Redemption Series, Book 2

by T. K. Leigh

  “I’m so glad you came back,” I murmur, sealing our devotion with a kiss.

  “I didn’t come back.”

  I cock my head, meeting her eyes.

  “I’ve always been yours, Andrew Brinks,” she says as she runs a hand through my hair. “I gave you my heart years ago. You’ve held onto it since the day you pulled my half-naked body from a game of Strip Uno. Since the day you gave Damian Murphy a broken nose for touching me. Since the day you threatened every boy we went to school with who made comments about my chest.” She moves her hands down my face, cupping my cheeks. “Since the first day I went over my best friend’s house and met her annoying big brother. I knew you were different. And with each word, each stolen glance, each smile, you captured another piece of my heart. I don’t want them back anymore. I’m finally ready, Drew.”

  “Ready?”

  She nods. “I’m ready for you to have all of me. My body. My heart. My love.”

  My chest expanding, I crush my lips to hers, her kiss making me breathless, reckless, thoughtless. “Let me love you, Brooklyn,” I plead, breathing into her.

  “Yes, Drew.” She tilts her head back, her expression heated as my lips travel from hers, tasting her skin. “Yes.”

  I snake down her frame, nipping at her jawline, her neck, her chest. When my teeth graze her flesh, she moans at the combination of pleasure and pain coursing through her. I fight against the urge to rip off her panties and bury myself inside her, releasing the tension that’s been building for years.

  My fingers trace her nipple, her skin prickling under my touch. Licking my lips as my eyes lock on hers, I bring my forefinger and thumb up to the alert peak. I squeeze, and she whimpers, closing her eyes, biting her bottom lip. I lower my mouth to her chest, my touch light. Every second that passes, she gets increasingly unhinged, her legs squeezing around me, her muscles clenching, her breathing ragged. When I finally clamp my mouth over her nipple, my teeth tugging slightly, her body stiffens.

  “Drew… Please…” She thrusts against me, panting, her nails scratching my scalp.

  I pull back, staring down at her. She looks more beautiful than I thought possible, her cheeks flushed, the desire in her eyes for me alone. I love that she’s begging for me, that she’s desperate to feel me. I’m ready to lose my mind with need for her.

  I return my lips to hers, kissing her once more, sweet, compassionate, full of hope. “There’s no going back after this. I won’t let you.”

  “I don’t want to. I only want to move forward. With you. So please… Let me feel you.”

  I move from her lips, down her neck, kissing and tasting her delicate skin. She releases a tiny moan, her nails digging even harder into me. With each lick, each taste, each suck, her chest heaves even more. Her grip around me tightens, the warmth emanating from between her legs driving me mad.

  My hand roams down her side, briefly settling on her hip before traveling inward. I move my lips from her chest and slide farther south, kissing her stomach, circling her belly button, stopping when I hit the fabric of her panties. I lift my eyes to hers once more.

  “I need to taste you.” I hook my fingers in the silky material, pausing. She lifts her hips, an unspoken invitation. Once I lower them down her legs, I settle between her thighs, my breath a whisper away. The instant my tongue flicks against her warmth, she whimpers, her body fusing into the mattress.

  She reaches down, massaging my scalp as I taste her, savor her, cherish her. “Remember me,” she breathes, her pleading voice almost inaudible.

  “I’ll never forget. Never again,” I promise as I slip a finger inside, then another, filling and stretching her. Her moans of appreciation echo in the room. Until this point, we’ve both tried to be quiet, not wanting to disturb the girls, but I no longer care. I can’t hold anything back now, and I don’t want her to, either.

  I drag my tongue along her pink flesh, pushing her higher and higher. As her breathing increases, her body tenses. She pulses against me, her grip on my hair tightening. “Come on, baby. Let me feel you. Let me see what only I can give you.”

  My words are all she needs as she shatters around me, screaming my name. It gives me all the satisfaction I need. But I don’t stop. I keep tasting and sucking, drawing out her orgasm for as long as I can. When her spasms wane, I meet her eyes, grinning coyly.

  “I’ll always remember that. Damn, Brooklyn…”

  “Get up here.” She clutches my cheeks, dragging me up to her, crushing her lips against mine. Her tongue plunges into my mouth with no hesitation, tasting her and me in one impassioned kiss.

  Lost in the moment, I’m taken by surprise when she hooks a leg around my waist and flips over, forcing me beneath her. She leans back, unclipping her hair, allowing it to fall past her shoulders. She erases the distance between us, her dark locks shading my face as she grinds against me, hardening my arousal even more.

  “Brooklyn…,” I groan, closing my eyes. She’s so warm. So sweet. So perfect.

  “Do you like that?”

  “God, yes.” I grip her hips, somewhat surprised by her take-charge attitude. Not that I need to be the one in control, but I had her pegged as being more submissive. Just another reminder that the Brooklyn I first kissed all those years ago is no longer a shy little girl, but a woman who knows what she wants. After all these years, she still wants me.

  “Drew…” She continues circling against me, leaning even closer. She nips at my lower lip, pulling it. The erotic sensation of her teeth tugging on my skin only makes me burn for her more, a fire in my veins only she can extinguish.

  “Yes?”

  “We’ve known each other a long time.” She presses a hand against my chest, her eyes fluttering into the back of her head. It reminds me of our last morning together, how she was seconds away from getting off by grinding against me like this…until we were interrupted. Before this moment, it was the most arousing thing I’d ever experienced. I have a feeling that was child’s play compared to what I’m about to be treated to.

  “Almost our entire lives.” My voice is husky, throaty, the combination of Brooklyn on top of me and her taste on my tongue driving me insane with lust.

  “I trust you.”

  I meet her eyes. “And I trust you.”

  She brings her mouth to mine, the warmth of her lips forcing a shiver to roll down my spine. “I want all of you.” She allows those words to linger in the air, then pulls back, giving me a knowing look. “Nothing between us.”

  Growling, I force my mouth to hers, kissing her. “There will never be anything between us again.” I wrap an arm around her waist, using my strength to flip her onto her back once again. The pout on her face is adorable, but I erase it with another kiss. “You can be in control next time.”

  “A little confident of yourself, aren’t you?” She smirks playfully. “What if I’m completely unsatisfied and don’t want another time?”

  I grab her thigh, squeezing, causing her to yelp.

  “You will.” I thrust between her legs, teasing her, then bring my mouth back to hers. “After I make love to you, every other guy will be nothing but a distant memory. Because right now, after just a taste of you, every other woman is nothing but a distant memory for me.”

  Supporting myself on one elbow, I kiss her as I push my briefs down my legs. Once they fall to the floor, I kneel between her thighs, then pause, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this moment. For most people, it would just be sex, but this isn’t. This is the moment I can fulfill the promise I made to this woman seventeen years ago.

  “Please, Drew,” she begs, the flirtatious expression leaving her face, replaced with sincerity as the importance of this washes over her, as well. “Be my last.”

  “Be my forever,” I reply, inching inside her. The instant her warmth envelopes me, all the tension leaves me, leaves her, leaves us as we find our rhythm. Nothing’s ever felt so right, so perfect, so amazing. I was meant to be with this woman, and she was meant to be with m
e. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise.

  “Kiss me,” she begs.

  Without saying a word, I bring my lips to hers as we celebrate in this moment, in making it to this place neither one of us ever thought we’d get to.

  “Say you love me.”

  “I love you, Brooklyn. Always have. Always will.”

  My words are the only reassurance she needs. She moves against me with greater urgency, the muscles in her body tightening around me. I lean back and move my hand from her hips, along her waist. My thumb finds her center and I gently rub.

  “I… I can’t,” she says through her heavy pants.

  “Yes, you can. I feel it.” I push into her with more intensity, driving deeper, fuller. Her muscles grow taut, her eyes closing as she seems to hold her breath.

  She moans, matching my rhythm, bringing her hands to her chest.

  “Fuck.” I want to go slow with her, but I lose all restraint when I see the pleasure covering her face as she plays with her nipples, squeezing and pushing her breasts together. “Don’t stop doing that. Don’t. Ever. Stop. God.” My motions increase to a relentless tempo, sweat beading on my forehead. I’m seconds away from unraveling, but I need to feel her shake around me, need to know I satisfy her more than any other man.

  “Drew…” Her breaths come in pants, her hands falling to her sides as she fists the bedsheets. I bring my mouth to her, clamping my teeth around a nipple. The instant I do, she shatters, her cries filling the space. I exhale a breath as I let go, my motions still ferocious, greedy, insatiable, giving her everything I have left.

  She runs her fingers through my hair, down my back, pulsing against me, matching my tempo. Tightening her legs around me, she takes control, slowing us down, the moment turning from a frenzied explosion of need to something deeper and more intense. She grabs my face and brings my mouth to hers, kissing me. I’ve never felt as fulfilled in my life as I do right now.

  “Lavender and lilacs,” I remark, my chest still heaving, staring down at this incredible woman as we slow to a stop.

  She furrows her brow, an adorable look of confusion crossing her face. “What?”

  “You smell like lavender and lilacs. It’s one of the first things I remember about you. I didn’t know what the scent was then, but as I grew older, it became one of my favorite smells. And it’s still one of my favorite smells. But…”

  “But?”

  I smile, lowering my lips to hers. “But I fucking love the smell of your pussy. And don’t even get me started on how incredible you taste.” Greedy, I kiss her once more, my need for her ravenous.

  “Be a good boy and I’ll let you have another taste tomorrow.” She smirks.

  “Tomorrow?” I shoot up. Before she can say anything, I scoop her into my arms and carry her toward the bathroom. “I’m not waiting until tomorrow.”

  Her carefree laughter surrounds me. “You’re an animal. I don’t know if I can keep up with you.”

  “We’ll just have to practice. A lot.” I wink.

  Her lips find the place where my earlobe meets my neck, nipping, making me harden again. “I like the sound of practicing. A lot.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Brooklyn

  Sunlight fights to shine through the shutters as I lay in Drew’s bed, in Drew’s arms, snuggling against Drew’s body. I want to pinch myself and make sure last night wasn’t just a dream. It still doesn’t seem like it could be real. Less than twenty-four hours ago, I was engaged to Wes, hours away from walking down the aisle and marrying him.

  Now, I no longer wear his ring and am wrapped in the arms of another man…the man I’ve always loved. I still have to figure out how to deal with what my father did, but I don’t want to think about that right now, not when I’m surrounded by the love I’ve been searching for my entire life.

  “What are you thinking about?” Drew’s scratchy voice breaks through the quiet solitude.

  “How did you know I was awake?”

  He brushes my hair in front of my shoulder, exposing my nape. His lips meet my skin, his kiss jumpstarting my libido, a shiver running down my back.

  “I know everything about you, Brooklyn.”

  His hands roam my frame and I close my eyes, his touch making me feel more alive than being with Wes ever did.

  “When you’re upset.”

  His mouth lands on that place in the crook of my neck that awakens my body with a yearning I didn’t think possible. The tiniest moan leaves my throat as lust, strong and powerful, consumes me. Arching into him, he leans my head against him, his other hand exploring my body. My breath quickens when those talented fingers find my breast, teasing and tugging, making me squirm.

  “When you’re lying, even to yourself.”

  A small pain emanates from my neck and I stiffen at the feel of his teeth clamping down on the sensitive flesh. But that momentary discomfort is replaced with immense pleasure, rapture, greed.

  “Drew…,” I beg, moments away from falling apart, despite the number of orgasms he gave me throughout the night before we succumbed to sleep, too exhausted to continue.

  “Yes?”

  His lips brush against my shoulder blades, his motions gentle and benevolent once more. I move against him, his erection hardening against my back. I didn’t think this kind of reaction were possible, thought this unrelenting craving to be with someone was simply something I read about in Molly’s romance novels. But it is real. This spark. This connection. This unyielding hunger. I could start fires with how hot I burn for this man.

  “I need you.”

  “And I need you, Brooklyn.” He pushes me onto my back and looms over me, his eyes sincere. “Like a fish needs water. Like a flower needs the rain.” He lowers his mouth to mine, his scruffy chin scratching my skin in the most delicious of ways. “Like a bird needs wings to fly. Because when I’m with you, that’s how I feel. Like I’m flying. And I never want to stop soaring.”

  “Oh, Drew…” I grab the back of his neck, forcing his lips to mine. I thought I knew every side of Andrew Brinks. I never expected him to be so suggestive yet sweet in the bedroom.

  I breathe into the kiss, into him, into us. It doesn’t matter how many times he made love to me over the course of last night and into the early morning hours. My body still yearns for him, to feel his heat, to drown in his love.

  Just as I’m about to force him onto his back, the door flings open, startling both of us. I shriek, scrambling to cover myself, Drew shooting up to do the same. Alyssa and Charlotte stop in their tracks, their eyes settling on me.

  “Dad?” Alyssa says, her tone cautious. “What’s going on?”

  I’d like to think she’s too young to realize what she walked in on, but she’s a smart girl. While she probably doesn’t understand the technicalities just yet, she must know something.

  “Auntie Brook!” Charlotte says, oblivious to our predicament. “Did you and Daddy have a sleepover?”

  I look at Drew, who appears much more calm and collected than I, much to my surprise. I’ve never felt so exposed, naked in their father’s bed, the only thing covering me is his duvet. I’m sure I look a sight, too — hair rumpled, skin flushed, eyes panicked.

  “Yes, we did.” He catches my gaze, winking.

  “Why?” Charlotte presses.

  “Yeah. Why?” Alyssa repeats, placing her hands on her hips. “Shouldn’t she be getting ready for the wedding? You told us to make sure we got up on time so we could go get our hair done. Aunt Gigi and Auntie Molly are supposed to come pick us up after breakfast.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore.” Drew wraps an arm around me, bringing me against him. Confusion clouds the girls’ expressions. I can only imagine what they’re thinking. “There isn’t going to be a wedding today.”

  “There isn’t?”

  “No, Alyssa,” I say, finally speaking up. “There isn’t.”

  “Why not?” Charlotte interjects.

  I lick my lips
, unsure how to best handle this line of questioning. One thing I picked up from Drew’s parenting style is he always tells them the truth, regardless of how much it hurts them…or him. I suppose that’s what I need to do here, too.

  “Do you remember when I first told you I was getting married and you asked if I was marrying your daddy?” Drew whips his eyes to mine, surprised. I smile, reassuring him, before looking back at Charlotte. “How I told you I wasn’t, and you asked if I loved your daddy?”

  She nods. “You said you did, but in a different way.”

  “And that’s true. I do love your daddy differently than the way I love Wes. I admire and respect Wes, and he’s treated me very well.” I bring my eyes to Drew’s, unable to stop from beaming, my heart expanding in my chest at what I see in his gaze. “But I’ve been in love with your father since I was a teenager. Probably before. I was just too scared to admit it. I’m not anymore.”

  “Does that mean you’re going to marry him and be our new mother?” Alyssa asks.

  I shake my head, meeting her confused stare. “No, sweetie. I’ll never replace your mother.”

  “But you are going to get married, right?” Charlotte’s brows are furrowed in concern. “I was really looking forward to wearing my pretty dress today,” she pouts, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Drew bursts out laughing, the deep rumble hitting me in places I didn’t even know existed. I shift my eyes to his, the smile on his face evidence of how at peace he is with me in his embrace, despite the awkward situation.

  “Tell you what, kiddo. If you help me not mess things up with Brooklyn, I have a feeling you’ll be able to wear that dress sometime soon. Can you do that?”

  She nods excitedly, a toothy grin crawling across her mouth. “I can do that.”

  “Good.” He shifts his eyes to Alyssa, his expression becoming serious. “Are you okay with this, Lyss?”

  She tilts her head, studying us. “Are you happy?” Her question surprises me. I find it rather mature and perceptive for an eight-year-old.