Bidding War (8 page)

An angry scowl drew his brows together. “You’re already trying to pull back, aren’t you? We just made love, and you’re already starting to shut down. Goddammit, Lacy, you’ve got to be willing to give this thing a chance.”

She could feel the familiar walls closing in around her; shutting herself off from the world was a defensive mechanism she’d used forever. “Okay, listen, I’m gonna go now. We’ll touch base on Monday.”

He grabbed her wrist when she tried to move past him. “Like hell. You’re not going anywhere.”

Shane knew pushing while she was pulling back may be counterproductive, but he could see her getting ready to flee and it scared the hell out of him. He was so sure they were making progress, bridging the gap between them, and now she was starting to stonewall him again and his gut told him if he let her go now, she wasn’t coming back.

“You can’t force me to stay here.” She pulled her wrist free of his grasp and began to collect her scattered clothing.

The sight of her bent over, flashing her bare ass at him, roused his cock. In spite of his anger and frustration, he wanted her again. He took a step toward her, grabbing her waist.

She gasped, reaching for the couch to steady herself. “What are you doing?”

He trailed kisses up the arch of her back, licking, sucking, biting, until he reached the sweet spot he’d found earlier. He swirled his tongue against her tender flesh. She moaned and pushed back against him.

He knew sex wasn’t the answer to their problems, but he’d take fucking over fighting any day. Slipping a finger between her legs, he found her wet and ready again. He knew she would be sore tomorrow, but tonight he could make her forget about the pain and focus on the pleasure. “I want that sweet pussy again, baby.”

She groaned, letting her head fall forward on her couch. “Yes.”

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked, slipping a finger into her slick channel. “You sure you want this?”

In response, she thrust back against his hand, grinding her moist folds against his palm. “What do you think?”

The fact that she could go from angry to hot in minutes proved to him that she was as lost in him as he was in her. He couldn’t find the words to convince her to stay, but he trusted his body to convey his message loud and clear. She was his now, and he wasn’t going to let her forget it.

He thrust two fingers in and out of her tight hole and reached around with his other hand to play with her clit. He forced her head down on the arm of the couch as he kissed and licked her neck. “You taste so good,” he whispered, sliding another finger inside of her. She was well stretched now, and he knew she would have no problem taking him from behind.

“Oh God,” she whispered, grinding her hips. “That feels so good.”

He bit and sucked her neck, marking her. He didn’t give a shit who saw it. He wanted the world to know she was his. “What does, baby?”

“Your mouth, your fingers, everything. It feels so good. I never imagined it would feel like this.”

He chuckled against her neck. “Honey, this is only the beginning. I want to do so many things with you, to you, for you…”

He felt the first tremor wrack her body, and he took the opportunity to slip his fingers out and slide his cock inside of her in one fluid motion. He almost shot his come inside of her on the first pass. The feel of her clenching him, throbbing around his shaft, and soaking him with her sweet essence was almost more than he could stand. “Goddammit,” he muttered, digging his hands into her hips as he fought for control.

“Ohhhh, Shane, I…”

She didn’t have to say anything. He knew exactly how she felt. He was feeling it too. This might only be her second time, compared to the hundreds of times he’d had sex over the years, but it was no less intense for him. She did things to him that no woman ever did before, both physically and emotionally. The fact that she was a virgin intensified the physical sensation, but he knew it would be just as powerful after they’d made love a hundred times. There was just something about this woman. It felt like her body was made for him and him alone.

Pumping into her furiously, he got lost in the sensations. The scent of their shared arousal hung heavy in the air, the tight, wet heat captured his cock and refused to let go. He wanted to experience this every night from now on. He drove into her mercilessly, thrusting his cock into her with enough force to shift the couch. His muddled brain kept telling him to slow down, to take it easy on her, but she brought his baser instincts to the surface, making him feel like an animal hell bent on mating.

Gritting his teeth, he finally gave in to his release, spilling his seed deep inside of her. He imagined what it would be like when she wasn’t on the pill, when they were doing this because they were trying to make a baby. That image ripped through his mind, adding ferocity to his final thrusts as his cock continued to pulse and throb inside her protective sheath.

Chapter Seven

Lacy woke up to the sun spilling through Shane’s bedroom window and his arm and leg pinning her to the bed. She smiled. Last night exceeded her expectations, but today was a new day and she had no idea where they went from here. He said he wanted to spend the weekend with her, but she didn’t know if he’d just said that in the heat of the moment hoping to impress her.

She tried slipping out from under his arm, intent on taking a quick shower while he slept, but he pulled her back against his chest, kissing her shoulder.

“Morning, beautiful.”

The sound of his morning voice, raspy and still heavy with sleep, sent chills racing up her spine. He was, without a doubt, the sexiest man she’d ever met.

“You cold, babe?” he asked, pulling the down duvet up to cover her shoulders.

Allowing herself the pleasure of snuggling up to him for just a few more minutes, she sighed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so happy, so content. Happiness and contentment weren’t words she’d ever associated with her life. Struggle and sadness were more apt descriptions, but if she chose to dwell on it, she wouldn’t be able to haul her butt out of bed in the morning. She’d learned to accept her situation for what it was.

The slam of the front door startled her and she turned to Shane. Before she could ask, Jason’s voice drifted down the hall.

“Hey, man, we gotta talk.”

“Shit,” Shane muttered, sitting up. “Jay, it’s not a good…” The words died on his lips as his brother stood in the doorway glaring at them.

“Son of a bitch,” Jason whispered, thrusting a hand through his hair. “So you finally got to her, huh?”

Lacy held the duvet against her chest, wishing she could just slip under the covers and hide from his intense scrutiny. Jason’s was one of the two signatures on her paycheck, and his anger could well cost her the biggest clients she’d ever had. “Jason, I…”

He glared at her. “So, you had to work late, huh? That’s why you couldn’t go to the game with me last night? It had nothing to do with the fact that you had plans to fuck my brother?”

“You’re wrong. I did have to work late. Shane just stopped by and…”

Shane stroked her back, glaring at his brother. “You don’t owe him an explanation, sweetheart. What we do is our business.”

“Have you been fucking her all along?” Jason asked, crossing her arms and bracing his feet. “Is that why you were so sure I wouldn’t stand a chance with her? Is that why you bet me $1,000 you’d have her in the sack inside a week?” He checked his watch. “Congratulations. You made it with a day to spare.”

Shane dropped his head when Lacy turned to look at him, her mouth dropping open. “You actually bet him $1,000 that you could get me into bed?”

“I may have said that because he was baiting me, but…”

She couldn’t believe she was a pawn in some sick game with both brothers intent on claiming her as the trophy. She wanted to retch when she thought about the fact that she had believed Shane. She’d trusted him when he told her she was special. Looking at Jason, she believed he would be honest with her because he had nothing to lose. “Is this the first time you and your brother have competed for a woman?”

Jason laughed. “Hell no, happens all the time. In fact, we’ve even shared a woman a time or two.”

“Is that what you were hoping would happen with me? You thought you might pass me back and forth like some…”

“Jesus Christ, Lace, stop it,” Shane growled. “It wasn’t like that, not with you. I wanted you because…”

She swung her legs over the side of the bed when Shane reached out to grab her arm. “Let go of me,” she hissed. “I have to go and visit my brother. I should have left hours ago.”

“Let me come with you. We can talk about this in the car.”

“Like hell,” she said, standing up, draping the blanket around her body. She left him with only the sheet, but she got the feeling that modesty wasn’t an issue for him. Reaching to pick up her clothes, she watched the brothers stare each other down. She couldn’t care less whether they shed blood all over the floor. She just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

“Let me give you a ride home,” Jason said, never taking his eyes off Shane.

“Listen to me, you little fucker…” Shane said, pointing his finger at Jason. “You lay one hand on her and I’ll…”

“Neither one of you will be laying a hand on me ever again,” she said, finally drawing Shane’s attention.

Sighing, he thrust his hand through his hair. “Baby, just give me a chance to explain.”

“Did you or did you not bet your brother you could get me into bed?”

“He was the one who initiated the bet.” He sighed, dropping his head when she glared at him. “I didn’t take it seriously. We were having a couple of beers and…”

She held her hand up, trying to fight back the tears. He’d used her just to prove a point and win a few bucks from his brother. He’d taken her virginity on a bet. God, she hated him. “I have nothing left to say to you, ever.”

He reached across the bed, trying to grab her wrist. “Stop it. We can work this out.”

His eyes pleaded with her to see reason, but it was too late. She’d already seen him for the kind of man he was. “I don’t want to work it out. This was a mistake;
you
were a mistake.”

Jason smirked. “Too bad, man. Looks like you’re not gonna get the girl this time either.”

“Get the fuck out of here, you little prick!” Shane shouted.

After gathering up her clothes, Lacy headed to the bathroom, trying to maintain a modicum of dignity.

Shane reached for his jeans, his heart pounding out of his chest. His brother had goaded him into that stupid bet last weekend when they were at the sports bar knocking a few back as they watched the game. He hadn’t even given it a second thought, but he could only imagine how it must have made Lacy feel.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done, you worthless piece of shit?” Shane asked, putting his jeans on under the sheet.

“You expect me to feel sorry for you?” Jason asked, chuckling. “Sorry, bro, not happening.”

For the first time in his life, Shane despised his own brother. Jason didn’t have an ounce of remorse for costing him the best thing that had ever walked into his life. “What did you hope to accomplish by telling her about that stupid fuckin’ bet?”

Jason shrugged. “When I walked in here and saw her in bed with you, it was pretty obvious she wouldn’t give me a shot now.”

Shane stared at his brother, trying to recognize him behind the dark, shuttered eyes. “Did it ever occur to you this wasn’t a game to me? I care about her.”

Jason smirked. “I guess that’s life, huh? You win some. You lose some.”

He didn’t have time to argue with his brother. He had more pressing issues to deal with. “Listen, just get out here. I need to do a little damage control with Lacy.”

Jason glared at him. “You don’t get it, do you? She doesn’t want you. It’s over. You need to accept that.”

“Just get out of my house, now.”

“Gladly.”

Shane fell back on the pillows, listening to the ominous sounds of running water and slamming doors, reminding him of the irreparable damage his actions had caused.