One more thrust and he rolled us so that he was on his back and I was over him. I pushed myself up so that I was sitting upright and tightened my thighs at his sides. He went an inch deeper inside me and I couldn’t contain my small moan. Strong hands gripped my hips, urging me to move. I had adjusted to him now and slid up and down his thick cock with ease.
Pressing my hands against his flat stomach to steady myself, I rode his cock faster. His fingers tightened on my hips to the point of pain and I knew that I was going to be bruised in the morning. The thought made me smile and I rode him faster, needing him to lose control for me as much as I needed to come again.
“Keep…that up…and I’m…not gonna last,” he bit out. “Fuck, woman. Ah, fuck.”
I felt him growing harder and knew that he was going to erupt soon. I lifted a hand and touched my clit, rubbing hard quick circles as I rode Liam harder. “Liam,” I moaned, so close to the edge but unable to fall over. I was waiting for him to come first, wanting to watch his face as I brought him the release we both needed so desperately. “Please. Come for me, Liam.”
As if my plea was his trigger, he stiffened underneath me before shudder after shudder raked his body. His hips bucked against me, driving his thickness deeper. It was the look on his face that pushed me over, however. The sheer beauty of his face as his eyes darkened and then closed, the way his face tightened and his nose flared ever so slightly. His mouth opened in a silent scream as his lips formed my name.
Everything inside of me tightened and then contracted. My release this time was twice as hard as the first one he’d given me earlier. I fell forward, burying my face in his chest as my inner walls convulsed around his hardness. I closed my eyes as the force of my release became almost unbearable and I whispered his name over and over again.
CHAPTER TEN
Gabriella
FOUR YEARS EARLIER
I wasn’t sure how much time passed before Liam shifted underneath me. I lifted my head and opened my eyes, watching him stretch like the feral beast that he was.
Had that really just happened? Had I really just had sex with Liam Bryant?
The fact that he was still inside of me attested to the answer, yet it still felt surreal.
“Fuck, Brie. That was mind-blowing.” His voice was low, a little growly and full of satisfaction. Long, thick fingers traced circles on my hip and I nearly melted against him again.
I grinned down at him. “Yes, it definitely was. Why did we wait so long to do it?”
“Stupid, I guess.” He wrapped his hands around my waist and sat up without dislodging himself from my body. I grasped his shoulders to steady myself when he buried his face between my breasts. “Damn, you smell good.” I could feel him growing hard inside of me and felt my pussy rush with liquid desire in welcome.
A firm fist against the bedroom door had us both stiffening and Liam lifted his head to glare at the door. “What?” he yelled.
“Get your fucking clothes on, Liam,” Axton called out. “I want these people out of my house in the next hour. I’m exhausted, man.”
“Whatever, Ax.” Liam slapped his hands against my ass, making me yelp in surprise. “Guess we’re through here, little Brie.” He kissed my lips quick and hard before lifting me off his lap and tossing me onto the bed.
Frowning, I watched as he stood, pulling off the condom before going into the bathroom. I heard the toilet flush and then the water turn on as he washed his hands. Was that it? It was over?
My chest clenched but my brain was mentally chastising me for thinking that this was more than a one-time thing. I might have been half drunk when this thing started, but that wasn’t an excuse to be stupid. Liam wasn’t the kind of guy to fuck the same girl more than once.
Fighting tears, I got jerkily to my feet and found my ruined panties. I was zipping up my dress when Liam came out of the bathroom. I didn’t dare look at him or I might have done something stupid. Like cry. If he saw my tears, my shame would have been complete.
I searched the room and finally found my shoes just as Liam was pulling up his jeans. I didn’t bother putting them on, couldn’t risk taking the time. I could feel his eyes on me, burning me as he watched me move around the room. He didn’t say a word and for that I was glad. I didn’t want the whole ‘thanks for a good time’ speech from him. It would have made everything that much worse and I wasn’t sure if I would have broken down crying or scratched his beautifully masculine face.
I crossed the room and opened the door without a backward glance. When I stepped through the door, slamming the heavy wood behind me, I nearly ran into the man standing on the other side. Lifting my eyes, I met Axton’s hazel eyes and finally let a tear fall.
He blew out a long sigh and I lowered my head, unable to meet his gaze. For a long moment he stood there, watching me and I mentally prepared myself for the scolding I deserved. Fuck, I was so pathetic.
“How about another drink?”
My head lifted in surprise and I met Axton’s kind eyes. “Ax…”
“Tequila... No. Whiskey. Yeah, that’s what you really need right now.” He smiled and grasped my arm gently, pulling me with him as he turned back toward the party. “That sound good to you?”
Another tear fell down my cheek and I hurriedly scrubbed it away as we stepped into the living room. “Yeah, Ax. Whiskey sounds really good right now.”
Axton stayed with me while I drank two glasses of whiskey in the kitchen. He probably shouldn’t have stuck around that long, not when his girlfriend was running around the apartment. He might have stayed with me for another glass but he heard Dallas laughing and excused himself.
I poured myself another glass and swallowed most of it before refilling it. Wondering what had caused Axton to look so stone-faced when he’d left me, I went back into the living room. It wasn’t hard to find him. I saw the gay meathead, Linc, with Dallas and the guy who had approached him earlier. They were standing with Axton and Liam.
From where I was standing, it looked like Liam was eye-fucking Dallas. No wonder Axton had rushed off to check on his girl. I didn’t know how serious the blonde was with Axton, but if she was like most of the chicks he dealt with, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had dumped one rocker for another.
Clenching my jaw, I turned away from the sight of Liam standing next to the beautiful blonde and nearly ran into a Demon for the second time that night. Drake didn’t bother to try to steady me this time and I realized quickly that it was because he probably couldn’t. The guy was seriously wasted and from the look on his face I kind of felt sorry for him.
“Dude, you need to go home.” I pulled the nearly empty bottle of Jack Daniels from his hand and set it on the table beside him. My buzz was stronger now, which probably explained why I was being so nice to him, but I couldn’t stand the look in his blue-gray eyes. He looked so lost, so broken.
“Lana’s gonna be pissed when she sees me,” he muttered and I figured he was talking to himself rather than me. “Em’s gonna kick my ass.” Em’s gonna tick my asp.
His mutilation of the sentence made me giggle and I took his hand. “Yeah, Demon. She probably will tick that asp of yours.” Shaking my head, I pulled him toward the door. “Where do you live, big guy?”
He mumbled his address as we stepped into the elevator and I repeated it to myself so I wouldn’t forget. From the way he was swaying and was kind of hunched over, I figured getting the details out of him again was going to take a small miracle.
Downstairs, I asked the doorman to get us a cab and with the guy’s help was able to get Drake into the back of one. The drive to his apartment didn’t take long and I was hoping I could just let him out and the doorman would help him up to his room.
Wrong.
There was no doorman, just a guy manning the desk inside the building. He didn’t look like he was going to be much help so I pushed Drake onto the elevator and asked him what floor. I barely heard him as he slumped against the elevator wall. Sighing,
I punched the button for the right floor—I hoped—and closed my eyes as the feeling of flying took over on the quick trip up.
When the doors opened, it took me a minute to realize why the elevator had stopped. Those four glasses of whiskey had caught up to me and I was fighting my way through a haze of drunkenness. The doors almost closed before I moved, forcing them back once more.
“Drake,” I grumbled.
“What?” He grunted, lifting his head from his chest where he had been half asleep.
“Let’s go, dude.” I waited for him to push himself away from the wall, sway a few times, and stumble off the elevator.
When he stopped in front of the apartment that I assumed was his, I waited for him to unlock the door. He just stood there, though, and I groaned. Realizing I’d have to do it myself, I started patting his pockets in search of a key and had to stick my hands in his front right jeans’ pocket to pull out the key ring.
Once the door was unlocked and open, I had to help him to his room. He started pulling off his clothes the second that he was near his bed. I let him go, suddenly needing the bathroom.
Sitting down on the toilet, I let out a small moan in pleasure as I relieved myself. Sometimes, something as simple as peeing was euphoric. I leaned my head against the wall beside the toilet and closed my eyes.
Just for a minute, I promised myself. Then I would go home. I just needed to rest…
I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, but when I opened my eyes I couldn’t actually see anything. Groaning, I cleaned up and went to wash my hands. Where was I? Not home, that much I was sure of.
Yawning, I pulled off my dress and realized I wasn’t wearing any panties. Oh yeah. Liam had destroyed them.
Bed. All I wanted was bed.
Opening the door, I found the bedroom dark and stumbled my way to the bed. My shin connected with the bedframe and I fell across the mattress with a curse.
“Angel?” a gruff voice muttered. “Come to bed.”
Sighing, I straightened on the bed beside him and he pulled me against him. “Angel,” he sighed almost contentedly.
Without realizing it, my eyes drifted shut and I was asleep instantly.
***
I woke with the sun shining through the bedroom window. As soon as I opened my eyes, my head protested and I snapped my eyes closed once again.
Fuck, I hadn’t had a hangover like this in years. What had I drunk?
Moaning, I covered my face with my hands and slowly peeked through my fingers, trying to take in my surroundings.
Beside me, someone groaned and I moved my head slowly to see who I was lying next to. When I got a look at his face, I nearly threw up then and there.
Oh fuck. Oh shit. Oh… Fucking motherfucker. What the hell have I done?
Quickly, I tried to remember what had happened the night before.
Text from Liam. Party at Axton’s. Sex with Liam. Mind-blowing, heart-breaking, amazing sex with Liam. Axton ruining the moment. Liam saying the fun was over. More drinking. Helping the Demon home. Climbing into bed with him.
The flashes I got of the night before helped me relax. No sex, thank God.
No, I didn’t have to worry about the shit hitting the fan in that regard, but I still needed to get the hell out of there, and fast. I got out of bed as quickly as my queasy stomach and pounding head would allow. Getting to my feet was a challenge all on its own. I was dizzy and the world felt like it was trying to tilt me off into outer space.
It took a good five minutes to get to the bathroom where I emptied everything in my stomach into the toilet. Needing to clean up, I turned on the shower and stepped under the hot stream, scrubbing my body until my skin felt raw and abused. Okay. I was okay. I’d just get dressed and go home.
Wrapping a towel around myself, I picked up my dress—wait, where were my panties? Oh yeah. Sex with Liam. My mind shut down for a second as flashes of us fucking on Axton’s bed last night filled my mind. Groaning, I went into the bedroom. As soon as I opened the door, I realized I should have dressed in the bathroom. The Demon was awake and as soon as he saw me, he jumped out of bed.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” He seethed.
I grimaced at his loudness. “Dude, down an octave, please. Some of us aren’t used to raging hangovers like the pro you are.” I touched a hand to my head where little men with jackhammers were bouncing on my brain. Fuck, that hurts.
“Did we..?” Drake asked, his voice quieter now.
“No,” I assured him. “No sex.”
“Fuck.” I watched as his eyes glazed over with what could only have been tears. Yeah, I knew how he felt. I’d nearly cried with relief when I realized we hadn’t screwed like rabbits too.
“Get your fucking clothes on and get out,” he suddenly bellowed.
Those damn little men were having a wonderful time using my brain for a bouncy castle once again. “Trust me, Demon, I was doing just that. I’m not exactly proud of myself, you know.” I dropped my towel, not embarrassed of my body in the least, and pulled on my dress while he pulled on a pair of boxers.
Opening the door, I stepped into the hall and he followed me into the living room…
As soon as I saw the three people already there, I realized I was in trouble. I glanced from the big, bald Demon to the beautiful chick who was his wife, and then to the redheaded little bitch sitting on a chair. Her big green eyes were full of fire and ice and I swallowed hard, knowing I wasn’t going to walk out the front door without blood getting spilled.
Fuck.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
LIAM
A change in the beep-beep-beeping pulled me from a restless doze. Jerking my head up, I glanced at the heart monitor over Gabriella’s bed through blurry eyes. She didn’t seem to be having a problem, although her heart rate had increased slightly.
That had to be a good thing. Her heart was getting stronger if it was beating a little faster.
Right?
Scrubbing a hand over my eyes to clear them of the dry tears that had made my lashes tangle together, I stood to relieve some of the pain in my leg. I needed some ibuprofen and a strong cup of coffee, and probably something to eat, too. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew if I didn’t eat something I wasn’t going to be any good to Gabriella when she opened her eyes.
Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to leave that little room. I didn’t want to leave her alone back here. Sure, there were nurses, but they were just watching behind their desk or dealing with other patients. I didn’t want Gabriella to open her eyes, not recognize where she was and be scared. If I left, they might not let me come back in and stay like they had for the last few hours. I’d have to stay in the waiting room with everyone else until appropriate visiting hours.
Shaking my head, because I wasn’t going to chance that, I sat back down and linked my fingers through Gabriella’s. Leaning forward, I rested my head on the bed again and brushed my lips over her fingertips over and over again. For some reason that had always soothed her in the past. When I’d moved into her apartment I’d do this every night to get her to fall asleep.
She would lie across the bed, needing room because she did a lot of moving around in her sleep. The first night I’d slept in the same bed with her she’d kicked me more than once and I’d woken up the next morning with a black eye. Since then she’d started sleeping an arm’s length away.
I couldn’t sleep without touching her, though. Not now. I would link our fingers together and brush my lips over each tip, not trying to be sexual about it, just needing the contact. Her sensual mouth would fall open ever so slightly and the softest sigh would leave her lips as her eyes would drift closed. Only when I knew she was resting peacefully would I find my own eyes drifting closed…
A firm hand on my shoulder forced my eyes open and I sat up and realized that Dr. Schiller was standing beside me. “What is it?”
Schiller gave my shoulder another firm squeeze before stepping back. “I need you to step out while we remove the
breathing tube. She’s breathing easier and showing signs that she might wake up soon. Waking up with a tube down her throat isn’t something that you want her to experience.”
Some of the panic that had been swallowing me up started to ease. “That’s a good thing, though, right? She’s going to be okay if she’s breathing on her own, right?”
Another grim smile from the doctor. “It has given us better odds, Mr. Bryant.” He glanced over at the bed. “She’s a fighter, that much is for sure. And I think having you in here with her has helped considerably. As soon as we have her sorted, I’ll have the nurse bring you back in. Grab yourself some breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” I glanced down at my watch and realized it was six in the morning. I’d been back here since around two in the afternoon the day before. Had I slept that long? It sure as hell didn’t feel like it. I was exhausted and stiff, in more pain than I normally was and knew that I was going to have to do something about it or risk the cravings for something other than the shit my orthopedic doctor prescribed.
“Shouldn’t be longer than an hour before we bring you back, Mr. Bryant. Take care of yourself during that time. Your family is all still in the waiting room.” The doctor nudged me toward the door with another squeeze to my shoulder and I reluctantly left.
Opening the door to the waiting room, I saw that the doctor was right. Nearly everyone was still there. Annabelle. Wroth and Marissa. Alexis and Jared, but not Jordan or Vince Sheppard. Emmie and Dallas. They were all resting—well, as much as anyone could rest in a waiting room. Most of them were asleep, while others just sat with their eyes closed, trying to rest.
It was Dallas I was relieved to see more than any of the others. I limped my way over to where she was sitting with her head leaned against a window, her blue eyes closed as she tried to sleep. She looked peaceful and I hated bothering her. She was pregnant, away from her husband and son. She should have been back at her bus, sleeping in a real bed. Instead, she’d been here with me since we’d brought Gabriella in two nights before.