For His Protection (13 page)

Her chest fluttered. For some reason she felt as if she could
cry. For what must be the zillionth time that week. But this time it was almost
nice. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting herself
be held.

Ty gave her a gentle squeeze then rose to his feet and
guided Brooke to hers.

“I think you promised me dessert?” she said.

“Whatever you wish.” Ty looked at her. “So long as it’s not
a protein bar.”

She laughed. “Actually,” she said. “For some reason I have a
hankering for ice cream.”

Who the heck is that woman in the mirror?

Brooke blinked at her reflection. Pink cheeks, wide eyes,
soft peach dress clinging to slight curves…

“Thanks for coming. I know you’re busy working.” Charlize
smiled in the reflection behind her.

“Of course, I promised,” Brooke said. “Besides, how could my
boss say no to covering for me?”

Charlize laughed. “Well the other girls loved this dress but
I wanted to see if you’re comfortable with it.”

Brooke turned to her friend. Her only friend really. Not the
kind of friend she got together with to paint toenails but the kind of friend
who got
her
. The kind who didn’t insist on hugs and giggling and could
let silence be part of a conversation.

“It’s very pretty. I’d be honored to wear it.”

Charlize’s amber eyes widened. “Who are you and what have
you done with Brooke?” She shook her head and lifted the edge of Brooke's
skirt. “You really think this peach fluff is ‘very pretty’?”

“Fuck no but honestly I’m just grateful to be a bridesmaid.”
Brooke smiled, but it froze on her lips. “I know I don’t exactly fit in.”

“You fit in fine.” Charlize moved to a nearby rack and
pulled out a form-fitting silver dress. “Honestly I’d go with a silver theme
but I guess the other girls just don’t have our sophisticated palette.” She
laughed softly, moving closer then held the dress up against Brooke.

Brooke looked down. Now that was more her style, more her. Yet
the image of herself in the mirror, looking younger, softer, like someone else,
seemed to cloud her vision.

“Wow, you look stunning, you look really—” Charlize paused
and glanced up at Brooke from under her lashes.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Charlize draped the dress over her arm. “Hell,
it’s my wedding and I say silver bridesmaids.”

“Are you sure? It’s only three weeks to the wedding, can you
change it now?”

“I’m the bride, I can change anything.” Charlize turned and
walked to the counter and spoke to the saleswoman.

Brooke slipped back into the changing room and dressed.

“Want to grab some lunch?” Charlize called from the other
side of the curtain.

Brooke pushed the button on her jeans through the hole then
stepped out of the cubical. “I’d love to but I should get back to my client.”
Her hopeless, sexy, edible client, who for some reason made her jittery when
she had to leave him under another bodyguard’s supervision.

“Relax, I happen to hold some sway with the boss and I say
it’s fine. Besides…Connor’s covering for you so your
client
will be
fine.”

Brooke sucked the corner of her lip. “I know but Ty is my
responsibility and…”

Charlize gave her another strange half glance.

“I suppose it’ll be okay if we don’t take too long,” Brooke
said.

They left and crossed the road to the coffee shop opposite
the bridal store, and ordered lunch.

The waitress delivered their meals.

Brooke took a large bite from her veggie burger. Spices and
textures exploded across her tongue. She bit back a moan. “God this is good,”
she said then took another bite, chewed and swallowed. “Mmm really, really
good.”

Dressing oozed out of the bun and ran down her thumb and she
sucked it off.

Charlize bit the end off a chip, giving her that same
I’m-looking-at-you-without-looking-at-you glance. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen
you so enthusiastic.”

Brooke swallowed another decadent mouthful. “No idea what
you’re talking about, babe.”

Charlize picked up another chip and held it in front of her
face then cleared her throat dramatically. “
Food is merely fuel for the
body.
”

Brooke wiped her hand on a napkin. Sure, that line
sounded
familiar but she hadn’t said that, had she? It’s not as if she’d deprived
herself of the pleasure of eating, had she?

“It’s just a good veggie burger.”

Like made out of unicorns and fairy breath good.

“Okay.” Charlize dipped a chip and shoved it between her
smiling lips.

Brooke frowned. Oh hell no, Connor had not gossiped like a
little girl. “All right, what did he tell you?”

“Just that something was going on between you and your
client.” Charlize picked up her water and gulped.

Brooke threw down her napkin. They hadn’t done this before.
Hadn’t done the whole let’s talk about boys, let’s talk about sex girl-chat
crap. They’d never talked about Brooke’s history. But…Charlize
knew.
Because
of Connor. That understanding existed between them. That understanding probably
made their friendship possible.It’d been a relief having someone she
didn’t need to explain her oddness to.

Yet this was different. This was heading down that windy
little let’s-talk-about-feelings path.

“It’s not like that. I knew Ty a long time ago.”

“Well in any case, I reminded Connor how
we
started
so you’re all good.” Charlize looked directly at Brooke, her focus warm but
intense. “And I told him how great it would be if it were true.”

Because dating means I’m all better?

Brooke held Charlize’s gaze, her skin flushing hot. Her
tongue stuck. She gulped down her water, her burger losing its appeal. Silence
stretched across the table. Charlize picked at her remaining chips, shooting
quick glances at her but not pushing.

“Can I ask you something?” Brooke said, the heat on her skin
climbing into her cheeks.

“Of course you can.”

Brooke took a deep breath. “Just promise not to laugh. Or
bring this conversation up again—ever.”

“Promise,” Charlize said, falling back into her seat. “What
do you want to know?”

Brooke looked down at her plate. Then across the room. Then
back at Charlize. “How do you find sex?”

Charlize’s expression didn’t change but she blinked twice.
“In terms of what exactly?”

“Ah…well…I know it’s overrated, people like to talk it up.”
Brooke lowered her voice. “I guess I’m asking if truthfully—honestly without
anyone ever knowing you said it…is it uncomfortable?” Brooke swallowed, resting
her hands flat on the tabletop. “Or do you really enjoy it?”

Charlize leaned across the table and placed the tips of her
fingers on the top of Brooke’s hand, breaking their unspoken no-touching
etiquette.

“Honey, I’m going to be completely honest with you. The
answer is completely dependent on the person you’re with…” Charlize withdrew
her hand and smiled. “And I’m not talking about their sex skills. I’m talking
about how you feel when you’re with that person.” She brushed her chest. “If
they make your pulse race, your mind muddled?”

Brooke nodded.

“Cause sudden hormonal imbalances with nothing more than
their proximity?”

“You could say that…” Brooke whispered.

Charlize grinned, exposing her shiny teeth. “Then it’s very
fucking enjoyable.”

* * * * *

Brooke waved to Connor and shut the door of the apartment.
It’d taken almost everything she had not to shove the poor guy out.
Anticipation laced through her, making her jumpy, twitchy, antsy with
excitement. The anticipation of knowing that today was the day it was going to
happen. The day she’d
chosen
, for the first time, to have sex.

To fuck, really. Because despite however much she’d deprived
herself, something told her she was a
fucking
kind of girl. The images
flashing through her imagination of how she was going to bring her big, sweet Ty
to his knees confirmed as much.

“Did you find a dress?” Ty asked from behind her.

Brooke turned. Took in the sight of Ty looking all casual.
Dark blue jeans wrapped around his long legs, and a dark-brown T-shirt
emblazoned with a pale-blue designer logo stretched just tightly enough across
his chest to remind her how damn good this man looked without his clothes.

Her heart jumped at the memory of Ty naked. Ty naked and
aroused, Ty naked and wet. Her chest pounded harder; her head swirled.

“If they make your pulse race, your mind muddle?”

Check.

“Yeah I did.” Brooke smiled and stepped forward, tugging off
her jacket then tossing it onto the couch. “I found something else too.”

Ty’s brow arched but he matched her smile. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah I think you’ll like it.” She lifted the edge of her
blouse up over her midriff.

His gaze snapped to her stomach and his body shifted. Going
from relaxed to wired as if she’d tripped his switch.

“I think I remember you like pink.” She tugged off her top
and tossed it toward her jacket. Her pulse raged under the cool she somehow
managed to manifest on the outside. She walked toward him in her jeans and the
hot-pink see-through bra Charlize had helped her pick out at a sexy shop, along
with the condoms stowed in her handbag.

Who the fuck knew there where eighty-five thousand kinds of
condoms anyway?

She exhaled and smiled again. “At least dressing me up in
pink…”

Ty snapped into action, moving toward her and wrapping his
hands around her upper arms as though he didn’t know where to touch her first.
His fingers wriggled against her skin, and lust and nerves warred for control.

“Hands off, Ty,” she whispered. “Hands behind your back and
I’ll show you the rest.”

Ty took a deep, shuddering breath and released her arms,
hands curling at his side for an instant before he held them behind him.

She flicked open the top button of her jeans then undid the
zipper. Ty’s gaze trained on every movement. The denim parted over her panties.
Just as sheer as her bra. She pushed her jeans down, stopping to kick her shoes
off before stepping out of them. Ty devoured her with his eyes. Ran his gaze
over her as if he were trying to brand her image into his brain.

“I want to fuck you, Ty,” she said.

Ty’s chest expanded with a massive breath.

“But I want to fuck you my way.”

His breath came pouring out and his eyes blazed at her like those
of a hungry animal.

She swallowed, fighting the urge to fidget in her
near-nakedness. “You showed me how amazing it can be. I’m not afraid anymore.”

His eyes softened and he looked a little less like he might
get a fork and eat her alive.

“I just need to know I’m in charge. I need to know what my
choices are.”

Ty smiled. Actually smiled big and wide and in a way that
made it seem stupid that she’d ever felt nervous to ask him for this.

“I’m yours, Brooke. You can have me any way you want.” His
chin dipped and his jaw flexed. “Just know that one day—you’re going to be mine
too and it’ll be my turn to have you.”

Heat sizzled over her exposed skin. She recognized the truth
in his statement. The other possibility. The one where she gave in to him. The
one with Ty in the driver’s seat, overpowering her with his masculinity. And the
idea was as hot as it was terrifying.

“Just sex, Ty. That’s all I can promise,” she said.

His smile tapered off into something wickeder.

“Then we’ll start with the sex.”

She felt the blush overtake her face. He’d have to be able
to see it too.

Start with
…

He was incorrigible. But she’d known that all along. That
she was trying to play tame-the-tiger. That she wouldn’t pull through this
without a challenge. Without at least a few grazes from his rough tongue, no
matter how gentle he tried to be. No matter how loud he purred, how sweetly he
nuzzled her, there was a wild animal under that skin. There were claws and
teeth and sharp things. Because he was a man. A fierce, strong one. That’s why
she had to stay in charge, keep that collar tight.

“Go to your room and undress, Ty,” she said, drawing
strength into her words.

Ty stretched, pulling off his shirt and tossing it before
turning into his room. She had to follow behind him to get to her room. Had to
watch the muscles of his shoulders ripple as he moved before she veered into the
guestroom and collected the handcuffs and condoms.

He was naked when she got to him. But today he faced her.
She hadn’t told him not to. Ty full frontal. Every sculptured, hard piece of
him. Even those scars lacing their way around his bad leg only made him look
tougher, even more superbly male.

Her body went hot, yet her hairs stood on end as if she were
cold.

Sudden hormonal imbalances…

She brushed off what this might all mean and focused on what
she had in front of her. Her vision sharpened, flared with the rush of
exhilarating knowledge that he was hers. That she could do what she liked with
him, have him do whatever she willed. Her gaze sucked in the sight of his
chest, spattered with soft brown hair. A small dark mole she hadn’t noticed
before rested just above his left nipple. She set down the condoms and cuffs
and stepped forward, touched that mark with her fingertip. The muscle
contracted but the mole lay flat and smooth and satiny under her touch.

She hummed in her throat and closed her mouth over that
nipple, rubbed her tongue over the tiny beaded peak. He jerked but didn’t move.
He already knew better.

He’d behave. She could do as she pleased to him and he’d
take it. Enjoy it. Brooke pulled back and looked up at him. He’d closed his
eyes, his gorgeous face scrunched as if he prayed for control.

She could have him on his knees again, press that face to
her pussy, command him to eat her until she came.

Dominate him completely.

Except the last thing she wanted was to toy with him. She
wanted to
feel
him. Wanted to feel Ty, strong and hard and filling out
the burning ache inside her that had become so cavernous since the night she’d
seen him again.

“Lie down on the bed,” she whispered.

Ty’s eyes opened and he climbed onto the bed and laid his
head on the pillow.