“You told me that last night.” He traced a small scar on her chin. It surprised him she would have dated the ass wipe. Robert was at least ten years older than her, probably more, completely off his rocker and a chauvinist to boot. But who was he to judge her for the past? He hadn’t exactly stuck to the straight and narrow.
“Hey.” He tugged her back down next to him. “It’s in the past. It doesn’t matter.” He pulled her against his chest and kissed her brow. And it didn’t. He wasn’t a saint, and expecting her to be one wasn’t fair.
Chapter Five
After Care: Taking care of your tattoo once you leave the shop. Includes the application of ointment, lotion or other care products. This plays a huge part in the quality and life of the tattoo.
“Do you want to get out of here and grab lunch?”
Pandora paused mid-stretch and stared at Brian, who sat watching. Her stomach dropped through the bed. She didn’t know what those words meant. Individually they weren’t an issue, but strung together and uttered by him, she didn’t know what to make of them.
If they went to lunch and prolonged whatever it was they were doing, she didn’t know if she could keep herself from falling for him. It was easy to like him, to pretend he was her hero, but the more time she spent around him, the more she believed it. Brian was hero material, and she wasn’t strong enough to resist him. She didn’t want to get addicted to him only to have him grow bored of her and leave her. Like her father had. She’d rather keep him as a dream than face the reality that she wasn’t good enough to hold his attention.
“Lunch?” she finally said. “I can’t.”
In that instant, she wanted to shrivel up and die. Who told their fantasy guy they were too busy for them?
His easy, relaxed expression hardened. Lines appeared on his brow and his lips thinned. “Oh.” Brian turned and swung his legs off the side of the bed. “I’m going to take a quick shower before checkout.”
“Okay,” she whispered, hugging the sheet to her chest.
Gnawing her lip, she watched him walk stiffly into the bathroom. This wasn’t how she’d imagined leaving. In her mind, they had a good time and kissed goodbye. Granted, she hadn’t exactly planned things out to start with, but she had a choice.
Sitting up, she pulled his shirt off and tossed it on the bed. It was the only piece of clothing she’d bothered with since he’d undressed her.
Pushing open the bathroom door, she stepped into a cloud of mist and closed it behind her. Padding across the cold tiles, she pulled the curtain aside. Brian stood with his back to her and his head bent into the spray.
As she climbed into the tub, her foot squelched.
His head whipped around, ruining her surprise.
Mustering a smile despite the stab of uncertainty, she let the curtain fall back into place behind her.
“Hey. Mind if I join you?”
He turned in place while his gaze crawled down her body. Judging from his expression, despite her poor attempt at figuring out an exit strategy, he was still interested in her. At least physically. Her nipples perked up at the inspection. She was glad she’d encroached on his shower. This was how she should say goodbye.
Encouraged by his interest, she stepped toward him, only to be captured by his arms wrapping around her waist. She squealed as he plastered her body against his. Nerves washed away, she smiled and lifted her face to his, but he didn’t kiss her.
His hands slid down her back, pressing her closer.
“I didn’t want to leave you alone in here,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He held her steady and walked her backward. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Her back hit the freezing tiled wall. She gasped as Brian pried her arms from around his neck and held her hands above her head. The spray of water hit his shoulders and splashed into her face.
As she stared up into his gaze, her heart beat in double time, but not from fear. She watched him with wide eyes, waiting for some nibbling sensation of panic, but there was nothing about the way Brian restrained her or forced her to do what he wanted that scared her. Instead, she arched her back and rubbed her breasts against his chest.
His hands dropped to her ass, grinding their sexes together. The hard ridge of his cock slid against her lower belly. Instead of feeling trapped, she was turned-on.
Wiggling out of his grasp, she reached for his cock, but he caught her wrist and pushed it back up.
“Keep them there.” The glint in his eye meant business.
She grinned at him and this strange freedom from fear, and twisted her hands above her head, grasping a towel rack. She’d never admit it out loud, but his growled commands stroked her libido.
He braced his hands on the side of the tub and slowly lowered himself to his knees. She didn’t miss the way he winced. Now that she knew how much he’d fought to be able to use his leg, she wasn’t going to stop him. He pushed her thigh up, balancing her foot on the edge of the tub.
He grinned as he exposed her hidden tattoo again. Leaning forward, he kissed it. She shivered and closed her eyes. The water pounded against her breasts and the back of Brian’s head as he buried his face between her thighs. His thumbs slid through her folds over and over again, teasing her while he nipped her clit. She jerked at each pass and flexed her hands around the rack above her head.
“Brian,” she said between clenched teeth.
He lifted his head. “Yes? Did you want something?”
Rolling her eyes, she was prevented from answering by Brian thrusting his fingers into her pussy. She gasped and flexed her toes, wanting to wrap her legs and arms around him, feel his slick skin.
“You like that.” He bent to it again, this time licking her clit and twisting his fingers.
She could come like this, it wouldn’t take much more. He played her body as if she were one of his guitars. He knew the difference between a touch and a stroke, and varied between the two. Which was why she was rocking back and forth on her feet, a second away from slipping and busting her ass.
Digging her hand into his hair, she dared his wrath. “Brian.” She tugged as his lips flexed around her clit. Her grip slipped as she moaned.
“Something wrong?”
She shook her head and sucked in a breath. “Bed. Please?”
He looked to be considering it for a moment. Why a man would have to consider sex with a willing woman was beyond her. She almost growled at him.
He nipped her thigh. “Go get on the bed.”
She jumped at the contact and did as she was told on rubbery legs, grabbing a towel to dry off hastily. The air conditioner was blowing chilly air into the room, a stark contrast from the moist heat of the bathroom. She shuddered and her teeth chattered as she scrambled onto the bed.
The box of condoms they’d bought from the gift shop earlier sat on the bedside table. She grabbed one out and tore the wrapper open as the bed shifted under her from his weight.
Looking over her shoulder, Brian pulled her back flush against his body.
“I’ll take that.” He plucked the condom from her hands and rolled it on, bumping her ass as he went. When she tried to turn to face him, he planted a hand on her stomach, keeping her on her side. “Stay there.”
A shiver stole up her spine from the rasp of his day-old beard on her neck. She twisted her face to watch him and got a kiss in return. He guided her thigh up and back over his.
Reaching down, she grasped his cock before he could and pressed it to her pussy, sliding it between her folds. Brian thrust, hissing in her ear. Tilting her hips, she positioned him at her entrance and closed her eyes as he pushed into her. She held her breath as he sank slowly into her slick channel, withdrawing slightly only to thrust again. His slow, leisurely strokes gained force as he worked deeper and deeper while his hand snaked between her thighs to continue to ratchet her desire up a few more notches.
Though she couldn’t force him to move faster or control the thrusts, she reached around to knead his ass. The strokes on her clit became more forceful and frantic. Her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow. She felt the scrape of his mouth, no, of Brian’s teeth on her shoulder. His grunts mixed with her mindless cries as she became a knot of needy want. His fingers massaged her clit and she was a goner. Ecstasy washed over her and her inner muscles clamped down as he continued his relentless thrust and retreat.
Her body still fluttered in post-orgasm bliss when Brian pushed her onto her stomach and forced her knees wider. Pandora struggled to get a fistful of the sheet to anchor herself in place. Arching her back, she looked over her shoulder, watching him as he grasped her hips with bruising force and thrust back into her. Little sparks of sensation erupted with each thrust. She could feel his dick twitch, his thighs clench seconds before he groaned his release and collapsed, partially on top of her.
She could get used to this, which was a bad thing since it was about to end.
* * * * *
Brian tugged Pandora’s stocking up her thigh and stared at the fastenings on the garters.
“Um, I have no idea how this works.”
She laughed and propped her foot up on the bed next to his hip. If he didn’t need to leave, this could go someplace interesting. “Here, the stocking goes between these pieces and, voila.”
He shook his head and bent to press a kiss to the skin above her stocking.
Looking up at her was like looking at a dream. One he’d harbored, despite it being a little weird, and now that he was older, it was also a little chauvinistic. But he wanted to be her hero.
“What?” Her smile wavered as she switched legs and handed him the other stocking.
“It stinks that I’m going out of town.” He sighed, turned the stocking right side out and held it to her toes.
“Yeah? Some big trip planned?” She took over tugging the stocking into place and attaching the suspenders. He enjoyed watching her dress, even if he couldn’t work a garter belt.
He couldn’t keep his hands to himself. He glided one up her calf, annoyed at the fishnets that ruined the smoothness of her skin. She needed some of the smooth stockings, ones that were as soft as she was.
“Kind of. I’m going to go visit the guys’ families. All except for Ike’s. His parents live here but they won’t speak to me.” It hurt that the family that had been like his own resented him for surviving. He’d come to terms with it, but sometimes he found he was still bitter.
Pandora cupped his face, forcing him to look up at her. She swiped her thumbs across his cheeks.
“It’s their loss,” she said softly.
He grasped her hips and pulled her close enough he could brush a kiss over the leopard spots that peeked out from the cups of her bra. He didn’t want this to be over. He wanted more than fucking out of their minds in a hotel.
“You’re going to go visit them?” she prompted him. She’d listened to him patiently, already knew his tells for wanting to say something.
Nodding, he pulled her down to sit across his lap. Her hair was wet and pinned up on top of her head, the makeup long gone. She looked more like the girl he’d first met. He liked who she’d become. He might not like how she got there, but he couldn’t help that. When he hadn’t gone back or tried to contact her, he’d made a mistake, but he planned on trying to fix that.
Absently he reached up and brushed his fingers across her face. The stud that floated between her lip and nose in the crease of her laugh line was rough against his finger. How he’d mistaken it for a mole, he’d never know.
“Yeah. I’m going to fly to Colorado and spend a week out in Boulder. Then I’m renting a car and driving to Salt Lake City. There are a few places along the way I’m going to stop and see some old friends, tie up loose ends kind of things. Spend a week in Salt Lake, then fly to Chicago, spend a few days there. Fly to New York and back here.”
She propped her elbow on his shoulder and pushed her hand through his hair. It was getting longer, not that he’d ever let it grow out again, but her fingers in his hair felt nice. “Racking up the frequent flier miles?”
“Yeah, this month I am, but after that not for a long time.” He licked his lips and studied her eyes. He could count on one hand the number of people he’d seen with gray eyes, and hers were the most memorable. “Would it be cool if I called you, every now and then, while I’m on the road? I like talking to you.”
Her eyes fluttered wide, treating him to the full impact of her smoky gaze. “Um, sure. Do you have my phone number?”
“Cool. No, but I want it.” He grinned and kissed her. He’d have to bide his time while he visited family and friends, but when he came back all bets were off.
* * * * *
Brian pulled the curtain aside and stared out at the Rocky Mountains. Good things had always happened in Boulder, Colorado, and he hoped that just because the guys were gone that hadn’t changed. He’d planned this memorial trip across the country during his first therapy session. At the time, it had become a target, he wanted to be able to walk onto a plane under his own control and fly the first leg of the trip.
He’d made it this far.
Flipping open his wallet, he pulled out his good luck charm. It had been folded and handled so many times it was yellow with age, but the laminate protected it from further damage. He missed the feel of the grain under his fingers but he’d needed to preserve it. The blooming flower was almost unrecognizable from so many swipes of his fingers, but he knew what it was.
From across the room, his phone rang. Grabbing the cane, he limped over to retrieve it, relieved when he glimpsed the Caller ID.
“Hey, Adam. Thanks for calling me back.” He hobbled to the bed and sank down. He’d overtaxed his leg romping with Pandora and was paying the price.
“Brian, hey man. No problem. What’s going on?”
He cleared his throat. While he’d known Adam when he was a teen, and before the band hit it big, he hadn’t kept in touch until after the accident. Even then it had been a fluke. “Sorry to bother you, but I had another professional question I wanted to ask you.”