Pride & Pleasure (The KNIGHT Brothers Book 1)

by Rhonda Lee Carver

  “Save some for the aspirin,” he yelled from the bathroom a second before she heard water running.

  She looked over her shoulder, checking to see if he was watching her. How did he do that? How did he know what she was doing?

  He stepped out, a white bottle in one hand and a damp wash cloth in the other. “Lay back.”

  She groaned. “Stop ordering me about.” He gave her the strong desire to flip him off, but she couldn’t move too fast on this new found freedom. Something about him brought out her challenging side. His jaw was hard, making him look angry. It wasn’t as if she’d wanted to be here, in his private space. “I’m fine sitting.”

  “Don’t argue. Just do it.”

  “Not with that tone I won’t,” she grimaced.

  “I can’t put this cloth on your head while you’re sitting up.” His narrowed gaze burrowed into her.

  How could she argue with that? It wasn’t possible. She handed him the empty glass and backed her way up the king sized bed, until she pressed her back against the massive oak headboard. He came around the side of the bed, placing the cold, damp cloth against her forehead. She immediately felt better. But there was still the aspirin…

  He held out his palm and dropped two white tablets into her hand. She just stared.

  He sighed, took the glass back to the mini bar and poured the rest of the bottle of water into the glass. She obediently placed the pills on her tongue and swallowed them with a sip of water. If she wasn’t careful she’d have to pee again and didn’t want to take the chance that he’d hear her. She couldn’t even use the bathroom back at home when Doug was near. As if Victor could see straight into her thoughts, he rolled his eyes and took the glass back. “I seriously wish you wouldn’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Roll your eyes at me like I’m a dirty child you found in an alley.”

  “That’s not how I’m looking at you.”

  “Have you seen yourself?” In her fuzzy state, she had no care what she said to him.

  He set the glass down on the nightstand. “I do hope you’ll take this one a bit slower or you might vomit.” He nodded at the water.

  Her stomach turned at the mere mention of throwing up. No way could she do that to another boy she had a crush on.

  She sucked in a breath. There were two things wrong with that thought. One, Victor wasn’t a boy. Secondly, she didn’t have a crush on him. Not possible. Yes, it was possible. Even through the numb parts of her body, she had a strong desire to rip his shirt right off his gorgeous upper body.

  He removed his jacket, laying it over the back of a chair, then unbuttoned the top three buttons of his linen shirt, revealing a tuft of black hair between his flat nipples. Oh how she wished she had a naughtier side. She wanted to explore him. Wanted to play his body like an instrument.

  In the back of her mind, she could hear her sister now, “Have fun. Use condoms.” Avary had heard that lecture more times than she could count, and it was funny considering Avary was a virgin.

  She wanted to get lucky with Victor. She imagined just how experienced he was as a lover. She’d heard horror stories from her friends regarding their ‘first time’ with a man.

  “He pumped twice and squirted.”

  “I thought it’d last longer, or at least he would have spent a little more time with foreplay.”

  At twenty-five, she was old enough to make this decision for herself. It didn’t appear that another man would come along any time soon. Why not experience a night with a man who would certainly give her a memory to keep? He wasn’t a two-pump-chump and he’d been rocking foreplay since she arrived.

  Sweat beaded between her breasts and on her temples. Her fuzzy brain swarmed with thoughts of seduction, but her physical state, along with the fact that she had a cramp rolling through her stomach, disagreed with the lust scorching her inner thighs. “I think I should lie down.”

  She’d just lay here for a while.

  ****

  Victor poured himself a scotch and took a seat on the chair, propping his feet on the coffee table. From where he sat he could see Avary sleeping. She was on her side, her chest rose and fell evenly and she looked peaceful. He sipped his liquor, still watching her. He couldn’t seem to take his gaze off her.

  Her hair was spread out over the white pillowcase, the dress top was pulled low on one shoulder, and at the legs, it twisted around her thighs. One knee was lifted and stretched high, her bottom was rounded. His cock pushed against the zipper of his pants—he was a man full of hunger.

  His mind traveled back to dinner. He couldn’t put into words exactly how he’d felt when he’d witnessed Sergio flirting with Avary. Victor had wanted to jump out of his seat, grab the other man by his starched lapel and throw him out the door. But he didn’t. He behaved himself. He could manage that at times.

  This was dangerous and he knew it. Everything about it reeked of trouble. He liked Avary… a lot. Liked her smile. Her laughter. Her dimples. Her blue eyes that seeped into the marrow of his bones.

  And that’s why he needed to speak to her about his offer, one that’d he’d been pondering all day. Would she agree?

  Emptying his glass, he got up, placed it on the bar and left the room. He headed to see Angelina, wanting to make sure she made it upstairs okay. The curtain was open and she was sitting up in bed, her face still glowing from the evening’s activities. She had her monogrammed stationary on her lap and a pen in her hand. When she saw him, she stacked the paper into a box and set it aside.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Nothing important.”

  “You enjoyed yourself tonight?”

  She chuckled. “I love being among people again.”

  “What did you and our attorney discuss?” Victor asked as he pulled up the seat next to her bed and sat down.

  “Oh, you saw that huh? I didn’t think you could see anything past her.”

  “You’re not good at playing cupid.” He stretched his legs out and eased into the plastic.

  “Actually, I’m very good at it. You couldn’t keep your eyes off her.” Angelina shifted and the area between her brows scrunched as she clutched her side.

  Victor sat up. “Are you okay?”

  She waved him back into the chair. “I’m fine. Just tired. Now, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Nothing at all.” He groaned in irritation. “Why did you have to invite that bastard Sergio?”

  “Oh now, brother. What do you have against Sergio? He wouldn’t harm a fly.” She sighed.

  “Yeah, well, he certainly had his beady lasers set on Avary.”

  “You can’t hold a grudge against him any longer,” she said, her lips parting in a smile. “I simply forbid it. It’s a waste of precious energy. Now, what about Avary?”

  He shrugged. “Avary is attractive—she’s beautiful. But we are from different worlds.”

  “So were mom and dad. And they loved each other dearly. By the way, where did you and our guest disappear to this evening? I didn’t see hide nor hair of either of you after dinner.” She narrowed her gaze.

  “She drank too much and I took her to my room,” he admitted.

  “Please tell me…”

  He gave his head a quick shake. “Hell no. You know me better than that.”

  She plucked at the fringe on the comforter. “Of course. Yet, I see something different in you when you’re looking at her.”

  “Sis, stop playing matchmaker. I’m not interested in a relationship.”

  “Please, humor me. What’s so wrong with liking Avary? I like her. In fact, I find her quite sweet and caring. Much better than Selena.” She rolled her eyes.

  “How is it that you should be worrying about taking care of yourself and still have the time to meddle in my love life?” He snapped a brow up, but his words were gentle.

  “Telling you that Selena is as lethal as an explosive isn’t me meddling. It’s the truth. Anyway, I’m your big sister and I ha
ve a right to put my two cents in when it comes to your relationships.”

  “You never listened to me when I had advice.”

  “Sometimes a woman needs to find out things for herself when it comes to romance, not having her overbearing, narrow minded brothers threatening every man who came through the door. You can’t deny that.”

  He sniffed loudly. “He walked away, sis.” They didn’t even need to mention his name.

  “I sent him away.”

  “I would have fought for someone that I loved.”

  “Then why don’t you put some of that effort into finding a woman who will love you.”

  He sighed. “Must we do this? I sure hope this wasn’t your intention for inviting Miss Pine here.”

  “I won’t be around forever.” Her words made the hairs on his arms stand erect.

  “You’ll be around longer than you anticipate.” He scrubbed his jaw. “Now, when are you going to speak to our brothers?”

  “I am writing each of them a letter.”

  “A letter?” He blew out a long breath. “When did you become the distant and aloof one?”

  “Trust me on this.” She winked. “And trust me about Avary. I do believe you’re already falling in love with her.”

  “You’re going to tire yourself out.” He stood, went to the side of the bed and kissed her on the forehead. “Now rest.”

  “Of course. What else is there to do in this bed?”

  “Sweet dreams,” he said on his way out.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Everything was quiet.

  Avary fluttered her eyes open to slits. Where am I?

  Then it came back to her, last night’s events. She was in Victor’s room, in his bed. But where was Victor? She opened her eyes fully, surprisingly her head not screaming as she expected it would after getting drunk. With a sigh, she sat up, the sheet covering her fell to her waist. She realized she was only wearing her bra and panties. What happened to her dress? She spotted it neatly folded on the chair, next to Victor’s shirt.

  A sound of heavy breathing brought her gaze next to her. He was stretched out beside her, his shirt, shoes and socks were gone, but he still wore his black slacks. If he wasn’t wearing his pants she might suspect they’d had sex, but as naïve as she was, she would know if they did. Her thighs would be chafed and sore. Yet, somehow she’d gotten her clothes off.

  She vowed she’d never drink again.

  She scanned the room, noticing this morning what she was too drunk to notice last night. It was clean and there weren’t any personal effects, like pictures or trophies.

  Victor shifted and her breath stilled. She needed to slide away before he—

  “Good morning,” his sleep husky voice raked through her bloodstream.

  Her cheeks warmed and her throat constricted just as she pulled the sheet high upon her neck. Had they only shared a bed? Yet, where did her losing her dress come into play? She wanted to ask, but she couldn’t quite face him, at least not yet. She closed her eyes, counted to ten and found a bravery within her. Turning, she tried to keep from breathing too heavily, but God help her, how could he look this hunky, even in the morning? The layer of crisp beard did something to her –for her.

  “Headache?” he asked, rubbing his fingers across his eyes as if to wipe away the sleep, or the image of her. She had a feeling it could go either way. If she looked anything like her dry mouth felt, she needed a shower right away.

  “I’m okay. I should go.” She started across the mattress, but his warm fingers on her elbow steadied her. Couldn’t he just allow her to squirm away in shame?

  “Not so fast. It’s still early,” he said.

  Was he commanding that she stay put? Her backbone straightened on its own accord “Don’t tell me—”

  “I know, don’t tell you what to do, right? I’m asking for you to stay.”

  Looking at him through the veil of her lashes as if it’d filter out his gorgeous body didn’t work. “Why?”

  “I’d like to speak to you about something.”

  His eyes were dark and his expression blank, giving her no clue what it was that he wished to speak to her about. How her dress ended up on the chair maybe? She was interested in hearing what he had to say, if she could stand the humiliation.

  “Then I’ll go to my room and get dressed, then we can talk.”

  “No need, sweetheart. You’re decent.”

  She blinked. “I’m in my underwear and bra.” At least they were the sexy pair. Thank you Dawn for packing for me.

  “I’ve seen bikinis smaller.”

  “Yeah, and I haven’t worn one in years, not since I was sixteen, and even then I wore it once,” she admitted.

  “You’re too hard on yourself.” He lifted a tendril of her hair and rolled it around his finger. “You have a lovely body.”

  She swallowed. “Uh…so you removed my clothes?” Her lungs deflated.

  “Your dress was twisted and slowly making its way up your body. I feared it might strangle you.”

  Why wasn’t she angry? “Some excuse,” she mumbled.

  He chuckled…a sexy sound that did wonders to the apex of her thighs.

  Her heart kicked up in speed along with a strong urge to pee. If he wanted conversation where she could partake, she needed to do something about her bladder and her breath. “Okay, I really need to use the restroom. Can I…” she pointed toward his bathroom.

  “It’s all yours.”

  Carefully, she got out of the bed and, with the stealth of a clumsy acrobat, she managed to keep the sheet over her body. Once it was safely tucked around her, she wobbled toward the bathroom, almost tripping over the sheet wrapped around her ankles. Thankfully, she caught herself. Adding falling on her face to the embarrassment wasn’t needed.

  “Need help?” he asked.

  She looked at him. Big mistake. Ol’ Adonis had a smile that could have charmed a zombie. He was a rare breed of masculinity. And she was a sloppy mess of hormones and throbbing sexual organs. With a sigh, she continued on her path and shut the door for privacy.

  Dropping the sheet onto the white tiles, she hurried to do her business and, while she was washing her hands, she spotted mouthwash. Exactly the thing she needed.

  Once she was back in the room, she found him still in bed, still partially undressed and leaning against the headboard. She stood in the middle of the room, not going close. She noticed that her dress was missing from the chair.

  “What happened to my dress?”

  “I had Max send it to the dry cleaners.”

  “So he knows I’m here?” Her throat turned dry. She wasn’t sure why this fact bothered her more than standing with a sheet wrapped around her in his bedroom.

  “Relax. He won’t tell a soul.”

  “Easy for you to tell me to relax.” Her voice sounded weak to her own ears.

  He shifted and his stomach muscles coiled. He defied the word muscular. Wow…just wow.

  “By the way, you slept like a baby.”

  She clutched the sheet against her chest. “How do you know?”

  “Because you snore.”

  “Are you teasing me?”

  “No.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Please don’t apologize.” He sighed. But just as quickly, the agitation left his expression and his jaw softened. “I’m the one who owes you an apology.”

  “You do?”

  “I should have watched over you better. Although I’m flattered that you enjoyed the wine, I’m not flattered that you over did it.”

  “Are you going to lecture me?”

  “Of course not, sweetheart. After all, I slept like a baby too, I haven’t done that in months.”

  “Just for the record, it wasn’t your place to ‘watch’ over me,” she mumbled. “Selena might enjoy that, but I don’t.” The words slipped out before she could catch them.

  He heaved another sigh, this time deeper and closer to a dreadful moan. “I
swear you make me want to swat your bottom.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Don’t push me. If you as much as say her name again I might be forced to—” His eyes narrowed and turned a darker shade.

  She smiled. For some reason she found his irritation rewarding. “You don’t scare me.”

  “Is that right?” She nodded, loving that she could fluster him so easily. “If you knew how much I wanted you, you’d be scared. It scares the hell out of me.”

  “Isn’t Sele—”

  He jumped out of bed, grabbed her around the waist and dropped her into the middle of the bed. She bounced twice then came to a stop, and she watched his jaw turn to chiseled granite. “I told you,” he rasped.

  The sheet was gone.

  “I think you want me to be scared,” she mumbled.

  Before she knew what was happening, he was over her, pushing her back against the mattress. “No woman has ever bothered me as much as you do.”

  “Are you trying to prove something to me?” Her lips trembled.

  “Something like that.” He pressed his lips against hers and she sucked in a breath, but it didn’t sidetrack him. His tongue came out to slide along the seam of her mouth as she allowed her eyes to drift closed and her mouth to open. She pressed her hands against his shoulders, clinging to him, craving his tongue in her mouth—and on all of those places that were curious. Instead, he pulled back and she moaned. “Look at me,” he ordered. She did as he requested, would have walked across the country barefoot just to feel his lips again. “Tell me you want my kiss. I want to hear your words. I want you to give yourself to me.” His husky voice made her inner thighs quiver.

  She nodded.

  “Not good enough. Say the words.”

  “Yes, Victor. I want this—I want you. Don’t make me plead.”

  His eyes caressed her. “My God, I’ve wanted to hold you since the moment you walked into my office,” he whispered.

  She nodded again. She couldn’t talk to help him understand how much she’d wanted his arms wrapped around her too. She was shocked at how easily all doubt left her, overcome by a need too deep, so divine, she never wanted it to end.