Fated Identity (Red Star #6) (7 page)

Grady pressed his forehead against hers, as this time it was he who closed his eyes against the emotional turmoil they’d brought to a boil. Brienne had thrown down the gauntlet at a time in which he feared the most—her life was in imminent danger. There wasn’t a thing either one of them could do about that at the moment. Her fate was out of their hands and yet she was still asking that he walk by her side through it all. Yes, maybe she was being selfish.

“Madison would have loved you, too,” Grady murmured, taking Brienne by surprise at his admission. He pulled her close to him, wrapping both arms around her so that she was tucked in nice and close against him. She rested her ear over his heart, listening to the reassuring rhythmic beat as the warmth of his body invaded hers. She hadn’t realized just how cold she’d been until this very moment. “She would have appreciated your sense of duty to others, your strength in commitment, and your unwillingness to settle for less than you deserve.”

Grady pulled slightly away until he could see her, shaking his head in what she assumed was wonder. He brushed away another tear from her face with his thumb and then did the same to her other cheek. The stuttered breath he pulled through his lips told her just how fragile his emotions were. They matched her own.

“I do love you, Brie. No more, no less, no different than the love I have for Madison.” Grady paused and it was apparent he was trying to form his words in a manner that wouldn’t offend her. Brienne could only nod her understanding. “My love for you is enduring, encompassing, and one that has the capability to destroy me if I lost you. I hope you understand the lengths I will go to in order to keep you safe and that you have the ability to forgive me for the damage I might have to leave in my wake.”

‡

G
rady’s mental struggle
with allowing himself to truly and freely love Brienne was finally at an end. He experienced a freedom he’d never expected after anguishing over his decision, but there was also a fierce need to protect her in a manner he hadn’t been cognizant of with Madison. He would try his best to not overcompensate, but he’d given Brienne fair warning and he wouldn’t apologize for the lengths he’d go to in order to achieve his goal. He was a protector by his very nature…of his country and now of her.

“Make love to me, Grady,” Brienne whispered with need, her hand on the back of his neck, drawing his lips down to hers. “Show me what it is like to love knowing it is both our futures from now until the end.”

Grady bent and lifted Brienne into his arms, cradling her securely as he walked to the bedroom. He didn’t stop until he was able to set her on her feet at the end of the bed. Without a word, he kissed her—passionately and possessively. He drank from her like he was stranded in a desert and she was his sole oasis. He would never satiate his thirst for her, but he would damn well test her reserves.

Brienne’s long and delicate fingers slipped beneath the shoulder holster he’d secured to his chest earlier. Once he’d removed it and positioned it on the bed for easy reach, he allowed her to tug at the cotton shirt he’d put on after his shower. The soft fabric stretched and he pulled away long enough to draw the shirt over his head. He dropped it to the ground and then proceeded to do the same with her clothes. One by one, the articles of her apparel joined his. It wasn’t until they were both nude that he slowly guided her down onto the bed.

Grady used one arm to hold himself up, taking in the breathtaking sight of Brienne’s body. She might be blonde, but her flawless skin was exquisitely sun-kissed by those trips overseas. Her muscles were well toned from the training the Agency required of their field agents. She was able to physically keep up with him in a manner that didn’t make him feel as if he would break her with his rough touch. Her breasts were ample enough and firm, filling the palm of his hand, and her mound was bare of any hair, as was her habit. The slight scar on the left side of her ribcage she’d gotten while protecting a child from a hand grenade in Damascus only added to her beauty.

“Wait,” Brienne said somewhat breathlessly, her palm against his chest. Her blue eyes were clear of tears and only love remained. “Protection. I don’t—”

“I do,” Grady promised, rolling onto his back and taking her with him. Brienne’s blonde hair fell all around them until he gathered the thick strands over one of her shoulders. He pressed his lips to her other one. “I have one in my wallet.”

Neither one was sure how long they would be here, but one condom definitely wasn’t enough. Grady would worry about that at a later time, needing this moment to love her like she deserved. What had she said? Show her what it was like to love knowing it will never end. He could do that for her, but she apparently had other plans first.

“Brie—”

Grady was cut off when Brienne trailed the tips of her fingers down his chest and wrapped them around his already hardened cock. Her lips slowly followed behind, leaving a trail of moisture from her tongue. She veered to his right, gently biting his pelvic bone. There wasn’t a chance in hell she was going to suck him without him bearing witness.

He gathered up her blonde hair once more, keeping a hold of the thick mane in his hand. There was something about the intimacy in watching a woman love her man with her mouth that shouldn’t be missed. Adding on his ability to control her movements in doing so was even more arousing.

Brienne’s lashes lifted, those crystal blues connecting with his just as her soft lips sealed warmly over the head of his cock. Grady had to remind himself to breathe as she glided her tongue over the slit, gathering the pre-cum that had gathered from anticipation.

“What you do to me,” Grady murmured, barely getting the words out after she slowly took the remainder of him into her mouth. The gradual insertion caused his heart to speed up its usual steady rhythm. “Brie…”

Brienne ran the tips of her fingers up his inner thigh until she was able to take his large sac into her hand, massaging him a manner that would end this act faster than he’d like. She sucked him until she was back at his tip, settling herself between his legs. He held onto her hair, not allowing her to take him back inside her mouth until he had himself under control. He ignored the knowing look she gave him.

Grady prevented himself from hauling her above him, flipping her over, and plunging himself deep inside of her. He didn’t want this rushed and he wanted to deliver to her what he’d promised, but damn if she wasn’t making that a hard undertaking to achieve.

Brienne pulled against his hold until he reluctantly allowed her to pleasure him the way she wanted. He closed his eyes against the wicked, delicious sight. Her tongue stroked against the underside of his shaft as she continued to take him to the back of her throat. It was one of his preferred sensations and when she swallowed, the soft pressure around his cock was euphoric.

Grady needed to control things from here, so he used the hold he had on her hair to set the pace of her pleasuring exploit. He started watching Brienne once more, taking in how her lips fit perfectly around his member as her cheeks hollowed in a sensual motion. She never stopped massaging his sac and it wasn’t long before he could feel the gathering presence of his release.

“Stop.” Grady had just enough energy to stop Brienne, wanting them to reach that blissful precipice together. He pulled her back up his body until he could roll her over onto her back. They were both breathing rather heavily, but that didn’t stop him from talking. “It’s my turn, Brie.”

*

Brienne grabbed the
pillow above her head, giving herself something to hold onto. She arched into Grady as he took her breast into his hand, closing his lips around her nipple. The heat of his mouth was a drastic shock against her cool skin, hardening the peak even more. He stroked his tongue over the sensitive nub until she could literally feel the arousal travel from her breast to her clit like a bolt of lightning.

“Grady…”

Of course, he didn’t answer her. Instead, Grady started to roll her nipple with his tongue in small circles. Every once in a while he would draw the delicate tissue in between his teeth. The pleasurable pain caused her body to spiral into an awakening, aided by the coarse brush of his five o’clock shadow against her skin.

Brienne wasn’t sure how much more decadent indulgence she could take, so she released her hold on the pillow and wrapped her fingers around Grady’s neck. He wouldn’t budge and she swore she was going to come just from nipple stimulation itself. She cried out when he bit a little harder than usual, the sharp, arousing stinging sending her even closer to that edge.

“Damn it, Grady,” Brienne cursed, wishing his hair was long enough so that she could use it like he did hers. That didn’t stop her from trying to pull him away to give her a brief reprieve. She finally breathed a sigh of relief when he released her nipple, but she should have known it wasn’t his intention to stop. “Hmmmm.”

That low moan was all Brienne was able to get out when Grady transferred his attention to her other nipple. It had been throbbing in the absence of his touch, but now the intense stimulation was almost unbearable. He had rolled to her side, giving him full access to her body.

“Open your legs for me, Brie. Put your arms back and allow me to pleasure you.”

Brie recalled those words being said before. It wasn’t easy for her to lay back and allow someone to pleasure her while she did nothing. Grady wasn’t like the other men she’d been with. She wasn’t sure if it was age, experience, or just knowing how to please a woman…but he excelled at it. He’d explained that he attained his pleasure through her and after experiencing firsthand his lovemaking…she had finally understood.

Grady continued to draw on her nipple, every so often using his tongue to stroke the tip. He waited until her arms were above her head before caressing her abdomen with his fingers. He didn’t stop until his hand cupped her mound. She widened her legs and waited for…that. Brienne parted her lips in rapture. It was that moment where his middle finger dipped in between her folds and gathered her cream.

“Spread your legs wider, Brie. Give me what I want.”

Unprecedented access. Brienne widened her legs, only to find one knee captured by his. She tightened her grip on the pillow as he drew the moisture up and over her throbbing clitoris. Grady started to move one finger in tiny, tiny circles over the swollen nub. A whimper escaped her as he awakened more nerves, if that were even possible.

“Look at me.”

The directive shot a jolt of arousal through her, but it was nowhere near as stimulating as when Grady pressed even more firmly than before, initiating a small orgasm that took her by surprise. His watchful eyes took in every ounce of pleasure she experienced in this vulnerable position.

“I want more.”

With those three words, Grady lowered his mouth to her nipple before moving lower and positioning himself between her legs. He pushed her thighs even farther apart and licked away any trace of her original orgasm, from which she was still coming down. She tried to tell him that she was too sensitive, but the words never left her mouth as he ever so slowly slid two fingers inside of her.

Brienne wasn’t sure how her nails hadn’t punctured the pillow by now, because her grip couldn’t get any tighter than what it was. Grady had bent his fingers slightly forward, stroking over that sweet spot at the exact same moment his lips closed over her clit. He drew the overly sensitive tissue into his mouth, sucking gently and yet firmly enough that it was as if her orgasm had never ended.

Grady took her higher and higher, to a point where Brienne was floating in something far beyond a mere awakening. Her mind had soared to another plane, although she couldn’t quite reach that ultimate high. He maintained a slow, even pace that was, quite frankly, torturous. She couldn’t even have described what he’d just done with his tongue, but it was enough to light the fuse of her impending explosion.

Brienne called out his name as she came apart into a million pieces. The shattering was an exquisite eruption of pleasure that lasted longer than anything she’d ever experienced at the touch of his hand. She was subjected to an indulgence that took on another meaning altogether—this was the reaction to unrestricted love.