Grace

“You don’t have to help me,” Reed said, hammering the wooden rail to the fence post.

Rolling my eyes, I helped lift another rail. “Honestly, I don’t mind. I helped my dad all the time when I was at home.” My hands were dirty and I had mud all over my legs and clothes. The evening had brought a light rain that felt good on my skin. “What do you think Daniel and Andrew meant when they said they had to do research?”

Reed shrugged. “Probably looking into Ian’s past. But they won’t find anything about the FBI.”

“How come?”

He hammered some more. “It’s hidden. If anyone outside of the FBI does a background check on me and my brothers, they’ll see what we tell people. Ian will come up as a web designer who graduated from Drexel University. He has three brothers and a sister, both parents deceased.”

“Wow, that’s crazy. What college did he go to?”

“Michigan State. It’s where Bryce and Reed went too,” Ian called out from somewhere behind me.

I flipped around, surprised by his arrival, only to find his dress shirt sticking to his chest and abs—the rain had done a number to his clothes, and it was sexy as hell.

Ian raked his gaze down my body. “A little dirty, aren’t you?”

I winked. “Nothing a shower couldn’t fix. Wanna help?”

“All right, I think we’re done here.” Reed patted Ian’s shoulder in passing. “I need to go to Colorado Springs tonight. I’ll be back later.”

Ian moved closer. “Normally, I’d find this so fucking hot.” He looked down and cupped my breasts, running his thumbs over my visible nipples—the wet shirt left nothing to the imagination. He continued to rub and pinch, shooting a tingling sensation between my legs. “But not with my brother around.”

I giggled and leaned into his touch. “Reed doesn’t see me like that.”

“He’s a warm-blooded male. Trust me, he noticed.”

“What took you so long to get home?”

Ian leaned in for a quick kiss, gave my breasts one last squeeze, then pulled away. Nodding toward the house, he answered. “I stopped by the store. I bought you something you’ll like. I remember you saying it was your favorite that night we bowled.”

I remembered that night perfectly. He’d wanted to go out for drinks and I said it’d ruin my ice cream plans. It was a bullshit excuse to run away, but it hadn’t been a lie. I was dying to eat my chocolate brownie ice cream.

Before I could thank him, his smile faded and he continued. “I ran into someone while I was there.”

“Who?”

“Lauren Beckett. She’s working at the hotel now.” His eyes fluttered down to my chest and back up. I could tell he liked what he saw. “Apparently, Jared’s not doing good. She wants to take over my account.”

I scoffed. “Of course she does. Let me guess, she flirted with you too.” Letting him go, I walked toward the house. I wasn’t angry with him, just pissed that every damn female wanted him.

“Why are you walking away from me?”

“I don’t know,” I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. “I listened to Zoe practically fall all over you, and now, I have to hear it from Lauren. No guy ever turns her down.”

Ian grabbed my arm and jerked me around, his eyes raw and dark as night. “I don’t want anything to do with her. There’s nothing to be worried about.” He stared at my lips as they parted to respond, eyes meandering to my chest once again. He made a noise in his throat and pulled me flush against his body. His arousal was evident as it pushed against my stomach, making it hard to focus.

The rain came down in sheets, collecting in a pool between our bodies. “That’s not the point, Ian. Everywhere you go, women want you. It’s like you’re a magnet for it. Don’t get me wrong, I want this to work. But I can’t handle having to fight women off left and right. I’m tired of being scared. And with you, I’m terrified.”

“You don’t have to be,” he said, clutching my face in his strong grasp. “It’s you I love.” My heart stopped and I gasped. It had felt like an eternity waiting for him to say it back to me. “And when this is all over, I’m going to make sure the whole town knows I’m taken, and that you’re mine.” Fisting his hands in my hair, he kissed me, spreading my lips apart with his tongue.

My breaths came out in rapid pants. I wanted more—needed it. I raked my nails down his back and he growled.

“Jesus, you’re so fucking hot.” He grabbed hold of my ass and pulled me into his groin. “I want you, Grace. Right here, right now.”

“What are you waiting for?”

Ian groaned deep in his chest and lifted me, my legs wrapping tightly around his waist. He carried me to the back of the house. “Have you ever had sex in the rain?”

Kissing his neck, I bit the flesh behind his ear and shook my head. “No, but there’s a first time for everything. I just don’t want splinters in my ass from the deck.”

Chuckling, he set me down and took off his clothes, tossing them onto the wooden slats. Once mine were off, he laid them on top of his. “Your ass should be perfectly safe now,” he said, causing me to giggle.

Taking my hand, he pulled me to him and lowered us down. The wet clothes were cold against my back, but Ian’s warmth made everything burn. His lips found mine, along with his tongue, as he tasted and explored every inch of my mouth. I moaned and closed my eyes, but Ian’s low growl made me reopen them.

“Don’t close your eyes, buttercup. I have to know that you’re seeing me when I make love to you.”

His hungered green gaze penetrated me deeper than anything I’d ever felt before. It was intense, to the point it was almost scary. There was passion in those eyes, lust, angst, and above all . . . desire. I felt it in his touches, in his kisses. I reveled in it.

“I always just see you,” I murmured breathlessly.

Satisfied with my answer, he lowered his head, kissing his way down my neck, until he got to my breasts. The moment his lips closed over a taut, sensitive nipple, I cried out in ecstasy, yearning for more.

“You taste so fucking good.” He sucked on me as hard as he could.

I knew I would have marks from his lips and teeth, but it didn’t matter—it felt too good. He then trailed his hands down my stomach, making me shiver, before cupping me and slipping a finger inside of me. When I arched my back, he chuckled and pushed in another finger.

“Does it feel good? I can feel you tightening all around me.”

“I’m going to come if you keep doing that,” I breathed as he picked up his pace. Working my hand between us, I palmed his erection, pumping in rhythm with his fingers.

Pushing himself into my hand, he groaned. “Let go for me, Grace. Make it all wet for my cock.”

His words lit up my insides like they were on fire, and I trembled as my release hit me hard and swift. My whole body shook with uncontrollable desire, and looking into Ian’s eyes only made it that much more intense. I wanted more and he knew it.

Grasping his length, he directed his tip to circle my entrance, and teased me by just barely nudging inside. I moaned, wanting more, and he complied, pushing deeper and deeper, until he was fully inside of me.

“I just want to make love to you all night. You feel so damn good wrapped around my cock . . . so wet.” He caressed his hand down my thigh, lifting my leg higher on his waist so he could go deeper. The pleasure and pain of him pushing in further made me scream, but it was muffled by his lips silencing me. I bit his lip in return, and sucked on it hard while he penetrated me with wild and passionate thrusts.

“I know you’re close, baby. I want to feel it,” he demanded.

Tightening around him, I let my orgasm build and rocked my hips along with his, knowing my release was just on the surface. By the sound of the deep groan in his chest and the feeling of his cock pulsating and throbbing inside of me, I knew he was close. I wanted to hold off a little while longer to enjoy the torture, the way it felt as the orgasm built . . . but I couldn’t.

“Ian,” I cried out, “harder.”

Doing as I asked, he picked up the pace, slamming into me. I gave in to my release, screaming out my pleasure. It was even better once Ian took my nipple in his mouth and bit down as he came.

Trembling from the aftershocks of his release, he lifted on his elbows and smiled, his body shielding me from the rain. “Now that was fucking hot.”

“Yes. Yes, it was,” I agreed. “We should do it again sometime.”

“I think that can be arranged.”