Branded (Strand Brothers Series Book 1) (26 page)

The nightmare was not one I could wake from. Terrifying. No, this was not a memory like all the others. Still so frickin’ vivid, I could’ve sworn it was happening in real time. I saw my beautiful wife lying in a mangled car against a huge pine tree. No movement, body broken and bloody, just as Rachel’s had been in my work truck all those years ago. Same damn curve on Highway 89, and like before, I was impotent. All I could do was scream as something or someone restrained me. If I could only turn my head slightly, I would be able to see who or what had my arms wrenched behind my back. But no, it was as if my head were being held in place, forcing me to watch her die. I woke on an ear-splitting howl that scared the hell out of Aimee.

“Nikko?” she gasped, “What is it? What’s wrong, baby?”

As she rubbed her hand up and down my arm, I pulled her onto my lap. I buried my head in her hair and breathed deeply. “Dream,” I uttered. “Sorry I frightened you.”

She caressed my back and asked, “Another memory?”

“Nah. It was nothing.”

She pulled back and held my eyes with hers. “Bullshit. Talk to me, please.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. Not yet, anyway.”

She stroked my jaw and then leaned in to brush her lips against mine. I held her a little tighter as I tried to slow my heart rate. If I lost her, I would never survive it. And that knowledge made me want to whisk her away. Protect her. Make sure no harm ever came to her. But I knew that wasn’t even an option. Aimee wasn’t the type of woman to let me go all caveman on her. It was actually one of the traits I admired most about her. I closed my eyes and emptied my brain of the horrid nightmare—reminding myself,
only a dream, Nik. Just a dream.

Before I drifted off again, I heard her say, “I love you.” She ran her fingers through my hair and reassured, “No more nightmares. Rest. I’ve got you.”

She really was a godsend in more ways than I was willing to count.

*****

We awakened as the plane was making its decent. Aimee moved from my lap to her seat, and cinched the seat belt around herself. As she clasped my hand with hers, she asked, “How’re you feeling?”

I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed her palm. “Better, thanks to you.” I laid her hand on my face. “You always have a way of taking the sting out of my nightmares.”

She leaned her head against my shoulder. “If I could take them away completely, I would.”

I kissed her beautiful blonde hair and admitted, “I’m fully aware of that, lille.”

Since it was late, I’d informed Franco and Gina we would stop by the next day. Of course, that meant we had the entire evening to continue our explorations of one another’s bodies. Discover all the ways to bring each other pleasure. Yeah, this was a very good thing indeed. Aimee glanced over at me in the limo and caught my hooded, lustful eyes watching her. Deliberately her tongue darted out and slowly worked its way across her full bottom lip. On a growl, I attacked her mouth and showed her just how much I hungered for her, as I swallowed every gasp and moan that escaped her. Oh, she tasted so damn good. I suddenly wanted my mouth all over her. Drinking. Feasting. Until she writhed underneath me and pled for my mercy—which would never happen. I wanted to show her heights she hadn’t imagined existed. Against her mouth, I breathed, “It’ll never be enough,” then declared, “I won’t
ever
have my fill of you.”

“Me, either,” she replied. “No matter how many times you take me, I will
always
want more.”

Our tongues dueled for the entire ride to the hotel. And, still, I needed more.

*****

The elevator ride was a journey through the seventh circle of hell. Every ounce of my control was tested as I fought the urge to ravage her.
Right here. Right now.
There was no way I could keep my mouth off hers. As the car traveled to the top floor, I pinned her against the wall and ground my hips into hers harder than I intended. She cried out my name when I spread her thighs with my knee and placed my monstrous quad right between her legs. I rubbed back and forth, causing friction up against her clit. As she released, I bit her, in that super sensitive spot, just below the ear.

She panted, “Oh, Nikko. I
need
you inside me.”

My breathing was heavy as I answered, “I know, little one. Hold on to me.”

Her small arms looped around my neck while I swooped behind her knees, and then carried her down the hall. Once we reached the door to the suite, she reached inside my front pocket for the keycard and decided to play with my cock for a few moments. “Wicked imp,” I growled.

After she’d had her fun, she worked the card into the slot. And I whispered, “I’m going to take you on every surface inside that room.”

Her purr of approval was all I needed.

The door closed behind us as I shoved the front of her into the wall. While I licked and nipped along the nape of her neck, I tugged her blouse from her skirt. Her back arched in response, which brought her ass right up against my swollen dick. Then and there I lost my patience, tugging her slightly away from the wall and ripping her shirt apart. Tiny buttons flew across the room. She groaned when my rough hands drew the cups of her bra down her breasts, freeing them, so I could stroke her hard peaks. When her hips gyrated against my crotch, I damn near came from the glorious torture.

I hiked her skirt up to her waist and pushed her lacey boy shorts down her lovely legs. What tiny thread of self-control existed vanished the moment I slid my zipper down and freed my weeping cock. I knew this would be hard and fast. She did, too. As she spread her legs wide for my entrance, I slammed home. I tweaked her nipples while I pounded her luscious body like a deranged maniac. Never in my life had I been so hot and bothered. It was as if each time I took her only made me crazed to have more. So much more. On a shout, I came. And she followed on a scream.

I held her jaw fast in my hand as I turned her for a deep, penetrating kiss. Our breathing was still ragged from fucking. Really, there was no other word for what we’d just done. When our pulses slowed, I eased out of her and murmured, “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

She whispered, “Hurry up.”

I chuckled while I strode across the suite to the huge bathroom. Once there, I ran a washcloth under warm water, wrung it out, and then walked back to where I had left her. She’d turned around, and was now leaning her back against the wall. I stopped short as I took in the sight before me: Her tits all trussed up from her bra. The skirt rucked up around her middle—her panties around one ankle and her stilettos still on. I rasped, “You. Are. So. Damn. Fuckable.”

She glanced up at me from under her long, lush lashes. The look she gave me was hot. Heady. Then her eyes slid down my body and held on the fly, where my dick still hung out. She licked her lips as she pushed off the wall. Once she stood toe to toe with me, she went down on her knees. Without preamble, her warm, wet mouth encircled the head of my cock. I groaned as I watched her work my semi-erection into a full one with a hard suck. Reaching up, she finished undoing my pants and yanked them, along with my boxer briefs, down my legs. I toed off my shoes, and then she pulled everything away from my body.

“My God, you’re so beautiful on your knees like this with my dick in your mouth,” I purred.

She tugged away on a
pop
and directed, “Take off your shirt.”

I held eye contact with her, and did what she told me to.

Next she instructed, “Lie down,” she patted the floor in front of her, “right here.”

I raised my brows, but complied.

While I reached for several cushions off the nearby sofa, she stripped. I stilled and growled, “I
need
to be inside you.”

She shook her head flirtatiously as she crawled between my legs. Then she went back to work on my cock. As she swirled her tongue along the sensitive underside, her cheeks hollowed and her throat relaxed, so she could take me all the way to the root. Her hands joined the party. And that was when I arched off the floor. With one hand she pumped me. The other was at my balls, where she stroked and gently squeezed my sac. I came on a grunt. Damn, the woman could give head like no other.

We eventually made it to the bed, making love again and again. If we hadn’t been exhausted, we would’ve gone all night long. Instead, we fell asleep well sated and spooning.

*****

The six o’clock wake-up call was not welcomed. After I answered the call, I leaned over and kissed her mussed up hair. “You don’t have to go with me. I can handle this while you sleep.”

She stretched and groaned a little. “No. I want to be with you.”

“Alright. Grab a few more minutes of sleep while I jump in the shower.”

She rolled over and sleepily replied, “’Kay.”

As I showered, apprehension filled me. What if she didn’t remember the masquerade? What if she did remember, and ends up pissed off I didn’t tell her? What if that night didn’t mean the same to her, as it did me? All of those negative thoughts plagued me throughout breakfast—which did not go unnoticed by Aimee.

“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” she asked before sipping her coffee.

I shrugged. “Nothing to worry about, Aimee.”

Her brow arched. “Really? Because you sure seem anxious.”

Could I hide
nothing
from her? I took a deep breath and found a calm I didn’t feel. “I’m good,” I replied, “Please don’t concern yourself with my moodiness.”

She only stared at me. I knew she didn’t buy my act for an instant. As I wiped my mouth with the linen napkin, I stood and inquired, “You ready?”

She met me across the room. “I don’t give up so easily, Nikko.”

I half-smiled at that. “Don’t expect you to, lille.”

When she placed her hand on my chest, she tiptoed to kiss the corner of my mouth. “So you know, you speaking to me in your native tongue won’t change a thing.” She kissed the other side of my mouth. “No matter how freakin’ sexy it sounds.”

With that, she sashayed out of the suite. I followed her swaying ass with my eyes, and thought,
I’ll never pull one over on her.
No clue why I even tried. I gave myself a mental shake and placed my hand on the small of her back, as we made our way to the waiting limo. When I opened the door for her, she smiled up at me. “I do love you.”

In return, I smirked, “Good thing for me. ‘Cause I would hate for you to havta kick my ass.”

Once I crawled in beside her, I noticed she was laughing. Wow, I would give anything to hear that every single day for the rest of my life. Someday, I really needed to tell her just what she did to me. I squeezed her hand and didn’t let go on our ride through town. She really was the most incredible woman I had ever met. The fact that she was mine humbled me in ways I was still learning. My heart swelled with that knowledge. Somehow, someway, she had calmed the beast in me. Brought him to heel. And in doing so, she thawed out a side of me I thought I would never see again. I guess it was true: All things
were
possible. Not so long ago, I would’ve argued: but not probable. Now…well, I knew differently. And wasn’t that saying something about the power of what true love could do. Yes. Yes, it was.

Chapter Thirty-One

Aimee

When Nik had accused me of being able to “kick his ass,” there was no holding back the belly laugh that erupted. As if! The man was nothing but a slab of muscle and sinew. So freaking masculine it hurt to look at him. Every part of him was a bulging display of male anatomy—right down to that sexy as hell V, which led to his all impressive, long and thick, cock. My husband could give a porn star a run for his money in the ample penis department. Yet while all those thoughts ran through my head, I couldn’t help but notice the adoring look in his eyes and the loving expression on his face. Were those feelings for me? Or was it due to the fact, we were visiting old friends of his?

Once he began to rub his thumb on the inside of my wrist, I was moved to some serious distraction. Why did that calming move not have the appropriate effect? It definitely caused a most sexual response, like he was stroking the ever-throbbing hot spot between my legs. Oh, hell. At this rate, I would mount him and have my wicked way with him.

As we turned the corner, my lustful gaze took in the sight in front of us. The Tudor mansion set back from the street. We stopped at the security gates before we were allowed to enter. Why did it all look familiar? The closer we got, the more déjà vu it felt. Odd, that. Something teased my memory, but refused to reveal itself. Nik kissed the side of my neck, effectively bringing my attention back to him.

“Where’d you go, lille?” His low voice rumbled, sending sparks of desire through me.

I reached between his legs and stroked his erection, as I replied, “Was thinking of all the naughty ways I could have you—here and now.” I licked my lips to drive my point home.

He growled, “Later, you’re goin’ to show me.”

Before I could act, the door opened. Well, there went that seduction. I inwardly sighed because it was time to put on my new-bride-smiley-face and pretend to be interested in spending the day away from him. He proffered his hand to assist me out of the limo. I laced my fingers with his once we were on the sidewalk. As we approached the front door, it opened wide to welcome us in. A beautiful Italian woman stood there with a huge smile on her face. Without letting go of my hand, Nik leaned forward and kissed her on each cheek.

“So good to see you again,” she greeted him with a glorious accent.

He returned, “You, as well,” and added, “Though I would’ve preferred if it were under better circumstances.”

She looked chagrined as she stated, “Yes, I would have to agree with that.”

Nik turned towards me, tugged me forward and addressed, “Gina, this is my lovely wife Aimee. Aimee, this is Gina D’Arpino,” he introduced.

I held my hand out and announced, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Gina.”

She drew me into a hospitable hug. “Oh, you are a beauty.” Then she gestured for us to enter. “Please, come in.”