Coming Undone (30 page)

He nodded as he began to eat.

“That’s the first big hurdle. Now they’re looking at their assertions that I’m unfit and my assertions that further contact with the Sorensons is detrimental to Rennie’s mental and emotional state and that they should be allowed no visitation or contact at all unless or until Rennie asks for it. It was all preliminary. This stuff can take a while. But because of the visitations being so upsetting, Bill and Frank both believe the judge will hear things sooner. It’ll all be back and forth between attorneys, and then there’ll be another meeting with the judge where she goes over the findings and hears from experts if she wants to. Apparently this is very narrow, so it won’t be a repeat of the trial I had in New York the first time.

I just want it over.”

He put his fork down and took her hand. “It’ll be over soon.

You’ll finally be free of them and we can all move forward. I’m glad the first step worked out. Keeping the case away from some crony of your ex-father-in-law’s will be a very good thing. I’m sorry I woke you. I just . . . I just didn’t want to go to sleep without touching you.”

She loved him so much right at that moment, loved him until she thought she might burst from it. And then loved him more. He was what she needed, what she wanted, and if she could just be with him and not spook him off with declarations of love, she could continue to love him. She wanted to tell him she loved him, wanted to tell him so much her heart ached.

After this whole legal mess was finally over, she’d sit down and figure out what to do, but for the time being, there wasn’t a darned thing wrong with loving him and being with him.

“I’m glad you did. I ate cookie dough.”

The confused look on his face morphed into understanding. “You ate cookie dough because you missed me?” He smiled so broadly the dimple usually shadowed by his mustache showed. “Erin used to eat cookie dough. By the log. She was the moodiest teenage girl to ever exist. I’m totally certain of it.”

“Until Rennie. Gah, I cringe to think.” She wished he could spend the night. Wished she could close her eyes with him there next to her and just fall away, knowing when she woke up he’d be there still. But with all the allegations that she was some sort of skank who paraded a group of bikers through her bedroom nightly while Rennie was forced to watch, she had to be careful. Besides, spending the night wasn’t part of the deal between them.

“You look so tired. Why don’t you go home and get some rest.”

She caressed his cheek and leaned in to kiss him.

“You look ten kinds of sexy in that tank top and those shorts.

Now, if I could wake up to this every day, I’d never want to leave my house.”

Maybe she wasn’t the only one who liked the idea of a sleepover.

“I think I might be able to do something about you being tired and me being sexy.” She stood and put the dish in the sink and his beer bottle in the recycling. “Come on back to my room.”

Once inside, she closed and locked the door. “Get undressed and get on the bed, facedown. I’ll be right with you.” She lit some candles and headed into the bathroom for a few things.

When she returned, she paused in the doorway, content to just look at how beautiful and sexy he was, stretched out across her bed.

The sight was ridiculously sexy. He was so big and his shoulders so broad, the tattoo on his back lent him an edge of danger. His body was toned and muscular. Every inch of the man was gorgeous. Having him there, in her bed, in her house on a night like this one made her happy. Content.

She crawled up on the bed, straddling his ass.

“Hey.” He tried to turn around, but she pushed him back into place. “You can’t sit on me totally naked and not let me look or touch. That’s torture.”

She poured almond oil into her hands and then rubbed them together to warm it before she touched the skin of his back. Her re-ward was a long, deep groan of pleasure from him as she began to work her fingers into his muscles.

“I’m supposed to be here comforting you.”

She laughed softly. “I like to take care of you. It makes me happy.

This
is
you comforting me.”

His breathing slowed, deepened as she worked. This man had done so much for her, had taken care of her, had shown with body and mind that she was beautiful and capable. No one had ever made her feel the way he had. It scared her to her toes to imagine him not in her life.

“Damn that feels good. Are you a licensed masseuse too? Since you’re a jack of all trades and all.” His voice was muffled by the pillow.

“Jack of all trades, master of none.” She laughed. “You’d better be good at massages so you can trade them with people when you dance. Man, you’re so tight right here.” She worked into the knot at his right shoulder.

“Between working all day and then dealing with the cleanup from the burst pipes, I guess I’m a mess. Good thing I have you to take care of me.”

Yes, good thing. She bet that selfish bitch Raven didn’t do this for him. Didn’t make him something to eat when he got hungry, didn’t worry about how tired he was. Okay, so maybe she was un-fair; Raven did seem to care about him, and Erin too, but it annoyed Elise to see the woman around all the time. She was totally hostile and she touched Brody way more than Elise would have pre-ferred. Which would be
zero
touches, damn it.

“I’m here for that. Anytime.”

The stress went out of him slowly as he relaxed heavier into her bed.

“It feels so good to be with you here. To be taken care of.”

She scooted down to get to his lower back, ass and upper thighs.

“You always do it for everyone else. Someone needs to take care of you for a change. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you go around making life better for everyone else. You’re a good man.”
And I love
you
.

“Mmm, god that’s nice. And I’m just doing what needs to be done. If I don’t, who will? Who’ll do it right so the people I care about are okay? I can, I trust that.”

Holy cats, was she gone for this man.

“Turn over.”

He did, a lazy smile on his lips. “This is the best part.”

She smiled back. “Are you suggesting sex? Mr. Brown, I’m really sure I’m not supposed to do that.” She fluttered her lashes and he slid his hands up her thighs. “Don’t you get tired of being laden down with other people’s stuff?”

He locked his gaze with hers. “Some people. But other people?”

He shrugged slightly. “Other people I like taking care of. I like knowing I’m the one making them safe or healthy or whatever. I guess it’s a god complex, but there it is.” He took her breasts in his hands. “Taking care of you and Rennie is in the latter group. Yes, I can see the worry on your face, hear it in your voice. You two are mine, I take care of what’s mine.”

“You don’t feel suffocated by yet more people on your to-do list?”

“Did someone say something to upset you, Shorty? Have I hurt your feelings or made you feel bad?”

She shook her head. “No, not that. I just . . . I know when we started this thing we said it would be light and fun, and I’m realizing it’s not so light and fun for you when I have legal crap and stuff. I just don’t want to step on your toes or . . .”

She couldn’t help but squeal when he rolled her over so suddenly. “Shorty, when we started this thing, we didn’t know each other the way we do now. I like having you in my life. I like your kiddo in my life. I like taking care of you. I like knowing you’re safe. I hate this legal shit because I know you’re scared and I hate those people for trying to scare you and using Rennie to do it. It makes me crazy that I can’t fix it for you both. Seeing you so worried hurts. I want you to be happy.”

She would not cry. It was just hormones and emotion.

“Please touch me,” she whispered around tears.

“Baby, please don’t cry.” He brushed his lips over her cheeks. “I’m here and all I ever want is to touch you.”

“Then do. Please. I just want to feel you.”

“If I have to,” he joked before meeting her lips for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as his soft kisses grew deeper.

She arched, writhing to get more of her on more of him. His skin was taut and very warm, slightly slick from the almond oil she’d used. The friction was delicious.

“Just for the record,” he said before licking one nipple and then the other, “I always want to feel you. To taste you. Elise, I want to breathe you.” He hovered over the dip of her belly, his breath hot against the super-sensitive skin there. His tongue slid over her hip bone and down the seam between thigh and body.

How could she not love him? There must be three dozen women walking around Seattle totally heartbroken that this man wasn’t with them anymore. Maybe that was Raven’s problem.
Hmpf
.
Too
bad, goth girl. You snooze, you lose
.

His tongue against her clit brought her hips forward, unabashedly seeking more. It had been a week since he’d gone down on her.

They’d had sex, but it had been quick and hard, which she’d needed.

This was slow and decadent, and it felt so good she just soaked it in. He held her thighs open and flat against the mattress as he licked and nibbled, laved and flicked his tongue over her pussy.

She arched, stretching her muscles as the pleasure took over. His mouth on her was sure, and with good reason. He knew what worked, what she liked, what drove her to shiver and beg—and he did it. Over and over until she became a trembling mass of desper-ate woman.

Which she was as he teased his mouth down and back up again, his tongue sliding over her perineum, shocking her eyes open again.

He moved one hand and teased his thumb over her back passage.

That was so . . . she swallowed, experimenting with it . . . Forbid-den. Dark. Taboo.

He sucked her clit between his lips, and her breath gusted from her mouth, right as he pressed his thumb just slightly inside.

Ribbons of light decorated her vision as she came, hard and swift. Her fingers tightened in his hair as she pulled him closer, even as she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

Brody kissed her belly again and lay on his side next to her.

“Now you’re nice and ready to be fucked. My favorite.” She cracked an eye open and caught the light in his eyes as they raked over her body. “Let’s try something new.”

“Hope you don’t want to try something acrobatic. I don’t think I’ve got the stamina for that after what you just did to me.”

He laughed. “That’s a fine compliment. And no, Shorty, all you have to do is stay on your back, put one leg up and over my hip and the other can go between my thighs. I’ll do all the work from there.”

She scooted over, moving one leg up and the other between his thighs, and then he thrust, entering her easily because she was so wet.

“So good. I like it this way because you’re so lovely to look at.”

His pace was leisurely.

“So far, I’ve had zero complaints about your prowess. There must be jealous women all over town because I’m hogging you. By the way, I have no plans to share anytime soon.”

“Good. I like keeping my prowess right here between your thighs. God, your skin is so pretty by candlelight. Your body is so lovely, lithe, strong. Just exactly right.”

“I ate a hell of a lot of cookie dough earlier. I’m surprised I don’t have a pooch.”

His fingertips danced down her belly and over her thighs. “Mmm hmm. Not looking so round here. Not to me. You eat pretty well, but you can when you exercise hours a day the way you do.”

She laughed and ended up writhing because he hauled her even closer, getting deeper. “I went a little crazy when I was rehabbing for the leg. First I was immobile, which I rarely am, and you don’t want to hear all this detail.”

“I do. I like hearing about your life. But for now? You’re so tight and hot. I love this, Elise. You and me, candlelight and quiet.

I feel settled and very happy.”

“You’re going to make me cry again,” she mumbled, trying to turn her face away from the intensity in his eyes. He made her crave those things she knew she couldn’t have.

“Why? I don’t understand.” He continued to slowly and completely devastate her with those deep thrusts as he spoke.

“I’m just strung too tight.”

“You’re full of shit.” His next thrust was harder. “I know you, Elise. Something is making you upset. Is it Raven?”

“Why are you talking about her while your dick is in me?” Horrified, she tried to move away, but he held her in place.

“You’re right, sorry. This first. This always. Then we can talk.”

“Now you’re talking.”

His strokes became more urgent, his eyes darkened, one curl fell over his forehead and sent a rush of tenderness through her. He’d come here, tired and overwhelmed by his day; he’d come to her, and that meant something.

“I think you’re ready to come again. Show me.”

She kept her eyes on his face as she moved her hand down, snak-ing it between their bodies until she found her clit, still slippery and sensitive. It wasn’t necessary to move her hand at all, his thrusts moved her body instead, bringing the friction she needed.

She simply let it happen, let climax rise within and break over her with a slow inhale. The muscles on his neck corded as he went deeper and deeper, until he slammed home one last time with a low, nearly feral growl.

Brody gathered her to him, holding her tight, breathing her in.

He hated to see her so upset. No other woman’s tears had ever made him feel so frantic to fix whatever was wrong. Seeing her that way made him want to punch someone. He wasn’t a violent man, but she brought out all his protective instincts in a way he’d never experienced other than in defense of Adrian or Erin.

“I’m glad you came over.” He felt the curve of her smile as she pressed against his chest.

“Me too. It’s going to suck to have to leave.” He wanted to sleep with her every night.

She’d taken care of him from the moment he walked through her door. Feeding him, listening to him vent, massaging him and understanding him. She got him, which felt like a gift. He didn’t have to be anything with her. Just who he was and what he felt like at any given time. They all fit; he already considered her and Rennie family.