Chapter 38
“Is what I’m wearing all right?” she asked as walked out of the bedroom and into the small living area of the hotel room.
Kellan was sitting at the small table, but turned as she spoke. Eli had gone out to get a few things to take with them to the barbeque. He’d taken Horse with him so it was just the two of them.
She was wearing a pair of black linen shorts and a simple white T-shirt. She didn’t want to be overdressed. Or underdressed.
“Or should I wear a dress? Am I underdressed? I am, aren’t I?” she said.
“Come here.” He crooked his finger and then pointed at the floor in front of him.
He must want a better look. She walked over and stood between his spread legs. He grasped hold of her hips and massaged them lightly before moving his hands lower.
“You’re beautiful in whatever you wear,” he told her.
“I just want to look right.”
“Hmm, then maybe we should put some color in your cheeks,” he told her.
“Oh no, I need more makeup?”
“No. I was thinking of something else.” He lifted her onto his lap suddenly, pressing her against his pants.
She could feel his arousal and found herself smiling as she ground herself against it. She had never thought she’d be this . . . free with her arousal, her need.
They’d done this to her.
And she was completely on board.
He lifted her over until she sat on one thick thigh. “Ride me, Butterfly. Good girl. Get yourself there.”
She rocked herself back and forth. The pressure on her clit grew.
“That’s it, Butterfly. You look so beautiful like this.” He cupped her breast, squeezing it. Then he lightly pinched her nipple through her T-shirt and bra.
“I’m guessing you like my jean shorts?” she asked breathlessly.
“Yeah, I like them. But I like what’s underneath them more.” He stood suddenly and then laid her down on the table with her legs hanging off the end. Then he quickly stripped off her shorts and panties.
“We have to leave soon,” she warned.
“I know. That’s why this is going to have to be quick.” He grabbed her legs and pushed them back against her body. “So you need to do as you’re told.”
She was about to tell him what she thought of that but his tongue slid through her lower lips. He flicked her clit, driving her up. There was no real warm-up. This was pure demand.
That she get there as quickly as him.
But she’d already been close just from sitting on his thigh so it didn’t take much until she was at the edge. He drew back and grabbed a condom from his pocket. Then he stripped off his pants and boxers before pausing.
“Am I scaring you?”
Her eyes widened. “No. Of course not.”
“Are you sure? I’m not being too intense?”
“Kellan, no. I want you. All of you. There is no part of you that is too much for me.”
He rolled on his condom and leaned over her. Reaching down, she grabbed hold of his firm cock and guided him into her.
“I never thought I could have something as wonderful as you. Never thought I deserved it.”
“You do,” she said, her voice hoarse with sadness. “You deserve to be happy.”
“My own father hated me. I never understood why. I think I was smaller than my brothers, a bit strange, I was always in my own head and didn’t let much show. He hated that. He wanted a reaction.”
“He was a bastard,” she said.
“Yeah, he was. But if he was aiming his anger on me, it wasn’t on my brothers. If he was hurting me, scaring me, he wasn’t harming them.”
Her beautiful man. Always protecting everyone else.
She wrapped her legs around his hips. “I hate that you had a childhood like that. I wish I could have protected you from it.”
He smiled down at her. “Now, you are. Because the more time I spend with you, the less I think about him and the things he put me through.”
“Good. I want to erase him from your head.”
“He’ll never be completely gone. But with you he’s a whisper not a roar.”
“Make love to me, Kellan.”
“With pleasure.” He started thrusting deep, taking her hard. Every few minutes, he’d pause and check on her. But after a couple times, she decided she’d had enough.
“Fuck me, Kellan. Please!” she cried.
Reaching between them, he played with her clit until she came with a cry. He drove himself deep and fell over the edge with her.
She held him tight, never wanting to let him go.
Kellan held his girl’s hand as they walked around Duncan’s house to their outdoor seating area complete with grill, table, and chairs.
He could feel her trembling and stopped, turning to her. Horse was walking with them and he sat on his butt, staring up at her as well.
“Eyes on mine.”
She sighed and raised her gaze to his. She had her mask firmly in place which he hated. She was moving stiffly. Carefully.
Which he also hated. In fact, he nearly called this all off. Except he knew that nothing bad would happen to her here.
He wouldn’t allow it.
“Everything will be fine.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
“Because I’ll make it so.”
She gave him an exasperated look. “You can’t make people like me.”
“Sure I can,” he replied.
Arabella turned to Eli who was grinning like an idiot. “Can you talk to him?”
“Why would I want to do that? I agree with him.”
She shook her head. “The two of you are nuts.”
But he could see that some of the tension had left her as they headed toward his family. He could see how they might be intimidating, especially since she was an only child.
However, none of his family would ever harm her. Plus, she was friends with Laken and Shaw.
Laken immediately started to waddle toward her, arms outstretched. Of course, she couldn’t hug her very easily with her huge belly between them.
“Urgh! I’m a whale,” Laken said when she drew away from Arabella.
“Laken,” Duncan said warningly. “Do we have to have a chat?”
Laken screwed up her nose.
“You can just say it, Duncan,” Shaw called out. “We all know a ‘chat’ is code for spanking.”
“Shaw Jones!” Laken said growing bright red. “Don’t say that in front of our new friend.”
Shaw walked over looking far better than he had in weeks. And the tension in Kellan started to drain. For the first time he really thought that his brother was going to be all right.
Thank God.
Shaw just chuckled as he hugged Arabella. Then he slid his arm around her waist.
Kellan didn’t care how close they were. That was a step too far.
“Mine.” He drew Arabella to his other side, away from Shaw who gaped at him in surprise.
All of his brothers were staring now and silent.
“Actually, she’s ours,” Eli said.
Kellan nodded. Good point. “Ours. Not yours.”
“Kellan, he was just hugging me,” Arabella said quietly, resting one hand on his chest. “Everyone knows I belong to you and Eli.”
Turning his gaze to her, he realized he was acting like an idiot. He’d never had someone he considered his. That he’d wanted this much.
“Fuck. Sorry.”
She smiled up at him. She really did have a beautiful smile.
“That’s all right.”
“Come on, come meet everyone and have a cocktail that Shaw made,” Laken said. “I’m only allowed mocktails, but they’re still good.”
“Oh, I don’t really drink,” she said.
“You don’t?” Laken asked. “That’s cool you can drink mocktails with me.”
“I remember you ordered an orange juice that time we met. Do you not like the taste of alcohol?” Shaw asked.
“Oh, well, my father drunk heavily so it never really appealed. Although the idea of a cocktail does sound nice. Maybe I could have one. I don’t want to drink and make a fool of myself.”
Kellan didn’t like the way she said that. “You could never make a fool of yourself.” He cupped her chin and tilted her head back so she was staring up at him. “Drink as much or as little as you like, Butterfly. I’ll take care of you.”
His girl was drunk.
Eli had to grin as she giggled at something Joe said. She, Laken, Shaw, and Joe were huddled up together, talking about something.
She leaned her head back and roared with laughter before snorting.
Damn.
That was so cute. And totally uninhibited. When they’d arrived, she’d had her mask up. She’d been stiff. Careful with what she said and did. But now she was relaxed.
And snorting.
Adorable.
“You two have it bad, don’t you?”
He glanced over at Wyatt who had spoken. All of his brothers were grinning at him and Kellan.
Kellan, who still had his gaze on their girl and was ignoring everyone.
“You’re staring at her like she’s every Christmas present you could ever imagine wanting,” Remington said with a touch of longing.
“That’s because she is,” Kellan said suddenly. “If someone told me years ago that the payment for the shitty childhood I had was her . . . I’d have lived through that time with a smile on my face.”
Now everyone was gaping at Kellan. “What?” he asked, turning to stare back at them.
“I wish you hadn’t gone through so much with our father,” Duncan said with a frown.
“You took on his anger to protect us,” Remington said quietly. “I’ve never forgotten that.”
Kellan glanced at them all uncomfortably. “He always hated me most.”
“Yeah, but you shouldn’t have suffered the way you did. It was wrong,” Wyatt said. “I’ve always regretted not doing something more.”
“You had left home,” Kellan pointed out. “You didn’t know how bad it had gotten and I was fine.”
“He nearly killed you once,” Duncan said, looking ill.
“It doesn’t matter now.” Kellan shifted his gaze back to Arabella.
“I’m glad you have her,” Carson told him. “She’s gorgeous.”
Kellan glared at him. “She’s mine.”
“Ours,” Eli said mildly.
Kellan just nodded. “Ours.”
“I don’t want her.” Carson held up his hands. “Wyatt and I are headed to Costa Rica tomorrow.”
“Keep in contact,” Duncan ordered
“We will,” Wyatt said. “What are the three of you going to do? Will she move to Houston with you?”
“Actually, we found a house to buy,” Eli said.
“In Houston?” Duncan asked.
“No, here in Haven. We’re moving back,” Kellan said. “Arabella’s next-door-neighbor is selling and offered us the house first.”
They all gaped at him.
“You’re moving to Haven?” Duncan asked.
“Are you sure?” Wyatt asked.
“You hate this place,” Remington said.
“But I love her. And she’s made friends here. She’s happy here. And I want that for her,” Kellan told them. “Besides, this place isn’t all that bad.”
They were all gaping at Kellan as he got up to join Arabella. Pulling Arabella up, he sat, and lifted her onto his lap.
“Is he . . . okay?” Carson asked.
Eli shook his head. “When is he ever okay? But happy? Yeah, he’s happy. Maybe for the first time in his life. Listen, while you’re all here I need to run something past you.”
They all listened as he went through everything he knew about Lee Newsome and Arabella’s father and the drugs.
“This is all weird. Jake needs to know that Ravina knows this guy,” Duncan said.
“I know. But I don’t want to tip our hand and let him know we’re onto him. Kellan is going to do some more research.”
“What about these noises and lights?” Wyatt asked. “What is that?”
“I don’t know,” Eli said. “I don’t know that it’s anything.”
“Jake’s had us doing drive-bys,” Dunca said. “We haven’t seen anything.”
“Kellan has been there a few nights too and nothing. Maybe it wasn’t anything. And we need to focus on the drugs. And whether this Lee guy is a threat to Arabella.”
“If he hasn’t contacted her then maybe he isn’t. Perhaps he knows Ravina somehow,” Remington said.
It was a possibility, he guessed.
“I don’t like any of it,” Carson said. “Want us to stick around?”
“No, you need to find Tucker,” Eli said. “We’ve got this handled.”
Arabella was giggling and wobbling around as she walked.
Well, stumbled.
Finally, Kellan had had enough. She was going to hurt herself.
And he couldn’t let that happen.
So he picked her up and held her cradled against his chest.
“Weee!” she cried, flinging her arms back. “This is my favoritist ride at the fair!”
“Baby, be careful,” Eli said, trying to capture her hands and tuck them back in by her body. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
“I won’t hurt myself,” she declared.
“Yeah? Why is that?” Kellan asked as they walked through the foyer of the hotel.
A few people turned to look at them and Eli stepped partially in front of them, scowling at everyone until they turned away.
That was better.
They entered the elevator.
“I won’t hurt myself because you guys won’t let that happen.”
Kellan shared a look with Eli as they exited the elevator.
“That’s right, baby,” Eli said huskily. “We’d never let anything happen to you.”
“See? I’m free! I’m safe! This is the best feeling in the world.”
Kellan found himself smiling down at her. He doubted she’d feel the same way in the morning.
Eli unlocked the door and Kellan walked carefully into the room, not wanting to bump her. Which was difficult when she kept moving.
He took her through to the bedroom and laid her down.
“Except for the dick who broke into my house and trashed it. He’s a real dick. A total and utter dick. Do you know how much fun it is to say the word dick.” She smiled up at him.
“Oh, she is so trashed,” Eli said walking in with a bottle of water and some painkillers.
“Totally trashed,” Kellan agreed.
“Say it with me!” she cried. “Dick. Dick. Dick. Dick.”
“Maybe say it a bit quieter, baby,” Eli advised as he sat her up. “Or the neighbors are going to think there’s something really interesting going on in here.”
“Oh yeah?” she said, blinking her eyes slowly. “Like what?”
“Is there something wrong with your eyes?” Kellan asked. “Or is it your head?”
“What? No! I’m winking suggestively at Eli.”
“You are?” Eli asked.
“Uh-huh.” She crossed her arms over her chest with a pout. “But he’s not getting it. That’s not my fault. I’m an excellent flirt.”
“Sure you are, baby,” Eli said to her. “Now, take your pills and water like a good girl.”
She pouted. “I don’t want water, I want dick.”
Kellan snorted. “Have you ever said the word dick in your life before now?”
“I don’t know, but I feel I should start. And Eli said I should tell you guys when I want something. And I want dick.”
“Not happening,” Eli said firmly. “You’re drunk and we don’t take advantage of drunk women.”
“Even our woman,” Kellan added. “So take your water and pills.”
“Or what? If you won’t give me your dick while I’m drunk you probably won’t give me a spanking either.”
She had a point.
“No, but I’ll remember this tomorrow. I’m sure you don’t want a sore head and a sore bottom.”
“My head won’t hurt. Just you wait and see, a hangover isn’t going to get the best of me.”