Defying Gravity: Shattered Cove Series Book 3

by A. M. Kusi

  “Drink?” he yelled the question.

  “Beer,” she yelled back.

  He nodded and took her hand before he pushed over to the bar amidst the throng of people. Women reached out and grabbed his arms, trying to strike up conversation. Bently smiled politely and pulled Belle in front of him, pinning her against the bar. The women seemed to catch his message loud and clear. The action sent a burst of relief and pride through her like he was telling everyone he was with her. It calmed the anxious knots inside her.

  She recognized Charli behind the bar, expertly making drinks faster than she’d ever seen anyone do. Bently ordered their beers and Charli glanced at her, faltering only for a moment before turning back to her task.

  After they had their cold beverages in hand, Bently led them to a table in the corner where Remy, Mikel, Andre, and Mia sat. Jasmine was the only one missing from their small group.

  The women’s faces lit up as Bently sat in the one and only empty seat. He pulled Belle onto his lap, his hands resting on her bare thighs. Tingles reverberated through her and heat spread from his touch. There was no doubt she was wet. There was nothing between her short skirt and his legs but a pair of red lace panties. She shifted, trying to pull the edge of the dress down farther, worried she would leave a wet spot on Bently’s costume. His hands shot out to halt her movements. His erection poked against her now throbbing core.

  Oh fuck.

  He leaned in and spoke in her ear, his voice gravelly and heady. “This costume doesn’t hide much. You keep moving against me like that and I might have to punish you.”

  The logical part of her wanted to flee his touch and the hurricane of sexual yearnings he awakened within her. The woman in her wanted to grind down on him, see how much it took to send him over the edge.

  “How are you, Belle?” Remy asked, interrupting her salacious thoughts.

  “Yeah, fancy seeing you here.” Mia smiled knowingly.

  “I’m great.” Belle choked as Bently’s hand spread out over her thigh. Heat blossoming, spreading, pooling in her center.

  “Is this a thing now?” Remy asked, motioning between Bently and Belle.

  Belle gulped down her beer, buying some time. She didn’t know how to answer that. I hope so.

  Bently tapped her thigh. “Let’s dance.”

  Avoiding the question again. She got off his lap, setting her beer on the table before he whisked her to the dance floor between the writhing bodies. The volume grew louder the closer they got to the stage. Bently waved to the blond woman singing—she must be Remy’s friend Emma. Her voice was so light compared to the heavy music.

  Bently jerked her body against his. His arousal hadn’t tampered in the least. If anything, it had grown. She looped her arms around his neck as he swayed her back and forth.

  His breath tickled her ear as he growled, “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

  She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. The music drowned out the squeak that had surely come out of her mouth. She pressed against his erection. “I think I have a pretty good understanding.”

  “You make me want things. Things I shouldn’t want. Things I shouldn’t have.” His grip tightened.

  Her body shuddered as he grasped the back of her neck, pulling his head away far enough to gaze at her.

  He dipped his mouth to hers, consuming her with his kiss. Sparks and shimmers built into fireworks of need. She gripped his shoulders as he deepened their connection, stealing, staking claim. His hands roamed to her ass, squeezing before trailing down her thighs and leaving goose bumps in their wake. Lust-fire burned her from the inside out, scorching her restraint and silencing her fears, filling her with urgency. All that mattered was this moment. This need that had her ready to throw caution to the wind and burst like an active volcano.

  The ground itself seemed to quake from the raw power of his touch. Her legs shook, and her body trembled. His kiss made her feel unstable and volatile. His tongue invaded her mouth in an erotic dance. He tasted like beer and sin. Risk and temptation. Tonight and forever.

  He broke away, leaving her breathless. His chest heaved against her breasts. Her hard nipples brushed against his muscles, fueling her ache with the friction.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he ground out as he dragged her from the bar into the chilly night. The blast of cold air swept over her, dulling the lust-filled haze enough for her to come back to her senses. Panic gripped her as he led her to his truck. What if this is just like before? Does he want me, or my body?

  “Bently.”

  “I know, Angel. I know.”

  Despite what she’d thought, Belle couldn’t let this go any further unless she knew for sure. She wouldn’t risk it all and give her body to him without assurance. She wished with everything in her that she could be less complicated. But the fear that this would all end once he’d had her body was paralyzing.

  She bit down until she tasted blood. “Bently?”

  “My place?” He opened the door, his hands immediately gripping her waist.

  “I—I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Okay, we can go to yours.” He leaned in.

  She pressed her hand against his chest, turmoil raging inside her. As much as she wanted him, she needed to make sure her needs were clear. She’d made the mistake of giving pieces of herself away in the past for fleeting attention and false love. She wouldn’t betray herself like that again.

  “No, I meant . . .” She searched his eyes in the moonlight.

  He furrowed his brow. “Do you not want this?”

  “I do, more than anything.”

  He smiled, relief painting his features.

  “But . . . unless something’s changed for you and this can be more than one night . . . I really care about you, Bently—more than I probably should. Which is all the more reason that I need you to make your intentions clear. Is this more than sex to you?”

  He opened his mouth and then closed it, seemingly struggling with her question. Fear flashed in his eyes. Her hope fell like a rock in her stomach. He wasn’t ready.

  “I wish it could be.”

  It could, if you let it.

  “It’s okay.” She turned to climb in, hoping he wouldn’t see the tears glistening in her eyes.

  She had fallen in love with Bently Evans. The man had his faults, but leading her on and lying so he could take advantage of her was not one of them. Of course, when she finally found an honest man she could trust, he’d be incapable of loving her back. Why did life have to be so unfair?

  Chapter 27

  Bently

  Sighing, Bently opened the door to The Stardust Café. Remy was busy helping a customer ahead of him, but she flashed him a smile.

  He scanned the room—a habit—searching for potential threats and gauging where the exits were. For the safety of himself and those he loved, he’d had to maintain a constant alertness his whole life. There was no way to turn it off or slow the adrenaline surging through his blood stream. It left him fatigued and on edge.

  His head pounded. The few drinks he’d had last night hadn’t helped. He’d been so close to taking what didn’t belong to him that evening with Belle two weeks ago. Even in a club crowded with people, she’d been so responsive to his touch. The woman would be a fucking masterpiece to watch fall apart. The way her tiny body ground against him. The way she tasted when those succulent lips locked with his. He’d forgotten anything else existed outside Belle. His sole focus had been her. She had a way of making him forget his place.

  “Bent, what can I get y—you look like crap. Are you okay?” Remy asked, bringing him back to the present where fantasies died and Belle could only ever be a friend.

  “Thanks for the compliment, beautiful.”

  She shrugged. “Are you okay?”

  “Large coffee. You know what,
you better make it two.” He pulled out his wallet.

  “Should I add a shot of hazelnut to one of them?” she teased.

  “No,” he grumbled.

  She filled two cups and pushed a paper bag across the counter. “You need to get that blood sugar up, mister grumpy pants. Cookies are on the house, of course. Seven fifty for the coffee.”

  He handed her a ten-dollar bill. She entered it in the cash register as he sipped from the first paper cup. His sister-in-law might be nosy, but she had a gift straight from the caffeine gods for making the best coffee around.

  “Thanksgiving is coming up in a couple weeks,” she said.

  “Mm-hmm.” Like he didn’t know. It happened every year.

  “Well, I was just thinking that Belle and TJ don’t have any other family around here. Maybe you should invite them to ours.” Remy wiped down the counter.

  Ulterior motives or not, Remy was right. Belle and TJ would be alone. Unless they’d made plans with one of her friends from the hospital. He could ask TJ tonight at the courts. In spite of avoiding Belle like the plague, he’d kept up with her brother, though avoided one-on-ones in favor of a lighter hoops regime.

  “I was going to ask her, but I haven’t seen her in the last couple weeks,” Remy added.

  Maybe Belle was avoiding him too. His stomach hardened. He’d seen the hurt in her eyes before she’d turned away and climbed into his truck. It had been like a spear thrown through his heart. It was better they ended whatever was between them now before he really did her damage.

  You good-for-nothing piece of shit. You’re nothing! You’ll never amount to anything.

  “Earth to Bently.” Remy’s eyebrows drew together.

  “Sorry. I uh—I’ll see if they don’t already have plans. I guess make me one of those coffees she likes too.”

  Remy smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “My pleasure.”

  Bently drank his java. He needed to act like nothing had changed and they were still just friends. Even if everything inside him screamed liar! But the real question was, was he lying to Belle or himself?

  He closed his eyes. Everything was so mixed up inside. What he should do and what he wanted to do were at war. But which would win in the end?

  ***

  “I’m looking for Nurse Belle Jones?” Bently asked the older woman at the desk.

  “Down that hall. She was making her rounds.” The kind lady studied him cautiously.

  “Thanks.” He walked over the way she’d pointed, searching for any sign of the woman who made him unravel at the seams. He adjusted the sticky note on the coffee. Just a little something to put a smile on her face.

  Her throaty laughter caught his attention first. He swiveled his head towards an empty patient room. Doctor Stanley had his hand on her shoulder and was telling her some story about an enema tube and a patient. Bently tensed, his veins burning green. He wanted to walk over there and rip that man’s hand off Belle. He had no business touching his woman.

  Fuck. My woman?

  Every muscle was rigid. His jaw flexed. His teeth ground together threatening to break. This could not happen. Maybe he was a selfish asshole after all, because Bently didn’t want anyone else touching her, kissing her, even making her smile like that. That was his job! Was it worth risking everything? Could he put his doubts aside and be what she needed?

  He fucking hoped so.

  “Belle. There you are, Angel.” He walked in.

  Doctor Stanley looked up, surprise flashing at his intrusion. Belle blinked as if she couldn’t believe he was actually there.

  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side before kissing her cheek. “Brought you some coffee, sweetheart.”

  Doctor Stanley’s forehead wrinkled as his gaze jumped between Bently’s hold and Belle. “Oh, Bently. So nice to see you. Looks like you’re recovering well.”

  “Sure am, Doc. Had the best hands to care for me.” He squeezed Belle’s shoulders. She tensed.

  “Well, I’ll see you around,” the doctor said before leaving them alone.

  Belle whirled around, her face a mask of confusion lined in anger. Fuck, even that turned him on.

  “What the hell is this?” she whisper-yelled.

  “Coffee, and an apology?” He said it more like a question and shrugged, feigning innocence.

  She shook her head and stepped back. “If we’re just friends, maybe you should lay off the PDA. It . . . confuses things.”

  Bently sighed and set the coffee on the counter in the exam room. He reached out his hands to her arms. “I’ve been thinking a lot. I don’t know if I can be what you need, but I’ll be damned if I don’t try. I couldn’t stand seeing another man’s hands on you. I just . . . I want to try . . . to be more than friends.”

  Understanding flashed in her brown eyes before a small smile quirked up the side of her mouth. “You were jealous of Rick?”

  Belle was on a first-name basis with this guy? “Yes,” he grit out.

  She looked at the note and smiled. “Another cheesy cop pick-up line, huh?”

  He smirked. “You don’t like ’em?”

  Belle chuckled. “Only you, Bently Evans, could take something so corny and make it endearing.”

  Warmth blossomed in his chest, radiating to the hidden recesses of his heart. This woman was truly an angel—an embodiment of love and light and all that was good in this world. He was in trouble.

  “I can’t promise you everything, but I’d like to see where this goes. I like you, Angel. And I don’t want to end up hurting you, but it’s more than just one night for me. I understand if that’s not enough for you.”

  She stayed silent, studying him for a few moments as if considering his offer. That’s just one more thing that set her apart—her ability to think through things with a level head. The way she chose what was truly best for herself over temporary escape. It took a fierce woman to do that.

  “Okay. We can see where this goes without a label. But . . . I need to know you’ll, at the very least, be committed to this. I mean . . . that you won’t have sex with other women.”

  He nodded. “That won’t be a problem.”

  She looked up at him curiously. “Okay, then.”

  “Can I kiss you now?” he asked.

  She giggled. “I’m at work, Sheriff.”

  He pulled her against his chest. “When do you get off?”

  Her eyes darkened. “I don’t think how I get off is any of your business.”

  All the blood drained straight to his cock. Fuck, now all he could think about was her touching herself. He liked this new side to Belle.

  “From work, dirty girl.” The timbre of his voice deepened.

  “Six.”

  “How about you meet me and TJ at the courts and then we get dinner together?”

  She smiled. “Sounds good.”

  “It’s a date.” For the first time in his life, the words held weight. The fear was still there, but the alternative was to let her go. And maybe his father was right after all, because not being able to let her go would be his weakness.

  Chapter 28

  Bently

  Bently swirled, swatting his hand out to reach for the ball. TJ was quick, but not quick enough this time. His fingers caught the tip, sending the basketball bouncing off the backboard and missing the rim. Bently winced and rubbed his side at the lingering stiffness.

  “Foul!” Belle’s sweet voice called from the sidelines.

  Bently rested his hands on his hips, catching his breath. “How was that a foul?”

  “Hey, don’t argue with the ref or you’re out!” She laughed.

  He shook his head. “You believe this?” he asked TJ.

  TJ dribbled the ball. “Man, I learned a long time ago, life is much better when I don’t argue with my sister.�
�

  Bently chuckled. “Alright, you get in here, ref. You can be on TJ’s team.”

  “Nah, I’m just an observer.” She waved dismissively.

  He stalked over and grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the court.

  “Bently, I’m still in my scrubs and work shoes,” she protested.

  “Doesn’t bother me any.” He swatted her ass playfully.

  Her brows knit together, but amusement lit in her eyes. “You’re gonna get schooled, old man.”

  He slapped a hand over his heart and grimaced. “Old man? Well, tell me how you really think of me.”

  “You’re what, thirty-five?” She giggled.

  “Try thirty-two.”

  “Eight years older than me.” She smiled.

  His breath stalled. “You’re only twenty-four?” How had this not come up before?

  “You thought I was older?” She narrowed her eyes at him.

  He held up his hands, placating. “No, no. I just. Damn. I didn’t realize I was so much older than you.”

  She smiled. “It doesn’t bother me. It just means you’ll be easier to take down.”

  He chuckled. “Let her start with the ball,” he said, before TJ bounced the ball to her.

  Belle caught it and dribbled it awkwardly at the half line. Bently held his arms up to block any chance of a pass. She looked at him as if he intimidated her, before a mask of determination schooled her features.

  She turned around, facing away, dribbling as she backed into him.

  “Over here!” TJ called from her left. Bently quickly pressed his body against hers, blocking the path.

  He reached out, trailing his hand down her hip and over her ass.

  “Hey! That’s definitely a foul.” She giggled.

  “Oh yeah? You mean this is distracting you?” He squeezed.

  She pushed back, grinding her ass against his hard-on. “Two can play this game.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. She screeched. The ball was thrown over his shoulder where TJ caught it and dribbled towards the hoop before it swished into the net.