Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
brADY
I don’t have to worry about dying in the arena after being thrown off a pissed-off bull because this woman, right here and right now, is going to kill me. She’s lying on my bed, that beautiful blonde hair falling out of her fancy twist, my earrings sparkling on her ears, her blue eyes shining in the low light of the lamp, and don’t even get me started on her lips.
Those lips, all pink and swollen from my kisses, are parted, and her tongue darts out to lightly lick her lower lip.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Abs.”
She’s soaked where my dick rests against her, and I want to slide in hard and claim her. I want to ruin her for all other men.
But I also don’t want to hurt her.
“Brady,” she breathes, her hand running down my torso.
I lean in and kiss her, unable to resist those pretty pink lips, and move my hips back and forth, slipping through her folds.
But I’m still not where I want to be: buried so deep inside of her that we don’t know where I end and she begins.
“Now,” she whispers against my jawline. “Please.”
I lean up a bit, and her hand slips between us, wrapping around my shaft, and I suck in a breath through my teeth as she guides me to her. Nothing can stop me from inching my way in, a little at a time, watching her face as she takes me so well.
“God, baby, you’re so damn tight.”
She purrs, fucking purrs , and digs her nails into my back, and I know without a doubt that I’m right.
She’s going to end me. Right here, right now.
But what a damn fine way to go.
I take one of her hands in mine, kiss her fingers, and then press it over her head against the bed, holding her there as we find our rhythm, gazes locked. The room is buzzing with energy as we climb, reaching for a climax that’s way closer than I’d intended.
But I can’t hold back with her.
“You’re incredible,” I tell her, dragging my nose against hers.
“No,” she breathes, her voice hitching when I grind against her. “ You are.”
I smile and pick up the tempo, and she moans long and low as her walls clench around me, contracting with her climax.
“That’s it, Blue Eyes. Let go. Let me feel you come on my cock.”
I can’t hold back. With a growl of my own, I rock into her while my world shatters around me.
After a moment, when I’ve managed to take a breath and reassure myself that I haven’t actually died by orgasm, I lift my head and smile down at her, releasing her hand. She cups my face and kisses me as we roll to our sides, still linked.
I’m not ready to let go of that incredible connection.
But, finally, Abbi sighs and rolls away, pads into the bathroom, and I also get up to deal with the condom and clean myself up a bit.
When she returns to the bedroom, she’s not shy at all about climbing onto the bed and crooks a finger at me.
“I have questions,” she says, making my eyebrows climb in surprise.
“I will answer them if I can.” I join her and pull her against me, covering us up with the blankets, and she sighs as she settles against my chest. God, it feels good to have her wrapped around me. “What do you want to know?”
I kiss her hair as she drags her fingertips up and down my chest.
“You have a lot of scars, Brady.” She leans back so she can look up at me. “Like, a lot. ”
“Probably more than the average guy, yeah.” I smile, but she doesn’t lose the concerned look in those beautiful baby blues. “Would you like a rundown on what’s what?”
“Kind of,” she admits. “I mean, I know that bull riding is dangerous, but I’ve never been to an arena. I’ve never been to a rodeo. Hell, I’ve never even ridden a horse. I don’t know what the dangers really are, aside from the worst-case scenario you told me about a few weeks ago.”
She cups my cheek, and I turn my mouth so I can kiss her palm. I don’t ever want her anywhere near an arena.
“This one,” I say softly and guide her fingertips to the long scar over my right pectoral muscle. “It was my second year professionally riding. I fell wrong, tore the skin open.”
She swallows hard, and I kiss her forehead.
“What else?” she whispers after she leans over to press a kiss to the scar, making butterflies come to life in my belly.
“You want the whole list?”
“Yep.” She sits up, drawing the covers up over her breasts. “Give it to me, Cowboy.”
“Oh, I’ll give it to you.”
She laughs and shoves my shoulder. “Focus. This first, then you can give me the good stuff.”
“Ah, incentive. Now we’re talking. Well, the shoulder you just shoved has been dislocated twice.”
She gasps, and I shake my head.
“You’re fine. You don’t have to be gentle with me.”
Abbi leans in and kisses my shoulder. “What else?”
“Too many concussions to count.”
“Don’t you wear a helmet?”
I press my lips together and then shrug. “No. It’s not required. Honestly, studies have shown that with this sport, the helmet doesn’t prevent the concussion. You have to learn not to land on your head when you fall.”
“Can you even control that?”
“Not really.” I grin at her, wondering how much I should really tell her because it might freak her out a bit, and I don’t want to add to her anxiety.
“Don’t get apprehensive on me,” she says, as if she can read my mind. “Tell me.”
“Okay, I’ve had six broken ribs, not all at the same time.”
She bends over and kisses my torso, and my dick has decided to get in on this action.
“Liver laceration.”
“God, Brady,” she whispers and kisses under my breastbone. “I don’t know where your liver is, so this is close enough.”
I grin at her. Jesus, she’s beautiful.
“I’ve broken both hands.” She lifts each one, kissing them. “And I ripped my knee apart a few years ago.”
She shakes her head as she pulls the covers off of me and leans in to press her lips to the knee sporting the scar.
This turn of her body lifts her ass in the air, and I don’t miss the opportunity to cup it, let my fingertips brush over her slit, and she lets out a gasp but doesn’t pull away.
“We’re not done,” she says breathlessly.
“That’s close enough,” I reply and push onto my knees, moving behind her, keeping her ass in the air. “You have the most perfect ass I’ve ever seen, Abs.”
“Right. It’s the size of two asses.”
And with that, I smack one cheek, hard enough to leave a little pink on the skin, and Abbi sits up and stares back at me.
“You did not just hit me.”
“I spanked you.” I pull her face in for a kiss. “Keep talking shit about your amazing body, and I’ll keep spanking you. Ball’s in your court, Blue Eyes.”
Those eyes narrow on me, and then she shrugs and pats me on the cheek.
“As long as it’s just spanking, we’re fine.”
“I will never touch you in anger.”
“Good. Now, where were we?” She leans onto her elbows, that ass in the air. “Ah, yes, right here.”
I lean over for a condom, but I toss it onto the bed and instead spread her lips with my thumbs and bury my face in her.
“Ah, shit,” she moans as I lick and nibble. I sink my tongue inside of her, fucking her, and I can feel her start to quake around me.
But I want to feel her come on my dick, so I roll the condom on and then push inside of her, making us both moan.
“So good.” She swallows hard and glances back at me. “It’s almost too good.”
I fucking love the way she pushes back against me, as if she can’t get enough, and I reach around to circle her clit with my finger, making her start to lose it again.
“That’s it, baby. Let go.”
She buries her face in a pillow and cries out, pushing against me as I grip her hips and come with her, unable to hold back any longer.
This time, after we clean up and collapse back onto the bed, we fall asleep almost immediately.
Abbi’s still asleep as I creep into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and find my phone in last night’s trousers. It’s not quite seven, but that means that it’s nine on the East Coast, and I need to make a call.
The same call that I make every year, on the morning of New Year’s Day.
After pouring a cup of the brew, I sit on the couch and press dial. Two rings later, she answers.
“Happy New Year, Brady.”
“Hey, Amy. Happy New Year. Were you guys up too late last night like the rest of the world?”
“No,” she says with a laugh. “I slept through the ball dropping. Sierra spent the night with some friends. How are things in Montana?”
I glance out the window and see that we got about six new inches of snow last night.
“It’s white,” I tell her with a grin. “And cold. And how about North Carolina?”
“No snow here, and the ocean looks pretty calm right now.” After her husband passed, Amy moved herself and Sierra back to her hometown in North Carolina. “Brady, I have some news that I need to share with you, and I don’t want you to be upset.”
I narrow my eyes, still watching the snow. “Okay. What’s up?”
“I’m getting married. I got engaged on Christmas Day.”
Well, that hits like a punch to the gut, but I shouldn’t be surprised. Amy is young and beautiful, and she shouldn’t be alone forever.
“Congratulations.”
She’s quiet for a moment.
“Who’s the lucky guy?” I ask, trying to lighten the tension that’s suddenly between us.
“His name is Hugh. He’s a real estate agent here in town, and I met him through friends. He’s a good man, Brady. You and Dirks would have liked him. He thinks the world of Sierra, and she loves him, too.”
“Good.” I clear my throat, nodding even though she can’t see me. “That’s good, Amy. Dirks would want this for both of you.”
She sniffles on the other end. “I know, but that doesn’t make me feel like I’m betraying him any less. Even though my therapist has told me over and over again that I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“You’re not,” I agree gently. “Honey, he’s been gone for more than six years. We’ll always miss him, but you can’t stay where you were six years ago. You can’t live in that grief for the rest of your life. You deserve so much better than that.”
“Shit, I should have paid you instead of a therapist.”
I laugh at that and wish that I could give her a hug. “I hope I get an invitation.”
“Duh. Actually, you know my daddy passed away a few years ago, and I don’t have any brothers. Brady, would you walk me down the aisle?”
Well, hell. I didn’t have getting choked up on my Bingo card for today, but here we are.
“Of course. You name the time and place, and I’ll be there. I’m honored you asked me. Plus, it’s time I saw my goddaughter. Two years have gone by fast.”
“She’ll love it.” Now she has a smile in her voice. “And, you know, if you have a date to bring…”
I chuckle and glance down the hall toward the bedroom. “Actually, I just might.”
“Brady Wild, you’re holding out on me!”
“Hey, you got engaged a week ago, and I’m just now finding out about it.”
“Okay, that’s fair. Tell me about her. Send me pictures.”
I spend ten minutes filling Amy in, and when I’m done, she sighs, obviously envisioning a Hallmark romance in her head.
“And now, you’re snowed in at your tiny cabin, wasting time with an old friend when she’s in your bed, pining for you.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s quite accurate, but okay. Anyway, I’m having a few bad moments of my own over here. I have no business starting something with her.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I’m not retired.” I blow out a breath. “Although, this will be my last season. But you know how I feel about starting a relationship with someone, Amy. I won’t do to Abbi what happened to you and Sierra.”
“Good. Don’t do that. Zero out of ten stars, do not recommend. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start a relationship with her. Weren’t you the one just lecturing me on not living in my grief?”
“Number one, it wasn’t a lecture . Number two, it’s not the same thing at all, and you know it.”
“Nope, I don’t know it. I’m going to tell you right now that you’re wrong , Brady Wild. You and I know that life can change in the blink of an eye. You’re stupid to pass on happiness because of what-ifs. Promise me you won’t do that. If she’s the one for you, and you’re crazy about her, you hang on to her. And you bring her here so I can meet her and her amazing daughter. Send me photos. Hell, I might get impatient and have to bring Sierra and Hugh out there to ride some horses.”
“You’re always welcome to come here,” I remind her. “I hope this is the best year of your life, Amy. You deserve it more than anyone I know.”
“Right back at you, Brady. We’ve both earned it. Now, I’m going to go out to breakfast with my fiancé , and I’ll have Sierra call you later.”
“Sounds good. Take care.”
“Bye.”
I hang up and let out a long breath before sipping my tepid coffee. I sit in the silence for a while before getting up to stoke the fire, and then I pad down the hallway, fresh cup of coffee in hand, and open the bedroom door to check on Abbi.
She turns over in the bed and smiles at me sleepily. “Hey.”
“Good morning. I think I got your coffee right. I’ll do better next time.”
She sits up and takes a sip, closing her eyes. “You did great this time. Thanks. I thought I heard you talking to someone out there.”
“Yeah, I call Amy every year on New Year’s morning. We talk sporadically during the year, but this has been a tradition since Dirks died.”
“Oh, I like that tradition.” She smiles and sips, and I reach out to tuck her hair behind her ear. “How is she?”
“She’s great, actually. She got engaged on Christmas.”
“Oh, wow, that’s awesome.” Abbi looks almost as excited as if she got engaged herself, and I can’t help but lean over to kiss her lips. “How did you take the news?”
“I was a little surprised, but I’m really happy for her. She deserves happiness. She asked me to walk her down the aisle.”
“Holy shit. I hope you said yes.”
“Of course, I did.” I take the coffee from her and take a sip of my own. “Now, what would you like to do today?”
“For starters, I need to call and check in with your mom and see how Daisy’s doing. I have no idea where my phone is.”
I laugh and stand, passing the coffee back to her. “I’ll go look for it.”
Her purse is on the floor just inside the doorway where she dropped it last night when I couldn’t take my lips off of her, so I pick it up and take it to her.
“Thanks. It also occurs to me that the only clothes I have is that dress, unless I want to wear this sheet like a toga.”
“Togas are coming back in.”
She smacks my arm and pulls her phone out of her purse.
“No messages or calls, so that’s a good sign,” she says as she taps the screen and then holds the phone up, and it starts to ring on speakerphone.
“Hello, dear,” my mom says in greeting.
“Hi, Joy. Good morning and happy New Year. How’s Daisy today?”
“Oh, she’s great. She’s watching cartoons with Holly and Johnny. Do you want to speak to her?”
“Sure, just for a moment.”
There’s some rustling around and then Daisy’s voice comes out of the phone. “Hi, Mama! I’m having so much fun! We made homemade pizza last night, and today, we had bacon and eggs from eggs that we collected out of the backyard , from chickens! And Grandma made fresh bread for toast. And now we’re watching TV, and Grandma told us that we can stay again tonight. Can I?”
“Uh,” Abbi looks a little stunned at the turn of events. “I’m glad you’re having so much fun, baby, but I should talk to Joy about another night.”
“You can totally talk to her. Okay, bye, Mom! Love you!” The phone is passed, and my mom comes back on the line.
“She’s such a happy child,” Mom says with a chuckle. “I just love her to pieces. Like she said, it’s fine with us if the kids stay another night. I think John is going to take them down to the barn to ride around on a pony, and I thought I’d have them help me make some homemade pasta this afternoon.”
“Are you sure ?” Abbi asks before biting her lip. “I’m happy to come get her.”
“I’m sure,” Mom says. “She’s not a bother at all. We love her. You have a fun day, and don’t worry about a thing. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Well, okay. Thanks, Joy.”
“You’re welcome. Tell my son I said hello.”
“Hi, Ma.” I laugh as Abbi turns bright red. “Have a good day.”
“Love you, Bubba,” Mom says, calling me the name she’s used since I was a toddler, and then ends the call.
“Your mom knows that I’m here,” Abbi says in a loud whisper.
I glance around the room and then back at her. “Why are we whispering?”
“I don’t know, but your mom knows. And that means your dad must know. Holy shit.”
Now I’m laughing my ass off and fall over on the bed, holding my stomach. “We’re adults, Abs. And everyone saw us leave last night. I couldn’t keep my hands off you.”
“Oh, my God,” she groans, throwing her arm over her eyes. “And now, I don’t have any clothes, and I’m going to have to do the walk of shame out of here with last night’s dress on.”
“Whoa.” That has me sobering, and I crawl over her, pinning her to the mattress. “No shame here, Blue Eyes. We are two consenting adults with a babysitter. If it makes you feel better, I’ll run you into town so you can change your clothes and grab another change for tomorrow.”
“My car is still at Erin’s house.”
“We can work out the details.” I can’t resist leaning down to nibble those enticing lips. “Later.”