Chapter 13
Brycen
The momentI’d entered the sanctuary of Jana’s bedroom, I never wanted to leave. The deep bluish indigo of her walls was offset by light blues and purples in her bedding, mixed with some gray accent pieces of furniture like the chaise lounge by her bedroom window, which I presumed she used to read in, judging by the piled books accompanied by an e-reader on the side table next to it.
Beyond that, her scent was everywhere, and it drove my libido into a tailspin.
Not now, creeper. Just put her to bed and get the fuck out.
Approaching her bed, I bent to lower her to her mattress, but when I made to let her go, Jana nuzzled into my neck and only tightened her hold.
“Stay,” she whispered in slumber.
“I wouldn’t dream of leaving,” I whispered back, thinking she’d finally let go, and I’d be able to maybe tackle a few more things for her in the kitchen, or simply leave it be for the night, settling on the couch long enough for me to fall into slumber—crick in the neck be damned.
“No, stay,” she said with a bit more conviction to her words. “Bed…with me.”
Fuck, she was killing me. So sweet and innocent had been her request, yet my dick thought it was an opportune time to fly its freak flag at full mast.
Looking toward the door, feeling torn between being honorable on a couch made for shorties, or doing so in a large comfy bed with her warm body next to mine, I chose the latter.
“Okay, sweetheart, but we need to get you under these covers,” I told her.
Once she’d let go of me, I went to work, pulling back the blankets from one side of the bed, then repositioning her. Heading to the side closest to the door, I emptied my pockets onto her dresser, removed my socks and belt, stopping there. Getting into Jana’s bed, alongside her, I settled onto my side, facing the woman who’d been at the forefront of my mind since we’d met.
It wasn’t until I felt Jana move in closer, where the crown of her head snuggled against my chin, did I fade into slumber.
Jana
So hot. Why is it so fucking hot?I wondered to myself.
As I slowly became aware of my surroundings, I could feel the warmth of a body snuggled the length of the back of mine, but I instinctively knew who it was, and I melted.
He stayed.
Yes, I remembered having made that request when he’d been so sweet the night before to carry me to my bed instead of waking me. And instinctively, I knew he’d ensured Mom had been taken care of before taking care of me. It was just the type of man Brycen Matthews was.
Refusing to give in to full wakefulness—I wanted to relish in the sensation of being wrapped in his arms, if only for a little while longer—I made to snuggle backward, impossibly closer to my bedmate.
It wasn’t until I heard the man groan, then thrust gently against my ass that I realized what I’d done.
Arms tightened around my torso, bringing me close enough that air couldn’t pass between Brycen and me before he spoke.
“Don’t. Move.”
The sound of his sleep-roughened voice had me shivering, and I subconsciously rubbed my legs together to quell the heat building between my thighs.
This can’t be happening.
But it was.
“Fu-uck,” he groaned, “I said, don’t move.” He delivered a brief kiss to the back of my shoulder, making me realize that the contact had been skin to skin.
It wasn’t until Brycen’s teeth grazed the skin he’d gently pressed his lips to that I began to wonder how in the hell I had ended up topless.
Not shirtless.
Not in a bra and underwear, and I knew the latter were still on. Thank God!
Topless!
As soon as my faculties were on an even keel, that’s when my body went rigid.
“Relax, sweetheart,” he rumbled into the back of my neck. “I didn’t see anything.” He groaned as I melted into him, despite my apprehension. “And I haven’t touched anything,” came out in a growl that told me it had taken a hell of a lot of self-restraint on his part to keep his large hands off me.
The warm palm that held me fast to him started to slide away and I found myself instantly dreading the pending loss of his heat—the feel of him.
“No, don’t,” I whispered, biting my bottom lip to evade the moan that wanted to creep up. “I-I?—”
“You must have stripped during the night,” he explained, staying where he was. “I swear, we went to sleep with all our clothes on. But I’m not going to say I regret this predicament we’re in, sweetheart.” Another graze of his teeth over my shoulder had me shuddering. “Ever since that first night, when you told me you slept in the buff, I’ve wondered what it would be like to hold you just like this.”
“Please tell me you’re not naked,” I blurted softly.
“No.” He paused, then chuckled. “I got up around two this morning and went to check on your mom. I put a call in with Tate to make sure all was good.” The hand that held me to him began a soothing tickle over my abdomen. “I came back and stripped down to my underwear because, babe, you’re a veritable furnace when you’re knocked out.” I couldn’t help the short giggle that escaped. “I didn’t realize, until after I’d snuck back under the covers, and you burrowed against me, that somehow, your clothes had disappeared in the time I’d left your room.”
“Well, that explains it,” I mumbled, then made to roll over to my back, ensuring that sheets stayed tucked around my bare boobs.
Brycen shifted to give me the necessary room, his palm never leaving my midsection while it left a path of heat in its wake as it traveled to my waist.
My pulse skyrocketed the moment our eyes met. Spotting Brycen’s throat undulating as he swallowed, it was clear I wasn’t the only one affected.
Sporting a shy grin, I led with, “Good morning.”
Dark brown eyes deepened to rich dark chocolate pools as the man rested his head in the hand of his opposite arm, propping him just so he hovered slightly above me. Smirking, he rumbled, “Good morning, indeed.” Expression sobering, albeit tinted with subtle nuances of concern, he added, “How’d you sleep?”
Refusing to give in to the despair I’d felt last night, I uttered a simple, “Better than okay,” and lifted a hand to touch the chest on display before me like my fingers itched to do.
Brycen’s breath hitched as my skin made contact with the taut golden expanse of his.
Yeah, he was definitely as affected by this turn of events as I was.
The man’s eyes closed, and his face warred with notes of pain and enjoyment. When his lids lifted, an untamed wildfire could be seen in his irises, and I knew things had not only shifted, but they’d changed entirely.
Brycen
Chivalry died the moment her tiny hand smoothed over my chest. It wasn’t an attempt to be sexy or provocative. Hell, it hadn’t been what I would consider an inviting gesture, but every notion in me to keep things simple between us went out the proverbial window.
“Jana,” I warned, squeezing my hand at her hip, attempting to read her eyes. When her tongue escaped to moisten her lips, my brain fizzled out. “Fuck it.”
Slamming my mouth to hers, I plundered, and I pillaged what she was willing to give.
Fingers feathered aggressively through the hair at the back of my head, and Jana offered me a moan, which I inhaled. The simple taste of the skin on her shoulder upon waking had done nothing to glean what the dark sweetness of her mouth and tongue would hold. And tasting her then still felt like it wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t be until I’d tasted all of her.
That’s why I slowed things down, pulling away slowly before we did something we’d both regret.
Dropping my forehead to her shoulder, I attempted to breathe away the urge to consume her.
“Brycen,” Jana panted, “did I— Did I do something wrong?”
On a huffed laugh, I quelled her worries. “Shit, woman, you do everything right.” I lifted my head so our eyes connected. “That’s part of the problem. My problem, not yours, sweetheart.” Her furrowed brows had me spilling more. “Babe.” I pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “I’m trying to be patient, professional, and a friend all at once. I’m not sure it’s wise to be more than that right now. Something tells me you’re not ready for it, with all that’s happening.”
Jana
Ever been told you couldn’t have something and claimed to accept it? It always led to craving it more, didn’t it? Even when it was the most rational conclusion.
Well, that’s where I was.
Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
So, there I was, standing in my kitchen, trying to make sense of where some of the boxes that had been stacked in the kitchen had disappeared to when yesterday’s mail on the island piqued my curiosity.
Sorting through the small number of envelopes, I opened those I recognized as bills that would need to be paid, and sorted the stuff qualifying as junk, dumping the latter in the recycling bin, which was tucked away by the entry to the garage door.
Hearing Mom in the bathroom reminded me I had breakfast to get ready, so I headed for the fridge to inspect what I had to work with. The rest of the mail could wait.
“Hey, Mom,” I said as I opened her bedroom door to see if she would be joining me for breakfast and stopped dead in my tracks, my brows reaching my hairline in surprise at what I saw. “What’s going on?” I asked, putting a hand on my hip. “I wanted to check to see if you wanted to join me for breakfast like yesterday.”
“Good morning, sweetheart,” she greeted with a beaming smile. “Actually, I’ve already eaten. Jason’s getting me out of the house today. We figured we’d do some groceries, and maybe stop in at that pub you mentioned, and order a little something to bring home to you for lunch.”
Mother and son grinned at one another. I didn’t miss the conniving little glimmer in her eyes either, which told me today was going to be a good day. One where the Mom of old was creeping through the somber cracks of her reality.
Eyeing my brother, I couldn’t remember hearing or seeing anything out of place that indicated he had come home last night, so instead of going with our current topic of conversation, I answered with a question of my own.
“When did you get home?”
“Around the same time someone left for work this morning,” he answered, his gaze assessing before he turned to our mother. “You ready, Ma?”
“You make sure she’s telling you the truth when you ask her if she’s exhausted,” I told him. “And thanks for looking after the food situation. Don’t forget her mask.”
“No prob, sis,” Jason wrapped one of Mom’s arms around his elbow and ushered them toward her bedroom door, both pausing to kiss my cheek before moving past me. “Enjoy the quiet.”
About two hours later, I was danced out, the floors were shining, and I’d managed to finish what was left of my kitchen organization project.
Upon further investigation, it looked as though Brycen had made himself more than useful after he’d left me and Mom together last night. Spotting the subtlety of things being shifted around, reorganized in such a way that made things easier to be spotted and reached had left me smiling. Some cabinets had been so neatly tidied that I had entire shelves left empty.
The man was magic.
In more ways than one, yet you won’t let yourself yield to his sexy ass,my subconscious reminded me for the umpteenth time.
Even though I had no interest in a relationship, I had to admit, Brycen had me thinking. Somehow, with Brycen Matthews, the idea of us being together didn’t seem like it would be a hardship in the least.
“Until he decides to leave you for some other hot number,” I mumbled, forcing me to remember the disaster that had been my last relationship as a ping came from my phone.
Grabbing it from the counter, I unlocked the screen to discover my brother had sent me a message. Taking the device with me to the living room couch, I sat and answered his latest burning question.
Jay:
So, what’s the deal with you and that Brycen guy? BTW, we’re now waiting for our lunch order, then Mom and I will be back.
Hurry up, bro, my insides are eating themselves!
And nothing’s going on. He’s being a good friend, is all.
Jay:
He’s got it bad for you. Be careful, sis.
Oh, for fuck’s sake!
I’m a grown woman, brother. I know what I’m doing.
Jay:
Not you, it’s him I’m worried about.
After what I saw on his face this morning, it’s him getting hurt that concerns me. I know you’re tough as nails, sis.
Before I could text back, Jason’s next message popped up.
Order’s ready. GTG.
Before I could respond, my phone rang with an unknown number, and because I was preoccupied with thoughts of Brycen, and what my brother had said about the man, I hit the button to connect the call instead of sending it to voicemail.
“’Lo?”
Nothing.
Then deep breathing.
“Hello?” I beckoned, my nerves beginning to stand on end.
Something that sounded like rattling came through, and panic welled within me. Enough that I rushed to my feet and started for the security alarm panel by the front door as I said, “Anyone there?”
Alarm deactivated, the rattling on the other side of the line continued with mixed choking sounds, followed by what sounded like that of wet impact. Horror bloomed to life once more.
“Please say something,” I pleaded as I turned the deadbolt to the front door and yanked it open. I wasn’t sure who was next on NSI’s watch duty roster, and I didn’t care. Any of them would be more than competent.
When Cade ran up from down the street, I stopped and felt the tremors take hold of my body. “Please,” I whispered. “Who is this?”
The man came to a stop in front of me just as a voice akin to a robot said, “I did it for you, Jana Elway.” The line went dead as I simultaneously lost my grip on it—and reality.