Chapter 1
ERICA
“Holy fuck! How many strings did Katelyn pull to get us this room?” I look around the resort suite, with white velvet drapes that reach from the plush carpet to the vaulted ceiling, fluffy bedding on a king-sized bed, and a homey brown leather couch with faux-fur pillows.
Through the panoramic window, the mountain overlooks smaller peaks and the town of Great Falls.
“Hell if I know, but something tells me she’s gonna lord it over our heads for a long time to come.” Brody says it on a small laugh, as if he’s joking, but looking around at the fancy cabin-chic room, he’s probably right.
When Brody and I first started talking about a weekend staycation, Katelyn insisted on helping us.
Since we planned on staying at the only resort in town, it seemed like a sweet thing for her to do.
But she outdid herself. This room must be the honeymoon or presidential suite, because it’s fancier than anything I’ve ever stepped foot in for sure.
Now, I wonder if she had more on her mind that a fun getaway from the overrun of people and lack of privacy in Brody’s house. Maybe she knows something I don’t?
Shit. Fuck. Damn.
Brody drops the two bags he insisted on carrying himself, though I’m perfectly capable, and takes a running leap to fall back on the bed, sending a shower of pillows to the floor. “Ahhh, I could get used to this.”
I knee at his ankle. “Not likely, Cowboy. Get your dirty boots off the bed.” They’re not his work boots, so I’m just giving him shit, but still, I expect him to toe them off and let them fall to the floor the way he usually does. Instead, he lifts his legs in the air.
“How’s this?”
I try to frown, but that cocky smirk of his gets me the way it always does. “Impressive. Maybe we can use that position later.”
His feet fall to the floor and the rest of him follows to stand. His face pinches, “Fuck no. Your legs go in the air, not mine.” His hands find my waist and he draws me in tight, turning us. Suddenly, he lifts me and tosses me back on the bad, my legs going askew. “See? That’s much better.”
He climbs on the bed after me, stalking me even though I haven’t moved in the slightest. He leans down slowly, shoulders bunching under his T-shirt and dark eyes locked on mine, to meet my lips with his own.
I’ve kissed him hundreds of times by now, but every time, I’m surprised by the fresh hunger I find in him.
It matches my own perfectly. I moan into the kiss and he curses against my lips.
“Fuck, Lil Bit.”
I reach for the hem of his shirt, pulling at it. Brody drops to a knee, yanking the fabric over his head with one hand and tossing it to the floor. I pull him to me, wanting his weight to pin me down. My nails scrape along the muscles of his back and my knees bend to cradle his hips.
He nudges my jaw with his nose, guiding me to turn my head to the side, and peppers kisses and nibbles along the line of my neck.
“What time is our dinner reservation?” I gasp out. I don’t really care in this moment, but the responsible thread inside me would feel bad if we missed it after all the trouble Katelyn went through.
“Seven. We have hours to do filthy things to each other, and still have time to get cleaned up for dinner.” The words are murmured against my skin between licks and sucking kisses as his hand traces up my side, pushing my T-shirt higher. “Mmm. Gorgeous.”
His gaze locks on my breasts a moment before his mouth does. I arch, wanting more. Wanting everything.
I kick my sandals off, not wanting them on the bed either and wrap my legs around him. It’s still not enough. “More. Get naked.”
He pops off my nipple and gives me that arrogant grin. He knows I want him, I never hide that. But he doesn’t hide how much he wants me either, and even if he tried, the thick ridge of his cock would give him away.
He pushes off the bed to stand, hands immediately going to the button of his jeans the same way mine go to my shorts.
I don’t want a slow and sexy striptease, I want him naked and inside me…
now. My clothes go flying – I’m faster than he is because of his boots.
By the time he steps out of his jeans, my hands are already buried between my legs.
“Show me,” he growls.
I drop my knees wide, letting him see everything as my finger circles my clit. I dip inside myself, gathering the wetness and holding my fingers up for Brody. He licks them clean and directs them back to my pussy. He watches for a moment, his hand absently stroking his hard length.
“Keep going.”
I do as he says, my fingers teasing myself as he slips one, and then two fingers inside me. It’s not the same as his cock stretching me, but it is more and that’s enough to make me groan in pleasure.
My hips curl, fucking his fingers while he slides in and out of me. He gains speed and power, and I lose the rhythm, thrashing and bucking randomly as I get close to coming. “Brody!” On the edge, I cry out, not sure I can take much more.
But then I fly apart. White sparks dot my vision behind my closed lids. While I’m still soaring, Brody slams into me deep and hard, and I come again. Or still?
My ankles on his shoulders and his jaw clenched, he somehow still finds the mental capacity to give me shit. “Definitely better with your feet in the air.”
Later, I’ll be able to think of a witty comeback. Now, I grip the edge of the bed for leverage, impaling myself with Brody’s every thrust. His hands dig into the flesh of my hips, pulling me toward him as we fuck each other.
I’ve never experienced anything like sex with Brody.
He can be absolutely fucking me senseless, but I always feel loved and fulfilled.
With him, whether slow and gentle or rough and wild, there’s such a thread of care.
It’s the same with our relationship. He’s shown me that I can be myself, truly and authentically.
He wants me when I’m hard and bossy, he’s kind when I’m soft and needy, and I do the same for him.
We’ve become each other’s home, our soft place to fall and just… be.
It’s everything I knew love could be. He is everything I knew it could be.
“Come again. Make that pretty pussy suck me off.” He expertly strums my clit with his thumb, getting me there quickly.
“Fuck… now.” I grit out the words but never lose eye contact with Brody, who’s watching me hungrily.
A moment later, his brow furrows before his head falls back and he grunts. “Erica!” I feel the heat of his cum fill me as he holds deep, pumping in short strokes.
Gasping for air, we float back to reality. I smile lazily, “Guess what they say about hotel sex is true.”
One of Brody’s dark brows quirks in question.
“It’s the best,” I explain, as if that’s common knowledge. It is, isn’t it?
Stepping away from the day-to-day of normal life, and into a place where you can be anyone and do anything, allows for a level of relaxation and freedom you don’t usually find at home.
At least, not when your boyfriend still lives with his siblings.
Though we make damn good use of the privacy at my apartment.
“Hell, woman, if you thought that was the best, I’m gonna damn near kill you tonight. Because I’ve got plans for this body.” His callused hands run down my legs to cup my ass. “That was just a warm-up.”
Cocky bastard.
Good thing he can back it up. But that doesn’t mean I let him off easy. “If you say so. But if you fall into a food coma or get whiskey dick after dinner, just know I won’t hold it against you.”
He snorts sarcastically because that’s a bold-faced lie and we both know it.
Our staycation plan for this weekend is basically to fuck, eat, sleep, and repeat, with zero worries about anything else.
Off limit topics include: the shop, the ranch, cars, animals, and family. This weekend is just for us.
Soft and spent, Brody leaves me to grab a towel.
After a quick clean-up, we laze about in the bed, snuggled into each other.
I trace the tattoo on his arm with light fingertips, while his hop from freckle to freckle along my hip and thigh.
I think it’s funny that something I was teased for and hated for so much of my young life has become one of my favorite things.
My freckles make me unique, well, other than that Emily has the same ones.
But when Brody kisses them, I’m thankful for each and every one that dot my skin.
“I like this,” he says quietly.
It feels like there’s more he wants to say, so I just nod. After two heartbeats of silence, I agree. “Me too.”
I feel his smile against my hair, but I think there’s more going on in my cowboy’s mind than he’s letting on.
His chest vibrates beneath my cheek as he hums, letting me know I’m right.
It’s a habit of his, but I don’t even know if he’s aware he does it.
Humming means thinking. I’m curious, but I can wait…
a bit, though I’m not known for my patience.
“We should get dressed soon,” he says after a while, looking at the clock. I sigh happily, stretching my arms overhead and my legs out long.
Already naked, we take a leisurely shower, taking time to soap each other up really well. Brody pulls at the length of my hair, and I dip my head back under the spray, letting him wash the conditioner out. We dry off and start getting ready for dinner.
Naked as the day I was born, I stand in front of the mirror to brush my hair and put on the mascara and lip gloss Emily talked me into. As I blow-dry my hair, I feel eyes on me.
Brody is quick to get ready, only having to run his fingers through his hair and pull on clothes to look amazing, so he’s sitting on the leather couch and watching me raptly.
I meet his gaze in the mirror and his lips tilt up. “Hey,” I say curiously.
“Hey,” he says back, his voice low and full of gravel.
“You good?” I ask. If I had to label it, I’d say he looks… nervous. But I can’t think of a single thing in the whole wide world that could possibly make Brody Michael Tannen nervous.
“Yep,” he answers, scratching at his lip with his thumb.
That’s a no then.
I blink, feeling a lot less patient and a lot nosier now.
I pull on black lace panties, still bikinis even though Em tried to talk me into a thong, but I cannot fathom how a string between your ass cheeks is supposed to not feel like the worst wedgie ever, and then step into my dress.
I found this one all on my own, knowing Brody would love it and that I loved it too.
It’s a simple black sheath in the softest cotton with a single shoulder tie made out of sheer black fabric that reminds me of a vintage scarf.
The best part? One undone bow and the whole thing will fall to the floor.
Nothing says ‘romantic dinner dress’ like easy access, I think with a slight smile.
“Ready?” I say, turning in my borrowed heels.
Brody’s jaw drops open as he stands. “You look stunning.”
I laugh lightly, “You just watched me get ready. Don’t look so shocked.”
He offers his arm. “Just realizing again what a lucky fucker I am to have you by my side tonight.” I don’t think he means just my fancy dress.
I look him up and down as I take his elbow. “Have you seen your ass in these pants?” I lean back to peek before meeting his eyes. “Feeling preeeetty lucky myself.” I don’t mean only his body either.
We’re both lucky – to have weathered some storms on our own and together, and to have found safe haven in each other’s battered and untrusting hearts, our rough edges wearing away at each other until they fit together perfectly.