Chapter Twenty-Four #2
His eyes darken further, never straying from mine as he brings the beer to his lips. Heat sweeps through me when I remember what he did to me the other night with a similar bottle, the forbidden images he brought forth by his erotic words.
Our connection is broken when Braxten leans over and murmurs something to him that has the three brothers standing and heading for the front entrance. Braxten stops to hug Hannah and Knox gives her a high five before walking out the doors.
Minutes pass as I wait for Justice to come back. Eventually, a slow song comes on and Jessica is whisked away by her husband, falling into a sensual dance.
I look around awkwardly for Thatcher but see he and Gwen are intimately talking in a corner. Turning around, I’m about to head back to the table but come to a quick stop when I find Justice standing only a few feet away.
My breath locks at the sight of him, strong and confident—always so powerful. Even now, here on this dance floor he is out of his element yet he doesn’t look one bit out of place.
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
“Waiting for you.”
My heart tumbles in my chest, a smile stealing my lips. It’s amazing what three words can evoke, what warmth and hope they can instill.
I collect a few steps, coming to a stop just in front of him. “Why? You gonna dance with me, Justice Creed?”
He pulls me against his hard body, his arms banding around me. “Yeah, and I’m going to grope you while doing it.”
My head falls back on a laugh. Rising up on my tiptoes, I wrap my arms around his neck. “I’ll take whatever I can get.”
He lifts me off my feet, bringing my mouth level with his for a toe-curling kiss. Everything and everyone falls away but the two of us, this moment in time coming to a standstill. I hold onto it long after the kiss is over, my forehead resting on his, fingers fanning his strong jaw.
“Where did you go earlier?”
“I walked my brothers out and said goodbye,” he explains. “Why?”
“I was worried you left me.” The admission is out before I can stop it, a note of insecurity in my voice.
“I’m not the one running, Ryanne.”
“I’m not either,” I whisper.
“Then marry me.”
I didn’t think those words could pack as powerful of a punch as they did the first time but I was wrong. They suck all the air from my lungs. If he only knew how much I want that. How much I want him forever, but not until I know I hold his heart as much as he does mine.
“Not yet,” I reply, the two words causing a deep ache in my chest and tears to prick my eyes.
Frustration burns in his dark irises but he keeps it at bay and doesn’t push. “Fine, then kiss me again.”
I smile at the demand, the heavy moment evaporating. “Now that I can do.”
My lips press to his, soft and gentle, and for the first time he doesn’t take over, he lets me set the pace.
He lets me love him.
“Is there room for me, too?” Hannah’s voice breaks us apart as she looks up at us hopefully.
“There’s always room for you, baby.” Justice places me on my feet to pick her up, his arm then curling back around my waist, pulling me in close as we begin swaying back and forth to John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear.”
My heart dances to the same beat, wishing I could capture this moment in a bottle and keep it forever. Because this right here is everything I’ve ever wanted and more.
The song eventually ends but not this newfound place Justice and I have found ourselves in. The tension between us continues to rise, every look, every touch, stoking the fire that always burns between us.
About the time the crowd begins thinning out, we start gathering up our own things and saying our goodbyes. When Justice mentions he has to stop at the apartment on the way home Thatcher offers to take Hannah with him.
She jumps at the chance. “Please, Mama?”
“You sure it’s all right? I ask, looking up at him.
“Of course. You two go on and do what you need to do. Farmer Hannah and I have some hot cocoa waiting for us back home. Just come to the main house for breakfast whenever you’re up.”
“Okay.” I lean down, giving Hannah a kiss on the cheek then stand and do the same to Thatcher, thanking him for everything. Afterward, Justice takes my hand and leads me out to the truck, the small touch dancing its way up my arm and into my heart.
By the time we make it to his apartment, entering inside, the combustible heat between us explodes like wild fire, consuming us both in a blaze of fury. He pins me against the door, our hands and mouths colliding, trying to dominate the other.
I fist his shirt, dragging it up his hard stomach, nails clawing and marking his skin. He helps me clear it over his head, his mouth only leaving mine for a second before he claims it once more.
Hard, rough, and demanding.
“I need to fuck you,” he growls. “Right now.”
“Yes!”
I always need him, his touch, his commanding ability to evoke things in me I’ve never felt, to deliver a mind-numbing pleasure only he can.
His large hands cup my bottom, lifting me off my feet while my fingers dive into his hair. Our mouths never miss a frantic beat as he takes us to the couch. I’m pulled down on top of him, my knees straddling his hips as his hard cock nudges the aching spot between my thighs.
He slips his fingers beneath the straps of my dress, slipping them down my arms and exposing my black lace bra. His mouth closes over my nipple poking through the thin fabric, teeth gripping so hard the sensation shoots straight to my core.
My head falls back on a cry of pleasure, fingers biting into his broad shoulders as I grind down on his cock, all but practically begging for it.
“Fuck, you want it bad.”
“So bad,” I whimper. “Please. I need you.”
A primal growl rumbles in his chest as he shoves his hands beneath my dress, shredding my panties from my hips and dipping his fingers into my wet folds.
“Oh god!” I whimper, pressing down on his seeking touch.
“You’re going to take my cock hard and deep, Ryanne, then you’re going to fucking scream for more.”
I already feel like screaming. Screaming for more, screaming for him to never stop, screaming until my throat is raw.
“Think we should tell them we’re here or just enjoy the show?” The amused voice penetrates our heated moment, slamming into me like a freight train.
Gasping, I press myself against Justice, my head twisting to look over my shoulder. Knox and Braxten are standing just outside the kitchen entry, their eyes locked on us.
They’ve been here the whole time.
Mortification sets in, my cheeks flaming as hot as the rest of my body.
“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Justice asks, sounding surprised and a little annoyed.
“I was about to ask you the same question.” Braxten crosses his arms over his chest, his eyes brazenly sliding down my half naked body. “Looking for an audience?” There is no amusement in those words. He’s completely serious.
My fingers bite into Justice’s shoulders, a sudden tension settling amongst us. Something dark that skates the line between forbidden and perverse. It’s both terrifying and thrilling. The latter is very hard for me to admit.
I look back at Justice, my heart banging inside my chest like a steel drum.
His hooded eyes search mine, a certain knowledge burning within. “What do you want, Ryanne? They can stay and watch or they can leave. It’s your call.”
“What do you want?” I ask, shocked the question even leaves my mouth.
He reaches up, his hand smoothing over my cheek in an intimate gesture. “I want you. Only ever you.”
Those words have a mountain of meaning. They seep into my heart and reach the depths of my soul.
“Would I like this chance to say goodbye? To show them what they will never have or touch? Yeah, I would, but only if I know you want that, too. It’s a one-time deal though. Whether you say yes or no we never revisit this again after tonight.”
I glance back at Knox and Braxten where they stand patiently, and I can’t help but feel both nervous and emboldened by the desire in their eyes.
This could be the moment. The one to put an end to the resentment between us.
Otherwise, I’m not sure we will ever overcome it.
It constantly hangs over our heads like a dark cloud, following the guilt I harbor in my heart for coming between them.
The raw emotions on Knox’s face, displaying the need for this time with his brother, this one last time, only solidifies my decision.
“No touching,” I tell them, voice trembling.
“I’d never allow that.” Justice gently cups my chin with his fingers, bringing my gaze back to his. “You sure about this?”
I nod. I want to do this. For them, for us.
It’s a moment I think we all knew would come.
Deep down, I did. It scares me because my heart only beats for one man, always and forever, but I also know all three of theirs are strongly connected.
I’m praying that once this is over we can move on with our lives.
That Justice and I can have what we’ve always wanted and his brothers can finally let him go… at least from this part of their lives.
My eyes remain on Justice as Knox and Braxten enter further into the room. My pulse ramps up, throat dry and palms clammy.
Justice sweeps a piece of hair out of my face, soothing my nerves. “Don’t be nervous, baby.”
“I don’t know what to do,” I confess shakily, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Kiss me.” The demand is low and rough, the sound prickling my skin.
I press my lips to his, but that’s where my control ends. He ravages my mouth, hand fisting in my hair, awakening the desire in me once more. An all-consuming blazing desire that only he can evoke.
In the distance I hear the others moving around behind me, the sound of a lighter flicking open before the scent of cigarette smoke fills the room. Just knowing they’re behind me has me growing wetter. My hips move as I grind against his hard cock again, seeking relief.
“Good girl, show them how much you want me.”