Love, Hate & Us by S.P. West (17)

Brooke

“BRODY!”

“Yeah?”

“What are you? Eight or something?”

“Did you like it? I thought it was awesome.” He smiles, giving Hope a high five as he passes. I give her my meanest stare, she just shrugs and returns to the book she’s reading.

“No. I didn’t.” I twist to face him as he sits down next to me on the couch. “My email to Jake, that you so kindly deleted, had to do with work, seeing as he is my boss, asshat,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Well, I thought it was good.” He laughs, poking me in the side, which makes me smile.

“It’s poorly written fanfiction at best, doofus.” I laugh as I poke him back.

“BURN,” Hope says from behind her book.

“It’s the truth and you know it.” He leans back, placing his arms behind his head, a smug smile on his face.

“Haven’t you got work to do?”

“Nope. It’s Sunday.”

“Well can’t you find anything else to do?”

“I’m just chilling on my couch, sweetheart. Like I do every weekend.” One of his hands snakes down to play with the loose bun that I’ve put my hair in.

“You know, for someone who said he wasn’t going to touch me until I begged, you’re doing an awful lot of touching.”

“I know you want to give in,” he says quietly as his lips brush my neck. “Just give in.”

“No.” I swallow hard, shifting so that my aching girly parts can get some slight relief. My panties are already soaking wet. I’m kind of disgusted with myself that he could make me this horny just by saying a few words.

“Yes.” His breath hits my neck, sending my sex-deprived body into overdrive. “Just say the word, Brooke.” I’m seconds away from giving in. Just…

“Urgggh!” Hope says, throwing up her hands, spoiling the moment. “If you two aren’t going to get a room, then I am.” She snatches up her book and stomps out of the room.

“Cockblocker!” Brody yells.

“Fuck you!” she shouts back, slamming the guest room door behind her.

Brody shakes his head, returning his attention back to me.

“So…”

“So.”

“Where were we?”

“You were about to tell me that you didn’t delete my email, then you were going to get lost.”

“I think that I was about to make you beg me to fuck you.”

“No I wasn’t,” I squeak. Smooth, Brooke, real smooth.

“I can smell your arousal from here, baby. I know you are lying. Just say the word and I’ll give you what you want.”

“Where’s my email?”

“In your drafts,” he says quickly, shutting my laptop closed. “Now forget about work.”

“McAllister.” I warn.

“You seem tense.” He tugs the laptop out of my hands and places it out of harm’s way. “I can help you with that.”

“Yes, you can, by getting lost.” I scoot over to the edge of the couch. Brody fixes me with a gaze so full of lust that my panties almost spontaneously combust on the spot. His lithe body moves in one fluid movement. All of a sudden I find myself caged in as he stands in front of me, his arms planted firmly on either side of me on the couch. His face comes within inches of mine, his breath gently caressing me. I can smell his woodsy scent that I once loved so much.

“You sure about that?” he asks gruffly.

“No.” I admit.

“Then give in.”

“Then you’ll win.”

His smile is pure sex. “It’s not about winning, baby. It’s about facing up to the inevitable.”

“And that would be?” I’m playing a dangerous game flirting with him.

“You, underneath me, screaming my name over and over again as I make you come. Hard.”

I swallow as his eyes darken from their normal silver to a deep gunmetal gray, a sign of pure lust that I know oh so well.

“I can’t,” I whisper as he leans forward, brushing his lips against mine.

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both.”

“I don’t believe you.” He grins, lightly blowing on my neck.

“I don’t want my heart broken again,” I say as I start to writhe under him, creating a delicious friction between my thighs.

“I won’t break your heart, I promise.” He shifts so that his knee is pressed between the juncture at the top of my legs. I only need to move my body slightly forward and I’ll be using his knee to get off.

“Brody?”

“Yeah?”

“Touch me. Please?”

His lips are on mine before I can draw my next breath. A slow, sensuous kiss that deepens as I thread my fingers around his neck and pull him down on top of me.

“Thank you.” He breathes as he starts to kiss down my neck.

“No talking, just fucking.” I gasp as he licks along the length of my neck.

“When did you get so demanding?” He laughs, continuing his path down my body.

“When I’ve had to make do with a vibrator for a year.”

“That so?” Brody breaks away for a moment, watching my reaction as he smooths his hand along my thigh to the top of my leg. “We’re going to have to do something about that.”

“Yeah. You are.” I challenge, only to be silenced just seconds later as his hands snake into the waistband of my pants. I don’t resist as he lowers my pants, his long fingers skimming the edge of my panties, before reaching up and pulling them off as well.

“Are you sure about this?” he asks, his eyes suddenly filled with concern.

“Yes.” I gasp.

“Once we do this, we can’t go back.” His fingers dance lightly across my folds, sending a delightful shiver down my spine.

“I know.” I groan, grinding my hips against his hand.

“I love you, Brooke,” he says, placing a sweet kiss on my lips. “Even if you don’t love me, I’ll love you enough for the both of us.”

“Brody…” I stare into his eyes, trying to convey to him the words I can’t say out loud.

“I know. You don’t want to have your heart broken again, and that’s okay. I can wait.” His normally deep voice is barely a whisper. “Even if it’s forever, because you’re worth waiting for.”

I can’t stop the rush of emotion that hits me with his words, I let out a small sob as tears well up in my eyes.

“Hey.” Brody uses his free hand to brush away my tears. “We’re having sexy time. No tears, okay? I might get a complex.”

“Sh-sh-shut up and kiss me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

His smile is wide as he briefly presses his lips to mine. My eyes close and my mouth opens in expectation of another deep kiss that never comes. Not there anyway.

“Bro…OH MY GOD!” The first brush of his lips against my pussy sends shockwaves through my body. I lift my head to see Brody’s head buried between my thighs. A flicker of his tongue has me arching off the couch.

“You want me to stop?” He’s looking at me now, his gray eyes smolder with lust and amusement.

“Hell, no.” I pant, lowering my hips back down.

“Good,” he growls, before he begins another assault on my vagina.

I’m sure the moan that I let out in response can be heard all over the county.

“Oh God.” I mewl, grabbing ahold of Brody’s head, pulling him closer. He rewards me by fucking me with his tongue as I writhe against his face. My moans get louder and louder, until I’m practically screaming as he gives me wave after wave of pleasure. Then he replaces his tongue with his long, rough finger and sucks on my clit, tipping me over the edge into a chasm of bliss.

“YES. YES. MOTHERFUCKING. YES,” I yell before collapsing, boneless and satiated, on the couch. Brody places one last kiss to my sensitive pussy, then crawls back up my body, taking me in his arms.

“How was it?” He smiles, wiping my juices off his face with the back of his hand.

“Heavenly.” I sigh, snuggling into him. “Thank you.”

“I aim to please.” Brody gently kisses the top of my head before settling so that my head rests against his chest.

“Your turn now.” I pant as I snake my hand down his body, toward the fly on his jeans. He places his hand on mine, stopping me before I can reach my destination.

“No.”

“But what about you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Brody.”

“Brooke.” He mimics the whining tone of my voice.

“I want to.”

“And I really want you to.”

“Then why are you stopping me?”

“Because,” he says, nuzzling his nose into my hair, “this is all about you.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to do that for you, baby. I don’t expect anything in return, and I don’t want you to think that you have to return the favor.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Brody McAllister?” I laugh, cuddling into him.

“I’m serious, Brooke,” he says, stroking my cheek. “I need to prove to you that I’m serious about what I said. I love you, Brooke. I’d go to the ends of the earth to make you happy. What happened between us just now, that was only for you.”

“But—”

“Shhhhh.” He soothes, placing a finger over my lips. “Just lay with me.”

“I suppose I can.” I yawn, burying my head in his chest. “Until your cock deflates.”

The rumble of Brody’s laughter is the last thing I hear as I drift into a dreamless slumber.

“Do you know how loud you two were?”

“I said I was sorry.”

“Don’t lie, you’re totally not.”

“A tincy bit.” I hold up my thumb and index finger in front of Hope’s face.

“Didn’t sound like it.”

“I guess it didn’t.” I can’t hide the smile that spreads across my face.

“Are you and Brody back together, then?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Why?” Hope’s eyebrows almost disappear into her hairline. “Because for starters, most of the neighborhood overheard the two of you having sex. Then you have to add in the fact that Brody and you have been walking around like love sick teenagers. Don’t think I’ve missed the matching smiles that you two are currently sporting.” She throws herself across the bed. “It’s sickening.”

“We’re not back together,” I answer, fixing Hope with a hard stare.

“That’s not what it sounded like.”

“We’re not back together. How many times do I have to say it?”

“‘Yes, yes motherfucking yes’ times.”

“I was in the throes of passion.” I rip my apple that she was about to take a bite out of from her snake fingers. “We’re just…”

“Just what?”

“Friends. Brody and I are just friends.”

“Does Brody know that?”

“Sure he does.”

“Do you want to know what I think?”

“Not particularly.”

“I think that you and Brody are still in love with each other.”

“Friends,” I singsong.

“You love him, Brooke.”

“Wrong.”

“You do.”

“Nope.”

“He loves you.”

“Good for Brody.”

“And you love him.”

“Whatever you say.”

“How long are you going to avoid answering me properly?” she asks, snatching the apple back. “When are you going to listen to what your heart is telling you?”

“When it can guarantee that it won’t shatter again.”

“There are no guarantees in life, Brooke, you know that as well as I do.”

“Oh yeah? Spoken to Caden recently?” I say, folding my arms across my chest.

“Low blow.”

“True though.”

“Still low.”

Looking at her, I feel a pang of guilt, so I throw myself next to her on the bed, brushing back her hair.

“It was,” I say quietly. “I’m sorry.”

Hope moves so that she’s lying on her back, looking at the ceiling.

“What are you going to do?” she asks, turning her head to look at me.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really processed it yet, you know?” Hope gives me a reassuring smile, and takes my hand in hers, giving me a squeeze. “I’m not….”

“Not what?”

“Sure…if I regret it or not. I mean it was great. Really, really great.” I smile. “But…I don’t want to lead him on. It’s not fair to make Brody think that he may get another chance when I’m not sure that I can give him one.”

“You’re overthinking things again.”

“I wish it were simple, Hope.”

“It is.”

“You’re not making much sense.”

“What I see,” she says, shifting so that she lies on her side facing me, “is two people in love. One of those people fucked up badly and is now trying to make amends. The other is reluctant to admit that she wants to live happily ever after with him because she is scared that he’ll break her heart again. Am I right?”

I sigh as I roll onto my back again, staring once more at the ceiling. It feels…strange. Strange to be sleeping in the house that I thought I’d raise my kids in. My once safe place, my little kingdom where the outside world didn’t matter. Home. Now, it feels empty, as though I’d never lived here. Like I don’t belong.

Not that much has changed in the house, Brody has kept it pretty much the same as when I moved out. Even the things I left behind haven’t been moved, which is a little bit creepy. I’ll admit that when Brody went out to work the other day, I snuck into our old room and found a stuffed bear wearing one of my old tees that I left behind. I’m still wavering between whether it’s kind of sweet or kind of horrifying. I wonder what else he does to the bear. Does he spoon with it at night like he did with me or… You hear of guys ordering stuffed toys with extra holes, that’s all I’m saying.

Is it possible that this could be my home again, if I forgive him? Can I do that, give him what he’s so desperate for—a second chance? It would mean giving up my life in Scottsdale. I’ve only been there a year but I’ve been…happy. Yeah, happy. I never thought that I’d end up working for a millionaire former marine who runs a male strip joint. Who would? But I do, and everything is better for it. Where once my life was gray, now it’s full of color. Not one day is the same. I love my job, I love the friends I’ve made. I even love the cramped apartment that I share with Hope. But I also love Brody.

Being back here has made me realize that I still love him.

I miss him.

I even miss this town and the weather.

I think…I think I want to come back home.

“You never were any good at admitting that I’m right.” Hope smiles, pulling my attention back into the room. “It must be so painful for you.”

“Nah. I just have to remember that I tried to talk you out of cutting your own fringe.”

“Bitch.”

Through the window I can see that night time has descended. The alarm clock on the bedside table reads six o’clock. Brody will be home soon.

“Hope?” I ask as I get off the bed. “When did you get so wise?”

“When I grew up and stopped thinking that everything was pink, fluffy clouds, unicorns, and rainbows.”

“I liked you like that.”

“That girl is gone, Brooke.” She shakes her head sadly.

“Not gone. Buried.” I walk to the open door. “You’ll find her one day.”

“Not in this lifetime.”

“Don’t be such a pessimist, anyway I’m going to fix us some dinner. Want to help?”

“Yeah,” she says, joining me. “What time is Brody due home?”

“Right about…now,” I say at the sound of Brody’s truck pulling into the drive.

“You so still love him.” Hope pokes me in the side as we walk to the kitchen. “And one day you’ll thank me.”

“Pffft”

“Pffft nothing.”

“I thought you didn’t like him.”

“He hurt my big sister, that makes him my mortal enemy.”

“But?”

“I can see that he is trying to put everything right, Brooke. Don’t be so quick to push him away.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I salute just as Brody walks in with bags of take-out.

“What did I miss?” he says as he places the bags on the counter.

Hope, the pig, dives straight in, then does a happy dance as she pulls a box out. “Phad Thai? You remembered?” She hugs the box to her chest and smiles. “Did I ever tell you that you’re the best brother-in-law ever?”

“Hope!” I squeal. “We’re—”

“Not together. Yeah, I know.” She rolls her eyes, scooping out another box with her name written on the side, and some chopsticks. “I’m gonna leave you two lovebirds alone.”

“Where are you going?”

“My room.”

“Our room!”

“Not tonight, I love you and all, but I kind of want the bed to myself. No offense or anything, but your snoring is bad.”

“Bitch,” I yell as she disappears out of the kitchen.

“Looks like you’re sleeping with me tonight.” Brody chuckles.

“I can take the couch if you want.” I shrug, opening the take-out box with my name on it. Chicken Kaeng Phet and coconut rice? I could kiss him.

“Or I can take the couch and you sleep in the bed.”

“Whatever.” I take a bite of the curry, closing my eyes as I savor the delicious flavor.

“An even better idea is that we share my bed. It’s big enough for two.” He grins.

“I don’t know if that is such a good idea. Not after last time.”

“We weren’t in the bed last time. It was the couch,” he says wryly.

“That’s not the point.”

“What is then?”

“That we could end up having S.E.X.” I spell out, much to his amusement.

“So? We’ve had sex hundreds of times before,” he says, putting his take-out box down. “What we did the other day was sex, Brooke.”

“I know that.”

“What would be so wrong with us making love?”

“Because we’re not together, and I don’t want to treat you like you’re some kind of F.W.B.”

“F.W.B?” he says, scrunching his nose up in confusion. He looks adorable when he does that.

“Friends with benefits?”

“Nope. You got me there.” He makes a face while shrugging his shoulders.

“Seriously? You’ve never heard of a friend with benefits? Have you been living under a rock?”

“No. Emmerton,” he deadpans.

“Really.”

“Believe it or not, Brooke, but after the way we split up, you vanishing into thin air like you did, and me trying to become a better man, that kind of thing passed me by.”

“Wow.”

“Did you have any?” His tone is suddenly cold but his eyes, so full of fire, tell a different story.

“Any what?”

“Friends with benefits?” he spits, looking away from me.

“Do you mean, did I sleep around?” He doesn’t answer, just continues to glare at me. “I had every right to after what happened, don’t you think? So why are you acting all jealous?”

“I’m not jealous.” He grunts, as he stalks over to me, and places his hands on either side of me on the countertop I’m leaning against.”

“Sure about that, cowboy?” I goad. “You’re positive that the thought of another man inside of me, making me scream, doesn’t make you mad?” Brody bends down so that we’re at eye level, fury in his eyes. “I know you, Brody. I know that you hate the thought of any man touching what is yours,” I continue, ignoring the now murderous look on his face. “Too bad. I had to listen to it, Brody, so I know how much it hurts. I don’t belong to you. You don’t belong to me.”

“So, what happened the other day didn’t mean anything to you?”

“No. Wasn’t it you that said that you could love enough for the both of us? I never made you any promises,” I taunt, my chin lifted in defiance.

Instead of answering, he surprises me by grabbing the back of my head, and pulling me in for a hard, punishing kiss. Before I can process what is happening, I’m twisted around so that I’m bent over the countertop with my jeans and panties yanked down to my knees.

“This is mine,” he growls, slapping my ass. “Mine,” he repeats, pushing me down against the hard surface. I try desperately to hold on to something as he undoes his zipper.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” I hiss as he slips his hand between my legs, stroking my clit until my pussy is slick.

“This.” He enters me with a hard thrust, the burn of both pleasure and pain making me gasp. He pauses for a brief moment to let me adjust to his size, and leans forward to whisper in my ear. “How do you want my cock, baby?” He teases me by gently pushing forward. “Slow?” he asks as I let out a loud moan in response. “Or fast.” He thrusts his hips rapidly.

“Oh God.” I moan.

“Tell me what you want,” he demands, yanking on my ponytail. I’ve never seen this side of Brody before, a jealous side…a dangerous side. And I like it. I like it a lot.

“Hard.” I gasp. “Fuck me hard.”

“As you wish.” He grunts as he surges forward, filling me completely. I have to bite down on my hand to stop a scream from leaving my mouth. “Do you like that, baby?”

He starts to pound into me relentlessly from behind, not letting up as I writhe and moan beneath him. Brody leans against me, taking me while gripping my wrists. I’m powerless as he thrusts over and over again.

We’ve never had sex like this before. Not where I’ve been at his mercy alone.

“You are mine,” he growls. “No other man will ever touch you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I whisper.”

“Say it again.”

“Yes.”

“Again.”

“Yes.”

“Louder,” he growls.

“YES!” I scream as my orgasm hits, spurring him on more as he fucks me even harder.

“I’m going to fill you up with my cum. Mark you so that every fucker that so much as looks at you knows you and this tight pussy belong to me.”

“Please,” I beg, as I free fall into the bliss of another orgasm. He slams into me one last time, letting out a loud groan as he fills me with his seed before collapsing on me.

“I love you,” he says quietly as he kisses my neck.

“I love you, too,” I answer, twisting my head around to return his kiss.

“Really?” His face lights up with pure joy from the simple words.

“Yeah,” I answer, nuzzling his nose. “I do.”

“Was it my awesome sex skills that changed your mind?”

“No.”

“Was it my huge dick and dazzling good looks?”

“Don’t forget modest as well.”

“I’m such a humble guy.” He places a soft kiss on my nose. I feel his loss as he pulls out of me and walks to the sink. He gets a cloth and wets it, returning to gently clean away the aftermath of our lovemaking. Brody gives a light tap on my ass to let me know he’s done, giving me a moment to push myself up and redress before pulling me into his arms. “So,” he says, kissing me, “how come you love me again?”

I laugh so much as he starts to tickle me that I have to beg him to stop so that I can catch my breath. “Because I do. Because I can’t fight it anymore.”

“And because we had fantastic sex?”

“Yeah, that too.”

“You’re so shallow.” He chuckles as he starts to tickle me again. “Maybe we should take this to the—”

“HAVE YOU TWO STOPPED HAVING MONKEY SEX YET? I NEED A GLASS OF WATER. I CAN COVER MY EYES, OR DO I NEED EYE BLEACH?” Hope yells through the door, totally ruining the moment.

“YOU’RE COOL,” I yell back, raising my eyebrows at Brody.

“Thank God.” Hope huffs as she walks into the kitchen. Rolling her eyes at what I imagine is our matching dopey grins. “I thought you were never going to stop.”

“You could have just gotten the water,” Brody says with a smirk.

“And catch an eyeful of your spotty, lily-white ass banging my sister? Ewww, no thanks,” she says, making a face of disgust. “Please tell me that you’ve scrubbed the countertops clean?”

“Not yet.” I laugh. “No point as we were about to have round two before you so rudely interrupted.”

Hope makes a retching sound as Brody doubles over with laughter.

“For the love of God, take it to the bedroom. Do you know how unsanitary you two are?”

“And you’ve never done anything like that before?”

“Not the point.”

“Don’t whine like a baby.”

“I’ll be so glad when we can go home. Then I won’t have to worry about walking in on you holding a little fuck-fest.” She moans, stomping out of the kitchen with her precious glass of water clutched in her hand.

Brody shakes his head, an expression of wry amusement on his face. He slips behind me and wraps his arms around my middle. “Want to take this to the bedroom?” he murmurs, placing a kiss in my hair.

“Yeah.” I giggle, putting my arms over his. “Only if you can keep up. You’re a year older from when we last—”

“I’ll show you old,” he growls, picking me up in one swift motion and carrying me off to the bedroom.