Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
~JOSIE~
“ I thought about offering to wash your back,” Brax says as I walk into the bedroom after my shower. I’m wearing one of his old Metallica tees and nothing else as I slip between the crisp sheets in his bed. “But by the time I changed the sheets, you were pretty much done.”
“You’re doing too much, too fast,” I warn him as he pulls me over to his side and cuddles me close. “You should still be taking it easy, Brax.”
“I’m not running any marathons,” he says and kisses my forehead. His hand slides up and down my arm, and I can’t help but let my eyes drift closed and just breathe him in, soaking in the fact that I’m lying in his bed, next to him as if the last two years didn’t happen at all.
My hand drifts down his chest and over his ribs to his hip.
Where he’s naked.
Of course, he’s naked. Brax never wore clothes to bed.
God, I love the indentation on his hip, that smooth skin and sexy line that runs all the way to the promised land.
“Keep that up, and we won’t be sleeping for a little while,” he warns me.
“I’m not particularly tired right now.”
He starts to shift, but I move faster to straddle Brax’s hips. Sitting up, I pull the tee over my head and let it fall to the floor.
He swallows hard, and his eyes roam all over my torso. He runs his flattened hand up my breastbone, between my breasts, and I lean over to kiss him softly.
He bites my lip.
I grin.
“I’m going to play a bit first, okay?” I ask.
“By all means,” he says. “Play.”
I kiss his lips once more, and then his chin, leaving wet kisses down his neck to his chest as I move down his body and pause where he has my name written near his heart. I love all of Brax’s tattoos and have spent many hours tracing them with my fingertips and tongue, but this one shocked me.
He’d always said he would never get a woman’s name on his body. That it was too cliché. Too…silly. But there I am, in black ink.
“I can’t believe you did this.”
He brushes his fingers through my hair, and I continue down his body until his hard-and-ready cock is before me, a little drop of dew coming out of the tip.
Brax has the kind of cock that inspires grateful prayers to the gods. Not too thick, not too long, but holy shit, is he well-endowed. I remember exactly how it feels when he fills me, and as much as I can’t wait to ride him, I want to work him over with my mouth first.
So, I do.
I start by licking my way up the underside of him, then around the head. When Brax bares his teeth, I sink down and suck.
He moans and grips my hair in his hands, not to push me onto him but as an anchor. It only fuels my hunger for him. How many times have I thought about doing just this over the last couple of years?
Countless times.
It’s one of my favorite things to do because it drives him absolutely out of his mind with lust, and I love the control that I have over him. I move faster, and his hips thrust. I use my teeth, and he hisses out a breath.
But when I swallow around him, and he chants “ Yes, yes, yes ,” it’s enough to make me absolutely drunk with excitement.
Finally, before he can come, I kiss up his torso and position myself over him, ready to take him inside. But then I pause.
“Condom?”
He cups my face in his hands and kisses me tenderly. “There’s no one but you, sweetheart.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You haven’t had sex in two years?”
He just shakes his head, and everything in me softens.
“Me, neither,” I whisper. “And I’m still on the pill.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
With my forehead still pressed to his, I lower myself over him. When I’m seated, completely filled, Brax sits up and kisses me tenderly. He’s so tall that he’s at eye-level with me, even in this position.
“Wrap your legs around my waist, babe,” he coaxes.
I comply.
And with my arms around his neck, and his hands on my ass, lifting me up and down, I ride him, clenching his length as our gazes lock.
The house is quiet around us, filled with only our soft moans and breaths. Finally, Brax’s fingers press harder into my flesh, and he bares his teeth.
“Fuck, Jose.”
“Oh, yeah, we are.”
That makes him smile, then swallow hard. After just two more thrusts, we come apart together.
I hug him closer and rest my forehead on his shoulder as we each fight to catch our breath.
“Was it always that good?” I ask quietly.
“Yeah.” He drags his hands away from the globes of my ass and moves them up my back so he can hug me close. “You’re like a goddamn drug for me.”
Well, isn’t that just satisfying?
“You were supposed to lie down so you didn’t get hurt.”
“I can’t even feel my lips right now, babe. You didn’t hurt me.”
I lift myself away from him and walk into the bathroom. After cleaning myself up, I take a wet washcloth back to the bedroom for Brax.
“You just lie back,” I instruct when he moves to reach for the cloth. “I’ve got this.”
He shakes his head. “If you rub me down again, I’ll tackle you to the bed.” He winks and takes care of cleaning himself up. When we’re settled in the bed once more, Brax spoons me from behind and brushes my hair off my neck so he can kiss it and whisper into my ear the way he used to so long ago. “God, I missed you.”
“Same.” I snuggle against him, trying to get even closer. “Is this okay? Are you hurting?”
“Stop.” He kisses my shoulder. “I’m fine, and if anything hurts, I’ll move. You don’t have to worry so much anymore.”
“I care about you,” I remind him simply. “And you were really hurt.”
“I’m fine,” he repeats. “Get some sleep.”
“I have to work again tonight.” I yawn and give in to my heavy eyelids. God, this feels good. Warm and safe.
With Brax pressed up behind me, already breathing steadily, I fall asleep in his arms.
“Hey, Maddie,” Brax says to my sister after I let him into the townhouse. It’s my first day off again after four days and nights of work and sex with Brax.
It was not a bad week.
But tonight, we’re going on a real date. Sort of.
“It’s about time you came over,” Maddie says with a smile and then hugs Brax. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better, thanks,” he says. “You should come to next week’s show with Josie. Come hang with us.”
“Already planned on it,” Maddie says with a wink. “Josie invited me.”
“I wanted someone to sit with,” I say with a shrug.
“Awesome. It’s an intimate show at a club, with only about five hundred seats, so it won’t be too chaotic.”
“Are you insinuating that we’re old and past the days of chaotic concerts?” Maddie asks him.
“You’re an accountant ,” Brax reminds her.
“You’ll see,” she says. “Josie and I are still cool. Where are you guys going tonight?”
“The Pink Door,” Brax says and takes my hand, kissing my knuckles. “And we’d better go if we want to make our reservation.”
“I’m ready,” I reply and grab my bag. “See you later, Mad.”
“Have fun, kids,” she says with a wave as we leave.
“Is your sister dating anyone?”
“Not right now,” I reply as I buckle my belt in Brax’s new car, and we set off toward downtown. “She was dating a guy she met at the grocery store, but that fizzled out.”
“She met him at the store ?”
“Yep. In the bakery. When you hit thirty, there are fewer places to meet men.”
“I remember the night I met you,” he says with a half-smile.
“Yeah, you were with another girl.”
“Don’t make me remind you that you were also on a date with a dude who was not your type.”
“What’s my type?”
He looks over at me and smiles. “Me.”
“Right. Of course. Anyway, I forgot about him. I wonder what ever happened to Jerry?”
“Who cares?”
“Who was the chick you were with?”
“Rhonda…something,” he says. “One of the guys in the band set me up with her. She was nice enough, but then I saw you, and it was like an explosion in my chest.”
“You’re already having sex with me,” I remind him. “You don’t have to butter me up.”
“It’s true.” He shrugs and takes an exit off the freeway. “I was sitting there in that bar, and I looked over and saw you. It was like something out of a movie. The music stopped, I couldn’t hear anyone or anything else, and you looked as if you were moving in slow motion.”
“And then you spilled your beer on me. Classy.”
“So, maybe it’s a rom-com movie,” he says and searches for a parking spot. “I didn’t see the barstool because I was too busy looking at you.”
“Right.” I laugh, but I totally got it. I’d felt the same way when I saw him. One look, and I didn’t give two shits about Jerry anymore. We were inseparable for more than three years after that night. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Pink Door.”
“The food is spectacular, but they also have entertainment.”
He locks his car and takes my hand, escorting me near Pike Place Market and down an alley where we find the restaurant tucked away. Once inside and seated in the lounge, we can see the water and the big Ferris wheel on the waterfront.
“Wow, great views,” I say as I pick up the menu.
“Look.” Brax points above us, and I gasp.
“An aerialist?” I blink in awe as a woman wraps herself in some deep red silks and flies above us gracefully. “Holy crap, that’s amazing.”
“Dinner and a show,” he says.
Once the server takes our order and leaves us with our wine to enjoy the show happening above us, Brax takes my hand and kisses it. He’s always done that.
“I’m grateful that I spilled that beer all over you that night,” he confesses.
“Me, too. And I guess I’m not as mad about you telling lies on the radio.”
He laughs at that, and it makes me grin.
His bruises have faded to green and yellow, telling me he’s healing nicely, which is a relief.
I trace a heart tattooed on his hand between his thumb and pointer finger.
“Oh, by the way, I think I’m going to Portland with Maddie in a couple of weeks. Just an overnight trip.”
“For anything fun?” he asks.
“A basketball game.”
That surprises him. “Really?”
“Yeah, it’s her favorite thing. They’re playing that team Lebron is on, so she wants to see it.”
“They’re playing Los Angeles,” Brax says helpfully. “I didn’t know she was a big basketball fan.”
“She loves all the sports. She was torn because we’ll have to miss a home football game and she loves being in the box for those with the family, but basketball won out.”
“That’s cool. Do you have good seats?”
“How in the world should I know?” I ask with a laugh. “I’m going purely because I love her, and she doesn’t want to go alone.”
“You’re a good sister.”
“Man, don’t I know it?” I sip my wine. “I don’t mind, though. It’ll be fun.”
“Be careful. Portland has been a little shaky on the safety scale lately.”
“We will be,” I assure him. “You do know who our dad is, right?”
“Even the daughters of an ex-Navy SEAL can be at risk.”
“I’ve been trained on how to kill a man with just my hands since I was nine,” I remind him. “We’re well-equipped city girls. But we’ll still be careful.”
The woman above us spins and spins, and my heart stops when she pulls off a move that any mere mortal would have fallen from.
But she just smiles at the applause.
“Are you Brax Adler?”
A woman stands next to the table, nervously wringing her hands.
“I am,” Brax says. “What can I do for you?”
“Can I just have a photo? I know you’re here to eat, but I love your music. I go to most of the shows that I can, and?—”
“No problem,” he says, cutting her off and standing to wrap his arm around her shoulders.
“Can you take it?” she asks, shoving her phone at me.
“Uh, sure.”
I stand and take the photo for the fan. She’s all smiles as she hugs Brax and tries to start a conversation with him about his music, but the server brings our meals.
“Thanks for stopping by,” Brax says kindly, “but we’re going to eat now before it gets cold.”
“Oh, right. Of course. Thanks again.”
The woman hurries off, and Brax and I blink at each other.
“Sorry,” he says.
“Why? You’ve wanted that for as long as I’ve known you.”
“It’s kind of cool but also weird because I just want to enjoy my night with you.”
I shake my head and cut into my steak. “You can’t have it both ways, Brax. I’ve been a part of the Montgomery family long enough to know that if you’re famous in any capacity, you lose some of the anonymity. It’s just the way it is. And you’re seeing some success with My Girl , and I think that’s just the beginning.” I take a sip of wine.
“Things like that,”—I point in the direction where the woman walked—“don’t bother me.”
“You’re pretty cool.”
I chew my food and smile over at him. “Oh, I know. I’m the coolest.”