Break Away (The Moore Brothers Book 4) (15 page)

L
ilah looked absolutely amazing
, kneeling before him, her chest heaving in a mix of fear and excitement, her wide blue eyes trained on his. He tried not to show her how upset he was at the thought of her needing to use a safeword. He did not get off on hurting women. But he did get off on control. Urging them to break their boundaries, to give themselves to him so he could show them just how far their bodies would go.

He didn’t show this side of himself to many women. In fact, it had been a year since the last time he felt comfortable enough to try and dominate someone. The thought of doing it to Lilah, of sharing this piece of himself with her, well … his cock ached at the thought.

He had been planning this night for weeks. Waiting for the right moment to take her as his. To do all the dirty things he wanted to do for her. Things that would have her climbing his bedposts and biting pillows in ecstasy.

“First things first,” he said, adding that hint of command back into his voice, hoping she heard the subtle change in it. “You are not to look at me again unless I tell you to, understand?”

She nodded and dropped her eyes. He instantly missed the contact but, the one thing he knew for sure was that adding little rules and permissions on her actions would best put her in a submissive state. And since this was her first time with this kind of stuff, he would start easy. But later? Once he was inside her, he would command her to look at him because nothing was better than looking into her eyes as she came.

Cole leaned down and tweaked one of her nipples. Rolled it between his fingers. Lilah’s lips parted and her chest heaved. He flicked it a few times, watched it turn red, then lowered to his knees in front of her and drew it into his mouth, caressed it with his tongue, let the warmth of his lips take away all the pain. At the same time, he took her other nipple between his fingers and pinched hard enough to make her gasp. Rolled it and twisted it and then brought his mouth to that breast, kissing and sucking and taking away the hurt.

“Does that feel good, princess,” he asked, his voice low and sultry.

“Yes.” Her voice was breathy and uncertain.

“Yes, what?” He touched a finger to her chin and lifted her face to his.

“Yes, sir…?” The corners of her lips twitched up in a smile. She felt silly and that was normal. He would never stand for her to go around yes sir-ing him in public, but he needed her to trust him in the bedroom and having to call him by a title would put her even further under his spell.

“Good girl.” He smiled and she relaxed. “But you just broke a rule, princess.” He hardened his voice again. “Did I tell you to look at me?”

“I thought you wanted me to. When you lifted my chin…”

“In here, you are to do exactly as I say. Nothing more, nothing less. Did I
tell
you to look at me?”

“No.” Her cheeks flared his favorite shade of pink and anxiety flared to life in her eyes. He would put that fear right to rest in just a few minutes.

“No, what?”

“No, sir.”

“Well, now you’ve broken two rules. And that means you’ll have to accept your punishment. Stand up, Lilah.” He offered her a hand to help her stand. “Lie down on the bed on your back and reach your arms overhead, grab one of the slats in my headboard and don’t let go.”

She did as she was told, ever so carefully avoiding his eyes. Cole climbed onto the bed and spread her legs, positioned himself between them and blew on her over so lightly. She took a deep breath and rolled her hips towards his mouth. Hot damn was she ever turned on.

“Are you wet, princess? If I slide a finger inside you am I gonna find out how just how much you like it when I’m in control of you? When I have power over you?” He didn’t wait for a response. He slid two fingers into her opening, hooking them just right so he could massage that spot he knew she loved so much.

She gasped and arched her back and he started sliding his fingers along her slick walls. In and out. Her breath hitched and she spread her legs, offering him more room to work. He leaned forward and flicked her clit with his tongue, hard and fast while he kept the slow steady pace with his fingers. He felt her begin to clench around him and pulled away from her completely.

“I asked you a question.” Of course, he had already found his answer. She was wet and ready for him, but he had to play the game, especially after finding how much she was enjoying it.

“What was the question,” she asked, lifting her head to look at him.

He raised an eyebrow. “I think you like getting in trouble, princess.” He flicked her clit with his finger. Gentle at first and then harder. Lilah dropped her head back on the pillow and moaned. He stopped, withdrawing all sensation just as he saw her muscles beginning to clench with the beginning of an orgasm. “Are you wet?” He bit out the words, enunciating the consonants.

“Yes.” Lilah gasped. “Sir... I mean, yes, sir.”

Cole went back to work with both his hand and his mouth, bringing her to the point of orgasm over and over, only to pull away before she could come. Lilah was moaning and panting. Her hips bucking up under him, trying to seek out the friction she needed to finally come. He pulled his finger out of her and slid both hands under her ass, lifting her up towards her face.

“You are not to come until I tell you, do you hear me?” He flicked her clit with his tongue, and then licked her long and slow.

He felt her nod and whimper what sounded like an affirmation. “I need you to use your words, princess.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

“Good.” And then he clamped his mouth down on her clit, sucking as hard as he could. Lilah screamed against her closed mouth, her hips rolling in his hand. She thrashed her head against his pillow.

“Oh fuck, Cole! I’m gonna come!”

He lifted his face. “No.” And then he brought his mouth back to her swollen clit and sucked while her moans grew louder and more frantic.

“Please,” she begged. “Please let me come.”

Cole slid his hands out from underneath her and let her hips fall to the bed. He stood and pulled off his shirt and pants, staring at her stretched out on his bed with her legs spread, totally unaware of how fucking hot she looked as he stepped out of his boxer briefs and rolled on a condom.

Without warning her, he kneeled between her legs again, picked up her hips and thrust himself all the way inside her. “Come,” he ordered as he began to move, driving into her again and again.

She detonated around him, coming loudly, turning her head to bury her face in her arm. And still he kept moving. A frantic pace. One that would bring on his own orgasm in a matter of minutes. He watched her, so beautiful. So hot. So his. He claimed her with every roll of his hips, with every wave of pleasure rolling through him.

“Oh, fuck Cole, it feels so good.”

She arched her back, allowing him to hit even deeper inside her.

“Lilah,” he said, his voice gruff. “Look at me. Look me in the eyes.”

She turned her face to his, opening those gorgeous blue eyes of hers and locked her gaze on his. Her breath hitched and caught and her eyebrows knit together. He held her gaze, looking right through to the most intimate part of her, sharing this most private moment as his balls clenched and he came in one hot spurt. He pulled her hips closer to his, bringing them even closer together.

There was a moment of stillness while their breath ripped through their chests. While they panted in the quiet room. While they stared deeply into the face of the other and the frenzy of their orgasms faded.

This. This was the moment he feared the most. This moment of complete and naked intimacy. This moment he had avoided with every woman for his entire life. It had finally arrived. And it was beautiful.

C
ole leaned down
and kissed Lilah’s forehead. Traced kisses down her nose and then finally kissed her mouth. It was long and warm and Lilah loved every second of it. He pulled away and then pulled out of her, flopping on the bed beside her and pulling her into him.

“Was that okay?” he asked and there was genuine concern in his voice. “It didn’t hurt? I didn’t push you too hard or too fast or too far?”

“God no,” she said, snuggling even closer to him. “It didn’t hurt. And it was more than okay. That was amazing. You already held the title of best sex of my life before tonight. I think after tonight…” Lilah trailed off. She wanted to say that he ruined her for all other men to follow, but didn’t want to insinuate that she thought their relationship had a time limit. Nor did she want to insinuate that she thought it didn't.

“Best ever, huh?” asked Cole, either not noticing that she hadn’t finished her thought or assuming that she had meant to just leave it unfinished. “I think I can handle that.”

She ran a hand up his hard abdomen to his chest, enjoying the way his chest hair felt so rough under her fingers. “Well that’s good, because I’m still not sure I can.”

He twisted, sitting up so he could meet her eyes. “So, it
was
too much?”

“No, no, no. It was wonderful. But, it’s all I can do to just have a conversation. My body is putty in your hands and I’m not capable of real thought yet.”

Cole relaxed, putting his head back on the pillow and wrapping an arm around her. “Good. Then just stay here with me and let me enjoy being this close to you.”

Lilah had never experienced pleasure like that in all her life. She still couldn’t believe that she liked taking orders and being called a good girl, but holy shit did she ever. She would never forget this night. Not as long as she lived. This was the night she had learned more about Cole. Learned more about herself. The night she gave herself over to him and came back better for it.

The night Cole Bennett fucked her brains out and Lilah Moore realized she was falling in love with him.

* * *

D
ays blended
into nights that blended right back into days. Cole and Lilah fell into a comfortable rhythm of filling every spare minute with each other. If they weren’t at work, they were together, and if they were at work, they were still texting like crazy. A constant stream of silliness and connection.

Today was Sunday and Lilah had the night off, although Cole had decided to take the boat out this morning and stay out until the hold was full. Normally, he waited to stay out that long on the water until she had a string of nights scheduled at the diner so they didn’t miss out on a lot of time together, but this week had been bad. He hadn’t caught a lot of shrimp so he hadn’t made a lot of money.

She was in his kitchen, making lunch when she heard his truck pull up in front of the apartment. Fear lanced her heart. There was no reason for him to be back unless something bad happened. The truck door slammed and just a few seconds later, the front door bounced open and Cole practically ran inside, not even bother to close it behind him.

“Cole,” she said, worry transforming into fear. “What’s wrong?” His face was pale and his eyes were glazed. His jaw clenched and he couldn’t quite focus on her face.

“Mom.” He looked around her towards the stairs. “She’s in the hospital.” He put his hands on her shoulders and finally met her eyes. “I should have gone right away, but I needed you to be there with me. I don’t think I can see this. Not again. I need you to keep me strong.”

Lilah knew what happened. She didn’t need to ask. She could see it in the heartbreak on Cole’s face. The haunted look of someone who thought reality would never catch up with them and didn’t know what to do now that it had.

“Of course I’ll come.” She slipped on some shoes and grabbed her purse and they were out the door.

Cole filled her in on the way over. After finally finding the strength to move out on her own, Maggie had gone home to her husband. Cole wasn’t sure why yet. Didn’t know if he had talked her into coming back or if she had just thought she was safe to go pick up something she had left.

“Doesn’t matter either way,” he said, his voice scraping through a tight throat. “It still ended the same way it always does.”

He was silent the rest of the way to the hospital. Silent as he parked. Silent as they approached the customer service desk. It was Lilah who finally had to tell the woman that they were there to see Maggie Bennett. Lilah who had to lead him down the hallway to her room. Lilah who had to open the door, and Lilah who had to see her first.

Maggie looked bad. One eye swollen shut. Her face so bruised she didn’t look real. A cast on her right arm and a cut on her cheekbone, held together with butterfly bandages.

“Oh fuck, Ma,” said Cole pushing past Lilah and taking Maggie’s good hand. He shook his head, falling silent once again.

Maggie turned to look at her son, pain and shame dancing with regret in her one good eye. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice croaking hoarsely. That’s when Lilah noticed the hand shaped bruise on her throat.

“Shhh.” Cole looked like he wanted to touch her but didn’t know where and Lilah felt like an interloper in this moment. “It’s not you who has to apologize. This isn’t your fault. Never is.”

“I went back.” Maggie blinked and tried to swallow. “This is my fault.” Her voice cracked. “I went back.”

Cole choked on his next words. Hung his head and his shoulders started to shake as this mountain of a man broke down in tears. Lilah stepped forward to put her hand on his arm, to let him know she was here, to remind him that he didn’t have to be strong right now because she would do it for him. He leaned into her and she wrapped her arm around his broad back, wishing for the first time that he wasn’t so big so she could comfort him properly.

* * *

I
t didn’t take long
for Maggie to fall asleep. Cole spent the next hour at her side anyway, standing there holding her hand. Lilah finally talked him into going down to the cafeteria for some coffee. For the first time in her entire life, she didn’t know what to say.

Cole held onto the cardboard cup with both hands, leaning his elbows on the table they chose near the doors and letting his head droop. “She doesn’t have insurance,” he said so quietly that Lilah almost didn’t hear him.

“What? She works, though right? Don’t they offer insurance?” Lilah had never even considered that Maggie wouldn’t be insured. Not in this day and age.

“They keep her just under full-time hours so she doesn’t qualify for benefits.”

“What about the government?” Lilah waved her hand in the air, looking for the name of the bill the president had passed a few years back.

“Obamacare?” Cole snorted. “Dad didn’t believe in it. Didn’t like being told he had to buy something. He told her they’d pay the fine rather than sign up.”

Lilah couldn’t even begin to understand a man who thought that way. Couldn’t even begin to process the implications of what it meant for Maggie to have such extensive injuries and not be insured. What she did know was that she could get her hands on enough money to pay off her bills. All she had to do was ask her parents for it. Explain what happened. Sure, she would lose the bet with her brothers, but at this point, who the fuck cared about a stupid bet anyway.

Cole wouldn’t take it well. Not at first. Knowing that she had kept such a big part of herself secret from him would hurt like hell. Especially considering how much he had opened up to her recently. But, he wouldn’t turn her down. Not when he knew it would help his mom.

And surely, he would understand why she hadn't told him once she explained. Besides, it wasn’t like it was her money. It was her parents’ money. He couldn’t really hold that against her, could he? Surely, all she had to do was explain everything to him, offer to talk to her mom and dad, and everything would be okay.

Right?