How to Handle a Heartbreaker

by Marie Harte

  “So, ah, Vanessa here?”

  “No. She left with Maddie. Mutt, stay.” She kept her hand on the dog’s back, and to Brody’s amusement, she didn’t have to reach down to touch him. Mutt’s head came to the middle of her belly.

  “How’d you know she was here?” Abby asked.

  “I stopped by Flynn’s on the way over. Had to give him the rundown on the job and drop off a few invoices.”

  “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Thanks for texting me about your return. I had a few men sniffing around me but decided you probably wouldn’t want me doing them in your bed or anything. So you coming back today was a good thing.”

  He froze and stared at her, wide-eyed. “What?” Abby never talked to him like that. She had snappy comebacks and an obnoxious banter down pat, but she seemed to steer clear of anything sexual. Or at least, she had.

  She chuckled, and the tension left him. “Oh wow. If you could see your face.”

  “Ha ha. Not funny. I’ve been looking forward to tonight all week.” It didn’t make him a pussy to admit he wanted her, right?

  “I bet you missed your bed. The rest of the house might need work—and that’s putting it mildly.”

  “Gee, don’t hold back.”

  “But your bed is super comfy. It might be better than mine.”

  “Yeah.” He sighed. “I love my comforter.” And it would look perfect pooled around her naked waist while she rode him hard. He’d cup her breasts and watch her take him, see her sigh as she came around him and moaned his name…

  He sat on the couch and crossed a leg over his knee, hoping it hid his erection. He might not mind admitting to wanting her, but he didn’t want to appear overeager. Amazing how just moments ago he’d been confused and in a bad mood because of it. But none of that mattered right now, looking at her.

  She had her hair pulled back in a clip that let strands lick her neck, framing her face along with those sexy glasses. The erotic librarian. The sweater clung to her curves but couldn’t be called anything but decent. No plunging neckline or sleek design, just a soft weave that hugged the form of a woman very well put together.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked with suspicion.

  “Like what?”

  “Be nice or I’ll sic your dog on you.”

  “I’m not sure who that is, but that can’t be my dog.” Mutt’s fur looked well groomed. Not a waft of doggie smell hit Brody’s nose. Not even from the afghan Bitsy had made him that sat over the back of the couch. “Okay, I’ve gotta know. Why does my house smell so…”

  “Clean? Vanessa stopped by a few times. You can eat off your kitchen floor, it’s so sparkly.”

  “Really?” He grinned.

  “Well, I wouldn’t. Your dog may look clean, but trust me, he isn’t.” She stroked Mutt’s head, and he blinked with satisfaction. “Okay. He’s going to come to you. If he even tries to jump on you, you have to tell him no and push him down. Be the alpha, for God’s sake. I’m tired of doing it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She glared at him, then released the hound.

  Mutt barked and raced to him, but before the dog could jump on him, Brody gave him the death glare. “No. Sit.”

  Mutt paused, glanced at him in question, and Brody thought he’d finally gotten the hang of owning a— “Damn it.” Mutt launched himself into Brody’s lap and landed on exactly the wrong spot.

  Seeing stars and trying to catch his breath, he wasn’t aware of much until Abby put her hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  He wheezed and tried to glare at her through the pain. “That…would sound…so much…more sincere…if you weren’t…laughing.”

  She broke out into more gales and patted him on the shoulder, as if he was the dog. “There there. You’ll be okay. I hope. He didn’t break anything, did he?” She paused to wipe her eyes, then collapsed by his side into more laughter. “I don’t know why, but a guy getting hit in the groin is just hilarious.”

  “Yeah, just.” He slowly straightened until he could breathe normally again and leaned his head back against the couch. “Did you train him to do that?”

  “Oh no. Not at all. He’s been really good all week. Didn’t once try to jump on Vanessa or Seth. There’s something about you.”

  He looked at her, not pleased to see her still grinning. “It’s not funny,” he snapped and glanced around. “Where is that creature from hell, anyway?”

  “While you were seeing stars, I put him in the back room so he wouldn’t do any more damage.” She bit her lower lip. “I’d offer to kiss your hurt and make it all better, but I wouldn’t want you to accuse me of jumping on you too.”

  He blew out a breath and yanked her closer when she tried to inch away. “Uh-uh. You stay.”

  “Please. That only works on dogs and men.”

  “What’s that?”

  She looked like she was ready to laugh again. “Nothing.”

  “You think you’re a comedian tonight, eh? Good. Laugh it up. Because you can be damn sure I’m going to make you kiss it all better in about ten minutes. Maybe. If I can walk again.”

  She exploded into loud guffaws, and he used the distraction to pull her into his arms.

  “Hey.” She tried to move away, so he tightened his grip.

  “Reparations. Sue me.”

  She settled into him and snickered. “Okay, okay. I really am sorry he jumped you like that. Honestly, he’s been so good. I just think he’s not sure who to obey. You or me. And you don’t cut it yet.”

  “Great. My dog thinks you’re in charge.” He positioned her to straddle his lap, facing him because he wanted to drink her in. She really did have the most beautiful eyes. So deep brown, like melting chocolate. Right now, she had that gooey sweet expression in them he wanted to label as affection, or something more, but didn’t dare. Friends. Just friends who have sensational sex. That’s all she wants, dumbass. Don’t blow this. Play things right, and you can blow her.

  “How was Anacortes?”

  “Cold.” He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, hiding a smile when she clenched her fingers on her thighs. “Boring. Too many guys in one place. It was great to see old friends, but doing a job is doing a job. Not a lot of time for shooting the shit while I busted my hump to rough out the house in five days.”

  “Yeah. I thought you’d be home Wednesday, but your message said Saturday. So I guess you could say you’re early.”

  “Uh-huh. Tell me about you. How’s the writing going?”

  She gave him a look.

  “What?”

  “Is this where you offer to tie me up so I can finish chapter three?”

  “Wow. They hit that at chapter three, huh?” He laughed when she smacked his chest. “I’m kidding. I’m sincerely curious about your week. You know what I was doing. Roughing in a custom home with eight fixtures. And Jesus, were the homeowners a pain.”

  “They were there?” She dragged a hand from her thigh to his chest and spread her palm.

  He felt the heat smack him upside the head, and it started the healing between his legs on the spot. “Yeah. Had to deal with the framers, who were done and leaving, because I had to fix the pipe line. Not pretty when I told them they had to move a few things to get the piping right. And it got worse when Harry Homemaker started adding his two cents, and he knew jack shit about shit.”

  “Nice mouth.”

  “Sorry. A week without civilization. I think I regressed.”

  She grinned.

  “But I want to know. What did you do except train my dog to sic balls?”

  She coughed to cover yet another laugh, and he found her joy infectious. He had to touch her, so he rubbed her legs while she talked, aware of how her breath hitched at odd times.

  “Yeah, well. I was working on my latest proposal
when I met the most fascinating woman.” She described Del, then went on to talk about a new idea. “So I’m thinking of making my next heroine a tough cookie. Rough on the outside, a softie on the inside.”

  “Like this Del?” Chicks covered in tats had never appealed to him, not that he faulted them for getting what they wanted. Brody liked a softer, stereotypically feminine woman. A woman like Abby.

  “I don’t know what she’s really about, though she seemed to like Colin well enough.”

  “Everyone likes that little dork.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, he grows on you.”

  “Like a fungus.”

  “Brody, that’s not nice.”

  “But true. In that regard he takes after Flynn.”

  She laughed.

  “So what else did you do?”

  “I spent most of my time here. When not training Nanook, I wrote or spent time with Seth and Vanessa.”

  “Together?”

  “No way. I’m not a glutton for punishment,” she said drily. “Seth is a funny guy. Flynn fixed his sink for him, by the way. No biggie, just a stuck clog, or so Flynn said.”

  “Yeah, Flynn mentioned that when I saw him.”

  “Oh, and Seth’s still not sure if you’re ‘going gay’ or not, but like he said, no need to cover things up. I told him I wasn’t your beard, but I don’t know that he believed me.”

  He felt his cheeks heat.

  “Apparently you don’t bring women over. Ever. So you’re either very private, Seth is mistaken, or you really have gone to the other side.” Her smirk made him eager to wipe it away.

  “Shut up. This place is a mess. I didn’t want you here either, but I didn’t think you guys would be okay with Mutt at your place.”

  “You got that right. That’s why Vanessa cleaned your house from top to bottom. She was bored and OCDing. Be grateful.”

  “I am. Trust me.” He settled his hands over her hips and brought her closer to the hungry part of him, now ready to make his dreams a reality. “So you were productive, you handled Seth, Vanessa, and Mutt. You definitely deserve a reward.”

  She squirmed over him. “Obviously Mutt didn’t do any lasting damage.”

  “Nope. I’m a fast healer. But I’m still aching.”

  “I bet.”

  He watched her while he slowly slid his hands underneath her sweater and up. “You have soft skin. Like silk.”

  Her breathing grew faster as she stared at him. “Your hands are rough. I like it.”

  “Good.” He reached to unfasten her bra, and she let him. “I take it you saved all the parts of your stories needing research for me?” To his bemusement, he couldn’t find the hooks on the back of her bra.

  “It connects in the front.” She watched him from behind those glasses, so sexy, yet a touch reserved.

  “The front. You’re torturing me, right? First the dog, now this?” He quickly moved his hands to her front, molding to the large globes encased in satiny cups. Fuck. If I last more than a minute, I’ll be lucky. He took a breath and let it out, forcing himself to go easy. He wanted this to last all night. And into tomorrow. And maybe the next day.

  “So what do you have planned for this weekend?” she rasped, as if reading his mind.

  “Nothing but relaxing and helping a friend of mine.”

  “Oh.” So cute. She sounded disappointed.

  “Yeah. She’s this smokin’ hot chick who writes for a living, and she needs my skills to help her with research. I’m all about research.”

  Abby’s slow smile melted that core of detachment he normally held when dealing with a woman. God, he couldn’t understand how just seeing her eyes gleam or her soft lips curl could make his heart hammer so fast.

  “You know, Brody.” She leaned into his hands, and he had to swallow a groan of his own. “I feel really bad about Mutt, the way he hurt you.” With quick movements she withdrew her arms into her top, pushed his hands aside, and then shifted around inside the sweater. He watched in awe as her bra dropped to his lap and she put her hands through her sleeves again in less than a minute. She removed her glasses and put them on the table next to the couch, giving him clearer access to the emotions shining in her eyes.

  “That’s impressive.” He put his hands over her breasts again, now naked under the sweater. Her tits were full, her nipples hard, and she rocked over him when he kneaded her.

  “Yes,” she hissed. “That feels so good.”

  “It does,” he responded in a gritty voice.

  “I was on the field hockey team in high school. We used to have to change shirts on the bus. You know, home team/away team colors.”

  “What’s that?” He wanted to see her, to take her nipples between his lips and suck.

  “My ability to remove my bra under my shirt,” she explained. “You’re totally not listening to me, are you?”

  “God no.”

  She gasped on a laugh.

  “Take off that sweater. I need to see you.” He stared at her, seeing the same desire he felt. While she took off her sweater, he did the same with his sweatshirt.

  Bare chest to bare chest, but hers was so much more enticing. He didn’t wait and took her nipple into his mouth while he plumped and played with her. Brody loved a woman’s body, but he was partial to breasts. Abby had the nicest set he’d ever seen in his life—and he’d seen more than his fair share.

  He continued to tease her, sucking, nipping, and licking while she clutched his head.

  “Yes. Oh, more. Brody, please.”

  He loved that she forgot herself to beg. The feminine moans and pleas for what he could give her, what he would give her, only enhanced his pleasure. Because in making her happy, he pleased himself. His orgasm could wait. His own needs mattered little compared to making sure Abby got off.

  Determined to thank her in the best way he knew how, he decided to show her a few tricks he hadn’t gotten to the last time they’d played together. And then he had to find a way to figure out just where the hell this thing with her was going. Because it felt anything but casual.

  Chapter 9

  Abby couldn’t think. For an entire week she’d spent her days and nights surrounded by Brody’s things, Brody’s dog, Brody’s neighbor. Sleeping in his bed had been a torture all its own, because Abby had a terrific imagination. She too easily envisioned what they might have been doing if he’d been back.

  But this… The man would not be a onetime wonder. She couldn’t believe the way he touched her. With a gentleness and an intensity so mired in the man she couldn’t tell if he was always like this or just with her. He didn’t rush, didn’t seem hurried to make love to her. Not Brody. He petted and teased, drawing out the pleasure. Just touching her breasts, and she was ready to come.

  She squirmed over him again, aware of the hard cock prodding her center. She remembered exactly how big he was and wanted him inside her. Like yesterday.

  “Come inside me,” she whispered as he continued to suck her breasts. He squeezed a nipple with more pressure and made her gasp, then soothed the sting by taking attention away from her other breast to suck it better. “Oh, yes.”

  Yes, please. Moaning and groaning. Pathetic that the man reduced her to a clichéd lover, but God in heaven, he had magic hands. And that mouth… She’d had dreams about that mouth that left her waking all wet between her legs. Tingly and frustrated, because the man she desired had been too far away.

  She’d done her best not to touch herself, but one night she’d been desperate. She’d almost called him for phone sex. Had wanted to. But Abby Dunn didn’t do things like that. This liaison was as close as she’d ever come to being so naughty, and she still worried about freaking him out if she pushed too hard too fast. Then he might tell the guys, and everyone would know she was a freak in bed. Just like Kevin had not so long ago, and she’d never felt s
uch passion for him. Not like she experienced with Brody.

  “Hey, where did you go?” he asked softly and let go of her breasts to cup her face. “You got tense on me, baby. You okay?”

  She felt three shades of stupid. “Yeah. Just… I hope this—us like this—is okay.”

  He blinked at her. “Sorry?”

  She felt worse than stupid. Pathetic. Moronic. Slutty, sitting half naked on top of him in his living room with the lights on, showing all her flaws. Oh man.

  “Hold on. You want to stop, we’ll stop. But Abby…” He looked so dejected. “I might die of blue balls. Men do, you know.”

  She couldn’t help a snort of amusement.

  “There we go. That’s what I want to see. Besides your beautiful breasts, I mean.”

  “Brody.” Her cheeks felt hot.

  “Yeah. That smile. You get me so hard.” He rocked her over him again. “I want to come inside you so bad it’s not funny. Yeah, I know. Condoms, a must. But… This is more than okay. You can’t honestly believe I don’t want you?” He paused. “Or is this too fast? I mean, last week was incredible, but maybe you have second thoughts?”

  To her amazement, he now appeared uncomfortable. Vulnerable even, which she never would have pegged for Brody “Stud for Hire” Singer.

  “It’s okay if you want to stop,” he said in a low voice and grimaced when she shifted over the bar in his pants. “But I—”

  Annoyed with herself for almost ending something special, especially because it was more than apparent he wanted to continue but thought she didn’t want him, she ignored her inner doubt and kissed him. With tongue. And lips. And more tongue.

  He froze for a moment, and then he kissed her back. Demanding, insisting on taking charge.

  She sighed into his mouth, loving his dominant side. Normally easygoing, Brody turned into someone else when he kissed her. And damn, he got her so hot.

  “Tell me what you want,” he whispered into her ear when he broke the kiss. “In detail. The dirtier the better.”

  She couldn’t help grinding over him, wanting him in the worst way.

  “Come on, Abby. Tell me.” He paused and nipped her earlobe, which made her jolt. “Or I’ll have to spank you.”