Catching his gaze, her breath caught at his wicked grin.
"I just wanted to give you a chance to make up your own mind."
"I want you, so consider it made."
His touch on her cheek teased her and made her yearn for more. He tipped her head to the side and kissed her. Her surroundings disappeared as everything within her reached for him.
The kiss was hard and consuming. Rough and filled with pulse-pounding heat. Brianna stumbled back as he pushed her forward. The more she gave to him, the more he pulled from her. She tore her lips away and gasped for air. Unable to tear completely away, she clung to him, the only stability in the maelstrom. She craved him. He was in her blood. All thoughts of taking things slow flew from her mind as he turned her head to meet his gaze.
"I didn't mean to lose control—"
"Screw that. I want you to lose control. I need you to want me as much as I want you." She dragged his lips back to hers and whispered, "My turn."
Where he was dominant, she became submissive. Drawing him in with licks and nips until he growled. But he didn't take over. He opened his mouth and allowed her to explore. The hair at the nape of his neck was soft as it curled around her fingers. Drifting down, she slid over the mounds of muscles in his broad shoulders.
His hands slid over her ass and squeezed. She rubbed against his erection, wishing their clothes were gone, so she could run her fingertips over his skin. Find where it was soft and where Jackson's hair roughened it.
The press of the fold-out bed on the back of her knees made Brianna stumble and fall onto the thin mattress with a bounce.
Her sundress was easy to rake up, and the spaghetti straps were pushed aside and down in her haste to mesh her skin with his. He discarded his clothes carelessly and crawled over her, never giving her a chance to look and taste. He was like a predator who had captured its prey.
"Please," she whispered, her world narrowing to him.
His mouth slanted over hers, his tongue sliding in to taste. She arched into him. Too fast. Her instincts were at odds.
One piece of her wanted to eat him in greedy gulps while the other wanted to savor the moment. She stroked his nape and placed her palm on his chest, sliding over the hard pectorals, and combing her fingers through the hair she found there.
"Next time, we're doing this in your bed. Right now, I don't even have the patience to fling you over my shoulder and drag you upstairs." The growled words were low and sexy.
"Here's good," she said, unwilling to go the long distance to her bedroom. Her body ached with want for him. Hungered to feel him hammering in her. Electricity sizzled over her nerve endings as she watched him yank the condom package from his wallet.
The rent of her underwear ripping made them both groan. A callus, roughened hand rubbed her inner thigh as the other hand rolled the condom on his shaft. Then he was in her, filling her with one hard stroke. Barely giving her a chance to catch her breath, he lifted her up and resettled her in the center of the bed.
It was drugging how he manhandled her. The muscles in his arms bunching as he shifted her to take him deeper.
His mouth returned to hers and swallowed her moans as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her body flushing hot and cold as the hair on his chest, abraded her taut nipples.
Every moment she spent with him had teased her, and now, she finally had him. She was overwhelmed by him. Typically, she had everything mapped out, planned to the last detail, so she would not be like her sister. But with Jackson, she couldn't hold a thought.
She broke the all-consuming kiss to breathe, and he eased her head to the side to nip at her throat. Sucking at the junction of her neck, he marked her as his. A badge she would wear proudly.
His merciless thrusts never slowed as he took possession of her.
He arched above her, "Jesus, Bri… This is…"
His gaze met hers, his eyes dark and wet. She couldn't respond. She couldn't think. Instead, she pulled him back down and recaptured his lips. She plunged her tongue inside his mouth, his lips already parted as if waiting on her.
She tried to prolong the closeness, to hold off the bliss that was barreling down on her, but it was useless. Her orgasm ripped through her like an out of control car, shattering her into pieces.
She whimpered as his hips snapped harder, faster, and then he arched. A shudder followed by a broken moan torn from him.
He leaned his forehead against hers, their panting breaths mingling, and he pressed a simple kiss to her lips. He rolled to the side and out of bed, leaving her shivering with the sudden cold as the air conditioning kicked on. When she heard the rustle of clothing, she assumed they were done and shifted to the edge of the bed.
"Where do you think you're going?" The thin mattress dipped, and his arms banded around her waist, dragging her back in place and turning her into the little spoon to his big spoon.
She met his gaze over her shoulder. "I heard you dressing and thought we were done."
"Hell, no." He tugged her against his chest. "We need sleep and maybe a snack when we wake up. Then I plan on doing that again. Only a lot slower. With the lights on so I can see every expression that crosses those gorgeous eyes of yours."
She smiled and laid her arms over his. She wanted to scream 'Hell, yes.' Or pinch herself to see if this was a dream. Instead, she snuggled against him as exhaustion hit her, and she only had time to murmur, "Okay" before sleep claimed her.
* * * *
The pounding at the front door jolted Brianna from a hard sleep. Memory was slow to return, and when it did, her face heated. She rolled naked from the bed and picked up the sundress where it lay crumpled on the floor. Quickly slipping it over her head, she rushed to the front door only to be pulled up short by Jackson's hand on her arm.
"Wait," he whispered. Then he yanked on his wrinkled dress pants, he had clutched in his hand, leaving the top button undone.
The defined six-pack made her want to ignore whoever was trying to beat her door down and drag Jackson back to bed. Her fingers itched with the need to run her hands over those muscles again, wanted to unzip those pants and drag him back to bed. This time she wanted to take the time to explore every hard piece of him.
She shook herself from her fixation and turned back to the front door. With a flip of her wrist, she unlocked the deadbolt and jerked the door open. Jackson hit the switch next to the door turning on the porch light, and she gaped in shock. It took her precious seconds to process who was standing in front of her.
"Christopher?" she croaked past a constricted throat.
Her mind spun as she realized Jackson had been right. Christopher had really come for her. She had thought once he sobered up, he would forget about her, or drink himself into a stupor and pass out.
His eyes spit fire, and his mouth pulled into a sneer as his gaze latched onto Jackson. "You again. Who the hell are you? And what are you doing at Briony's house this late?"
Brianna jerked back at the rage in Christopher's shouted questions.
"This isn't Briony's house. It's Brianna's. Briony is lying in the morgue." Jackson growled. "The better question would be, what are you doing here?"
"I already told you at the party. I'm Briony's boyfriend."
Jackson snorted, then burst into laughter. It was not what Brianna had expected.
"What? Why are you laughing?" Christopher's annoyed tone made her anger spike.
She didn't want Christopher or her family to tarnish her one haven.
"Oh, I get it. You're here to fight her battles." Christopher snarled.
"Nope, just here to make sure you don't get in the house. Brianna is more than capable of fighting her own battles." Jackson stepped to the side, giving Brianna a clear shot at Christopher.
Before he could take a step into her home, Jackson's arm shot across the threshold. His muscled arms made Christopher's look like limp noodles. His eyes widened while Jackson's smile broadened.
"You need to get rid of your guard dog."
Christopher pointed to Jackson.
"I think he's more like a panther or a tiger." She tossed a grin Jackson's way. "I dare you to yank his tail."
"This isn't a joke, Briony. You need to quit with this shit, and we need to talk." He reached for her.
"Don't touch me." Brianna swung back at the man she hated with every fiber of her being. "I am not Briony."
He gasped and then grinned in malicious delight. "You just broke the contract and the NDA."
She arched a brow. "I didn't, and if you know anything about the contract, that means someone else has broken it first. So, Chrissy, what is it you're really after?"
"Us." He tried to lean closer to her, but Jackson's arm never moved. Instead, Christopher pushed on as if Jackson weren't next to him. "You and I being together makes sense—"
Jackson's chuckles interrupted Christopher.
"What the hell is so funny?" He jabbed a finger at Jackson.
"You keep claiming a dead woman for your girlfriend. I'll give you a piece of advice: you need to move on and get a life."
Brianna hid her smile and cleared her throat of the chuckle that wanted to escape. "As fun as it is to watch two guys go at it, I'm exhausted. So finish, Christopher, and then get off my porch."
He raked his fingers through his blond hair. "Look, our families are the most powerful in the state. When your grandmother passes, you'll eventually be in line to take over—"
"No, I won't." She was glad now to have been forgotten while her grandmother and father had battled it out in the library. "Grandmother has already signed controlling interest to another when she steps down. Hell, she's already stepped most of the way down, and the man who's running it now will keep it for his heirs."
"She'll quickly fix that the second our names are joined."
"No." Brianna squinted at the asshole in front of her. "I'm not dating you, I'm not marrying you, and I'm not having this conversation. Get the hell off my property."
"You'll cave. You always do. Briony was the only one who ever stood up to your parents. You're the one who ran and hid." He smirked. "And you'll marry me. It's what your parents want."
"My grandmother is on my side—"
"Please. That bat will be declared incompetent, and then your parents will take over. They'll reassign your grandmother's assets since your parents and my parents both want this, and me and Briony wanted it. You're falling in line, Brianna. And you'll learn to love it." He stepped forward but was stopped from touching her or crossing into her home by Jackson's bulk.
"What the fuck?" He laughed derisively. "This? This is what you go for? Some over-sized meathead who doesn't have much of a pot to piss in?"
Brianna growled. "He's more of a man than you, and he's got a big ass pot to piss in." She snarled then winced. Christ, it was a wonder Jackson hadn't left her if that was the best she could come up with. Jackson's arched brow and wicked grin made her shake her head. "Get him off my property."
"With pleasure." Jackson faced Christopher. "I'm with the Sheriff's Department, kid, so you will vacate this property, or I will arrest you." Jackson leaned in. "Now, me, I hope you don't leave so I can arrest you. Not having any cuffs on me, I'm sure you'll resist. While Brianna runs to get my badge and cuffs from the car, I might have to make sure you're subdued, especially since I don't have any backup."
Christopher's gaze raked across both of them.
Brianna squared her shoulders; she wasn't ashamed of sleeping with Jackson. Compared to the handful of men Brianna had dated, Jackson was smoking hot and in a category all his own.
Christopher chuckled harshly. "Guess you are more like your sister than you're willing to admit."
"Guess I am," she smirked and nuzzled into Jackson's side sliding her hand over the hard plane of his chest. "Gotta say, at least my taste is a hell of a lot better than hers."
"Look, I don't care who you fuck, any more than I cared who Briony screwed. You can spread your legs for every guy in town for all I care. As long as the brat you pop passes a paternity test that names me as the dad, you can screw to your little heart's content." He smoothed a hand across his chest. "Because I'll be doing the same."
"That's it," Jackson said, moving forward his arms out as he forced Christopher to step back.
But Brianna was beyond pissed, she wanted the asshole gone. She wanted him off her land never to return. Slamming her hand on the bottom of the wall-mounted cabinet next to the door. She watched the secret shelf unfolded with her twelve-gauge nestled inside. The cabinet was a gift from Callie since she felt Brianna's gun needed to be downstairs, but Brianna hadn't wanted to chance Callie's boys playing with it and hurting themselves. The hidden compartment was the perfect solution, and the shelves came in handy to put the small gifts of stones and leaves the boys gave her.
Jackson was dragging Christopher off the porch, but Christopher put up a fight. To break up the standoff, Brianna cocked her buckshot-filled gun with a loud clack. Both men froze and looked over at her.
"Now, I've been neighborly and heard you out even though I hate your guts." Brianna leveled the gun at Christopher. "This can go one of few ways. Either you leave, Jackson arrests you, or I shoot you, and the paramedics can cart you away. But the end result is you will be getting the ever-loving-fuck off my property."
Rage at him, even thinking she would bow down to him, made her want to pull the trigger and fill him with buckshot. If she aimed just right, she wouldn't kill him, only hurt him… a lot.
Christopher stood frozen, his mouth hanging open, and all his bravado gone. But he wasn't leaving, which made her angrier.
"She's told you to get lost. I've told you to get lost." He tipped his head from side to side, popping his neck. "Now, I'm going to arrest you."
The sound of Jackson's voice broke through, and Christopher darted down the porch steps. "I'm leaving, but just one last thing. Your parents want this, so we both know it's going to happen. Better come to terms with being Briony from now until you die."
Jackson returned to her, and they watched the taillights of Christopher's Ferrari speed off into the night.
"He's right, you know." She gestured toward the retreating lights with the tip of her gun. "I always end up doing whatever my parents want."
She set the gun back on the shelf and closed it.
"That's handy." Jackson pulled her close. "And you were scary as hell."
Smoothing her hand through the hair on his chest, she grinned. "I was."
"Yes. Did you see him gaping like a damn fish?" Jackson opened and closed his mouth, mimicking Christopher's dumbfounded expression.
She chuckled and pressed her cheek to his warm skin.
"As for you giving in. You won't this time." Jackson pulled her close.
She clung to him, hoping he was right. Praying her father hadn't figured out yet another way to trap her.
"You're stronger than that. And now, you have me, and you're going to tell me everything about that damnable contract. Then we're forming a plan and getting you out of it."
She turned to meet his gaze. The longer she looked into his light blue eyes, the darker they grew, as the doubts and deception crept between them again. She tentatively touched the corner of his eye. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Jackson huffed. "I saw you look at me when he asked if there was still a chance. I wasn't sure you would choose me."
Shaking her head, she stepped back. "Of course, I would choose you. I slept with you, didn't I?"
He smirked. "You like me."
She laughed; the doubts gone as joy sparked between them. "If I didn't, you would never have been invited to my ranch, and I sure as hell wouldn't have slept with you."
With that, she locked up and then jogged to the stairs, leading to her bedroom.
"You're not sleeping down here?" he asked.
She spun in the middle of the staircase. "I think you and I both need to actually get some sleep. And that look in your eyes is telling me if I stay down here, sleep
would be the last thing we get."
He clasped his chest before grinning unrepentantly. "I have no qualms about sacrificing my beauty rest to have my wicked way with you."
"No, now behave." She wagged a finger at him but couldn't stifle her answering smile. "Besides, you've already proven to be my hero, chasing the evil villain from my doorway."
"You could have handled him."
"Too true. Now skedaddle, or I'm not giving you a tour."
"I can finagle one from Callie," he teased.
"She would take you on a trail and lose you," Brianna quipped, enjoying the banter. "Now, go get some sleep, and I'll show you around the place tomorrow."
"And I'll kiss you at every stop," he said as her foot hit the top step.
Damned man always had to get in the last word. She grinned. But he'd stood by and let her handle Christopher without interfering until it became necessary. Maybe she could really trust him with the details of the contract. It seemed like everyone surrounding her already knew, and it wasn't fair to Jackson to be the only one who didn't.
She finally admitted the truth. It wasn't because it wasn't fair. She wanted Jackson to know everything, so there would be no secrets when she invited him up here to her bedroom. The one place only she and Callie had ever been in.
She looked at her indulgence. A king-sized walnut-colored sleigh bed filled with fluffy pillows, a satin comforter, and high thread count sheets that felt like silk against her skin. She slid into her fuschia satin short set and slid under the jade comforter.
Brianna tossed and turned, reliving her time with Jackson on that sofa bed. She had known he would be a demanding lover, and she had been proven right. He had that confidence most officers had, and his alpha personality had definitely fed over to the bedroom. Her blood heated, thinking of him bursting into her bedroom to confront her about running away from him. Or she could call for him. Neither scenario would happen since she was too confused about having sex after knowing him for only a few weeks, and he was too honorable.
The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1) Page 15