Slay Bells Ring (An FBI Romance Thriller Book 12)

by Morgan Kelley

“Brody?” she asked, turning to face him. She noticed he was staring, and it sent a flush up her body.

  “Huh?”

  She laughed.

  “I lost you there for a second. I was asking you a question.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t lost. I was checking out your ass,” he said, partially lying. He was really picturing the ring he bought her on Joey’s finger.

  “I’m going to hit the shower,” she said.

  As she walked away, his heart was pounding. He wanted to follow, but he wanted something more.

  He wanted to propose.

  Against better judgment, Brody was going to take a chance. Slipping the engagement ring out of the box, he carried it into the shower, palmed lovingly in his hand.

  As Joey showered, he watched her.

  There had to be a right way to do this. Stepping in behind her, he placed the ring on the bar of soap when she wasn’t looking.

  Now he needed to distract her long enough to figure out how to go about asking her to be his wife.

  When she turned, he made her focus on him. “Do you think we have some time to fool around?” he asked, caging her between him and the wall.

  Johanna’s heart skipped.

  Whenever she looked at him, all she saw was love. Here was someone who’d always have her back.

  She trusted him.

  Not only that, but she knew the kind of man he was, and that was intoxicating. When he’d once told her he’d die for her, she was sure it was just words.

  Then he nearly did.

  Brody proved that she was all that mattered, and in a world where people lied right to your face, she’d come to treasure his honesty.

  It was a gift.

  “We might be able to have some upright bathroom sex if you’re in the mood,” Joey offered. She knew what a sucker he was for getting dirty in the shower.

  His mouth ran across her shoulders and throat. “Sweetheart, with you, I’m always in the mood. You don’t ever have to ask me if I am. It’s a given.”

  She didn't understand that, but she was grateful. Before him, no man ever loved her like this.

  It was endless.

  It was limitless.

  It was…amazing.

  Reaching between their bodies, she found Brody warm and erect. She really loved sex in the shower too, and this was why.

  When she stroked him, he couldn’t help but moan. There was nothing like her fingers wrapped around him. “Joey,” he whispered.

  Without warning, she dropped to her knees and began moving him in and out of her mouth. When she glanced up, he was watching her.

  His blue eyes were filled with something she’d never seen before, and a little part of her worried if he was okay. As of late, he’d been quiet, and that freaked her out.

  Instead of stopping, she put her whole heart into it. As she ran her teeth down the long length of him, his head dropped back and he braced himself against the wall.

  “Oh, shit!” he muttered.

  Johanna loved when he was vocal. It turned her right on.

  When she added her hand, he hissed in pleasure. It made her want to smile.

  “You’re killing me,” Brody admitted. “Just don’t stop. I don’t mind dying just like this.”

  That did make her laugh.

  When he popped out of her mouth, she was grinning wickedly up at him. “Then you’re in serious trouble because we’ve only just begun. I’ve yet to really begin tormenting you.”

  Without warning, she was on her feet and jumping. As her legs wrapped around Brody’s hips, trapping his erection between them, he stumbled back. There was a little ledge in the shower, and he was perched on it.

  Her mouth assaulted his.

  Tongues did battle, and she drove him into the pleasure. While he was so focused on the mating of mouths, he didn't realize she was in position to strike.

  With one smooth stroke, he was buried in her body.

  Johanna and Brody moaned at the same time.

  It was heaven.

  It was amazing.

  They slid to the floor.

  When she could focus on him again, and not the claws of lusty need filling her belly, she began her ride.

  “I love you,” he whispered. “There will never be a woman more perfect than you.”

  She wanted to weep with the simple beauty of that one sentence. Here was the man she’d love until her dying day.

  As Johanna rode him hard, Brody held on for dear life. The storm was crashing around them, much like the water from the shower.

  “More,” be begged.

  She gave him her all.

  It rocked them both.

  Brody’s hands were on her hips as she bounced wildly in his lap. If this was what heaven felt like, sign him up.

  “I love you,” she whispered, as he quivered beneath her. His eyes filled with heat, and his body was rock hard beneath hers.

  “Jesus, Joey! I’m going to...”

  She didn't give him a chance to talk. The second she felt him tighten beneath her, Joey sought his mouth with hers.

  They rode the pleasure out together.

  Her mouth drank from his as Brody’s body poured into her. They shared their orgasm, riding out the beautiful storm.

  When they floated back to awareness, she was resting her head on his shoulder.

  “My tongue is tied in knots,” he admitted.

  His heart was also pounding in his chest. She was going to have a big decision to make any second.

  It was going to be marriage.

  Or not…

  As they both calmed, Johanna finally lifted her head. Her brown eyes were filled with laughter. “I can’t take you anywhere. You just like to fornicate.”

  He snorted. “I’m a man. That’s what we do. As for taking me anywhere, I’d crawl if you asked.”

  She didn't doubt that for a second, but part of love meant never doing that to him.

  He deserved all she had to give him.

  Gently, he touched her cheek. “I meant what I said, Johanna. You’re the only woman I’ll ever love, and it’ll be until the end of time.”

  Her heart kicked in her chest.

  “I believe you, and I feel the same. I’ll never love anyone but you, Broderick. You’re the best man in the world for me.”

  He was glad. Now came the moment of truth.

  “Can you wash my back?” he asked, smiling sweetly as Johanna climbed off his lap and reached for the soap. “I can do…”

  She stopped, her hand inches from the bar of soap. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

  Sitting on top of it was an engagement ring. It was shiny, sparkly, and absolutely gorgeous.

  “Oh, crap! Brody! Are you insane?”

  When she turned, he was on his one knee behind her. “I wanted a more romantic place, like Christmas eve, but it looks like we’re going to be working. I couldn’t wait any longer. I want you to marry me, Joey. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  She glanced back and forth between the gorgeous ring on the soap, and the man on his knee.

  He was perfect.

  It was perfect.

  She wanted to weep.

  Brody had chosen well. While the ring wasn’t flamboyant, and that was good since they were partners and couldn’t get married, it still made her want to weep.

  So did what would happen if she said yes.

  The FBI would split them up.

  “Brody.”

  “I know what you’re thinking. We’re moving fast, and you’re not ready. I let you make the decision for us before, Joey, and you ran. It’s my turn to make the choice. I get to be the one who leads us on this one.”

  She didn't know what to say.

  He was right, but he was also not being realistic. They would get caught and separated. The bosses told them they had to come to them if this ever happened.

  “Well?” he asked.

  She handed him the ring back.

  His heart fell.

  “I ca
n’t wear it at work. It’s a dead giveaway. I have a chain in my bag. I’ll wear it around my neck.”

  He wasn’t sure if that meant what he thought it meant. “Are you saying yes?”

  “Are you prepared for the ramifications? We could very well be moved off this team and have to get new partners.”

  He grinned. “If I have you as my wife, I can survive the day without you as my partner. As long as we go home and have that happy ever after, Joey. I just want you to be mine forever and ever.”

  “Then yes, Brody.”

  He was up and had her in his arms. His mouth met hers, and he couldn’t help himself. When he was finished kissing her, Brody stared into her eyes.

  “Can you wear it for a little while?” he asked.

  “Uh, I guess. Why?”

  “I want to make love to my fiancée, and since that’s you, then you should probably be wearing my ring at the time.”

  Johanna began laughing, but she still held out her hand for him to slip it on her finger. When it was in place, it looked amazing on her.

  “I can’t believe we’re engaged,” he stated. “Three months ago, I never would have believed that I would get you back.”

  She couldn’t either.

  Johanna found love.

  Now she only hoped it didn't lead them down the path to destruction.

  Mainly, pissing the Blackhawks off.

  * * * B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x * * *

  That’s the Spot

  Thursday Morning

  When he made it outside, the sun was blinding him. It was reflecting off the snow, making it very hard to see.

  Then again, it could be the hangover screwing with his head and eyes.

  Either way, Ethan’s brain felt like someone was putting it through the ringer. He’d not felt this bad since he was a teenager drinking his grandfather’s whiskey.

  Yeah, now he knew why he avoided the shit.

  When he found his brother, Callen was sitting in some rundown gazebo not far away from where they’d parked. He had two cups of coffee and was watching him approach.

  The second he sat down, it began.

  “Here, put these on,” Callen said, taking off his sunglasses. “You have to have one hell of a headache. You’ll go blind out here with all the snow.”

  “Thanks, I’m hungover. Now I know why I don’t have more than a couple beers.”

  “I see you went a few rounds with Jack. I think we know who won that one.”

  Ethan was well aware it wasn’t him.

  He was getting old. The booze kicked his ass.

  The silence between them was uncomfortable. Finally, Ethan took one for the team. He’d screwed up, so he needed to own it.

  “Did Elizabeth tell you how I attacked and raped her?” he asked, nearly choking on the words.

  Callen handed him the coffee and a small packet of aspirin. “Take these.”

  He did what his brother said, but the silence was getting to him. He really wished he’d just punch him a few times in the face.

  He deserved it.

  “Well?” he asked. “Did she?”

  “She told me that when she got here you were shitfaced drunk and tried to out sex me. Unfortunately, for you, I’m still the ‘fucking’ champ.”

  Ethan stared over at him. “What?” He didn't understand what his brother was saying. This wasn’t what he was expecting. Honestly, he thought he and Callen would be going a few rounds on the ground, and he wasn’t going to put up a fight.

  “She said you were enthusiastic, but I still came in as the winner in the ‘rough sex’ category. It’s a good thing our woman is kinky in bed and likes it, or we’d both be screwed.”

  “No, I forced her.”

  Callen thought about how he was going to handle this all night. With Ethan, there was only one way.

  So, he went with it.

  “That’s funny, but no, you didn’t. You can’t have the crown unless you earn it, and you lose points for doing it in a dive place. That’s been done before by me. If you want to up the game, take her to the morgue. I’ve never jumped her there. Then again, now that I’ve said it out loud, I might just take her there myself. I am the king of kink, and we both know she won’t say no.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Let me explain then. Generally, you’re pretty astute, so we’ll assume it’s the booze making your brain a sponge.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “You’re about to have a pity party for yourself, and you can’t. You didn't do anything I don’t do on a normal basis.”

  “I bit her.”

  “I bite her all the time, and she happens to like it, and so do I.”

  “I held her down.”

  Callen sipped his coffee. “I like trapping her beneath me. It’s a power thing. When I can keep her captive, I feel like I’m in charge.”

  “I took her on the floor of a trashy motel.”

  “Yeah, and she had a good time. You didn’t hurt her. You can hate yourself all you want, but it’s pointless.”

  “Callen.”

  “Ethan.”

  “You’re a pain in my ass.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, well, that’s what brothers are for. Since I’m irritating the shit out of you, I’ll even go as far to say that if you call that sex rape, then you’re telling me I’m a monster and rapist.”

  Ethan stared at him.

  “It’s true. If you think you raped her, then you’re staring me right in the face and telling me that each time I have sex alone with her, I’m no better than some man exerting my strength over a weaker woman.”

  He didn't know what to say.

  “Is that what you’re telling me, Ethan? Are you calling your flesh and blood a rapist?”

  “Callen! You know I’m not doing that.”

  “Well, that’s good because what you did last night while drunk, I live every time I touch her sober. That’s how I normally roll, and until this very moment, I never expected my brother to think I’m a monster.”

  “Hey! I don’t! I love you, Callen. You’re not a rapist.”

  He’d begun winning this battle. Ethan was disarmed and the guilt was falling away.

  “I love you too, Ethan, and so does our woman. She just happens to enjoy rough sex.”

  “I crossed a line.”

  “So, you are trying to tell me that I’m too enthusiastic with Elizabeth in bed.”

  “No I’m not. It’s just that I hurt…”

  “Stop. No, you didn't. If you want to own this title, you’re going to have to dethrone me. In fact, I’ve actually had sex with Elizabeth while I was shit face drunk. It was right after we came back from finding Desdemona’s sister’s killer. I already did that one too. Sky diving is available. You should get your certification and try that. I own this gig.”

  Ethan didn't know what to say.

  His brother was right.

  If the sex they’d had was less brutal than when Callen and Elizabeth came together, then he didn't hurt her.

  His hopes soared.

  Could his brother be right?

  “Is she really okay, or are you trying to keep me from losing my mind?”

  “She’s worried. I won’t lie, but not about the sex. She thinks this is going to break you. I don’t buy that because I know the truth. You’re a Blackhawk. You get knocked down and you get back up again. It’s our thing. Some families have it easier than others, but not us. We fight tooth and nail to get what we want. Are you really willing to give that up because of a pity party and a bottle of Jack?”

  Blackhawk thought about it.

  “So you rocked Elizabeth’s world with a few great orgasms, but that’s nothing to cry over. Trust me. There are men out there who would kill to have what we have. You didn't cross a line.”

  “I didn't give her an option.”

  Two could play this way. “Did she tell you no at any point?”

  He thought back to the episode.

  “No.”<
br />
  “Well, there you have it, Mr. Profiler. Put that in your computer up there and figure out what it all adds up to,” he said, tapping his brother on the noggin. “You can’t rape the willing, and Elizabeth is pretty much always willing. Toss in pregnancy hormones, and she’s more apt to wear us out.”

  Ethan stared at him. “I underestimated you. You may be a more worthy opponent than her.”

  Callen laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment. It’s about damn time. I told you guys that I’m not as broken as you think I am.”

  Yeah, Ethan could see that.

  “I meant you’re sneaky. I thought you were going to let me cry a river, and instead you boxed me in, tied it up in a bow, and somehow made yourself sound like you’re king of the sex fest.”

  Callen yawned.

  When Ethan did too, he stopped. “Really? Testing to see if I’m a psychopath, Cal?” he asked laughing. “I’m not a killer. I’m just hungover.”

  “Just checking. Apparently, you don’t lack empathy. Someone once taught me that trick.”

  Ethan sighed. “You’re crazy.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

  “I just feel badly about how I used her. I took away her choice.”

  He got that. “Again, if you’re going to cry rape, then you’re taking me with you. If you go there, then I have to feel horrible too, and I’m actually in a damn good mood.”

  He sipped his coffee. “I’m not going there. I think I’m going to be okay.”

  Callen grinned. “Then my work here is done.”

  “Thank you, Cal. I’m glad I have you in my life. I’d be lost without you.”

  Callen held out his hand and pulled his brother to his feet. When he was up, he hugged him. “It’s all good, bro. I swear. She’s not pissed, but if you wallow, she will be. Elizabeth is pregnant and mean as a viper right now. Do you really want her aimed at you?”

  He laughed. “Hell no! Let’s get to work and point her at a serial killer. That’s safest for all parties involved.”

  Callen agreed wholeheartedly.

  “Well, then move along. It’s time for you to go kiss your woman good morning. I’ll be in the Denali with the motor running. Shit! It’s cold outside. Next time, we have our heart to heart in a warm room. We Natives don’t like the snow.”

  As he headed back to the motel room, he turned. “I owe you one. I’ll make sure I deliver.”