The It's Kind Of Personal (Complete 6 Book Series)ies

by Anna Brooks

  “Okay people, show’s over. Well, at least the one with the crazy bitch. Their show,”—Meara waves her hands up and down at Pierce and me—“is probably just beginning, and I don’t wanna see my brother like that, so I’m gonna go.”

  Everyone laughs at that and follows her out to the bar with Charlotte complaining that she never got to pee.

  “You okay?” Pierce asks. “I’m sorry to do that in front of everyone, but I needed to make a point.”

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” I don’t want to have the conversation we need to have here in a bathroom, but I need to know what Stacy was talking about. And he just admitted that he used a gag on her. There’s something going on there that he’s keeping from me.

  “Good.”

  I follow him out, and he points at the broken door. “Travis?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “It’s kind of his thing. Sorry I wasn’t there right away. I was talking to Brandon outside.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yep.” The way he says it, short and to the point, makes me think he’s lying, but I ignore any suspicion and we go back to the bar.

  A few hours later, the only people who remain are family and Reason to Ruin. I still can’t believe I’m sitting in the same room as they are, but I realize they’re just regular people who happen to be extremely talented. I’m trying not to be too much of a fan girl and stare at them an obnoxious amount. A little, every once in a while, is okay, just not constantly.

  A voice spreads through the speakers and I immediately recognize Mike, the lead singer. When I turn my head toward the stage, I see the band all taking their positions, including the new drummer. “You guys mind listening to a couple of new things we’re working on? Lee, let us know what you think.”

  “Holy shit.” I gasp for air realizing I’m getting to hear exclusive music. Not yet released or recorded music. Exclusive. “Holy shit.”

  As soon as they begin to play, I hone in on the lyrics. I let the beat flow through me. It’s a great song, naturally, but something seems a bit off. I close my eyes and tilt my head to figure out what it is. Maybe it’s just because Liam’s not behind the drums anymore, but I’m not sure.

  “Something’s off, huh?”

  My eyes widen and I snap my head up when I feel a body next to mine. I look over at Liam and nod.

  “Lyrics are sick.” He taps his foot and his head to the beat, only slightly, but enough to give him a feel. When they hit the chorus for the second time, I tilt my head again; something just sounds weird. He snaps his fingers. “There.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re right. Too much bass in the chorus.”

  He walks toward the stage and the song stops. Everyone is looking at me, and I reach for my wine glass.

  “You know your music, huh?” Meara asks.

  “Not really. I just love theirs and something sounded a little different to me.”

  “Good observation. I agree.” She lifts her mug in the air at me. “You’re gonna fit in with the rest of us just fine.”

  Getting her approval shouldn’t mean as much as it does to me, but I raise my glass and look down into it while I take a sip to hide the emotion of feeling accepted.

  Pierce and I hang around for a couple more hours, me having another few glasses of wine and the band playing another new song and also some older ones. We say our good-byes and walk hand in hand to his car. He opens my door and I wobble a little bit as I sit down.

  “Did you have fun?” Pierce asks as he drives away.

  “Yeah, I did. Everyone is so nice.”

  “Good.” He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles then sets my hand on his thigh. Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe it’s the fact that I’m super horny, or maybe it’s the fact that I know he’s got a side to him that I haven’t seen and I want to fucking see it … but whatever the reason, I slide my hand over to his bulge and squeeze.

  “Ruby,” he warns. He grabs my wrist and pulls my hand away, but I push it back and rub against him again. Already, he’s getting hard under my touch, and it spurs me on more to know I affect him that quickly. “What are you doing?”

  He tries to pull my hand away again, but I don’t let him. “You don’t want me to touch you?”

  “What? Of course I do, just not when I know it’ll feel so good I’ll forget what I’m supposed to be doing and end up driving off the road and killing us.”

  “You can handle it.” I reach for his zipper, but his strength is absolutely no match for me when he pulls me away. “I get it.” I cross my arms and look away from him, completely dejected.

  He doesn’t answer, but that’s fine. I don’t need him to tell me. I’m too young and too inexperienced. As humiliated as I am that he turned me down, I’ll just be mad instead; it’s easier to show that than hurt.

  When we get to his condo, I get out myself and storm to his front door. He unlocks it and I walk in, taking my shoes off and throwing them on the floor.

  He tosses his keys on the table by the door, locks the dead bolt, sits on the couch, and turns the TV on. I huff upstairs like a toddler having a tantrum and take off my jeans and sweater. Reaching under my cami, I unhook my bra and slide the straps down my arms then grab one of the cups from under the tank and pull it out, throwing that on the floor as well. I slide into his bed and pull the covers over my head.

  I lay here, fuming, not sure how much time has passed, but enough to know he doesn’t care that he made me mad. The comforter gets tangled in my feet when I try to get out of it and I curse it for being so big and fluffy. When I step in front of him in the living room, his eyes rake up and down my body.

  “You’re just gonna let me go to bed mad?”

  He clicks a button on the remote and the TV shuts off, leaving us in darkness except for a lamp he turned on before we left.

  “You’re not mad.”

  “Yes, I am. I’m furious.”

  “You’re so turned on right now you don’t know what to do with yourself.”

  I lick my lips and uncross my arms. “Am not.”

  “Are too.”

  He sits up and pulls his shirt off.

  My mouth waters and I realize I’m gaping at him, so I close it and shuffle my feet. “I’m mad at you.”

  “Angel, you want me to fuck you so bad. I can smell it.”

  My throat suddenly parched, I clear it. “Why won’t you?” I stare at the floor, too embarrassed to look at him. “You don’t think I’m good enough for your … stuff.”

  “My stuff?”

  “Yeah, all the stuff you’ve done before.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  My throat dries up completely, and I fight back the stupid tears that moisten the back of my eyes and threaten to roll forward.

  “Ruby, look at me.”

  I shake my head, refusing to do it. I don’t want to be any more embarrassed than I already am.

  “Angel,” his voice is softer now, compassionate.

  Each vertebra in my neck slowly rolls as I lift it. “What?”

  “Please don’t tell me you’re talking about what happened in the bathroom with that bitch.”

  Wringing my fingers together, I nod. “It’s not the first time I’ve heard something about you liking kinky stuff.”

  He shakes his head and laughs incredulously. “She really is a psycho.”

  “But she’s not lying.”

  He stands from the couch, but I take a step back. “No, you need to tell me.”

  “It’s not that easy, Ruby.”

  “So you do.”

  “No.”

  “Then just tell me!”

  “There isn’t really anything to tell, that’s what I’m trying to say.”

  I cross my arms but don’t miss that his eyes dart to my chest before they go back to my face. “So when you said you used a gag on her, you were lying? And Stacy’s friend was lying about tying her up and stuff?”

  He runs a hand thr
ough his hair. “Christ.”

  “And you don’t want to do any of that stuff with me? I get it, okay? It’s fine.” I go back upstairs and slam his door, burying myself under the covers. I will not cry over this. I knew going into this relationship that being so inexperienced was going to be a problem. Eddie doesn’t count because what we had was fake, it wasn’t real. With Pierce, it’s as real as it can possible get, and it scares the shit out of me. I need to grow up.

  When his door opens and shuts again, I pull the sheets tighter around my body. I don’t want his sympathy. He grabs the comforter and rips it off. When the sheets tug, I try to hold on, but he’s too fucking strong, so they disappear and land on the floor. His warm fingers grip me by my thighs and he twists me so I’m on my back, and then he straddles me.

  “You want me to tell you all the dirty things I want to do to you? All the ways I imagined fucking you? How I almost wanna take your ass before your pussy because I know no one else has ever been there before?”

  My breath hitches, and he runs his fingers down from my shoulders to my wrists, then grabs them with one hand and raises them above my head.

  “Want me to tell you how badly I want you tied to the bed? That when you’re spread wide open for me, I wanna jack off and come all over you then fuck you with something other than my cock … maybe my fingers, maybe a dildo, maybe I wanna watch you finger yourself.”

  Wetness coats my underwear, and I rub my thighs together. If he’s expecting an answer, he sure as hell isn’t getting one, because I’m speechless.

  “Do you have any idea how badly I want to do that right now?”

  “What?”

  He uses his free hand and unbuttons and unzips his jeans, then pushes them down just enough to free himself. He strokes up and down a few times, and a huge white drop falls from his rounded tip and lands on my shirt.

  “See that? Just talking about it and I’m almost ready to come.” He fists the base and slides up and down harder than I’d ever imagine doing.

  He lets go of my wrists and pushes my shirt up, exposing my breasts. “Your tits are perfect.” His fingertips twist my nipples and I push my hips up into him, trying to get a little bit of friction.

  The muscles in his forearms flex as his hips begin to move in time with his wrist, and he grabs my hand and turns it palm up on top of my stomach.

  “It’s gonna land right here.” He taps my fingertips. “Then I want you to fuck yourself with your fingers that are full of my cum, okay?”

  I pant and writhe underneath him. I had no idea he was this bad, but I love it. I love that he’s turned on by me, that he pushes me out of my comfort zone, that even though he’s demanding these things, I know I could say no and he’d never make me do something I don’t want to.

  I nod and watch in fascination as the pearly liquid squirts out of him and lands on me —exactly where he said it would — the sticky cum all over my hand. He pumps a few more times slowly then leans down to kiss me. With his tongue in my mouth, he slides off me, pulls my underwear off, grabs my wrist, then takes two of my fingers along with two of his own and slides them into my dripping wet entrance.

  A moan breaks through our interlocked lips, and I thrash my head to the side, desperate for some air. “God, you’re so fucking hot down here, Ruby. You’ve been dying, haven’t you?” He pulls his fingers out and rubs my sensitive nipples, using one hand on each mound.

  “Yes.” I use my other hand and bring it down to my clit, not giving a crap that he’s watching me masturbate.

  “You wanna come, don’t you, Ruby?”

  “Yes.”

  “You can’t wait anymore?”

  “No.”

  He grabs the hand on my clit and pulls it away then replaces it with his mouth. With one swipe of his tongue, I come apart. My scalp and my skin all the way down to my toenails tingles with a sensory overload as my orgasm rips through me. He laps at my clit and my entire body quakes, each nerve exploding at the same time. My eyes water from the intensity of the indescribable sensations. As I’m finally coming down, I lose the warmth of his mouth but feel his breath on my neck. I slide my hand out and can’t believe how wet it is. I’ve never had such a powerful orgasm before.

  When I finally catch my breath and open my eyes, he smiles and kisses my cheek. “Let’s go shower.”

  I nod and step on the floor, but he scoops me up and carries me to the shower. He makes quick work of washing us, all while I’m still floating in post-orgasmic bliss. Once he rinses us both, he reaches out and hands me a towel. He steps out and gets one for himself, but then walks out of the bathroom, leaving me to wrap up and get out of the shower. I use my fingers to comb through my wet hair, and by the time I pad to the bedroom, he’s putting on a new set of sheets and throws the pillows at the head of the bed.

  He drops his towel and sits down then pats the spot next to him. “Come talk to me. Please.”

  Chapter 28

  Pierce

  I FEEL LIKE SUCH A fucking asshole. After that shit Stacy spewed in the bathroom, I should have thought to talk to Ruby about it. I don’t know how to put it into words, how to tell her. Lord knows, I just did a bang-up job, though.

  Ruby slides into the bed and I pull the new clean sheet over us and turn to my side. She remains on her back, looking at the ceiling.

  “Yes, I did those things in the past, but it was honestly more about finding something to make it more exciting because… because, I was starting to think I was broken. There wasn’t anyone or anything that was exciting me anymore. I’d try stuff just to see if it helped and nothing really worked. Until you. Just looking at you gets me hard.”

  She turns her head to look at me. “But you said you weren’t like that.”

  “I’m not, I dunno. Maybe there’s a part of me that is, but I feel like when I’m with you, I don’t need any of the other shit. I mean, yeah, I think about it, but as soon as I touch you, it’s as if everything else fades away and all I want is you. Just you. No other distractions, nothing between us, nothing but me and my body touching you.”

  “You just said you wanted to fuck me with a dildo.”

  “Well, yeah, that’d be hot. But I don’t feel the need to have other stuff. If you were ever comfortable with it, yeah, I’d love to. I’d love to find all sorts of ways to make you come. And I know it probably seems confusing given what I said before I, uh, came on you. But you have to remember I didn’t do anything with anyone since I’ve met you, so I had to come up with some pretty creative shit to jack off to.”

  Her laughter allows me to take a steady breath. “I don’t want you to hold back with me, though, Pierce. I want you to do whatever you want to do.”

  “If you’re comfortable trying new stuff, we can. But I’m not going to have anything in the way the first time, Ruby. I’ve waited forever to make love to you.” She rolls her body toward me and runs a finger down my arm, but I grab her wrist. “That includes alcohol.”

  She pouts — actually sticks her lip out and pouts. “Fine.”

  I pull her to me, and she lays her head on my chest. My fingers twirl around in her hair and she throws a leg over mine and snuggles closer.

  “Sorry, I was such a dick.”

  “You weren’t. I drank too much then I overreacted. I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t be yourself around me. I’m not breakable.”

  “God, I know that, baby. You’re the strongest person I know. I can’t believe you’re so put together with everything you’ve been through. Both in the past and recently. Even shit like what happened tonight would destroy a weaker woman. You’re anything but breakable. You’re like titanium.”

  Her yawn echoes in the room and I wrap both arms around her. “Love you, Ruby.”

  “Love you too, Pierce.”

  * * *

  I wake up in the morning and notice a text alert from Nik from sometime in the middle of the night.

  Nik: Taken care of.

  I guess I should be relieved, but
at the same time, I’m worried about Nik and this side of him that I’ve never seen before. Of course, Ruby and her safety are important, but the whole situation is off on so many levels.

  Ruby’s still sleeping, so I quietly close the door behind me and start making breakfast. She manages to sleep through all of my banging, and I carry a tray of food into the bedroom then set it on the floor while I wake her up.

  “Hey, you. Time to get up.”

  She rolls back and forth then falls back asleep. I can’t help but laugh at her, and I lean down and kiss her face. Her cheek, her eye, her nose, forehead. Finally, she rolls over on her back and opens her eyes.

  “Morning. I made you breakfast.”

  “Hi.” She yawns and covers her mouth. “Ew, morning breath. I gotta pee, too. Be right back.”

  She scoots out from under me and pauses at the door. “You made me breakfast in bed. That’s so sweet.”

  “Hurry back before it gets cold.”

  I rearrange the pillow and put the tray in the middle of the bed. When she gets back, she sits on her side and we eat in companionable silence. She takes a swallow of juice and then grabs the tray and sets it on the floor.

  She lies down, grabs at my arm, and tugs me so I’m lying on her. “Yes?” I ask, adjusting myself so I don’t crush her.

  Her tongue sticks out and swipes between her lips. “When.”

  “Ruby,” I put my forearms down on either side of her head and rest my forehead against hers. “You sure?”

  “So sure. So ready. I want you to make love to me, Pierce.”

  She reaches between us and pushes her underwear down and goes for mine, but I sit up and grab her arms. “I want to take my time with you, Ruby.” I pull her tank top off and just admire her body. She’s so toned and fit but still has curves on her. Something for me to grab onto when I’m driving into her.

  “But I feel like we’ve waited forever. I don’t want to wait anymore.” She squirms underneath me, and I close my eyes when her core presses against mine.

  Instead of answering her, I lean down and kiss her. I run my tongue across the seam of her lips, and when she opens for me, I bite her lip and pull away. She giggles and grabs the back of my head to bring it closer to her. Before our lips touch again, I hesitate.