by Becca Lee
The moment brought a whole new meaning to having sense knocked into me. Part of me wanted to thank psycho Ben; obviously, I still wanted to kick his arse, but damn, with my heart filled, I couldn’t help but shrug my shoulders and think ç’est la vie.
Preston’s arrival pulled me away from my thoughts. His squealing tyres let me know it was him. I heard him open the door and then walk straight into my bedroom. A few drawers slammed closed, before he headed back to me.
“Okay, I’m all set. I still have to go on shift tonight as there’s no one to cover for me, but I’ve already spoken to Jo—”
“What the hell? Shit ... please tell me she’s not—”
He quirked his brow and gave me a look of disapproval. So that would be me shutting up, then. My head still ached, making it too difficult to argue. “She’s heading over in two hours. When I spoke to her, she was on the drive back from Brisbane. I’ll try my hardest to see if I can swap a shift tomorrow night.” He paused when he could see I made to speak. I did not need a freaking babysitter. My ribs were aching, my head was throbbing, but I’d never been one to succumb to feeling sorry for myself. Admittedly, I’d never broken anything before, but still. “No, El, this is what is happening. I don’t want you being alone right now. Not until I ...” He rubbed his face in frustration.
“Until what? You know everything is okay, right? People break ribs all the time. The hospital wouldn’t have released me if they thought I was going to slip into a coma, or something, with my head. There’s no need to be so ... I don’t know ... overprotective.”
A hard steely gaze was locked on me by the time I’d finished my speech—my speech which was supposed to be reassuring. Apparently not though, judging by the look on his face. Preston sat on the floor next to the sofa and brushed a stray hair away from my cheek. The gesture was loving and gentle; it didn’t match his steel. “Babe ... I thought I’d lost you. Honest to God lost you. When I watched you take the hit and not come back up ... just ... I need to do this, okay?”
My stomach warmed at his words. How could I refuse him whatever he felt he needed to do? I just hoped the “need” he was referring to was about looking after me, and had nothing to do with Ben. Preston had told me that John had been in contact with the police, and that the next day I had to make a statement.
I thought the whole thing was crazy. He’d ploughed into me, but that shit happened all of the time in the water. Preston was adamant though. “Okay,” I whispered.
A smile lit his face and reached his eyes. “Okay.” He leaned in and kissed me again; our first kiss since the day before. We still hadn’t had a talk about our relationship, about us. I didn’t have the energy to think bigger than the here and the now. All I knew for sure was that I’d been kidding myself thinking I didn’t have feelings for him. My trust issues could kiss my arse.
“Come on, baby. We have two hours before Jo takes over. I’ve given her a brief breakdown of what happened, but I’ll leave the rest to you.”
I groaned, not because of the heat flowing through me from Preston’s delicious mouth, but from Jo causing a fuss. But I did miss my girl, and I’d take the crazy and chaos for a hug. I’d just have to remind her to go easy on my ribs, as damn; the girl had some strength in her arms.
Helping me up off the sofa, he led me to the bedroom. “I just need to hold you for a little while, okay?” I nodded in response.
Stepping into my room, I paused. His watch was on the bedside table. His shoes were in the corner of the room, and I had a sneaky suspicion that if I opened the wardrobe or went into the en suite, I’d find it filled with masculine crap. He’d only been gone for half an hour or so, and was in the bedroom for just a few minutes. I wondered how on earth he’d managed to make my room smell like him already. “Erm, Preston? You need to talk to me about something?”
“Nope.” He smiled and popped the ‘p’.
“But—”
He stepped into my space and pressed a trail of searing kisses along my collarbone. Gently, he removed my clothes. He was so tender when removing my top, trying so hard not to touch my bruising, or hurt my ribs. “I ...” kiss, “said ...” kiss, “nope.”
His lips won as heat rippled through me and headed straight to my knickers. He was being an arrogant shit, and damn if it didn’t make me hot as hell. I was used to a different sort of confident Preston, but to be honest, he’d always bent to my will and done what he could to make me happy. This assertive, take-charge Preston, I could get used to for sure. I leaned into his kisses and immediately regretted the movement. “Ouch. Holy crap that hurts.”
He pulled back. “Stop moving then.”
I rolled my eyes at his instruction. “Well, what do you expect me to do when you’re kissing me like that?”
He paused and looked up at me, his mouth hovering over my naked nipple. I felt the heat from his breath caress it as he spoke, “You want me to stop, baby?”
“Erm ... no.” If he’d stopped, I may have had no choice but to jump his bones, ribs be damned. A fire was building deep inside me. I needed the release from the hot man before me. A bit of aching and pain would be completely worth it.
He grinned as he slowly licked my areola, and pulled me into his mouth. I groaned and tried my hardest not to push into him and remain still. When he pulled away from me, I grumbled and took in the small smile playing on his lips. He helped me to the bed and lay me down gently. Using the pillows to get me comfortable, I sighed in relief as my pain eased with my stillness. I watched as Preston stripped down, leaving his boxer briefs on, his erection straining against them. He was so amazingly hot. I squeezed my legs together, the cotton from my knickers rubbing against my heat. He’d stripped me virtually naked; I was just wearing my Wonder Woman panties. He’d laughed when he’d seen them. He could laugh all he wanted; Wonder Woman could kick arse, and she was a hot babe.
He stretched out on the bed next to me, lying on the opposite side to my injury. With a gentle hand, he trailed soft caresses over my skin and followed it down with delicate kisses. At times, I could barely feel them, just his breath against my skin. I didn’t think I’d been hotter for a man until that moment. The crazy of our week and the hurt from the day before gave me an all-new appreciation for all things Preston. I desperately wanted and needed his hands on me. The slow torture of his gentle movement almost had me coming undone.
His fingers finally reached my panty-line and he pressed kisses along my stomach. I tried hard not to breathe in sharply, knowing it would hurt if I did. Slowly, Preston edged toward the end of the bed, fingers hooked into my knickers and he eased them off me. Carefully spreading my legs, my breath hitched. I bit down the pain, needing him to continue. I was confident I would grab hold of his hand and begin riding him at any moment if he didn’t give me release; holding back, pain and embarrassment be damned.
Finally, his mouth clamped down on my heat. I almost exploded and tears sprung to my eyes at the sensation of his mouth on my most intimate area. Within moments I spiralled in ecstasy, somehow managing to keep my body still and not thrust against his face. As I was trying to control my breathing from the intense climax, Preston nipped gently at my inner thighs before he snuggled up against my uninjured side.
“Better?” he asked.
A tired laugh escaped my lips, causing me to flinch at the tightening of my stomach. “Yes, much. Thank you.”
He kissed my shoulder and sniffed against my neck. “You rest. I’m going to have a shower and sort some stuff before I have to head out. I’ll wake you when it’s time for me to leave and for you to have your painkillers.”
I grunted at him, too tired to speak. My eyes were firmly shut as I released a content sigh. I heard the click of my bedroom door as he went for the shower. Fully sated, I could rest peacefully, not only after a fabulous and much-needed orgasm, but knowing the shift between Preston and I was real.
***
“Where the hell is she? Don’t tell me to shhh, asswipe. Don’t think you’re
too old or freaking hairy for me to take you out. Now, get out of my bloody way, now.”
Jo was back.
I heard a deep muttering, no doubt from Preston, who had more than likely tried to hold her at bay while I slept. A small scoff escaped my lips. Pfft, like that would ever happen. Very few people were brave enough or dumb enough to disagree with Jo. I was impressed Preston had even tried. Yet I also knew she was not above being devious and using threatening tactics. I’d seen her give Preston numerous nipple twists resulting in bruising over the years. Damn, she’d even tried it on me once. The only person who could handle her ‘Jo-ness’ was her new husband. Liam had somehow managed to temper her wildness. Sort of. Okay, so not exactly tamed, rather his sexy arse and general hotness had flipped her over and turned her inside out. I was completely allowed to call him hot, too. Best friend privileges, and all that jazz.
I struggled into a sitting position, pulling up my blanket, remembering Preston had stripped me bare and made me all sorts of hot and wet. Not a thought I should have been having at that moment, since Jo had entered the room.
“What the hell, woman? Shit. It looks like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards, and hit a bus while you were at it.”
Jo, never one to mince her words, told me exactly what I already knew. The large lump on my head pulsated in reminder and I finally settled upright with my sheet covering my breasts. The motion had my ribs kicking out at me.
“Hey,” I croaked, my voice still filled with sleep, “how was your honeymoon? Pregnant yet?” I guffawed. Not the wisest move as it hurt like hell, but I couldn’t be blamed for needing a diversionary technique. Jo was not renowned for having the warm and fuzzies over babies. She said she’d have a child someday, as long as Liam did the touchy-feely bit and shitty nappies. She certainly had no intention of stopping taking her birth control anytime soon.
It worked momentarily, before I saw her incredulous face turned a bright shade of red. “Don’t you dare change the subject? I saw you a week ago and you were cradling a bottle of bubbly, making out with my brother—” I made to speak but her raised brow stopped me in my tracks. “—which you denied, by the way. Only to come home after a bout of the shits from a dodgy piece of meat, but amazing hot sex once I’d recuperated, to find out you’ve spent the night in hospital, some freakoid tried to kill you, and you’ve now shacked up with Preston.”
I peeked around her, looking for help in the form of Preston, only to find an empty doorway. Chicken shit.
“Do you mind telling me how the hell I managed to miss out on all the good stuff? Seriously, jack-shit has happened with you at all—like seriously, nothing at all—over the last few years, yet the moment I step out of the country, it all goes down? You know I’m never leaving the country again, right?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I think Liam may have something to say about that.”
“Pfft, like he gives a crap or makes the decisions. As long as there’s a chance of hot and loud holiday monkey-sex, he’s happy.” She sat down on the empty side of the bed next to me. “Talk.”
I groaned. I knew I’d need my painkillers to numb the next moments out. I still had no idea how she was feeling about the whole Preston thing. She didn’t seem overly concerned, but Jo was the mistress of guerrilla tactics and warfare. She could just be biding her time to pounce and break my other rib. Who knew?
I reached for my painkillers and bottle of water, which Preston had presumably left next to my bedside while I was sleeping, and winced. “Ouch. You’d think I wouldn’t forget how much moving freakin’ hurts, but apparently I’m a glutton for punishment and keep doing it.”
“That or you’re getting kinky, and are going to start trying out BDSM.” She smirked before her smile dropped and she looked at me in horror. “Oh, my God, are you and Preston into that whole BDSM kink?” My face turned beet-red as I gaped like a goldfish. She seemed to think this was an admission of guilt. “Holy crap, you are! You dirty, little hoe-bag. Eww—”
“No! Stop it! Seriously, stop thinking about Preston and me for one, and next, no we are not.” I couldn’t keep the embarrassment from my voice. Don’t get me wrong, I’d read plenty of books over the last year since Fifty Shades of Grey paved the way for hot-as-hell literature. Had I been turned on when reading it? Damn straight. Was I tempted to try any of it myself? Erm ... no. I could handle the idea of sex toys and a bit of role-play, but anything else, and I knew I’d feel like an idiot. Not ideal for my self-esteem in the bedroom.
Jo’s eyes scrunched as she looked for my telltale lying-out-of-my-arse giveaway. Apparently, I had one, but, bitch that she was, she refused to tell me what. My folks had caught me out more than once in a lie. Some best friend Jo was. If she’d told me when we were younger what my tell was, half the crap I’d lied to my parents about I would have gotten away with.
“Okay, so no kink. So take your damned tablet and spill, missy. And no holding back. I’ll know if you’re lying.”
I did as she said and gulped my drink, swallowing the tablets. Just as I was beginning to speak, Preston appeared at the door. Damn, he was hot. He leaned against the doorframe, looking around the room. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a T-shirt that while not tight, exposed his lickable muscles nicely. My eyes swept over his body before they rested on his face. He grinned at me.
“Hey, baby, I have to go.” He walked into my room and headed straight for me.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Jo quirk a brow and smirk. I tried my best to ignore her, while also trying to gauge her reaction. “Okay.”
Bending down to my level, Preston searched my face before he leaned in closer and kissed me. It was a tender kiss, one that hinted at a promise of a return and a whole heap of sweet feeling. “I expect I’ll be back close to eight. Make sure you’re still in bed ...” My face glowed, again. “... asleep,” he continued with a smirk. He kissed me once more, before standing straight. He then looked over at Jo. “You’re good to stay the night, yeah?”
Jo rolled her eyes. “You’re really telling me how to be a best friend?”
Preston sighed in frustration. “Just answer the question. I don’t want her here by herself.”
“Yes, it’s fine. Liam said he may stop by later too to check on us, but I’ll definitely be here all night. Now bugger off before you’re late. Me and El here have some serious crap to catch up with. And unless you want to know this new thing I learned to do with my tongue when going down on my husband, you may want to leave.”
“Shit. There’s no need for that.” Preston’s face blanched, while I simply laughed. “I’m going. Just call me if you need anything.” He turned back to me. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he pursed his lips instead. “I’ll see you soon.” He left the room with one last look over his shoulder. I smiled at him in reassurance. He was getting all worked up over nothing.
“Finally. I thought I was going to have to get a cattle prod to get him out of here. Needy much?”
“He’s not needy,” I defended. “He’s just concerned about me.”
“Yeah, I could see exactly how concerned.” She wiggled her brows, and then turned slightly to her side so she could look at me properly. “Okay, you can start now. From the beginning, and leaving nothing out.”
I sighed. There was no getting out of it. Plus, I knew I needed to share it all with Jo. We never kept anything from one another. I hoped by telling her the events of the last week, I could finally get some perspective on the crazy of my life. Because without her input and putting me straight, I was sure I was going to spiral into a fit of confusion and brain overload.
Chapter Sixteen
Preston
It was damned lucky that Jo returned from her honeymoon the day I was back at work; else there was no way I would have been able to go do my shift. I felt a bit shitty pouncing on Jo the minute I knew her plane had landed, but El was more important. It wasn’t like I’d called her and Liam while they were still away, plus I knew Jo
would be pissed at me if I hadn’t told her what had happened.
I was hoping that my shift would allow them to talk crap out. There had been a definite shift between Ella and me, but we’d yet to hash stuff out between us. No doubt hours of yakking with my sister would give her ample time to work out that this was it for the two of us. Meanwhile, I was heading to my shift with a mixture of dread and eager anticipation. I wanted nothing more than to beat down on Ben, but now that John had filed an initial report to the police I knew being rash and kicking his arse—no matter how much I’d love to get my fists bloody tearing him up—wasn’t the best approach. Instead, I needed to find out what the hell he had been thinking.
Twice, now, he’d screwed El over and me by proxy. More importantly, he could have fucking killed her. Just the thought of it had my temperature and anger spiking. I needed to get my head clear though. If we did get a call-out during the night, I couldn’t let all this fucked-up shit put me, or the guys, in danger.
Pulling up into the station parking lot, I searched for his car. It was there. A brand-new Land Cruiser. I had no idea how he afforded that on our salary. Don’t get me wrong; I had my baby and my rust-bucket truck, but it had taken me years to fix my baby up. I was sure it was nothing, but every thought related to Ben stirred unease and distrust.
John was waiting outside the main doors as I approached. He nodded in greeting, and flicked his head to the right, indicating he needed to talk. No humour or normal greeting, which usually consisted of him making some lame-arse joke, welcomed me. He had his game-face on. A face I had seen on a few other occasions since knowing him. I had a feeling I was not going to like what I heard.
I was right.
Barely containing my rage and raw need to charge inside and pummel the ever-living crap out of Ben, I tightened my fists and looked away from John. Looking at his mixture of pity and outrage was too much; it became kindling to the fire already burning in my gut.