Hopelessly Broken (9 page)

He mumbled a quiet thanks and loped into the kitchen after Logan.

Jenn refused to follow him. She plopped on the couch, pulled her laptop onto her lap and stared at the screen for roughly two seconds before her fingers started flying over the keyboard.

In such a short time, Aeron had managed to crush her heart, more than once, but this angst was good for one thing—it inspired her writing.

At least there was that.

* * * * *

“Well, someone got worn out from too much fun,” Jenn said, an hour later. Standing in Logan’s bedroom doorway, she couldn’t help smiling. The view of her little brother, crashed, out cold on his bedroom floor, was priceless. But it was the view of Aeron, sound asleep next to him that made her heart melt.

Aeron looked like an angel. A powerful, beautiful, otherworldly being.

Moving quietly to avoid waking them, she softly closed the door and tiptoed to her room to gather some clothes. With the impromptu snowman building, she hadn’t had a chance to shower yet. She grabbed some fresh underwear then closed herself in the bathroom, cranked on the hot water and steamed and scrubbed and shaved herself until she was smooth everywhere and clean. By then the chill from being wet and cold earlier was completely eradicated. Moving quickly, she toweled off, put on her underwear and bra then wrapped the fluffy white towel around her, toga style, and opened the door.

Aeron.

His eyes snapped to hers then immediately dropped to roughly breast level. “Oh. Sorry,” he said, yanking his gaze away. “I was about to get going.”

“I…thought you were sleeping.” For no reason at all, Jenn tightened her grip on the towel. She had no expectations that he would try to rip it off her, though she wouldn’t
have stopped him if he did. Earlier, when he’d pinned her to the ground outside, every cell in her body had rejoiced. Before she’d met Aeron, she hadn’t the kind of girl who threw herself at a guy. Nor had she been the kind who had sex before marriage. But for him she would make an exception. There was just something about him. Something so irresistible.

“I guess I nod
ded out for a minute.” Loitering in the hall, he shouldered the wall. “But now that we have a minute alone, I want to apologize for being such an asshole earlier.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what it is about you.” His gaze lifted to hers. His tongue darted out, moistening the world’s most perfect lower lip. Her gaze locked on that lip, and a heavy throb beat deep in her center.

“I…it’s okay
,” she whispered.

“No it’s not. I’ve been acting like a complete asshole lately. I’ve never been like this with a girl.”

I’ve never been like this with a guy, either.
She jerked up her chin and planted an expression on her face that she hoped resembled a smile. “I’m a big girl. Don’t worry.”

“It won’t happen again.”

That was what I was afraid of.
“No biggie.”

“I don’t want this…problem…to get in the way of me and Logan. He told me he sees me as a big brother, someone to kind of show him the ropes. He says you don’t understand what it’s like being a man.”

She had to laugh at that statement. Logan wasn’t even close to being a man yet. “Far be it from me to get in the way of your male bonding. What manly skill will you teach him next? The art of spitting?”

At that little jab, Aeron grinned too. And of course her heart did a little pittery-pattery jump.

Maybe if he would stop sending her mixed signals her body would stop responding to him like this. Maybe. A part of her hoped it wouldn’t. That part wanted him to throw caution to the wind and follow his impulses to kiss her until she couldn’t see. She wanted him to touch her, everywhere. To take away the throbbing ache deep inside.

“No, I was thinking about teaching him the
time-honored art of belching.” He have one last nod then turned to the stairs. “Well, I’ll see you later. Logan said he wanted to take Cojack for a walk. I told him I’d bring him by later this afternoon.”

“Okay.” She watched him descend one step, another.

He twisted around, looking up at her. “It isn’t that you aren’t pretty enough. You are…beautiful.” Shaking his head, he caught his lower lip with his teeth.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I can’t stay here.” His gaze locked on hers.

“You said that.”
Her lungs deflated. He was staring. He looked…hungry.

“There’s nothing I can do about it.”

What did he say? “Right.”

“I have no choice.” He took one step back up, and she
gulped in a little gasp.

“No choice
,” she echoed.

“None.” He took another step. His hands were balled into fists, hanging at his sides.

“No choice,” she repeated, little jolts of energy zipping up and down her nerves. He was coming back. Yes, oh yes. And he had that look in his eye. That conflicted, aroused, wild look. It thrilled her. It scared her.

He closed the distance between them. “Tell me to leave.”

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

“Tell me now
,” he demanded.

She lifted her eyes to his and shook her head.

“If I kiss you, I won’t be able to stop.”

She didn’t care if he couldn’t stop.

His head tipped. His hand lifted to her face. He pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger, holding it in place. Her heart rate kicked into high speed as seconds dragged by in slow motion. His head dipped lower, lower, coming closer. His mouth, that sweet, intoxicating mouth, would meet hers any moment. Her eyelids drifted shut. She waited, breathless, every cell in her body pleading for him to kiss her.

“Say it. Say it now,” he demanded, his breath gusting over her lips, making them tingle.

“Kiss me.”

“That wasn’t what I wanted you to say.”

“Kiss me,” she repeated.

He growled, clapped his arms around her body and jerked her against him. Her body smashed against his, soft against hard, small against large. At the same time, his mouth claimed hers. She parted her lips to suck in a gasp, and his tongue slid into her mouth.
The kiss was absolute ecstasy. Pure, unadulterated pleasure. The taste of his kiss, the feel of his strong, huge body pressed against hers, the sound of his deep breaths as they both were swept up in the heat blazing between them.

She flung her arms around his neck and clung to him. He wouldn’t stop this time. She could feel it in his kiss. His mouth possessed hers fully, without apology. Taking everything she offered. She let her tongue explore the depth of his sweet mouth,
stroking, stabbing. And with every little motion, her blood pounded harder, hotter through her body. A whimper slipped up her throat and echoed in their joined mouths. In response, he tightened his grip on her, turning her and walking her backward.

Toward the bed.

His mouth left hers, traveling down one side of her neck. He nipped and nibbled and licked until she shivered against him. Goose bumps erupted over the right side of her body, and blasts of erotic heat shot through her, up and down, from the center out.

Take me
, her body pleaded.
Take me now.
She let her head fall back, giving him greater access to her neck. He caught the back of her head in his hand, supporting it, turning it slightly before suckling on her earlobe.

“Tell me to stop,” he begged. “Tell me now.”

She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. No.

Instead, s
he fisted his shirt and tried to pull him closer. He shoved her roughly, and together they fell backward. She bounced on the mattress, body smashed under his. He caught his weight on outstretched arms and slammed his mouth over hers again. He tongue did things she didn’t know could be done. And she gladly opened to him, accepting each stroke and stab and thrust. As blood pounded through her, she found her hips rocking back and forth, back and forth, grinding her aching tissues against his rigid form. He bent a knee and wedged it between her thighs, pushed it high up until it rested against her center. The pressure felt so good she couldn’t help groaning.

“Tell me to stop, Jenn,” he said, breathless, his voice low and husky and sexy.

“No.”

“Tell me now.”

“No.”

He shifted his weight, balancing it on one hand. “Look at me.”

She opened her eyes.

He was so gorgeous. She could hardly believe he wanted her. She could barely believe she was lying beneath him now.

“I want you,” he said. “But I don’t want to.”

She skimmed her hands up his chest, tracing the lines of bulging muscle through his shirt. He was built like a model. She hadn’t seen him without clothes yet, but she could tell. Down her hands traveled, down the center of his chest and stomach. They stopped at his belt buckle. She started to
unfasten it, but he caught her hands with his.

“Stop.”

She ignored him, pulling on his belt again.

Moving suddenly, roughly, he grabbed one of her wrists and slammed it against the mattress. “I said stop. I can’t do this to you.”

He
couldn’t
stop. That was far crueler. Couldn’t he see that?

Using her other hand, she pried his fingers away from her wrist and
placed his hand palm down on her breast.

“Dammit, Jenn.” Even as he said those words, his fingers moved, caressing her flesh.

Writhing beneath him once again, she grabbed the bottom of her towel and lifted it until his hand—still cupped over her breast—stopped her.

“Dammit,” he said on a growl. He jerked her
towel up higher, exposing her bra. “You’re perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

His words made her heart skip several beats. He thought she was perfect? Really?

She arched her back as he slid his hands beneath it. Would he unhook her bra? She hoped so.

He tugged, and the hooks unfastened. She quivered, anticipation charging through her like a jolt of electricity. He pushed her bra cups out of the way, dipped his head and flicked the tip of his tongue over her nipple.

She caught his hair in her fists and held him there. He would not stop. Not this time. She wouldn’t let him. Thanks to him, to what he was doing, she hurt. Everywhere. She needed him now, craved his touch, his kiss, his strokes.

“Jenn.” The word was a warning. She heard it in the tone of his voice. But she didn’t care. She tightened her grip on his silky hair, refusing to let him lift his head.

He pulled her nipple into his warm mouth, and she practically died. There was no going back now. She would have sex with Aeron. He would take her innocence. Here. Now. Today. Aeron would be her first. His free hand cupped her other breast, fondling it, pinching her nipple and rolling it.

He suckled harder, and little blades of pleasure stabbed through her, as if there was a direct connection between her breasts and the throbbing tissues between her legs. Although she had no idea what it felt like to be filled, she was desperate for the aching emptiness to end.

“Touch me,” she begged. “Please.”

“Jenn
ifer.”

“Please.” She took his hand from her breast and placed it over her mound. Just the heat of his skin felt better. She opened her legs wider. His hand slid down, covering the part that bur
ned the hottest. But her panties were in the way. They had to go. Now. Right this second.

She whimpered and rocked her hips against his hand.

Nobody had ever told her it would be like this, that when the right guy touched her, she would die if he didn’t take her. And she would die. She swore it. If he didn’t fill her, she would perish.

A soft noise cut through the gusting of their heavy breathing.

“Jenny?” a little voice said.

Logan’s little voice.

“Ohmygod!” she snapped, clawing at Aeron’s back so he lay on top of her, covering her exposed chest. “Logan, get out and close the door.”

“Jenny, what is Aeron doing?”

Aeron was lying flat on top of her now, one arm caught between their bodies, his hand wedged between her thighs. “I’ll be out in a minute. Go. Now!”

“O-okay.”

The door clicked.

Aeron jerked upright. He jammed his hands through his messed hair. His face was the shade of a
stop sign. “Shit.”

“I can’t believe he just caught us like that.”

“It’s a good thing.” Jerking his gaze away from her, he grabbed her cover and tossed it over her. “Things got out of hand. We almost…”

“I didn’t want you to stop.”

“I was weak. It won’t happen again. I’ll make sure of it.”

Once again, his words crushed her heart. “Would it be so bad?” she snapped, letting some of that hurt out.

“Not for me, hell no. For me it would be great. But for you…I won’t hurt you. I promise. No matter what it costs me.”

Too late.

He already had.