Broken Ground: (Broken Series Book 1) (23 page)

"Just because he's well enough to come home doesn't mean he's up to taking over the diner. And Marilee might not be able to go back to work yet, either. It depends on how self-sufficient Teach is, whether or not he'll need to be looked after. They might still need me."

"Even if they don't, I do." Shit. I hadn't meant to say that out loud. My eyes snapped to hers.

She could have taken my remark to mean that I still needed her help with the project, but that's not what I meant. And the look on her face told me she understood me exactly. Her smile was absolutely radiant as her gaze flitted from my eyes to my lips to my jaw, taking in every feature in obvious delight. "You need me, Clay?"

"More than my next breath," I whispered.

Well, shit. Way to play it cool, stupid. Cat's out of the bag now.

Her eyes widened, and she blindly reached out to set her beer on the coffee table, not taking her eyes off mine. She left the mug wobbling on the table's surface and reached out with both hands, placing them on either side of my face as she leaned in. When our lips were mere millimeters apart, she said, "Show me." Her mouth dipped to mine for a brief kiss and pulled back. "Make me feel how much you need me. Please, Clay."

Oh, goddamn.

She begged.

Fucking begged me to take her.

In an instant, those two words were the focus of my entire world.

Please, Clay.

She wouldn't need to ask twice.

Her eyes widened with excitement as I closed the distance between us and playfully nipped her plump bottom lip. That little taste wasn't nearly enough so I delved deeper, sweeping my tongue over the spot I'd just grazed with my teeth, reveling in the sweetness of her.

She made a soft mewling sound, urging me on until I couldn't take it anymore. I needed her closer.

I turned and pulled her into my lap so that she straddled me. With my cock lined up perfectly, I gripped her thighs and held tight as I thrust hard against her, making her gasp. A satisfied growl tore through my chest. I reached a hand out and gripped the hair at her nape, remembering how she'd done the same to me days earlier on the patio. I pulled her down to eye-level as I warned, "Alison, you're going to be feeling this for days."

She held my gaze as her tongue darted out to graze my lip, teasing, goading me into action. "Good."

Game. On.

DESPITE DOING MY
best to pace myself, it wasn't long before Ali's top went sailing across the room. She ran her hands through my hair, alternating between soft caresses and sharp tugs while I focused on her ample breasts. The bra she wore was mostly lace and left very little to the imagination. I pulled her forward just enough so I could reach her slender neck, working my way from just below her jaw to the soft flesh at the tops of her breasts. My fingers trailed just under the edge of the cups, not quite delving all the way in, teasing her, toying with her until she began to whimper my name.

I skimmed a finger down to her navel while the other hand reached for the clasp at her back. With a quick twist, I snapped the bra open. Ali leaned back and slipped the straps from her shoulders, smiling wickedly as she removed the lacy barrier. She dropped it to the floor and straightened herself before me, inviting me to look my fill.

I loved her confidence and that she was comfortable with me, so fucking sexy.

Rather than focusing solely on her full, perky breasts I pulled her down and claimed her mouth. Not only did I need to pace myself, I also needed her to know this wasn't like last time. This wasn't me needing her body, this was me needing
her
. When she was breathless from our kisses, I pulled back and held her eye as I brought my lips to her chest. I suckled, nibbled, and tongued one breast while working the other with my hand. The harder I sucked on her tight nipples, the more she trembled. She was so responsive I had to see if I could get her off like that.

I took my time, making her squirm and shiver paying attention to see that she was on the brink, then stopping to reclaim her mouth. After nearly half an hour, I hit pay dirt. I was preparing to move from one breast to the other, giving one last hard pull on her nipple when I accidentally dragged my teeth across the sensitive skin, hard. Afraid I'd hurt her, I pulled back, but the apology died on my lips when she threw her head back and cried out. "Yes!"

Oh, so it was like that, was it? Good to know.

I resumed my place at her breast, sucking and pulling, using my teeth, and she went wild. She bucked so hard I thought she'd fall to the floor, whimpering and panting as I worked her with my mouth. She pulled at my hips, begging me to grind into her and I complied happily, never releasing her nipple as she pressed herself against me and cried out. The orgasm ripped through her, and I nearly came with her as her shuddering body rubbed against my cock. I dug my fingers into her backside and held on for dear life as she rode out the rest of her orgasm, her nipple between my teeth and my name falling from her lips.

When the last tremor had passed, she sat watching me, her rapid breathing beginning to even out as I soothed her tender flesh with slow, soft kisses, tempering the sting. I pressed my lips to the valley between her breasts and worked my way back to her mouth, delighted to see the raw desire in her gaze. Kissing the corner of her mouth, I smiled. "That's one."

BY THE TIME
I carried her to my bedroom, I'd managed to pull another orgasm out of her without delving below her waist, only losing my shirt in the process. My little experiment had been quite a success, but my balls were starting to ache and I was afraid I'd do irreparable damage if I didn't get inside her soon.

I crawled onto the king size bed and lay her right in the middle getting my fill of looking at her silky hair fanning across my pillow as she sank into the soft mattress. With a quick kiss to her already swollen lips, I moved to the edge of the bed to retrieve a condom from the nightstand, they were kept there more out of habit than anticipation. I turned back to her and slipped it under the pillow, stopping for a moment to admire her gorgeous body. She unclasped her locket, handing it to me to place on the nightstand before resuming her position against the pillows. She hadn't even attempted to remove the rest of her clothes, which I appreciated. I wanted the pleasure of stripping her bare, revealing her body inch by inch so I could savor it.

She sat up as I made my way to her, both of us up on our knees. I brushed a lock of hair away from her face, revealing a seductive smile. I almost said it then, seeing the desire, the adoration in her eyes. I almost told her I loved her but couldn't form the words. I couldn't profess my love for her with my lies still between us, coiled like a viper waiting to poison any future we might have had.

She laid her hand on my chest as her hooded gaze traveled appreciatively over my body. I wondered if she could feel the gallop of my heart under her fingers. I covered her hand with mine and brought it to my lips, kissing her fingertips one by one and nuzzling her palm before pulling her to me for a long slow kiss.

I was a little surprised — and a lot turned on — when Ali put her hands on my shoulders and shoved me onto my back. She grinned wickedly as she reached for the button on my jeans, making short work of getting them open. She tugged them slowly down, taking my boxer briefs with them, and dropped them unceremoniously to the floor. Swinging one leg over my knees, she straddled my legs and began trailing kisses over my stomach, her long dark hair tickling my sides.

When she took me in her mouth a moment later, running her tongue on the underside of my cock and pulling me deep, I had to grit my teeth to hold back a string of swears. Holy fuck, her mouth was hot. My whole body felt like it was on fire. I actually shook with need as my mind flooded with everything I wanted to do to her, with her. Then she began lightly pulling on my sac and every thought in my head vanished. She took me deep and tugged my balls, over and over until I thought I'd black out. I reached down and tried to stop her before it was too late but she just looked up at me and moaned as she gave her head a little shake.

She held my eye and took me deep, working me with her tongue as she pushed me over the edge. We maintained eye contact the entire time I emptied myself into her, coming harder and longer than I ever had in my life. It just kept going and going and she kept taking me deep into her throat until the very end.

When she was satisfied that I'd finished, she pulled back and gave the head of my cock a quick lick before moving to lie down beside me. "That's one." She announced with a smile as she laid her arm across my heaving chest.

I smirked at her use of my earlier words. "And a damn good one at that."

She sat up on her elbow and looked down at me with a wink. "Just trying to even things up."

"Oh, no. Not happening." She scowled adorably at my remark, and I laughed. "Not that I don't like where your mind is going but, if I don't get inside you soon, I may go out of my mind." She squealed when I seized her by the waist and flipped her onto her back, those damn jeans of hers the final barrier between us as I pressed my entire body into hers. I could feel the heat of her sweet bare pussy through her clothes as I sucked on her plump lower lip and fumbled with the button on her jeans. The damn thing wasn't cooperating, and I was rock hard again, dying to feel her around me.

I sat up with an annoyed grunt and wrenched the button open with enough force to damn near rip it off. Ali's responding giggle managed to curb my frustration, and I calmly removed her jeans and panties, my attention fixed on her smooth skin as I balled up the offending garments and tossed them across the room. She giggled again as the sound of them hitting the far wall tickled at my awareness but I was solely focused on her. My gaze traveled the length of her body from the girly pink of her toenails to the mouthwatering apex of her thighs to her full, rounded breasts and finally to the deep green pools of her desire-filled eyes.

How the fuck could anyone raise a hand to this exquisite creature? How could that bastard have marred her porcelain skin with bruises? White-hot rage shot through me at the mere idea of what he'd done to her. Shaking off the image of her from the night we met, I forced myself to focus on the woman she was now, the woman looking at me like I was the center of her universe.

Every inch of her was perfect. And mine. If not forever, then at least for tonight. And I was going to make every second count. I wanted to touch, love, and claim every part of her. Even her heart. A pang of sadness threatened to overcome me, knowing that her heart was something I should never have but I pushed the thought away. None of that mattered tonight. Not my past or her future, not broken promises or unfulfilled destinies. Even the lies didn't matter as long as my body could show her the truth. Nothing mattered except what we were to each other tonight. A woman who had no idea how amazing she was and a man hell-bent on showing her.

No matter what happened after this there would never be any regret, not from me. She'd awakened a part of me I'd thought was long dead and tonight I'd lay it at her feet as I worshiped her body, offering it for her to take forever. I wanted her to have it because, although she'd never know, it would always belong to her.

My heart.

Ali watched intently as I skimmed my hand up her outer thigh, reveling in the softness of her skin. With a soft pleading moan, she rolled toward the edge of the bed, her gorgeous ass exposed to me as she snatched up the condom from beneath the pillow. Resuming her spot on her back, she held her arms out and curled her fingers, beckoning me to her. When I stayed where I was, hesitant to give up my magnificent view of her body, she dropped her arms and began opening the condom.

I liked that she was taking charge and making her desire known so I stayed right where I was. Once she'd freed the condom from the wrapper, she sat up in front of me and rolled it on, a sexy as fuck smirk on her face as my breath quickened in response. She stroked my cock lightly and took my hand as she lay back, pulling me with her.

I braced myself on my arms as I positioned myself over her, shifting to one side so I could caress her face with the hand not supporting my weight. She was so fucking wet when I nestled myself against her, it took all my willpower to go slowly. I wanted so badly to thrust into her, just bury myself in her to the hilt, but I needed to take my time. Not only had it been a long time since she'd last had sex but, if her nickname for her ex was at all accurate, she wasn't used to sleeping with someone of my size. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. I'd go easy for now, get her used to having me inside her, and then make love to her so thoroughly that there'd be no question how I felt. I'd show her I loved her the first time around.