Crash Into You (37 page)

Brynn tried to muster a smile for the guy, Mark or Mitch something, who’d asked her to dance, but she knew she was failing miserably. She could think of fifty other places she’d rather be than here at this stupid club, but she’d promised Melody she’d go out with her this weekend to see her new boyfriend’s band. She knew Mel was worried about her and was trying to get her mind off everything, but beyond a lobotomy, she doubted anything was going to accomplish that.

Luckily, the crowded dance floor and loud music saved her from having to make small talk. She moved along with the throng, sweaty bodies bouncing around her on all sides. Mitch/Mark kept
a palm on her hip and a pelvis grinding in her direction, the playful spark of interest firing behind his rimless glasses.

She closed her eyes, not having the energy to feign interest back, and turned herself over to the hypnotic pulsing of the bass and the small buzz she’d gotten from her two glasses of wine.
Thump. Thump. Thump
. Her muscles moved in time, but her mind drifted, her thoughts going to the same place they always went these days.

Warmth oozed over her skin as the hands on her hips suddenly became broader, stronger. The amorphous body heat against her back more defined, solid. Tossing her head back, she leaned into the steely wall, inhaling the scent burned into her olfactory glands.
Mmm.

She didn’t want to open her eyes, wasn’t ready for the fantasy to slip away.

“Think this jerk-off can make you come apart like I do?” asked the deep, familiar voice.

She startled at the words, her lids flying open. Her dance partner had been absorbed into the crowd and now large, familiar hands gripped her waist from behind. Her movements stuttered off the beat, and her knees almost went out from under her.

His lips brushed against the back of her neck. “You know what it fucking does to me to see some other guy touch what’s mine without my consent?”

What was Reid doing here? She had used her safe word, had walked away. He wasn’t supposed to be doing this. But she couldn’t make herself form a protest. Instead, she tilted her neck to the side, providing him better access, her body acting on its own volition.

The brush of lips became a scrape of teeth. “That’s right. Give in to it.”

The hand on her waist drew her closer, bringing her ass against the hard ridge in his pants. She let out a little gasp, molten heat flooding her sex. “Reid.”

“You feel how much I miss you, sugar,” he said, his voice like warm milk on a cold night. “Have you missed me?

His palm slid down, cupping her vee and making her arch against him. “God, yes.”

The words came out before she had time to evaluate their consequences. She bit her lip hard as her clit swelled beneath the pressure of his hand. The music continued to thump and people pressed around them, concealing his blatant touch. He worked his hand against her with a slow, methodical rhythm, the lacy material of her underwear sliding against her sensitive skin.

His other hand moved to her ribs, his thumb idly caressing the underside of her breast. Her nipples pebbled against her bra, the buds aching for Reid to yank down the neckline of her dress and take one into his mouth. She sagged against him, and his fingers drifted higher, grazing over her left breast. She bucked with the combination of sensations. Fuck. She was going to come right here on the dance floor and he hadn’t even touched her bare skin.

He chuckled against her hair. “Not yet, sugar. Not here.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to beg for release.

“The song is about to end. When it does, you tell Melody you’ll be back in a little while. Walk out to the parking lot. My car is in the back corner of the lot. You meet me there.”

“Reid,” she said, her breath catching, the word more a plea than anything else.

“No safe words tonight. You’re either by the car when I get there or you’re not. I call the shots after that.”

She shivered, his hard tone making her belly tighten and her clit ache. Shit. What was he planning to do to her?

The song came to a cymbal-crashing conclusion, and Reid released her. When she spun around, his blue eyes blazed over her. He caught her wrist and brought it to his mouth for a light nip. “Your call, sugar.”

He turned on his heel and strode away, his confident swagger and drool-worthy body drawing the attention of every woman he passed on the way back to his table. He didn’t grace any of them with a glance and didn’t look back to see if Brynn was following his instructions.

On jelly legs, she made her way back to her table. Melody looked up at her, her eyes widening. “Good lord, girl, are you okay? You’re all flushed. Maybe you should sit.”

Brynn shook her head. “I need some air. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Mel moved to stand up. “I’ll come with you.”

“No,” Brynn said, maybe a bit too abruptly because Mel raised an eyebrow. “You’ll miss Terrence’s next song. I’ll be fine.”

Her friend sank back into her seat. “You sure?”

She nodded and before she could think too hard about what she was about to do, headed toward the exit door.

The air outside had cooled and grown heavy since she’d arrived, and the low rumble of thunder promised a rare summer storm. Besides the tap of her strappy heels along the pavement, the lot was quiet, the headlining band enough to draw even the smokers inside. She kept a brisk pace, and her senses tuned to her surroundings. The club was in a good neighborhood, but the parking lot was dark and she was seeing monsters in every shadow these days.

Reid’s sleek SUV loomed in the farthest corner of the lot next to an ancient looking oak tree, but there was no sign of the man himself. She paused a few steps from the vehicle, her heart hammering against her ribs. Maybe she shouldn’t do this. What if she panicked again and didn’t even have a safe word to escape? What if the nightmares she’d had every night since the day in Davis’s basement claimed her and Reid didn’t stop?

Reid stepped out from behind the SUV and leaned a hip
against the grille. Her crossed his arms over his chest and pinned her with his stare. “You’ve got four steps of free will left, Brynn.”

She eyed the small expanse of space between them and swallowed hard. His very presence soothed something jagged inside her. “I’m not ready to talk about us.”

He smirked. “What I have in mind doesn’t require conversation, sugar.”

Her eyes darted to the large erection pushing against his jeans, and her muscles tightened in anticipation of how it would feel to have him inside her again.
Shit
. This was a bad idea. So bad.

But God, she wanted him.

She locked her gaze with his and took a breath.

One. Two. Three. Four. She crossed the last few steps, not stopping until she stood within inches of his broad chest.

“Good girl,” he said, pushing off the car and straightening to his full, intimidating height.

She moistened her lips. “Where are we going?”

He gave her a slow smile. “Who said we were going anywhere?”

Before she could respond, he hooked an arm around her waist, and his lips claimed hers. Hungry and hot, his tongue possessed her mouth—pure, animal need flowing from every pore in his body and into hers. Gone was the sweet, loving guy from the hospital. In his place was Reid’s dark side personified. The side he had tried to ignore when they were in their twenties. Dominant. Powerful. Carnal.

She should’ve been scared, and she expected the panic and flashbacks to slam into her. But instead, her entire being jumped to life and every nerve swirled into a pool of trembling want low in her belly. This man wouldn’t hurt her. He would
own
her.

And hell if she didn’t want anything more in that moment.

She curled her fingers into his T-shirt as he pressed her against the front of the car, the residual heat from the engine warming her back. His hands traced up her waist, over her rib cage, and
then cupped her breasts. She tilted her head back, her moan chasing a clap of thunder.

His forefingers glided up and hooked her spaghetti straps, then yanked them down along with the top of dress and the cups of her strapless bra. Her breasts tumbled out, the nipples already tight and needy when they hit the night air. She gasped as his hot breath slid along her bared skin. “Someone could see us.”

“Yep.” He circled an areola with his fingertip, the touch sending electric sparks straight to her center. “And I bet you’re dripping just thinking about it.”

He pinched the nipple between his thumb and forefinger hard enough for her to writhe. “Shit.”

He stared down at her. “You’ve convinced yourself you’re a good girl. The social worker in the conservative suits who teaches women about empowerment. But underneath all that, good doesn’t get you off, does it?”

She closed her eyes, unable to hold his probing stare.

“Lie down.” He grabbed her waist and lifted her to sit on the hood, then pushed her shoulders until she was lying down, her back heating against the warm metal. He smoothed his hands up the outside of her thighs and slowly pushed the hem of her clingy dress up to her hips, revealing her panties.

The sky roared again, and rain began to hit her exposed skin in fat droplets, cool kisses against her breasts and face. Reid grabbed the edge of her underwear and yanked, the thin material ripping immediately. “Let’s see how right I am, shall we?”

She squirmed in anticipation of his touch, and he planted a palm against her pelvis, securing her to the hood. His free hand traveled up her inner thigh until his fingers found her wet heat. Losing her last grip on control, she mewled at the contact.

He let out a low, satisfied groan. “It’s beautiful how wet you get for me, sugar. How badly you want me to fuck you.”

She widened her legs, inviting him, begging him. She’d deal
with what this all meant later. Right now she needed him inside her. Two fingers surrounded her clit and massaged. She pressed the back of her head into the hood, her breath rapid.

“Are you scared, sugar?” he asked, a hint of gentleness entering his tone.

The answer was automatic. “No.”

“Good,” he soothed. “Because I would
never
hurt you, Brynn. You’re safe with me. I’ll never push you further than I know you can go.”

Tears mixed with the rain that splashed onto her cheeks, the truth of his words resonating over her. “I know.”

“Thank you,” he said, the relief in his voice evident. “Now come for me, sugar.”

He slid two fingers inside her throbbing channel and kept a thumb against her hot button, working her with swift confidence. Thunder rumbled in the sky, matching the lightning flashing through her veins. She squirmed against the car, but he gave her no reprieve. One hand remained splayed over her navel, the other against her pussy. No time to think or worry, just feel. Within seconds, every nerve in her body coiled into a tense, yearning mass, bringing her focus to that single, unbearably beautiful ache in her core—that exquisite moment right before release.

“Let go, love. Let it all go.”

On his command, her body tipped over the edge of control, ripping a primal groan from her chest. Her body clamped down on his fingers, and her pelvis arched against his hand. “Oh, God. Reid!”

“That’s right, baby. I’m right here.”

His words both soothed and heightened her senses as she crested the wave of orgasm, his skillful touch wringing out every ounce of pleasure as the rain continued to pound against her.

When the contractions finally quieted, he eased his fingers from her and draped his chest over her form, shielding her from
the now full-fledged thunderstorm. He laid a soft kiss against her brow. “Good night, sugar.”

Her languid muscles stiffened beneath him. “Where are you going? I thought we—”

“This is as far as I’m taking you tonight. I won’t go any further until you tell me what you want. Who you want.”

His clear blue eyes stared into hers, and she knew he wasn’t asking what and who she wanted in this moment. But for every moment. Her voice came out in a choked whisper. “Reid.”

“Shh,” he said, standing up and easing her to her feet. “You don’t have to decide anything tonight.”

Rivulets of water dripped off his jawline, and his black T-shirt clung to every line of muscle as he helped her set her dress to rights. Unable to resist touching him, she pushed the wet hair off his forehead. “You’re soaked.”

A hint of a smile played around the corner of his mouth, and he nodded at her saturated dress. “Said the pot to the kettle.”

She grabbed the remaining strap of her dress and slid it over her shoulder. “You’re not so good at giving up, are you?”

“I told you a long time ago it takes me a while to get a point.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and cocked his head toward the club. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you to dry land.”

She stepped to his side and offered him her hand. Without a word, he threaded his fingers with hers and they walked back to the club, only the sound of the pattering rain between them.

now

All weekend. No phone call. No visit. And then today, she’d called in sick for work.

He’d blown it.

Reid slammed his shower door shut with his foot, then kicked it for final measure. “Fuck.”

He’d thought he’d broken through, thought he’d reminded Brynn how good they were together. But apparently his take-no-prisoners seduction had backfired. He’d given her the full face of his dominance, taken away her safe word option, tried to show her that what they had was stronger than the darkness Davis left behind. But apparently it wasn’t enough.

He scrubbed the towel through his damp hair, and then wrapped it around his waist. Maybe he had pushed too hard. Maybe he should’ve taken the slow and gentle approach, shown her that he was capable of being just as tender with her as he was tough.

He reached for a fresh bandage for his shoulder and all of his supplies toppled off the edge of the sink and onto the floor. He let
another string of choice words fly as the bottle of rubbing alcohol landed on its side and sent the strong-smelling liquid flooding over his tile.