Authors: Amy Noelle
He flashed his wicked grin. “And the real truth comes out. It’s my body you love.”
I laughed. “I think I may love your dirty mind even more. But I do mean it. I’m proud of you. And I think your dad would be as well.” He blinked a few times, and I touched his cheek. “He would, Brad.”
“I know. And we’ll talk about it, but not now. I can’t . . . not here.”
“Okay.” I didn’t want to push him, but I knew his father was one of the reasons, maybe the main reason, that he worked so damn hard at being the best. He should know his dad would have appreciated that.
“Tomorrow.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “I want to take you somewhere, show you someplace special to me, and we’ll talk there, okay?”
I knew I’d go anywhere he asked. “Sure.” He appeared to be a million miles away, so I cleared my throat. “I may not love you because of the sex, but it certainly does help matters.”
There it was. His grin was back, and he pushed me down on the couch. “Well, I guess I’d better get to it so I can keep you loving me.”
I’d love him no matter what, it seemed, but I wasn’t going to argue, especially when his hands slid under my shirt. He cupped my breasts and squeezed them gently before tugging my shirt over my head. I wasn’t wearing a bra, as that was always the first piece of clothing I lost the instant I returned home.
“I love that that hasn’t changed either.” He lay on top of me, lowering his lips to my nipple, swirling first one and then the other with his tongue.
“I’m consistent.” My voice hitched when his teeth bit down gently. Jesus. I arched my back, giving him more of me, and he took, licking and sucking while kneading my breast gently.
Brad moved over to give the other breast the same treatment but then paused and grinned. “I like to mix it up.” He kissed between my breasts and nipped at my stomach as he made his way down my body. His thumbs hooked into my panties, and I boosted my hips off the couch to help him guide them down my legs.
He paused and just looked at me, and I tingled with anticipation. “You got even more beautiful, you know. It shouldn’t have been possible.”
I shook my head. “Look who’s talking. My boy became a very sexy man.” He grinned and whipped his shirt off. “See?” I said. “Where were all those muscles back in the day? I was cheated.”
“I don’t remember you complaining.” He leaned down and kissed me hard. “And they’re all yours now, so enjoy.”
I did. I put my hands on his pecs and traced them down those sexy, defined abs. “Not complaining, per se. Just observing.”
He laughed and those glorious muscles flexed under my hands.
“Jesus,” I murmured, and he laughed again.
“You should be used to them by now.” He kissed my neck before pushing back and settling himself on his knees between my legs. I’d never get used to them, and I’d certainly never stop appreciating them. I was already mourning the loss, but it wasn’t long before his lips were on my hip bone. He bit gently, and I forgot all about muscles when he moved lower and began to work me with his tongue and hands.
It didn’t take long, it never did, before I was calling his name and tightening around him. He let me come down before standing and taking off the rest of his clothes. He threw them behind him, and I laughed breathlessly.
“I’m a bad influence on you,” I said. “Neat freak.”
He grinned as he lowered himself on top of me, our bodies sinking into the cushy black couch. “Totally worth it.” And it was, especially when he shifted and slipped inside me.
We didn’t talk then, other than the occasional murmur of one another’s names between kisses. I glided my hands down his back, enjoying the feel of those muscles flexing as he moved. He touched my face softly, as if I were made of glass, and I got lost in his green gaze as we made love on the couch. Neither of us was in a hurry. We had all night to be together.
It was a long, slow build, but eventually I came and he followed shortly after. We lay joined for a while, his head on my shoulder, my hands in his hair, just being.
“I love this room,” I said.
Brad laughed and kissed my chin. “It’s my favorite. But now I think I should take you to bed.”
“Is that so, Mr. Reynolds? Haven’t you had enough?”
“Never.” He boosted himself before bending to pick me up and carry me into the bedroom. “But I actually meant to sleep so we can get an early start tomorrow. I want to enjoy my day off with you.”
“I like that.”
“What?” he asked as he lowered me onto the bed before climbing in next to me and pulling me against his chest.
“You carrying me around so effortlessly.”
His laugh rumbled through me. “Gotta put those muscles you’re so fond of to use.”
“Works for me,” I murmured.
“Me, too. I love you, Red.”
“Love you, too.” I closed my eyes and settled into him. Things like tooth brushing and whatnot could wait until later. I wanted to be in Brad’s arms for a while.
I must have dozed off, because when I woke, the muted glow of sunlight was sneaking through the curtains, and I was in bed alone. I pushed myself up and wandered into the bathroom to relieve myself and brush my teeth. I pulled on my black silk robe and followed the scent of coffee into the kitchen. Brad’s empty cup was already in the sink, so I filled my own and started to wander toward the office, where I thought he’d be, when there was a knock on the door.
Brad beat me to the door.
“Bradley, darling, how I’ve missed you.” The heavily accented, very husky female voice had my back up instantly, and I peered around the corner and froze. There was yet another blonde with her arms wrapped around my boyfriend, looking up at him like he was the most incredible guy in the world. Which he was. But he was mine.
I started to turn, to run away from this scene yet again, but this time I couldn’t. I remembered the way he’d looked at me last night, the words he’d said about loving me. How he’d maybe never stopped. And how I hadn’t stopped either. No. This time I wasn’t running. This blonde was going down.
Chapter 23
I must have made some kind of noise, perhaps a growl at the bitch having her perfectly manicured blood-red nails on my man’s sculpted chest, because they both turned and looked my way before I could even make a move to grab Blondie by her obviously dyed hair and toss her out of the room.
Instead of looking guilty, like I’d expected or maybe feared, Brad looked amused, his eyes sparkling and his trademark smirk on his face. Blondie was openly looking me up and down and must have found me lacking because her lips curved in what appeared to be a satisfied smile. I needed to knock it off her face.
“Good morning, Red.” Brad stepped back from the clinging woman and held out a hand for me. “Meet Karina. Karina, this is my girlfriend, Danielle.”
Weren’t we formal this morning? At least he had the decency to refer to me as his girlfriend. I was feeling slightly mollified. Karina’s smile stayed in place as she nodded at me.
“Delighted, I’m sure.”
I couldn’t place her accent. German, maybe? Either way, she was devastatingly gorgeous for it being so ridiculously early in the morning.
“I’m sorry to wake you. I’m on European time.” That explained it, though it didn’t make her any more welcome in my book.
“You hardly need to justify being here.”
I narrowed my eyes at Brad, whose lips twitched. Was he laughing at me? Did he think it was funny to walk into a room and find the person I loved with someone beyond beautiful wrapped in his arms? I could show him just how much fun it wasn’t, if he liked.
“This is your home, after all.”
I did a double take, and this time his laugh did break loose. My fingers balled into a fist but he wrapped his fingers around my hand and pulled me into his arms. “Damn, Red, what has you so fired up this morning?”
I struggled fruitlessly against his hold. “What kind of moronic question is that? I wake up to find you snuggling with some blonde? I don’t share.”
“Oh dear,” said the blonde. “Where did you find this one, and does she have a sister?”
Brad was shaking with laughter and Karina’s words penetrated my head. “What?”
“You have fire. I like that in a woman.”
Did she just lick her lips? I turned back to Brad, who was watching me with a very pleased smile.
“Brad, what is this?”
He looped his arms around my waist and pressed a kiss to my neck. “This, my presumptuous one, is Karina. I sublet this condo from her. I wanted to be in the city during the season, and she’s always circling the globe, so she let me move in and take care of it while she’s gone.”
Karina smiled and held out her hand to me. I shook it automatically while still trying to process how wrong I’d been.
“I do apologize,” she said. “I know Bradley gets up early, so I didn’t think I’d be disturbing anyone when I came by.” She took in my tousled appearance and shook her head. “Though I can’t begin to fathom why he’d answer the door at all with you looking like that.”
Dear God. I felt color flooding my cheeks and realized she was still holding my hand. When I read a situation wrong, I read a situation wrong. She looked like she wanted to eat me alive.
Brad laughed, seemingly unconcerned that his landlady wanted me. He probably liked it. Pervert. “I was just heading back to wake her up—in a much better way than this—when you appeared at the door. Wonderful timing, as usual.”
“Don’t let me interrupt. Why don’t you show us just what you had in mind?”
Dear God. I pulled my hand from her grasp and tugged at the ends of my robe. The damn thing was entirely too short, and Karina was apparently enjoying the view.
“I think I should go get dressed,” I muttered. Brad chuckled and tightened his grip on me as Karina shook her head.
“Oh please, not on my account! I really just came by for a moment to pick up a letter that got sent here by mistake. My contract for a catalog I’m to start shooting for in a few days.” So she was a model. Shocker. Though she obviously wasn’t one of Brad’s usual models, since she seemed to have eyes only for me.
“Stop checking out my girl, Rina. I put the package in the guest bedroom.”
“Surely you can’t blame me. You can’t stop touching her. You have marvelous skin, darling. What products do you use?”
I had no ability to wrap my head around this conversation this early in the morning, but I told her about my favorite brands of lotions and soaps. She smiled. “Not bad, but I can get you better. I’m the face of the Nu-Revolution line. I’ll get a case sent here for you.” I started to protest but she shook her head. “No, no, skin this lovely must be taken care of.” She traced a finger over my forearm. “Are you sure you don’t have a twin sister who likes experimentation? I’d ask you, but I think Bradley would whisk you away from me.”
“Damn right I would. Hands off my woman. Come on. Let’s get your package while Dani gets in the shower. We have plans.”
Right. I’d forgotten all about that when I’d come upon the two of them in the doorway. They chatted while I turned off into the bedroom and got in the shower. While I was washing, I went over the place my head had immediately gone when I’d seen them—back to Omaha and Blond Bailey and heartache. I’d been wrong this time. I might have been wrong that time. At least Brad seemed amused by my reaction. I didn’t think he’d be so amused when I told him about Omaha.
After I showered, I stepped into the bedroom to find Brad sitting on the bed. He raised an eyebrow as I walked to the dresser and pondered what to wear. “Where are we going?” I asked.
“Really? Is that all you have to say for yourself?”
There was an edge to his tone. I didn’t have a defense for my reaction, so I dropped my towel and hoped that would distract him. “I don’t know what to wear. Will you help me?”
I heard him moving, and I smiled as he pressed up against me from behind. “Do you think I don’t know what you’re doing?” he asked softly, nipping my ear.
I turned in his arms and slid my hands around his neck. “I thought you’d enjoy my distraction techniques.”
He smirked before reaching up and breaking my hold on him. “I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for them.” He pulled out a bra and panties and handed them to me before grabbing a T-shirt and shorts. “That’ll do.”
Well, fine then. I bent over in front of him and slowly pulled the panties up my legs, smiling when I heard him sigh behind me. “It’s not going to work.”
Now it was my turn to sigh, but I stopped teasing and pulled on the rest of my clothes. “Ready. Where are we going?”
“Nowhere until you tell me what that was all about.” I whirled around and saw that Brad was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking anything but relaxed.
“Nothing. I misinterpreted the situation, is all.”
“No shit you did. Why? Don’t you trust me?”
The million-dollar question. I wanted to, so badly. But I needed to get up the balls to ask him about Omaha, and I was so afraid of his answer.
“You have to admit it was a pretty damning sight,” I said. If there was an award for avoidance of the big issue, I’d win hands down.
He raised an eyebrow. “Me, hugging a friend?”