Surviving Broken

by Beverly Preston

Reed reached into his pocket to answer his phone. “Hello. No problem. I’ll be there for the delivery.” He shut the phone. “I’m sorry, I have several new pieces of furniture being delivered in thirty minutes.”

  ****

  Erotic images of the previous night sifted through JC’s thoughts as she waited patiently for the deliveryman to leave. The man in his early twenties looked like a throw back from the seventies dressed in a tie-dyed t-shirt, cargo shorts and Birkenstocks. He gravitated to Reed as soon as he heard his southern drawl. He’d moved from Austin six years earlier and felt the need to reminisce about all things Texas. After lingering in the living room for twenty minutes, amiably advocating his live and let live mentality, JC thought she might kick him in the shin or drag him out the door by the ear if he didn’t leave soon.

  Following a heavy sigh and a pleading get-rid-of-him glance from JC, Reed politely escorted the man out to his truck and flipped him a hefty tip, which he refused to accept seeing how they were practically related now.

  Peering down at the chaise, she nudged it firmly with her knee, positioning it to the perfect angle in the corner of the bedroom, casting rays of sunlight across the brindle hide. Seconds after hearing the click of the front door shutting, his mouth was at her ear. His fingers slipped beneath the straps on her shoulder, lifting the dress above her head and tossing it on the end of the bed.

  Spikes of sensual energy gathered between them. Reed nuzzled the rasp of his stubble into the sensitive spot on her neck and her skin came to life beneath his firm yet gentle touch. Tremors chased down her spine and desire ached between her thighs. Never in her life had JC been so completely in tune with the bodily forces filling her physically and emotionally.

  A slight giggle dissolved into a soft gasp as one arm crossed beneath her breast, pulling her closer. Gooseflesh covered her body as his lips traversed the slope of her neck and shoulder, revisiting receptive areas he’d pursued the night before.

  “I don’t understand,” she murmured. Reed pressed the shape of him, rearing and stiff, against the small of her back. Her head listed back against his chest, followed a soft ambiguous cry of need. “How do you do that to me?”

  He turned her to face him, cupping the tender curve of her breast. “Darlin’, in few minutes, you’re not gonna give a damn.”

  Heat.

  Heat spread everywhere, engulfing her senses in flames of desire. Draping her wrists over his shoulder, she raised on her tippy-toes, searching for his lips. Reed resisted her fervent urges, pulling back, not allowing her the passionate kiss she yearned for. He stared into her eyes, capturing her spirit with his ice blue eyes. Zings of pleasure chased though her and JC feared she might melt before they even started.

  Unspoken words drifted between them.

  Reed’s unconditional acceptance disarmed her. He accepted her commitment phobias, occasional neurotic tendencies, her fears of love, her mishaps in life and bad judgments. He understood her implicitly and appreciated her exactly as she was.

  Her heart pounded. Excitement and nervousness mingled through her emotions. Her eyes drifted shut as she leaned into his chest and his hands played over her slowly, tortuously igniting a new passion within. She quivered and stumbled, falling onto the chaise behind her.

  He started toward her hungrily, but she shook her head.

  “No?” he asked with a questioning grin.

  “No.” She shook her head again. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured this. You make me too damn nervous.” She pointed toward the bathroom. “Can you please give me two minutes?”

  He bent, securing her to the hide with his thigh between her legs, possessing her mouth with long, intimate licks of his tongue. “I’ll give you three,” he assured, releasing her from his kiss and sauntering into the bathroom.

  JC leapt to her feet, pacing in circles in nothing more than her white cheeky panties. “What the hell is wrong with me?” Stopping midstride, she shook out her trembling limbs. “You can do this! Pull yourself together.”

  She took a few deep breaths, trying to ward off the tension looming close the surface of her thoughts. Her limbs felt weighted and encumbering, restricting her body from its natural rhythmic flow of sensual language. He’s just a man. I’ve kissed dozens of men! You’ve already had sex with him. Don’t be chicken!

  She bent over, tousling her hair through her fingers and flipped her head back, letting the long caramel layers cascade down her back in sexy loose pieces.

  JC plopped onto the chaise, strumming her fingers on the hide. Yeah, but damn what a man!

  Nestling back into the hide, she draped her hands above her head. Unable to find the right position, she fidgeted awkwardly. “This is not comfortable,” she grumbled. “Oh, my God. What is wrong with me?”

  Irritated by her own anxiety and gracelessness, she flopped to the opposite end of the chaise. Her long legs and feet dangled over the arched back and her head hung over the foot of the lounge.

  Sunbeams pushing through the glass door swept across her body. Her eyes drifted shut and she drew in a deep, full breath of air and then another. The scent of his skin lingered with the warmth of the sun, caressing her senses and calming her nerves.

  She startled when Reed gently placed his hand on the outside of her thigh. His naked hip brushed against her skin when he sat beside her. Her eyes remained closed as the coolness from his hand slid along her waist to her breast, resting on top of her heart.

  “I know…” she panted breathily. JC placed her hand over his. “Just feel you in here.”

  “That’s right, darlin’”

  “I don’t know why you make me so nervous.”

  “Just relax.”

  Feeling his avid stare burning through closed lids and the weight of his hand dip to her breast, she slipped her tongue across her lips sensually.

  “You make me nervous too,”—his breath fractured—“JC.”

  Her eyes opened when he called her by name.

  “We’ll figure it out together.”

  Feelings of passion and adoration flourished, stringing tightly around her heart. She nodded.

  “Goddess,” he hummed, wiggling his brow. The back of his hand traced lazily over her jaw and earlobe. He leaned closer, nearly kissing her before halting. “You’re beautiful. Inside and out.”

  He took her mouth, gently at first, kissing, nibbling sensually on her lips. She opened, consuming the sweet flavor of his mouth.

  Never had anything tasted so delicious. Never had anyone felt so right. Never had JC allowed herself to be so vulnerable to her feelings. He licked into her with long sweeping strokes of his tongue, hungry and indecent. She surrendered to his appetite, lifting her hands above her head and let them fall over the edge of the chaise.

  She opened her eyes while they kissed, taking in the nuance of his dark lashes gleaming in the sunrays. His lids opened as if sensing her interest.

  Reed stared passionately into her soul, the very essence of her being. The severity of his fervent gaze silently filled the missing pieces of her puzzled heart.

  He slid his hand beneath the small of her back. She arched, elevating her breast to his mouth. His searing hot tongue flicked and circled the taut tip, wandering from one peak to the other, gently twisting the damp skin between finger and thumb.

  She lost all control of her thoughts, giving in to sensation. Make love to me, she thought.

  In one swift move, his hand stretched down her legs, bringing them across his lap. He cradled her face in the palm of his hands. “What was that?” he taunted, amusement flashing in his eyes.

  She shifted atop his heavily muscled thighs, blinking repeatedly. “Did I say that out loud?”

  His smile turned soft and wicked. “Yes, darlin’, you did.”

  Caught off guard by her own shameless delight of admission, she giggled. “What?” she teased, working up the courage to repeat herself. “Did you think last night was a fluke? An oopsy-daisy?”

  His gaze turned sober, softe
ning each tiny muscle in his face. Reed rested his forehead to hers as his fingers thread into her thick mane. “I wasn’t sure.”

  Her mouth felt like Death Valley in the middle of July, parched and swollen. She clasped his jaw in her hands and swallowed hard. “Make love to me, Reed Rider. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He gathered her into his embrace pressing another scalding kiss to her lips. JC draped her arms over his solid shoulders and pulled him closer into her breasts. The soft curls on his chest sent pings of delight to her tummy and below. Her hands wandered over him, traversing the dips and valleys of each muscle. He was strong, fit and sexy as hell.

  Reed settled JC’s back onto the chaise. Grasping her hips, he hooked his thumbs through the edge of her panties and tossed them across the room. He looked over her intimately, arranging her body exactly where he wanted her. His tongue floated over her breasts and below. He murmured words of endearment, how good she tasted, how smooth her skin felt, how hard she made him.

  Fully aware something visceral was happening between them, an unexplained connection of intimacy, she trembled with excitement.

  Kneeling on the floor at the end of the chaise, he spread her legs, unfurling her soft, plush skin with his tongue. She yielded as he worked over the pulsing spot, hunting and exploring her steamy flesh. Her heartbeat slammed violently in her chest as he searched to relinquish the throbbing ache. Her hips raised and pulsed with contractions swelling inside her. Reed held his hand beneath her bottom, elevating her hips higher, marauding deeper for sweet rewards that spilled from her.

  Overcome by passion, she pleaded, “Reed, make love to me.”

  Gripping her hips, he tugged her to the end of the chaise. JC’s ankles draped over his broad shoulders, intuitively and naturally. Taking her gasps of pleasure into his mouth, he kissed her, claiming her spirit with ever plunge of his tongue.

  She’d never tasted anything so addictive, all-consuming, as his luscious kisses. Reed leaned further over top of her, hooking the underside of her knees in the crook of his arm. JC set free her uncertainties, spreading wider, allowing him access, mentally and physically.

  Both exhaled a pleasurable moan as he eased into her entrance, bathing the head of his cock in her wet heat. Taking his sweet time, he pushed a little deeper, bringing her to the brink of heaven with each gentle thrust, allowing her time to mold around his thickness.

  The heat of his breath on her neck and every groan of desire spilling from his throat unraveled her sheltered heart. Her fingers gripped the dense muscles of his shoulders, moving over the flexing surface in amazement. She was falling hard and fast. But nothing in her life had ever felt so right or so good or so perfect.

  He descended deeper, drawing a hum of words tumbling from her lips. “Yes. Like that. Oh, God. Reed.”

  Gathering her thighs securely around his hips, she rode with him, taking everything he offered. His rhythm turned vexingly good as he drove into her with a steady pace. He thrust deeper, the sensation turning maddening. Her inner muscles succumbed to the pleasure of the heavy, slick, glide and she let go, freefalling, breathlessly binding herself to Reed.

  He stared knowingly into her wide eyes with a glint of a satisfied smile. Tilting his hips higher, he rooted to find a sensitive spot, knowing she’d come. “Feel good, darlin’?”

  “Yes,” she cried out. Contractions rolled over her, so wet and tight she clenched at his rigid length. She shuddered, coiling her fingers into his skin as she came repeatedly in violent convulsions. His powerful frame stiffened as a spasm rippled through him with his own release.

  Completely overcome by her own happiness, JC pulled his face to hers, taking the content groans of her name into her mouth. She kissed him until both were breathless.

  Tears of illogical sentiment soaked her hairline.

  He rolled to his side and she followed, raising her thigh over his hip so he would remain fixed inside. Reed cradled her head, dragging his fingers into her hair. Worry puckered his brow as he traced his thumb over her wet temple. “You okay, darlin’?”

  She nodded hotly.

  “I know it sounds silly and absurd, but you make me so emotional. I just don’t understand it.” She sniffed in bewilderment, burying her face in his damp curls of chest hair.

  “It’s okay, darlin’,” he assured, placing a comforting kiss on the tip of her nose.

  The peaceful daze of understanding clouding his blue eyes led JC to believe he knew the answer. The missing link she was unknowingly searching for.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Life was better than okay with Reed. JC savored every moment of the weeks that followed. Dan began scheduling her out, no doubt in part due to the fact Tom had reamed him for questioning her ability to manage her career. If she wasn’t working, she was with Reed.

  Work entailed an entirely new rhythm. She was back in front of the camera with a measured boost of self-assurance mixed with ease and contentment. She felt alive and complete, focusing her sights on the future. She’d never experienced such balance within herself. Reed brought out the best in her and it showed in work.

  Reed was honest, hardworking and just the right amount of fun. He retained a wealth of knowledge when it came to building, accompanied with a fantastic sense of humor. He loved to tease her, but as much as he could dish it out, the man could take it too. JC had never laughed so much and felt so happy in all her life. There wasn’t one thing she didn’t like about him.

  The remodel on Reed’s house progressed in full swing. Some days seemed like a swarm of worker bees landed in his living room. The process fascinated her. He had the patience of a saint and taught her everything he knew about building. He hired sub-contractors to do most of the work, but included JC in all the design work. They shopped for flooring, cabinetry, lighting fixtures and paint colors.

  The only time she refused to put her two cents in was when he asked, “Do you think I should keep the beach house or the house on the cliff.”

  “I can’t decide that,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  His mouth bowed south in a pleading fashion.

  JC shrugged, gaping out at the ocean from the kitchen in the beach house. It’d be nearly impossible for him to pick a favorite. Each house came with an incredible set of perks. “That’s a tough choice.”

  “Which house do you like better?”

  “I like them both, but it’s not about me.”

  Her answer or non-answer sparked a fire in Reed. “It’s gonna be all about you in two seconds, darlin’.” His ice-blue stare turned blistering as he made love to her right there against the unfinished kitchen counter.

  “Okay. This house might bring out the best in you,” she toyed in a playful giggle, covered in a thin layer of perspiration.

  Reed gave a throaty laugh before clamping another insatiable kiss on her lips.

  Kissing Reed was the most sensual thing she’d ever done in her life. Sex was phenomenal. His resilience and stamina unbelievable. They tried anything and everything together. Reed was playful and tender too. Making love took JC to a much deeper understanding of intimacy and closeness.

  She became absorbed in everything about him. JC soaked up each minute detail, down to the crease near his eyes when he laughed to the callused pad of his right palm snagging occasionally on her shirts. She even knew when he was tired because his left eyelid dropped slightly. Not only did she notice striking features about Reed, she became engrossed and captivated with his life, wanting to know details about his childhood, his dreams and his future. They shared a candid openness, leaving each enthralled with the other.

  JC became fluent in all things Reed Rider, including his Texas drawl.

  He teased her relentlessly saying, “My friends are gonna love this. I’ve got me a California convert.”

  JC was about to find out exactly how much his friends were going to love her.

  Reed’s best friend and business partner was throwing a party to celebrate their largest business endeavor. The p
roject had previously been Reed’s, but when he moved to California, Sam took over the client.

  Reed protested, stating the project was Sam’s baby and he didn’t want to intrude. That started a barrage of phone calls from Sam, making colorful threats in a language foreign to JC such as, “It’s time to paint your butt white and run with the antelope.”

  “Paint your butt white?” JC questioned, checking out his rear.

  “That’s Texan for shut up and do what you’re told.”

  Sam’s persistence paid off. Reed decided to fly back to Texas and attend the after party, but passed on the official ribbon-cutting ceremony so not to take the spotlight from Sam. Although after overhearing several of their conversations, JC doubted anyone could upstage Sam.

  Reed described Sam as Old Texas turning a new green leaf. Meaning he was a fifth generation Texan and leading the market in sustainable architecture. He came from old money, but paid his personal dues climbing up the ladder. The same blood ran through Sam’s veins as his father. Drive, persistence and ambition set the bar high and Sam wanted to put his own stamp on Texas. He worked hard to make a name for himself under the shadow of his father.

  ****

  White picket fencing and acres of green grass paralleled the long drive. Twenty or so cars lined the paved circle driveway.

  “You’re going to love them. I trust Sam. He’s always gonna give it to you straight, whether you like it or not.”

  JC nodded while fidgeting with the leather strap of her purse.

  “Plus, he’s great in a bar fight.”

  She paused, lowering her sunglasses to give him a wide-eyed gape.

  His masculine mouth twitched at one end into a wry grin. Reed parked underneath a large oak tree, cut the motor and clasped her icy fingers in the warmth of his hand. “Don’t be nervous. My friends are going to love you.” He grazed a burning kiss as hot as the Texas sun upon her cheek.

  Hours earlier when they’d boarded the plane on their flight to Texas, it was the first time in her life JC hadn’t been nervous to fly. However, a completely new jumble of nerves danced in her tummy. JC was fine with the idea of meeting his friends until he mentioned Sam’s wife Jenny had been best friends with Annie. If the plane hadn’t already been in the air, she might have exited the aircraft in a frantic escape.