He holds my jaw as he thrusts slow and deep. Our gazes lock, our breaths mingling, our bodies as close as two people can be. It’s powerful, overwhelmingly so. Emotion clogs my throat. I close my eyes, unable to hold the intensity of the moment.
He shifts away, only he’s just repositioning us, kneeling between my legs and lifting my ankle over his shoulder. He kisses my calf gently before lifting the other leg over his shoulder and kissing that calf too. Then he grabs my hips and drives into me hard, stealing my breath. My gaze catches on his as pleasure consumes me. He slides one hand in a trail from my throat to my breast, pinching the nipple hard, making me gasp before continuing a soft trail down my stomach and delving between my legs. His strokes are featherlight, his thrusts hard. All of me lights up.
His eyes gleam. He seems to know what I need before I can voice it. My body tightens around him, the pleasure ratcheting up.
“Bren,” I practically beg.
His eyes lock on mine, and it’s all there—the pleasure, the love, the tenderness. And then the demand. “Now,” he growls.
I break, a starburst of pleasure radiating through me as he holds me tight to him, thrusting roughly, bringing more and more pleasure. His harsh moan as he lets go sends another thrill through me.
He releases his hold on me and settles behind me, maneuvering me into a spooning position. He kisses my shoulder. “Baby, as soon as I recover, I’m gonna take you just like this.” He pulls my leg back over his. “You’ll be wide open for deep fucking.”
I shiver. He paints an erotic picture that excites me more than I thought possible just from words. “We’re going to be late for your family’s barbecue.”
“We’ll be there in time for dinner instead of lunch.”
“Won’t they be wondering where you are?”
“Priorities, Chloe. This has been a long time coming.” He turns my head toward him and kisses me soundly on the mouth. “You like when I’m aggressive. You need it.”
“It gets me out of my head,” I admit, turning back on my side and settling into his pillow. “I spend too much time in my head.”
His voice is a rumble by my ear. “I need it too. We’re a good match.”
Nerves run through me. “Oh, Blaze.” Wrong guy, ha-ha. I need to keep it light, ease into this.
He nips my neck. “Blaze.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
The question immediately pops into my mind that I don’t dare ask: now what?
Brendan
I watch as Chloe lifts her jaw, examining her neck in the bathroom mirror. “Do I have beard burn?”
“Nah.” Yeah.
We’ve been at it for hours, but I want her again. I wrap my arms around her waist from behind and nuzzle into her exposed neck. “Just be glad I didn’t give you a hickey.” I suck on the cord of her neck. Not too hard. We’re heading to my parents’ house after this.
“Bren.” She sounds breathless. “Hickeys are so high school.”
“Thank you.” I slide a hand under her tank top, stroking up her side. “Hey, didn’t I predict you’d break your celibacy vow by the Fourth of July? And here we are.”
“It wasn’t a vow, so much as…” She gasps as I pinch her nipple. “We can’t be any later. They’re expecting us.” She pushes my hand away.
I caress her sweet ass in tight jeans instead. “What’s another hour? We gotta make up for lost time.” I’m feeling greedy.
She turns to face me. “We’re more than two hours delayed already. By the time we get there, it’ll be way past fashionably late.”
“I’ll just say you couldn’t resist me. Everyone will understand.” I slide my hand down her ass and cup her underneath. Then I caress her, back and forth between her legs. She leans weakly against me. She’s hot to the touch, even through her jeans. I’ve got the melt Chloe touch.
I nuzzle her neck and let my teeth scrape against her as I stroke her.
Her fingers grip my shirt. “Bren.” Her voice is breathy, urgent.
“Once more,” I tell her as I undo the button on her jeans and turn her so her back is to my front. I kiss along the column of her neck before stripping her out of her jeans and panties, my fingers immediately delving between her legs.
She grips the counter for balance. “Be quick,” she says over her shoulder.
I give her a devilish grin. “Baby, there is nothing gonna be quick about this.” I strip down, condom on—yup, I came prepared—and then I bend her over the counter.
Her breath shudders out, but I don’t hear a word of complaint about my slow pace. She’s too busy moaning as I pump deep inside her while my fingers tease, feathering the lightest touch over pleasure central. It’s so satisfying, feeling her usual careful control fray and then unravel entirely. She rocks her hips, already desperate for more of my touch. I work on making her crazed, alternating firm strokes and light touches, until we’re both covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Me from holding back, her from raw need.
“Don’t stop, don’t stop,” she chants.
I send her over, and she cries out, her body squeezing me rhythmically, nearly taking me with her. My own need claws at me. I grab her hips and pull her back onto me tight, stilling her. She pants under me, her head dropping.
I lift her knee to the counter, opening her fully, and thrust again. She gasps. Oh yeah, that is good. Slow thrusts feel like heavenly torture. She’s moaning softly again, making me harder.
“I need you to come again, baby,” I whisper in her ear, giving her a light tap between the legs. Her hips jerk.
I gentle my touch, and she moans long and low. It’s a beautiful sound.
I stroke her lightly, my thrusts deep, pushing us both closer and closer to the edge. Her hips rock to my rhythm, right there with me, her skin fever hot under mine. I amp up the pace, unable to hold back much more. She breaks on a harsh cry, and I let go, pumping fiercely as an explosion of pleasure rockets through me. My own guttural groan mixes with her soft sounds of pleasure.
I lower her leg to the ground, but I don’t release her. I hold her tight to me for a moment longer, my arms wrapped around her.
“That was definitely not quick,” she says with a breathy laugh. “But I feel too good to be mad about being so late.”
I let her up and turn her to face me, framing her face with my hands and kissing her. “It seemed a challenge.”
Her eyes sparkle, her cheeks flushed pink. “Telling you to be quick is a challenge?”
“Damn straight. The devil in me said to see how long I could draw it out.”
“Filing that one away for later.”
“Why? So you can challenge me again?”
“Oh, yeah. At the risk of giving you a big head—”
“I’ll never say no to you giving me head.”
She smiles. “This is the best sex I’ve ever had. By a long shot, and I’ve had great sex. You just seem to know what I need when I need it.”
I pinch her chin, elated with her confession. “I’m taking what I need, and it naturally matches what you need. You know what that means?”
“What?” she whispers.
“You’re meant for me.”
She swallows audibly and looks away. “We should go. Right?”
I let it slide. She pulls away when things get intense, just a bit, enough to let me know she’s feeling something deep. For me, it’s been building over the last month. I can wait for her to get comfortable with it. But not for too long. She leaves for Villroy in a little over three weeks. I need to know she’s mine before she goes. Because once she gets back, she’ll be in serious student mode and won’t have much time for me. I need to build a solid foundation sooner rather than later.
I get myself back in order and give her some privacy to clean up and prepare for the next event—hanging with my family. They can be fun, but everyone together gets loud. She’s used to a quieter pace of life.
I take a seat on the sofa to wait. A short while later, she steps out of the bathroom and blows
out a breath. I close the distance, something telling me she’s not as happy as when I left her post-orgasm just a short while ago.
Her gaze locks on mine for a charged moment before she looks away, smoothing her hair. That’s when I realize her hand is shaking.
“You don’t have to be nervous,” I say. “You know everyone.”
“I’m not. I’m fine.” She crosses her arms, tucking her hands out of sight.
I pull her hands apart and hug her. She lets me, pressing her cheek against my chest. I rest a hand on her head, holding her to me, and don’t say a word. Something’s bothering her, and I don’t even know what question to ask that won’t get a quick denial. She keeps her cards close to her chest.
Finally, she speaks quietly, “Us crossing the line is a lot for me. I’m afraid I’m going to lose what we have, our close friendship. I’m afraid it was a big mistake.”
“It was inevitable.” I kiss her hair. “And I’ll always be your friend.”
She looks up at me, doubt mixing with hope in her expression. “I’m not great with emotional stuff. I know Michael filled you in—”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He was pissed and lashing out because you don’t have deep feelings for him.”
She looks away. “There’s some truth to it.”
It feels like she’s warning me away, making sure I don’t expect too much from her. Two can play at that game. “Yeah, well, I’ve never had a relationship before, so expect me to suck at it.”
Her eyes search mine. “We officially have a relationship? Just because we…hooked up?”
“No, because we already did have a relationship. Now we just have a physical expression of it.”
A small smile curves her sexy lips. “You sound so…”
“Awesome.”
“Knowledgeable and mature—”
“How dare you call me mature.” I give her my back and take a knee. “Climb on.”
“You want me to climb on your back like a horse?”
I laugh. “Ride ’em, cowgirl. I know how you operate.” I’m referring to sex, of course. Her in reverse cowgirl was a lot of fun in round two.
“You put me in that position.”
“And you fucking loved it.” I gesture her on. “Time’s a-wasting.”
She climbs on gingerly, like she’s never had a piggyback ride. I give her a boost when I stand, making sure she’s secure. She yelps at the sudden movement.
I swat her ass. “Settle down back there. We’ve got places to go.”
She rests her chin on my shoulder and smiles widely. “And we would’ve been there already if you hadn’t insisted on more sex.”
I head for the door. “Can you blame me? It’s been torture with your sexy self so close yet so far.”
“Wait! My purse is on the coffee table.”
I gallop back for it, and she laughs, a deep belly laugh I’ve never heard from her. I love that I brought that out. She deserves to have many happy laugh-out-loud moments in her life. I lean sideways, snag her small purse by the strap, and hand it to her. Then we head out the door.
“Whoa, horsie,” she says when we reach the end of the hallway. “Not the stairs.”
I set her down and give her a quick kiss. “Time to face the Rourkes.” I head downstairs, and she keeps up.
At the bottom of the stairs, she swats my ass and hurries out the door. My serious studious girlfriend is playing with me.
I catch up with her outside. She beams, backing away, hoping I’ll chase her. I fake a lunge, and she squeaks, turns tail, and runs. I hunt her down easily, wrap my arms around her, and swing her back around. She wiggles in my arms.
“Wrong direction,” I say.
“Maybe I was just trying to get away from you.”
I bite her earlobe and growl, “No chance.”
She shivers before relaxing completely against me. Oh, yeah, this one is mine.
15
Chloe
I’m in unknown territory with Brendan, feeling too much too fast. We’re almost at his parents’ house, and the euphoric feeling from earlier has faded into raw terrifying vulnerability. My chest is tight, making it hard to get a deep breath. I need to get myself back under control. I mean, who’s to say we even have a future? We’re in two different places in our lives. He’s settled into a career, and I’m just at the start of my journey, which is a long one. I don’t know why I hadn’t considered this major problem before. It’s not as simple as figuring out if we’re right for each other. Emotions have clogged all the logical pathways of my brain. I need to focus on my big plan. I have a plan, years in the making, and it didn’t include him. I always saw myself alone.
He takes my hand and guides me through the front room of his parents’ rowhouse, oblivious to my turmoil. “Everyone’s probably out back.”
It’s a long space with the pocket doors separating the rooms open—living room in front, kitchen in center, and dining room in back.
“Hey, you made it,” Garrett says, stepping inside and heading to the kitchen. “Dad’s irritated you’re so late without a word. Bad form, bro.” He smiles at me. “Good to see ya, Chloe. What’re you still doing hanging around with this guy?”
Brendan jabs a finger at him and narrows his eyes in a threatening glare. “Watch it, Beast.”
Garrett waves him on. “Bring it. I can so take you now. Unlike when we were kids.”
Brendan stalks over to the kitchen, squaring off with him.
My eyes widen. Garrett is jacked. There’s a reason they call him Beast. I don’t doubt he could take on Brendan despite how fit and muscular he is too.
“Don’t touch him.” My voice comes out harsh.
Both men turn toward me in surprise.
“He’s had enough rough stuff for today,” I say, thinking of his confrontation with Michael.
Garrett smiles widely. “Cool, whatever.”
My cheeks heat as I realize it sounds like I’m implying Brendan and I did some rough bondage or something.
Brendan’s eyes go soft. “Chloe, baby, come here.”
I’m too embarrassed to move. He walks over, pulls me into his arms and kisses me.
Garrett whistles a jaunty tune as he gets a couple of bottled waters out of the refrigerator. He winks at me. “Nice how you stand up for your man. See ya out there.”
“He’s not my man,” I mutter. That sounds like we’re married or something.
As soon as the door shuts behind him, Brendan turns to me. “I’m not your man?”
I have to be honest with him. “I’m a bad bet.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll take that bet all day long. Come on.” He takes my hand and guides me through the dining room to the back door. “We have to make the rounds before I can get you alone again.”
“Wow,” I mutter. “You’ve got incredible sexual stamina.” We already did it three times today.
He pushes the door open and holds it, waiting for me to go through. It’s loud in the backyard between a speaker blasting Neil Diamond and the gathering of people talking and laughing. “Incredible what?” he asks.
I pitch my voice over the noise, “Sexual stamina.” My voice rings out just as the song ends.
The crowd goes silent, all eyes on us.
“Now we know what made him so late,” one of his brothers quips.
Everyone laughs.
I’m so mortified I don’t know whether to turn tail and run, or insist we were delayed for nonsexual reasons. My full-body blush is a dead giveaway.
His mom speaks up in a tight voice. “Brendan, Faith is here.” She gestures to a pretty brunette woman in a modest short-sleeved floral dress standing by her side.
Brendan mutters a curse under his breath. Who’s Faith? She’s in her twenties, a kind of wholesome-looking girl next door. She smiles sweetly at Brendan. Is she an ex?
Everyone is still staring at us standing on the deck, which is beginning to feel like a stage. He ambles down the steps, and I follow di
rectly behind him, letting his big body hide my blushing face.
His mom joins us. “Hi, Chloe, I didn’t realize you’d be here.”
“Hi.” I turn to Brendan in question, and he shrugs.
His mom smiles brightly. “Well, the more the merrier.” She narrows her gaze on Brendan. “I’ve been wanting you to meet Faith. She’s new in town, and I thought you might like to spend some time together.” She holds her hand out to me. “Chloe, why don’t you come sit with me?”
Oh my God. His mother set him up.
I don’t know whether to laugh or run screaming from the yard. My nerves feel raw and exposed. I’m physically and emotionally spent in a way I’ve never been before. Now that we’ve crossed the line, being with Brendan is almost too much for me to handle.
He grabs my hand, keeping me anchored at his side. I glance over and the tips of his ears are bright red. “Mom, Chloe and I are together.”
Faith stares at the ground, blushing.
I feel bad for her. Brendan did tell his mom that we were just friends at Jack’s wedding.
“You coulda kept me up to date,” his mom says through her teeth. “Didn’t you get my text saying I wanted you to meet her?”
“Yes,” Brendan replies, also through his teeth. “I just didn’t know you were going to force the issue.”
“I should go,” Faith says.
“No,” his mom says. “Please stay. You just got here.” She turns to us. “How about we all sit and have some dessert?”
Faith looks at Brendan shyly.
I have no idea what to do.
“Who’s up for horseshoes?” his dad calls from the far corner of the yard by the horseshoe pit.
Brendan takes off.
Grr…
His mom hustles me and Faith over to a round patio table with an umbrella for shade, where a dessert platter catches my attention. Chocolate cupcakes with miniature American flag decorations on top, chocolate-chip cookies, slices of apple pie, and brownies with red, white, and blue sprinkles. My mouth waters.
Mrs. Rourke takes a seat next to a woman who looks like she could be her sister, same shoulder-length, dark brown hair, except the other woman has bangs. Mrs. Bianchi, that’s right. Ariana’s mom. I met her at the wedding. Then Mrs. Rourke gestures for Faith to sit next to her.
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