Claiming Honor (Bad Boys of River City Book 3) (6 page)

"I don’t think so, baby. Not yet. Not until you come at least another three times."

There is no way in hell I'll survive another three times. I let go of him and shove at his chest until he rolls over so I can straddle him. He raises his eyebrows but doesn’t protest when I lower myself onto his waiting cock. Damn, that feels good. I lift up then slide back down a few times, slowly, experimenting with what feels best, before I settle into a quicker rhythm. His gaze drifts from my face to my breasts and he reaches for them, plumping them and squeezing my nipples. My head falls back as exquisite pleasure shoots from my breasts to my sex. I feel the flutters deep inside my pussy signaling the next orgasm is coming fast.

"If you come you better take me with you, baby. Or maybe you want me to start all over again?"

Hell yeah. After I recover from this round. I can tell by his tone he is dead serious, though. Of course if he doesn’t come inside me when I do I could suck him off. I've been looking forward to trying that. I almost hope he doesn’t come. Just thinking about it winds me up and I start moving faster, riding him with an abandon I can't remember experiencing before. Everything is so no and intense with Hunter. He moves one hand between my thighs to my clit and squeezes, giving it a little tug that sends me straight over the edge. I see stars, swear to god.

My pussy clenches, trying to hold him deep inside me, and he flips me over. Fucks me through the convulsions while never releasing the pressure on my clit. I have no idea how he does it, and since I'm coming again, I couldn’t care less about the logistics. He joins me with a loud groan, thrusting deep onc last time. I feel the warm jets of his semen shooting into me. I know I'll be sore later and it won't matter one bit. I'll want him again. He rolls to his back, dragging me over him, half hard and still buried inside me.

"Honor?" he asks softly. "You still with me?"

"Mmm," I hum, not capable of real speech yet.

"Would you take up jewelry making full time if you had a husband more than willing, eager even, to provide for you?"

It takes my bliss addled brain a minute to really register what he's said. His arms clamp around me before I can pull away.

"Talk to me, Honor," he orders in his take no prisoners voice.

And oh hell, no, I'm not putting up with that shit. Not after his half assed proposal. If that's what it even is. I glare but it has zero effect on him. Fuck this shit.

"Let me up," I snap.

He finally seems to get that I'm furious. His arms loosen and I jerk away, climb off the bed, and stalk to the bathroom to shower. I'm not surprised when he follows and climbs in with me. Unbelievably, he's hard again. Even  as pissed as I am, I respond to the sight. The bastard knows it too. He grins. I turn my back on him and step under the water. I reach for the shampoo but he beats me to it and takes over. I turn to watch him pour a generous amount into his hand. He lathers my hair and lets me dip my head to rinse it clear. When that's done he steps back. We get out, dry off, and head into the other room to change. He sits on the bed and watches me rummage through my bag.

"Will you talk to me now?" he asks. Reluctantly. Carefully? As usual I have no idea what he's thinking.

"I don’t want to talk about marriage, hypothetical or otherwise, Hunter. Please don’t bring it up again."

Because damn. If he gets serious about that I'm in worse trouble than I thought. I've always dreamed of having a family. My father walked out on us when we were babies and died a few years later. I never knew him. Mom never remarried and she's gone now too.

"I didn’t realize you have commitment issues. That's too bad, sweetheart. I'm not letting you go. How are you going to explain our not being married to our kids? I'm a pretty old fashioned guy, you know."

"Pregnancies can be prevented, Hunter," I say, but my heart starts to pound. He brings it up before I can.

"We didn’t use a condom, Honor. How reliable is this shot of yours so close to end?"

"Very," I answer.

He shrugs. "Birth control isn’t one hundred percent. So, how are you going to explain it?"

I'm not worried about getting pregnant. I researched it carefully before I settled on this method, but I can see he's dead serious about us having kids. I have no idea what to say to that. I've landed in some weird alternate reality. It's not commitment I have a problem with. It's not even him. It's what he does for a living that holds me back. And okay, that dominant streak could get exhausting to live with. He's always going to want to have his own way. He's never going to be good at compromising. And he expects to bring kids into the mess? Suddenly, I have to laugh. He arches an eyebrow, clearly wondering what's so damned funny.

"I don’t think I'd survive living in a house with you and teenagers, Hunter. They live to rebel and that would make you crazy."

He rises, smiling now, and saunters over. I don’t even try to dodge him.

"
Our
children will defer to their father's wisdom. Of course, they won't rebel."

That makes me double over, laughing so hard I cry. It would almost be worth it to watch him pulling his hair out. He grabs my hands and slowly draws me closer.

"Seriously, baby, you'll have to work with me. I know I'm overprotective and possessive and bossy. Maybe I'll mellow some before we have to worry about teenagers."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. He sounds so serious. "You've really thought about this, haven’t you?"

He tucks my hair behind my ears, gaze roaming over my face. "Yeah, I have. I know you're the woman for me, and I want a family as much as you do. I've tried to be patient, Honor. I put up with months of phone calls when you were right down the road so you could get to know me in a way you felt safe."

He scowls, eyes going cold. "Did you think I wasn't serious about us? Is that why you kept trying to keep some distance between us?"

I'm not sure answering that is a good idea but I give it a shot. "I just can't imagine I'll hold your interest that long."

He stares at me a second then it's his turn. He throws his back and laughs, while wrapping his arms around me and crushing me against him. I want to know what's so damned funny so I thump him in the chest. He gets control of himself after a minute.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

Smiling, he shakes his head. "There are a lot of things I'm serious about, sweetheart. You're at the top of the list."

He cups my face in his palms. "That's
never
gonna change, baby, so get used to it. We belong together."

There he goes again, trying to make my choices for me. And that future he's dreaming up? I can't deny part of me wants it. A huge empty part I've never taken the risk to fill. But there's no need to rush into anything is there? He hasn’t even said he loves me.

"You're skipping a few steps. You're attracted me, I get it. And the sex is…"

Incredible. Mind blowing. Perfect.

"Amazing," he says.

I smile a little. "Great chemistry does not equal a great relationship. Or love."

Oh the L word gets his attention and not in a good way. He's uncomfortable and doesn’t stop me when I pull away.

Chapter Eight

Hunter

She blindsides me with talk of love. I want her to love me but I don’t know if that's what I feel or even how to describe what I feel for her. Obsession. Desire. Need. None of them seem enough. One thing is for damned sure. Now that I've had her there is no fucking way I'll let her go.

"Honor," I start, but I have no idea how to continue. "We'll figure it out," I finally say but what I really mean is I will. If I don’t then I risk losing her and that is un-fucking-acceptable.

She gives me a wry smile. "I'm going back to the beach until it's time to get dinner. No point in wasting all this sun."

I follow her into the bathroom. She drops the towel and I watch her shimmy into her wet swim suit. I want to do the same but my phone rings before I can reach for my trunks. Instead I pull on a pair of jeans and jog downstairs to the office. I spend the next few hours working but I'm distracted by thoughts of Honor. Worrying about her. I know she's safe with her friends, surrounded by my men on a crowded beach in broad daylight, but I'm damned relieved when I hear them return. No one stops in the office. I assume they're upstairs changing. The first two I see are Lake and Ryder, each with a beer, and Lake hands me one.

Today I'd been going over my rental income books and dealing with some landlord issues. Tedious but necessary. A glamorous life of crime it ain't. Maybe I need to show Honor more of that. She needs to see me as a normal guy, not some thug off the street. Though, I admit I have some of that in me. If I can help it, she will never see it. I save my files and shut down the laptop.

"Anything we need to know about?" Ryder asks. I know he's not asking about the business accounts.

"Cox is apparently banging his stripper girlfriend in Montgomery. Other than that, nothing worth mentioning."

Ryder cocks his eyebrows. "I don’t know much about stalkers, but does this whole thing strike anyone else as…off?"

Fuck yeah but before we can discuss it further, female voices drift down the stairs. A few seconds later, Honor walks in with my sister and Faye. She's dressed casually, in a strapless, ankle length white and pink dress typical of what of what women wear on summer evenings at the beach. She's got her hair pulled into a messy knot, not a lick of makeup on, and she's the most beautiful woman I know. She makes my heart seize in my chest. Makes it impossible to breath for the first few seconds I see her, every single time. I'm starting to believe it will always be like this. All she has to do is enter a room, look at me, smile at me, and I have a minor heart attack. I can't wait to test that theory over the years.

"C'mere, sweetheart," I say.

I can't help myself. I have to touch her. It wasn’t that long ago I had her under me, but I still need her close to prove this is real. It's actually happening. Honor is mine. I haven’t felt this kind of vulnerability since I was a kid. I rub my palm over the ache in my chest. She cocks her head to one side and gives me a look that makes it damned clear she knows exactly what I'm thinking. Well, the possessiveness at least. It's not like I've hidden it or tried to tame it. I could try but it would be a lie and we both know it. Shaking her head, she laughs.

"If you want closer than this then I need calamari and shrimp and fried pickles." I do not get the fried pickles thing but a lot of people like them. Apparently, she does, too. "And maybe a salad and some fries," she adds. "Oh! And hushpuppies."

Apparently my woman is hungry. I've only shared a few meals with her and she's been under a lot of stress. I haven’t seen this appetite yet. I'm looking forward to watching her enjoy dinner. Maybe a bottle of wine. Thankfully, the house is in a great location and there are several good restaurants in walking distance. I know one that has everything she wants. We'll have to actually go and put our name on a wait list because they don't take reservations, but it's worth it. I stand and go to her.

"I know just the place," I say.

She backs up a little, her lips lifting in a small smile. "Well, let's go. I'm starving."

Honor

It's typical beach kitsch, which I love. Lots of dark wood, wide open windows, and a big deck. We have a large party so we have to wait for a table outside. No big deal. Lake, Ryder, and Mercy hit the bar and bring us all a drink. After a day in the sun, I'm sticking with water for now.

"Honor. I can't believe Mark let you off long enough you got to leave town."

It's a great evening, warm and breezy, so I'm not happy when I hear that familiar voice behind me. Neil Cusack. So much for my mini-vacation. I turn around to give him a very fake smile. I don't know what's up with him and Mark, but I damned sure don't want to get in the middle of it.

"I don’t work weekends," I say.

He cocks an eyebrow and then smiles in a way I'm sure he thinks is charming. A lot of people are probably fooled by it. He is a very attractive man. Short blond hair, dark blue eyes, and an athletic build. He looks like he just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. I appreciate fashion so I can't help but notice. And by all accounts, he's wicked smart. But so is Mark and he isn't a complete jerk like Neil.

"I thought you were his right hand man. Or woman, as it were."

What this hell is this about? Before I can question it Hunter is wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me back. It's subtle, but I can tell Neil notices. His eyes narrow a little and his brows furrow a second before he can smooth it over.

"You okay, baby?" Hunter asks.

I can't help but smile up at him. I may not always like his methods but he's always looking out for me. He makes me feel safe and protected.

"I'm fine," I answer, ignoring Neil, hoping he'll go away. Thankfully, he takes the hint.

"Who was that guy?" Hunter asks, but he doesn’t sound very curious.

"Neil Cusack. A rival of Mark's."

That gets his attention and he arches an eyebrow, encouraging me to explain further. I don’t. For one, I wouldn’t know what to say and for another, I don’t talk about Mark's work.