Which meant as soon as I was done with my last repair, I punched out and headed for the subway. I was filthy from work, still wearing the clothes I slept in, and probably smelled bad, but I was still going straight to Bryne. If I went home, I might lose my nerve, and I couldn't let that happen.
When I recognized the car waiting at the curb, I realized I'd been spending way too much time standing by this car, waiting for Bryne. I gave the driver a little wave, ignored the knowing look he sent my way, and then went to the same place I stood the last time I'd waited for Bryne after rehearsal.
I told myself I wouldn't get jealous when she came out with Todd. Then I remembered he was gay, and that I was the only man she'd ever been with. I didn't let myself think the next part of that, the part I wanted more than I'd wanted anything in a long time.
The part that said I wanted to be the only man to ever know what it was like to be inside her.
Then she walked outside between Todd and another man. The stranger had brown hair, blue eyes, was probably in his mid-thirties...and was definitely not gay. The way he was looking at Bryne made my blood boil, and it was all I could do not to tell him to get the hell away from her.
I straightened, and that was when she saw me. Her eyes widened, and she stopped. Emotions flashed across her face, almost too fast for me to identify. Some were positive, but the one that settled there, I could only describe as beyond pissed.
“Bryne?” The new guy put his hand on her shoulder.
I took a step forward, but Todd was already there.
“Hey, August, why don't you grab a cab with me.”
I felt a flash of gratitude, but then this August asshole glared at me like I was the one who didn't belong, and all I could think about was kicking his ass.
“Come on, Bryne,” he said.
If he touched her again, I was going to break his fucking hand.
“You guys go,” she said, her eyes still on me. “Dax and I need to talk.”
As Todd practically dragged the other man away, I walked toward her. She held up a hand, and for a moment, I considered ignoring it. I needed to taste her, feel her. Only the fact that I'd never forced myself on a woman, and I didn't intend to start now, made me stop. Especially not with her.
“What do you want?” She folded her arms across her chest and gave me a look that was even colder than the air.
I jerked my head toward the car. “Let's talk and ride.”
She rolled her eyes and got into the car, but when I climbed in after her, I found her sitting against the far door, a clear sign that she didn't want me to touch her.
“Find us somewhere to park,” she said to the driver. “Somewhere near a place you can go for a cup of coffee.”
“I don't think Mr. Manning would like that very much.”
I could see part of the driver's face reflected in the rearview mirror, and it told me that he didn't like the idea of leaving me with her any more than he thought Bryne's uncle would.
“He might not,” Bryne agreed. “But I need to talk to Dax alone.”
I didn't think I was going to like what she had to say, but I knew I needed to hear it. Like my mom said, I had to make things right.
Neither one of us said anything until the driver found a nearby parking garage, then left us alone on the second level while he headed out to get a coffee or whatever.
“All right,” she said. “Now tell me whatever it is you wanted to say.”
“I talked to my mom. She said you were worried about me.” That was a bit of a stretch, but it got to the point a lot quicker than if I'd tried to explain everything. “I wanted to let you know that I'm okay.”
A few seconds of silence, and then she snapped, “Fuck you.”
Not the response I was hoping for. “Look, I was helping a friend.” Not exactly a lie, though helping and friend were an even bigger stretch than my other statement.
“And you didn't bother telling your mother?”
“She doesn't like my friend.” That, at least, was the truth. Or would be if she knew any of the guys. I slid over until there wasn't any space between us. “I'm sorry I worried you.”
“Dax–”
I ran the back of my hand down her cheek, smiling when she caught her breath. Her skin was so soft. The women who hung out at the shop, women like Cleo, they had skin like leather half the time.
“Come on, Bryne, I said I was sorry.” I dropped my voice as I leaned in, trying to ignore the floral scent of her shampoo. “Let me make it up to you.”
“And how do you intend to do that?”
She sounded out of breath, and I took that as an invitation to put my hand on her knee. The leggings she wore were thin enough that I could feel the heat of her skin under them. I bit her earlobe as I cupped the back of her head. My hand moved higher, and I started to kiss my way down her jaw.
“You'll have to do better than that.” She tilted her head back, and the part of me that was still wondering if she was going to push for more answers relaxed.
“Challenge accepted.” I tasted the side of her neck even as I twisted my fingers in her hair. Salt and the flavor of her hit my tongue, and blood rushed to my dick.
I pushed her skirt up, then shoved my hand down the front of her leggings, working them down to her knees. Her legs fell apart, giving my fingers room to move even as her leggings dropped to her ankles. The curls between her legs were coarser than the ones on her head, but they were still softer than mine. Some guys might not have liked the fact that she didn't wax or shave, but I'd seen plenty of bare cunts, and I didn't really like any of the women attached.
“So wet,” I muttered as I pushed a finger inside her. “You wet for me, Bryne?”
“Maybe,” she moaned.
I raised my head, tightening my grip on her hair. “Maybe?” I shoved a second finger in with the first. “I can feel how fucking wet you are.”
She glared up at me. “Maybe it's for you.”
Fuck no. She did not just say that.
“Who else could it be for?” My teeth were clenched as I asked the question, and I promised myself that if she said that August douche, I was going to break his jaw.
Her eyes locked with mine, and she moved her hips, fucking herself on my fingers. Her lips parted, a small moan escaping. Fuck, that was hot! I'd meant to deny her what she wanted, make her tell me that I was the one responsible for her being so turned on, but as she used my hand, I changed my mind.
“Make yourself come on my fingers,” I ordered, shifting my weight so she could do whatever she wanted without breaking my wrist. Her pussy was so tight though, I half-wondered if she could do some damage to my fingers. I was pretty sure it'd be worth it.
She reached up and grabbed the handle above the door, using it for leverage. Her gorgeous tits bounced under her sweater as she moved. I could feel her thighs flexing around my arm, her pussy clenching my stiff fingers. I'd never realized until that moment how fucking sexy it could be watching someone who was so completely covered.
“That's it, baby. Fuck yourself. I want to feel you come.” My erection throbbed painfully. “Damn, Bryne, you're dripping down my whole fucking arm.”
Her cheeks were flush, pupils wide, like my words were turning her on even more. I hoped they were because I was enjoying talking to her. I'd always gotten off on telling women what to do when it came to sex, but I'd never felt like this before. It was like going from getting high on some cheap shit to the best quality. Not even comparable.
“Hold still.” A thrill went through me when she immediately froze. “Let's get another one in there.”
She let out a long groan as I worked a third finger into her. Even after she came, it would be a tight fit to get inside.
“You can move again.” I could feel her body trembling and knew she was close. “Get yourself off quick, baby, because I need to be inside that hot pussy of yours, or I'm going to come in my pants.”
She reached down and grabbed my hair, pulling it as she mov
ed faster. Up and down, around, in a rhythm all her own. My hand was drenched, and the smell of sex filled the car. That possessive part of me loved knowing that when the driver got back in, he'd know that I had her. That she was mine.
“Come on, baby. That's it. Just a little more.”
Her whimper told me she was close.
“As soon as you come, I'm replacing my fingers with my cock,” I warned her. “Tell me now if I need to grab a condom from my wallet.”
She shook her head. “On the pill,” she gasped. “Trust you.”
Fuck me. I knew I should tell her that was a bad idea. Not the sex part of it, because I knew I was clean. It'd actually been six months since I'd fucked anyone else, and never bare. Only thing I'd had other than my own hand since then had been a couple random mouths.
No, trusting me was the bad idea. But I wouldn’t tell her that now. I needed her too badly to risk it.
I moved my thumb, pressing it right against her clit as she dropped down, and she wailed. I swore as she squeezed my fingers so tightly it hurt, but I didn't really mind. I'd do just about anything if it meant getting to see her come this hard again.
The moment her grip loosened, I pulled my fingers out of her, earning a curse as she dropped down on the seat. I yanked my pants down, feeling a moment of relief as I freed my aching cock. I grabbed her hips as I dropped to my knees in front of the seat. I lined us up and paused only long enough to glance at her face to make sure I had her consent.
She didn't even finish nodding before I was slamming into her. I nearly came right then. I thought she felt good before, but it was nothing compared to being skin to skin. If it meant I could go bareback, I'd never even look at another woman while I had Bryne.
I moved hard and fast, knowing I couldn’t last much longer, but I wanted her to come again, or keep coming if the spasms I was feeling around my dick meant she hadn't yet stopped. I moved one hand under her to grab her ass and hold her in place, but my other hand went to her stomach, my thumb going right to her clit.
We'd moved beyond talking, beyond anything but the sound of me driving into her, the grunts I heard myself making, the little gasps and whimpers from her. As I came, Bryne's body began to shake. She shouted my name, driving her hips up until I was as deep as possible, emptying inside her. Claiming her in a way I'd never claimed any other woman before.
For better or worse, she was mine.
I just didn't know what the hell it meant.
Chapter Five
Bryne
I’d never be able to look at that driver again. Dax and I had gotten our clothes back on well before the driver came back, but the entire car smelled like sex, and I was overly aware of Dax's cum soaking into my leggings. I wasn't sure what had possessed me to tell him that it was okay not to use a condom. I wasn't worried about getting pregnant – I'd gone on the pill in high school – and I did believe him that he was clean, but I still felt weird about it. Like it was the sort of thing done between two people in a much closer relationship. Or a defined one at the very least.
Still, Dax hadn't run. He'd put his arm around me, pulled me against him. If we were in a bed, I would've called it cuddling. We hadn't spent the night together though. He told me that he needed to spend some time with his mother, and while I still had questions about what he'd been doing over the last couple days, I didn't doubt the truth of that statement. We kissed before he grabbed a cab from in front of Gavin and Carrie's place, and I'd gone upstairs feeling much better than I had in a while.
I slept well last night, so as I stepped into the theater, I was ready to go. August seemed a little annoyed at me, but I wasn't really surprised. While he'd respected my decision to turn him down for a date, he'd made it clear he was still interested. Seeing me going with Dax couldn't have been fun.
I filled Todd in over lunch and then listened as he told me about plans he and Hiram had to spend the entire weekend together. He was hoping the time apart had made his boyfriend come to the same realization he had – that he wanted things to move forward.
When we took a break later that afternoon, I had a text waiting for me.
Dinner and a bed tonight. Gonna make you ride my cock like you rode my hand.
I refused to tell Todd why my face was red, grateful he couldn't tell that my pussy was throbbing in anticipation. I still didn't know what had gotten into me yesterday in the car, only that when Dax talked dirty like that, it did something to me. Almost like it tore away the last of the constraints I'd always felt back in DC.
Surprisingly, even after that text, I was able to focus, and by the time rehearsal ended, all of us were feeling great about how things were progressing. Todd and I headed for the door, and it was all I could do not to run outside to see if Dax was already there.
“Glad to see you and your man got things worked out,” Todd said.
“He's not my man,” I responded automatically.
As we stepped outside and I saw Dax waiting by the car, Todd laughed. “Whatever you say, hon. I'll see you Monday. Have fun.”
I gave him a distracted wave, not taking my eyes off of Dax. He smiled at me, but it was the sort of dangerous smile that made my knees go weak and my entire body tingle. I was already anticipating his kiss when I saw someone out of the corner of my eye.
I turned my head...and stopped dead in my tracks. Bronze curls the same color as mine. Hazel eyes. A face and figure that offered a good idea of what I'd look like in the future.
“Mom?” I was barely aware of Dax coming to stand behind me.
“Hi, honey.” She gave me a weak smile and held out her arms.
I gave her a hug, still trying to process the fact that she was standing in front of me. “What are you doing here?” I asked as she took a step back.
She opened her mouth to answer, then slid her gaze to my right. “Hi, I'm Allison Dawkins. Bryne's mom.”
Shit. Dax. How the hell was I supposed to explain him to her? Hey, Mom, this is Dax. We've been fucking since I got to the city, but we're not actually dating because we both said we weren't looking for a relationship, and now I'm starting to regret that decision because I really like him. Maybe even more than like.
“Mom, this is Dax. He helped me with my car when I first got here.”
I didn't look at Dax as I spoke, but I felt him stiffen, telling me enough about how he felt to make me feel bad. I couldn't fix it though, not without having an awkward discussion in front of my mother. Actually, if I was being honest, I didn't even know how to fix it. If we'd had some sort of commitment or talked about who we were to each other, that would've been one thing. We hadn't done any of that, and this was the result.
“Please tell me he told you to get rid of that piece of junk.” She gave him a smile that only I could tell had a bit of edge to it.
“I'm not having this conversation again.” I barely kept from snapping. “I love that car.”
“So where is it?” She looked around.
“Hey, Bryne,” Dax interrupted before I could answer her question. “I'm heading out.”
“Okay.” I glanced toward him, but he was already walking away, every angry line of his body telling me that I was the one who screwed up this time. I guess I was due.
“Bryne,” Mom said my name again. “It's freezing out here, and the taxi I took from the airport left already.”
“Oh, sorry.” I turned back to her. I wanted to make things right with Dax, explain to him that my mom had caught me off guard and that I hadn't known what to say to her, but I knew I needed to take care of Mom first. No matter how much I thought I felt for Dax, any sort of future with him was uncertain. I refused to put that above my relationship with my mother, and considering how the two of us left things, I needed to talk to her.
“Here.” I opened the back door to the car and gestured for her to get in. As I climbed in after her, I tried not to think about what I'd done in this back seat a little more than twenty-four hours ago. I really hoped the seats had been steam-cleaned
since then.
“I thought you didn't want to waste Nana and Papa's money on things like car services,” Mom said as she settled into the seat.
“Tavern on the Green,” I said to the driver. It was the first place that popped into my head that would be okay to take my mom. I wasn't about to drop her on Gavin like this, not before I found out why she was here. “And I'm not wasting money. I told you that Gavin has a car service. He has a couple cars just for family.”
“Right. Gavin.” Her mouth tightened.
She and I had been exchanging terse texts since I moved, and when I finally told her that I met her half-brother, she stopped responding.
“That's actually why I'm here.”
My eyebrows went up, but I didn't say anything.
She took a deep breath. “If you're staying with him, and he's going to be a part of your life, I need to meet him.”
My jaw dropped. I assumed she'd come to tell me to stay away, to convince me to come home. Anything but admitted that she wanted to meet the half-brother she partially blamed for having never known her father.
Apparently, my life could get more complicated.
Chapter Six
Dax
All day at work, I managed to avoid talking about the scheme Booker and Georgie were cooking up to steal cocaine from Booker's cousin's supplier. Since a couple of the part-time guys weren't in the gang either, I made sure I worked near them so the other guys couldn't talk to me without risking someone hearing something they shouldn't. I got the impression that Georgie had wanted to tell them to leave, but that would've tossed up some serious red flags, and even he wasn't that big of an idiot.