Jamie Hill Triple Threat (43 page)

"Theo pledged a fraternity, which required a lot of his time. I was bored and decided to join a study group, thinking the evening meetings would help keep me busy. The leader of the group was another really cute guy, Ronnie. He was interested in me. I flirted around a little bit, but nothing happened. I think that pissed him off. He decided to pay me back by introducing me to some stuff I'd never tried before. Drugs."

"That sucks." Brady touched one of her curls. She looked so unhappy. He could tell she hated to talk about the past.

"And
that
is putting it mildly. I found out he was addicted to cocaine, but he had access to all kinds of shit. If you could smoke it, snort it or inject it, we did it. Pretty soon, I was hanging out with him all the time. Theo dumped me and I floundered even more. I failed all my classes and practically moved in with Ronnie. I'm not sure if I hit rock bottom because I don't remember everything that happened. I know my brother found me stoned out of my mind one night and took me home to our father. Next thing I knew, I was in a rehabilitation center. I was miserable at the time, but looking back, it's what needed to happen."

His mind raced, but he took a breath and swallowed before speaking. "How long were you in rehab?"

She smiled sadly. "Two months. It was a thirty day program. Guess I'm a slow learner."

"Wow." He wasn't sure what to say. He could picture a teenaged Gina being a handful for her father trying to do it all alone. With her sparkling eyes and mass of thick hair, it was easy to imagine her as a wild child. But never in his craziest thoughts would he have pegged her as a drug addict. "Wow."

Gina sat up and threw her feet over the side of the bed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. You had me up there pretty high on that pedestal. I thought you should know the truth before anything happened."

He stood and paced back and forth in front of the bed. Questions flooded his mind but he could tell she was already getting defensive. He needed to take it slow. He raised his palms toward her. "I'm processing this, Gina. You went to rehab and came out when?"

"Four years ago. I've been clean ever since. I'll show you my N.A. chip if you don't believe me."

"I never said I didn't believe you. I'm just trying to understand."

She stood and faced him. "Then understand this. As bad as things got, they could have been much worse. I was lucky. I have my father and brother to thank for that. Whenever they drive me crazy because they're typical, idiotic men, I remember what they did. And I put up with them, because I truly believe they saved my life."

"Gina…" He reached for her but she moved away.

"I know you need time to think about everything I just told you. I'm going to leave and let you do that."

"Don't leave." He shook his head. "And cool your jets. You're getting your hackles up but that's not fair. You didn't think I'd have questions after you dropped a bombshell like that?"

She shrugged. "I guess I didn't think it was a bombshell. You have my number, Brady. Use it or don't use it, that's up to you. I need to get out of here."

Gina hurried to the living room.

He followed her. "God damn it, would you hang on? Let's talk."

She looked at him over her shoulder. "I can't talk about it anymore. I know it's not fair, because you should be able to ask questions. But I just can't do this. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry to disappoint you." Gina made her way hastily out the door and slammed it with a thud.

His heart sank into his gut. The slam resounded in his head, causing a dull, throbbing pain. Apprehension and fear coursed through his bloodstream for the first time he could remember in ages.
Should I go after her?

Stubbornness forced him to stay put. Brady wandered into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. He could probably use some food, but didn't want to deal with it just then. He sat on a stool at the counter and stared blankly, not focusing on any one thing, except the thoughts of Gina rushing around in his head.

A drug addict.
A recovered drug addict. Did a person ever truly get recovered from something like that? Perhaps 'recovering' was the appropriate word.

Brady had some friends who'd been through AA, and they were doing fine. He rarely thought about that aspect of their personalities anymore. This was different.

He'd started to feel something for Gina. He thought about her all the time, and wanted to be near her every moment he could.
Is it love?
The closest he'd ever been, he was sure.

Now to discover she had an addiction to drugs.
Is this the woman I want to settle down with? Raise children with?
The questions nagged at him until he couldn't think anymore. He tossed back the last of his beer and ambled to the living room. He looked at the front door, the spot he'd seen her last.

Part of him wanted to go after her. Another part wanted to steer clear, get out while the getting was good. He was lucky she'd told him the truth before he'd invested any more than a month in their relationship. He thought about her one last time and shook his head.
It could have been so nice.

Brady locked the door and went to bed.

Chapter Four

Gina picked at a salad for dinner and kept one eye on her apartment door. She fully expected Brady to come after her, but each hour that passed caused her to become more depressed.

He just needs time
. She realized it had been a bombshell of sorts. She'd lived with it for so long, it didn't seem that big of a deal anymore. Deep down, she knew it was. Why else had she insisted upon telling Brady before they slept together?

He was sweet but for a cop, strangely naïve. It was obvious he'd grown up in a sheltered, white bread world. He certainly looked like the clean-cut type. With his eighties feathered blond hair and clear blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled, he was quite a catch. His playboy reputation was probably well-earned but to his credit, he never paid attention to other women when he was with her. He'd always made her feel special.

She'd shattered the image he had of her. Now he knew the truth. She was no better than the hookers he arrested or the addicts he shooed away from street corners.

When the evening news ended, Gina flipped through the channels but there was nothing interesting on TV. It was unusual for her to be home on a Friday night, and she was at loose ends. She brushed her teeth, changed into a tank top and shorts, and crawled into bed.

An insistent knocking woke her. She opened her eyes and tried to get her bearings. She'd had a bad dream, and couldn't shake the nagging feelings it left her. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was two in the morning. The knocking on her front door continued.

"What the…" she mumbled and staggered out of bed. She checked the peep hole and saw Brady on the other side of the door. Suddenly, she remembered their conversation.
It wasn't a dream.
It had happened. But now, he was here. She opened the door slowly.

"I'm sorry to wake you. I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't stay home alone."

She stepped aside wordlessly and let him in, then closed the door. She looked at him, his appearance more disheveled than she ever seen before. His hair was a mess and he needed a shave.
He looks absolutely fabulous
.

He gazed into her eyes. "You said what you needed to say but I never got a chance to speak. I need to set you straight about something, Gina. Something you said earlier."

She shook her head. "I said a lot of things. Too many, probably."

Brady reached for her hand. "You said you wanted to tell me about your past before anything happened between us. You're too late. Something has already happened. I fell in love with you. I've spent the last few hours thinking about what you told me, and how I feel about it. I finally figured out, it doesn't matter how I feel about it. It's in the past, and whatever you did then, made you into the person you are today. I wouldn't change a thing about you now, so why worry about then?"

Gina struggled to keep her mouth from dropping open. "Are you serious?"

He smiled. "Of course, I'm serious. I love you, Gina Morris."

Tears filled her eyes, but she couldn't stop them if she'd tried. She flew into his arms and hugged his neck.

"Can I take that as a 'you forgive me' for acting like an idiot?"

She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "There's nothing to forgive. I shouldn't have left the way I did, but you needed time to think. Oh, Brady." She touched his cheek. "I love you, too."

He kissed her, a light gesture that deepened into something hungry and primal. Gina opened her mouth to him and their tongues batted against each other for dominance. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, she walked backwards, pulling him into the bedroom with her.

Gina paused long enough to chase the cat off the bed before dragging Brady down on top of her. She spread her legs and he nestled against her, one leg pressed between her thighs. When he pushed against her center a thrill tingled from her heart, straight to her core.

Long, passionate kisses lingered between them. She reached for the bottom of his t-shirt and dragged it up, careful to avoid his bandage. Their mouths parted just long enough for her to tug the shirt off and they kissed again.

Gina ran her hands over his smooth shoulders and caressed them. His muscles felt strong and firm under her touch. The idea of his body, firm and rigid, rising over her, sent shivers down her spine.

He tasted musky and minty, and she couldn't get enough. Her mouth sought out more, and his responded with enthusiasm. Her tongue traced the outline of his teeth, desperate as she was to be as close to him as possible.

One of his hands wedged between them and cupped her breast through the thin pajama tank top. He squeezed gently and manipulated the flesh until she squirmed.

His mouth left hers, trailing warm, wet kisses down her face and neck. When he reached her chest he reached inside her pajamas and pulled one breast out. He blew on it gently and the nipple puckered. Brady smiled.

Gina watched him play, her arousal increasing by the second.

He flicked her nipple with his tongue and then sucked the bud into his mouth.

She squirmed and arched her back, desiring more. "You make me feel good." Her voice sounded breathy to her own ear.

He ground his erection into her leg. "See how you make me feel?'

"I think we need to do something about that. And I mean right now."

Brady shifted to her other breast. He released it from her tank top and teased the nipple hard with his tongue. "Right now, huh?" he murmured, his mouth against her flesh.

Gina looked at the ceiling and groaned. It'd been damned hard the past few weeks waiting to be intimate. Now, with him on top of her, the prospect of waiting any longer seemed like pure torture. She grasped a handful of his thick hair and tugged his face up to look at hers. "Now."

Brady chuckled. He stood and kicked off his boots and socks. Removing his jeans and briefs, he held them long enough to retrieve a foil packet from his wallet.

She quickly tossed her own clothing aside and lay back on the bed. Gina eyed his gorgeous body hungrily. Smooth, lightly furred chest made way for his taut stomach, and the tiny trail of hair that led from his belly button south. She opened and closed her legs in impatience.

He laughed, his eyes roaming over her with the same lusty hunger. "Sorry, just checking you out. You have an amazing body. I was pretty sure that was the case, but now to see it…Jesus." He stroked his long shaft and rolled the condom into place.

"The feeling is mutual. Now get over here, and let's do more than look." She patted her stomach.

He crawled between her legs and rose over her, their faces mere inches apart. "In a hurry?" he teased.

"Yeah, well, I know what I want, and I want it right now. Any complaints?"

A permanent smile was plastered on his face. "Not from me."

Gina slid her arms around his neck and clung to him as he obliged . When he pulled out and slammed back into her, stars flashed behind her eyes, and her head flew back. "Yes!" She writhed with him as he continued the darkly delicious dance.

Each stroke made her heart beat faster; each warm breath he exhaled drove her closer to precious release. She squeezed her eyes shut and rocked her body to the rhythm he'd set. When he began to shudder, she was right there with him, and held on tight.

At that moment, she understood why he'd wanted to wait. Their coupling was perfect. Meaningful, because she could look at him and say without hesitation, "I love you."

"Damn, I love you, too." Brady leaned in for a kiss. He collapsed gently on her, his forehead planted on her pillow, attempting to catch his breath. She'd felt the heat of his release warm her core, and judging by his demeanor, he wasn't dissatisfied, either. She turned her head and kissed his cheek. "Feel good?"

"Christ. That's an understatement if I ever heard one."

Gina chuckled and ran her hands over his back. Warm and smooth, well-toned, now sporting a thin layer of perspiration that hadn't been there earlier.
He worked up a sweat
. She loved that about him. She knew Brady would give his all, no matter what he was doing.