Fierce- Drake (Fierce Family Series Book 3)

by Natalie Ann

  “I wanted to get a black dress, but Jade said no. Everyone would wear black and for me to go for something different.”

  “Jade knows best,” he said. He ran his hand across her cheek. Her hair was straight and down, parted to the side, and tucked behind her ear. Her contacts were in, not a lot of makeup but just enough that she looked like a modern day Jackie O to him.

  There was a knock at the door saving him from slipping and saying that he was falling in love with her. It was probably best to not say it now. At least not here.

  Kara stepped back out of his arms. “That would be your brothers, I’m sure.”

  “Most likely,” he said, moving to the door and pulling it open.

  “Wow,” Wyatt said when he walked in. “Look at you, Kara. How the hell did my brother get so lucky to land you?”

  She laughed and winked. “Any woman would be lucky to land one of you three. Damn, my heart is aching it’s racing so fast standing here. I get to walk in with the three of you.”

  “Sweetie,” Noah said, putting his arm around Kara. “Tell me you’ve got a sister or a cousin I can meet.”

  Drake looked at her face, saw the forced smile that she kept in place. “There’s only one of me, boys. Sorry.”

  “Damn,” Noah said. “Guess I’ll have to find my own princess.”

  “Princess?” Kara asked his brother.

  “Have you looked at yourself,” Noah asked and then walked out the door with Wyatt knowing they’d follow.

  “Your brothers are funny,” she said to him.

  “No one was laughing,” Drake pointed out, glad his family was trying to make Kara feel comfortable. The funny part was, he knew them well enough to know that no one had to try too hard. They were just being themselves, accepting her as one of them. His family had never accepted someone as easily as they had Kara.

  That alone just told him she was the woman he’d been waiting for.

  Special Kind Of Love

  Kara looked around the ballroom and hoped her eyes weren’t as wide as Mr. Magoo’s behind his black-rimmed glasses.

  No one would have even thought she’d be sitting in a place like this. Or sitting here as comfortably as she was.

  She was at a table with Drake, Noah, Wyatt, Garrett, and Carolyn. The ceremony at the church was beautiful. Looking at Ella standing there in her full dress covered with glitter reminded her of a Queen. She didn’t care what Drake said, Noah had to have been kidding when he’d made the princess comment to her.

  And Ella’s husband, Travis. He was huge. The Fierce men were big, but Travis was just that much bigger. Not as tall as Gavin, just an inch or so shorter, but in width, he put them all to shame.

  Travis’s best man, Brock, was nothing to sneeze at in size either. Jade had said Brock was in the service, special ops or something. He’d served with Travis. She remembered now that Jade hadn’t even met Brock until the rehearsal dinner yesterday. That they’d planned the wedding as best as they could around him.

  Talk about a special kind of love to pick your wedding date around your future husband’s best man.

  Then there were Ella’s four brothers, all in line next to Brock. Kara had joked about Drake and his brothers, but the six of those men up there...there had to be a law about this many attractive men in one family.

  Each and every one of their spouses were stunning in their own right. Aimee and Nic were like night and day, Nic being so tiny and looking much more pregnant than Aimee though Aimee was due first.

  Cade’s wife, Alex…Kara was sure a paper bag would look like a million dollars on her. Just gorgeous.

  Yet no one seemed stuck up. Or thought they were better than anyone else.

  She’d seen all the tears in their eyes. Even the four boys looked like they could barely hold back their emotions as their baby sister was walked down the aisle. And in a stunning move she’d never seen before, after the priest asked who gave this woman away, Gavin replied, then the four brothers left their spots on the altar and stood beside their father and each said they did too.

  Ella had tears in her eyes, Travis had laughed and shaken each of their hands.

  She now understood what Drake had meant about his family. And she didn’t care what he said, that was a storybook move right there that most likely just came naturally to the Five.

  “While the wedding party is having pictures taken, you can meet Sam and Bryce, Dani and Payton,” Drake said. Since it was the table next to them, they didn’t have far to move, really, they just turned around and scooted their chairs over.

  “That would be nice,” she said, figuring now was the best time to do it.

  “You obviously know my Uncle Grant and Aunt Diane, and Ryder. But this is Sam and his fiancée, Dani, and Bryce and his girlfriend, Payton. Everyone, this is Kara. I’m sure you’ve heard about her as nothing stays secret in this family long.”

  “It’s nice to meet you all,” Kara said. “I’ve heard a lot about the family. Payton, I had your peanut butter cookies the other day and they were to die for.”

  “She slapped my hand when I went to eat one. Said they were all hers,” Drake said.

  “You brought cookies and brownies. You got the brownies,” she said.

  “We were supposed to share,” he said back.

  “Then you should have said that.”

  Ryder started to laugh. “They do this all the time at work. This is the same Drake that never argues or talks back to anyone. Meet his Achilles’ heel.”

  “Ryder,” Diane said, pinching his arm. “That isn’t very nice.”

  “It’s the truth,” Grant said.

  “Unfortunately, they are right,” Kara said. “I’m not an argumentative person at all, but Drake seems to always talk back to me.”

  “It all started when she tried to cut my budget,” Drake said.

  That’s when the whole table burst into laughter. “Well, that explains it,” Sam said.

  “Be nice,” Dani said. “Kara, I have to teach Sam manners. He’s too used to being single.”

  “Not anymore, sweetie,” Sam said, wrapping his arm around Dani’s shoulder. “You’ve got me for life now. I’m learning each day too. No more holding my feet to the fire.”

  She wasn’t sure what Sam meant by that, but he and Dani sure did seem truly in love.

  “We’ll all have to go to dinner sometime soon,” Bryce said. “And get to know each other a bit more.”

  “Yes,” Payton said. “It’s just Dani and I. It’s nice to have another girl besides Jade around.”

  “I’ll cook,” Ryder said. “No reason to go out.”

  “In case you didn’t know,” Drake said, “Ryder thinks he’s the next Bobby Flay.”

  “I do not. Cooking lands chicks,” Ryder argued.

  “But you’re here alone,” Diane said. “So did you burn something?”

  “Talk about a burn,” Grant said. “I think it’d be nice if all of you cousins could get together. Just like old times.”

  “Here comes the wedding party,” Diane said. “Back to your table.”

  They scooted back and watched as the wedding party made their way in one by one. The brothers and their wives starting to dance on the sidelines, Jade and Brock walking down last. Jade grinning from ear to ear like her partner, but neither of them looking at each other. Brock pulled her into his arms fast and had her laughing, then looking away. If Kara didn’t know better, she thought Jade might be a little bit tipsy already. Imagine that.

  Lastly Ella came out in a whole new dress, this one straight and sleek and fitted to her body. Not as much bling or glitter, but more lace and pearl. Completely different than her other dress, but beautiful just the same.

  Ella and Travis started dancing and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place when the DJ announced it had been Travis’s parents’ wedding song. His mother had passed away a few months ago.

  Several hours later, she and Drake made their way back to their room. Many were still at the reception but at
least half had left.

  No one seemed to notice them sneaking away either. Not that she cared if Drake didn’t. She couldn’t wait to get him to their room and get him out of that suit.

  The way he’d been holding her in his arms as they danced. Close to his chest, his fingers running up and down her back, then her arms.

  His mouth leaning down to whisper in her ear, pulling her lobe between his teeth, sending shivers all over her body making her break out in a cold sweat.

  “You did that on purpose tonight,” she’d said to him the minute they were in the hotel room.

  “Did what?” he asked, his hands reaching for the zipper on the back of her dress and releasing it down, helping her slip her arms out of the top, the green silky material falling to the floor.

  “Tried to turn me on all night so that I’d be ready to jump you the minute we were in our room.” Her hands went to his tie, undid and dropped it to the floor, his jacket following while she attacked the buttons on his white shirt.

  “Did it work?”

  “You tell me,” she said, moving faster to get his clothes off while he unhooked her bra and pushed it off her body.

  Soon both of them were naked and tumbling on the bed, hands moving in all directions. She couldn’t get enough of him and wondered if she ever would.

  She moved out of his arms, pushing him on his back, then crawled on top of him. Her mouth started at his chest, working all over, then she wiggled her way down finding her target.

  Steel hard, standing tall and proud, forcing her to wrap her hand around the heat and hold it in place, her lips covering him for a taste.

  A taste wouldn’t be enough. Never.

  Her mouth covered him completely, she heard his moan, and slid up and then back down. He always made her lose control and tonight she was going to do it to him.

  “Well, I know you are completely sober doing that,” he said. “You might have been the only one that just had the glass of champagne besides the two pregnant ladies there.”

  She pulled her mouth away from his body. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “This is the first time you’ve done that,” he said.

  She hadn’t realized it and was sorry he thought she didn’t want to. “Sorry. Most times I’m just dying to feel you inside of me. I can stop if you want.”

  “Shit no,” he said. “Keep going. Only if you want to.”

  “Oh, I want to. Then I expect you to fill me up like you always do.”

  “If you keep talking like that I’m not going to be able to last more than five minutes.”

  “Not a problem,” she said. “I know we’ll both be happy before we fall asleep. Now stop talking.”

  He let out another groan when her tongue came out and licked the length of him, then she decided to not torment him too much. Or too long.

  She took him deep, she worked him over with her hands and her mouth, she heard him moan and then let out a shout as she swallowed and then swallowed some more.

  That was a first for her. She’d never wanted to do that before. Never had the desire. But something about Drake made her want to and be someone she never was before.

  “My turn,” he said, flipping her on her back, then leaving the bed and walking into the bathroom, coming back with a condom in his hand. He was already hard again. What woman couldn’t love a response like that?

  “By all means,” she said. He dove on the bed, grabbed her hands and put them over her head, held her in place and entered her fast. “Yes, just like that.”

  “You bring something out of me,” he said, panting, his hips slamming into her again and again. He talked about not being able to last long, but she knew that feeling well.

  “The same,” she said, her back arching, her body just giving over as he sent her to another place and time that only existed for the two of them.

  ***

  Garrett and Carolyn moved over to the same table as Grant and Diane with Jolene and Gavin. There was nothing Garrett loved better than when he and his brothers and wives were all together.

  “Well, Gavin and Jolene? How are we doing so far?” Garrett asked.

  “We know Sam is set,” Gavin said. “Bryce seems pretty happy. Drake looked to be over the moon tonight.”

  “They couldn’t get out of here fast enough,” Carolyn said. “I think Bryce left the same time.”

  “Well, both of them are in new relationships,” Jolene said. “You know what it’s like when you only see each other a few times a week.”

  “Drake and Kara see each other every day,” Diane said.

  “She’d kick him in the butt if he gave away their relationship at work,” Garrett told his sister-in-law. “She is firm on that.”

  “Nothing wrong there,” Carolyn said. “It seems to be working. And I’ve got an idea for Noah. I need all of your opinions before I start the ball rolling there.”

  Garrett looked at his wife. “How come I’m just hearing about this now?”

  “Because it’s been flip-flopping in my head, but I think it’s perfect.”

  “Hit us with it,” Gavin said.

  The six of them started to laugh and plan out the rest of their kids’ lives without them knowing.

  Like Magnets

  “Did you have a good time?” Drake asked Kara as they drove home on Sunday morning.

  “I did. I would be lying if I said I’ve been to a wedding like that before.”

  “It was a bit fancier than her brothers’. But that is Ella too. The other ones were like parties.”

  “That was a big party,” she said.

  “It was. But it was more upscale. Aiden had the biggest wedding, as he knows people all over the world plus the staff at the bar and restaurant. Nic’s family is pretty big. Her extended family, that is. Mason and Jessica’s wedding was probably the smallest and most subdued. She doesn’t have a big family and they are all pretty quiet. Kind of like Mason.”

  “He didn’t seem quiet to me.”

  “He’s the quietest of the group,” Drake said.

  “His twins were adorable in their little tuxes walking down with Brody and Aimee’s daughter.”

  “Ella has a big soft spot for Sidney.”

  “Probably because it’s another girl,” Kara said.

  “Most likely. Anyway, it wasn’t too much for you? It didn’t want to make you run in the other direction?”

  He hoped that wasn’t the case. It seemed like his family was very accepting of Kara. He’d know if it was forced and it wasn’t. Even his mother, who didn’t often say much, talked to Kara a lot today.

  “Not at all. Everyone was really nice. Friendly. I didn’t feel out of place. I like Dani and Payton. I mean they are so much like Sam and Bryce though.”

  “No, they aren’t,” Drake said. “Dani and Sam had nothing in common. Trust me. Complete opposites. The same with Bryce and Payton.”

  “Geez, you’d never know looking at them.”

  “Trust me. Payton is really outgoing and friendly, Bryce would rather have his face in a book. We don’t say this often, but Bryce is a certified genius. Payton didn’t even go to college.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Nothing,” Drake said. “She’s got a successful business. I’m just saying they have nothing in common either. Dani, the same thing. Very successful business, but no college. She’s a hairdresser. Sam a surgeon. But the two of them are like peanut butter and jelly together.”

  She giggled. It was the first time he’d ever heard that noise from her. “That’s a good description. What are we then?”

  “We don’t have a lot in common either. Not really. I guess we are like magnets. Put us one way and we push away, the other, and we snap together.”

  “Sounds about right.”

  The rest of the drive was taken in quiet while Kara napped—he’d really kept her up last night, as he couldn’t get enough of her. “Hey, we’re back at your place,” he said. “Wake up. I’
m sure Tyson is waiting for his can of food.”

  “I’m sure. He is used to not getting it every night now since I’ve been spending time at your house. But the minute I come in the door he is all over me.”

  “Just like me,” he said. “The minute you walk in my door I want to be all over you too. Even at work.”

  “Don’t think about it,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, even if he wanted to.

  They made their way to her floor, her keys out to unlock her door, but she stopped. “What the heck?”

  He looked and noticed that there were scrapes around the handle and the lock. “Give me your key and stand behind me.”

  “What?” she asked. “Do you think someone is in there?”

  “No clue, but someone tried to get in.”

  “Maybe we should call the police,” she said.

  “Let’s just open the door and find out first,” he said. Hopefully it was just a drunk neighbor that was at the wrong apartment.

  Unfortunately he didn’t get that wish when he opened the door and saw her apartment had been trashed.

  “Oh my God,” she said. “Who would do this? Why?”

  “Now would be the time to call the police. Don’t touch anything.”

  “Where is Tyson?” she asked, her feet starting to move.

  He pulled her back. “Get behind me. Let’s go look in your room first. I don’t think anyone is here right now. It looks like maybe they were just looking for things to steal.”

  “But why trash my place to do it?”

  “No clue,” he said. It looked like a lot of rage.

  Not just someone looking for things to take, but for hidden money or jewels. Drawers were opened and overturned in the kitchen. There was food on the floor. Whoever it was probably thought Kara might have hidden money in her freezer or fridge. If he had his guess, there wasn’t much cash in this place. She’d be someone to have it all in the bank or invested.

  He looked into her bedroom, saw the same amount of damage there, but there was no one around. “Tyson,” he called out.