Under My Umbrella: Fated, Book 1

by Karen Erickson

  She felt like a fool.

  “What the hell did he do to you, Jen? So I can go search him out and tear him limb from limb.”

  The idea of Morgan the warrior out on the hunt for Brett stopped the flow of Jenna’s tears long enough for her to emit a strangled giggle. “He’d kick your ass. He’s huge. Got big muscles and he knows how to use them.”

  “I’m not scared.” Morgan actually pushed up her shirtsleeves, her right hand clenching into a fist. “Any asshole that breaks my friend’s heart deserves to be taken down. I wish I had a brother. I’d sick him on this guy.”

  “You are totally overreacting.” No, I am overreacting.

  “You’re the one falling apart in the middle of the lunchroom. Did you see the look on Tammy’s face? I thought flies were going to zoom into her mouth. All sorts of people were in there, Jen, practically everyone in the office. They’re gonna be talking too.”

  “Thanks, Morgan. You’re making me feel so much better,” Jenna said dryly, taking the proffered wad of toilet paper Morgan just grabbed and dabbing at her eyes. Tammy was the office manager and usually discreet. She wouldn’t spread any gossip.

  No just everyone else in the lunchroom would spread the word of her tears. Not a reassuring thought.

  “Well, it’s the truth. You’re always the happy one, the go-lucky, nothing ever bothers me person. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry in all of the years we’ve been friends, Jenna. Ever.”

  Jenna met Morgan’s gaze, saw the concern and confusion in it. She took a deep breath, let it out in a heaving sigh and shook her head. “I’m in love with him, and I don’t think he feels the same way.”

  “How can you…” Morgan clamped her lips shut but Jenna knew what she would say.

  “I just know. It’s never felt like this before.”

  “And now he’s breaking your heart because he doesn’t return the favor.” Morgan’s lips twisted bitterly.

  “I—I don’t know how he feels. I’m being stupid, trust me, completely overreacting. I think I’m hormonal or something. I can’t stop thinking about him, and I haven’t really talked to him in two days. He’s busy you know? Firefighting is a major job, and I know he’s got a lot on his plate, a lot to do but I wish he could call me. Just once, just so I could hear his voice…”

  She began to cry all over again. Maybe she’d been right. He’d just been using her. He thought she was a complete slut for falling into bed with him so easily. As if she did that sort of thing all the time.

  She so didn’t do that sort of thing all the time.

  Morgan grabbed more toilet paper and stuffed it in Jenna’s hand. “Why does he have to call you? Why don’t you call him? You’re always the bold one, why are you shying out on yourself now?”

  Jenna shrugged and blew her nose loudly into the wad of toilet paper. “That night I stopped by the station, I think I pissed him off. I know I pissed him off.” She tossed the wad into the trash. “Now I’m afraid to make the first move. It’s his turn.”

  “What did you do to make him mad?” Morgan’s brows furrowed in curiosity.

  Jenna shook her head slowly. “No way am I going to admit that to you.”

  Morgan sighed. “But what if he never takes his turn? What if you never hear from him again?”

  The thought of that sent a cold spear of sharp metal piercing through her heart, neatly cutting it in half. “Then I know it was never meant to be.”

  “Oh come on.” Morgan snorted and shook her head.

  “What?” Jenna threw her hands up in the air. “You want me to go chasing after him and tell him how I really feel?”

  “Yes! Better than sitting in the lunchroom bursting into tears. Trust me. You need to take a chance.”

  “What do you know about taking chances?” Jenna immediately regretted the words as soon as she said them. “I’m sorry, Morgan, I had no right to say that.”

  “No, you’re right. I know nothing about taking a chance on a guy, on anything.” Morgan grabbed her by the shoulder and gave her a little shake. “But I want to see you do it. You’re strong, Jenna. Stronger than I think you know, and you can’t just sit by and let this guy slip through your fingers. He sounds pretty fabulous.”

  “Just a minute ago you wanted to sick your non-existent brother on him and kick his ass.”

  “Yeah well that was before I knew my best friend was really in love with him and that he could make you feel this way.” Morgan smiled and gave her another little shake. “You’ve got to take a chance or else you’ll regret it forever. Don’t let him get away. Go tell him how you feel.”

  “But what if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

  “Then you knew it was never meant to be.”

  God damn, he was tired. Three days on and what a shift it was. Constantly busy, if he wasn’t out on a call he was dead asleep in his bunk, getting in what z’s he could before the next call came rolling in.

  Brett hadn’t been this ready for his days off in a long time. Especially since this week, he had four days and nights to spend with Jenna when normally he had three.

  He couldn’t wait to see her, had put off calling her until he got home, took a shower and caught up on a few more hours of sleep. She was at work so it was no big deal. He’d call her right before she got off.

  Then he’d tell her to get her pretty ass over here so he could get her off.

  Smiling at the thought, he stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off, then pulled on an old pair of sweats and nothing else. He planned on crashing for a couple of hours gearing up for what he hoped was a long night in bed with Jenna.

  His body practically vibrated in anticipation.

  A rapid string of knocking sounded on his front door. He hung up his towel and wondered who the hell it could be. Padding toward the door in his bare feet, he stopped midway and shook his head. Probably someone wanted to sell him a newspaper subscription or whatever. If anyone he knew wanted to come over, they called first. He rarely had surprise visitors.

  Heading back to his bedroom, he stopped in his tracks when he heard Jenna yell from the other side of the door.

  “I know you’re in there. I saw your truck in the parking lot.”

  Brett rushed toward the door and flipped the lock, throwing it open. She stood on the doorstep, relief flooding her expression when she saw him. Relief and something else as her gaze dragged over his body.

  “I thought you were ignoring me.”

  “How long have you been out here?” He opened the door wider in invitation, but she still stood there and didn’t move a muscle—as if she were frozen to his front porch.

  “Too long. I—I should’ve called.” She shuffled her feet, and he found her awfully cute. “But I needed to see you.”

  His heart expanded in his chest at her words. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

  “I had to get out of there.” She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly looking so helpless. He wanted to draw her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay.

  “Get in here,” he murmured. She rushed in, rushed toward him and he opened his arms. She walked right into them, and he held her close.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Her voice was muffled against his chest, her lips brushing against his bare skin and he shivered at the contact.

  “I’m sorry. It was so busy at work I could barely breathe. Didn’t you get my texts?”

  “Yes, your completely impersonal texts? I got them.” She lifted her head up to look at him, a smile on her face though he noticed traces of sadness in her eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

  She swallowed hard after the admission. He saw the delicate movement of her throat and he pressed his face against her neck. Kissed her there once, softly, then again and again.

  “I’ve missed you too.” He pulled her closer to him, loving the way she fit against him. “You don’t know how much.”

  “I thought you were mad at me,” she blurted. “After everything that happened at
the station a couple of nights ago and then I never heard from you, I thought…”

  “Ah, I didn’t mean to upset you or worry you, Jenna.” He kissed her, meant for it to be a simple reassurance but it turned heated immediately, her hands wandering over his chest, his sliding beneath her top.

  “You did,” she said between panting breaths when his hands curved around her breasts, his fingers diving beneath the fabric of her bra. “You upset me, and you worried me. I was starting to feel like…”

  She stopped talking and bent her head, as if she didn’t want him to look at her.

  “Starting to feel like what?” he asked softly, letting his hands fall away from her.

  They immediately felt empty.

  Jenna glanced up at him once more. “Like you were just using me. Like maybe you thought I was some sort of slut who slept with you too fast.”

  His jaw dropped open in disbelief. “I could never think of you that way. Why would you even think like that?”

  She shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know. I just did.”

  “I’m so sorry, Jenna.” His hands roamed over her body, slid over her clothes, beneath her clothes and he wished they were gone. Wished that she were naked in his arms, soft and wet and willing.

  He hated that he made her feel so bad, made her feel as if he was just using her. That was so far from the truth it wasn’t even funny.

  “It’s okay,” she said, her voice soft, the slightest hitch in it.

  “What can I do to earn your forgiveness, babe?” His hand moved to the front of her chest, and he flicked at the front clasp of her bra, breathing a sigh of satisfaction when his fingers encountered bare, plump flesh, the hard pebbles of her nipples.

  “You’ll have to do a lot. It’s going to take a long time. Oh.” Her eyes slid closed as she tossed her head back. He pinched her nipples, frantically pushing her top up and over her head before helping her shed the bra.

  “I’ll work my hardest. Whatever you want.” Brett kissed her breasts, breathed deep her fragrance, her soft skin. Drew a nipple between his lips and sucked, loving her reaction, how responsive she was.

  “Take me to your bed and do this,” she demanded between choked gasps. “Please.”

  “Your wish is my command.” He swept her up in his arms, laughing when he saw her eyes go wide and her arms immediately circled around his neck.

  “I should be mad at you,” she muttered, her eyes narrowed as he carried her down the hall toward his room.

  “Why?” He hadn’t meant to hurt her, it was the very last thing he wanted to do. He needed to be careful. There was someone else to think of now. Someone he wanted to include in his life and he couldn’t allow his narrow focus to take over again.

  “Because you ignored me. You forgot about me.”

  “Trust me I couldn’t forget you even if I tried.” He stopped at the side of his bed and placed her on the mattress, quickly shucking his sweats before he joined her.

  “Really?” Her expression went soft, her eyes shiny as she stared at him in wonder.

  “Really what?” All he could think about was her, making her come, losing himself in her arms, her body.

  “You couldn’t forget me if you tried? Really?”

  Brett paused, lifted himself up on his forearms so he could stare into her face. “Yeah, I can’t forget you. I don’t want to. What’s going on between us, it’s…”

  “It’s what?” Her hopeful voice made him smile—made him go out on a limb.

  “It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.” He swallowed hard, more than a little shocked he just said that.

  “Me, too,” she confessed with a shy smile.

  “If I wasn’t so cautious I might think I’d fallen in love with you.” If she slipped out of bed and called him a crazy man, he was going to be pissed at himself for admitting this.

  Her breath caught sharply, and her eyes widened. She reached for him, her hand curved about his cheek, her fingers faintly stroking. “I think I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

  His lips crashed down upon hers, and she immediately opened to him, her tongue tangling with his. The kiss was wild, out of control and he reached for the button on her pants, wanting her as naked as he was.

  It felt like forever, but it took only moments to complete undressing her. Then she was gloriously naked, her legs entwined with his, his cock nudging against her wet entry. He couldn’t wait, he meant to take his time and make it good for her, make it good for the both of him but he was too eager. It had been too long and the big tease and eventual bust of a couple of nights ago had left him on the edge sexually ever since.

  Unable to bear it any longer he grabbed a condom, slipped it on his aching cock with shaking fingers. This meant something, this moment with Jenna. He wasn’t just fooling around with her anymore. He just confessed he was in love with her.

  He was in love with her.

  Brett’s fingers shook even more as he reached for her, the words not coming to him. He stared at her, poised to push inside her and she touched him, her hands on him, healing him as she whispered, “I know.”

  With a groan, he entered her, the heated clasp of her pussy making him want to come in an instant. He gritted his teeth and breathed deep, searching for control, barely finding it especially when she wrapped her legs about his waist. The movement caused him to sink even deeper, both of them groaning at the sensation. He pressed his forehead against hers, their gazes locked.

  “You feel so good,” he whispered. She did. So hot, so tight, his cock pulsed with the need to erupt and he took a deep breath, striving for control.

  It was tattered, in shreds and he’d only just entered her. This woman would test his resilience in bed. He hoped like hell she wouldn’t mind the occasional quickie since that was definitely in store for this moment.

  Nearly withdrawing from her he plunged back inside, shoving himself deep. She clung to him, her legs wrapped tight about his waist, her ankles digging into the top of his buttocks. He took her fast, needed her so badly he couldn’t slow down even if he wanted to. There was time for that later. He wanted to savor her, spend hours searching her body, learning her every taste and texture, what she liked, what made her moan.

  Jenna followed his speedy lead, her movements just as frantic, just as shaky, her hands smoothing up and down his back. She arched beneath him, her full breasts jiggling with his every thrust. Her pink nipples hard and beckoning him. He dipped his head, drew one firm nipple into his mouth, and she let out a pleading whimper.

  When he felt the first tremors of her climax, he couldn’t help but follow after her. His orgasm shook him so hard it stole his breath as his body drained of semen. The intensity of it all caused him to collapse on top of her in an exhausted heap when it was over.

  “I love you,” Brett whispered in her ear when he found his voice once again.

  “I know.” She turned her face, pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

  “You’re supposed to say I love you too,” he admonished, kissing her again, his tongue doing a lazy sweep within the warm recesses of her mouth.

  “I love you too,” she whispered when he broke away from her. “It’s crazy, but I’m totally in love with you.”

  “Why is it crazy?” It didn’t feel crazy to him. It just felt right.

  “Because we met only a few weeks ago after I offered you my umbrella. That’s kind of…crazy. And fast.” Jenna’s expression turned solemn. “Maybe we’re moving too fast.”

  “When it feels as good as this there’s no such thing as moving too fast, babe.” He kissed her again. He felt her lips curve into a smile.

  “It is kind of cool, isn’t it?” she asked when he shifted away from her.

  He grinned. “It’s a great story, one our kids will want to hear again and again.”

  “Our kids?” Her brows lifted. “We confess our love and now you’re talking kids?”

  “You know you want kids.” His lips sought hers yet one more
time. Would he ever tire of kissing her? “With me.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “You really are crazy.”

  “Only as crazy as you are.” He snuggled her close, loving the way this felt. Jenna naked and in his arms, their bodies still damp with sweat, the night fraught with possibility. Their entire lives were open with possibility. “I’m crazy for you.”

  “I’m crazy for you.” She smiled sweetly. “Maybe we should practice more baby-making? I mean, I’m certainly not ready for kids any time soon but practicing never hurts.”

  “I like the way you think.” He rolled her over so he hovered above her, his cock already making itself known. “We’ll need to practice a lot. Get it right. It takes a lot to get it just right.”

  “I’m sure,” Jenna murmured just before his lips met hers.

  About the Author

  After leaving the crazy working world to become a stay at home mom, Karen realized she needed to get crackin’ and pursue her lifelong dream of being a published writer. A busy mother of three, she fits her precious writing time in between chasing her children, hanging out with her wonderful husband and pretending she has a maid. She lives in California.

  To learn more about Karen Erickson, please visit www.karenwritesromance.com. You can also send an email to Karen at www.karenwritesromance.com/contact.

  Look for these titles by Karen Erickson

  Now Available:

  Midsummer Night’s Steam

  Spontaneous

  Fortune

  Fortune’s Deception

  Fortune’s Chance

  Fortune’s Promise

  Playing With Fire

  Forbidden

  Tangled

  Jessie’s Girl

  Winning the lottery changes her life forever…in more ways than one.

  Fortune’s Deception

  © 2008 Karen Erickson

  One minute Brittney Jones is living paycheck to paycheck, and the next she and three friends win a record-breaking lottery jackpot. Sure, she’s spent some money on herself—after her rough childhood, she figures she deserves a few indulgences, big and small.