by Natalie Ann
“Wow. Talk about a mess.”
“He had it coming. Trust me,” she said.
Once the patties were made and in a pan, she pulled out another pan and a package of bacon. Shit yeah this was one hell of a night. “Can I help?”
“Nope. Save your energy for later.”
“You’re something else,” he said to her.
“So I’ve been told before.”
When the burgers and bacon were done, she put a container of pasta salad out with it and grabbed him another beer. “When did you have time to make this?”
“I left work early,” she said. “Let’s say I was a little unfocused after I talked to Wyatt.”
He stopped eating. “Because he asked me to dinner on Sunday?”
“Hardly that. I was more worried about you getting hurt.”
He started to choke from laughing so hard. “Not going to happen.”
“Wyatt said the guy had his hands secured behind his back?” she asked.
“I’ve got all the security carrying plastic zip tie cuffs. I had them on me too. I wouldn’t have them doing it if I didn’t.”
“You carry a Taser and pepper spray too?” she asked. “Bryce has told me about it before.”
“No. I don’t think I need them to disarm someone. Not only that, I have a concealed gun.”
Her mouth opened and then closed. “You do?”
“Always. It’s in my SUV locked up right now.”
“Oh.”
“Does that bother you?”
“No. I guess I just didn’t think of it one way or another, to be honest.”
“And now you’re nervous,” he said, looking at her.
“Actually, no. I think I was more nervous before we had this conversation, but now that I know more I’m fine. I need to know facts and information to process things.”
“So you were more worried about me?” he asked.
“A little.”
He hadn’t had anyone worry about him other than his family most of his life. Never a woman, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
“Don’t be. I’m completely fine.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” she said, “but if you think so, we’ll go with it.”
22
Secret Weapons
Jade had the tub filled and a glass of wine in her hand, Brock deciding he was done with beer for the night, but he’d put away two burgers and two helpings of pasta salad.
She was used to it though living with brothers. They all ate like it was their last meal when they were teens. Even now they were known to do it if they were going to stick someone else with the bill.
“Jets or not?” she asked.
“This is one nice tub,” he said. “Jets are good for me. Do you use them often?”
“Not really. They are pretty powerful and end up actually making my skin feel like it is being pounded with dodgeballs.”
“Then we’ll leave them off.”
“But I’m sure you wouldn’t mind them on your leg. Let’s compromise. You put the jets against the part of your body you want and I’ll sit between your legs so it doesn’t hit me.”
“Deal,” he said, taking his shirt off. The two of them undressed together and if she thought it was odd that it was only the second time they were seeing each other naked and taking it slow, she kept it to herself.
Once he was in the water, she climbed in, his hands going right to her hips and settling her between his legs. His body was so strong and firm. All parts of it.
Scars meant nothing to her and never would. She always thought they built character, but with Brock, it was more they built what he overcame.
She leaned her head against his chest, his hands moving up her ribs, under her breasts, then cupping the globes.
“You’ve got just the right amount of everything on you.”
“Thank you, I think,” she said.
“I know you are fully aware of how nice of a body you’ve got and how you look,” he said into her ear, his lips pulling her lobe in and sucking. “I think it’s one of your secret weapons.”
“Weapons against what?” she asked, her back arching. His hands were the right amount of strength and firmness too.
“Mankind,” he said. “You can bring me to my knees with not much work on your part and I think you know that.”
She didn’t but was kind of glad he’d told her. Not that she’d use it against him. She’d never been that way and never would.
Yet when his hand slid down between her legs and into her folds, she was willing to agree with anything he said.
“You sure know what you’re doing,” she said.
“Less talking,” he said. “Just feel. You’ve made this night so much more than I could have expected. Let me give you something back.”
Talk about sweet. “Just doing my part as a girlfriend.”
“Then let me do mine as a boyfriend.”
When his finger slid in, she gasped, her nails digging into this thigh, then letting go fast. “Sorry. That didn’t hurt you, did it?”
“What?” he asked.
“My nails into your leg. It just feels so good,” she squealed when his fingers started to pump in and out.
“That’s the plan. Don’t worry about me, just focus on you.”
“Okay,” she said, her voice dropping down. He had his thumb moving over her swollen nub and the heat of the water was rising up and matching her internal temperature.
His lips moved to her neck and started to kiss and nibble. She let her body just cave to him. He’d said she could and that was what she planned on doing.
“Bend your knees,” he said.
She did, then put them on the outside of this thigh. She’d forgotten to turn the jets on but she wasn’t about to mention that to him. There were more important things to focus on than that.
Like the fact her entire body felt as if it was being assaulted.
His palms were spreading her legs even wider and now she was on his lap rather than her butt on the tub. “Grab my jeans on the floor,” he said. “There’s a condom in the pocket.”
She reached over the side of the tub and found it, opened it up and discovered herself pushed forward abruptly while he stood up and got himself ready, then before she could say another word was back in the same position as before, her legs open and feet on the outside of his thighs.
He was probing and prodding, found her opening and slid in, her head falling against his chest. “Touch yourself,” he whispered to her.
Her hand went down as if on autopilot and started to rub around her swollen bud while his fingers went to her nipples and started to pinch and squeeze.
“Brock,” she said, staying in place. She was afraid if she started to move in her position she’d lose how well he was filling her. It was best to let him do all the work from that end.
“That’s it. You know what you like,” he said. “Get yourself there.”
“I’m almost there,” she said. She wasn’t going to feel embarrassed that she knew her own body and where to touch. It was normal and if someone asked her that, she’d admit it. Maybe.
But there was no need with Brock doing everything he was.
She didn’t want to be selfish though and the minute she felt herself start to pulse and squeeze him inside of her, she reached her hand down further, found his balls and started to rub them. His breathing was coming fast on her neck, his hips jerking up in her, causing all the pulsing to continue until he just stopped and stilled.
She felt him coming inside of her. She’d never felt that before, but with Brock, it seemed almost so powerful there was no way to not feel it.
The two of them were sitting in the tub, their breathing heavier than a sixty-minute workout in the gym had ever caused.
He pulled out and pushed her forward and stood up to take care of the condom, then slid back in the tub, tugging her back to the position they originally started with.
His arm came around her waist in
a hug. She didn’t have time to savor it before her wine glass came into view. “Thanks,” she said, grabbing it and guzzling. She’d had no idea how thirsty she was after that.
“Where’s the button for those jets? I need it.”
She reached over to the wall and hit the button and the jets sounded, the bubbles forming but hitting him and not her.
“How’s your leg?” she asked. “Be honest with me. You don’t talk about it much, but it has to pain you.”
“It does,” he said. “Nothing I can’t handle though.”
“Or that you want me to know about,” she argued.
“It’s not that. There are so many others in worse shape than me. I can handle it. I’m getting better and stronger daily.”
“I can see it.”
“You can?” he asked.
“When you work out. You go longer and harder.”
He laughed. “I can go hard all night long.”
“There are you making it about sex. I don’t think that had ever been in doubt.”
“You’re good for me,” he said.
“I think you’re pretty good for me too, but I’m not letting you change the subject like I know you’re trying to do.”
He sighed and she knew she had him. “I’m fine. My father asks me enough, even Travis. If I was really hurting or in a bad way, I’d let you know. I’d let them know. My pride isn’t so great that I can’t ask for help if I truly believe I need it.”
She weighed his words. “It’s not just the physical,” she said.
“I’m not talking about the physical only.”
“Do you have a hard time sleeping?” She remembered him saying he didn’t sleep much.
“Not falling asleep,” he said. “I’m normally tired enough. If I’ve got more body aches than before, I stretch or take some over the counter stuff. Nothing more. I don’t want to be dependent on anything.”
“I’m not sure you’ve got an addictive personality.”
“I could have it for you,” he said, shutting her up.
“You’re doing it again,” she said a minute later. “Trying to get me to change the subject. But I get the hint. And I’ve got to trust you’d tell me if there was something more.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked. Her hand was running up and down his thigh in a caress.
“For believing me.”
“You haven’t given me any reason not to,” she said. And hoped he never did. They were moving pretty fast and she couldn’t stop what she felt for him even if she wanted to…which she didn’t.
23
My Special Day
“I could have met you here,” Brock said when they climbed out of Jade’s car. “It’s not that far from my place and you went out of your way.”
“I thought you might need the moral support,” she said, laughing. “And you didn’t even get upset climbing into the passenger seat.”
“Why would I?” he asked.
She turned to look at him when they walked toward the front door of her parents’ house. “Because there have been plenty of men in my past who can’t stand letting a woman drive.”
“Can’t be any of the men in your family because I have a feeling you’d kick their butts.”
She laughed. “Wyatt likes to complain that is because he drives faster than me and is always in a hurry to go somewhere. He can’t sit still or stay home for anything. Drake and Noah don’t care all that much. They had to share a car growing up and so did Wyatt and I.”
“Noah and Drake went to the same college, but you and Wyatt didn’t. Did you get the car?”
“I did,” she said. “It was one of the few things I got on my own.”
“I’m sure being the only girl you got a lot on your own,” he said.
“She got her own bathroom and the three boys had to share the other one upstairs,” her father said when he opened the door. “And Happy Birthday.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss, so she went into his arms for a hug.
“That was a given,” she said. “Drake is the only neat one in the house besides me. I would have shared with him, but he can’t be away from his twin.”
“You’re just saying that to put a good front on,” Noah yelled. “You wouldn’t have shared a bathroom with anyone and no one wanted to because you hogged it. The three of us still got ready before you even though we were sharing the space.”
She laughed when she walked into the back family room and saw everyone else was already there. “Can I help it if I like to look nice and the rest of you guys didn’t?”
Drake snorted. “We all looked nice. Even Wyatt after being hungover in college or cramming all night studying.”
“Wyatt studied?” Adriana, Wyatt’s fiancée, said, “He wants us all to believe he’s naturally smart.”
“He’s got a smart mouth, but I love it,” Jade said. “Happy Birthday.”
“You’re still the baby,” Wyatt said. “Only you’re an old baby now.”
She narrowed her eyes. She didn’t think thirty-two was all that old, but maybe it was. Kara and Paige were younger than her by a little over a year. Adriana wasn’t even thirty. “I’m not that old.”
“Don’t listen to them,” Brock said. “I’m older than them all.”
“How old are you?” her mother asked, finally finding her voice. Of course just like any other time the family got together everyone started talking over the other.
“I’ll be thirty-six soon.”
“Good age,” her mother said, not that Jade knew what that meant and didn’t want to ask. Nor did she have time to when her mother said, “Look at this. It might be the first time all four of my kids have significant others. This house is just overflowing.”
She looked at Brock to see his reaction to that statement, but he just shrugged and eyed the beer in Noah’s hand. “Let me get you one,” she said, figuring he was going to need it.
“I’ll go with you,” her mother said. “I need to check on dinner.”
Or she needed to grill her only daughter, which she suspected was more the case. “What’s for dinner?”
“I’ve got a big ham cooking and scalloped potatoes. A few veggies, then birthday cakes.”
“Sounds good,” she said. Ham was one of Wyatt’s favorite dishes. Last year her mother cooked one of hers. She took turns rather than making two different meals.
“How are things going with Brock? I couldn’t believe your brother put him on the spot, but I figured you would have invited him anyway.”
She wasn’t sure if she would have. Thinking back, she might have been nervous, but once Wyatt had said something she’d had no choice.
“Of course,” she said, not knowing what else to say at this point. “Things are good. It’s early yet.”
“Stop looking out there. He can hold his own with the family and you know it,” her mother said.
“I do know it,” she said back and opened the fridge to get a beer out, then poured it in a glass. “Do you want me to help you carry anything out?”
“If you can grab that tray of cheese and crackers, I’ll get the vegetable platter.”
She snatched the beer up with one hand and the tray with the other and walked into the family room. When she handed the beer over, Brock said, “Food and drink by the birthday girl. Guess it’s my special day.”
She rolled her eyes at him. Not many men that she’d ever brought to a family function felt comfortable enough after months of dating to pick on her in front of her brothers and Brock seemed to slip right in like he’d belonged here for years.
Her father looked at her and lifted his eyebrows and she shook her head. She wasn’t in the mood to be questioned on her relationship with Brock either. Normally her family didn’t say much to her at all and she couldn’t figure out what was going on today.
It was best to just play along.
Brock was trying to figure out what was going on with Jade today.
The minute she picked him up, he
pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he hadn’t seen her in years rather than a day.
They’d gone out to dinner on Friday night, he’d spent the night, then went home yesterday to get a few things done. She had stuff to do and he didn’t want to overstay his welcome.
Nor did he think she was the type of person that wanted to spend every waking moment with a new boyfriend.
Hell, he didn’t want to spend that much time with someone new either. At least in the past. But in this case he had too much to do and figure out with the purchase of the house and everything he was going to need to buy.
“How is my daughter treating you?” Garrett asked.
“Ah, good,” he said, not sure where this was going.
“Work,” Garrett said after Jade shot him the evil eye. “How’s the project coming along?”
“That’s good too,” he said, finding the question odd.
“The sample boxes will be ready in a few weeks,” Jade said. “Until then there isn’t much for us to do.”
“Travis and I have been talking,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out what to do going forward. The truth is, neither one of us can really run a business outside of what we’ve got going on in our lives. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“The best thing might be to get a patent right now,” Garrett said. “Then decide what to do after that.”
“Jade mentioned that to me last night,” he was happy to say. “She told me that I should contact Cade. I believe Travis was going to talk to him this weekend about it.”
“My girl is so smart,” Carolyn said. Jade shot her mother the same look as she did her father and he tried not to laugh.
“You better stop,” Wyatt said to his mother. “Jade is going to have laser beams coming out of her eyes soon.”
“Jade doesn’t like anyone to interfere with her personal life,” Noah said to his fiancée, Paige. “She likes to think she has everything under control.”
“Hey, Paige,” Sebastian, Paige’s teenage nephew, said. “Jade sounds just like you.”
“There is nothing wrong with strong women,” Kara said. “This room is full of them. You boys would be wise to remember that.”