Undamaged

by Charity Parkerson

  Kip’s hitched breath vibrated against his back. A moan rose in his throat. His cock lengthened. Unable to stop from doing so, Cameron dropped his chin to his chest. As his gaze collided with the hands encircling his waist, Cameron realized there’d never been any chance he was leaving here without having her. He couldn’t look away.

  “It’ll be a minute. They’re opening up another private room for us.”

  Max’s announcement shook Cameron from his haze enough to allow him to lift his head. His gaze clashed with Ryan’s. For once, the man wasn’t smiling. Something about this place had changed him, turning Ryan deadly serious. In his confusion, Cameron glanced at Max. His focus was locked on Ryan. The open hunger on Max’s face left Cameron speechless. The three of them had served together in Afghanistan. He’d known them for years…since before his scars and nightmares. He’d seen them at their worst. They’d seen him at his lowest. Those years didn’t mean shit. He was staring at strangers. Cameron realized something monumental. It was almost big enough to rock him from his lust. He didn’t know the pair at all. In this place they were real. Raw.

  “Please follow me?”

  Even as their host appeared at Ryan’s side, ready to lead them into their own space, Ryan still didn’t look away from Cameron. Holding Cameron’s stare, Ryan reached for Max. With Max’s t-shirt clutched between his fingers, Ryan hauled the man against his chest. His light-green gaze held Cameron transfixed. As Ryan lowered his chin, touching his lips to Max’s, Ryan still refused to break eye contact.

  Behind the zipper of his jeans Cameron’s dick begged for attention. As if Kip read his thoughts, her hands slid lower. She moved slowly, torturing him. His muscles rippled, bunching in anticipation of each new inch of skin she caressed. Ryan’s lids fell closed. He stepped backward, hauling Max along with him without breaking their kiss. Without Ryan’s eyes holding Cameron transfixed, he shook off the trance and moved out of Kip’s arms. She let him go. Max and Ryan followed the club’s guide without as much as separating an inch. If anything, they seemed to move closer to each other. Cameron took great pains to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

  “Cozy,” Kip said, laughter lacing her voice as the room came into view.

  A circular and padded, knee-high table with several pockets on the side sat in the center of the room. It reminded Kip of the back of an airline seat for some reason. Maybe because she had the same overwhelming desire to check out the contents of each pocket. The moment they were gathered around it, Kip gave in to temptation. With the tip of her fingernail she pulled open one of the pockets and peeked inside.

  The first pouch contained several foil-packaged condoms. In the next she found sample-size and multi-flavored lubricants.

  “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a germaphobe,” Ryan said, startling Kip.

  She’d been taking great pains to avoid looking in his direction. If there was a time she’d been more uncomfortable, she couldn’t remember it, and she’d been arrested before. Her gaze shot to his. His eyes shined with laughter.

  “You’re fingering that as if you expect something will jump out and attack.”

  Taking his words as a challenge, Kip shoved her hand inside, digging around until she found a cherry-flavored sample. She held it up. “My favorite.”

  “Awesome,” Ryan said, cheerfully snagging the packet from her and tearing it open. “I love cherries too.”

  Funny. She didn’t think they were talking about the same thing. He’d become someone she didn’t know. A devilish light entered his eyes as he squeezed a drop onto his finger. Before she had time to guess at his intentions, Ryan leaned over and swiped it across her bottom lip. Once he was there, touching her mouth, Kip found she couldn’t move away. He stroked her lip again, as if he were weaving a trance. There was a voice in the back of her mind telling her this was wrong. She ignored it. There was another one wanting to crack a joke about him using it wrong. Lube lip-gloss wasn’t her thing. It seemed when Ryan was the one applying it she was on board. Her shock doubled when he swept in and opened his mouth over her bottom lip.

  He hummed against her mouth. Her sex quivered at the sound.

  “Delicious,” he said before lightly brushing his tongue along hers and then retreating. “Don’t be good, Kip. Be good at it.”

  Twisting around, he dove for Max, consuming him and leaving her on fire.

  Kip wanted to tear her gaze away from the pair. She was incapable. They were beautiful together. Women flooded to their self-defense class, no doubt fantasizing about just this type of moment. Nothing she could’ve possibly conjured compared to the real thing. Max and Ryan were intense and erotic. They were focused and controlled. Her pussy clenched with desire. It didn’t matter she would never get to participate. Their lust was tangible. It thickened the air, caressing her skin. The phantom sensation was so real it took a moment for her to realize Cameron’s knuckles were grazing her arm. She glanced his way. His expression bordered on predatory. Her tongue shot out, moistening her lips in anticipation of his kiss. Cherry coated her taste buds.

  “You look neglected.”

  At his quietly spoken claim, Kip’s gaze dropped to his mouth. There was hunger and then there was what she felt for him. It was almost painful. Of all the ideas she’d formed about Cameron’s personality, being in this place wasn’t one. He wouldn’t make the first move, of that Kip was sure. Reaching over, she snagged the front of his t-shirt. He came willingly when she tugged him toward her. As their mouths collided, he led her free hand toward his jeans. She shaped his erection through the material as her tongue twined with his. The man was beyond delicious.

  Cameron was the first to break. She knew he would be. He was barely contained lava disguised as a man. Her scalp stung as he snagged the back of her head and took control of their kiss. Kip tilted her chin back, surrendering. He set the pace as his tongue curled around hers. A stuttered breath came from the back of his throat, vibrating through their kiss. She moaned at the sensation. Kip’s panties dampened to the point of being uncomfortable. She wanted them gone. Fingers caressed her cheek. She was almost certain they weren’t Cameron’s. She didn’t give a fuck.

  Cameron nipped at her lips. “I’m going to fuck you. If you have a problem with that, now is the time to speak up.”

  She didn’t. Cameron came out of his shirt before coming back for more tongue action. It took every ounce of Kip’s willpower not to reach between her legs and relieve some of the pressure building there. Her clit was pulsing and begging. It wouldn’t wait forever. The unmistakable sound of belts coming off filled the air, competing against Ryan’s moans.

  For a moment, Ryan won. Kip needed to see his face. She turned her head and Cameron’s lips moved to her throat. The flush of arousal on Ryan’s cheeks made his green eyes shine brighter than usual. He stared back even as Max took him from behind. Kip’s mouth went dry. Tomorrow, she wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye. Tonight, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. He was more than gorgeous.

  Cameron forced her back on track. The vision of him rolling on a condom held her captivated. She’d been so fascinated by Ryan and Max she hadn’t heard Cameron opening it. Her brain had retreated into some form of horny, dreamlike state where nothing felt real. As the cool air brushed her ass, Kip recognized how real things were. Cameron had somehow divested her of her clothes while she’d been stuck in a lust-filled haze. She would have Cameron while Ryan and Max watched. The real Kip—the one she’d kept hidden for too long—came to the surface. She’d been sleepwalking through life.

  Cameron urged her forward until she was leaning on the table for support. The blood rushing through her ears drowned out all sound. Cameron’s fingers tightened on her hips as his cock probed at her wet pussy lips. Her walls stretched wide to accommodate Cameron’s girth. She couldn’t contain her gasp when he finally surged forward, impaling her. She’d wanted him for too long. It was better than her dreams.

  With Cameron’s hand splayed wide between her breas
ts, he urged her back against his chest. Her heart slammed against his palm. It was as if it understood its place and fought to meet its owner. His teeth scraped her lobe. Hot breath brushed the column of her throat, causing her nipples to harden almost painfully. With his dick filling her and holding her in place, Cameron spoke against her ear, keeping his voice low and for her alone.

  “I ache for you. Goddamn, Kip. I don’t want to fight anymore.”

  Her soul screamed. The shock that had kept her mind fogged lifted, burned away by his ragged words. Kip’s heart whimpered. Even as fingers of electricity moved through her, exploding into a blinding light and making her convulse with pleasure, she knew. They’d been fighting fate. Cameron massaged her breasts. His teeth sank into her shoulder. Something inside her shifted as he moaned against her nape because fuck what people say. It was so much worse to love and lose than to never know love at all, and lose she would. This overwhelming sensation in the center of her chest couldn’t be denied and she recognized what she’d been struggling against. When it came to her life or anything to do with her heart, Kip ended up wrecked every fucking time.

  Chapter Three

  Sensual destruction. That’s what Kip meant to Cameron’s life. One day, he’d been content in his more-secret-than-not longing for Kip. The next, Cameron spent every second counting the minutes until he could be with her again. Chill bumps rose on his skin and his stomach muscles tightened as the memory of Kip’s kiss flared to life. The way she’d hummed from the back of her throat as Cameron sank into her was as clear in his mind now as the moment it happened.

  Twice he pulled out his phone, intent on calling Kip. Both times he put it away without pressing a single number. Ryan and Max had surprised them. Neither Kip nor Cameron had been willing to back out but what if their night together was a slice out of time, never meant for duplication? Chances were good Kip would be embarrassed to see him again. In fact their parting the night before had been awkward and stilted. He was such a dumbass. Kip was his friend. Yeah…he was carrying around an ass-ton of hidden feelings for her, but he didn’t want to lose the friendship part. It was important to him.

  With no real thought of doing so, Cameron found himself parked behind G. Richards Bookstore where Kip worked. He knew she was inside. She always worked from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. Throwing open his car door, Cameron blew out a sigh. He even knew her fucking work schedule, for Christ’s sake. This whole situation was hopeless.

  To his surprise, as he entered, Kip’s face lit at the sight of him. She was so freaking beautiful. Her red hair fell over one shoulder, begging him to touch it. Cameron knew how soft it was and his palms itched. Her shell-pink lips tasted like cherries, even without Ryan’s help. It was probably some sort of lip-gloss but fuck if he cared. The flavor was seared into his brain.

  “I was just dialing your number,” she said, flashing her phone at him.

  “Really?” Yep…he sounded like a lovesick loser and he didn’t give a damn.

  As he reached the edge of the counter, she set the phone aside and reached for him.

  “I wanted to hear your voice caressing my ear.”

  Her confession lit him up from the inside. With her finger looped between the buttons on his shirt, Kip tugged him forward. She dragged out his anticipation by moving slowly and giving him time to reject her. Kip didn’t turn away. She was happy to see him. That was the sort of thing that could make a man into an addict.

  A tiny smile hovered on Kip’s lips and a wicked glint shone in her eyes. The world disappeared around him as his mouth collided with hers. With his palms braced against the edge of the counter, Cameron didn’t touch her in any other way. It didn’t matter. As Kip opened her mouth over his bottom lip, he felt more connected to her than ever before. Her tongue toyed with the crease in his lip. His heart beat a rapid pattern against the wall of his chest. Even if Cameron jogged five miles, he couldn’t get his heart rate as high as it was now. The scent of honeysuckle filled his nostrils. He didn’t know if it was the air or her skin but he knew he’d never encounter the fragrance again without remembering this moment.

  As his lips parted, accepting her tongue, he recognized the way he felt about her wasn’t something that would go away. He’d never stood a chance. Their tongues brushed briefly before Kip pulled away but she didn’t release her hold on his shirt.

  “I think about your mouth all the time,” she said, sounding breathless. “You don’t kiss me often enough.”

  A smile burst from Cameron’s heart and exploded across his face. He was incapable of stopping it. A loud and irritated sigh tore through the air behind him.

  “For the love of all things holy, can I please just get a fucking cup of coffee? Some of us have real jobs to get to.”

  Kip didn’t break eye contact nor did she seem the least bit concerned about the asshole waiting in line behind Cameron. The guy snapped his fingers.

  Cameron hated that shit. “He realizes I’m carrying a gun, right?”

  With a chuckle, Kip released him. “It’s hot as hell too but don’t worry, you won’t need to shoot him. I’ll spit in his drink.”

  In spite of her smile, Cameron got the feeling she wasn’t joking. Glancing around, he spotted Kurt’s wife, McKenna, seated nearby. As the owner of G. Richards, she didn’t seem the least bit concerned by the drama, but still. Cameron didn’t want Kip to lose her job. She had a child to support.

  “I’ll go distract your boss while you do.”

  McKenna was the most addictive person Cameron had ever met. She’d captured the heart of every fighter on the MMA circuit with her odd nature and whit. If she wasn’t married to one of the deadliest men on the planet, Cameron imagined the men would be lined up around the building right now. They practically were anyhow. Even the men who didn’t play for her team couldn’t stay away.

  “It’s been a while,” McKenna said when he reached the edge of her table.

  With her head bent over an open notebook and pen in hand, Cameron had no idea how she knew it was him.

  “It has,” he agreed as he snagged the chair across from her.

  Pushing the notebook aside, McKenna met his gaze. The way her eyes latched on to his face, leaving him exposed, reminded Cameron of why people had such a hard time staying away from her. She saw people all the way to their soul.

  “Kip should’ve put some hot sauce in that guy’s drink instead of spitting in it. It would’ve been that much more satisfying.”

  Cameron blushed. God help him. He didn’t even know why nor could he stop it from happening. “Caught all that, did you?”

  McKenna’s gaze moved over his face. Her expression gave nothing away. “Of course. I notice everything.”

  For some reason, one Cameron couldn’t explain, he felt as if he were in the hot seat. He shifted, uncomfortable. “Hot sauce, huh?” he asked, just to fill his end of the conversation. “Does that mean you’re not upset?”

  McKenna’s shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. “It gave me a chance to steal the guy’s newspaper while he was distracted.”

  A burst of unexpected laughter exploded from Cameron. McKenna was outrageous. Swiping at his eyes, Cameron did his best to contain his humor. “Were there any good stories in there?”

  McKenna shrugged again. “How should I know? I don’t read the paper.”

  Cameron shook his head. Talking to McKenna never got old. She ran circles around people with her words, making them work for every foothold. For lack of a better description, she was fun. “You do realize you’ve just confessed to an officer of the law.”

  One corner of McKenna’s mouth lifted. “I have handcuffs in my purse if you’d like to arrest me.”

  “If only you were joking.”

  Besides being the owner of G. Richards, McKenna was a bestselling, hard-core erotica author. She forced people to measure their every word with a naughty scale. She was fiendish as hell. Cameron had known her husband Kurt for a long time and, considering the man’s sexual proclivitie
s, Cameron knew McKenna had to be kinky as sin to snag Kurt’s attention permanently the way she had. Everyone else suspected it as well. Another mark in her favor.

  “Did you have fun last night?” she asked.

  The way McKenna held his gaze made him wonder if she was trying not to look in Kip’s direction. He did his best to keep from smiling like an idiot. “It was great.”

  McKenna switched her gaze to her notebook, scribbling something. “You didn’t let Max and Ryan talk you into going with them to that underground sex club, did you?”

  It was as if the planets were aligned against him. Tossing a quick glance around the room, hoping to avoid her question, Cameron caught sight of Josh lingering in the corner and nursing a coffee. He wasn’t looking at Kip but he was there. For the life of him, Cameron couldn’t understand why Kip couldn’t see how hooked the man was. A smirk pulled at the corners of Cameron’s mouth. Kip had spent the night with Cameron. Josh was wasting his time. Something wicked rose up inside Cameron.

  “Yes. That’s exactly what we did.”

  McKenna snorted before covering her mouth to silence it. Her eyes shined with mirth as she physically tried to hold in her laughter. After a few deep breaths, she cleared her throat. “Good for you.”

  “Yep. Lucky me.”

  The devious grin touching McKenna’s lips would’ve put the devil’s to shame. “Lucky Kip.”

  Cameron’s dark-blue police uniform shouldn’t have been so fucking sexy but it was. Something about him toting a gun kicked up his hotness level by ten degrees. The things she could do with the handcuffs at his side. The thought alone had her pressing her thighs together. Damn. The things he did to her heart. Maybe if she hadn’t wanted him for so long, he wouldn’t have this effect on her, but the truth was there, staring her in the face.