The Secret Life of Bryan

by Lori Foster

  “Yeah.” The single word was hoarse with need. “Later.”

  He heard her smile when she said, “Then will you make love to me now?” Her breath shuddered out, and she whispered, “I need you.”

  He might be an idiot, but he wasn’t totally lost to common sense. “Yes.” Please don’t let her change her mind. “Right now.”

  Together they left the lumpy couch and headed to the almost as lumpy bed. Bryan kissed her with every step. He kissed her as he lowered her to the mattress. He kissed her as he untied the belt to the robe and spread it wide so he could see every inch of her.

  She took his breath away. “So beautiful.”

  “No, I—”

  He pressed a finger to her lips. “Inside and out, Shay. Beautiful inside and out.”

  Her eyes softened and she tugged at his shirt. More than willing to oblige her, Bryan stood and yanked his shirt off over his head. He had his fingers on his belt buckle when Shay sighed and said, “You’re the beautiful one.”

  He stripped his belt away and eased down his zipper. “If you say so.”

  “I do. I’ve never known a man as hard as you, who was also so kind and sensitive and caring.”

  In a hurry to be inside her, he shoved his jeans down. Lust swirled around him in a red haze, making it difficult to rationalize, but still he felt compelled to remind her of a few basic facts. “My brother is the preacher, babe. He’s the one who helps people. I haul their asses—er, butts—back to jail.”

  He lowered himself over her, settling his hips between her silky thighs, balancing on his elbows so he could cuddle her breasts in his big, hard palms. Her nipples were already drawn tight, begging for his mouth.

  “Maybe,” she breathed, tipping her head back and offering herself to him. “But you fit the role of preacher almost to perfection. Take away the language—” She gasped as his mouth closed around her. He licked, taunted with his teeth, then settled in for a gentle sucking.

  Shay groaned. “And you’re a natural.”

  He moved to the other breast. In his mind, there’d been nothing natural about him playing keeper to a bunch of hookers. But they had become friends, and he’d learned a hell of a lot. “If you say so.”

  Her fingers laced in his hair, holding him tight to her. “I love it when you do that, Bryan.”

  “This?” He carefully tugged with his teeth, felt her shuddering response, the way she quickened.

  “No—but that’s good, too.” With a hold on his ears, she turned his face up to hers. “I love it when you discount your influence and effect on others. The women all benefited from you being there. They responded to you, and they all love you. No, don’t panic.” She laughed, kissed his chin. “They’re not in love with you. But they really care about you.”

  “If what we suspect is true, then you have to exclude Amy.”

  “No.” Shay shook her head. “She cares about both of us. She’s just confused and feeling lost. Her world hasn’t been a nice one. She needs more guidance—”

  “You’re incredible.” Bryan brushed his hand down over her waist, to her hip, then to the inside of her thigh. Her blue eyes darkened and her lips parted. “Now hush and let me make love to you. Concentrate on me and what I’m going to do to you. Not anyone else.” His fingers touched her, and she was already slippery wet and hot. Perfect.

  “What are you going to do to me?”

  “Everything.” He pushed one finger barely inside her, teasing, making her squirm. The little catch in her breathing turned him on. Her scent, growing richer by the moment, turned him on. The way she watched him with trusting eyes made him insane with lust.

  Bryan didn’t mean to say anything else, unless it was the usual murmuring of seductive, sometimes crude sex words. But Shay was under him, trusting and sweet and all his, and he couldn’t help but spill his guts. “No one will ever hurt you again, Shay. I promise.”

  Her breath sighed out. “As long as you don’t hurt me, I can handle the rest.”

  Oh God, was that a promise he could keep? He was still a bounty hunter, and that brought with it a lot of travel, a lot of distraction, and all types of danger. He’d considered retiring to Visitation, but…with Shay? Would she even be happy there?

  From what he’d seen, she had to be busy helping or she wouldn’t be content. He’d never spotted any hookers trolling in Visitation. Maybe she could apply herself to normalizing Jamie Creed. The guy was so weird, it was a task that could take years.

  There were far too many unanswered questions for Bryan to box himself in. Rather than reply, he sat up beside Shay, caught her hips, and turned her onto her stomach.

  She went motionless for only a moment, then peered at him over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

  He bent and kissed the small of her back, at the same time wedging his hand between her thighs. “Spread your legs.”

  Shock rippled through her. “What?”

  He didn’t wait for her to comply. Instead he caught her legs and drew them wide apart.

  Damn, she looked good like that, with her graceful spine exposed, her bottom jutting up and her legs open. “I love your ass.”

  Enjoying the sight of his dark hand against her pale cheeks, he patted and stroked her bottom, leisurely traced the dark furrow down to her sex, then used his fingertips to part her lips, gently probe and spread her wetness.

  Her breathing accelerated, fast and deep, and then he worked two fingers inside her tight little vagina. He heard her raw groan, and smiled in nearly painful pleasure. “Relax and let me touch you, Shay.”

  Pressing her face into the mattress, knotting her hands in the sheet, she fought the urge to squirm—and lost. She was such a sensual woman, so open and giving.

  Bryan traced kisses up and down her spine, from her nape to the small of her back. He nibbled on her full bottom, and he relished the signs of her heightened arousal. When she began shaking all over, her thighs tensed and her breathing harsh, he turned her.

  For a time, he simply looked at her, rosy with sexual heat, her sex swollen and wet, her nipples tight.

  Promises or not, she was his, damn it. Only his. “Come for me, Shay.” He bent and kissed her hard, then thrust his fingers back inside her. Using his thumb, he found and pressed her distended clitoris, working her, urging her. She screamed into his mouth, her hips rising hard against his hand, her fingers tangling tight in his hair. It was wonderful. She was wonderful.

  Long moments later, when Shay collapsed, Bryan said, more to himself than the limp woman beside him, “Condom. Can’t forget the condom.” But it was tempting. He wanted to slide into her, flesh on flesh, to relish the natural friction of her body accepting his. He’d never felt that way before, never once considered tempting fate. But now, with Shay, he hated having any barriers between them.

  He dropped the cursed rubber twice before he got the packet open and got it rolled on. His hands were shaking. He was so primed he knew he’d be lucky to last for two full strokes.

  He lifted Shay’s legs, then draped them over his shoulders. When he leaned forward, her knees pressed into her breasts.

  That got her eyes open. In breathless anxiety, she whispered, “Bryan?”

  She was wide open, vulnerable to him and what he wanted of her. And he wanted everything.

  “It’s okay, babe. Relax.” Staring down at her lush, pink sex, he positioned his cock and, thanks to the orgasm that had left her creamy and hot, began sinking into heaven. “Jesus. Better than okay.” His teeth clenched. “Fucking incredible.”

  Shay braced her arms against his chest, but she couldn’t hold him back. She breathed hard, a little unsure of things, yet he could feel her muscles clamping around his cock, squeezing him, and it just felt too good to stop. “Tell me if I hurt you.”

  Her nails dug into his pecs. She groaned. He was deep, so damn deep. He pulled back—and thrust in again.

  Her slender body arched under his with a gasp.

  That was one, he thought, his
jaw locked, his forehead damp, his every muscle straining. He rocked in once more, slowly withdrew, back in hard—and her vibrating moan sent him over the edge. Three. A lousy three strokes…ah, to hell with it.

  He gave himself over to the mind-blowing release, his body draining of energy, tension, need. He growled out his pleasure, pressed as deep inside her as he could get.

  And as he went limp over her, she started coming again, too, in small spasms that he felt from inside her. It was enough. It was too much.

  Time passed while his mind slowly recovered and his body sank deeper into lethargy.

  “Bryan?”

  He grunted, which was the best he could manage with her knees still against his ears.

  Her fingers glided up and down his back. Her lips pressed into his sweaty shoulder. And in a voice so gentle that he barely recognized it as Shay’s, she whispered, “I love you.”

  Bryan drew out his cell phone and punched in a number he knew by heart.

  Joe answered on the first ring. “Winston here.”

  Skipping common courtesy, Bryan asked, “How bored are you?”

  Joe laughed. “I’m married to Luna, remember? Never a dull moment to be had. Why, whatcha got going?”

  Though Joe couldn’t see him, Bryan shrugged. “A plan to catch a rat bastard who likes to use and hurt women. But I could use a little help.”

  Joe’s voice lowered, probably so Luna wouldn’t hear. “Sounds like fun. Count me in.”

  “You don’t even know what you have to do yet.”

  “Doesn’t matter. But then you knew that before you called, right?”

  Bryan hadn’t had any doubts about Joe lending a hand, but he had expected to do more explaining. Luckily, he didn’t have to, since most of Joe’s questions would be tough to answer. “Pretty much, yeah.”

  “That’s what I figured.” He could almost hear Joe rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “So, you coming here or am I coming there?”

  “The first.” Bryan glanced down at Shay, curled at his side, almost but not quite asleep. In such a short time, she’d become so precious to him. Just looking at her pleased him. “And I’m bringing Shay with me.”

  “And Shay is?”

  That one was easy enough to answer. “Mine.”

  “Ah.” Amusement filtered into Joe’s deep voice. “Gotcha.” And then, with a dose of facetious regret, “Alyx will be brokenhearted.”

  Bryan snorted. Alyx Winston, Joe’s kid sister, was a bona fide terror. She’d flirted with him—but then, she flirted with every guy around. He didn’t envy the poor sop who ended up with her. She’d be a handful, and then some. “Alyx will survive.”

  Joe let that go. “So when will you be here?”

  “Tonight sometime. I’ve only got a few more pieces to get in place, then we’ll head out.”

  “Great. Plan on eating dinner with us. Luna will insist.”

  It was Bryan’s turn to be amused. “Sure. Give Luna my love.”

  “No.” Usually Joe would have hung up on him at that point, but this time he said, “Watch your back. At least until you get here and I can watch it for you.”

  “Thanks.” Bryan disconnected the call, turned to Shay and stroked her hair. “You asleep, babe?”

  “Not yet.”

  His heart clenched at the empty tone of her voice. “Try to rest. We don’t have to be anywhere for another hour or so.”

  She nodded, but she was far too subdued. He was used to Shay’s exuberance, her boundless energy. She was a take-charge kind of woman, not the type to sit back while plans were formed around her.

  Her declaration of love had left him floundering for a reply, but Shay had eased through the awkward moment without his help. In fact, she’d slugged him in the shoulder and said, rather succinctly, “Get off. You weigh a ton.”

  She’d even groaned theatrically while straightening out her legs. Then she’d smiled, stretched, and rolled to her side to sleep.

  Only she wasn’t asleep. She was brooding. Or worrying. And he couldn’t bear it. “We’ll stop by the safe house last. I want you to tell them all that you’re going with me—Bruce—to Visitation until we can find out who tried to hurt you. Bruce will be able to keep an eye on Amy, and if she contacts anyone, or tries to follow, we’ll know.”

  Without opening her eyes, Shay said, “You think she’s working with someone?”

  “Yeah, I do. Maybe one of Freddie’s cronies. Maybe just another goon. I don’t know. But either way, I’m not taking any more chances with you. Bruce will keep an eye on things here, and Joe will help keep an eye on us in Visitation. Someone is bound to make a move, and this time, we’ll find out exactly who it is.”

  Shay rolled to her back, sighed, and then sat up beside him. Eyes solemn, expression weary, she said, “I’m not tired, Bryan.” She drew a breath. “How about we just get this over with?”

  “It’s a long drive to North Carolina. Probably five or six hours.”

  “Then let’s go now so we get there before dark.” Naked, she climbed out of the bed. “With any luck, we can sleep tonight without any worries.”

  “You’ll sleep with me, either way.” He wanted that much to be clear. Problems or not, he wasn’t letting her go. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

  Shay gave a gentle smile. “I would have insisted, if you hadn’t. Now get a move on, lazy. We’ve got things to do.”

  She said it with all the take-charge attitude he was used to, but her eyes told the real story. Too much had happened in too short a time, leaving her depleted.

  Never mind that he’d rejected her a few weeks ago, he wanted the old Shay back.

  Somehow, some way, he’d manage it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It hadn’t been easy, gathering everyone together. Amy had to leave work early and Morganna would have to go in late. They all clustered around her, full of concern and advice, her friends, and Shay refused to believe any of them would do her harm. It just didn’t seem possible.

  Amy, especially, clung to her side, full of guilt. “I should have stayed with you.”

  “What good would that have done?” Bryan’s tone was casual enough, but Shay saw the speculation in his dark eyes.

  “I don’t know. The door wasn’t locked when I left, but maybe I pulled it closed. Maybe I locked it by accident.”

  Barb scowled ferociously. “Don’t be stupid. It has a key that you have to turn. Did you turn a key? No. So it wasn’t your fault.”

  Normally Barb’s lack of patience got on everyone’s nerves. But this time, Morganna patted Barb, as if to soothe her. “The preacher’s right, Amy. There wasn’t anything you could do. We should be thankful that Shay wasn’t hurt.”

  “I am thankful,” Amy gasped, sounding horrified.

  Barb rolled her eyes. “You’re all pathetic. I’m going to go put on coffee. Be right back.”

  “None for us,” Bryan said. “We need to get on the road. I’m going to stash Shay with some distant relatives. They live off on some private acreage in Visitation, North Carolina. It’s a nice, peaceful little town. Plenty safe.” He handed Morganna a slip of paper. “Here’s the address, in case the cops need to get in touch with us. My cell phone number is on there, too.”

  Shay knew he’d given the address for his trailer. Never would Bryan risk leading criminals to his friend’s house, especially since Joe and Luna had two kids to protect.

  “There are directions on the back.” He stared at Amy, alert to any small nuance. “You know, in case the cops need them.”

  Amy wasn’t paying any attention. She was too busy wringing her hands.

  Barb snatched the paper away from Morganna. “I’ll put this in the kitchen drawer, so we don’t lose it. Since I’m the only one here during the day, I’d probably be the one to talk to the cops if they call.”

  Bryan nodded. “True. Don’t lose it, okay?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Why would I lose it?”

  Shay smiled. “You wouldn’t. Look at h
ow organized you are. You do a great job keeping things in order around here.”

  Morganna again patted Barb while looking at Shay. “Now that you’ve taught us how to cook and stuff, we’ve been pitching in more. It’s not fair for all the work to fall on Barb.”

  “It’s my job,” Barb protested.

  “But we don’t mind helping you. It’s almost fun.” Morganna wrinkled her nose. “Not the cleanup, but we even help with that.”

  Barb turned on her heel and stalked away.

  Sighing, Shay gave up. Barb would always be bristly. She’d hoped to eventually soften her, but while Barb had always been friendly, she continued to snap and growl at everyone within range. Apparently, grouchiness was an innate part of her personality.

  Shay embraced Morganna, then Patti, and lastly Amy. “Don’t worry, Amy. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

  Amy shook her head. “I don’t know. Every time things look good, something else happens. I wonder if it’ll ever end.” She held Shay’s hand. “North Carolina is so far away. But at least you’ll be safe.”

  “Yeah,” Patti added. “Better that you’re not here, than to take a chance on getting hurt.”

  “No one wants that,” Morganna agreed. “We all like you too much.”

  They all sounded so sincere. And yet…someone had tried to trap her in the house. Someone had set the fire.

  Shay only prayed that someone wasn’t Amy.

  The minute they hit the highway, Shay fell asleep and stayed asleep for most of the ride. That suited Bryan fine, because she needed the rest and it freed him to keep a close watch on the surrounding traffic. No one followed them.

  He didn’t know whether he was relieved or disappointed.

  Once they hit the older, winding roads, and by necessity had to slow down, Shay stirred and finally awakened. “We’re there?”

  “Almost. We’re in Welcome County. We’ll reach Visitation soon.” He reached for her hand, rubbed her palm with his thumb.

  Sleepily she pushed her hair out of her eyes, then straightened and looked out the window with interest. Sunlight bathed her face, broken only by shadows from the tall trees that bordered either side of the road. The wide highway had turned into a narrow, rough asphalt road with only an occasional house or trailer to be seen along the way. For all intents and purposes, they were away from the real world.