Brax (13 page)

“Lie down,” he said. “I want to look at you.”

My breath hitched as I looked behind me one more time. Then I
did as I was told. I stretched my body out on the counter.

“Brax,” I gasped, breathless.

“Shh. Be still. Lose the bra.”

He set the cans on the counter and waited while I reached back
and unhooked my bra. His eyes flashed dark and I instinctively arched my back,
bringing my breasts higher for his inspection. Brax leaned over me and kissed
me. His hand slid between my legs and he found my panties soaked already.

“God, you taste good enough to eat.”

Then he went to work.

I trembled as he shook the whipped cream can and held it an
inch from my left breast. He gently kneaded my nipple between his thumb and
forefinger, bringing it to a stiff peak. Then he sprayed a dollop of whipped
cream over my breast. I gasped. It was just cold enough to startle me.

“Hold still,” he cautioned me again.

“What happens if I c-can’t?”

Brax gave me a wicked smile. “Then I bend you over my knee and
spank you until you can learn how to behave. Now put your hands behind your
head and keep them there.”

Oh God. I did what I was told.

Before I could brace myself, he sprayed another dollop of
whipped cream on my other nipple. He unscrewed the jar of cherries and put one
of each on the mound of cream he’d made, tearing the stems off with his teeth.

He jumped up on the counter with catlike quickness and
straddled me, inspecting his handiwork. My chest heaved and the whipped cream
threatened to slide off me. If I wasn’t careful, I was about to earn the
punishment he’d just threatened. The truth was, oh, I wanted to. I quivered
beneath him as my sex throbbed. Brax hooked a finger through the crotch of my
panties and tore them away. Leaving me completely exposed for him.

He took the cherry from my left breast and popped it in my
mouth. Then he leaned down and swirled his tongue around my nipple and licked
the cream away. His tongue was hot and rough and I ached for it. The puckered
flesh beneath it was so cold. Freezing. Then he gave me the same treatment on
my right nipple. I arched my back and struggled to spread my legs.

“Patience,” he whispered, letting out a deep, sultry laugh
that stirred my blood and maddened me. Not having him in me was torture.

Then he held the whipped cream can over the bud between my
legs.

“Oh God, Brax!”

He was quick. The cold spray of the cream set off an
electrical shock through my entire body. But then he ran his tongue from my
heated core and fastened his lips around the sensitive little bud and licked
the cream away.

I bucked shamelessly on the counter, gripping the stool next
to me to keep from falling off. My orgasm tore through me as Brax kept up his
merciless pace, swirling and teasing as I broke apart. I drew my knees up then
spread them wide as he worked me. He claimed me. Owned me. Tethered me.

When I’d finally crested down, he hopped down from the counter
and helped me up. I smiled up at him and took the can of whipped cream from his
hand.

“Your turn,” I whispered, my voice ragged. “You know, I’m
pretty sure we’ve just committed about twelve health code violations.”

Brax laughed. “Probably. Lucky for you I’ve got a few
connections at the inspector’s office.”

He arched a brow and smiled, but sat down on the stool as I gestured
toward it. My breath heaving, I unzipped his jeans and dragged them down. He
was huge and hard in my hand.

“Baby,” he gasped as I shook the can and tilted it toward him.
But now it was his turn to trust me. I sprayed it around him, coating every inch
of him.

“Holy fuck!” He carved his hands through my hair as I brought
myself down and licked the cream.

I wanted to be slow and deliberate like he had been. But he
tasted so good and his body went rigid. I knew what he needed. Cupping him from
beneath, I brought him into my mouth. I braced myself with a hand on the
counter as he bucked and thrust and fucked my mouth and I licked the cream
away.

All of it.

Chapter Eighteen

Brax spent the night. He ended up curled up on the back couch
in my office. I slept in the chair behind my desk. We could have gone upstairs,
but I didn’t want to deal with Doug’s questions. I also didn’t want to risk him
being a jerk to Brax again. Someday, I hoped the two men in my life could be in
the same room together without pissing each other off. If Doug stayed clean,
there might be a chance. But for now, I didn’t want to spoil my perfect night
with Brax.

I woke before him and watched him sleep. He snored only a
little. Which made me glad. But he talked and fretted through his nightmares. I
smoothed the hair away from his forehead as lines of worry creased his brow.
Whatever demons he chased made him thrash and curl his hands into fists. But
when I leaned down and kissed him, he settled, and a slow smile lifted the
corners of his mouth. I hoped I could always do that. Bring him peace through
the turmoil. I decided that night that I wanted to try.

I’d been scared all my life. Waiting for the next crisis. The
next person to let me down. It had been so much easier to close myself off and
keep people at a distance. But the truth was, it didn’t help. I still got hurt.
The world still turned upside down from time to time. And I was so tired of
facing it alone. I touched Brax’s forehead again, counted every line on his
face. His own battles had put them there. Battles he’d fought alone too. Fought
and survived, just like I had. But maybe we could fight some of them together
now. I leaned down and kissed him. Though he was still deeply asleep, his mouth
curved into a smile and he turned toward me. My heart cracked in two then felt
as though it had been remade.

Brax grumbled one last time then flipped over, crashing to the
floor in a heap and volley of obscenities.

I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh. “Are you okay?”

Brax tore a hand through his hair; his eyes went wild for that
fraction of a second before he remembered where he was. Then he blinked into
recognition and smiled when he saw me.

“I am now, baby. Your bedhead is sexy as hell.”

I laughed and kept my hand over my mouth, thinking my morning
breath probably wasn’t.

“What time is it?”

“Early. Not even six yet. But I’ve got to get upstairs and
pull myself together. Melinda and the rest of the staff will be here in less
than an hour.”

Brax yawned and stretched, reminding me of a grizzly bear
coming out of its cave after a long winter. “Yeah. I’ve got to hit the road
too. But I want to see you later. Do you have plans tonight?”

“No, actually. I’ll be here all day but I’ll be closed by
nine. Is that too late for dinner?”

“Nope. I’m not working
The Den
tonight. How about you
head out to my place when you’re done. I’ll make something special for us.”

“Mmm.” I crossed over to him and slid my arms around his
shoulders. He lifted me straight off my feet until he brought me nose to nose.
“If the dinner you have planned is anything like the dessert you made last
night, I’m in trouble.”

He kissed me and set me down. “I was in trouble the second you
walked back into
The Den
, baby. But I’m damn glad you did.”

I held my breath and bit my lip. Brax narrowed his eyes as he
watched me, seeing the turmoil on my face. I took a deep breath, just like I
would when jumping off the high dive. And that’s just what I was about to do.

“I love you,” I said reaching up to smooth back his hair. “And
you don’t have to say it back. But I wanted to tell you. I think I realized it
last night. I don’t want to make you feel weird. I don’t expect anything from
you. But I just wanted to say it. So . . . there.”

My heart hammered inside of me and it took effort to breathe.
Brax went completely still in my arms. Then he shifted his weight and leaned
down to kiss me. When he finally came up for air, his eyes glistened.

“Well, it took you long enough.”

“What?”

His smile melted me as he lifted me off my feet. “If you just
realized it last night, I’m saying it took you long enough. Because I think a
part of me has been in love with you for the last fifteen years. I love you
too, baby. So there.”

I couldn’t breathe. The room seemed to spin but Brax held me
steady. I dove. I’d touched the bottom and came up for air. And survived.

“Now,” he said, setting me on my feet. “We can have a long
conversation about all the things we can expect from each other later tonight.”

I laughed and leaned up to kiss him again. God, I wanted him.
I wished we had time for more than just kissing. “Just promise me you’ll always
tell me the truth. That’s all I need for now.”

He stiffened in my arms but the smile didn’t leave his face.
He unhooked my arms from around his neck and kissed each of my palms. “I’ll see
you tonight.
That’s
a promise.”

Nodding, I felt giddy, like the teenager he’d first met. I had
to get a hold of myself because soon he’d be gone and I’d have an entire
restaurant full of people and staff to deal with. I knew closing time would
feel like an eternity. Brax shot me a devastating wink then kissed me one more
time before he finally showed himself out the door. Now I just had to figure
out how to walk again.

Straightening my hair, I went up to the apartment and took a
shower. Doug was still sleeping so I got to avoid any awkward questions about
why I’d been gone all night. My lips were swollen from kisses and it sent a
thrill of heat through me as my mind flashed to all the naughty things we’d
done last night. Things I wanted to do again and then some tonight. God, I was
like a teenager all over again. I tied an apron around my waist and headed back
down the stairs.

Luckily, the parlor was slammed the second we opened so I
didn’t have much time to think about how much I wanted to see Brax again.
Melinda and the others were already doing the set-ups when I got to the
kitchen.

For her part, Melinda seemed edgy all day and I wondered if
Doug had called her and said something stupid again. So I asked her.

“I love you, Nicole. You know that. And I’m always going to
love Doug. That’s the problem. But he’s making me an awful lot of promises that
I’ve heard before.”

I flung a towel over my shoulder as I leaned against the
counter. “Shit. I know. I’ve heard the same ones. He’s great when he’s great. And
he’s hell when he’s not.”

She nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. God, of all the
things Doug had done, hurting Melinda was one of the worst. She was perfect for
him. Patient, kind, smart. She knew what she wanted out of life and what she
had to do to get it. His life had been most on track when he was with her.

“I’ve made a decision,” she said and I gripped the towel
bracing for it. “I got accepted to Florida State. I’m going to grad school to
get my MBA.”

My heart thundered in my chest. Both from excitement and
dread.

“I’m gonna go. I thought I’d stay closer to save money. I got into
Toledo too. But I think it’s better if I make a clean break, you know?”

I did. I
so
did. But I had to admit that a huge part of
me envied her. She could go anywhere she wanted to go. She didn’t have to give
anything up for her family or even for Doug. Like I did. Ten years ago I was in
her exact position. And I’d had to turn my back on it to save what I could of
my family. Only it hadn’t worked.

“Oh Mel, I’m happy for you. I am. But God. I’m going to
miss
you!”

I pulled her into a hug and within a few seconds we were both
in tears. She pulled away and I gave her the towel to dry her eyes. “Doug’s
furious. And hurt. And I’m worried it’s going to send him over the edge again.
I know how fragile everything is with him right now.”

“Stop it. I mean it. You’ve got to do what’s right for you.
This is right for you. I know it. It’s a couple of years, not forever. And it’s
Florida. Not Mars. If it’s meant to be between you and my brother, then
whenever you get back he’ll be clean and worthy of you. And if you meet someone
else, well, then that’s meant to be too.”

“Oh Nic!” She blubbered again and pulled me back into a hug.
“Do you know how much I love you?”

“Yeah. Because I feel the same way.” It seemed today was my
day for spilling my feelings. It felt good. Scary, but good. And it felt long
overdue.

She sniffed and put her hands on my shoulders. “And you. Are
you going to make it official with that tall hunk of biker you’ve been sneaking
around with?”

“Sneaking?”

“Uh, yeah. It’s okay. We’re all totally cool with it.”

“All? Jesus. Am I the subject of the gossip mill?”

“Hell, yes, you are. But it’s all good. You seem happy. You smile
a lot more. You deserve to.”

I shook my head. “Don’t get excited. Yes. I’m seeing Brax. But
I wouldn’t call it serious. Not yet.” I don’t know why I lied to her. Maybe it
was that part of me that still didn’t trust good things. Telling
him
I
loved him was one thing. I wasn’t ready for a public announcement.

Melinda just shook her head and smiled. “Right. Sure. Nothing
serious. Well, then maybe you could introduce Wendy or me to one of his biker
brothers.”

“What? No. Honestly. I’ve never even met any of the rest of
them.”

Melinda laughed and started to turn me toward the door. “Well,
then maybe now’s your chance because two of them just walked in and sat down in
Kirsten’s section.”

My heart raced, thinking Brax had come back. But when I looked
where Melinda pointed, it wasn’t Brax at all. They were Great Wolves all right,
just like Mel said. They had the same swagger and muscles that Brax did,
without the height and menace though, at least in my opinion.  One was dark
haired with the rugged, sinful look of a pirate. The other had a thick head of
chestnut-colored hair that hung past his collar and startling green eyes that
sparkled like emeralds.

Melinda whistled low. “Damn. Are they all that hot?”

I shrugged. “Looks like.”

“Yeah. I gotta get a membership to that gym they run, like
yesterday.”

I swatted Mel with the towel and headed over to Kirsten’s
section grabbing a couple of menus on the way.

“Hi!” I said, putting the menus in front of them. The darker
one smiled up at me and I read the patch on his chest. President. This had to
be Colt Reddick. My pulse quickened. His friend with the emerald eyes was
Kellan, Colt’s V.P. I stole a glance toward the door, wondering if Brax was
close behind. “Is it just the two of you?”

Colt smiled and slid his hand across the table to grab a menu.
I hated to disappoint Melinda or Kirsten, but he had a shiny gold band on his
fourth finger. Kellan did too. Kellan smiled brightly and pointed to my chest. 
“You’re Nicole!” I wore a name badge and Kellan thrust out his hand to shake
mine. His was hot and strong and I smiled, thinking how lucky Mrs. Kellan must
be.

“Yes. I am. I’m guessing Brax told you about me.”

Colt nodded. “We actually thought we’d catch him. Are we too
late?”

I bit my lip and felt a blush heat my cheeks. So they knew
he’d spent the night here. Colt’s eyes were kind and he put a hand on my arm.
“He’s crazy about you, you know.”

“Jesus, Colt,” Kellan muttered. “He’s going to kick your ass.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. But it warmed me to know Brax
talked about me to them. These men were the only family he had left. I envied
him that. I hadn’t had family except Doug since my grandparents passed away. Still,
I felt that familiar unease with letting my own guard down to either of them. I
should have told them I was crazy about him too. But I just smiled instead.

“You know, I used to come in here with my brother when we were
kids. I think your dad ran it then,” Colt said. “And I think I remember you
behind the counter. You wore pigtails and a green apron. Braces, right?”

I laughed. “That was me. I’m sorry, but you don’t look
familiar.”

Colt smiled wide and a look passed between him and Kellan.
“You probably would if my brother were here. We’re identical twins.”

Mercy. There were two of them? And as soon as he said it I
felt a flicker of recognition. “Yeah. Wait. Maybe I do remember a little. He
used to order Cherrie Razzie and you were Moose Tracks. He never let you handle
the money.”

Kellan barked out a laugh and Colt must have kicked him under
the table.

“Does your brother still live in town?”

Colt smiled. “Yeah. He’s still around. We, uh, don’t look as
much alike anymore. Let’s just say Jase and I have chosen different career
paths.”

“Well, bring him in with you again someday. Cherry Razzie is
still one of my specialties.”

Colt’s smile was genuine, reaching his eyes as he barked out
another laugh and laid his hands flat over the menu. Then he grew serious and
fixed those penetrating pirate eyes straight at me.

“But you’re doing okay here?” he asked.

Puzzled, I nodded. “Business is great. Yes. Thank you.”