Yeah, okay, so sleeping with a guy on the first date wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done. In fact, it ranked right up there as certifiable. But Brodix had been so gentle and attentive. He’d teased and enticed her body to new heights of passion. She didn’t even know it was possible to feel so much edgy excitement. Her nerve endings hummed to life as she recalled every detail. But that didn’t mean it was smart. How could she possibly move forward with her plans to reveal intimate details about the Jennings brothers past if she became romantically involved with Brodix?
Her head knew she’d made a horrible mistake, but her body didn’t much care. Besides, wasn’t a woman allowed one outrageously spontaneous act in her life? Excuses, that was what she was making. One excuse after another for messing around when she should’ve been hard at work.
As she washed her face and finished repairing the damage, Sarah’s stomach rumbled. Without further thought, she headed in the direction of the delicious smells filling the air.
When she found Brodix hovering over the stove with his back to her, she took a moment to drink him in. He wore a pair of black flannel pajama pants and a loose-fitting white T-shirt. She came close to drooling over his yummy athletic build and rumpled morning hair.
“Good morning,” she said as she stepped farther into the room.
As he turned around, Sarah noticed a phone pressed to his ear. He smiled at her, his gaze heating as he looked her over. He motioned for her to have a seat at the table, and Sarah obliged by pulling out the chair nearest to her. When Brodix said something about a cookout later today to whomever was on the other end of the phone, Sarah frowned. She’d hoped they could spend the day together, but that idea was apparently off the table. Darn it.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Brodix hung up and put the phone on the counter. He crossed the room in two strides, his eyes dark with arousal. Sarah’s breath caught in her throat when he bent close and murmured, “Good morning,” a second before he kissed her in the most passionate way possible. Sarah flung her arms around his neck and sank into him. As if he hadn’t just made love to her mere hours ago, the juncture between Sarah’s legs moistened and throbbed.
Brodix’s hands cupped her cheeks, holding her still for a deeper taste; then he teased her mouth open and slipped his tongue inside. Just as she was about to urge him to take her right there in the kitchen, a loud alarm began blaring.
Brodix jumped back. “Damn,” he grumbled as he hurried to the stove. “Forgot about the bacon,” he explained when he picked up a potholder and took the frying pan off the stove. He put it on a hot plate and turned to her. “How do you feel about burned bacon?”
Sarah laughed. “I’ll pass, thanks.”
He grabbed a bag of something to his left and held it up. “A bagel instead?”
“Perfect,” she replied as she watched him move about the kitchen. “Who was on the phone earlier?” she asked, too curious for her own good. “I thought I heard you say something about a cookout.”
He nodded. “My mom called. She’s having everyone over for a barbeque later today.” He looked over his shoulder at her, a smile kicking up one corner of his mouth. “And you’re invited.”
That surprised her. “I am?”
“Yep. She, uh, heard you tell me good morning just now.”
Red-hot embarrassment lanced a path clear to her face and lodged there. “Oh my God, she knows I slept with you?”
He shrugged as if it didn’t matter either way. Well, it sure as heck mattered to Sarah! “I think she was trying to fix us up anyway, so I don’t suppose she’s too bothered by the turn of events.”
“She was?” This day was getting stranger and stranger. “Wait, I hadn’t even exchanged two words with you before yesterday.”
“My guess is she saw you in the frozen foods, knew you were a reporter for the
Gazette
, and her wicked mind did the rest.” He chuckled as he turned and placed a plate on the table in front of her, the smell of the toasted bagel causing her mouth to water. “She’s something of a matchmaker, my mom.”
Sarah couldn’t take it all in. A cookout at the Jennings’ home and she was welcome to attend. “You know, your brothers won’t like it if I showed up a second time at your mom’s house. Especially Reilly and River.”
As Brodix handed her a tub of cream cheese and a knife, he sat across from her and picked up his own bagel. “They’ll live,” he said as he began to spread the cream cheese. “Besides, Sammy and Vance liked you just fine.”
“
Like
is a strong word. More accurately they were merely being polite.” Brodix started to say something else, but Sarah wasn’t through yet. “How can I possibly face your mom? She knows we slept together, Brodix. Talk about awkward!” Suddenly, Sarah wasn’t even the slightest bit hungry.
After a few bites of his breakfast, Brodix pushed his own plate to the side and reached across the table to take her hand in his. “She’s going to take one look at you and know the truth.”
She squinted, not quite following him. “The truth? And what’s that exactly?”
“Mom will see you as a beautiful woman who has managed to enrapture her son.”
“But—”
Brodix cut her off with a finger to her lips. “Stop worrying, sweetheart. You don’t need to do anything special or be something you’re not just to please my family.”
Were her insecurities so easy to read? How was it possible that Brodix could see her so clearly, while she’d been married to Jack for over a year and he’d never once taken the time to truly know her? “It’s embarrassing, that’s all,” She said, entwining her fingers with Brodix’s. “This is your mom, after all. She’ll think I’m some sort of floozy.”
Sarah watched with fascination as Brodix’s sexy mouth tilted sideways. “You’re not a floozy, and my mom is smart enough to know that. Trust me.”
Still hesitant but willing to give Brodix the benefit of the doubt, she said, “Okay.”
She looked at her uneaten bagel and said, “That looks delicious, but I’m not very hungry.”
Brodix leaned toward her until Sarah could smell his woodsy scent. She had to force herself not to close the remaining few inches and inhale deep. If she were bolder, she’d do more than breathe in his masculine heat, she’d take a taste of his lips while she was at it. A good long taste.
“And do you also find me delicious, sweetheart?”
God, the man was a mind reader now. Sarah’s cheeks heated. “Brodix…” Desire hindered her ability to speak all of a sudden.
When his hot breath caressed her ear, Sarah wanted to crawl onto his lap and purr. “Answer my question, Sarah.”
The soft demand had her heart speeding up. He was so close, yet too far away. “Yes,” she breathed out, uncaring if she sounded desperate and needy. “As yummy as hot fudge, to be totally honest.”
“Mm.” Brodix angled his head and licked her earlobe, then gently nibbled at the delicate skin. “And I think you’re exactly the flavor I’ve been missing all these years.”
He drew little circles with his tongue, then teased his way down her neck and sucked at her pulse. Suddenly Sarah was surrounded by his large, powerful body. He effectively blocked out her worries. Everything vanished as Brodix’s tongue made a journey over her too sensitive skin. When he pulled back an inch, Sarah whimpered, wanting more. Wanting everything.
“Give yourself to me,” he murmured.
As Brodix began smoothing a palm over her back, Sarah knew there was only one answer she could possibly give him at that moment. “Yes.”
Brodix so easily turned her body to fire and robbed her of the ability to think clearly. But for once she didn’t care. Didn’t want to think.
His answering grin was predatory. Liquid heat dampened Sarah’s panties. Brodix looked like temptation in the flesh with his sinfully gorgeous black hair, and intense eyes. Eyes a woman could drown in. Last night, those eyes had been focused on her as if she’d been the only woman in the universe.
Feeling a little more brave, Sarah reached beneath the table and grasped the length of Brodix cock beneath his pajama pants. He was hard as a rock, and Sarah’s mouth watered for a lick of the bulbous head. Their gazes clashed. He thrust against her palm and cursed. “You like playing, don’t you?”
“With you, yes,” she admitted, her voice husky with unspent passion.
When Brodix suddenly stood, Sarah went completely still. As he reached out a hand for her, Sarah stared at it, then slowly took it. He pulled her to her feet and murmured, “Sure you aren’t hungry?”
“Not anymore.” The only thing that could satisfy her now was a large helping of Brodix.
He wrapped his arms around her and brought her up against his body. “I’ve missed you, sweetheart. Maybe we should finish this in the bedroom.”
It hadn’t been that long since he’d made love to her, but Sarah didn’t bother to remind him of that. She bit her lip and looked at the clock. It was only nine in the morning. “Do we have time?”
“The cookout isn’t until four this afternoon,” he said. “Plenty of time.” When she didn’t respond right away, Brodix swatted her bottom.
She cried out. “Ow!”
He rubbed her ass and groaned. “Bedroom, sweetheart,” he growled.
This time, Sarah didn’t hesitate. The instant she walked into his room, Brodix was stripping her out of the T-shirt she’d pulled on earlier. Within seconds, he had them both naked. “Mm, that’s better. I like seeing these pretty pink nipples.”
Brodix’s right hand moved, and then the left, until he was cupping and massaging both of her breasts. He flicked his thumbs over the hardened buds, then pulled them upward for a long, lazy lick. His tongue swept back and forth over one tight nipple while his fingers played with the other. When he pulled back, she watched through half-opened eyes as he bent to lick and tease her belly button. He muttered something unintelligible; then he wrapped his arms around her middle and whispered her name. Sarah thrust against him, so incredibly hot and ready for him to make love to her.
“That feels so good,” she whispered, grasping his head and holding on tight.
“I’ll give you more, much more,” he promised as he lifted up. “First, I want you on your knees.”
Her pussy throbbed at the mental image. “I’ve been dying to taste you,” she admitted and started to lower herself to the floor.
“Wait,” he whispered. He wrapped a hand around her upper arm. “Have you ever had your wrists bound?”
Her face flamed as she imagined Brodix tying her up. “Uh, no. Why?”
“Are you willing?” Brodix asked, giving her the option to say no. Did she trust him enough to be completely at his mercy? When Brodix moved away from her and looked around the room, she knew the answer was yes. She did trust Brodix. More than any other man before him. His gaze stopped on something lying over the back of the chair. When he walked toward her bed and picked up a long black cloth belt, her pussy dampened in anticipation of what he was about to do to her.
When he walked back over to her, Brodix moved behind her and clasped one wrist in his strong hand. He wrapped the black cotton material around it, then grabbed the other wrist and did the same. Her hands securely tied behind her back, Sarah was now completely at his mercy.
“Mm, I like you this way. You’re mine now, Sarah.”
The notion stirred emotions in her that were a little scary. She liked the idea of belonging to the yummy man, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for her feelings to get all tangled up. And she had a sneaking suspicion that a relationship with Brodix would be a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs. After the divorce, after having her love thrown in the trash by Jack, Sarah had vowed to protect her heart. So, why was excitement skittering along her spine at Brodix’s words? She didn’t know, and she simply wasn’t coherent enough to explore the whys of it just then.
Brodix moved around the front of her and looked into her eyes. “Do you like the idea of being mine, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” she said, unable to say more without betraying the riot of feelings flowing through her.
“Good, because I do too.” He cupped her chin in his palm and kissed her. She tasted a hint of coffee, but mostly it was Brodix’s delicious flavor she savored. “Will you go down on your knees for me?” He wrapped a hand around his cock and stroked. “Do you want to taste me on your tongue?”
Sarah didn’t speak, merely started to lower herself. With her hands tied, Brodix had to help her, though, and she felt awkward. He lifted her face until their gazes locked. “You look so damn sexy like this,” he groaned, the sexual hunger written all over his face. He touched her breast, then flicked her nipple. “Open your mouth, sweetheart,” he gently ordered.
Sarah nearly whimpered with her need to have his cock in her mouth and lick up the sticky droplets of his precome. The thought caused her pussy to drip with need. Sarah’s gaze took in the perfection of him. His cock was hard and pulsing with life, the bulbous head darkly engorged. Unable to wait another second, Sarah leaned closer and opened her mouth. She slipped her tongue out and tasted his sensitive tip. She licked the small bead of moisture that appeared, then let her tongue roam freely over and under his entire length.
“Fuck, yes, lick it good,” he bit out.
Hearing how turned on he was sent Sarah’s inhibitions into hiding. She swiped her tongue back and forth, then teased the softer skin of his balls. She sucked on them before moving back to his dick, licking and playing.