The Strand Brothers Series: Complete Set

by Lora Ann

  I brushed my lips against hers and affirmed, “You mean more to me. I don’t know how to explain it. Everything with you is just… You are my light. My world. My all. I cannot be without you. I have never needed someone as much as I need you.” I brought her hand up to my heart and held it there. “This tattoo represents my past. I’m the dagger. The larger heart is Rachel’s. The smaller one is Miley’s.” She traced her finger over the tear shaped blood drops.” I expounded, “Their blood shed by me.”

  “Nik,” she gasped. “That’s terrible, yet beyond beautiful at the same time.”

  Apparently, I still wasn’t getting through to her. Thus, I brought her hand up to the brand against my hair line behind my ear. “The outside of my body may be forever marked by my past. But you…You, Aimee, have branded my heart. My soul. They are completely yours for as long as you want them.” A sob broke as I implored, “Please, don’t leave me again.”

  She clasped my face in her hands and reverently kissed my cheek bones, jaw line, and then mouth. All the while she whispered, “I love you with all my heart. Never will I leave you. I promise.”

  With that I deepened our kiss, mindful that I couldn’t make love to her at the moment, but needing the connection. So when she reached between our bodies and guided my cock to her core, I argued, “Lille, we can’t do this.”

  She rubbed her wet folds along my painful erection and countered, “Yes, we can. Please, Nik. We need this.”

  There was no more talking as I entered her as gently as possible, rocking slowly. Healing sex. Yet, it was so much more. The bond between us grew stronger with each stroke, and then we eased into completion together. I knew from that moment on, nothing would tear us apart again. We would weather whatever storms came our way. Together. Though I’m not a fool, there would be plenty of passion and, more than likely, some fighting. But in the end, we would be just fine.

  Once, I had thought you had to be a lover or a fighter. Thanks to Aimee, I now realized how wrong I was. To be a lover you must also be a fighter. Because to truly love, you had to be willing to fight for it at all cost.

  Nothing was more valuable.

  More rare.

  More precious.

  And I would never again sit on the sidelines. No matter what, I would stay in the fight. Always.

  Epilogue

  Aimee

  Two weeks later.

  We were finally back in San Francisco. Lake Tahoe was spectacular, but the memories it carried for Nik would always be bittersweet. Before we had left the lake, he insisted we stop by the cemetery. Not wanting to be an intruder, I suggested I should stay in the car. He wouldn’t hear of it. Together, we made our way over to Rachel and Miley’s grave. There were many tears, as well as more things he chose to share with me. I no longer viewed Rachel as a ghost to compete with for Nik’s love. I knew now he loved us both, yet in different ways. And that was more than enough.

  Our biggest shock came when Joanna showed up at the graveside. I was grateful they could finally make amends. It was what Nik had needed the most: forgiveness. Yes, he craved it from Rachel’s mother. But he needed to forgive himself even more. While the former was important to his emotional state, the latter was key to his freedom. And being a witness to those chains breaking was immeasurable.

  I thought Nik would never agree to go to church with me; therefore, no one was more shocked than I when he suggested it. We went to the church he had attended with his mom and brothers all those years ago. When the same pastor remembered him, it was like a coming home. I still get teary every time I think about it. Beautiful. Healing. There was nothing I could’ve wanted more for him. Needless to say, we left the area different people than when we had arrived. Free. Forgiven. The world our oyster. And I, for one, couldn’t wait to start living instead of just existing.

  *****

  Since we weren’t together for Christmas, we planned a family dinner a few nights after New Year’s. I believe it was referred to as Twelfth Night. The “boys” were as funny as usual with their brotherly banter, and, this time, Nik had joined in. That was such a magnificent thing to witness. At first, I think Alex and Ev were a bit taken aback. Though it didn’t take them long to welcome the camaraderie. Even Ray had joined in from time to time. And I must confess, having Mary Alice there as a guest, not an employee, was wonderful. With all that testosterone, it was a pleasant treat to have some female companionship.

  I couldn’t help but notice throughout the evening that E seemed a bit off. Unable to put my finger on what exactly it was. Yes, my brother-in-law was inappropriate on a good day and downright crass on the others. But I loved him all the same. So when he sat silently brooding while he stared out the window, I had to wonder if there was a woman involved. Not feeling it was my place to intervene—for now— I didn’t inquire, yet. I did vow to myself I would get to the bottom of things, one way or the other. Yep, I would definitely be keeping my eye on him.

  Anticipation of our night together, once Alex and Even left, had me a bit distracted. Nik had been so careful, treating me like a delicate object since the accident. Now, I had the green light from the doctor. While I thoroughly enjoyed slowly making love to my husband, I was ready for a little more.

  *****

  As everyone else said their goodbyes, I snuck away to put the final touches on my assault—I mean, outfit. I stripped out of my designer jersey dress and slipped on a naughty little ensemble. The red leather skirt was so short if I bent over, the whole world would see my lady parts. Albeit the blouse—if that’s what you wanted to call it— revealed just as much. It was black and sheer, making sure his eyes were drawn to the lacey bra underneath. The said bra had no support whatsoever, but it did push my boobs up in a tantalizing way. For a full view of my assets, I kept the blouse unbuttoned down to my navel. And speaking of ass, mine was clad in an almost nonexistent thong, which barely covered the entrance to my core. Adorned in fishnet stockings held on by a garter belt, I slipped on my five inch CFMPs. Hell yeah, I looked downright edible. Of course, that thought brought forth liquid heat between my thighs. The final touch was the music—Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’” was on a loop. That particular song made me want to bump and grind all over my husband. Damn, I have it bad for the man. The Cheshire cat grin spread across my face, because I knew it was reciprocated.

  When Nik entered the room, I pushed play on the remote and began to swivel my hips to the beat. His eyes widened as his nostrils flared. He looked sexy as sin with the top button of his silk dress shirt undone along with his tie, which simply draped around his neck. Oh, yeah, I was going to use said tie in a while. As he approached, I sauntered forward while I watched his pupils dilate with desire. I used him as a stripper pole and began to do some provocative moves against his body. The eroticism of the moment urged me on. Now his eyes were hooded, and his arousal strained against the zipper of his trousers. Poor baby. Really, I should do something about that.

  Unable to stop myself, I knelt before him and tugged the zipper of his pants down with my teeth. All the while, my deft fingers released the clasp and freed his magnificent cock—which already wept for me. I traced the tip with my tongue. That brought forth a groan from him as he fisted my hair. What was it about having such a strong, powerful man at your mercy that brought out the bad girl in us all? And, ooh, my naughty side wreaked havoc up and down his enormous erection. With one hand, I fisted his thick shaft at the root. With the other, I cupped his weighty balls. Then, I used my mouth to lick, suckle, and lightly nip until he erupted down my throat. Ah, his taste was salty, pure male. Yet with Nik’s unique flavor added to it. Mmm, an intoxicating elixir.

  I worked my way back up his body as he struggled for control. I shook my head while I pushed him back into the strategically placed winged chair. His eyes widened in surprise. I licked my lips slowly, catching the remains of his zest on my tongue. He watched in rapt fascination and reached for me again. This time I cautioned, “Not until I tell you to.” Of course, he ignored my w
arning. A sultry chuckle bubbled out of me. “Just remember, you asked for it.”

  I drew the tie from his neck and draped it around mine, then proceeded to rub it across my already hard nipples. He leaned forward, and, once again, I went to my knees. Next, I patted the arm of the chair and instructed, “Give me your hand.”

  His brow rose as he complied. I wrapped one end of the tie stealthily around his wrist and then the front leg of the chair. Once I ran it underneath, I fastened his other hand in the same fashion. I knew full well if he wanted out of his predicament, all he had to do was flex his deliriously huge muscles. But he didn’t. Instead, he watched me continue to lap dance for him.

  First, I pulled the cups of the so called bra down, releasing both breasts. I aptly bounced them in front of him until he captured a nipple. Before I let him take me any higher up the mountain of ecstasy, I leaned back to release my breast from his mouth, causing a pop from the suction. I then turned so that my ass was in his face. He playfully bit a cheek, which brought forth a yelp from me. As I continued down the path of naughtiness, I placed my bottom against his face. This time he didn’t play. No, he got down to business and laved me from the seam of my butt all the way forward to my swollen clit. “Oh, that feels sooo good,” I purred.

  His deep chuckle vibrated against my opening, nearly sending me over the edge. I controlled my orgasm—barely—and eased away. Then, as sexy as possible, I disrobed for him. Once I was completely bare, I sat astride him. He knew where I was going with that move and slouched down into the chair. I grasped his now throbbing penis and used my own juices to lubricate, before inserting him inside me. On a groan, he straightened his legs while I leaned back on them to hold my weight on my hands, which were placed on his shins. Next, I put my feet on either side of his head, giving him a full-blown show.

  He growled, “So fucking beautiful.” Then he arched his hips.

  After a few minutes, I released his hands. With my knees bent, he held my ass. Now that my hands were free to roam, I caressed his massive bicep with one. With the other, I reached between my spread legs and pleasured myself for him. All the while I held his gaze. His eyes were so dark they looked black. As he picked up the rhythm, he lifted me and thrust deep until an earth shattering climax ripped through our bodies. Both of us cried out each other’s names as wave after wave of pure ecstasy crashed over us.

  We made it to our bed eventually, where we continued to explore our naughty sides together. He had once told me that I had “branded” him. But the truth was—it was he that had branded me.

  Heart.

  Mind.

  Body.

  Soul.

  Play List

  When this story came to me, I wanted to quote the song that went with the scripture in the front. Due to copyright laws I was unable to do that; however, the song is: We Fall Apart – We As Human

  I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Michael Bublé

  We’ll Meet Again – Johnny Cash

  One Solemn Hour – Within Temptation

  Pushing Me Away – Linkin Park

  Before It Began – Olivia Somerlyn

  How To Save A Life – The Fray

  Just Say Yes – Snow Patrol

  Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion

  Endless Love – Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey

  When A Man Loves A Woman – Michael Bolton

  Make You Feel My Love – Adele

  Don’t Want To Miss A Thing – Aerosmith

  Please Remember Me – Tim McGraw

  Who You Are – Lunatica

  Wintersong – Sarah McLachlan

  I Left My Heart In San Francisco – Julie London

  Secrets – One Republic

  Fallin’ – Alicia Keys

  Listen Here on Spotify

  BOUND

  (Strand Brothers Series, book 2)

  Lora Ann

  This book is dedicated to my friends who asked me to ramp-up the hotness level. I sure hope I haven’t disappointed you.

  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

  John 15:13 NIV

  Bound Contents

  Prologue: E

  Chapter One: Lacey

  Chapter Two: E

  Chapter Three: Lacey

  Chapter Four: E

  Chapter Five: Lacey

  Chapter Six: E

  Chapter Seven: Lacey

  Chapter Eight: E

  Chapter Nine: Keeley

  Chapter Ten: Lacey

  Chapter Eleven: E

  Chapter Twelve: Lacey

  Chapter Thirteen: E

  Chapter Fourteen: Caleb

  Chapter Fifteen: Lacey

  Chapter Sixteen: E

  Chapter Seventeen: Lacey

  Chapter Eighteen: E

  Chapter Nineteen: Lacey

  Chapter Twenty: Keeley and Caleb

  Chapter Twenty-One: E

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Lacey

  Chapter Twenty-Three: E

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Keeley

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Lacey

  Chapter Twenty-Six: E

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Caleb

  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lacey

  Chapter Twenty-Nine: E

  Chapter Thirty: Lacey

  Chapter Thirty-One: Keeley

  Chapter Thirty-Two: E

  Chapter Thirty-Three: Lacey

  Chapter Thirty-Four: E

  Chapter Thirty-Five: Lacey

  Chapter Thirty-Six: Caleb

  Chapter Thirty-Seven: E

  Chapter Thirty-Eight: Lacey

  Chapter Thirty-Nine: E

  Chapter Forty: Lacey

  Chapter Forty-One: E

  Epilogue: Lacey

  Playlist

  Prologue

  E

  What a hellacious week. The need for a little alone time was a must. I loved my brothers and my new sister—well, sister-in-law, to be exact. Aimee was a Godsend for Nik. Never had my brother been so flippin’ happy, that in and of itself was a sight to see. But I needed an escape. No, what I needed was a warm and willing woman. They were a dime a dozen, and, quite frankly, I was bored with them all. The only action I’d seen in the last few months was at Nik’s bachelor party; even then, I only played around. Yes, I made sure she was satisfied, yet there was no fulfillment in it for me. Oh, she offered more than once, but I couldn’t. It was a sad state of affairs when the man who taught others the art of pleasure could no longer find any for himself. That’d be me.

  So there I sat back in the shadows to the left in one of my numerous clubs, ruminating over what all of that meant for my future in the business of instructing BDSM, when the dancer on stage caught my eye. Damn she was a knockout, with a body like Tyra Banks—back when she modeled for Victoria’s Secret—and waist-length black hair. If I wasn’t mistaken, those were mahogany highlights shining in the stage lights. Hello, any red-blooded male would have a hard-on with just that image shimmying in his brain. But it was her moves that held me captive. Fuck. If she swiveled her hips like that again, I would come. She had Christina Aguilera’s dance moves down pat as “Genie In A Bottle” blared out through the sound system. I murmured under my breath, “Sweetness, I promise to rub you the right way.”

  As if she heard me, her eyes met mine. Like her body in motion wasn’t bad enough, her face was beyond stunning. For a tall woman, she had a delicate, heart-shaped face. What I could do with those full lips made me groan with anticipation. Seemed I wasn’t out of the race, after all. This beauty was doing things to my body no other woman ever had. Without forethought, I stood and prowled towards her, not once breaking eye contact. The electricity actually hummed as our bodies drew closer to one another. Unbidden, my tongue snaked out when I finally reached the edge of the stage. She didn’t miss the implication either. I placed my hand on the edge about to hop up and join her when several other dancers assembled with her on stage. Apology was in her eyes before she turned towards the other girls.

&n
bsp; Holy hell. I wanted her so much my dick actually hurt, yet there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it now. The realization I needed to vacate the premises immediately became crystal clear. If I stayed any longer I would have her, and I didn’t play with the help. It was my number one rule, and I enforced it fiercely with my managers. There would be loss of respect, not to mention obedience. That, I wouldn’t tolerate. I firmly tugged on my slacks to find a more comfortable position before hightailing it out of there. Unbelievable, I had never run from a female in my life. Nor had I willingly walked away from a sure thing. And let’s be honest, I would’ve taken her without an ounce of hesitation on her part. I knew it. She knew it, too. It was best for both of us if I continued towards my car and never looked back.

  *****

  A week had passed since I had left the breathtaking beauty at my club up in Lake Tahoe, and still I was hard for her. This was supposed to be a celebration, our family Christmas party, yet my mind wouldn’t let the mystery dancer go. Every cell in my body wanted her, needed her, in a way I didn’t comprehend. Without a single taste of her, I was hooked. She had become a drug to me. And damn it all to hell, I had to have another hit.

  Of course, my intuitive sister-in-law knew something was off with me. Hell, I didn’t want an interrogation. There really wasn’t anything to share even if I had wanted to, which I didn’t. For now, I wanted to brood in peace. Though, the knowledge I wouldn’t be able to resist much longer truly pissed me off. I was the master of control, master over my body and anyone else’s I chose to be. So the damn ache inside made me meaner than a snake. I had no desire to take it out on Aimee. No, until I either found relief for my ever throbbing cock or broke down and drove back up to the lake, I was not good company for anyone. My brothers were fully aware something was up, but they were wise enough to give me space. After I slammed back another glass of Grey Goose, I said my goodbyes. Alex was right behind me. I wasn’t so preoccupied I hadn’t noticed the looks Aimee had been shooting towards Nik. Time to leave the newlyweds to their evening.