Chapter 6
The minute Brett checked the video feed on the monitor beside the elevator doors he knew who was at the door. He growled as he recognized his eldest brother. Stetson stared up at the camera knowing exactly where it was, having been the one who put it there, with his arms crossed over his massive chest. Stetson didn’t look pleased and Brett glared at him through the video screen, knowing his brother couldn’t see his face, but not caring.
Brett cursed under his breath as he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be meeting his brother for breakfast before heading to the office that morning. No wonder he looked pissed. A glance down at his expensive watch showed that he was certainly late. Whoops. He’d been distracted in a glorious, satisfying way by Bronte. So much so that he found it hard to feel too guilty about missing breakfast with Stetson. However, Brett noticed that there was an undertone of concern on Stetson’s face that Brett knew well. Stetson knew that Brett didn’t forget or cancel plans, so it really wasn’t that surprising that he’d come over, expecting Brett to be injured or ill.
Brett pressed the button to the elevator and stepped in as soon as it arrived. Impatience caused him to grit his teeth as he rode it to the ground floor, growing further and further away from the stunning Bronte and all the things he wanted to do to her and her glorious body. When he closed his eyes, he could still remember what it felt like to be inside her. He remembered what she tasted like when he had licked the delicious juices from her pussy and the urge to do so again was overwhelming.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Stetson made his move to step inside. He was more than a little shocked when Brett stepped in front of him to prevent him from entering.
“Brett, what the hell are you wearing?” Stetson gaped at the white t-shirt and checked lounge pants Brett had pulled on quickly to get things over with so that he could return to Bronte. He looked down at himself. He supposed that Stetson really hadn’t seen him in such a casual outfit since they were small kids, and maybe not even then. Brett had made it a habit to be well-dressed ever since he’d starting to make a living, telling Stetson that you had to dress how you wanted to be treated – with respect.
“You’ve seen me out of a suit a few times,” Brett scowled at his brother. Okay maybe like once. When he was changing.
“Well if I have, it’s certainly not been for the last few years,” Stetson said, continuing to gape. “What the hell is going on, man? Are you sick? I wasn’t even sure we could get sick…”
Stetson had a point. With the levels of shapeshifter in their blood, apparently one of the good side effects were that they couldn’t get sick like normal humans. They also didn’t get cold, which was an added bonus. He looked at Stetson. “Nothing is wrong with me. I just decided to take a personal day and I completely forgot about our plans for breakfast. I am sorry about that, brother.”
The second Stetson’s eyebrow arched, Brett knew he didn’t believe a word he was saying.
“You? A personal day? I don’t believe I have ever heard such bullshit come out of your mouth, Brett,” Stetson scoffed. “You work seven days a week, 365 days a year. I’m not sure you even know what a day off is.”
“That’s not true,” Brett protested, even though he knew his brother was pretty spot on. “I take Christmas off. Most years. Some years. Okay, well I have taken Christmas off at least once before.”
“Only because everyone else did too and there is nobody to do business with during the holidays anyway, which is what I’ve been telling you for years.” Stetson gave Brett an affronted look. “Who is she?”
“Who is who?” Brett feigned innocence that even he knew he could usually not hide anything from his brother. He didn’t know if it had anything to do with the shapeshifter in him, but for some reason Stetson and Darian always seemed to know if he was lying, and he could always see through their dishonesty too. It had resulted in them being painfully honest with each other, even as kids.
“The woman who got you out of your suit and made you forgetful. I can smell her all over you,” Stetson said, sniffing the air. Stetson was a shapeshifter wolf, but his heightened sense of smell had always irked Brett as annoying and invasive. He could smell when Brett had lit up a rare cigarette, or when he’d been to a casino, and even when he’d been with a woman. Brett couldn’t help but feel irritated at that. Bronte smelled amazing, but he didn’t need his brother investigating their scents and discerning the activities that they’d been up to since last night. He also didn’t like that his brother would now be familiar with the scent of Bronte, who smelled better than he ever could have imagined in every way. Even his bear genes could smell better than a human, and he loved the way her fruity scent was captured in his senses. Stetson’s eyebrow remained raised, obviously looking for an answer that Brett didn’t really feel like giving him. At least not yet.
“You don’t need to worry about it,” Brett assured him, but Stetson didn’t look convinced and didn’t seem like he was willing to let it rest without an explanation.
“Are you sure about that, Brett, because if you draw attention to yourself, you draw attention to all of us. If you’re going to be with someone, at least make sure that she never finds out anything specific about us. You know that it would endanger us all.” Stetson’s shoulders tensed further, and Brett knew well what his brother was worried about. He was worried that he would out them all to her. He could almost see the wheels turning in Stetson’s mind, realizing that it had been a long while (if ever) that Brett had invited a female to stay the night, and even rarer that he hadn’t been willing to talk about it with his brothers.
“Like I said, you don’t need to worry about it,” Brett insisted again, although the truth was that he was beginning to worry about it himself. He didn’t know whether he could control himself around Bronte. Every fiber of his being clamored to be honest with her, to tell her everything. He wanted her to be an integral part of his own person, and to do that, he knew that at some point he’d have to let her in and explain what he was. To do that would put his brothers in danger, and he could never do that to them. He couldn’t willing place their lives in danger because he wanted to be selfish. He could never be normal, and because of that, he had to keep himself locked up tight. Bronte could never be allowed to know the truth about him and yet he knew now there was no way he could ever give her up.
“I hope you know what you are doing,” Stetson sighed, and Brett nodded, trying to keep the truth from his face for once. The truth was, Brett didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Bronte had upheaved his entire world and he was trying to juggle the beautiful pieces of the conundrum she had caused.
He’d wanted a marriage in name only, someone to be with him through the work events and maybe even some personal times. He hadn’t expected that he’d want to have Bronte invested in every part of his life, and definitely not so soon. And he knew a woman like Bronte wouldn’t be satisfied with a marriage in name only. She would demand and expect honesty, loyalty, and a true marriage. Brett just wasn’t sure he could give her those things yet, but he was too attracted to her, too drawn to her to let her walk out of his life just yet. Call him selfish, or weak, but all he knew was that he wanted her. Needed her. Needed to see where this would or could go.
***
Bronte forced herself not to turn around when she heard him enter the bathroom, even though her muscles were screaming to turn around and jump into his arms. She wanted him to get a good look at her from behind as she allowed the hot, steaming water of the shower to wash over her. When the glass door of the shower clicked open and she felt him slip in behind her, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the way his hands glided over her breasts.
“Hello beautiful,” he whispered into her ear before he used his tongue to take the lobe between his teeth and sucked gently on it. “I’m glad to see you are still waiting for me.”
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back,” Bronte sighed as she leaned back against him and felt his hard muscles pressed against her back. She thought she could feel his hardness too, pressed against her lower back and curving around her butt in a way that made her even hotter.
“How could I resist?” Brett’s voice was husky as he pulled her around to face him. Her nipples hardened against his chest. He possessed her mouth with his own, wrapping his arms around her so that she was made captive by him. There was no escaping the passion that flowed into her as she felt his hard erection pressed against her stomach. Instinctively her hand came down to touch his hard member, caressing the soft skin over the rigid staff. She rubbed up and down, amazed at the size and the firmness of it, especially after all of last night’s activities. She couldn’t believe how hard he was already. Although, she knew beyond the water coursing down her skin that she was wet also. There was something dangerous about this man, knowing that he could turn her body on with barely even a touch. Maybe even without a touch. Just the thought of him touching her made her body taught with want.
Desire overwhelmed her, but too soon Brett reached down and took hold of her wrist. He shook his head and pressed his forehead against hers, “I want to take care of you.”
He spoke the words to her gently and Bronte knew, not for the first time, that he wanted to be in control. He was the kind of man who always needed to be in control and that caused her to want to take control just once even more. She wanted to make him delirious with need, aching with want. She wanted him to feel how she did.
“What if I want to take care of you?” She said, protesting as she reached with her other hand to unwrap his fingers from around her wrist. Brett didn’t respond, but this time he grabbed hold of both of her wrists and pulled her arms up above her head. She gasped in shock and awareness as she was pressed back against the cool, smoothly tiled wall. With one hand, he held her hands there as he brought his other hand down between her thighs. Pushing against her inner thigh with the back of his hand he encouraged her to open her legs and began to slip his finger over her already swelling clit. She gasped, feeling his touch directly on the core of her.
“I’m glad you haven’t washed me away yet,” he told her as he dipped his fingertip inside her to feel the juices that still lingered between her thighs from the night before.
“I wasn’t ready to,” Bronte admitted. She liked knowing that a part of him was still inside her, especially while she was craving to have him inside her all over again. Brett smiled as though he was pleased she would feel that way. Some part of her wanted to keep the evidence of their intimacy inside her as long as possible, even though she knew that after she rinsed off, he’d be just as quick to fill her up again.
“Maybe I could wash it away for you?” he suggested with a glint in his eye. He took the loofa that was hanging next to the shower, put some soap on it, and started to wash her lithe body. He started with her breasts, dragging the scratchy material over the turgid tips of her breasts, causing her to gasp with the sensation. He ran the loofa over her collarbones, down between her breasts, and over her fit stomach. Bronte stretched tall, enjoying the feeling of her exposed body being his to play with how he saw fit. He dipped the loofa into the vee between her legs, and Bronte tipped her head back to rest on the tile. He rubbed circles over her swollen clit before sliding one of his fingers up and into her. Simultaneously cleaning and arousing her, she wasn’t sure whether to plead with him to stop or keep going. She just knew that she wanted him. Her entire body was warm and aroused, and his hands were rubbing all over her, with and without the sponge.
“Brett…” She groaned, and that seemed to be all he needed to take her. His mouth came down to possess her own again and she groaned deep in her throat as his finger slipped deeper inside her. He moved his finger slowly in and out, so slowly that she began to feel as though her head might explode if he didn’t allow her to cum soon. Just as she began to feel like her release would soon overwhelm her, he paused and pulled his mouth away from hers. She felt devastated, irritated to see the pleased expression on his face that told her he knew exactly what he had just stolen from her.
“I’m not ready to let you cum, just yet,” he told her before pressing his lips to her forehead. Before she had the chance to tell him that he was a cruel tease, he took hold of her hips and whipped her around to face the tiled wall. Her hard nipples pressed almost painfully against the cool tiles as he pressed his body up against her own. She felt his erection bounce against her buttocks for a moment before he pulled his hips backward and thrust deep inside her.
She moaned in shock as he filled her fully, her body clamping around the invasive thrust in the best way possible. The growl that erupted from Brett’s lips was so animalistic that she could have almost believed it really did come from an animal. She didn’t have the chance to think on it too long as he began to move. His cock pounded deep inside her as he pressed her up against the wall.
Gripping hold of slippery tile, she took everything he gave, pressing herself back against him to feel his cock go as deep inside her as possible.
“I want you to come for me,” he growled in her ear. That was her undoing. Her pussy contracted against his cock and she held on to him so hard that he struggled to continue thrusting until she finally released with a loud, gasping moan. The sound seemed to bring Brett’s own climax on and he spilled his seed deep inside her before leaning forward to press his lips against the skin at the very center of her silkily smooth shoulder blades. He heaved gently against her, his breath warming the expanse of her back.
“I was not expecting that,” he confessed, whispering into her ear as they remained pressed against the wall. He remained inside her still hard even though he had just released his load deep inside her walls. “That was incredible.”
“It was…surprising. I’m not sure I’ll ever get enough of you,” Bronte panted as she continued to press herself back against him.
“Now I need to shower. Like actually shower,” Brett told her, laughing as he gently removed himself from her and reached up to the shower head to pull the attachment from the wall.
“You don’t have to do that,” she insisted with a shake of her head.
“Open your legs a little wider,” Brett said, ignoring her as he placed his hand between her legs and pushed her legs gently apart so that he could wash away the juices from between her legs. Bronte closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the warm stream of water on her most sensitive parts. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed it as she felt Brett rub his hand up and down between her legs, washing away the remains of their love making.
Did I just say it was love making? She thought to herself. She didn’t think she’d ever called it that, but there didn’t seem to be any other phrase that she could call it. There was no way that had just been sex. And neither had the night before. This was something different than she’d ever experienced. The closeness she felt with him was more than just physical attraction, although she admittedly desired his body as much as his mind. But the intimacy they shared was something she hadn’t had with Adair, or anyone else she’d ever dated.
They finished their shower, taking time to fondle and caress each other’s bodies but careful not to arouse each other again. At least, not yet.
“We need to get ready to go out,” Brett said, rinsing the shampoo out of his hair. Bronte was suddenly confused. She looked at him over her shoulder, the confusion clear on her pretty face.
“What for?” She asked him. “Where are we going?”
“I am taking you out to breakfast,” he said, throwing a grin over his shoulder as she exited the shower.