Chapter 20

Rein

Here I was in his arms again, staring up at him and knowing that I had already gone too far to turn back now. A fire burned below my belly and at the tips of my fingers. I needed him, and the glint in his eye was his promise that he needed me just as badly.

Maybe he needed me even more. Life had thrown him a huge, devastating curve ball, and if I could pull him away from that misery, even for a moment, I felt like I had an obligation to do so.

Or that was how I was justifying the fact that I was about to fuck him again.

It doesn’t have to be anything more than sex, I assured myself as my eyes closed and he kissed me. The darkness behind my eyelids exploded with fireworks at the sensation of his lips on mine. Good God, why does he feel so good?

His strong hands wandered up my back and into my hair, and I didn’t fight him. I let him ravage me, and I slipped my hands up the inside of his shirt to feel the familiar muscles there, along with the smooth skin and the taut chest. Our lips parted as I yanked his shirt over his head, and then we crushed our mouths to each other once more. I tucked my forefingers in his belt loops and began pulling him toward me, backing up slowly as his tongue explored my mouth and mine explored his.

In the middle of my living room, Brayden took off my jeans, and he removed his. His legs were thick as tree trunks—that body of his certainly hadn’t been earned by sitting behind his desk back in Florida. He worked hard for everything he had. He earned what he wanted. I was well aware that he was using those same tactics on me.

And it was working.

Damn him, it was seriously working.

I pulled my shirt off and stood before him in my bra, panties, and socks. None of it matched. My socks were varying shades of purple stripes, my panties were red, and my bra was beige. Nothing about it was sexy. If anything, it was childish. Juvenile.

He was my polar opposite in his skin-tight black boxers that left nothing to the imagination as his cock swelled against them, drawing my gaze downward. My mouth started to water, and I wished I had more self-control when I was around him.

Brayden stepped toward me, the muscles in his thighs shifting, and he ran a hand from my wrist to my shoulder. “Nice socks,” he whispered, his perfect lips curling.

“They’re stupid,” I said, my voice hitching in my throat. “I didn’t expect to be doing this again with you.”

“They’re not stupid,” he said. “I like them. They’re strangely endearing.”

The empty space between us disappeared as he stepped forward, reached out, and ran his fingertips gently over the swell of the top of my breasts. His touch was like the tickle of a feather, and I succumbed to him with dripping desperation.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. His kiss was equally as hungry. The warmth of his skin pressing against mine was heavenly, but I needed more.

I reached behind my back and unclipped my bra. As soon as it fell to the floor, his hands were on my breasts, massaging and squeezing. He paused to tease me by flicking his thumb over my nipples. I giggled and he went down to his knees before me, kissing the length of my body as he went until his lips were on my hips. He hooked his thumbs in my panties and worked them down my legs, pausing to kiss my thighs and my knees as he went.

I had never experienced something like this before. This was more than just a hookup to him. It had to be. I felt… worshipped.

Brayden ran his fingers up the inside of my right leg until he reached my center. He looked up at me, a coy smile playing on his lips. “Spread your legs.”

I did as I was told and fought the way my knees trembled with anticipation.

He held my gaze as he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to my mound. As he began suckling my clit, it became difficult to stay on my feet. I sank my hands into his thick dark hair and stared down at him as he worked magic with his tongue on my clit.

I came faster than I should have.

Brayden held me in place with his arms around my thighs, and the way his muscles shifted against me made the moment even sexier. I knew if he didn’t fill me soon, I was going to start begging, and I didn’t want to beg. At least, I didn’t want to beg this soon. I had to hold out a bit longer.

I tried to encourage him by rotating my hips. He ran a finger over my slit, and my whole body stiffened. He seemed to sense how badly I wanted him inside me because he chuckled against my wetness and pulled my clit firmly between his lips.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, giving in as I came again. My legs shook, and my breathing grew hoarse, and just when I thought I couldn’t bear how sensitive I was, he eased a finger inside me, releasing the heat that had been burning inside me and sending it scattering in waves of white hot pleasure.

He thrust his fingers in and out of me until I nearly crumpled in his arms. Then he pulled me down and laid me flat on my stomach on my carpet.

“What are you doing?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at him.

He pulled his pants over to him and grabbed a condom from the pocket. He tore it open with his teeth and rolled it on, then climbed on top of me, his knees on either side of my thighs. “I’m going to fuck you, baby. Unless you don’t want me to.”

I tucked my chin behind my shoulder so he couldn’t see me smile. “I want you to.”

He planted his hands on each side of me, right by my shoulders, and lowered his hips until I felt his cock slip between the backs of my thighs. Then he was sliding into my wetness and pushing me open with one long stroke until I held all of him deep inside my pussy.

I pressed my forehead to the carpet and let out a soft moan that I wouldn’t have been able to contain, no matter how hard I tried. Having him inside me was pure bliss.

He rocked back and forth, his hips and thighs moving against my ass as he worked himself in and out.

Brayden bent his elbows so that he could press his lips to my shoulder blade. His kisses started out soft, but as he worked to a faster momentum with his hips, his kisses turned into nibbles. Soon, he was pinching the skin on my shoulder with his teeth, and I liked it.

No, I fucking loved it.

I moaned, and his thrusts pushed my chest harder into the carpet. I lifted my ass so he could get even deeper. He wrapped one arm under mine so he could hold my neck in his hand. He didn’t squeeze hard, but he applied enough pressure for me to feel like the only thing that existed in the world besides me was him.

I whimpered as my third climax approached. Brayden kissed my neck and my cheek and held me firmly in place as his hips bucked against my ass. Our skin slapped together, and I could hear how wet I was with each and every thrust.

My nails sank into the carpet, and I cried out his name. Brayden shuddered above me and released my throat as his orgasm took hold of him at the same time. We both rode out our ecstasy together, and he slowed to a gentler rhythm before pulling out and falling to the carpet beside me.

I laid my chin on my hands and looked over at him as he lay on his back with his eyes closed.

The words I knew I was about to say could very likely put me in hot water, but I was willing to take the risk now. “Can you stay here tonight?”

I didn’t want to spend the night alone again after having sex with him. I resented how empty I had felt the last time, and I longed to feel his warmth beside me as I slept. I at least wanted to know I wasn’t alone.

He opened his eyes and turned his head to me. “I can’t. Bella and my mother…” he trailed off as his brows drew together. “I want to.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “It’s okay. I understand.”

His eyes shifted back and forth between mine. “Why don’t you just come back with me?”

I lifted my chin from my hands and cocked my head to the side. “Won’t that look a little—I don’t know—obvious?”

Brayden chuckled. “If my mother hasn’t already put two and two together, I’d be shocked.”

“She does seem to have a sixth sense about things.”

“I know.” Brayden rolled to his side and propped himself up on one elbow. “Come on. What do you say? Come back to the house with me and spend the night. We can all have breakfast in the morning.”

“Where will I sleep?” Brayden’s mother’s house was small. I knew Bella was in the spare room, which meant Brayden had to be sleeping on the sofa.

“Uh. Good question.” Brayden stroked his stubble-covered chin thoughtfully. “We could take all the pillows off the sofa and sleep on the floor.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. “Seriously?”

“What? You too good for that or something?”

“No,” I said defensively.

“Then what’s the problem?”

I studied him. I knew that I wanted to wake up in the morning beside him. Was it really all that weird to sleep on the floor with him? We had done weirder things in our youth. “All right. But no funny business. I’m not fooling around in your mom’s house.”

Brayden chuckled and rolled to his knees. “So bossy.”

I stood up and gathered my clothes from the floor. “Go clean up. I’m going to pack an overnight bag.”

Brayden got to his feet and slapped my bare ass as he walked by me to the bathroom. He paused in the doorway and turned back to me as I searched for my bra. “I’m glad you kept the socks on.” He winked and then closed the bathroom door.

I was smiling to myself as I finished gathering my clothes and started getting dressed.