First and Only: Callaghan Brothers, Book 2 (21 page)

“Have a change of heart, did you?” he breathed, the delicious scent of his hot breath causing her to lick her lips.

“Yes.”

“Liar,” he scolded gently.  “Don’t be afraid of me, Lexi.”  He brushed a lock of hair away from her face.  “I could never hurt you.”

Lexi swallowed down the lump in her throat.  Didn’t he know that he had already destroyed her?

With infinite slowness, Ian lowered his head those scant few inches, hovering just above her lips.  “Tell me no, Lexi, and I’ll find some way to stop, I swear it.”

But she couldn’t tell him no.  Not now, not ever.  As terrified as she was, she would never deny him anything.  When several long moments ticked by in silence, Ian groaned and touched his lips to hers.  And she was forever lost.  Her hands snaked up around his neck, and Ian lifted her to him, carrying her to the bed.

He took his time undressing her.  With each piece of silken fabric he removed, he covered her bared skin with his hands and mouth, until only her jewelry remained.  “My goddess,” he breathed, his voice rough and strained with desire.  “Will you give yourself to me willingly?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Pure white flames of hunger danced in his eyes.  “Ah, baby.  You have no idea what you do to me.  All night long I’ve been dreaming of what I would do to you when I got you back here.  How many times I would make you scream my name in pleasure.”   

He rolled her over onto her stomach.  She felt the bed rise as he lifted himself from it.  Eyes tightly closed in a mixture of fear and anticipation, she heard the soft opening and closing of the nightstand drawer.  No, he wouldn’t...

A tiny whimper escaped, despite her effort.

“It’s okay, baby.”  Within seconds his fingers slid through her slick folds, massaging in torturous little circles until she began pushing herself against his hand.  Then he slid one finger into her, stroking masterfully at her sensitive nerves as she shook from the pleasure of it.  One finger became two,  scissoring within her relentlessly.  When she was close, he pulled away.  She knew he was preparing her for what was to come.

What she had asked for.  A condition of her extended stay.

Lexi tensed as she felt the cool, smooth tip of her vibrator against her.  Ian moved it slowly, setting it at its lowest vibration.  Just enough to stimulate, that’s all.  There was something insanely erotic about having him do this, of sharing what was a very personal act with him. 

Just when she’d begun to relax, he moved it back and forth, hitting her most sensitive bundle of nerves.  At the same time, she felt Ian’s hand on her backside.  A smooth, arousing caress that added to her pleasure.

She gasped, her core clenching around empty space.  The simple sensations were too much.  And not nearly enough.  “Ian,” she choked out, “I don’t think I can...”

“Yes,” he crooned against her ear.  “Yes, you can.  You’re going to give me this gift, Lexi, because you want it just as badly as I do, my naughty girl.”  Ian pressed himself against her, spearing her far too slowly for what she needed.  His touch was too tender as he stroked and moved the small vibrator over her aching flesh.

Little by little Lexi found herself surrendering to his sorcerous touch, coaxing out the darker nature that lurked deep within her, the one she kept locked and hidden away with all of her deepest, darkest secrets.

Torture. Pleasure.  Ache.  Want.  Need.  Ian stoked the fire burning inside her with his mastery of her body, bringing her to her peak over and over again but never letting her plunge over the edge.  The sound of desperate sobbing reached her ears, and Lexi, nearly out of her mind now, realized on some level that it was her.

“Ah, you’re killing me, baby,” Ian groaned.  “So fucking hot, and all mine.  You want this, don’t you?  Tell me you want this, Lexi.  Tell me and I’ll give it to you.”

“Please, Ian,” she begged, well beyond any rational thought or objection.  He’d reduced her to a sobbing pile of need, of hunger.  She needed him to fix this.  He was the only one who could.  There would only be Ian, ever.  And she – her body, her mind, her heart - belonged to him.  “I need you.”

“That’s my girl,” he murmured approvingly.  His fingers were suddenly gone as he rolled her onto her side, her back against his chest, and lifted her upper leg.  “Here baby, you hold this...”  He moved her hand to the vibrator, wrapping her fingers around it.  “Use it, baby.” 

Lexi barely had time to comprehend his words when she felt him lengthen his strokes.  In this new position, he felt harder.  Longer.  Thicker.  And with each thrust, he hit her exactly where she needed him most.

“That’s it,” he encouraged.  “Let go.  Give me everything, Lexi.  I want it all.”

Lexi’s entire body tightened as the overwhelming climax consumed her, each sensation magnified by another.  The pulse of her toy.  The feel of having Ian inside of her, wrapping around her body, his teeth nipping at the tender curve of her neck. 

Stars burst behind her eyes, relief exploding through her body with incredible force.  She thought she might have screamed, but couldn’t be sure.  As if from far, far away she heard Ian curse, right before she felt pulsing jets of heat deep within while Ian’s hands held on to her, anchoring her.

Then she gave herself up to the blackness.

I
an willed his heart to slow down, to ease the fierce pounding against his chest for fear of waking her.  Lexi lay limp in his arms.  He had pushed her too hard, and she’d let him.  He had tried to be gentle, but Lexi was like a drug coursing through him.  With each fix, he wanted more.  And tonight she had given him everything. 

He lifted her carefully, wrapping her in a blanket and carrying her to the bathroom.  She barely moved as he drew a warm bath, murmuring only slightly as he lowered her into the water and cleaned her reverently. 

He frowned when he saw the blossoming purple marks along her hips.  He hadn’t realized he’d gripped her quite so hard, but then it was difficult to recall anything besides the blinding hunger that had driven him well past the point of rational thought. 

God, what he had just done to her. What she had given him.  What she had somehow known he needed.  Lexi had sensed his darker side.  And yet she still loved him. 

Ian dried her as carefully as he could, tucking her into bed before heading to the shower himself.  It was a quick one; even a few minutes away from her were too much.  He needed to hold her.  He would, through touch, find some way to convey that in a few short days she had become the most important thing in his world.

He crawled between the sheets, thinking about the ring that still sat in the pocket of his suit jacket.  He had planned on proposing at the restaurant, of taking her out into the gardens and going down on bended knee, the whole nine yards.  But it just didn’t work out that way.  The mood had changed after their little tete-a-tete with the chef, and this wasn’t something he would force. 

Lexi was meant for him, he knew this.  Besides, he thought with a grin as Lexi burrowed against him, she deserved a more unique proposal than that.  Maybe he’d ask her atop the Ferris wheel at the county fair tomorrow...

* * *

I
t was still dark when Lexi woke.  Ian’s body was wrapped around her protectively, his deep, even breathing a soothing rhythm.  How many times had she dreamed of waking like this in his arms?  She could stay like this forever, she thought, her eyes drifting shut again.

A sharp, cramping pain sliced through her lower abdomen, jolting her back into alertness.  She breathed through it the best she could.  As it subsided, she tried to extricate herself.

“You okay?” Ian asked softly, his strong arm like a steel band around her.

Even though it was too dark for him to see, Lexi forced a smile, hoping it found its way into her voice.  “I just need to use the bathroom.”

Ian’s grip loosened.  “If you’re not back in five minutes I’m coming in after you,” he warned, his voice still thick and heavy with sleep. 

Lexi kissed his forehead and smoothed his hair.  He was asleep again before she even made it to the door. 

Once inside the bathroom, she closed the door silently and sagged against the frame.  Her entire body felt like it had been in a train wreck.  Every muscle burned in protest, every joint felt like a toothache.  The third cramp hit her again and she doubled over, sliding down to the floor until she could catch her breath again.

With a sense of dread, she forced herself to look down, knowing what she would see.  Her legs were black and blue from her knees upward; patches of deep purple ringed her hips.  Tears filled her eyes, a profound feeling of loss blossoming within her.  Time was running out too quickly.

She had no choice.  With a silent curse she reached for the last vial.  She hated this.  Hated what she was forced to do, just to pretend to live a normal life.  This week had been a welcome respite from what her life had become – a structured series of tasks that carried her from one day to the next.  But this week – this week she had actually
lived
.

When the pains stopped coming every few minutes, Lexi switched off the light and eased into the main room just long enough to grab her cell, moving slowly and carefully so as to not wake Ian.  Once back in the bathroom, she tapped out a text, wishing she didn’t have to.  Then she pressed send and settled against the cool wall to wait out the remainder of the night alone.

* * *

A
knock at the door woke Ian.  He heard Lexi’s sweet, quiet voice, and seconds later the room was filled with the delicious smell of coffee and bacon. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she teased, wheeling a cart over to the bed.  “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I ordered a little bit of everything.”

Ian’s stomach rumbled hungrily at the huge assortment of breakfast items displayed before him as Lexi uncovered plate after plate.  Pancakes.  French toast.  Eggs.  Bacon, Sausage, Ham.  Several different kinds of pastries.  And, God love her, two full-size carafes of coffee, one of which she was pouring into a pair of mugs.  She handed one to him. 

Ian looked her over carefully from tip to toes.  He’d slept soundly for the last few hours, but he was pretty sure Lexi hadn’t returned to the bed.  Now she was already dressed in faded capris that hugged her figure like a glove and a long-sleeved, light fabric peasant top.  By all accounts she looked fine, but he sensed that something was off.

“You okay?” he asked, an edge of concern in his voice.

Lexi gave him a patient smile.  “Yes.  Stop worrying, Ian.  I’m fine.”

“Come here.”  She did, without hesitation, sitting beside him on the bed, though she did so rather gingerly. 

“You’re a rotten liar,” he said. 

Lexi had the good grace to look a little ashamed.  “Okay.  So maybe I’m a little tender.  But you don’t hear me complaining, do you?” 

“That’s all?”

“Well, I think I’ll have to skip the pony rides at the fair, but other than that...”

Amusement glinted in her eye, and Ian breathed a sigh of relief.  “You know, I could help you with that soreness.”

Lexi scooted off the bed, beyond his immediate reach.  “Oh no you don’t, mister,” she scolded with a grin.  “You promised me a county fair.”

Ian smiled back, even if he was a little disappointed.  Not too much, though.  He could give her a couple of hours to rest.  “That I did.  And I always keep my promises.”

* * *

T
he fair was as wonderful as Lexi remembered, even if it didn’t seem quite as big as it once did.  There were still dozens of food booths, games, shows, bands, and rides.  Truly something for everyone.

The entire Callaghan clan was there.  For community-wide events such as this the Pub closed its doors, all of the men taking an active part in the festivities.  Lexi got to meet some more of their extended family as well – the Connelly cousins.  Johnny (whom she’d met), his brother Michael (not to be confused with Ian’s brother Michael), his sister Lina, and their spouses.  They’d taken over a pavilion at the far end of the grounds for their annual reunion.

Ian got dragged into a few spirited games with his brothers and cousins, while Lexi watched with the rest of the “wives”.  Taryn, she knew.  Celina, Stacey, and Keely – wives of Kyle, Johnny, and Michael (Connelly), respectively, were a riot to be around, and Lexi found herself enjoying the afternoon more than she ever thought she would.  Odd as it seemed, she felt comfortable around these women, and they, in turn, seemed to accept her among them easily.  It made it that much more difficult to do what she had to do.

“Uh-oh,” muttered Taryn.  “Here comes trouble.”  As one, the women turned where Taryn was looking and saw Kayla approaching. 

“She is trouble,” Lina agreed. 

They watched in silence as Kayla approached the pavilion, keeping to the far side, out of the line of sight of the men. 

“Lexi,” Kayla said, pointedly ignoring the others.  “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Lexi hesitated for a moment.  Despite the smile, whatever Kayla wanted wouldn’t be good.  Still, there was no need to put these ladies through one of Kayla’s outbursts. 

“Sure,” she said, rising from the picnic table.  She looked out at the field where the pick-up football game was in full swing.  Ian was currently at the bottom of a pile, with more jumping on. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Taryn said quietly, her eyes shooting daggers at Kayla.

“Yeah,” Keely agreed, speaking so only Lexi could hear her.  “She can’t take all of us.”

Lexi bit back a smile.  They would never know just how much their words meant to her.  But this was her fight, not theirs.  Especially not when three of them were very clearly expecting.

“It’s okay.  I’ve got this.”

Lexi met Kayla at the far end of the pavilion and they walked off together toward the woods. 

“I don’t like this,” Lina said, rubbing her large belly.

“Me neither,” agreed Stacey.  “Maybe someone should tell Ian.”

“I don’t think Lexi would appreciate that,” said Keely.  “I know I wouldn’t.  Let her handle this.  We’ll keep an eye on them and if things look like they’re getting out of hand we’ll call in the cavalry.”