of the day.
“Ah. Better. Starving.” His eyes roved over her in a way that made her wonder just what he was hungry for. She had no doubt he was still angry, but at least he wasn’t lashing out.
The rubber squeak of Sebastian’s cane sounded down the hallway.
“Bout time you two stirred. Late night?” He kissed Gretchen on top of the head before heading for the coffee pot. She put a cup on the counter for him.
“Late and wet and miserable. But it could have been a lot worse if not for your son and his friends coming to the rescue.”
“Ah, the Saints rushed in.” He took the coffee pot in hand.
She quirked her eyebrows at Mark in question, but he ignored her curiosity. “Gretchen now has partial custody of Mrs. Harris’s old oak tree.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed on his son while Gretchen sucked in a breath at the word custody. It gave her a belly ache to even consider. Was Mark going to demand that with Eddie? Whatever Sebastian saw caused his facial muscles to relax. “Is that so?” He poured the stout black brew and sat at the table.
“Tell him, Gretch.” Mark nudged her as he walked toward the table, using her old nickname.
“It’s lying in the middle of my coffee table.”
He whistled low and shook his head. “Enfer d'une nuit.”
She smiled. Hell of a night. “Not the best I’ve ever had. True. But your son arrived just in time to rescue me.” Her stomach was in shambles thinking about enduring another day at work on edge. Then would come the inevitable son and father meeting when Eddie got home. Her stomach rolled.
She dragged her attention back to the mixing bowl and dumped in batter and water. She started the bacon in the microwave and put a pan on the stove to heat.
Sebastian lifted his eyebrow, waiting for the details.
“She was standing at the window when the lightning struck, dropping a tree right on top of her.”
Sebastian made a soothing sound.
“Fortunately, she got out with minor cuts and bruises.” He turned to her then. “How’s your wrist this morning?”
She rolled it around, tentatively testing it. “Seems better.”
“You have had a rough few days, cher. We’ll take good care of you now that you’re living with us.”
“Temporarily.” She gave Sebastian a quick smile. She finished whipping up a quick breakfast with more sugar and charm than she usually fed him which also made him happier about eating so late. She served and brought Sebastian’s medicine to him where he sat drinking coffee with Mark before she joined them.