Southern Comfort: Compass Brothers, Book 2 (12 page)

Spending a year in marriage to him had seemed a small price to pay at the beginning. Now, as she considered twelve months away from Seth, it seemed like an eternity.

Seth reemerged from the bathroom with a washcloth. Rather than climbing back into bed, he perched beside her on her side of the mattress.

“Open your legs,” he said as she blushed. He grinned. “I’ve already seen it, Jody.

She rolled her eyes. “I know. I’m just not, I can’t be so—” She waved her hands around as he pushed her knees apart, using the warm cloth to gently wash away the evidence of their lovemaking.

“You never have to be embarrassed with me,” he said. “You’re beautiful. Every part of you.” He finished his ministrations and placed the cloth on the nightstand. “Sore?”

She shook her head. He narrowed his eyes, proving she hadn’t fooled him.

“Maybe a little. Not enough that I don’t want to do it again.” She ran her hand along his upper thigh, seductively.

He laughed, grasping her hand and kissing it. “That’s my girl.” He rose and crossed the foot of the bed, climbing in next to her. “Later.”

Always her protector, she knew he’d keep her safe, even from herself and her desires. She curled up in his embrace, wondering if she’d ever been in a nicer place in her life. She lightly stroked his chest, his breath warm and steady against the top of her head.

“Stay with me for two days.”

He pressed his suit and she realized she’d never responded to his request. She nodded her assent. “Okay.”

“Promise me.” He knew her too well, knew she would never break a promise.

“I promise.”

God help her. Two days wouldn’t be long enough.

Chapter Eight

Seth opened his eyes, surprised to see the sun was setting. He hadn’t intended to fall asleep, thinking he’d only rest for a little while.

However, Jody had rocked his world. He lay on his stomach, grinning like a fool. Glancing over, he noticed the bed was empty.

“Fuck,” he sat up, cursing himself for letting down his guard. He’d asked her for two days, and she’d promised. She’d never broken a promise in her life and now…

“What’s wrong?” Jody’s head popped up from behind the island that separated the bedroom from the kitchen. The cabin was small. One large room contained the sleeping, eating and living areas, the bathroom the only separate space.

He tried to hide the fact he thought she’d gone, but she grinned and he knew she wasn’t going to let his mistake go without ridicule.

“You thought I left.”

He shook his head, tried to deny the truth. “No, I didn’t.”

“You were regretting not tying me up again, weren’t you?”

He rose from the bed, not bothering to hide his nakedness. Her gaze drifted to his cock. He was hard as a rock and ready for round two. His conscience told him he should go easy on her, but he wasn’t sure he was a good enough man to pull it off. Then she licked her lips and he knew he wasn’t good enough.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m going to whip up some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. I was looking for a pan, not plotting my grand escape.”

He laughed. “You promised to stay, Jody.”

She pointed the spatula in her hand at him. “That’s right, I did. You should know I don’t make vows lightly.”

Her words reminded him of another promise she’d made.

“What’s the deal between you and Paul?” he asked. The idea of her marrying a man she clearly wasn’t in love with had been driving him crazy since she’d returned home. She kept saying Paul needed her, but there was clearly some piece to the puzzle he was missing, something she wasn’t telling him.

She sighed, carrying the pan over to the stove. For a second, he thought she was going to ignore his question. Finally, she spoke. “My mom died of breast cancer.”

He nodded, confused. “I know.”

“Paul’s mother did too. Did you know that?”

He shook his head.

“I think that’s why he and I are such good friends. We have a lot in common. We sort of see things the same way.”

He frowned. Was she marrying Paul because of some common bond over their mothers? “Seems like a poor reason to marry someone.”

She smiled sadly. “It’s more than that. We have a shared goal for the future.”

“What sort of goal?”

Jody turned on the burner, placing the sandwiches in the pan. Her words were coming slowly and Seth began to think that whatever was driving her to marry Paul wasn’t going to be that easy to overcome. “Paul’s studying to be an architect. He’s incredibly talented. He’s going to build a cancer treatment facility with some trust fund money he’s about to come into.”

Seth rubbed his jaw, trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about. How was this connected to her wedding? “That’s real nice of him.”

She smiled. “He has to be legally married by his next birthday in order to get the money.”

Suddenly a light came on and Seth began to understand. Her words triggered his temper. “You’re marrying him so he can get some trust fund?”

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. He tried to ignore the fact the pose accentuated them and made him hungry for a taste. She was dressed in his T-shirt and nothing else. “Do you know how much good can come from the research that would happen in Paul’s facility?”

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “My issue isn’t with Paul’s plans for the money. It’s an admirable thing to do. I just don’t understand why you have to sacrifice your future, spend your life in a loveless marriage so some building can be built.”

“It wouldn’t be my whole life. Just a year.”

He paused. “What?”

“According to Paul’s lawyer, if he were legally married for a year, the stipulation in the will would be met. If he fails to get married, the money goes to a distant cousin.”

“Maybe the cousin would agree to give the money—”

“The cousin’s an addict. He’d blow every penny of the inheritance, filling his veins with drugs.”

“Oh.”

Suddenly her vehemence about following through with this wedding made sense. He wasn’t fighting another man for her heart. He was fighting against her dead mother. He sighed. It was a competition he couldn’t hope to win. Jody would gladly sacrifice a year if she thought it meant other young girls’ mothers could be saved. Fuck. Even he could understand now. That didn’t mean he agreed though.

“Surely there’s some other way.”

She shook her head. “Time’s not exactly on his side. He has to be married before his next birthday, which is just a few weeks away.”

Seth crossed the room and sat down. He leaned back in the chair, desperately seeking for an answer. “Seems like an odd stipulation for a will.”

Jody shrugged, flipping the sandwiches. “Not if you consider the fact Paul’s father was the world’s biggest homophobe.”

He sat up, his suspicions confirmed. “So Paul
is
gay.”

She nodded. “The will was a punishment. Plain and simple.”

“Pardon me for saying so, but Paul’s father was a prick.”

She smiled. “Amen.”

They were quiet for a few minutes as Jody finished the sandwiches, putting them on plates and adding a handful of potato chips. She came over to the table and placed a plate in front of him. He had an ache in his gut that wouldn’t go away until he asked the question he already knew the answer to. “You won’t go back on your promise, will you?”

She sat down across from him, but she didn’t answer. Her face said it all.

“I’m going to change your mind,” he said, unwilling to consider spending five minutes without her, let alone a year. He had her here and he was going to make sure that by the time these two days were up, there was nowhere else on earth she wanted to be. There had to be an answer to Paul’s dilemma that didn’t include Jody. When they returned to the ranch, he’d demand to see the will. He’d fax a copy to his dad’s lawyer. There had to be a loophole, an out.

She shrugged, a noncommittal gesture that tweaked his temper. Reaching over, he pulled her chair toward his.

“Hey,” she said.

“Open your legs. Wrap your ankles around the front legs of your chair to keep them apart.”

She hesitated.

“Do it now, Jody.”

He hadn’t bothered to dress and suddenly, he didn’t like the fact that her body was hidden beneath his large T-shirt. He pulled the thin material over her head before she could stop him. She wasn’t wearing panties. Her hands moved to cover herself, but he gripped them, applying the slightest bit of pressure when she tried to pull them free.

“Don’t.”

Her breathing was ragged, and he could sense her rising arousal. She definitely liked it when he took control.

He looked down at her legs which were still tightly closed. He took a deep breath and started counting to ten in his head. If she hadn’t moved them by the time he reached the end, she was going to be introduced to the concept of punishment.

He hadn’t made it to five when her knees parted, her ankles looping over the legs of the chair. He looked up and smiled. She narrowed her eyes, and he knew she wanted to make a smartass comment. Amazingly, she refrained.

He pointed to her sandwich. “Better eat before that gets cold.”

She’d just taken her first bite when he reached over and pushed a finger into her pussy. She was wet and hot and more than ready for him.

She gasped.

“Chew,” he said, when her eyes drifted closed. She obeyed, putting the sandwich back on the plate.

He thrust first one, then two fingers inside her, maintaining a steady, deep pace. Her hips began to move in time.

“Keep eating.”

She shook her head, and he sensed she was close to coming. He withdrew his fingers.

“Seth,” she protested.

“Pick up your sandwich and keep eating. You aren’t allowed to come until your plate is clear.”

“That’s impossible.”

He chuckled. “No, it’s not. Eat.”

He waited until she took another bite before replacing his fingers in her pussy. She managed to choke down two more bites, though he sensed she was struggling to hold off her orgasm. She’d just popped a chip in her mouth when he started stroking her clit with his thumb.

“Fuck,” she muttered, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Ever the Southern lady, she managed to chew with her mouth closed. Her pussy muscles clenched, and he stopped moving.

“I have to come, Seth. Now.” Her tone was a perfect mix of pleading and demanding.

He looked at her plate. “You know what you have to do.”

She hastily shoved a large mouthful of the sandwich in her mouth as he added a third finger to the first two. Her hands grasped the sides of her chair and tightened into a white-knuckle grip.

“Your orgasms belong to me,” he whispered, leaning closer when he felt her fighting her body’s natural impulses.

She shook her head. “My body belongs to me. And only me.”

He removed his fingers. “Is that right?”

She moaned, trembling at the loss. “Dammit, Seth. Finish what you started.”

He stood up and walked to the bed. Reaching beneath it, he pulled out an overnight bag. When he’d picked up the groceries from the ranch house last night, he’d gone to Jody’s room to pack some extra clothes for her. The devil in him had prompted him to rifle through her nightstand drawer.

He opened the bag, pulled out the treasure he’d found and turned back toward her.

Her eyes narrowed. “Where did you find that?”

“Where do think?”

She rose, angrily. “Did you go through my drawers?”

He grinned. “I thought you might like some clean clothes. Have to admit I didn’t expect to find this.” He waved the vibrator he’d found in front of her. “Bit disappointed to see it’s still in its wrapper.”

She shrugged. “It was a gift.”

He walked closer to her. “From who?”

She smiled smugly, clearly happy to have gotten his goat. Damn woman would always keep him hopping. “My fiancé.”

Seth frowned. “Just how good a friend is Paul?”

She laughed, good-naturedly, and let the joke go. “He gave it to me the night he proposed. Said he’d always make sure his wife was well provided for. He was kidding, of course. I thought it was a pretty funny gag at the time.”

He was glad she had a friend like Paul in her life. He’d worried about her going off to college so far from home. Paul had filled a void and kept her safe. He admitted to himself he owed the guy a great deal of gratitude for that.

“Doesn’t explain why you never tried it.”

She rolled her eyes. “He only gave it to me a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been packing up to come home. Time hasn’t exactly been on my side.”

“Well, now it is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Go lay on the bed. I think you and I need to have a little heart to heart about who owns this body of yours.”

She walked to the bed, but she wasn’t cowed. “You can talk until the cows come home, but that’s not gonna change the fact that my body and my orgasms belong to me.”

He tried to stifle his smile. This was going to be fun. She crawled up onto the bed, taking care to make sure he got a very good look at her bare ass before she rolled over onto her back. She beckoned him with a finger and he struggled to look stern. She was topping from the bottom. Obviously it was time to take off the kid gloves and teach Ms. Kirkland a little lesson in submission.

Walking to the kitchen sink, he opened the package containing the vibrator and washed it. He took his time. Through the reflection in the kitchen window, he could see Jody squirming on the bed. She’d been close to coming on the chair. It wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge. He’d have to tread that razor’s edge lightly. Before she came, she’d know without a doubt that her body belonged to him. He aimed to wrap her up so tightly in lust and desire that she’d never consider marrying another man, promise or not.

He walked to the foot of the bed. Jody lounged, trying to give the appearance of nonchalance, though he detected the slight tremor in her hands and her accelerated breathing.

“Open your legs,” he said softly.

For a moment, he thought she might refuse. Then she gave him a smile sexier than silk sheets and spread herself open for his perusal.