Romancing My Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens) Contemporary Romance (10 page)

THEY WERE DRIVING back to the Astral to get Rebecca’s gym bag from her car. He’d seen her struggling with the decision, but he knew she felt the same attraction winding its way around them and binding them together as he did. She’d finally agreed to spend the day with him.

“Why don’t we swing by your place and pick up whatever you need?” It was a breezy morning, and all she had was the dress she’d worn last night. He wanted her to have whatever clothing or personal items she needed—and he didn’t want her to have any excuses to leave. Call it control, or call it the newness of their relationship. Whatever it was he was feeling, it was bigger than anything he’d ever felt before and he wasn’t about to ignore it.

Rebecca looked up from the menu she was studying. “It’s okay. I always keep extra clothes in my car.”

“Should that worry me?” He arched a brow.

She playfully smacked his arm. “Not for those reasons, you gross hog. Just in case I spill something on my clothes.”

“Okay, but I don’t mind if you want to. I’d like to see where you live.”

“Trust me, you’re not missing anything.” They pulled into the parking garage. “I’m on the fourth floor, aisle C.”

He pulled up behind her car and opened his door. She grabbed his arm. “I’ve got it. I’ll only be a second.”

“Nonsense. I’m a guy. I open doors
and
car trunks.” He stepped from the car, and Rebecca hurried toward her trunk.

“It’s embarrassing how messy my trunk is. I’d really feel better if you didn’t see it. Please? It’s like seeing a messy room.”

“It’s a trunk, Bec.” He reached for her keys, and she lifted her hand out of his reach.

“Okay, fine.” She put the key in her trunk and then drew in a deep breath. “You know what? I need my purse. I want to throw a few things in it. Would you mind grabbing it for me?”

“Not at all.” He went around to the passenger seat. “Finally, you let me do something for you.” He ducked into the car, and when he came back around with her purse, she had already retrieved her clothes and gym bag from the trunk.

“All set?” She snagged her purse and tossed her keys in.

“I thought you wanted to put something in your purse.” He eyed her trunk.

“Yeah, well, I decided not to. Come on. I should really get to the bank.”

Pierce had a sinking feeling in his stomach that there was something she wasn’t telling him.

They went to the bank to deposit Rebecca’s check and then went back to Pierce’s house to go for a run. He could barely believe he was with a woman who actually enjoyed running as much as he did. He had to slow his pace, but not by much. Rebecca was surprisingly athletic. They ran three and a half miles, and when they got back to his place, they paced the driveway while they cooled down.

“I’ve never run with a guy before,” Rebecca admitted. She looked hot in her running bra and spandex shorts. Her body was lean and fit, but still held womanly curves, so different from most of the pin-thin women in his circles. He felt like a kid lusting after a crush, the way his eyes were drawn to her.

“Can’t say I’ve ever gone for a run with a woman before, either. It was fun.”

“It was fun, although I’m sure I slowed you down. Thank you for that.” She walked over to him and touched his waist. “I thought I knew all about fast-talking guys like you. I warned myself that night I met you not to get too close to a guy like you.”

He smiled at the memory of her piss-ass angry as she stormed out of the bar. “You warned yourself about a guy like me?”

“Pretty much. A girl’s got to protect herself, but then I realized you’re anything but a fast talker. You slowed down for me in more ways than just during your run.”

“You’re worth it. But, Becca, should I worry about a woman like you? Is there something you’re not telling me? Because guys can get hurt, too.” He was falling hard for her, and the thought of her hiding something that could threaten their relationship had been on his mind since they’d gone to retrieve her bag from her car.

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “You tell me.” He felt a twinge of guilt over not telling her that he owned the resort, and he pushed it away. He’d tell her soon.

“I’m not sure I understand.” She reached for his hand. “I told you what my past was like. I didn’t hide anything.”

“Just assure me you’re not really married, or running from something dangerous.” He tightened his grip on her hand so she couldn’t escape the question. He had to know, and it didn’t matter how much he liked her. Better to know now than to find out after his heart had taken the plunge into never-never land.

“What would ever give you that crazy idea? I’ve never been married, and I’m not running from anything.” She pulled the elastic band from her hair and shook her hair free, looking sexy as hell as she slipped the elastic band around her wrist and closed the distance between them. Her hands were warm on his bare skin, and the way she looked at him, like she really liked him, softened his worry. “Did I miss something?”

“No, I’m sorry. I just…” He leaned down and kissed her rather than explaining, and when she pressed her body to his, he was instantly aroused.

“Mm,” she mumbled against his lips. “This is what a run does to you?”

“This is what
you
do to me.”

AFTER THEY WORKED out, Pierce left Rebecca to shower alone—partially to give her privacy and partially to keep from rushing her into going any further, even though the whole time she was in the bathroom he could think of nothing else than lathering her up and how her soapy body would feel against him. To take his mind off of Rebecca, he pulled out his phone and checked his voicemail. He had two calls from his brother Wes.

“Dude, do you
ever
turn on your phone? Call me.” He deleted the message and listened to the next one. “Holy Christ, Pierce. What are you doing out there in Reno? How do you get anything done? Pick up your damn phone.”

Pierce dialed Wes’s number, and it went straight to voicemail.

“Hey, buddy. Sorry I missed your calls. Forgot to turn my phone on. Catch up when you can.” Pierce ended the call and eyed the bedroom, then turned away as he began to imagine Rebecca’s naked body again.

After they showered and had breakfast, they took in an early-afternoon movie, and in the evening they ate dinner on the patio again. Pierce could get used to this. In fact, as they cuddled together and watched the sun set, he
was
getting used to it. Rebecca was tucked beneath his arm, like the space was made just for her. One of her hands rested on his abs, and every so often she’d touch his skin beneath his T-shirt. He was aroused, but more than that, he realized that he was happy. Truly happy and content, just sitting right there with her. As the day progressed, Rebecca’s edginess had ceased. The transformation was like watching a person with emphysema breathe through new lungs. He felt himself changing, too. They’d talked all day about their lives, his siblings, and a myriad of other topics, but she hadn’t asked about what exactly he did for a living. As much as he loved that she didn’t seem to care, he wanted to tell her before she started work on Monday. There was no way that he was going to be able to hide the fact that he was dating her, and he knew it was only a matter of time before someone mentioned him by name. He worried that if she found out from someone else, it might change things between them, and even though the relationship was new, he wasn’t about to risk it.

“What do you usually do on Saturday nights?” Rebecca asked.

“Work, mostly. I haven’t spent a Saturday like this in a very long time.” He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “How about you?”

“Work, usually. It’s weird not to have a job to go to today, but I’m really looking forward to starting work on Monday. I know that probably sounds silly, since you work in the executive offices, but to me, the job holds the opportunity for a future.” She looked up at him and slid her hand under his shirt again.

Work in the executive offices
. Hearing the words made him feel like a liar, and he didn’t like that feeling at all, especially where it concerned Rebecca. “It’s not silly at all. Becca, I want to tell you something.”

“Wait.” She pressed her face to his chest and settled her hand over his heart. “You’re a little nervous, which is different from how your heart felt when you were turned on. Should I worry?”

“You can tell that from touching my chest?” He couldn’t see her face, but he sensed her smile.

“No. It’s a cheek-hand combo thing. I learned it when my mom was sick. It’s just intuition or something, I think. I could always tell when my mom was scared. She’d never tell me. Even right before she died, I asked her if she was afraid to die, and she looked me in the eye. I remember her eyes were so puffy from the medications and treatments that they were almost closed, and she was so tired, it was hard for her. She said,
No,
mi dulce niña. Nothing scares me anymore. I know you’ll be okay.
”

He rested his forehead on hers. “She was worried about you more than herself.” He gathered her in his arms and held her tight. “I wish I could bring her back for you.” He had an overwhelming feeling of not only wanting to protect her, but wanting to bring her happiness.

“You can’t think like that. That’s why people don’t move on, and I can’t afford to get stuck in the
if onlys
.” Her voice was so serious that he pulled back and looked into her eyes again to try to decipher why she was so upset. “I’m not coldhearted. I miss my mom like crazy.” She pressed her palms to his chest again. “I can’t live in the past, Pierce. I’m moving forward with my mom in my heart, but not longing for something that can never happen. She’s not coming back, but her memory will drive me forward.” Her brows were knitted together. As if she’d had to shift from the place her mind was in to something else a million times over recent days—which she probably did. She breathed deeply, and the worry lines on her forehead disappeared. “What did you want to tell me?”

He had so many emotions rushing through him that he didn’t want to try to pick them apart. He just wanted to be closer to her—to climb into her skin and keep anything bad or upsetting away from her. When their lips met, he lost all hope of doing anything else. His insides were clawing for more, demanding more of her, and she was kissing him back like she couldn’t breathe without him, stimulating every erotic nerve he had, bringing his body to life with an insatiable appetite for her. He gathered her in his arms and carried her inside, down the hall, and to his bedroom. He’d pictured her in his bed a million times since he’d met her, and now that she was in his arms, kissing him, moaning hungrily and relinquishing herself to him, she was bringing words like
love
and
forever
to mind.

He stood in the dimly lit room holding her in his arms, kissing her like they only had this moment. And she was hot. So damn hot his mind nearly got lost in her and forgot to tell his legs to move. He lowered her feet to the floor, and she whimpered against his lips.

“I like being in your arms. I’ve never been in someone’s arms before.”

He lifted her again. “Jesus, Becca. I’m falling for you, and I barely know you.”

She pressed her hands to his cheeks and kissed him eagerly, lovingly. Adoringly. Like he’d never been kissed before. Her hands slid to the back of his neck, and she ran her fingers through his hair, driving him crazier, sending fresh shocks of lust through his body like wildfire. She arched her neck, and his mouth met her heated skin. He dragged his teeth over the arc of her shoulder, and she guided his mouth lower and released her hands long enough to draw her shirt over her head and drop it to the floor.

“Becca, I’ve got to put you down. I need to touch you, to feel you beneath me, to feel your legs around me. I need to disappear inside of you.”
I need to love you
.

She grabbed his cheeks again and took him in a deep, greedy kiss, heightening his need.

“Is that a yes? Because I don’t want to get kneed in the groin.”

She laughed. “Yes. Yes, Pierce. Hurry.”

“Oh, baby, I might be anxious to get inside you, but I’m not going to rush making love to you.”  He lowered her to her feet, and she wiggled out of her jeans and panties, stealing the thrill of him doing it. He took her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re used to, but one day you’re going to let me be the man I am and rip those damn clothes off of you, hold your frigging doors open, and open your goddamn trunk.”

Her eyes widened; then she frantically pushed his shirt up, and he ripped it over his head while she fumbled with the button on his jeans. He kicked them off and Rebecca’s eyes dropped.

“Holy smokes.” Her lips spread in a wide smile.

She pressed her hands to his chest and raised her brows, before slithering down his body and taking him into her mouth. He stilled at the feel of her lips pressed around his arousal and her tongue circling the tip. He tangled his hands in her hair, helping her efforts as she drew him in and out of her mouth, stroking and sucking him hungrily, taking him right up to the goddamn edge of release. He tugged her head back, and she licked her lips, leaving them wet and inviting.

“You’re a dirty girl.” He lifted her easily and laid her on the bed.

“You have no idea,” she said with a wicked look in her eyes. “Get over here.”

“Demanding, aren’t we?”

He grabbed a condom from his dresser drawer and tore it open with his teeth. Rebecca pushed his hand away and rose to take him in her mouth again.
Holy fuck
. He gritted his teeth against the best damn feeling he’d ever felt, and when she tickled his balls, she owned him. Completely, utterly owned him. He gripped her wrist and pulled it away from his body. She smiled up at him—
smiled
—her luscious mouth open wide as she flicked the head of his thick length with her tongue.  Jesus, he was never going to last with her doing that shit. He yanked her head back, and kneeling over her, he crashed his mouth over hers in a collision of tongues and teeth. He tore away long enough to roll on the condom.