Love Another Day Read online

  This was so much better. This wasn’t a random body in bed, giving her incidental pleasure. This was Brody and he was focused on her, only her.

  “Put your left foot on the tub,” he ordered.

  That would leave her completely exposed. It would open her up to him in a wholly vulgar way. Of course, it was all about perspective. It could be vulgar or it would open her to a way that led to an orgasm. What was vulgar about that? It was all about intent. This wasn’t a crazy attempt to degrade herself. She didn’t want to punish herself. She wanted connection. It might be an infinitely more dangerous thing to seek, but it was all she could think about now. Him. Brody. He’d haunted her dreams since the moment she’d laid eyes on him.

  She brought her foot up, giving him the access he wanted, and immediately was rewarded with the feel of his fingers sliding through her labia. She was slick and he moved easily.

  “That’s what I want. Yes, I want this sweet pussy ready for my cock.” His hips moved, rubbing his erection against the small of her back. “Can you feel me? Can you feel how much I want you? Do you know why I’m going to make sure you come before I touch you with my cock?”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re going to feel so good wrapped around me that I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back. I think you’re going to be hot and tight and my dick won’t be able to hold off. I’ll thrust in and nothing will stop me from filling you up with my come.”

  She shivered as one big finger eased inside her. His thumb was on the button of her clitoris, rotating and pressing down as he began to ease that finger in and out of her pussy. She sighed and let him hold her up as he started to fuck her with purpose.

  His mouth was on her ear, tongue licking along the shell. “That’s right. Give over. Let me control this. All you have to do is take what I give you.”

  He added a second finger, curling up deep inside her. Pressure built, pulsing up like a bottle of champagne waiting to be uncorked. She rode the wave, letting it take her higher.

  “Let go. Give it all to me. You’re close. I can feel you clamping down on my fingers,” he whispered. “Let go. I’ll catch you.”

  He rubbed someplace deep inside her and she couldn’t hold back. The orgasm exploded through her, starting in her core and blasting outward. She started to yell out, but he bit her ear, a sharp, stinging rebuke that somehow amplified the pleasure coursing through her system.

  “Quiet,” he admonished. He continued to rub, bringing her down with ease. “We’re not done and I don’t want to take a break to get the lad back to sleep. Hush and let the calm take you.”

  The calm. Yes, she’d never had this sense of peace and calm after sex with anyone but him. Of course, the first time she’d fallen asleep with dreams of forever in her head, but this time she was smarter.

  And what the hell. As long as they were both single, why couldn’t they be co-parents with benefits?

  Yes, that made sense. Her brain was pleasantly fuzzy as he eased his fingers out of her and kissed her shoulder.

  “Now it’s my turn,” he promised.

  He picked her up and Stephanie knew his turn was going to be good for her, too.

  * * * *

  “Now, it’s my turn,” he managed. What he really wanted to say was something about how now she’d done it. She’d given herself to him and he wasn’t about to give her back. She was his and he would prove it to her over and over again. By the time he was done with her she wouldn’t have the energy to fight him.

  Brody picked her up, loving the feel of her in his arms. He knew he was a big bastard and could lift about anything he needed to, but there was something about being able to pick up Stephanie and haul her up high that made him feel like a true blue man.

  Unfortunately, he also knew he’d fucked up royally and that she thought this was a one-time thing. There wasn’t even the hope in his heart that she was surrendering to him for good. But perhaps if he showed her exactly what he could do for her, she would change her mind and forgive him.

  He opened the door as quietly as he could. It had been a miracle that her screams hadn’t woken Nate, but there he was. His son was asleep in his borrowed crib, one tiny fist up by his face as though even in sleep he was ready for a fight.

  His dad was, too. He was ready for the most important fight of his life.

  Steph looked up at him and he could see that she was coming out of the sweet fog of the orgasm he’d given her. He would never forget that moment when her whole body had tightened and she’d clamped down on his fingers.

  That was going to be his dick soon, and he couldn’t wait.

  He eased her down on the bed, leaning over to brush his mouth against hers. “Keep quiet. I turned on the white noise app on my phone, but I think his mother crying out would still wake the lad up, and I’m not done with you yet.”

  She looked up at him, uncertainty clear on her face. “Maybe we should…”

  “What?” He whispered the words against her jawline as he started to kiss his way down her body. “Go find another room to do this in? I think the bodyguards would be surprised, to say the least. We could always have one of them come in here with Nate, but I swear Tucker would show up and ask a million questions. He’s like a horny teenager except he’s never had anyone give him the full birds-and-bees talk. I think it’s best we keep this private.”

  He heard her take a breath, knew she was going to argue with him now that the first rush of pleasure had come and gone. Now she would go back to all the rational reasons they didn’t work—namely he’d been a blind arsehole and he’d hurt her terribly. He wasn’t good at talking. It was one of the dumb reasons he’d had for staying away from her in the first place, but now he could see talking wasn’t at all what she needed.

  “Brod…”

  He licked her nipple, curling his tongue around the bud. Whatever she’d been about to say seemed to die on her lips. “You’ve got the most beautiful breasts. I can’t get enough of them.”

  “Brody, we should talk.” The words came out breathy.

  Even as she said them he was moving to the other breast. “You can talk but quietly. Don’t wake the baby, luv. As for me, I’d rather not talk unless I’m talking about how gorgeous you are and how much I missed you.”

  “You can’t have missed me too much,” she whispered back. “Since you knew exactly where I was and how to get in touch with me.”

  That had been a miscalculation on his part. No more talking about the past. He’d fucked up in the past. He needed her focused on the now. The future would work out. He would make sure of it. Now that he was here with her and the baby, he knew one thing. He wasn’t leaving them again. Not for anything.

  He got up on his knees. He had a few weapons in his arsenal. He wasn’t sure why, but Steph liked the way he looked. He thought he was a grim-looking bloke, but her eyes always lit up when he took off his shirt. Distraction. That was what he needed to give her.

  He pulled his T-shirt over his head.

  “That’s not fair,” she whispered, her eyes steady on his chest.

  He wasn’t going to play fair. Not when it came to this. He would use every trick he could find. He pulled his belt free and unbuttoned the fly of his slacks. “Nothing fair about this. This is about what I want. What I need. And I need a taste. I didn’t get a proper taste of you and I can’t get that regret out of my head. Do you have any idea what it’s like to sit up all night long trying to come up with how your pussy’s going to taste on my tongue? Will you be sweet like fruit? Or rich like cream?”

  “You need other things to think about,” she said, but this time her lips were curling up. “I sit up at night thinking about what I need to buy for the clinic.”

  He shifted his body, getting down to his belly and laying a sweet kiss on hers. “No, I like my nightly ritual better.”

  He ran his tongue down from her belly button. This was where she’d carried their son. The bittersweet thought ran through him. If he’d been with her
, he would have kissed the growing mound, measuring it with his hands and giving her comfort while they waited for their boy.

  He wanted to apologize, but she wouldn’t listen to him. Not yet. Oh, she might say all the right things, but he hadn’t earned her forgiveness, so those words would be meaningless.

  He breathed in her scent. Sex and soap and a sweetness that made his cock tighten. Her pussy was a thing of beauty. Smooth and ripe as any peach. She’d either kept up her grooming routine or at some point had that perfect piece of flesh lasered to perfection. “Don’t move. I don’t want to stop and have to discipline you again. I would rather spend my time doing this.”

  He set his mouth on her, loving the way she squirmed under him. She made mewling sounds that went straight to his cock. He could feel himself pulsing even as he tongued her clitoris, rubbing that nub over and over. She was the most delicious of desserts. He could taste her arousal, the lush flavor of her orgasm. It coated his tongue and left him desperate for more.

  Her legs spread wider, practically begging him to keep up his torture. He had no plans to stop. Certainly not until she’d come all over his tongue. That was what he needed. He needed to show her all the ways he could take care of her. She might be smart and quick and capable, but she couldn’t do this to herself. She needed him.

  He parted her labia, sucking each side gently and leaving not an inch of her feminine flesh unloved. He let his thumb find her clit, pressing down and rotating in time with his tongue. So much sweet cream and it was all for him.

  She was all his, and though she might not know it yet, she was staying that way. She was staying that way forever.

  He speared her with his tongue, letting that glorious arousal coat him like honey. He felt the moment she gave over again, letting the orgasm take her. She was quiet, but he could hear her whimper and felt the way her hands found his hair, sinking in and twisting as though she needed to keep him where he was.

  He could have told her he wasn’t going anywhere, but he was far too busy enjoying her. His whole body felt alive, every inch of his skin lit with the pure need to connect with her.

  Since the moment he’d realized she was asleep in that tub and known some kind of horror movie was playing out in her head, all he’d been able to think about was getting her out of that place. He wasn’t sure what she’d been dreaming about, but he’d known it was bad. His heart had ached and he’d realized that his connection to her was about much more than lust. Sex with her could be more than it had been that one night when he’d first taken her. Sex could be more. They could be more.

  But that was a thought for another time. Now he could have her. He’d done his job. He pushed himself up to shove down his pants and get inside her.

  He stopped, the image of his normally upright and slightly prissy doc making him freeze. Her body was flushed with orgasm, her face relaxed. Her hair was spread out over the pillows and her body lax and beautifully wanton. She didn’t look like the woman who competently handled everything from broken bones to viral outbreaks. She looked like a woman who’d been well loved.

  That was what he could give her. That was the one thing no one else could give her. No one on the face of the earth would love her as long and well and devoutly as he would.

  Her eyes opened and he saw doubt creep back in. “Brody?”

  He shook his head. “I’m memorizing this moment. I never want to forget how beautiful you are right this second.”

  When she was eighty, he would look at her and see her like this.

  Her lips curled up. “Stop memorizing, Carter. I want you. I need you. Come down here and kiss me again. I want to feel you inside me.”

  That was an offer he would never again refuse. He’d been stupid to have wasted all the time they could have been together. He should have gotten on his knees the first night they’d met and begged to be allowed into her bed.

  He shoved his slacks and boxers down, freeing his unruly dick. After fishing out a condom and rolling it over his cock, he eased her legs apart. He rubbed himself against her pussy before gently starting to press in.

  Her arms reached up, closing around his waist. “Be close to me. I won’t break, Brody. I want you on top of me. I want to feel warm and surrounded by you.”

  He didn’t want to hurt her. He was big and she seemed petite and delicate next to him, but she’d had their baby and done it all without any help. She wasn’t a delicate flower that would wilt at the slightest provocation. She could handle him.

  He lowered himself down, letting his chest find hers. He was taller, but with a little maneuvering, he managed to plant his mouth on hers as he held his cock deep inside her. He forced his hips to be still when every instinct inside of him screamed to move, to thrust, to fuck her hard. Instead, he kissed her, giving her time to adjust to his size, the feel of his weight on top of her. Her arms wrapped around his chest and her legs around his waist. He was the one who was surrounded. He was lost in her silky skin and the heat of her body, the sweet smell of her flesh and their sex mixing to make a heady perfume.

  “You feel so good,” she whispered. “Please, Brody. I can’t believe it, but I’m close again.”

  It was a good thing because he knew he wouldn’t last long. She felt too right around him, too tight and perfect. His cock was already pulsing, moving toward the inevitable. He kissed her one last time and then moved, dragging his dick out even as the small, strong muscles of her pussy worked hard to keep him in.

  He felt the hard drag of her nails in his back, but it did nothing but enhance the feeling of being inside her. This was what he wanted. He wanted her fierce and fighting for her pleasure. He wanted her to know that he could handle everything she had to give him.

  She tightened around him. He gave over and lost his careful rhythm. He fucked her hard, loving how she held on to him, riding out the storm.

  He gritted his teeth as the orgasm poured through him. Pure pleasure like nothing he’d ever felt before made his whole body stiffen and then relax.

  He felt boneless as he let her take his weight. He knew she wanted it, could handle it.

  She was his woman.

  After a long moment he moved to the side. She turned toward him, cuddling close to his body.

  “I don’t think you should sleep on the couch,” she murmured even as her eyes were closing.

  He kissed her and then eased off the bed. She was asleep and it looked like no bad dreams were taking over. He’d tired her out. She looked like a sleeping, satisfied kitten. He dragged the blanket up and over her and then went to the bathroom to clean up.

  How had he walked away from her? He’d thought he couldn’t handle her. Yes, it had been there that she deserved more, but now he could also see that he’d been a fucking coward. He didn’t want to love her because she was so reckless. He didn’t want to love her because if he ever lost her, he would be devastated.

  But wasn’t that what life was about? Loss only hurt if you loved the thing you lost. He looked at himself in the mirror and for the first time in forever didn’t see only scars and regret.

  Somehow when he looked in the mirror this time, he saw the Brody he’d been. The kid who’d tried and failed and got up and tried again.

  The one who’d loved his brother and lost him to a war.

  The one who could be brave enough to love his wife and son even though there would be no promise that he could keep them.

  He took a deep breath. His path was set. There was nothing to do now except crawl back into bed and enjoy these hours before she woke and fought him again.

  Because there was no doubt in his mind that she would do that.

  A cry that rattled the walls made him rush back out to the bedroom. Nate was red in the face and he’d kicked off his blanket. And damn but the boy smelled to high heaven.

  He’d never changed a nappy. He reached for his shorts, pulling them on.

  Steph rolled over, her eyes tired. “I’ll get him.”

  He lifted his son up, try
ing hard not to breathe. He knew where all the stuff was. “No, luv. Sleep. We’ll be right back.”

  He grabbed the nappy bag and was rewarded with a sweet sigh as she turned back over.

  He turned off the light and closed the door behind him.

  “Everything all right?” Shane was standing at the end of the hall.

  His son had what might be the world’s worst-smelling bottom and he had no idea how to change a nappy. Someone wanted to kill the woman he loved and they might have to go on the run with an infant. He was beyond tired, and in the morning he would likely go back to war with his soon-to-be bride. Mostly because she wasn’t going to want to be his bride.

  “Everything’s perfect.”

  Life was pretty damn good. Now he just had to figure out the nappy thing…

  Chapter Eight

  “It was the single most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen and I was like born in a creepy lab where a doctor conducted experiments on us,” Tucker was saying. “But that had nothing on the way that kid squirmed and managed to get poo everywhere. I think I have PTSD, Doc.”

  Steph glanced around Kai Ferguson’s office. It was a Zen paradise complete with a soothing waterfall on one wall. She felt pretty safe ignoring Tucker since she wasn’t the doc in question.

  “You do realize you weren’t actually born in that lab,” Kai said, his deep voice curious. “You were born somewhere else. We assume you had a human mother and father and were a lot like young Nate here at one point.”

  Tucker shrugged one shoulder. “All I can remember is the white light and being told I should meet my brothers, none of whom were babies. Everything else is foggy. You know one memory I’ll never get rid of? What that baby did with all his poo.”

  “See, this is why I have dogs,” Kori Ferguson said as she walked in with a tray of tea in one hand. Kori was Kai’s wife and she ran his office. She was a lovely woman with a halo of brown and gold hair and a smile on her face that told Steph she didn’t take the world too seriously. “You open the door and they happily go poo in the yard.”