Deadly Intentions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 1) (9 page)

Mandy ran her tongue over her lips nervously. His intention was clear and, even though she hadn’t been able to think about anything else since she’d first laid eyes on him after eleven long years, she suddenly felt nervous.

The sight of her tongue did him in. James slammed his mouth over hers and gave in completely. He had no choice. His body wouldn’t let him walk away now even if he wanted to.

James’ mouth was hot on hers as he pressed against her. Mandy raised her hands so they were resting on his hips, opening her lips so he could gain easier access with his tongue. James groaned into her mouth when he felt her tongue brush against his.

He raised his hand, cupping the back of her head so he could pull it back and give himself a better angle to ravish her mouth with. He slipped his tongue inside of her mouth again, swallowing the small mewling sound that was emanating from the back of her throat. Kissing her was like coming home from the military after a long trip overseas. It just felt right.

She’d dreamt of kissing James Hardy for as long as she could remember, but the reality was so much better, Mandy realized. His lips were soft, yet demanding. One of his hands was behind her head while the other was wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him so she could feel his hardness grinding against the cleft between her thighs.

After a few minutes, Mandy pulled away to catch her breath. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of need. Her lips were swollen, her eyes were glistening with unexpressed emotion. James sucked in a breath of his own, but only one. His lips were crushing hers again within seconds. He needed more. He needed more of her.

James wrapped his arms around Mandy’s tiny waist, lifting her up so she could wrap her thighs around him. He stumbled backwards, knocking her bedroom door out of his way as he struggled to the bed. He dumped her on top of the mattress after a second, relishing the look of disappointment that washed over her face when their bodies were no longer pressed together.

James stripped off his shirt, never moving his gaze from her. He didn’t want to break the spell.

Mandy sucked in a breath when she saw that chest again. It was even more impressive up close. She climbed to her knees, shuffling closer to the edge of the bed as her heart hammered in her ears. She reached out to help him unbutton his jeans when she saw his hands were shaking.

James stilled when he felt her hands on his pants. He let her unbutton them, fighting every internal urge that was fueling him – every thought that was telling him to slide inside of her right this second – and instead let her explore him at her own pace.

Her hand was small and warm as it slipped inside of his jeans and slid into the front opening of his boxer shorts. He gasped when he felt her fingers brush against his hard length. He decided to give her a hand and slipped down his jeans, stepping out of them and kicking them to the wall along with his shoes. He only had so much control right now and impatience was warring with common sense in a way that had fireworks exploding between his ears.

Mandy reached for his boxer shorts and shimmied them down his thighs, her eyes going wide when she saw the one part of him that had remained hidden. She wrapped her hand around him, causing James to shift uncomfortably. She couldn’t hide the small smile that played at her lips when she realized just how much power she had over him at this moment.

He was big, impressively so. She had never seen one this big before, and she couldn’t stop from running her hands up and down as she marveled at the size. James grunted when her fingers rubbed the sensitive nerve bundles underneath his length. He reached down to still her, wrapping his hand around her wrist as he tried to regain a modicum of control.

Mandy flashed him an impatient look.

“If you keep doing that, I’m never going to last,” James rasped. “And trust me, baby, I want this to last.”

Mandy smiled as James moved toward her, leaning on the bed and helping her scooch back until she was settled in the middle of the mattress. He pressed his lips to hers again, his mouth still full of need. Once he pulled away, he fixed her with a heavy-lidded look. “It seems to me that I’m at a disadvantage here.”

Mandy was confused. “What?”

James took back some much-needed control. “Well, it seems to me that you’re still dressed while I am … not.”

Mandy’s eyes traveled back to his erection. “I noticed.”

James reached forward, grabbing the hem of her shirt, yanking it over her head in one, swift move. He took in her black-lace bra – and the creamy mounds spilling over the top – and felt some of his newly-found control slipping. He moved his hands to her waist and unsnapped her gray, linen pants. Mandy shifted, lifting her rear so James could pull them off. He had trouble maintaining control as he pulled, there was a shakiness there he couldn’t put a name to, yanking the heels she was wearing off at the same time as he stripped her thighs bare. He dropped the clothing items on the floor next to his discarded shirt and jeans before focusing his attention back on her.
God, she was beautiful.

James inhaled deeply when he saw the tiny black thong. If he wasn’t in such dire straits, he would take a minute just to look at her. Instead, he crawled on the bed and cupped her breasts reverently. “Christ, I’ve wanted to see these since you walked into the office.”

James gently laid her back so her head was resting on the pillows, his fingers fumbling at the back of the bra strap. He couldn’t hide his relief when it sprang open and he could finally pull it from her body.

James lowered his mouth to one of her small, pink nipples. He rubbed his mouth against it, torturing her by keeping his tongue in his mouth as she arched her back. “James,” she gasped.

He grinned as he pulled her nipple into his mouth, practically groaning in happiness when he rolled his tongue over the nub. Mandy’s hand traveled up James’ muscular back, finally resting in his soft, brown hair.

After a few minutes, he moved over to the other nipple and laved it with the same attention, finally letting his hands move down to the thong. It was the only thing separating him from nirvana right now.

Mandy’s face was flushed with desire as she lifted her hips again, letting James pull her underwear from her body. Once she was completely naked, she couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious as his eyes washed over her.

James sucked in a breath when he saw what he’d been waiting for. The blonde hair, shaved into a small landing strip, was almost too much for him to take. He slipped a finger into her cleft, spreading the moisture that had been pooling there around as he rubbed her.

Mandy moaned as his finger dipped inside of her. She couldn’t take much more. Her whole body was practically shaking, her loins on fire, and he wasn’t even inside of her yet.

James continued to move his finger, enjoying every gasp and the slight shaking he was starting to detect in her thighs. He wanted to make her come. That’s all he cared about right now. He added another finger and started pumping her, rubbing her with his thumb as he did. It was enough to send her over the edge. Mandy’s body tightened as an orgasm coursed through her, and she couldn’t stop the ecstatic cry that tore from her throat.

Once the shaking subsided, James was on the move. He climbed on top of her, using his knee to move her thighs to the side. He rubbed his hard length against her moist slit and lowered his body so he could feel her nakedness beneath him. They were skin-to-skin. Finally. Nothing had ever felt so right – for either of them. His mouth found hers in the waning light and he was just about to slide home when realization hit him. He pulled back slightly, meeting her feverish stare with a longing one of his own. “Please tell me you have condoms.”

Mandy pointed to the nightstand. “There.”

Relief washed over James as he reached over. It took him longer than he would’ve liked to get the package open, but once he did, and the condom was tightly in place, he slammed his mouth back over Mandy’s and positioned his head at her opening. He slid in a few inches, fighting the urge to spill his seed right there. He wasn’t even completely inside of her yet and he could barely contain himself.

James pulled out slightly and then pummeled into her, her warmth slipping over him like a glove. “Oh, God.”

Mandy clutched James’ back, her fingernails digging into his bronzed skin. She spread her thighs, moving her legs over his calves as she relished the warmth of his body.

James moved his arms underneath her, cupping her rear as he pistoned in and out of her. She matched him moan for moan as he increased his pace, grinding down to make sure he was stimulating her as he moved. As much as he wanted his own orgasm, he wanted her to have another even more.

Their bodies were now moving as one, Mandy lifting her hips up to meet James with each thrust. Another orgasm was rushing over her before she even realized what was happening, and she was crying out his name as it did. James followed her over the abyss, gasping her name in turn when he finally exploded with the release he’d been seeking for days.

He collapsed on top of her when he was done, pulling her into his arms as he caught his breath. He could feel her heart hammering – matching his beat for beat. Neither one of them said a word for a long time. And then, at some point, they found each other in the descending darkness and did it all over again.

JAMES
woke with a start. It took him a second to get his bearings, but the feeling of Mandy’s warm body next to him was a stark reminder of what he’d just done. Twice.

James ran a hand through his messy hair, glancing over at the clock next to the bed. It was only a little after 11 p.m., and yet it felt like he’d been in this bed for days. He glanced down at Mandy’s sleeping form. She was tucked in next to him – like she’d always belonged there – and part of him wanted nothing more than to settle back down and lose himself in her for the rest of his life.

He knew that was a mistake.
This had all been a mistake. She was a client, for crying out loud.
He could not get involved with a client.

You already have. You had sex with a client.
The truth was, it wasn’t having sex with a client that was really bothering him. No, what was bothering him was how right it felt.

James made a decision quickly, carefully sliding his arm from beneath Mandy. He was careful when he climbed out of the bed, finding his clothes on the floor and dressing in absolute silence. He moved to the door of the apartment, casting one last glance over his shoulder before opening the door. She looked like an angel in the moonlight, her blonde hair spilling out over the pillow and a contented smile on lips.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

Mandy didn’t stir as James let himself out and fled into the night. Instead, she slumbered on, blissfully unaware that he wouldn’t be waiting for her in the morning.

When he got back to his own apartment, which was located on the floor above Hardy Brothers Security, James was having trouble reining in his guilt.
How could he just have left her there?
She was going to wake up and think … hell, he knew exactly what she would think. He shouldn’t have left. He should have been a man. He should have sat her down and explained exactly why this was a mistake. She was an adult. She would understand.

Oh, who was he kidding?
He would’ve taken one look at her, with those big blue eyes and that perfectly pouty mouth, and he would’ve just taken her again. He couldn’t let that happen. He was so close to losing himself now that he could barely think straight. She was not in his plans. She couldn’t be in his plans.

He was surprised to find the light on in his apartment when he opened the door. He could hear voices and he followed them to find Grady and Finn playing pool and drinking beer in his living room. They both looked up when they saw him.

James brushed back his hair nervously. He was hoping he would be able to hide the terrible truth of what an ass he was from them.

“What did you do?” Finn practically exploded.

“Looks like I won the bet,” Grady said, his grin smug. “Pay up.”

Finn reached into his wallet and pulled out a bill, never taking his eyes off James. He slapped the fifty into Grady’s hand and moved toward James with a purpose. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here,” James replied dryly.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Finn pressed. “You’ve obviously been … busy.”

James sighed, dropping his keys on the counter. He ignored Finn, instead opening the refrigerator door and rummaging around until he found a beer. He twisted the top off and downed the entire thing before looking up again. Both of his brothers were standing there and looking at him like he’d grown another head.

“What are you two doing here?” James finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

“We thought you were gone for the night,” Grady replied. “I thought you were staying at Mandy’s to … protect her again.”

“She’s locked in nice and tight,” James shot back. “I doubt someone will try to break into her apartment.”

“That’s not what you said last night,” Finn pointed out.

“Last night she was almost run over.”

“And tonight she definitely was,” Finn said, fighting hard to keep his anger in check.

“What do you mean?” James asked blankly.

“Dude, don’t even,” Finn warned. “It’s obvious what you’ve been doing.”

“How is it obvious?”

“You look like you’ve had a roll in the hay – or two,” Grady supplied. “Since you’re slinking in here, though, something tells me you panicked after the fact and ran like a little girl.”