Fighting Me (10 page)

“Roll over for me.”

Leaning back, Henry fists my dress in his hands and yanks it the rest of the way from my body before tossing it to the floor. Taking a minute, he freezes, his eyes raking up and down my body slowly, drinking me in. I squirm under his gaze. It’s intimidating, but at the same time, it’s so hot I can’t look away. His hands slide up my thighs, stopping on my hips before gripping them just rough enough for me to gasp. “I want you on your stomach. I’ve been dying to sink my teeth into that sexy ass of yours. Every day at the beach and you in those fuckin’ bikinis,” he says, helping me roll over.

Henry’s fingers glide down the backs of my thighs, spreading my legs so that he can settle between them. Brushing my hair to one side, he unfastens the clasp holding my top to my body, letting it fall away to the mattress before running his fingers along my back in slow strokes.

“Like that, baby?” he asks, pressing his chest into my back to purr in my ear. “I’m going to make every inch of you feel so good you’ll never wanna leave this bed.”

Burying my face in the pillow, I moan as he grips my ass with both hands and kneads my flesh. His fingers move quickly to the ties on either side, yanking them free. The cool air hits my ass before the heat of his skin covers me again. The different sensations only heighten everything, along with the lack of being able to see him and watch what he is doing.

My heart is racing. “Clear your mind, Rae. Don’t think about what I’m gonna do, just feel.” The words he said the other night in the bathroom come back to me. My mind whirls, trying to think up what he possibly has planned.

His hand swatting my ass makes me jump. “I told you to stop thinking, Rae,” he scolds before nipping the back of my hip lightly with his teeth, then pressing a tender kiss to the same spot. “That’s my job.”

Reaching up, he pulls the pillow from under my face, then I feel him slip from the bed. “I plan on earnin’ every noise you make, so I damn sure want to hear them.” Grabbing my ankles, Henry pulls me down the bed so that my pelvis is barely on the end of the mattress and my legs are dangling off the side of the raised bed.

I feel him drop to his knees behind me, spreading my ass cheeks with his hands. His thumb runs along the crease of my ass before tracing a circle around my asshole. “Have you ever been fucked here, Rae?” he asks, but I can’t even breathe, let alone begin to answer. I nearly jump off the bed when his tongue traces the same route his thumb had just made, his rough stubble scraping my sensitive skin. “I’ll bet you’d love your ass filled with my cock, wouldn’t you, baby?” I gasp when his finger slips inside my pussy. Replacing one with two, Henry crooks inside me them while his thumb makes slow circles over my clit.

“Fuck,” I moan when his tongue presses against my rear entrance.

“Mmmm… That’s it, let me hear that filthy mouth,” he growls, then presses his tongue into my ass while speeding up the rhythm of his fingers.

The pressure is building up and my thighs begin shaking as I climb toward my orgasm. My entire body is buzzing and my clit is throbbing nearly to the point of pain, but God it feels so damn good. His hands, his mouth— fucking hell, it’s pushing me towards a cliff I’ve never even climbed before.

Sex has always been something I’ve enjoyed, but this is different.

I close my eyes tightly, doing just as he said, I feel every touch, every lick, and every sensation while he works my body. I am unable to focus on any one thing he does, I can only let the sensation of it all combined wash over me. The way he moves my body and reacts to my moans is erotic as hell. Like he can read my thoughts and even I can’t do that right now.

Henry’s fingers move down to my thighs, not only holding me still, but spreading me wider for him. His lips wrap around my clit, alternating calculated flicks of his tongue with light suction, sending me exploding over the edge into an orgasm that splinters every single inch of me.

“Oh, Henry,” I shout, clutching at the blanket beneath me so hard it makes my fingers go numb. “Fuck! Oh, oh, oh, God! I’m coming!”

I thrash against him and the mattress, my cries only fueling him to keep going. His fingers dig into my thighs, rolling me back into his face as he fucks me with his mouth. I open my mouth to scream again, but nothing comes out. My climax keeps coming, stealing my breath and I go limp against the bed while dragging in ragged breaths of air.

Suddenly, I’m moving. My eyes are still closed, but I feel Henry tuck me beneath the blankets. Pulling me into his side, Henry runs his fingers through my hair before pressing a tender kiss to my forehead. “How you feelin’, Firecracker?” he asks, adjusting me so that my head is on his chest.

“I don’t know whether to say thank you for the orgasm or ask you for your insurance information because I think I’m wrecked,” I mumble into his t-shirt, not even bothering to lift my head to meet his eyes.

His arms wrap around me as his body shakes beneath me. “Get some sleep, baby,” he says, but I’m already drifting.

I
didn’t sleep
. I watched Rae sleep for a while, my fingers running through her long hair until the alarm set on my phone went off for me to do rounds. Walking the island with my sunglasses securely in place, my thoughts keep going back to Rae sleeping naked in her bed where I left her. The noises she made and how responsive she was to my touch was incredible. It damn near had me blowing my load in my jeans. Even though I wanted nothing more than to drive into her and feel her come on my cock, I knew it wasn’t the right time. Besides the fact that I’d go off like a loaded gun in under a minute, I didn’t have a condom. Or lube. The way she reacted to me tongue fucking her ass, I have no doubt she’ll shatter windows once my dick gets in there.

After I make my way around the island, and raid the bachelor party favors, I head into the kitchen and start frying a couple packs of Hunter’s bacon. I mean, since he won’t be needing any for a few days. Whistling, I scramble some eggs and add a little extra pepper and some shredded cheese before setting them to the side.

“You black hearted motherfucker,” Hunter’s voice echoes from the doorway. “You never cook breakfast. Leave my bacon alone!” he wails.

“Mornin’, asshole,” I reply, looking up from the skillet. “I just thought I’d fry you up some.” Holding up a piece between the rubber tongs, I wave it at him. “I’m on your side, man. Eat your bacon. I’ll be makin’ a nice profit off that side bet I made last night.”

Hunter steps through the doorway and into the kitchen, sniffing the air. I swear I see tears welling up in his eyes. Walking over to the counter, he picks up the empty pack of bacon and clutches it to his bare chest before grabbing the tray of bacon from the pan. “This is so hurtful. They don’t deserve to eat you, they won’t appreciate you like I do.”

“Calm down, I’ve got breakfast for you too.” Opening the cabinet, I hand him a to-go bowl of the chocolate cereal that Jazzie eats. “There’s even milk in the fridge.”

“What?” Hunter shouts, tossing the bowl to the counter. “I haven’t eaten cereal for breakfast since before my balls dropped. Kiss my fuckin’ ass and give me my bacon.”

“Now, now, Hunter…” I scold, grabbing the tray from his hands and set it back on the counter before adding more bacon to it from the pan. Hunter’s damn near foaming at the mouth watching me plate the last slices. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was rabid. “Sharing is caring and a bet’s a bet.”

“Don’t go bacon my heart, Big Man.”

Switching off the stove, I hand the large serving bowl full of eggs to Hunter. “Hey, how ‘bout you quit your bitchin’ and take this to the table.”

“Motherfucker’s all whistlin’ and shit, cookin’ breakfast like a little bitch…” he nags as I follow him out with the bacon and a jug of orange juice. “Hold the fuckin’ meaty goodness, because somethin’ isn’t right.” Hunter puts the bowl on the table and turns to face me. Arching a brow, he smiles. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“Crabs,” Aiden blurts, stepping through the door with Cam, Luke, and Ki following behind him.

“Crabs is not a reason to be happy, it’s a mildy irritating condition that requires shampooing, and in some cases, it’s just best for the flesh rocket to have the landing strip removed.” Patting me on the shoulder, Hunter laughs.

“No,” Mack says stepping through the doorway, glaring at me. “This fucker corrupted the nanny and they decided to tuck a dozen very pissed off crabs into my bed last night. I’m lucky I still have my manhood.”

“No,” Rae says, stepping into the room. Sitting the bacon and juice on the table, my eyes go immediately to her. The gorgeous body that I had writhing underneath my hands last night is wrapped in a white sundress that has a blue bow on her hip to match the one in her hair and the jeweled sandals on her feet. “What you did do was piss off the wrong one.” Rae winks at me, before turning her attention to Jazzie who comes barreling into the room. She holds up her hand, causing Jazz to freeze mid-step.

“Sorry, Miss Rae.”

Rae nods, lowering her hand. Jasmine walks over to the table and sits in her chair. Placing her hands on the table, she steeples her fingers. “Daddy, may I have bacon and eggs, please?”

Everyone looks over at Jazz, before looking to Hunter who is stock still and wide eyed. “Yes, you may.” Rae immediately walks around the table and begins to fix a plate. “That was very polite, Jasmine.” Placing the plate in front of her, Rae brushes a hand over her hair. “What do you want to do today?”

“How about after you eat, you can go help Miss Rae pack a bag and we’ll go for a ride on the boat?” I blurt, taking my seat. I am just as shocked as everyone else at my off the wall idea, but honestly the minute it left my lips is sounded perfect. “Figure we can hit that little island to the west and check it out for shells. You can pack a picnic and shit.”

Jazzie bounces up and down in her seat, clapping her hands excitedly. “Oooo! Can we, can we please?”

“First, eat your breakfast,” Rae says, sitting down beside her and scooping eggs on to her own plate. She looks like she wants to say something, but doesn’t. Her eyes look full of questions.

The table becomes loud, the girls all begin planning decorating for the party at the lagoon tonight and discussing setup for the wedding which is only two days away. Last minute planning has taken the bulk of everyone’s time the last few days, and from the sound of it, it’s only going to get worse. One of the downsides to Hunter wanting to have this be a totally private ceremony is that we are doing nearly everything ourselves when most people have people assigned and paid to handle every single detail.

Finishing my breakfast quickly, I walk over and grab Brannon from Grayson’s lap. “Let’s go get the boat ready,” I say to him. “Mack, you’re runnin’ the show today,” I add, tipping my jaw to him before looking to Rae. “We’ll be waitin’.”

On the boat, I put the kid in his life vest and settle him in the Captain’s chair while I go over everything that has to be done before we can pull out. The water is clear today, almost so clear you can see to the sand beneath. It’s paradise here. I’ve walked the island we’ve been on almost a week now more than anyone and yet I’ve not enjoyed any of it. Of course, it’s my job to keep a vigilant watch, to protect our family, but doing the bulk of it myself is coming at a great cost. All morning I have been reflecting, especially on the last few months. I don’t like what I see. That means I have to make a change, find a balance again, and in turn, learn to let go of some of the control that I hold onto so tightly.

I know that deep down Mack puts the safety of the group ahead of everything else, like I do. He’s a damn kid and I know that I’m hard on him. Honestly, he reminds me a lot of myself at that age. I’ve got to give the kid room to take the lead when needed, I know that. It’s also becoming clear to me that I need to accept the fact that it’s inevitable for Shaft to have to take on more security. I can’t possibly expect Mack and me to run the show alone, especially in the fall when Jazzie starts school. The tour and press shit kicks off all around that time too making it damned near impossible for the two of us to keep up with everyone. We would be spread too thin.

Shrugging, I turn and look at Brannon. He smiles at me, his chubby cheeks and jack-o-lantern looking smile makes me chuckle. Taking off my sunglasses, I slip them onto his face. “The old dog has to roll over and get used to change, kid.”

“Thought you were a bear,” Rae says from behind me.

“Hey, handsome,” she says to Brannon, making him smile at her and wave. Walking up, she sits down the bag then takes the other children’s life vest and kneels in front of Jazzie. “Let’s get you ready to go, huh?” Looking up at me, Rae smiles as walk around the side of the deck to pull the anchor before starting the boat.

The kids sit with Rae on the bow as I navigate the boat through the water. A pair of dolphins swim alongside the boat, one rounding the bow to jump high into the air. Rae smiles, her laugh not audible over the sound of the boat and the waves, but the sight of her laughing and carefree with the kids is enough for me.

The small island I saw when we arrived comes into sight. It’s not even half the size of our island and I’d bet you could sit it down inside the house in Nashville, but it’s not about that. Today is about adventure, about getting out of my comfort zone and having some fun. It’s also about me learning to take time to breathe.

Once I drop anchor, Rae and I wade to the shore with the kids. She spreads out a blanket partially beneath a tree and settles the baby on it, handing him his trucks from the bag. She squirts some sunscreen into her hands before coating Jazzie down with it. Grabbing the bottle from the blanket, I take a knee and do the same to Brannon.

Standing to her feet, Rae takes a jar from the bag and hands it to Jazzie. “All right, let’s go find some shells.”

Brannon wiggles until finally settling with his ass half on the blanket and half on the sand. Steering his cars, he makes little revving noises. “Beep beep,” he says, screeching one car to a stop before they collide. Sand flies onto his shorts and he cackles to himself.

Crossing my arms behind my head, I lie back and watch while Brannon plays and Jazzie runs along the beach with Rae. My eyes fixate on Rae’s ass wrapped in her sexy as hell blue bikini. I was nowhere near done with her last night, but I want to take my time with her. We have jobs to do that rank above my need to drive my cock into Rae while I taste every inch of her body.

Later in the day, we picnic on the beach and play in the water with the kids. I keep catching myself getting caught up in Rae’s laugh and the way her skin looks with the warmth of the sun. She’s beautiful and it’s effortless. It’s like she doesn’t even have to try and she’s able to bring me to my knees just by breathing.

“The kids love you,” I say back on the boat, laying a sleeping Brannon down on the bed beside Jasmine.

Brushing Jasmine’s hair off of her face, Rae smiles down at her while she naps with Brannon. “They’re good kids.”

“You know,” I start, the weight of last night has been hanging over me all day. The fact that she hasn’t mentioned anything about it has me suddenly uneasy. “I know we haven’t talked about last night, but I thought that…”

“Henry,” she says, taking my hand and leading me out of the bedroom. “It’s not like last night was when things changed. We’ve been dancing around each other the entire time. I’m not sorry, but I’m not going to expect you to define it or make any promises. Hell, if it’s fun you want, I’m fine with that as long as it doesn’t interfere with taking care of the kids or me losing my job.” Stepping closer, she presses her hands to my bare chest, running along my ink. “I don’t want you to think that you owe me anything. I’m not some obligation you have to pencil in time out of your day to take care of. The only expectation that I have is honesty.” Her fingers brush over the trail of black hair on my chest, grazing my nipples. “Tell me what you want, Bear.”

“You,” I reply without hesitation. “I’ve wanted you ever since the day at Ironsound.” I bend down and cup her face with my hands, wanting nothing more than to kiss her right now and get lost in her sweet, soft body. Turning her face, she brushes her lips over the inside of my palm.

“All right,” she replies, a smile spreading across her face. “Then say you’ve got me, what is it you plan to do?”

I could name off a million different detailed scenarios, one right after another, that would have her screaming my name and still feeling me every time she moved the next day. I don’t though. Instead, I lean down so that our lips are just inches apart. “I’m much better at showin’ than tellin’, I say, feeling a tremor run through her body as her eyes drift closed. “Do you have any idea how badly I want you?” I ask her. “How much I want to tear off that ridiculously sexy bikini with my teeth?”

Her eyes fly open; she stares at me while worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “You do know I can read those thoughts just as clearly as if you were speaking them, don’t you?” Shock and a little embarrassment flashes across her face, a nice red blush heating her cheeks making me chuckle. It also makes me hard. “Yeah, your mind is a filthy place. I respect that, baby.”

Brushing my lips over hers lightly, I tease us both. I run my tongue over her bottom lip, dying to get a taste of her. She sighs softly against my lips, murmuring my name. If I weren’t paying attention, I’d have missed it. Tilting her head back, I give in and take her mouth with mine.

For now, this is all I’ll get. Later though is a different story.