Chapter 25 Brooks
Brooks
Steam curled thick and lazy from the bathroom as I stepped out and into my room, towel in hand.
I dragged the fabric through my damp hair, then across my chest, down my abs, and finally cinched it around my hips.
Droplets trailed down over inked skin, sliding across the curves of my tattoos, cooling almost as quickly as the warmth of the shower left me.
I itched to go back downstairs. To be near Annie.
To slip back into the comfort of her laugh, the spark in her eyes, the way the room seemed lighter just because she was in it.
She and Ruby were huddled over crayons and Christmas songs, mother and daughter lost in their own little world.
I didn’t want to break that. They deserved that time, just the two of them.
So I’d given them space, climbing up here to pack it in for the night.
I was still thinking about Annie from earlier.
The way her smile had bloomed—tentative at first, then wide and unrestrained—burned itself into me.
The tears that had shimmered in her eyes, soft but powerful, had done me in.
I’d leaned down without hesitation, kissing her right in front of Ruby, unable to stop myself.
And that kiss… it had changed something.
Maybe that was why I’d pulled back tonight, letting them have their moment. Ruby was sharp, curious. I knew she’d be full of questions, questions Annie and I hadn’t had the courage to answer yet, even to each other.
We hadn’t talked about what staying meant. She hadn’t asked. I hadn’t offered. Did she mean her house? Her life? This whole snow-dusted town of Snowberry Peak?
Hell, I didn’t even know what a job looked like here.
For the first time in years, the idea of a “home base” didn’t sound like a trap. It sounded like a gift. I could still travel, ride rodeo, drift where the circuit took me. But I’d have somewhere to return to. A porch light left on. A place with warmth waiting.
My hands rummaged through the suitcase I still hadn’t unpacked. No point before because I was supposed to be gone after Christmas. Two weeks and done. That was the plan. Except now, every thought of leaving felt wrong.
A soft tap pulled me from the spiral. My head snapped up, gaze flicking to the door.
I hadn’t locked it. The knob turned slowly, the door easing open until Annie leaned inside.
And just like that, my towel suddenly felt a hell of a lot smaller.
She paused in the doorway, eyes trailing over me, the steam still clinging to my skin. Her gaze dipped, lingering on the towel knotted at my hips, before flicking back to my chest, then up to my face. By the time her eyes locked with mine, lust had filled them, warm and unashamed.
Heat pooled low in my stomach.
“I just wanted to come up to say thank you,” she murmured, leaning her shoulder against the door, not crossing the threshold. Her voice was soft, but it carried, like a secret meant only for me.
I smirked, crooking my finger toward her. “Come in here, Red. Don’t be so shy.”
Her chin lifted. “I’m not.”
But her blush said otherwise.
Still, she shut the door behind her, pressing her back to the wood as though she needed something solid at her spine. I watched her for a beat, water still dripping from my hair, before she finally obeyed the pull between us and stepped closer.
“The pony was too much,” she whispered as she reached me, her hands hesitating before brushing up against my bare chest.
I shook my head, firm. “No way. You needed the spark of Christmas again. I wasn’t about to let you forget what it felt like.”
Her arms slid up, circling my neck. My palms found her waist, thumbs pressing into her curves as I drew her flush against me.
“I can’t believe you did that,” she breathed.
I tilted my chin toward the dresser. The folded paper still sat there.
Her mouth dropped open, a laugh breaking free. “You found that? Oh my God.”
“You were Ruby’s age, right?” I teased.
Annie nodded, embarrassed but glowing.
“If it’s too much, if you don’t have the time to take care of an animal, I understand. But if you’re saying it’s too much because you think you don’t deserve it—” I tipped her chin up, my thumb brushing her jaw. “That doesn’t fly with me.”
She stared at me like I’d hung the damn stars. Then, with a shaky sigh, she whispered, “You made the little girl inside me so happy. You brought her back to life. I didn’t even realize how much I missed her until today.”
I cupped her face fully, my thumb grazing the soft curve of her cheek. “She deserves to feel that spark again. You deserve to feel it. No matter what this season’s stolen from you, Annie. You deserve joy. You deserve love.”
Her eyes glistened, her lips trembling just a little. Then she leaned in, pressing her forehead against mine, her breath a whisper between us.
“You make me feel that,” she said, voice hushed, trembling but certain.
Her hands found the edge of my towel, tugging at the fabric like she was testing me.
“Though I didn’t come up here to get all emotional,” she teased.
I hummed low in my throat, though her words struck deeper than she probably meant.
She’d shown me a flicker of herself just now, and I wanted every layer she tried to keep hidden. Annie was a chestnut that hadn’t been cracked. She didn’t spill herself open, and I didn’t blame her. If she needed to use my body to feel, to escape, to release—I’d give her that, and more.
“I wanted to show you my thanks,” she whispered.
Fuck. Me.
Annie glanced up at me through heavy lashes before sinking gracefully to her knees. My chest tightened as my cock swelled, hardening at how close her mouth was to me. I slid a hand into her hair, catching a few strands between my fingers, holding her there—not forcing, just needing the connection.
“I’m not going to tell you no,” I rasped, “but you don’t have to thank me this way.”
She tugged the towel loose, and I sprang free, thick and ready in front of her. She sat back on her heels, perfectly poised, her gaze locked on my length. Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips, and I nearly lost it right there.
Her hand wrapped around me, slender fingers squeezing just right, sending a shock of pleasure ripping through me. I groaned, my eyes fixed on the sight of her as she leaned forward, lips parting, and took me slowly into her mouth.
“You feel so fucking good,” I ground out at the first stroke of her tongue along the underside of my cock.
She took her time, savoring me. Every suck, every lick was deliberate, a dirty prayer of gratitude that had me fighting for control. She hummed low in her throat, the vibration traveling up my spine, shaking me to my bones.
Her pace stayed slow, sensual, like she wanted me undone inch by inch, until there was nothing left but need. My spine was rigid, muscles locked as I watched her bob along my length, taking me deeper, hollowing her cheeks with every pull.
“That’s it. That’s right, baby. Suck me,” I growled, my hand tightening in her hair.
Her eyes flicked up to mine as she pulled off with a wet pop, lips glistening, chest rising in shallow breaths. She smirked, then dove back down on me, hungrier this time.
“How do I taste?” I asked, my voice shredded with lust.
She muttered against me, her words muffled but clear enough: “So good.”
Her lips wrapped around me again, hot and wet, and I nearly buckled at the sight of her on her knees, giving herself over to this. To me.
She stroked me with one hand, mouth sliding down as far as she could take, tongue dragging slow and deliberate along the underside of my cock. My head tipped back for a second, a groan tearing loose from my chest, before I forced my eyes open again. No way in hell was I missing this.
“Christ… you’re killing me.” My hand threaded into her hair, gripping tight, guiding her pace as she set a rhythm meant to undo me.
Her gaze flicked up through those hooded lashes, cheeks hollowing as she sucked me deep, and my control snapped another inch.
“You love this, don’t you? My cock in your mouth.”
She moaned around me in answer, the sound vibrating through my length. Her other hand came up, cupping my balls, rolling them lightly as she swallowed me down again. My hips thrust, unbidden, chasing the heat of her throat.
“Fuck, Annie… you’re so good.” My voice was raw, jagged, stripped down to need. “Look at you, thanking me on you’re fucking knees.”
She pulled off me with a wet pop, lips shining, breath ragged. A string of spit clung from her mouth to my tip, and she smirked before licking it clean.
“I told you,” she said, voice husky, “I wanted to show you how grateful I am.”
Before I could reply, she took me back into her mouth, faster this time, messy and desperate. Saliva slicked her chin, dripping down onto her chest as she worked me with both her mouth and her hand, stroking and twisting as she sucked me deep.
My thighs locked, abs tightening. I was so close it scared me.
“That’s it, baby. Take it. Take every fucking inch.” My hand tightened in her hair, controlling the rhythm now, fucking into her mouth while she let me. Her nails dug into my thighs, urging me on, like she needed me to lose it for her.
I hissed through my teeth, the sight of her wrecked and devoted on her knees too much to handle. “Don’t stop… oh fuck, Annie—”
Heat coiled tight in my spine, about to snap.
My thighs trembled as Annie hollowed her cheeks, taking me deeper, faster, until I was fucking her mouth in rough, desperate thrusts. Her nails dug crescents into my skin, holding me there, begging me to lose control.
“Goddamn it,” I groaned, voice breaking. “You’re gonna make me—fuck—”
She moaned around me, the vibration pushing me over the edge. My grip tightened in her hair as I thrust once, twice, then spilled down her throat with a guttural growl.
Hot spurts filled her mouth, and she swallowed like she’d been waiting for it, taking everything I gave her. My vision blurred as the fire ripped through me, every nerve alive, every ounce of me claimed by her lips.
Annie pulled back just enough to let the last of me spill across her tongue, a line of cum slipping down her chin. Her eyes stayed locked on mine, daring, proud, as she licked me clean with one long, filthy swipe of her tongue.
“Fuck,” I rasped, chest heaving, still shuddering from the aftershocks. “You look so goddamn perfect like this.”
She smirked, wiping her chin with her hand, then deliberately licked her fingers.
I pulled her up from the floor, crushing my mouth to hers, tasting myself on her tongue. My hand fisted in her hair, my other arm around her waist, pressing her body flush to mine.
“You think we’re done, Red?” I growled against her lips, cock already twitching back to life from the taste of her wicked mouth. “That was just the start.”