Broken Wings (The Broken Series Book 3)

by Ruff, K. S.

  broken wings

  by k.s. ruff

  book three in the broken series

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locales, brands, media, businesses, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status of and trademark owners of various products referenced in this book of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by these trademark owners.

  In accordance with the US Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book, without the permission of the author and/or artist constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. The only exception is short excerpts or the cover image in book reviews. If you would like to use material from this book for any other purpose other than review purposes, prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the author at ksruff.com. Please respect the rights of the author and the artist to protect their work by purchasing only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted material.

  Copyright © 2013 by Ruff Publishing, LLC

  Cover design and photography by Kari Kunkel Anderson

  All rights reserved.

  eISBN: 978-0-578-13453-6

  Discover other titles by K.S. Ruff at ksruff.com

  Dedication

  To my cousin Lexie…

  The most courageous woman I know

  Acknowledgements

  I owe a debt of gratitude to my husband, Tobin. He’s put up with an insane amount of neglect while I’ve worked on this third book, and he hasn’t complained, not once. He’s been invaluable as a military, security, and martial arts advisor, and he remains my inspiration for Kadyn.

  I want to thank my children, Lexie and Madison, for regularly encouraging me to get off the computer and to live life. Frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t tossed my computer out the window! I want to especially thank Madison for cheering me on near the end of my edits. “Only one hundred and twenty-eight pages, Mommy. You can do it!” I love you Madi-moo!

  I’d also like to thank my parents for their love and support. They’ve gifted me with so many cherished memories and seen me through some very difficult times.

  I really must thank my cousin, Lexie, for suggesting that Kri and Rafael get tangled in a relationship. As inappropriate and messy as that relationship has been, I’ve really enjoyed exploring it!

  I also want to thank my friend, Kari Kunkel-Anderson, for photographing my book covers. I still can’t believe you caught the exact nanosecond that drop of (fake) blood actually dripped off the feather for this cover!

  I’m extremely grateful to Marina Klyayn for helping me with my Russian and to a certain U.S. diplomat who shall remain unnamed. I’d also like to thank Michelle Hart for helping me with my rock climbing scene.

  I’d like to extend a special thanks to my friend, TJ Crane, for his copyright advice. A huge thanks to Phil Hagen for guiding me through the process of getting a small business up and running. I’d also like to thank Dave Burris for designing a website that still takes my breath away!

  I’d really like to thank those friends who inspired the characters in this book, those who are mentioned by name and those who preferred aliases. I can’t wait to share you guys with the rest of the world!

  I’d also like to thank my reviewers: Mary Barnes, Jenny Letowt, Autumn Leva, Cenia Miller, Kristen Miller, Channa Threat, Christine Bedard-Dannels, Valerie Norman-Dannels, and Lexie Hoines. Thank you for offering such wonderful advice. I’d also like to thank my book club ladies for their continued enthusiasm and support.

  Once again, I’d like to thank author John Locke for taking the time to write a book that would help aspiring authors. And, last but certainly not least, I’d like to thanks the folks at Amazon for creating a venue for self-publishing authors like me.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 - I’m still here

  Chapter 2 - Counting stars

  Chapter 3 – Not over you

  Chapter 4 – I won’t give up

  Chapter 5 – Feel again

  Chapter 6 – All of me

  Chapter 7 – Set fire to the rain

  Chapter 8 - Demons

  Chapter 9 – Dark horse

  Chapter 10 - Brave

  Chapter 11 - Arms

  Chapter 12 – All I want

  Chapter 13 – A drop in the ocean

  About the Author

  Additional books by K.S. Ruff

  Chapter 1 - I’m still here

  Rafael owned my body in a single kiss. I don’t know whether it was the sleeping pill or the fact that no one had touched me in over five months, but my brain was nowhere to be found when my body responded to that kiss.

  His long dark hair brushed across my face as he blanketed my body with his. His lips captured mine as he pinned both of my hands above my head. A small moan escaped my lips. He nudged my legs open and settled his body against mine. Moonlight danced across his golden skin as it poured in through the seams in my blinds. Rafael hardened against me, and a long forgotten need spun through my abdomen, chest, and thighs.

  Rafael trailed wet, erotic kisses all along my jaw… behind my ear… and down my neck. My eyes fell closed. I ran my hands over his thickly muscled shoulders as he released my wrists. His hand slid under my camisole and cupped my breast. “Kristine,” he groaned.

  My eyes flew open. I stared at him in shock. My fingers tangled in his long dark hair as I tried to break away. “Oh my God! You’re… real?”

  Rafael froze.

  I fell off the bed as I clambered out from underneath him. I cried out as my head hit the hardwood floor. I quickly scrambled against the wall. I tucked my knees under my chin and wrapped myself into a tight ball before rubbing my bruised head.

  Rafael’s eyes grew determined as he contemplated his next move. His chiseled shoulders and forearms rippled as he moved toward me.

  My eyes widened in alarm. I glanced around the room as I contemplated running.

  A pained look flickered across his face as he reconsidered his actions and collapsed back onto my bed.

  I eyed him warily. I was uncertain of his intentions and still shocked to find him in my bed… my room… my house!

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered hoarsely from the bed.

  I struggled to form a coherent sentence. “How… what… why are you here?”

  Rafael sat up and leaned against the headboard. He looked thoroughly lost as he raked his hand through his long dark hair. He slowly pulled it back into a leather strap that was tied to his wrist. “I heard you sobbing.”

  I swiped at my cheeks. Sure enough, they were wet. I lifted my chin from my knees as questions tumbled from my mouth. “You heard me? How did you hear me? How did you get in here? I don’t understand. I have a security alarm. Why didn’t it go off?”

  Rafael’s eyes captured and held mine. “I heard you crying from next door. Our bedrooms share a wall.”

  My hands fell to the floor. “You live next door?”

  Rafael’s eyes closed as his head fell back against the headboard. “Yes.”

  I pushed up to my feet, still bracing myself against the wall. “How long have you lived next door?”

  He opened his eyes and studied me as I fidgeted against the wall. “I purchased the place when Mic
hael first sent me to watch over you.”

  “In January?”

  Rafael shook his head. “No, the first time you moved to DC.”

  I slid back to the floor.

  Rafael’s eyebrows furrowed. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” I confessed. “I don’t understand.” I silently cursed the sleeping pill and the fog still crowding my brain.

  Rafael slid from the bed and joined me on the floor. His broad chest was bare, but he was wearing long gray pajama bottoms. He sprawled his legs out in front of him, then pulled me between his legs so I was curled up against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he repeated as he wrapped me in his arms.

  I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at him. I was too embarrassed by the way I had responded to him. “Why?” I whispered. “Why did you come?”

  Rafael rested his chin against my head. “At first? Because I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Then?”

  He shrugged. “I couldn’t walk away.”

  My voice was barely a whisper. “Did Michael send you?”

  “No,” he said gruffly. “I’m here because this is where I want to be. I’m not working for him anymore.”

  “You kissed me,” I whispered. My body trembled, remembering the kiss.

  “Yes. I’m not apologizing for that,” he responded flatly.

  “But Michael is your brother,” I persisted, as if he needed reminding.

  He sounded bitter when he spoke. “For that I am sorry.”

  “Why?” I asked hesitantly. I was still struggling to follow his train of thought.

  Rafael stiffened. “I’m sorry Michael hurt you. I’m sorry he pushed you away when your baby died. I’m sorry he couldn’t work through his fears to be there for you. I’m sorry he left you broken on that office floor. I’m sorry I listened when he insisted I walk away from you. I’m sorry he met you first. I’m sorry you fell in love with him, and I’m sorry it wasn’t me.”

  My heart quickened with each word he spoke. “You’re sorry it wasn’t you?” I lifted my head from Rafael’s chest and searched his eyes questioningly. “What do you mean? You’re sorry it wasn’t you guarding me… when I was attacked by the fountain?”

  Rafael’s eyes radiated pain. “Yes, but no. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you when you were attacked. That’s true, but that’s not what I’m trying to tell you, Kristine.”

  I steadied my hands against his chest. My voice was barely a whisper. “What… what are you trying to tell me, Rafael?”

  Rafael held me firmly in place as he cupped his hand around the back of my neck. “You fell in love with the wrong brother, Kristine. It should have been me. It would have been me, if I had met you first. Michael isn’t the right man for you. He never was.”

  My jaw fell open. “You kissed me,” I repeated dumbly.

  “Yes,” he rasped just before his lips crashed against mine. He crushed me against his chest as he lifted me from the floor. In three long strides he was lowering me to the bed. He climbed over me, resting his knees on either side of my waist. I was mesmerized by the powerful body hovering over mine, too breathless and confused to speak. I fell in love with the wrong brother?

  His fingers ran down my cheek as he studied my face. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, “even when your face is stained with tears.” He kissed each salty trail, then gently kissed me on the lips. “Something inside of me dies each time you cry.”

  I reached for his face, trying to ease the sadness reflected back at me. Rafael captured my hand and brought it to his lips as his eyes met mine. “I’ll never hurt you, Kristine. I promise I’ll never be the cause of your tears.”

  His promise echoed deep inside of me, tugging one last tear from the corner of my eye. He gently placed my arms beside my head. His eyes followed his fingers, which trailed down my arms and sides. He paused as he stared at the bare skin that was now showing between my silk camisole and shorts. Even as I wondered what he was thinking, I knew something important lie in the balance.

  My body arched against his hand as he slid it under my camisole. He softly caressed my stomach, then grazed his thumb across one of my breasts. I whimpered softly as his intentions became clearer. His eyes darkened with desire. He slid his other hand under my camisole and lightly caressed the other breast. I squeezed my legs together as I tried to ease the longing that was already coiling deep inside of me. “This is so wrong,” I groaned, even as my body pleaded for more.

  Rafael shook his head. “This is the first thing we’ve done right.” He slowly pulled the camisole over my head. “You were meant to be mine, Kristine. Mine. And, unlike Michael and Kadyn, I will never let you go.”

  A wave of pain washed over me as I thought about the two men who had rejected me. Rafael kept his eyes locked on mine as he eased me out of my sleep shorts and panties, then slipped out of his own pajama bottoms. My eyes drifted from his face to his chest. My fingers trailed hesitantly across his well-defined pecs. I was too scared to look any further than that. If I hadn’t already known how gentle Rafael could be, I would have been terrified by his insanely muscular physique.

  A searing need arced across my abdomen and chest as he nudged my knees apart and fit his warm body to mine. He twined his fingers with mine, then rocked against me as he settled between my legs. I bit my lower lip and tried not to moan.

  Rafael pressed just inside of me. He was still holding my eyes and hands. “Please, Kristine, tell me you want this as much as I do.”

  I was too shocked by my body’s response to speak. Pleasure pulsed through me where our bodies joined, making my body arch toward his as he rocked against me and eased in a little further. My breasts pebbled against the fine hair on his chest as I wrapped my legs around his. I could feel myself unraveling as I dug my fingernails into the backs of his hands. “Rafael,” I pleaded, too desperate and overwhelmed to say anything more.

  Rafael closed his eyes and sighed as he filled me completely. He stilled when I took a couple of deep breaths. I was trying to get my body to relax, to adjust to the feel of him inside of me, but I panicked as my thoughts caught up with the rest of my body… What am I doing? Oh God, what am I doing with Rafael?

  He fisted his hands in my hair, locking my head in place as he kissed me long and hard. His tongue seduced mine until I was no longer capable of thought. Slowly, he began to move. Rafael’s hips carved provocative circles into mine. He trailed open-mouthed kisses all down my neck before settling just behind my ear. He eased out of me, then slowly filled me again. We both moaned as he reclaimed my hands and pinned them against the pillow. He drove inside of me in long, determined strokes. A thin layer of sweat formed between us as Rafael knit our bodies together over and over again.

  The soothing scents of cedar and cloves enfolded me, and suddenly I knew. It was Rafael’s cologne. This wasn’t the first time he’d been in my bed. Shockingly, that realization made me want him even more. I half sobbed half moaned as my hands gripped his. I could feel myself spiraling out of control as he nudged my legs higher. I locked them around his hips, anchoring myself to him in every way I could.

  Rafael kissed me with a fierceness that stalled my entire body. He pulled back and thrust deep inside of me, possessing me with a force that robbed me of all remaining breath. He braced his forearms on either side of my head. He was still gripping my hands. He drove into me over and over again. My hips rose, accepting each demanding thrust. The only thing I could think of… the only thing I could feel… was Rafael.

  His voice broke as he spoke. “Look at me, Kristine. I want you to know who is making love to you.”

  I willed my eyes to open.

  Rafael’s eyes locked on mine before he slammed deep inside of me again. “I will never leave you, Kristine. I will never let you go.”

  I bit back a sob. Rafael couldn’t possibly know how much I needed to hear those words. Still he held my gaze. His chiseled arms shook as he struggled to hold back. My breat
h caught. He thrust inside of me again. I clung to him as my body clenched. He stilled, and we hung suspended just on the edge of release. He captured my lips in a bruising kiss, then fixed his eyes on mine as he slammed inside of me. I gasped at the force at which he finally claimed me. My body quivered in submission, then pulsed as he filled me with a searing heat. Pleasure ripped through me, arching my back sharply as I cried his name. “Rafael.”

  Not another word was spoken between us. Eventually, our breathing slowed and our lungs rose and fell in time. Our hands and bodies remained locked together, even as we drifted off to sleep.

  I wasn’t sure if it was the warmth that radiated from his powerful body or the scent of his cologne, but I found peace in his arms. Rafael was right. Somehow we fit. It defied all logic, but being with him felt undeniably right.

  * * * * * *

  My eyes flew open when I felt sunlight on my face. I bolted upright and glanced frantically around the room. I ran my hand over my face as I tried to chase away the remaining dredges of sleep. I could have sworn Rafael was here last night. There was no way that could have been a dream. I gathered my sheets and brought them to my nose. Cedar and cloves. My eyes widened. I was completely naked under the sheets. I fell back against the pillows. “What have I done?”

  Just then, the smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee wafted through the room. I stumbled out of bed in search of clothes.

  I brushed my teeth, threw cold water on my face, and raked a brush through my nightmarish hair before creeping down my own stairs. I froze in the entrance to the kitchen.

  Rafael was standing over the stove, apparently cooking breakfast. My breath caught at the sight of his broad shoulders. I had forgotten how tall and muscular he was. His long dark hair fell in soft waves down past his shoulders.

  My entire body clenched, remembering how good his body had felt inside of mine. I willed myself not to orgasm at the sight of him.