Room for You(48)

“That’s how our relationship was, that’s all I’ve ever known. So for you to do something for me like fuss over a tiny thing like shampoo was … big.”

“Why did you stay with him?” Brody asked after a moment, shaking his head.

I shrugged. “I wanted my girls to have a family, and I was willing to sacrifice my own happiness to give it to them.”

“Your happiness is just as important as theirs, Kacie. Please tell me you’ve learned that?” He reached down and brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.

I closed my eyes and relaxed into him. “I’m getting there.”

“Good, because if someone ever treats you like shit again, they’re going to have to answer to a very angry hockey player who’s done a good amount of fighting in his career and has a fantastic f*cking lawyer.”

The rawness in his voice, the way he threatened and meant it, stirred something in me. I’d never had someone who wanted to protect me before, and it was the single biggest turn-on ever. Suddenly, I was overcome with the need to kiss him.

I rolled onto my side and nuzzled my nose into his neck, gently pushing his jaw up. He tilted his head to the left and eagerly let me have access. I started at the top of his collarbone and licked my way up to his jawline, running my tongue along it.

He moaned and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me in tighter. As fast as he pulled me in, he let me go and sat up. “Hang on a sec.”

I propped myself up on my elbows, watching as he jumped out of bed and fumbled his way down the hall in nothing but blue striped pajama pants. A few seconds later, his footsteps pounded along the hardwood floor as hurried back into my room.

He leapt from the doorway and landed in bed with a thud, almost jarring me off the other side.

“Sorry about that,” he growled, climbing on top of me.

“Where did you go?” I giggled in between kisses.

He sat back and flashed that heart-stopping grin at me as he wiggled his eyebrows. “Brushed my teeth.”

I threw my head back and laughed hard. Brody, taking full advantage of my exposed neck by pressing his lips against my skin, planted kisses as he made his way up to the sensitive spot where my jaw met my ear. It was as if someone swept in and took over my body as I was filled with a neediness I hadn’t ever felt in my life, not even with Zach.

“I want you,” I whispered as I fisted my hands in his hair, tugging at the roots.

He froze and I immediately thought I’d done something wrong.

“What?” I breathed in a panicked tone.

He pulled back slightly and leaned his forehead against mine, breathing hard. “Kacie, I promised you we’d go slow. If you want me to go faster, you’re going to have to tell me.”

His words dripped with sensual promise and I wanted to bathe in it. I ached for his hands all over me, reminding me that I wasn’t just a mom but a grown woman with a thirst that he was more than capable of quenching.

I looked him straight in his eyes, matching him breath for breath, willing the words to leave my mouth.

“Touch me, Brody. Please?”

His eyes grew wild as he licked his lips, still panting. “I said you had to ask, not beg.” With that he crashed into me, pushing me back on the bed. Within seconds, we were a mess of tongues and roaming hands and I couldn’t drink him in fast enough.

He grabbed my hands and pulled me up to a sitting position, dragging my tank top over my head. His mouth was back on mine the minute the fabric crossed us, as he gently pushed me back down on the bed. He sat back and slowly pulled my pajama bottoms off. I felt so exposed, so vulnerable lying on the bed in nothing but panties. My knee jerk reaction was to cross my hands over my chest, but before I could, Brody grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

“Don’t,” he said, pulling my hand away. “You’re so f*cking gorgeous, don’t you dare cover yourself. Let me look at you for a minute. I’ve been dreaming about seeing this again since I saw you in that bathroom.” He bit his lip, slowly looking up and down my body, his eyes lingering longer than I would have liked, but he made me feel so comfortable. So beautiful.

He laced his fingers with mine and lay back down on top of me, his own excitement digging into my hip. His hot mouth connected with my nipple and I cried out instinctively from the jolt of absolute pleasure that coursed through my body. It had been so long since I’d been with a man. I’d almost forgotten what it felt to have hands other than my own on me.

His tongue sucked and tugged on my nipple as his hand slowly made its way down to my panties. Just as he was about to cross the threshold inside, he paused and kissed my lips sweetly. “You okay?”

“God, yes,” I moaned into his mouth. “Don’t stop.”

He laughed softly as he kissed me again. “Yes ma’am.”

It felt like it took hours for him to trail his hand back down and reach my sweet spot, but when he did…

Oh. My. God.

His fingers were so much better than mine.

I don’t know if it was the expert way he swirled them around or the fact that it had been so damn long, but within seconds, something stirred in my core.

“Brody, stop,” I panted, clawing at his strong forearm.

“Stop? Are you serious?” he asked in disbelief.

“No, not stop for good, just for a second.” I giggled. “I’m … close … and your pants aren’t even off yet.”