Rage (30 page)

want marital advice from.”

“Hey…stop with all that. You two are just going through a

rough patch. This is all still fixable, as long as you manage to keep your John Thomas in your pants till we get home,” Scot

assured him. Bret appeared doubtful, but Phillip nodded in

agreement and put a cigar to his lips. Nathan tossed him a Zippo which he snatched out of the air.

“Have you spoken with her?” David asked him softly, as if

trying not to wake a sleeping bear. Bret stared at his cards intently. He shook his head.

“She won’t answer her phone. I don’t even know if she’s

alive or dead.”

“She took Steph’s call the other night at the bar.” Nathan

offered. Bret shot him a stunned look, as did everyone else at the 192

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table. “So she’s most definitely alive.”

Suddenly Bret seemed to crumble, and his voice broke as he

spoke. “What did I do? I don’t understand why we can’t make

this right.”

Scot, David, and Phillip exchanged concerned looks.

“You’ll work it out. Steph obviously knows something, so

press her for details. When we get home, find Sarah and make

her talk to you.” Scot suggested, putting a supportive hand on

Bret’s shoulder.

Bret nodded. “If Fury’s this much of a problem, I’ll

leave…but if she doesn’t want me, this is my livelihood, and it’s all I have. I feel like I’m at a crossroads, and I have no idea which direction to turn.”

Bret stood suddenly and tore off for the restroom. Nathan

threw his cards down on the table and picked up his scotch.

“Everything is a soap opera with you blokes these days.”

Scot turned on Nathan and surveyed him like a strange life

form. “One of these days Nathan, some woman is going to reach

into your chest and yank out your still beating heart. Then you’ll finally get it.”

“I highly doubt that will ever happen.” Nathan chuckled as

he blew out smoke in perfectly shaped O’s.

Phillip shook his head and finished his second beer. “Oh,

it’ll happen. And you’ll look back on the simplicity of this time in your life, and you’ll
still
want her. Then you’ll know you’re in love, and you’ll be as right fucked as the rest of us.”

All eyes turned to Phillip. There was a collective silence as

the three men seemed to communicate silently.

“Something you’d like to talk about Phillip? Some feelings

you’d like to share?” Nathan purred in his typically taunting

way. From the restroom came the familiar sound of Bret heaving

up his dinner.

“Same old, same old. Nothing new with me,” Phillip replied

and grabbed a third beer. David plucked it from his hand.

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“There’s only one toilet in this bungalow, and Bret’s al-

ready puking in it. Slow the hell down.”

Phillip took it back from him and popped it open. “Leave

me alone.”

Bret stumbled out of the restroom. He was pale, with red-

rimmed eyes. David stood up.

“Dude, it’s time for you to drink a liter or two of water and

get a night’s sleep. I don’t need you looking green at the wed-

ding.”

“Yep,” Nathan agreed. “Let’s get Cinderella home before

she turns into a pumpkin.”

David and Nathan dragged Bret out the door. Scot gathered

the abandoned playing cards into a pile. Phillip stacked the poker chips and began to toss beer cans in the garbage.

“Party killer.” Scot joked.

Phillip smirked. “You ditching me?”

“Yeah, I’m going to take this opportunity to go be with my

wife and son. I’m pretty surprised you even showed up here to-

night.”

Phillip tamped out his cigar in one movement. “Why’s

that?”

“Cheyenne told me.” Scot’s face left no doubt what he was

referring to. “What do you want Kersey? An engraved bloody

invitation?”

Scot walked out the door and left Phillip alone. With no fur-

ther distraction, he let the gravity of the truth sink in. Steph had said it.
The words
. And now he was afraid. Knowing Christopher was no longer an obstacle and there was no bathroom door to

shield them from one another gave him pause. There was noth-

ing at all standing between them now, and he felt like a man teetering on the edge of a cliff. Too jump or not to jump, that was the question.

He ran a hand over his damp hair and knew he was kidding

himself. He’d never had a choice at all when it came to Stepha-

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nie. Their fate was in her hands. If he’d have found her on his

hunt earlier, he would have done whatever she asked. He fin-

ished his final beer and wandered outside into the night. He

slowly trudged back to his bungalow, having exhausted his

search for her
and
exhausted himself in the process. Stephanie knew how to find him. And she knew where he lived. She’d

come to him when she was ready, or she wouldn’t. And he’d just

deal with whatever she decided. He kicked glumly at a rock in

his path and focused on the calming sound of the water as it

crashed against the rocks below.

He approached the bungalow and saw someone near the

door. His heart hummed like a freshly tuned engine as he drew

close. It was her. Stephanie sat on his porch, slumped against his door. Her eyes were closed and her arms hugged her knees close

to her chest. She looked like she’d been there for some time, like she might even be sleeping.

He took the first step, and the sound of his footstep made

her open her eyes. She instantly pulled herself to standing. He

closed the distance between them and paused, waiting to see

what she would say or do. Neither of them spoke or moved for

what seemed like forever. Phillip stood his ground; she needed to make the first move this time.

Stephanie stepped forward and looped her fingers in his belt

loop, pulling him into her. She was on her tiptoes, and her fin-

gers were on his neck, pulling his face down toward hers. She

embraced him, one arm around his neck and one grasping his

cheek. She planted a kiss on his forehead, his cheek, and his nose as if claiming each as her territory.

“What changed your mind?’ he whispered, his voice sound-

ing horse. He felt her cheek against rub against his as she continued to cling to him. She pulled back and ran a hand over his

stubble. Her guarded eyes found his.

“Nothing. I’m just done running,” she whispered, matching

his gaze boldly. She pulled his lips to hers, and Phillip fell into 195

TAMMY COONS & MICHELLE PACE

her breathless, pressing the full length of his body against her.

Their tongues danced, and his heart slammed against the wall of

his chest. As her kisses slowed to a tease, he blindly fumbled

with the doorknob beside her. He felt it release, and he wrapped his arm around her waist as the door fell away.

He guided her as if they were dancing backwards into his

room, never removing his mouth from hers. She raked her hands

through his hair, letting out a squeal as he groped her round ass.

He pulled the decorative comb from her hair and watched with

admiration as her hair toppled around her shoulders. Steph barely seemed to notice; her mouth was on his neck, and her fingers

worked eagerly on the buckle of his belt.

Phillip grabbed her wrist, pulling them away from his fly.

He shook his head. She pulled back, eyeing him doubtfully.

“Don’t move.” He ordered and then walked around behind

her in a slow semicircle. He brushed her long copper hair aside, and he planted several wet kisses on the back of her exposed

neck. She sighed blissfully and arched back against him. He felt a sinful grin playing on his lips. He always loved the way she

responded to him, and he was thrilled that time hadn’t dulled her enthusiasm. He slowly inched down the zipper of her dress, and

when it fell open, he pushed the damp material over her shoul-

ders. He trailed his fingertips along her spine, enamored with her soft ivory skin. The dress fell to the floor around her ankles, and a soft moan escaped her.

He reached out and unfastened her see-through bra with a

single flick of his fingers. It immediately joined her dress on the floor. She visibly shivered as he completed his circle around her and stood before her biting his lip thoughtfully. He ran his index finger from her throat to her navel, dropping to his knees to plant soft kisses on each breast, her stomach, and her scar. He looked up at her suddenly, wanting her to see that its presence had no

impact on his desire for her. He descended further south and

planted wet kisses in several more interesting places on her anat-196

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omy that left her gasping.

He sat back on his heels and offered her his hand. Her eyes

were glassy with desire as she took it for support and stepped out of her dress. He stood and she tugged on his hand, beckoning

him to the canopied bed that dominated the room. He paused and

watched as she crawled across the comforter, enjoying the shape

of her nearly nude body as she moved away from him. When she

rolled onto her back, she gave him a welcoming look.

Phillip slowly removed his clothes, his eyes glued to Steph-

anie’s. He hated to blink, for fear that it was all a glorious dream and that she’d evaporate like an apparition. When he was finally nude, he joined her, and she attacked him. As she straddled his

lap and their lips met, there was no denying it. They were back.

Their otherworldly magnetism hadn’t faded. Her touch seared

him like the white hot heat of the sun, and her responses left no doubt she felt the same.

Inpatient, he flipped her over on her stomach. He reveled at

the warm smooth flesh or her ass which she pressed back against

him enthusiastically. As he pulled down her lacey panties, her

familiar responses were hurried and wanting. He slipped a finger inside her, amazed at how wet and ready she always was for him.

No longer able to contain his lust, he shoved into her roughly. He pulled back slowly, nearly pulling all the way out of her. She

thrust herself back onto him, as if objecting. He could have

plundered ahead, and he knew she would have loved every se-

cond of it, but he forced himself to proceed in painful slow mo-

tion. He wanted to savor this. To savor her.

He pulled out of her and rolled her over onto her back. She

cried out in protest, and he reached up and pinned both of her

wandering hands over her head with one of his.

“Please, Phillip.” She begged, and he placed a finger to her

lips to shush her. When she turned her head to suck on it, he

growled. He pushed his knee between her legs and entered her.

Stephanie’s eyes rolled back as she thrust herself upward, driv-

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ing him all the way inside to her core. Her snug warmth over-

whelmed his senses, and he threw his head back forcefully, a

moan erupting from somewhere deep within him.

Stunned at the intensity of being inside her, his breath

hitched. After taking a long moment to gather his bearings, his

eyes found hers again. Her eyes languidly perused him, and he

felt a feverish need to please her. The rise and fall of her chest was slow and rhythmic, and he disciplined himself to match his

pace to her breathing. This proved to be torturous, and in

minutes he lost all willpower. He buried himself inside her

roughly, and Stephanie cried out. He paused, removing his lips

from her temple.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, holding her eyes hos-

tage.

“No.” She arched against him. He continued deliberately

grinding into her, watching her face for cues. When she tried to close her eyes or look away, he gently turned her face back to

his. He refused to let her be anywhere but in the moment with

him. Their long overdue reunion deserved all of her attention.

Her cheeks flushed bright red, and he watched with fascination

as her expression transformed from one of fear, to embarrass-

ment, to excitement.

“God, I missed you, love.” He whispered, feeling her rag-

ged breath against his lips. A small delightful sound escaped her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist with the force of a

boa constrictor. Her wrists fought against his palm, serving as a reminder of her desperate need for him. He intentionally froze

deep inside her and kissed her delicately. She stopped struggling and begged him with her eyes. He relented and released her

hands, which immediately went to his ass, pulling him into her

ferociously.

“Is that what you want?” His taunt was playful as his mouth

moved to her breast. He engulfed her hard nipple and sucked on

it aggressively.

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“Yes.” She gasped and Phillip pinned her legs with his, let-

ting her hands guide the speed of his thrusts.

“Say it.” He knew she was close, and he needed to feel her

come. He wanted to watch her face as she did.

“I want you, Phillip.” She grasped the back of his head and

put her lips to his ear. Her breath tickled him as her heard her softly whisper, “I love you.”

Stephanie sounded like she was about to add something

else, but his mouth found hers again, and he silenced her.

Moments later, when she quaked around him, he couldn’t

restrain himself from joining her.

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