Asking for Trouble (6 page)

And maybe, just a small part of him had wanted to prove it to himself. He didn’t lack familial affection in his life. His parents, his sister and brother, his nieces…they were all grateful for the work he put in to keep their lives running smoothly and they never hesitated to tell him. They depended on him and he loved that. It drove him. But sometimes he wondered if he spent so much time making ends meet, he was forgetting himself. Defining himself by how much money he made per week. How many problems he could solve with each paycheck. It may have been unconscious, this need to prove he could accomplish something that didn’t involve a wrench or C4, but he couldn’t deny an odd satisfaction at having fit in tonight, without sacrificing his identity in the process.

He hadn’t forgotten his other reason for being there tonight, though. After Stuart spent the entire dinner with his eyes glued to Hayden’s breasts, Brent’s teeth were still on edge, even as he strove for casual. Not that he could fault the guy. The girl might be spoiled and thoroughly exasperating, but she had an amazing rack. He’d sneaked in more than a few peeks himself. Stuart, however, had all but danced on the table pointing at them, shouting “Gimme, gimme, gimme!”

Stuart.
Damn, even the guy’s name annoyed the shit out of him. He shouldn’t care if the two snobs ended up together. Hell, they deserved each other. But he couldn’t deny feeling a whole heap of aggravation over the idea. It had to be the lust talking. She’d left him unsatisfied last night and until he had her, apparently this territorial feeling would eat him alive. If he had his way, it wouldn’t be much longer. Whether or not they could stand to share the same air, he wanted her like hell.

Brent scratched the back of his neck, feeling anxious. He didn’t like Hayden and Stuart being outside his line of vision. She didn’t want to be alone with him. It had been one of the reasons she’d brought him along.

Trying to tamp down the twitch of alarm, Brent set down his glass on a crystal coaster and rose from the couch, murmuring an excuse as he went. She hadn’t mentioned
why
she wanted Stuart kept away, had she? Brent’s stride increased in pace. He’d just turned down the hallway leading to the kitchen when he heard voices.

“Come on, Hayden. You know you just brought him here to make me jealous. It worked. Is that what you want to hear?”

She sighed. “Actually, I couldn’t care less.” Her heels clicked then stopped short. “Stuart, I need to get back to my mother. Move out of the way. You’ve clearly had a lot to drink.”

“A cop, though? Honestly, sweetheart.”

Hayden said something Brent couldn’t hear.

“Fine, then. Why don’t we try to make him a little jealous instead?”

“
No
.”

Brent had heard more than enough. His vision swam a little as he entered the kitchen and saw Hayden wedged between Stuart and the marble island, clearly trying to ward him off. He dug his fingers into his palms and breathed deeply through his nose. Hayden’s eyes shot wide when she saw him, alerting him to the fact that his temper was showing on his face. Stuart followed her line of vision, backing off immediately when he saw Brent. It took every ounce of willpower he had inside him not to grab Stuart by the neck and toss him like a rag doll across the room. But a small voice of reason told him he’d come this far in proving to her he wasn’t some hotheaded idiot. He couldn’t blow it now.

Brent nodded once at Stuart. “You’re wanted in the living room.”

“Very well.” He looked at Hayden. “Are you coming?”

“No, she’s staying,” Brent responded before he could stop himself. Her posture stiffened slightly at his high-handedness, but he couldn’t summon the will to care. Currently, his will was all tied up. After a moment of tense silence, Stuart shrugged and proceeded to leave the kitchen, cocktail in hand. Brent stopped him with a hand on his arm before he could pass, then leaned in and spoke quietly so Hayden wouldn’t overhear.

“If you have trouble understanding the word ‘no,’ I’ll be more than happy to explain what it means. Especially when she says it.”

Stuart stiffened, but continued walking after a moment without looking back.

“Well? You’ve ordered me to sit and stay, master. Now what?”

Brent didn’t answer, just rounded the island in her direction with long strides.

“Don’t you need to get back to your pack of admirers? They’re bound to miss their new dude crush.” When he didn’t answer again, she frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not as though I encouraged him. I came in here for ice and he followed me. Not that it’s any of your business.”

Brent stopped in front of Hayden, forcing her to tilt her head back. “Yes, it is. You told me you wanted him kept away. It’s part of the reason you brought me here.”

She shook off his words. “I can handle Stuart without your help. Besides, you were a little busy playing
teach the rich girl a lesson
to notice anything else.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Listen—” She did a double take. “You’re
what?
”

He smiled. “I’m sorry. If you’d told me in advance how bad he was, I wouldn’t have let him within ten feet of you. We have our differences, Hayden, but I’d never let some asshole put his hands on you if I could prevent it. I have a sister. A mother. I take that kind of thing seriously.”

“Oh.” She stared up at him like he’d sprouted antennae. “
Oh
.”

His lips twitched. “Oh?”

Then in a move he didn’t see coming, Hayden dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him down for a hot, hard, whiskey-flavored kiss. What little willpower Brent still possessed flew out the window when her tempting curves molded to his and she sucked on his tongue with a throaty moan. He sucked her tongue right back, letting his hands drop to her ass and knead the taut flesh beneath her skirt. It felt natural, inevitable, to lift her against him so she could wrap her legs around his waist, fitting their lower bodies together with a perfection that made him groan roughly into her mouth. Once he had her resting on top of his erection, he gripped her ass and slid her up and down, so she could experience every inch of it against her core.

“Baby, I’m going to fuck you tonight. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she whispered against his mouth. “But I need s-something right
now
, okay?”

He backed her into the counter, grounding himself into her soft, inviting center. It felt like heaven and hell at the same time. His body demanded release. Now.
Now.

Just a while longer
, the sane part of his brain chanted. They weren’t alone yet. He couldn’t have her here. God, did the freaking universe hate him lately? “What do you need, duchess? We need to hurry.”

Maintaining their hot eye contact, she unhooked her legs from around his waist and slid down him, slowly enough to short-circuit his brain. Taking his hand, she shocked him once again by guiding it underneath her skirt to the silk between her legs. “Make me come, Brent.”

“Fuck,” he ground out, quickly pushing the silk aside. His cock ached, his tongue had gone fuzzy, and all he could think about,
care
about, in that moment was bringing the girl in front of him to an earth-shattering climax. She’d made the request as though her life depended on him giving her pleasure. It made him want to beat his chest with his fists, proving to her once and for all what a caveman he was.

When his fingers touched her naked flesh for the first time, the smooth, slick heat almost robbed him completely of rational thought. He knew she wanted his fingers to massage her clit but nothing could prevent him from sinking his middle finger deep inside her, giving it a quick upward thrust. Her inner walls contracted, milking his finger so tightly, he could barely draw it out.

“More, Brent,” she whimpered softly. “Again.”

“Don’t worry.” He granted her two more quick thrusts, then moved his wet fingers to the tight bundle of nerves, pressing tight and holding. “You’re going to be full of me later. For now, just let me rub your sweet little clit.”

On a raspy breath, she parted her lips to receive his hot, openmouthed kiss while his fingers worked between her legs. He savored each sob of pleasure he wrung from her on his tongue. Her hips shook and swiveled until he was forced to hold her completely still against the counter with his body so he could finish her. In the back of his mind, he heard the voices in the living room grow louder. Closer?

When he felt her begin to pulsate and tighten, he increased the circular motion of his fingers. “Come on, baby. We’re out of time.” Dammit, the footsteps were growing louder. He leaned forward and spoke right against her ear. “Come for me
right now
and I’ll let you ride me as hard as you want later. I know what gets you off. I saw it in your eyes last night. You want to throw me down and fuck me, duchess? Good. I’m in the mood to let you.”

At the last second, he swooped down and caught her moan with his mouth while she shook, savoring her dampness on his fingers. He heard footsteps coming down the hallway the same time she did. As fast as humanly possible, they pulled her skirt into place and he hid his tented lap behind the marble island.

One of the older ladies swayed into the kitchen, a little unsteady on her feet from too much wine. She stopped short when she found them already occupying the kitchen, then gave Brent a knowing look.

“Were you stealing a kiss in here, mister?”

Brent held up his hands. “You caught me.”

Behind him, Hayden slumped against the counter.

Chapter Six

After paying the driver, Brent exited the cab and opened the door for Hayden. Standing above her, silhouetted by the streetlight, he looked larger than life holding out his hand. Waiting for her to take it. She hesitated a moment, suddenly unsure of her decision to bring him home. Admittedly, she wanted him. Badly. At some point, however, it had started feeling like more than just a passing attraction. Somehow, Brent, the person she’d always thought understood her the least, seemed to know exactly what she needed. She herself hadn’t known until he’d said the words in Stuart’s kitchen. Words that now echoed in her head, heating her blood, making her skin tingle.
You want to throw me down and fuck me, duchess?
Yes, yes, yes. That’s exactly what she wanted.

“You going to stay in there all night?”

Rolling her eyes to hide her jumbled emotions, she took his hand and let him lead her up the stoop to her front door. Once they reached the top, she busied herself trying to find her keys in her purse, but his big hand closed over hers, ceasing her jerky movements. “Hey. I want you, duchess. Bad as hell. But if you’re not completely here with me, I’ll go.”

“You would, wouldn’t you?” She peered up at him, wondering if this other dimension to him had always existed and how she’d missed it.
I have a sister. A mother. I take that type of thing seriously.
She’d never thought of him as anything but a vulgar meathead. Was it possible she’d been wrong? “What else don’t I know about you, Brent?”

Watching her closely in that distracting way of his, he didn’t answer. Then, in a replay of the previous night, Brent followed Hayden into her town house and pushed her up against the heavy front door. They regarded each other warily as bodies pressed together, hands roamed over curves, breathing harshened.

Hayden felt as though her body would combust at any second. She wanted him with a single-mindedness that alarmed her and didn’t give a damn about the consequences or the fact that they were supposed to hate each other. Or whether or not tomorrow she would wake up and regret sharing her body with someone who usually regarded her with contempt. How did this infuriating man manage to make her feel so incredibly sexy and uninhibited? Never before, not once, had a man gotten this reaction out of her. This relentless need to get and give pleasure. She felt weak and strong at the same time. Unsure, yet determined.

In the back of her mind, however, a little voice whispered that she needed to keep a leash on this crazy attraction running wild between them. The unfamiliar frightened the hell out of her, especially when so many uncertainties lay between herself and Brent. For all she knew, he wanted to take her to bed so he could use it against her. From this night forward, every time she leveled an insult in his direction, he wouldn’t have to utter a single word in response. The memory alone of her begging him to make her come would be enough to keep her quiet.

Another part of her wasn’t so certain he would use their physical relationship against her. He’d managed to surprise her twice tonight. First, by winning over her parents’ tight-knit group of friends, then again when he apologized for letting Stuart near her. She couldn’t yet allow herself to consider that Brent had been a classy gentleman all this time hiding underneath a Mets baseball cap, but…perhaps there was more than met the eye.

It was too soon to take that chance. This other Brent, the one she’d briefly glimpsed under the surface, might be a figment of her imagination. Someone she’d conjured up to justify the insistent desire he’d generated in her. With all these doubts swirling in her head, Hayden put a hand on his big chest and held him back. They would satisfy this inconvenient craving tonight, but dammit, there needed to be some ground rules.

“This is a one-time thing, right?” Hayden asked, wetting her lips. “For some odd reason, we seem to want each other, so let’s get it out of our systems. Then we move on. Agreed?”

His hands coasted down over her breasts, groaning when he encountered her stiff nipples. “Woman, if it means getting your clothes off, I’d agree to change my name to Florence right now.”

Hayden laughed before she could stop herself, marking the first time she’d ever laughed at one of his jokes. They both paused, acknowledging that fact with their eyes, before his hands resumed their exploration of her body. His mouth claimed hers in a heated kiss as he unzipped her dress, then tugged it over her shoulders and down her hips. His tongue stroked in and out, seeking, teasing.

After a moment, she tore her lips away. “We don’t speak about tonight, either. Ever again. None of our friends find out. And no jokes about it, Brent. Promise.”

“Florence, Hayden. Florence.”

She ducked her head so Brent wouldn’t see her smile, but he was too busy watching her dress fall to the floor, revealing her black lace bra-and-panty set, complete with garter belt and stockings. Her tummy flipped a little when he cursed under his breath and ran a hand over his open mouth. His hot regard felt heavy as it ran the length of her body, pausing at her thighs and between her legs.

He tucked one finger into the top of her stocking, sliding it back and forth slowly. Hayden felt each movement between her legs as though he were touching her there instead. She grew increasingly damp with each drag of his finger. “I hate these stockings. Don’t ever stop wearing them.”

Hayden sucked in a breath as his finger slipped around to the back of her thigh. “I-I don’t understand. That makes no sense.”

His hand traveled higher to cup her behind, fitting her against him. “Every time you cross your legs, I hear that material rub together.” He ran his tongue and teeth down the side of her neck. “Your tight thighs, covered in silk, parting and crossing. Parting and crossing. Only you never leave them open long enough for me to see your pussy. It makes me crazy.”

She writhed against the door, his provocative words ratcheting her need even higher. “What are you waiting for? An apology?”

“I have a much better idea.” He grasped her around the waist and deposited her on the bench. The same bench they’d used the night before. She watched, dumbfounded, as he knelt down in front of her, gaze fastened on the juncture of her thighs. “Show me right now. Cross and uncross your legs for me, duchess. I want to see how it looks when there’s no skirt to hide behind.”

Hayden’s chest felt tight, her skin enflamed. Every nerve ending in her body hummed with dizzying arousal. She obeyed his order simply to witness his reaction. Could do nothing else. The first time she crossed her legs, then slowly parted them, she felt his loud growl of approval deep in her belly, vibrating and heating. The second time she let her stocking-clad thighs cross and uncross, he unzipped his pants and reached inside to stroke himself as he watched her, eyes dark with lust.

“Very good. Lose the bra and do it again.”

Trying to keep her breathing steady and failing, Hayden unhooked the clasp between her breasts and let the material fall down her arms. Once again, that low, almost-angry sound emanated from his throat. This time, she moaned in response, letting her head fall back on her shoulders. Of their own volition, her hands rose to palm her breasts, thumbs caressing her peaked nipples. Her body felt hot, shaky. His riveted gaze felt like a touch in itself, moving across her skin, memorizing, devouring.

Brent’s arm banded around her waist, startling her, so lost she’d been in her own pleasure. He picked her up off the bench and rose. She wrapped her legs around his waist, mouth immediately seeking his for a hot, desperate kiss. One of his hands sank into her hair, angling her head. The other kneaded the flesh of her bottom.

“Bedroom. Where is it?” he grated against her mouth. “I need to fuck you.”

She nodded toward the back of the town house, and Brent’s long strides ate up the distance between the semi-dark living room and her bedroom. Halfway there, she forgot to direct him and began nipping and licking his neck until Brent was forced to push her up against the hallway wall outside her bedroom and punish her mouth for distracting him. Finally, he stumbled them into her room, letting her slide down his body at the foot of the bed.

He maintained intense eye contact with her as he quickly stripped out of his suit. When Hayden started to roll the tights down her leg, he stopped her with a harsh sound. “Don’t you dare take them off.” His pants and belt hit the floor. “You never want to discuss what happens here tonight? Fine. But I’m going to remember what it’s like to be between all that silk. There’s nothing you can do to make me forget.” He came toward her slowly, stalking her. “I’m going to think about it. Often. While you’re lying here at night in your big, comfortable bed, I’ll be remembering. Over and over.”

Hayden refused to back up even a step as he reached her, his expression fierce. “I can’t control what you choose to think about,” she responded with more bravery than she felt.

Perusing her body, he shook his head. “No. You sure as hell can’t.” His big hands settled on her hips, flexed. “You’ve got control right now, though. Take it. Before I take it from you.”

Inside her, apprehension mixed with excitement, so heady her hands shook.
This is what you wanted
, Hayden reminded herself. She’d been struggling to find the missing piece for so long. This could be it. He’d put her in charge. Why was she hesitating? Part of her nerves sprang from the unknown. How deep did the need run? Why had it taken an enemy’s touch to make her realize it?

“Hayden…” he rasped, fingers digging into her flesh.

Now or never.
Hayden brought her hands to his shoulders and pushed him with all her might onto the bed. He landed on his back, head coming up immediately to watch her next move. She moved over him on hands and knees, reveling in the way his chest rose and fell rapidly, his erection lying thick and ready on his ridged belly. She took a moment to appreciate the sheer maleness of him. His size, the texture of his skin, his muscular build. Once more, her eyes were drawn to the hard length demanding her attention. After the briefest hesitation, she skimmed her fingers down his belly and wrapped him in her fist. His hands dug into the comforter as his hips bucked.

“Put it in your mouth.
Now
, baby.” He spoke through clenched teeth. “I’ve been waiting for it since last night. Nothing I do makes it better. It needs to be your mouth.”

Very slowly, she licked the tip, power curling in her belly when he hissed through his teeth. She did it again, this time letting her tongue linger until his hips lifted impatiently. Then she took all of him in her mouth, as deep as she could, sucking hard all the way back to the tip as Brent shouted obscenities at the ceiling. “Is that what you wanted?” she purred against the smooth skin.

“
Fuck yes
.” He twisted the comforter in his fists. “
More
.”

“More of this?” Watching him innocently, she ran her tongue around the head in circles. “Or this?” She closed her mouth around him and took him to the back of her throat, sucking once again until she reached the head. Then she flicked her tongue against him with tiny, teasing licks.

He threaded his fingers roughly into her hair, bringing her head up to meet his tortured gaze. “I’ve tongued and fingered you, now it’s my turn. Give me what I need, baby. I’m dying.”

“When I’m ready.
Baby.
” Without thinking about her actions, simply obeying what felt right, she pinned his wrists against the bed and scraped her teeth over his belly, biting and licking the fevered skin as it shuddered under her mouth. When she took him back between her lips and finally gave him what he needed, she refused to stop stroking him with her mouth until his voice grew strangled from begging her to end the torture.

Hayden reached into her bedside drawer and handed him a condom. As he rolled it down his length, she played with her nipples, tempting him to hurry. She straddled him, her knees pressing into the mattress on either side of his hips. He gripped himself in his big hand and sought her entrance, rubbing the plump head back and forth through her damp center.

“No more games.” Brent thrust into her halfway. “Ride me hard or not at all.”

Hayden wiggled her hips, stretching as she took more of him inside her. He gave an upward thrust, pushing deeper and deeper until she whimpered.

“Jesus, baby.” He groaned loudly, shifted. “Been a while?”

Yes.
“No. It’s just you…you’re…”

Brent sat up, putting his face right in front of hers. He bit her bottom lip and tugged. “I’m what?” When she tried to kiss him, he dodged her mouth. “Say it. What am I?”

“Huge,” she whispered.

“That’s right.” His hands slipped up her back and gripped her shoulders. “And you’re going to take it.”

He pulled down on her shoulders, while at the same time driving his hips upward, imbedding himself deep inside her. Hayden’s head fell back and she screamed.

“Fuck, fuck,
fuck
,” Brent chanted gruffly against her ear. “Oh God, Hayden, you’ve got such a snug little pussy.”

She felt impaled. Full. As though if she moved, her entire body would shatter into a thousand pieces. Already her thighs and stomach had begun to tremble. Brent gave her one hard kiss, then lay back down as if handing her the reins. His hands shook as they stroked up and down her thighs, telling her how much it cost him to give her control.

Wanting to please him as much as she needed to assuage the ache building within her, Hayden moved her hips once, testing, and nearly sobbed at the tingling heat that shot through her system, concentrated between her thighs. Brent’s eyes were squeezed shut, fingers digging into her skin as he muttered a curse. She braced her hands on his shoulders and increased her pace, angling her hips so she could rub against Brent where she needed him most. Sensations slammed through her with each roll of her hips, so intense, so foreign that she had to slow her movements to let her mind catch up with her body.

“Hayden. Look at me,” Brent growled beneath her. “Move those hips faster, or I’ll put you on your back. Do you understand?” Then his hand reared back and slapped her ass. Hard.