by Marie Harte
“What?”
He flushed. “She was bummed about her boyfriend dumping her.”
“Fiancé.” Bree fumed. Had Melissa put the moves on Tex, knowing Tex belonged with Bree?
“Right. Fiancé. It wasn’t flirty or anything,” he hastened to add. “She was just feeling down. Probably ugly and dumb, all the things you feel when you get dumped.”
“Have you ever felt those things?”
“Well, no. Not really. Once, back in middle school, a girl chose my older brother over me. That hurt. But then I discovered baseball and never looked back.” He grinned.
She didn’t.
Tex groaned. “Come on, Bree. Let it go. Your sister didn’t mean nothin’, and you know I’m only looking at you.”
“Are you?” Oh, man. Her insecurities were showing.
“You have to be kidding me. I know I’m lucky to be dating you.” He pointed from her to him, his finger going back and forth. “Us, together, is the best thing ever. You think I’m going to mess that up by coming on to your sister?” He cringed. “I’m not a dog, Bree. No offense, Bubbles,” he said to the canine under the table.
Bree couldn’t help a grin when Bubbles gave a soft woof.
“I’m so into you, the guys are making fun of me,” Tex admitted. “And you don’t make it easy. I have to work for you.”
“Oh?”
“See? There’s that snippy tone. Now I need to work back into your good graces.”
“Hmm. I think I like that.”
“You’re hot, smart, and forbidden. How can I look away?”
She laughed. “So, I’m forbidden fruit?”
“If I say you’re ripe fruit that I want to peel and bite into slowly, will you deck me?”
“Probably.”
“How about if I just take a bite anyway? I promise you orgasms if you smile at me pretty-like and forget what an asshole I can be.”
“How many orgasms?”
“Two? Three?”
“Well, we’ll have to see about that. After dinner.”
“Best. Girlfriend. Ever.”
She laughed. “Let’s not talk about Carrie and Melissa anymore. Tell me something funny instead.”
After swallowing a mouthful of chicken, he said, “Okay. How about a joke? Mack and a hot chick walk into a bar…”
“And?”
“That’s the joke. Mack and a hot chick.” He laughed. “How about, how many Marines does it take to piss Reggie the hell off?”
She chuckled. “I’d say one, but this sounds like the beginning of a good story. I give up. How many?”
“Well, it all started out with a misplaced cell phone…”
Chapter Seventeen
Tex hadn’t wanted to seem like a horned-up jerk, so he’d decided to let Bree set the pace when it came to sex. But seeing her smile and hearing her laugh got him worked up, hence the teasing offer of a few orgasms.
And now, for dessert, he got to make his girlfriend come.
Naked and flat on her back on her bed, Bree looked like a centerfold. She had the best damn body. Those bright-blue eyes, those plump, rosy lips…
He groaned and joined her, naked, on the bed. “I love lookin’ at you.”
“You too, cowboy.” She ran her hands over his thighs as he straddled her waist and palmed her full breasts. “Oh.” She closed her eyes and tilted back her head. If she bit her lip, he’d…
She bit her lip.
He swore to himself and moved so he could lean down to kiss her, lost in her taste, the sweet scent of honey from the tea she’d had at dinner. He was addicted to the softness of her lips, the delicacy of her touch as she stroked into his mouth with her tongue.
Like steel, his body had little give, growing harder as she seduced him.
He pulled back to watch her while he caressed and kissed her breasts. He loved her body, and she liked when he touched her, especially when he kissed her nipples.
She moaned and arched up into his mouth as he sucked one bud into a taut point. Then he teased the other before kissing his way down her body.
He spread her thighs and looked up, loving the way she opened for him, not holding back.
Planting his hands on her legs to keep them wide, he nuzzled her folds and sought the very heat of her.
When she moaned his name and twisted her hands in his hair, he smiled and kissed her in earnest.
Giving Bree pleasure gave him pleasure in return. Her responses weren’t faked, and he liked knowing what made her feel good. He added a finger, caressed and thrust, and soon she was crying out as she climaxed, her tense muscles easing in repletion.
Tex kissed his way up her body, hungry for more of her but needing to see her smile once more.
She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him close as they kissed. He wondered if she liked tasting herself, because he found her sexy as hell.
“Mmm. I guess you do make good on your promises,” she whispered between kisses.
“Darlin’, one thing I can promise. You’ll never be disappointed in bed.” In other parts of their relationship, probably. But never between the sheets.
“Good to know.” The kisses went from easy to deeper, and he had a tough time not moving as she kept rubbing against him.
“Bree, honey, slow down.”
“Why, cowboy? You ready to explode?” she teased.
“Yes.” Not a lie. “You taste so good. Got me all riled up.”
She gently bit his lip and kissed her way to his ear. “Then what are you waiting for?” She nibbled his earlobe, and he jolted, close to coming.
“No condom?” He sounded gritty but couldn’t help it. He still had a tough time believing she trusted him enough to forego protection.
“Just you and me.” She tongued his ear, driving him wild. “Fill me up.”
“Fuck.” He kissed her, angled himself between her legs, then pushed.
She moaned into his mouth as he thrust inside her, the warmth his undoing.
Bree’s body clasped him tight when he stilled, reveling in the feeling of her. But then he had to move. He wanted to go slow, to savor the moment. Every time with Bree got better than the last, and knowing she’d already found her pleasure enabled him to let go and find his.
“That’s it,” she crooned as he sucked at her neck, riding her faster, plunging deeper. “God, Tex. That feels so good.”
They were both panting as the climb toward orgasm grew more intense. Her hands roamed over him, the strokes of her palms and the bite of her nails igniting trails of fire along his flank. When she gripped his ass and clamped him deep inside her body, he lost it.
He groaned her name as he jerked and poured into her, the release overwhelming.
She stroked his back and shoulders, planting kisses along his chin and jaw. He came back to himself and kissed her with thanks, then rolled them both over, still connected, and cradled her to him.
“So good,” she murmured, petting his chest.
“Oh, yeah.” He never wanted to move again. “I…you…”
“I know.” She sighed, still touching him. “Nothing matters but us in bed.”
“It’s the best.”
“Yeah.”
They lay in quiet for some time, but he could feel something bothering her.
“Bree, you okay?”
“I was just a few seconds ago. But now my brain is firing again, and I’m still annoyed with Carrie.” She vented, and he listened. “She and I have been friends forever. When we find someone new we’re dating, we can get distant. But it never lasts very long. Lately, I’ve been consumed with my project.”
He’d been hoping she’d been consumed with him.
“And you.”
“Yes, and me,” he said proudly.
She laughed. “What an ego
.” She paused. “It’s just… Carrie’s my best friend. We share everything.”
“Then I hope you tell her how big and amazing I am in bed.”
“Hush. I meant we share good times and bad, not all the sex stuff.”
“Too bad. She could learn a thing or two from me.”
As intended, his words had her laughing.
“It’s just, lately Carrie’s been quiet. She knows how I feel about Melissa. It’s petty of me, but I don’t want my best friend being friends with Melissa.”
“Wow, that is petty.”
She slapped his chest.
“Ow.”
“I’m sharing here,” she growled.
He trapped her hand beneath his. “Look, I obviously don’t know your sister or Carrie the way you do. But Carrie’s a grown-ass woman. A mean woman, I might add. She can more than hold her own with your sister.”
“Stepsister,” she corrected absently. “I always wanted a sister. Even more when my mom passed away. Then I got Charlie and Melissa, and it was so great. Charlie’s kind and lovely. Melissa was too. At first.”
“What happened, do you think?”
“I have no idea. She turned into a monster of a teenager and hated me.”
“You steal her boyfriend or something?”
“Not to my knowledge. But she stole mine. Twice, actually. It hurt at the time, but I got over it.”
Seemed to Tex like maybe she hadn’t.
“But Carrie. She’s mine.”
“I’m pretty sure she’s her own person.”
“Oh, you know what I mean.” She shifted, forcing him to leave her body. After cleaning herself up, she rolled to her side and propped her head on her elbow, watching him while she unloaded. “I hate feeling small and jealous. But Carrie’s my friend. Melissa has her own life. Hell, my parents drop everything when she needs something. She’s never wanted for anything.”
“Don’t they do the same for you?”
“They do, but I don’t need them the way she does.”
He hated to be devil’s advocate, but he found himself saying, “Maybe she needs Carrie more than you do right now.”
“Stop acting so sensible.”
He drew her close for a kiss. “Sorry, Bree. You’re happy, healthy, and hell, you got me. What does Melissa have?”
“A six-figure career in business, tons of men at her feet, and my parents who give her whatever she needs.”
“Yeah, but she ain’t happy. And you are, right?” He rolled to pin her under him.
“I guess when you put it that way, I’m worrying for nothing. My life is pretty great.”
“Huh. You don’t look too great.”
She crossed her eyes and made an awful face. “You mean, I look like this?” Ugly-cute.
He did his best not to laugh. “Then again, I only gave you two orgasms, and we did agree to three.”
She put her arms around his shoulders. “That’s true. Three is the magic number.”
He smiled down at her, pleased she seemed to be out of her mood and back into the fun they’d been having. “You really can talk to me about serious stuff. But tonight, I want you to be happy. You got a deal with that gallery and a great dinner I made myself.”
“You mean bought.”
“Same difference.” He kissed her. “And you’re fucking me dry. It’s a perfect night. Don’t let anyone ruin it for you.”
“You’re right.”
“Always.”
“Let’s not get cocky, cowboy.” She paused as he nestled himself between her legs. “Well, let me rephrase that…”
***
Bree didn’t know how he’d done it, but Tex had sexed her out of her funk Tuesday night. They spent their evenings together all week, enjoying themselves with or without sex. He liked movies, taking walks, and playing cards. Quite the card sharp, was Tex McGovern.
Since he went back to work Saturday, she’d rescheduled her Friday night movie with Carrie. Bree and Tex had been spending a lot of time together, but the few times Bree had reached out, Carrie had been busy, so she didn’t feel too badly for being preoccupied.
Saturday evening, as she stood in front of Carrie’s door, she kept going over her conversation with Tex about her best friend. Tex had been correct; Carrie was her own person. If she chose to ruin her life—strike that—if she chose to make odd choices in her friendships, that was Carrie’s business, not Bree’s. After all, Carrie had been dating a stream of women, many of whom Bree had never met, and it had never affected their friendship.
Why should Carrie’s new association with Melissa mean anything had to change with Bree? And there might not even be anything to worry about. Just because her friend and stepsister had talked and kissed meant nothing. Nope. Not a thing.
God.
When Carrie opened the door, Bree put Melissa out of her mind and gave Carrie a hug. “Hey, slacker. How have you been? Besides ducking my calls, I mean?”
“Ducking your calls? Please.” Carrie raised a brow. “I fear no woman. No man. No animal. Only roaches and pineapple on pizza, because both are just gross.”
“Now that’s just mean.” The smile on her face froze when she heard a toilet flush and Melissa walked into the living room and settled on the couch. In Bree’s spot.
She looked comfortable there, wearing dark yoga pants and a pink top that slid off her shoulder, exposing the strap of an athletic bra. “Hi. Don’t mind me. I’m here for girl time.”
Bree looked back at Carrie, who managed to avoid making eye contact as she shut the door behind Bree then scurried into the kitchen.
Bree walked with patience, not sure what the heck was going on. Carrie never moved as if nervous. She didn’t avoid confrontation. Yet she was acting totally out of character.
“What’s going on?” Bree asked, having pinned her friend in the kitchen.
“I’m just an innocent bystander.” Carrie seemed more like herself as she held up her hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m neutral ground, where you can come to a peaceable solution with Melissa. Get back together as sisters who don’t hate each other. Think of me as brokering a treaty.”
“Are you serious?”
“I know, right?” Melissa tossed her hair. “Imagine a real conversation between the two of us.” She tittered from her cozy seat on the sofa. “Maybe you should run back to Mom and John and tell them how hateful I am. Again. Or, I know, you can avoid me for another ten years.”
“Fine. Let’s cut out the middleman.”
“Thank God,” Carrie muttered.
Bree walked back to the living room and studied Melissa.
Her stepsister looked beautiful as always, not a hair out of place. If she’d been doing yoga earlier, she hadn’t been sweating or contorting in positions to affect her perfect hair and perfect outfit. Still striking, curvy, and a man-magnet. Or was it woman-magnet, now?
“Why are you here?” Bree asked.
Carrie watched from the kitchen, drinking a bottle of fruity water.
“Why is that your business?” Melissa studied her nails. “This is Carrie’s home.”
“And you and Carrie have never gotten along. So again, why are you here?”
“People can change, you know. I never hated Carrie.” Melissa shrugged. “I like talking to her. She’s real.” Her tone implied Bree wasn’t.
Carrie rolled her eyes and drank.
“Can you for once just say what you mean instead of being so passive-aggressive? What exactly is your problem with me? It’s been years of you being a bitch and me having no idea why.” Might as well get it all out in the open. “You want to know why I go out of my way to avoid you? Well, there you go.”
Melissa laughed, but the sound held little humor. “You’re kidding, right? The princess, the suck-up, the never-puts-a-foot-wrong daug
hter wants to know why I might have issues?”
“Seriously? It all boils down to jealousy?”
“I can’t believe you.” Melissa shook her head, finally sounding annoyed. “It all started at the end of eight grade, when you stole Kurt Johnson from me. And it got worse. All my friends flocked to the fire chief’s golden daughter. I was nothing but the pathetic stepsister.”
Bree gaped. “Are you kidding? First of all, I was dating Kurt, and you tried to take him from me.” Blasted Melissa had kissed the boy. Bree had broken up with him. Bree had also lost more than a few friends to her pretty, funny stepsister. “And you were more popular in high school than I was.”
“Because I put out, sure.” Melissa had no problem admitting it.
“You go, girl.” Carrie toasted her from the kitchen.
“I got what I wanted by doing what you wouldn’t. It never bothered me, not even when you’d call me a slut.”
Bree blinked. “What are you talking about?” Sure, she might have thought that, especially when Melissa had stolen Doug McKinney from her in tenth grade, but she’d never said it aloud.
“I know what you thought. And our friends told me what you said.”
“We didn’t have friends. Whoever you’re talking about lied. I might have hated you for being such a bitch, but I never talked about our family with anyone.” A firm rule her father had taught her growing up and laid down from day one of his new marriage. Family came before anything. A rule she’d tried to subscribe to, despite Melissa saying all manner of things. “I was also smart enough to figure out that if a guy would cheat on me with anyone—even you—he wasn’t worth having.”
“Point to Bree,” Carrie announced.
“Shut up, Carrie,” Melissa sneered.
To Bree’s surprise, Carrie didn’t respond.
“I had a horrible time in high school,” Melissa continued. “Then you left for modeling overseas, and my life got worse. John and Mom bragged about you all the time. I could never compete. And when you’d come back for brief visits, you always acted as if we were friends when I knew all along you hated me. Even when you came home for good, you put on a show, making me look like the bad daughter.”
Huh. Bree hadn’t realized Melissa had caught on to that. Still, Bree was tired of being blamed for so many other things she hadn’t done. “All this time, you’ve let your petty anger and bitterness turn you against me. I never did or said anything to anyone about you. Well, except for Carrie.”