Missing (The Brannock Siblings Book 3) (24 page)

Donny was a douche bag.

Only three bites into her meal and he had hammered the final
nail in his coffin.

"So, why do you have to watch your niece so much? Isn't
that kind of a pain in the ass?"

"No, I love my niece and I don't
have
to watch
her. I
want
to. I would do anything for her and my sister and I don't
appreciate you criticizing them," she snapped.

The date was over and she made a hell of an exit throwing
her napkin down and shoving her chair back. Lily would have been proud.

"What about your cop? You two seemed awfully chummy.
Would he do anything for
you
?"

She hadn't given him an answer because she was already
making her way out of the restaurant, but she couldn't help the nagging feeling
that the man knew more about her than she had told him herself. She wracked her
brain the whole cab ride home trying to remember if Gus had been wearing his
badge when they ran into him. She finally chalked the whole thing up to the guy
being a manipulative prick and made the decision to delete her account on the
site the minute she got home. She would focus on Lily and Aidy and try to find
a way to make it up to Gus.

Instead of heading straight home, she stopped at the grocery
store and spent an hour debating on whether she wanted to stuff her face with
Chocolate Fudge Swirl or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. In the end, the
decision to get both won out, then she took a cab home. She fumbled in her
purse for the keys after clearing the final steps to her floor.

"What the hell? Where is Douchey?"

Her head snapped up at the angry voice and she saw Gus
sitting on the ground with his back against her apartment door. Shoving away
the flutter in her chest at the thought of him waiting up for her, she put on
her best don't-fuck-with-me face.

"It's Donny."

"Right, Douchey. Where is he? He should have walked you
to your door," he grumbled and stood to his full height. Even when he was
angry, she felt safe with him. It was calming to know that hadn't changed.

"Back off, Gus. I took a cab home."

"Do I need to break his face?"

She rolled her eyes and unlocked her door. "No, Mr.
Macho, you don't. I'm fine. Just tired."

"Listen, Aiden. I'm sorry I was rude to Dennis."

"Donny."

"Whatever. I just think you deserve better than a guy
like that."

With a resigned sigh, she pushed open her door before
turning to face him. "Thanks, Gus."

Silence. He stared back for a long moment before shifting on
his feet.

"So, um, you're not going to try and see him again, are
you?"

"No. He was a creep and it was probably the worst date
I've ever been on with no help from you with your attitude."

She almost missed it, but she could swear his lips turned up
into a pleased grin and it made her anger boil.

"I could have told you he was a creep, but I'm glad you
won't be seeing him again."

"I probably won't be seeing
anyone
again with
you
as a neighbor."

"Well, you deserve a guy who can handle someone like
me. A guy who doesn't mind you having me for a
friend
." That
dreaded f-word was going to follow her around for the rest of her life. She
deserved that, but wasn't about to admit it.

She walked into her apartment with him close on her heels.
"Whatever, Gus. I'm tired and want to just go to bed and forget this night
ever happened."

"We need to talk, Aiden."

"No. We don't. And even if we did, I wouldn't tonight.
Just please, leave me alone."

He frowned. "I can't do that."

She tossed her purse and ice cream on the counter, kicked
her heels off, and started down the hall without looking back. "Try."

She should have known his unnatural speed would get the best
of her. After only making it a few feet, he grabbed her arm and turned her
around with her back against the wall. "You know me better than anyone,
Aid, so you know I'm not going anywhere. Now I have things to say and I think
you do, too."

"I think you've said enough. We are
friends
,
Gus. Friends don't chase off potential boyfriends or-"

"You said he was a creep."

"Yeah, but what if he wasn't?"

"But he was."

"Argh! I don't want to do this tonight. There is no
point in even diving into this since-"

Before she could finish her angry rant, his lips were on
hers, hard and demanding. Electricity pulsed through her body and ended at her
center. Like pouring gasoline on an already raging inferno, she lit up. But
like always, he pulled back and his lips were gone as quick as they came.

Wide eyed and panting, he stepped back far enough that she
could catch her breath but stayed close enough that she couldn't move away from
the wall and run to her room like she wanted to. At least, not without him
catching her first.

"There," he said roughly. "Now you have to
listen."

Aiden's eyes snapped open and the anger she had been
reigning in for his own safety suddenly took a turn. She was sick of people
telling her to listen.

"I don't have to listen to a damn word you say and you
have no say in what I do with my life." She was going to break down if he
didn't leave soon. This emotional rollercoaster of a day had taken its toll on
her.

"What if I want a say?"

Her voice waivered, "I don't understand why you care so
much."

"Because I fucking love you."

Her heart slammed to a halt. "What?"

He swayed forward, closing the distance between them in an
instant . "I said… what if I want a say in what you do? What if I want to
be more than just your friend who lives next door? What if I want you to belong
to me in every way possible?"

She felt herself melt right there in front of him, a puddle
of mushy, lovesick goo on the floor at his feet. "And the other
part?"

He cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes. "I
want you, Aiden. More than I want my next breath. I can't stop thinking about
you, day or night, you're always on my mind and it's driving me insane. I know
there is a chance this might fuck
everything
up between us, but I can't
stand back anymore and watch you live your life without me."

"You
are
in my life," she whispered.

His gaze fell to her lips. "No. Not the way I want to
be. I want to be your world…" his deep breath was the only sound in the
room when he paused, letting his words soak into her soul. "The same way
you are mine." He kissed her forehead, "I want to go to sleep next to
you every night and wake up to your beautiful face every morning." He
softly kissed her cheeks. "I want to make you dinner every night because
you're a horrible cook." She scoffed, but it didn't hold any power
whatsoever and he chuckled as he kissed her nose. "But most of all? I just
want to be there, with you, for you, against you. I want to fight with you and
then say I'm sorry for being an idiot, then feel you in my arms after you
forgive me for the hundredth time. I want to see every picture you take and
every painting you paint and I want to be able to tell people, that's
my
woman
. She's mine."

He pressed his forehead to hers and breathed her in. Her
eyes closed as her racing heart slammed against her chest harder and harder
with each word he spoke. "I want to be the man that loves you more and
more every day, for the rest of your life. Even longer. Let me be that man,
Aiden." His voice was hoarse, pained, filled with an anxious need that she
understood all too well. "I swear I'll get down on my knees right now and
beg you because I'm not above doing
anything
to make you mine. I'll do
whatever it takes. No more waiting."

All she could do was breathe, every single inhale pulling
more and more of him into her soul, into her heart, until it was full to
bursting.

He loved her.

She
loved
him
.

He was holding his own breath, stilling cupping her face,
his thumbs reverently caressing her cheeks, her nose, her lips; his blue and
grey eyes followed every path he made.

"Gus…" He flinched the tiniest bit, as if her
voice had pulled him out of a trance, but he waited.

"I love you, too," she breathed.

His crooked grin made her overflowing heart stutter. She
didn't have a chance to smile back because his lips crushed hers in the next
second and his body pressed her against the wall, every inch of her in contact
with him.

She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands
dropped to her hips, grinding her against him. She gasped, giving him the opening
he needed to slip his tongue past her lips to tangle with hers. Her fingers
burrowed into his hair and tugged, making him groan and deepen the already
scorching kiss. Every cell in her body lit up and it felt incredible, alive…
free. Her life was in her own hands and even if she had no control of the
future, she could control the present and the present is exactly where she
wanted to be.

Strong hands cupped her ass and suddenly, she was lifted up,
her breasts rubbing deliciously against his hard chest. Her legs wrapped
tightly around his waist forcing her dress to bunch at her hips as he pressed
between her thighs, trying to get closer. It would never be close enough.

His kiss softened as he supported her with one arm, slamming
his palm on the wall next to her with the other to steady them. It was intense
and passionate. It was like nothing she could ever imagine on her own.

He let her fall just enough so he could press the hard ridge
of his arousal against her core. His jeans and her panties were the only
barriers between them and stars flared behind her closed eyes when she felt him
there. It had never felt like this before. The need for him was endless,
forceful. Thoughts of tomorrow didn't matter. All she could see was now. All
she could see was him.

He circled his hips against her, groaning as liquid heat
pooled at her center. Her whimper was inevitable and he tore his mouth away.
"God, Aiden. I can feel…"

She could only imagine what he felt, but the ache between
her legs was dangerously close to killing her. She was ready for him.

"This is forever, Aiden," he growled. "I
won't accept anything less."

"Good. Oh!" she cried when the hand on the wall
swiftly dropped between her legs.

His finger slipped under her already soaked panties and slid
back and forth over her. "Christ, Aiden. You need me here?" He sank
that finger inside of her and buried his face in the bend of her neck, licking
and nipping down over her collar bone to the swell of her breast, adding to the
rising pressure at her center. His thumb circled that swollen bundle of nerves
and she cried out in sweet agony.

"I'm going to make you come with my fingers, then I'm
going to make you come with my mouth," he groaned against her skin adding
a second finger and thrusting in and out of her. "And when I've tasted
enough of you and you think you can't take anymore, I'll sink inside you and
prove you wrong."

With a flick of his thumb she was lost. The waves of ecstasy
crashed into her as she called his name and pulsed around his unrelenting
fingers. "Gus!"

He released a deep rumble and placed tender kisses along her
neck while she came back down. "Not done with you, baby. Not even
close."

He carried her to the bedroom, his hot kisses searing her
skin while she melted into him. Instead of falling to the bed, he stopped at
the edge of it and let her body slide down his until she was steady on her
feet.

He kissed her. A long, luxurious kiss that made her toes
curl into the carpet. Then his fingers found the zipper at the back of her
dress and pulled it down slowly. It was the most erotic experience of her life.
The sharp sound of those metal teeth separating made the anticipation build.

The material slid over her skin and pooled at her feet,
leaving her in her black strapless bra and black lace thong.

Gus stepped back and his heated gaze roamed every inch of
her. He wiped a hand down his face and smiled. "I've waited so long to see
what's been under all those fucking clothes and now that I see it… God, Aiden.
There's no going back."

Her timid smile did nothing to stop the hot blush that
spread over her. His gaze was drawn to her breasts and the rumble from his
chest made her core clench.

"I knew it," he whispered.

"Knew what?"

"That blush. I knew it covered every inch of your
flawless skin. Gorgeous."

Her shallow breaths were hard to control and her full,
sensitive breasts strained against her bra with each inhale. He wasn't even
touching her and she felt like she was going to come again. It was a heady
feeling.

He closed the distance between them and lightly grazed his
fingers over her collar bone, following the flush of her skin down to the tops
of her breasts.

"I don't deserve you."

She frowned. "Why would you say that?"

His hands snaked behind her and deftly unlatched her bra.
"Because it's true. But I'll be damned if I don't spend the rest of my
life trying."

He threw her bra over his shoulder and devoured her with his
eyes. The blue and grey swirling together in a thunderstorm of heat. His
fingers trailed down the center of her chest before sliding over to circle her
pebbled nipple.

"You're torturing me," she sighed in frustration,
needing hard and fast, not slow and tender.

"I'm savoring you," he muttered and finally cupped
her breast, encasing the soft flesh in his warm hand.

"Ah… savor me later." She was torn between taking
things into her own hands or enjoying the slow build he was so carefully
working for.

"I'll savor you every time, Aiden. When it's fast and
hard, I'll relish it. When it's slow and gentle, I'll savor it. Because I know
for a fact it will only get better and better."