Pleasure With Purpose (9 page)

Those words did something unexplainable to her. She turned her mouth to his, her hand cupping his jaw. But she couldn’t speak, she couldn’t find the words, and even if she could have, he was kissing her, his tongue stroking hers, even as his cock stroked her inside. Inside her. Brad was inside her, pressing her hips down as he pumped into her–creating a slow, sensual sway of their bodies that was quickly becoming faster, harder. And for the first time in her life, there was nothing during sex but the experience, the man. There was no insecurity, no fear. There was just them–there was just the connection between them. Wildness overtook her, and she clung to him, trying to get more–harder and faster–leaning back, even as he held her to keep her from falling.

She caught a glimpse in the mirror, of herself--of a woman with half-veiled eyes, her face etched with passion. She didn’t know this woman, but she liked her. She liked her and she let her go, let her take what she wanted, let her touch and taste, and move until she was gasping with need. She was going to come. Her. The girl who had never, ever during sex, had an orgasm.

She felt it, she knew it…and she reached for it. She had to have it. She rocked and even pleaded with him. “Harder. Faster. I’m so…cl…” She shattered, and it was like nothing she’d ever experienced. With Brad buried deep inside her, and her body spasming around him, she quaked with pleasure, and quaked some more at his guttural moan and hard thrusts, that told her, he too, was there with her. He, too, was feeling what she did.

When her body calmed, when his calmed, they melted into each other, a heap of sated bliss on the chair. Long seconds passed when she thought she might feel awkward, but she didn’t. This was Brad.

His hand slid down her back, and he sighed before saying, “I’ll have to thank my sister for unknowingly taunting me into finding my way here with you tonight.”

“
No,” she said, quickly sitting up. “No. We can’t tell Brenda. We can’t. I--” Suddenly, she realized he’d stiffened, that the air crackled with instant tension, and instinctively she knew, he felt she was rejecting him. Brad thought she was rejecting him. It was crazy, but that was absolutely the case. She brushed her lips against his. “Not yet. I just need to know…” know what? “I…”

“
We’ll keep this our secret.” He brushed his lips over hers. “For now, Heather. But you need to know right now, when I said I was crazy about you, I meant it. Now that I’ve admitted it, now that we’re here, it's not a matter of not being able to go back. It’s that I don’t want to.”

She buried her face in his neck. “You say that now, because you’re still inside me.”

“
I say that now because you’ve been inside me a very, very long time, and I’m ready to admit it.” His fingers curled on her cheek. “I’m hoping one day soon you’ll decide that too.”

It was the most perfect thing he could have said to her.

Together they dressed, deciding that too long an absence would surely have Brenda asking questions, especially with the lipstick on his shirt and their arrival at the wedding at the same time. After another long drugging kiss, he slipped out of the room, and she fixed her makeup. Any fears she had that he’d have doubts the minute they were apart, that she’d have doubts, faded when, minutes later, their eyes met across the room.

It was some time later when Brenda finally appeared from outside somewhere, looking disheveled, with “Bob the doctor” only a few steps behind her. Heather’s eyes lifted and found Brad’s across the room, and together they laughed.

Later, much later, after the wedding had long become history, Heather and Brad were naked, in her bed, and she rested her head on his chest. They’d had marathon sex, pepperoni pizza, and plenty of laughter over that moment when Brenda had tried to appear innocent after her and Bob had clearly been naughty. The story inspired them to a whole new level "naughty" with sleep the last thing on their minds.

Chapter Nine

Two months after Rebecca's wedding, Brad walked into Heather’s store just before closing, tugging the knot on his tie loose, his jacket long ago discarded. It was a warm Texas night, and they were going to walk to the little Italian place on the corner she loved so much. It had become their Friday night ritual several weeks back–one of many little rituals, things he’d certainly done with women in the past, but more out of expectation than enjoyment.

He enjoyed every second he spent with Heather. But this Friday night was different, she just didn’t know it yet. He had big plans, and those plans included convincing her it was time to "come out of the proverbial closet" with Brenda, so they could take their relationship to a new level. That meant he had to convince her she wasn’t going to lose him, or Brenda when she found out about them.

He found Heather in the dressing area, her back to him, the figure-hugging red dress she wore, molded to her sexy round backside. Even sexier was knowing she wore the dress for him, which he knew because she’d told him on the phone a few hours ago.

“
Please tell me you either have a pair of those red ones on or you have none on.” He leaned against the doorframe, noting the handful of panties she had in her hand.

She whirled around to smile at him, her green eyes twinkling with mischief. “You’ll have to buy me dinner to find out.” She hung the underwear on a rack, and he pushed off the wall and stalked toward her.

“
Show me now,” he said, wrapping her in his arms and inhaling the jasmine scent of her.

Her eyes went wide, the prim little girl he knew and loved, showing itself as she objected, “The stores not locked up. Someone could come in.”

“
I’ll never be able to enjoy dinner without knowing.” He walked her backwards, toward a changing room.

“
I’m not showing you my panties before dinner.”

He inched her closer to a room. “So you do have on panties?”

“
You aren’t tricking me into telling you.” He eased her into the room, against a wall. He reached for the hem of her dress. She held it down. “No Brad. Someone could come in.”

“
We’ll close the door.” He shut it, and the action distracted her enough for him to slide his hands under her skirt and around her bare backside. “Thong or…?”

“
Hello! Heather?”

“
Oh my God!” Heather whispered. “That’s Brenda!” Her fingers curled around his shirt. “What are we going to do?”

His sister really was the queen of bad timing, but he’d just as soon deal with this now.

“
Hello?” Brenda called, now clearly in the changing area.

Heather held her finger up urgently, willing Brad to silence.

“
I’m scared,” Brenda said, and Brad had no doubt who she was talking to "Doctor Dan" as Heather called him. Brenda and Dan had been as inseparable as he and Heather had been since Rebecca’s wedding. “What if something happened to her? Maybe we should call the police?”

Heather’s eyes went wide and she pushed Brad away from her, waving for him to stay inside. She shoved open the door. “I’m here! Sorry. I was trying on a few things. Hi Dan. What are you two up to tonight?”

Brad leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, trying not to laugh. He knew his sister. Brenda was going to figure out someone was in the dressing room.

And all too quickly, he heard, “I should ask you the same thing,” Brenda commented. “Considering the lipstick smudged all over your chin." She laughed. “Oh do please bring out the hot man from the dressing room, and let us meet him.”

“
There’s no man in the dressing room.”

“
Liar,” Brenda said, and Brad had already straightened in anticipation, when Heather yelled, “Brenda, no!”

The door pushed open, and Brenda appeared, bringing him into view. “Bradley!” A second of shock turned to more laughter. “I was right, Dan! It’s Bradley!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the room where he found Dan–a tall blond male in his thirties leaning against the wall, looking amused—and Heather, looking like she wanted to disappear into the ground.

Brenda swung a finger between them. “I knew the minute I saw the lipstick on his shirt at the wedding.” She called over her shoulder to Dan. “Didn’t I, baby?”

“
She did say that,” Dan agreed. “Many times. So thank you for finally ending the speculation.”

“
I wondered when you two would finally end your suffering and just get busy together.”

“
What?” Heather gasped, and Brad had to admit he was a little surprised by the statement. “You thought--”

She waved a hand. “Oh please. You two have been simmering since we all hit puberty.” Then she frowned and put her hands on her hips. “Why haven’t I been told? It’s been two months since the wedding.”

Brad arched a brow at Heather, silently asking her if she wanted to answer, or have him.

“
It was my fault,” Heather said. “If things didn’t work out, I didn’t want you to be mad or upset. I didn’t want to risk our friendship.”

Brenda looked surprised and then understanding slid over her face, her eyes touching Brad’s. Heather had been afraid of losing the people she considered family.

Brenda hugged Heather, and Brad heard her whisper, “You can't lose me, sweety. We’re like blood–forever sisters.” She leaned back and held out her hand, and what appeared to be a ring. “Look! I’m getting married.”

A whirlwind followed of conversation and questions. Brad had known about the ring, because Dan had actually called to ask his approval. It was a surprise–a good one. He liked Dan.

“
Of course,” Brad said jokingly, shaking Dan's hand. “You hurt my sister, and I’ll hurt you.”

“
I’d expect nothing less,” Dan assured him.

Brenda punched him in the shoulder and then wrapped an arm around Heather. “You hurt my sister, and
I’ll
hurt you.”

Brenda and Dan joined them for dinner, throwing a little kink in Brad’s big plans, but he improvised. He and Heather stayed to enjoy dessert alone, and she was all smiles. “I’m so excited for Brenda and,” she laughed, “I can’t believe how obvious we were all those years.”

A silver tray appeared before her and she frowned. “What’s this?”

“
A very special dessert.” His heart thundered in his chest. “Open it.”

She looked intrigued, lifted the top and set it aside. She picked up the travel envelope and eyed him. “What is this, Brad?”

“
Tickets for two to Paris, with a stop in Italy for an authentic Italian meal, two weeks from now.” He drew a breath and went down on one knee beside her, a velvet box in his hand behind his back. “Tickets to Paris where I hope you’ll marry me.”

“
What? What did you say?”

“
I love you, Heather. Looking back I know I have loved you for most of my adult life. Marry me. Be my wife.”

He never got a chance to show her the white diamond in the box. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him close. “Yes. Yes. Yes. I love you too. I love you so much.” He kissed her, and there was clapping in the restaurant.

Later, much later, she lay beautifully naked in his bed–
their
bed in the very near future—with nothing but a white diamond on her finger and a smile on her lips. He was one hell of a lucky man. He had his good girl, his
naughty
girl, his best friend, and soon, his wife, in one perfect package.

An excerpt from HOT VAMPIRE KISS

Book 1 of THE VAMPIRE WARDENS TRILOGY By

LISA RENEE JONES