31. Reed

31

Reed

M y fist pounded on the door for the sixth time. I’d been light the first few attempts, but after Beckham blatantly ignored them all, I was growing irritated.

I knew he was in there because his truck was sitting in the driveway and the light was on in the living room. Past the curtain, though, I couldn’t tell where he was in the house. Knowing him, he was likely sitting on the couch, waiting for me to leave.

Lennon had texted me to come by and check on Beck after he drove him home drunk from the bar last night. I didn’t know when the fuck this whole family started thinking I was on taking-care-of-Beckham duty, but I was starting to grow tired of it. My brother didn’t typically act like this, but like Mom ingrained into me, I wouldn’t be able to pry whatever was causing this out of him.

Len and Beck had gone back to Outlaw’s Watering Hole last night, along with Bailey, Lettie, and Oakley. Lennon had said everything was fine until Beckham answered a call and came back in with bloodshot eyes and started slinging shots like there was no tomorrow. Hell, with the way his liver was being treated, it was quite possible there would be no tomorrow.

Which was exactly why Lennon wanted me to check on him.

I knocked one more time for good measure, and after another minute of being met with silence, I turned and headed down the porch steps to get back in my truck. After turning the key in the ignition, I switched the wiper blades on to clear the windshield of the light sprinkle that had started while I stood there. Reversing out of his driveway, I didn’t spare a glance back at his double-wide as I pulled onto the road and drove away.

Frustration weighed heavily on my shoulders as I fought the urge to go back there and get Beckham to talk. It’d be no use, and I had better things to do. Better things that currently had my pants feeling too tight as I shifted on my seat.

Three days ago, I’d made Brandy come all over my hand, and for three days, it felt like my cock was in a perpetual state of hardness. I breathed, I thought of her. I closed my eyes, I saw her. I licked my lips, I tasted her. Right about now seemed like as good of a time as any to curb my craving. One more day, and I’d likely erupt.

I had no idea what the fuck we were doing, but I wasn’t going to complain. She could fight it all she wanted, but we both knew that once this started, it’d likely never end. It wasn’t in our blood to lose a fight, and that’s all this was. Our bodies warring with each other for more, trying to satisfy a need we’d buried deep down for too long. Now that it was out to play, it wouldn’t go back into hiding.

The bulge in my jeans was a testament to that fact.

I drove until I ended up in her driveway, my truck idling as I stared at her front door. My hand stayed firm around the steering wheel, gripping the leather like it was my last tether of restraint. If I let go, Brandy and I would touch for the third time. Three times seemed to be forming a habit, but something told me Brandy wouldn’t let this continue for very long, regardless of my warning. Despite that, I wanted her. I wasn’t blind to what was happening between us. Brandy might try to fight it—hell, she was good at that—but I’d get past her defenses.

Starting now.

Taking the key out of the ignition, I pried my hand from the steering wheel and got out. The rain had stopped for now, the chill in the air indicating it’d be snowing in a couple weeks’ time.

Not bothering to lock the truck behind me, I headed to her door and knocked without hesitation. I stuffed my hands in my jacket pockets as I waited, listening for any movement behind the door. Silent as a mouse, she opened it. My eyes immediately fell to her hand wrapped around the top of her towel and her wet hair draped messily over her shoulders.

“Reed?”

With a heavy swallow, my gaze moved to her face. Tiny droplets of water rolled down her cheeks, one stuck to the tip of her nose. Her eyelashes were so dark, making her eyes pop. My body moved on its own accord, stepping over the threshold. She was a temptress, and I was stuck in her trance. I didn’t know what overcame me, but there was no stopping myself. Not as my palms met her cheeks at the same time my mouth crashed into hers, lips and teeth already clashing as she hungrily met my pace. Her hands wrapped around my wrists as I backed her into the house and kicked the door shut behind me. As her back met the wall, she let out a small moan, her body going soft under mine.

Any question about whether she wanted more of this or not fled the room with her touching me. She may fight it, she may hate me, but deep down, she wanted this. And that was all I needed for now.

With her hands no longer gripping the towel, I felt it slipping between our bodies. Speeding up the inevitable, I put space between us, letting the towel fall to the floor at our feet. Our kiss never broke as her hands slid up my arms to my neck, tugging me closer. She smelled like mint, while the scent of rain clung to me like a cologne.

Letting go of her face, I shucked my jacket off, tossing it to the floor behind me. Her fingers tangled in the fabric of my shirt, pulling at it. I heeded her silent command by breaking the kiss for a split second to lose the shirt, throwing it somewhere along with the jacket.

Right before my lips were back on hers, she shoved on my chest, her eyes trained on my peck.

“What’s that?” She kept her hand on my skin like she needed an anchor to keep her standing.

“What’s what?” I questioned, though I knew exactly what she was referring to.

“This tattoo.” Her finger traced the edge, exactly where mine had glided so many times.

“A flower.” I tried to move closer again, but she straightened her arm, keeping me at a distance.

“What kind of flower?” She enunciated every word.

With a steadying breath, I said, “A rose.”

“A brandy rose,” she whispered, her finger moving to trace the horns peeking out from the folds of the petals.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked, studying the ink etched into my skin.

“Horns because you call me Satan,” I admitted, wanting to get this over with because all I needed right now was her.

Her gaze flicked up to mine. “When did you get this?”

I rolled my lips together, unsure how she was taking this. “I was drunk—”

“When, Reed?”

“The day after you called me Satan for the first time.”

“But that—”

“Was almost a year ago,” I filled in for her.

“Why?” The word was barely a whisper.

I shrugged. “To go with the rest.”

She frowned up at me.

Dropping the act, I figured I had no choice but to tell her the truth. “Because you’ve always meant something to me, Brandy. Whether that be a lesson learned, or something more, I wasn’t sure. But you have a permanent spot in my mind, so I figured a permanent spot over my heart wouldn’t be too bad either.”

She stared at me, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but she hadn’t kicked me out yet, so I took that as a good sign. Then, her eyes took on a slight sheen, and I almost apologized—for a damn tattoo on my own body, for fuck’s sake—but I didn’t get the chance as she wrapped her arms around my neck and crashed her mouth to mine.

I met her stroke for stroke as her tongue danced with mine. My hands slid down her hips to wrap around the backs of her thighs, lifting her off the ground. Her legs came around my waist before I walked us down the hall toward her room. Once we were in there, I lowered her to the bed, unraveling her legs from around me. Standing straight again, I looked down at her. She was so fucking beautiful, every inch of her glowing and just so…her. Paintings, models, anyone—they didn’t hold a candle to how breathtaking she was with her long, dark hair, that defiant spark always lit in her eyes, and those swollen lips.

Fuck, I was infatuated with the woman. Losing my mind over here, but for entirely different reasons now.

“Hang your head off the bed,” I instructed.

Her forehead creased for a split second before she realized what I meant, and then she was moving into position, lying on her back with her head just barely off the edge of the bed.

My eyes scanned the arch in her back and the glint of the two bars going through her nipples. My cock twitched at the sight of them, and as if she knew, she trailed her hands up her stomach to her tiny breasts, cupping them before grabbing the jewelry and tugging ever so slightly.

I groaned, instantly working on my belt, zipper, and button. I needed to feel them, to touch them, right the fuck now. “You’re killing me, Little Devil.”

She smiled as she stared up at me, loving every minute of the torture she put me through. Though it was nothing compared to what I was about to do to her, I’d let her have her moment.

Tugging my jeans and boxers down, I left them on the floor along with my boots and stepped toward her. Her gaze moved to my cock as she played with her nipples, and instantly, her cheeks flushed.

“Don’t get shy on me now,” I said, my voice low.

As if that was a challenge, she smirked up at me. “Never.”

Angling my head down, I let a drop of spit land on my cock, my hand rubbing it along the shaft. “Tongue out, and stop playing with those tits. They’re mine.”

I could tell she almost hated being told what to do as she dropped her hands to the bed, her eyes narrowed as she opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. But for me, she’d do it. She was safe with me.

“If you need me to stop, tap my leg three times.” I angled myself in front of her mouth.

She nodded, and not a moment later, I slid past her lips, her tongue lapping up the moisture at my tip and the saliva already coating my skin. I watched her jaw move as I slid deeper, her throat twitching as I hit the back of her tongue and kept going. She didn’t gag once, and it made me all the more hard.

Once she was practically swallowing my cock whole, I pulled out, giving her a moment to breathe.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to fuck my mouth?” she asked, sass clear in her tone.

My tongue slid between my teeth as I let out a disbelieving chuckle. This woman.

Setting a hand on her throat, I slid back in, done with being gentle. I thrust in and out of her mouth at a steady pace, her tongue warm as it slid against the top of my cock. I reached forward, rolling one of her piercings between my thumb and forefinger. Her body moved in response, her foot trailing up the inside of her leg as a moan came from deep in her throat, vibrating against my length. With a hiss, I picked up the pace, tugging on the jewelry.

She tried to move her hand to that glistening spot between her legs, but I grabbed it, anchoring it to the bed.

“Not until I say you can,” I warned.

Her teeth lightly grazed the underside of my cock in response, and I slapped her thigh in reprimand. Maybe it wasn’t wise to trust her with my cock in her mouth, but there was no stopping now.

Sliding to the back of her throat, I admired the way her neck moved as my cock was inside her. How she took me so well, and how she’d only take me better when I was in between her legs. As if she was thinking the same, her thighs clenched together, rubbing along one another like she needed some way to ease the ache building there.

“You want to touch yourself?” I asked, sliding out of her mouth only to glide back in again.

She let out a small noise, and I took that as her ‘yes.’

I ran a finger up the length of her stomach, watching her skin twitch under my touch. My other hand still played with her nipple piercing, tugging and twisting and soothing.

“You want to come with my cock in your mouth, don’t you, Little Devil?”

She tried to nod, but it was futile.

My finger glided between her breasts to the column of her throat, feeling my cock sliding in and out of her mouth. Fuck, the sight of it made me crazy. She made me crazy.

“Then suck harder. I’m not convinced you deserve it.”

The veins in her neck bulged as she hollowed out her cheeks, listening to my command because doing this alone made her ache with the need to touch herself. I fucked her mouth harder as I wondered if she’d ever touched herself to the thought of me before. Fuck, I’d be the first to admit that I’d come with her name in my mind in the past. Now today, I’d be doing the same, but she’d be here to swallow every last drop of what she did to me.

Her hands fisted in the comforter, her arms straining with the effort to keep from touching herself. I felt her craving for it, as all I wanted was to see her unravel again before me. My hand slid over her breast, cupping it before rolling the jewelry between my fingers, her peaked nipple grazing my calluses.

“I don’t know if I should let you come. You’ve been a bad girl for a long fucking time, and this is exactly how I like to see you.”

A small whimper sounded from her as I hit the back of her throat.

“Writhing,” I said, pulling out only to glide back in all the way. “Aching.” I slid my hand down her stomach, her body jumping at my touch. “Desperate for release.” My fingers dipped between her thighs, her wetness coating my skin with just one pass through her center. “Soaked just for me.”

I circled her clit with my two fingers, watching her stomach contract as she arched her back, my cock still sliding in and out of her mouth, my thrusts not missing a beat.

“Dip your fingers in your pussy,” I commanded.

Her hand instantly moved, disappearing between her legs as she dipped two fingers in. With my free hand, I pried her legs apart. Then, I moved my other hand from her clit to her entrance, inserting two of my own fingers in with hers.

A gasp left her lips around my cock and I slid out, giving her a moment to breathe. Gently, I pulled at the side of her entrance, spreading her just enough. Angling myself over her, I let a dribble of saliva drip down to her entrance, pooling in her pussy. With her fingers still deep inside herself, I shoved the saliva into her, then left her to it as I removed my hand.

Her free hand came up to grip my cock, angling it so she could wrap her lips around the head.

“So fucking needy, aren’t you?” I said, the sentence ending on a groan as she sucked me hard.

Her wrist moved as she slid her fingers in and out of her pussy, her hand glistening with how fucking wet she was. I wanted so badly to fuck her into oblivion, but I needed her to come with her lips on my cock right now.

I felt my release coming as my stomach tightened, my thrusts picking up their pace on their own, but fuck, she needed to come first.

Reaching between her legs, I ran circles over her clit, and instantly, her back arched in response. “Fuck, you respond so well to me.”

Her grip on my cock tightened as I thrust deeper, and then she removed her hand so I could hit the back of her throat. Still, she didn’t gag. She was too fucking good at this, and I hated the thought of anyone else possibly experiencing this heaven from her.

“If you don’t tell me to stop, I’m going to come in your mouth,” I warned, not sure if that was what she wanted.

She didn’t move to tap my leg, just sucked me harder, deeper, almost begging for me to ruin her from head to toe.

That was a promise I could deliver on.

I added pressure to her clit, my fingers quickening their pace as my other hand closed around her breast. Her thighs clamped together, her stomach twitching as her back bowed, and a moan came from deep in her throat, vibrating along the length of my cock. The sensation made it impossible to hold back, and I buried myself deep in her mouth, my cum spurting down her throat.

She swallowed every fucking drop as her orgasm wracked her body. Removing my hand from her clit, I slid out of her mouth, releasing her breast as I watched her breathing even out. Mine, on the other hand, was out of control, but only because I needed to do it again. And again. And again.

Once wouldn’t be enough.

Fuck, I didn’t think a hundred times would be enough.

She sat up on her elbows, tilting her head back to look up at me with big eyes and swollen, glistening lips. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a mess, and she was…perfect.

Without a thought, I bent down, capturing her lips with mine, tasting the saltiness of my release on her tongue as I invaded her mouth.

Pulling away, I stared down at her, lost in the essence of this moment with her. Right now, there was no outside world. No jobs or families or responsibilities. There was only us, and fuck, that was enough for me. I just hoped it was for her, too.

“I should go,” I said, not sure if staying was the right thing to do. I didn’t know what the fuck we were doing, and while I wanted this to be more, I wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Would we always be push and pull, like two opposite sides of a magnet never being able to fully connect? Or could we get past that and be…normal? Was normal even in the cards for us?

She sat straighter, spinning around on the bed to face me. “You’re leaving?”

The disappointment in her voice shot something through my body that nearly broke me. “Do you not want me to?”

She blinked, like she was unsure how to ask me to stay. Like doing so went against her very being.

“What are we doing?” she asked instead of answering my question.

“You tell me.”

“You kissed me first,” she pointed out.

“I think I kissed you first every time,” I stated.

“Are you mad about that?”

“If I was mad, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

“What are you feeling, then?”

A chuckle rumbled from my chest as I pulled on my boxers. “We’re talking feelings now?”

She threw her hands out, plopping them on the bed. “I don’t fucking know. I don’t know what we’re doing, and it’s clear you don’t either.”

I set my hands on the bed on either side of her, invading her space. She smelled so sweet and looked so sated. I feared I was growing an addiction for the woman, if I hadn’t already. “I’m staking my claim, Brandy. Not sure what you’re doing.”

Her eyes popped. “Your claim ?”

I nodded, my gaze darting to her lips. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what’s going on here.”

She scoffed. “If you think us fooling around puts us in some kind of relationship, you’re twisted.”

“You think this is fooling around?” I asked, bringing a hand up to trail a finger over her bottom lip. “Teens fool around, Brandy. This isn’t some childish shit.”

“I didn’t say it was,” she defended.

“Then stop trying to make light of something that isn’t light. I want you, and you want me.” I pulled on her lip, letting it pop back up before gliding my finger down her neck. “If this is just sex, or a relationship, or nothing, you decide that. But I’m not going to walk away. Ever.”

Her breath hitched like that was the confirmation she needed to hear. I knew where the concern for that stemmed from, but I just didn’t think she saw me as that kind of person. Part of me knew she didn’t, that it was just her past rooted so deep in her brain she couldn’t help but think everyone might leave her. But she didn’t have to worry about that with me.

“I’m here to stay if you’ll let me,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper as my hand slid up to cup her cheek. “So let me.”

Her eyes darted between mine, like she wasn’t sure what to say. She was warring with herself, wanting to let me in, but her instincts were telling her not to. Lucky for her, I was good at breaking down her walls.

“And if you hurt me?” she asked, vulnerability seeping into the question hiding in the back of her mind, one she never wanted to speak.

I shook my head, my thumb coasting over her cheekbone. “You’re safe with me, Brandy. Life may not have taught you you can let someone be your safe space, but that’s what I’ll be. Fuck buddy, a warm blanket, a shoulder, whatever you want. Just give this a chance. Don’t fight it. That’s all I ask.” My other hand came up to my chest, pointing to the tattoo. “I didn’t get this for no reason.”

Her gaze fell to the tattoo, her shoulders dropping with the sight of it, like she knew I was right.

After so long of her guard being up, it was hard for her to drop it. I didn’t think it wouldn’t be, but she never had anything to worry about with me. Her heart had always been safe with me, she was just too scared of the world to see it.

“Okay,” she whispered.

I knew that one word took a lot of courage for her to say, but she was damn brave for giving me this chance.

Opening up wasn’t easy, I knew that as much as her, but the two of us never had anything to worry about with each other.

And I secretly think she knew that, too.