Brothers in Blue: Matt Read online

  Apparently willing. He regarded her as she stood naked in the center of the room. Her hair was still up from work and she didn’t wear her glasses. He assumed she had contacts in instead.

  His cock twitched, reminding him that he’d just been standing there staring like a fool. No wonder she thought him an asshole.

  She was not shy and didn’t cover up, as if she didn’t care what he thought. She probably didn’t. Matt liked that about her too. It seemed like a big “fuck you.”

  The thought made him smile.

  “Are you just going to stand there with a dumb grin on your face, or are you going to get naked?”

  Her bossiness widened his smile. He unfastened his cargo pants and pushed them down his legs. His boxer briefs fit snugly due to his erection and he cupped himself momentarily before snagging the waistband and pushing them down as well.

  When he bent over to pick up his discarded clothing she made a noise, making him glance up.

  “If you take the time to neatly fold up those filthy clothes, you’ll be taking a shower by yourself.”

  He straightened, leaving the clothes where they laid, and started to head out of the bedroom door when he stopped abruptly. Spinning towards her, he grabbed her face, and crushed his lips against hers.

  He took advantage of her surprised gasp to plunge his tongue deep into her mouth. Exploring the inside, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sparring with hers.

  She groaned against his lips. Her hand played along his ribcage, the other wrapping around his impatient cock.

  Grabbing her ass, he pulled her closer and thrust into her hand. Hers felt so much better than his own. She pumped him hard, almost frantically, and he broke the kiss. He needed to step back before he embarrassed himself by becoming undone. “Now you’re just as dirty as I am, so you have no choice but to join me in the shower.”

  Her eyes widened and she looked down to see the front of her body smeared with drywall dust. She lifted her head with a confident tilt, placed a finger under his chin, and looked him directly in the eye. “I always have a choice. Don’t you ever forget that.”

  He released a ragged breath and followed her out of the bedroom and into the bathroom like a stray puppy. She started the shower, checked the water temperature, and then turned to him.

  “Get in.”

  His hard-on bobbed at her command and he pushed past her to do what she said. The warm water sluiced over his head and down his body, rinsing away the dust while she still stood outside of the shower, watching him.

  Her nipples had become hard peaks, but she didn’t smile. Hell, he couldn’t even get a read on what she was thinking. Did she consider this whole thing a mistake? That he was too fucked up to want to get involved with him? Even if it was only physical?

  He wiped the water out of his eyes and offered her his hand. Without hesitation, she took it and stepped into the tub, facing him. The water drenched her hair, darkening it, flattening it along her head, over her shoulders. The long, wet strands stuck to her breasts.

  He lowered himself to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist, brushing his lips over her belly, kissing each hip bone, running his tongue down to the V between her thighs.

  She caught her balance by grabbing his shoulders as he parted her plump lips, testing her wetness. He reached out blindly to slide the glass shower door shut, so they wouldn’t flood the bathroom floor. Turning her hips, he pushed her back against the wall. He lifted one leg up and braced her foot on his shoulder before burying his face between her legs.

  She tasted intoxicating. He couldn’t get enough of her. He wasn’t gentle with his mouth, his lips, his tongue…his teeth. Though she didn’t tell him to stop. She didn’t say no. She moved her hands from his shoulders to wrap them around his head, pulling him closer, tilting her hips to give him better access, spreading her thighs wider.

  His balls tightened and precum trickled from the head of his cock, but the stream of warm water quickly washed it away. The intense desire to be inside her, fully enveloped in her heat, made him shudder. Her fingers flexed against his scalp when he refused to let up. He wouldn’t stop until she fell apart.

  A low, needy moan escaped her as he plunged two fingers inside her. He fucked her hard and sucked even harder. Her legs trembled around him and then tensed. He didn’t let up until a scream ripped from her, her nails digging into his scalp, holding him still until the orgasm subsided.

  He looked up her body, slick with water, rivulets running off the hard tips of her nipples. Her head fell back, her eyes closed, her lips parted, as she attempted to catch her breath.

  When her eyes slowly opened, she met his gaze. “Holy shit, you’re good at that.”

  He rose to his feet, cupped her cheeks in his hands, and kissed her thoroughly. After he pulled back, he whispered, “Do you see how good you taste?”

  She ran the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip and gave him a fleeting smile. “I haven’t had a chance to taste you yet.”

  Matt’s palm braced against the shower wall. The image of Carly on her knees, his cock in her mouth, weakened him. If he wasn’t so impatient to drive himself inside her at the moment, he’d encourage her to take him between her lips right now.

  But he hit his limit. Her responsiveness to his touch had brought him too close to the edge already. They needed to get out of this slippery, tight shower or she’d have another lump on her head.

  And he did not want to hurt her…ever.

  Turning off the water, he helped her climb out of the tub, both of them soaking wet. He grabbed a towel off the rack to wrap it around her. Not having the patience to wait for her to dry her hair, he hoped she didn’t balk at not doing so.

  “Are you uncomfortable?” she asked, indicating his erection.

  “Not for long,” he answered, grabbing another towel and drying himself off quickly.

  She smiled as he took her arm, pulling her from the small bathroom and back across the hall to the bedroom. Struggling to ignore the disorder on the floor, he did his damnedest to concentrate on the bed instead.

  He directed her to the side of the bed farthest from the mess and took her towel from her grip to gently dry her off, patting the excess water from her dripping hair. She said nothing, yet he couldn’t help but notice her eyes soften as she watched him take care of her.

  The urge to stiffen and pull away came over him. He couldn’t have emotions involved in this.

  He didn’t want any ties. Or expectations.

  He just wanted to keep things neat and orderly.

  He should walk away and leave the bedroom now. Go down to his tent and have a quick session with his own fist.

  A much safer option.

  But he couldn’t. And that scared him. He couldn’t walk away from her. She freely offered herself to him and he desperately wanted to take it.

  He placed his forehead to hers and whispered, “Please. Please. Don’t look at me like that.”

  “Like what?” came her soft question.

  “Like you want more than I can offer.”

  “I expect nothing from you, Matt. Other than an orgasm. Or two. Can you give me that?”

  “Yes. But just so you know, I have nothing else to give. I want to be clear about that.”

  Her silence became deafening.

  After a moment, he pulled away to look at her. “Tell me you understand that.”

  Her expression became sad. Whether it was because she might expect more or whether it came from pity, he didn’t know. He didn’t want to know, either. He just wanted—needed—the physical part. The mindless sex and the release that came along with it.

  Maybe that sounded cold. However, it was all could give at this point. And most likely ever.

  Last night, sex with Carly made him forget and he wanted more of that. He needed more time out of his broken mind, his damaged thoughts.

  She had to agree with it remaining as such. Just sex. Nothing more.

  Because, again, he would never w
ant to hurt her. And emotions could be painful.

  Tell me you understand that.”

  Carly watched him shut down right before her eyes, but not before she noticed a fleeting glimpse of fear. Then he withdrew inside himself. To a safe place.

  She weighed her two choices. To accept his terms of a physical relationship only. Or to stay away from him completely.

  She didn’t need a man. Though the physical part was nice.

  More than nice.

  And he was a pro with his tongue.

  However, she knew sex could get messy. Very messy. Would it be worth the risk? “Like I said; I don’t expect anything from you. How could I? We barely know each other,” Carly finally said, hoping she didn’t eventually eat her own words.

  “Promise me you won’t want anything more.”

  Who could promise that? Was she so desperate for him, for the physical contact, that she could make such an unrealistic promise? “How about I promise you this… I will never expect anything more than you’re willing to give.”

  His nostrils flared and something flashed in his eyes. Fear? Relief? Suddenly his whole body relaxed and he nodded.

  Seriously. Did she really just have to negotiate with him to simply get laid? Since when had she become that desperate?

  She hadn’t. However, something about the man pulled at her.

  Maybe being a doctor drove her to want to help people, to save him.

  Then again, maybe he was right. Maybe there was nothing left to save.

  Why would he choose to deploy time after time when he probably knew it would damage his psyche? What had driven him?

  Now was not the time to figure that out. Now was the time to enjoy each other’s body. She’d worry about the rest later.

  Chapter 6

  Carly reached out for the shrill alarm, whacking at it blindly. Her eyelids cracked open and she groaned. Flipping over, she shoved her face into the pillow not wanting to face the world this morning. She had another day full of appointments. Amanda Bryson being one of them.

  Bryson…

  Carly turned her head and studied the empty side of the bed. She brushed her hand over the sheets where Matt landed after rolling off her last night.

  She slid over and shoved her nose into the extra pillow. Yeah. Nothing. Smelled like laundry detergent. He hadn’t been in the bed long enough to leave his scent.

  Damn. What was she thinking? And why was she acting like a love-sick teenager by sniffing pillows? Next thing she knew she’d be scribbling her name all over her brown-paper covered school books.

  Mrs. Matt Bryson.

  Mrs. Carly Bryson.

  Doctor Carly Bryson.

  She shoved her face back into the pillow and screamed. She had to get a hold of herself. Sex. It was only sex.

  She blamed the damn “love” hormone, oxytocin. The “cuddle” hormone. It sucked in unsuspecting women all the time by making them think a bond existed between them and their sex partner.

  She was an OB/GYN, for fuck’s sake. She explained the hormone to her patients on a regular basis. Especially the ones who went through childbirth.

  She should know better than to fall into that trap.

  Coffee. She just needed some coffee. And a hot shower. Anything to clear her mind of the images of Matt rising above her, thrusting hard and fast into her while she begged him for more.

  The distinct smell of brewing coffee hit her. She listened carefully and heard someone moving around downstairs.

  She pushed herself up and out of the bed, shaking out her stiff muscles. Damn, she hardly ever slept naked. But here she was, bare-assed as the day she was born. She grabbed her black silk robe from the back of the bedroom door and wrapped it around her, giving the belt a good yank. Then she headed downstairs, the smell of the fresh brew calling her like the Pied Piper and she the naïve rat.

  She stopped short at the entrance to the kitchen simply to appreciate the view. Matt wore a loose pair of black BDU pants and nothing else. The waist hung low enough to make her swallow a moan. Seeing the dimples directly above his ass left no doubt he went commando under those pants.

  She wondered why he woke so early since he didn’t have to work until the afternoon shift.

  When he reached up into a cabinet to pull out a travel mug and his pants dropped a little lower, she hissed.

  He spun to face her. Well, now that she’d blown her cover, she might as well ask. “Up early. I would think working the second shift would allow you to catch up on some beauty sleep,” she said as she moved into the room, trying to appear casual and not sexually depraved. She brushed past him to grab a mug and headed over to the glorious coffee pot.

  She kept her back to him as she poured the suspiciously dark coffee into her mug. Sniffing, she wrinkled her nose. Yikes. It smelled like a toxic brew.

  She took a careful sip. Yep, that stuff would eat away your stomach lining. She moved to the fridge and added enough creamer to turn the coffee a light tan.

  When she closed the fridge, she started. He had moved quietly to stand behind the open door.

  “Cat got your tongue?” she asked him and sipped again at the coffee. Nope, still awful. “Damn, this needs a bunch of sugar.”

  He needed to stop staring at her and actually blink. He was freaking her out.

  Trying to ignore his odd behavior, she dug in the cabinet and pulled out a plastic container full of sugar. After finding a spoon, she added the white granules until the toxic sludge became somewhat drinkable.

  She sipped again, then froze as he stepped in front of her. So close he invaded her personal space. Her instinct was to step back though she refused to show him any signs of weakness. Instead she just looked up into his face, which appeared quiet, expressionless, unreadable.

  “What’s under the robe?”

  Carly arched an eyebrow. She hardly expected that to be his first words this morning. “Just me.” She gave him a slight smile and took another sip of coffee. “I realize you like your coffee strong, but this is just a sin.”

  His eyes darkened and his jaw tightened. “What do you know about sin?”

  Carly frowned at the sudden switch. “Matt…”

  He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and finally moved away to fill up his mug. “Sorry. Let’s forget I said that and get back to the subject of your robe.”

  “My robe isn’t that exciting.”

  “It’s not the robe I’m interested in.”

  “Ah. You didn’t get enough last night?”

  “Did you?” he asked, still facing the coffee maker.

  Touché. “No.”

  He turned then and leaned back against the counter, his mug clutched in both hands. “How much time do you have?”

  Carly glanced at the clock on the stove. “Not enough.”

  “I can be quick.”

  “No woman wants to hear that.”

  He chuckled. He actually chuckled. Carly smiled at the sound and the sudden relaxed expression on his face that the laugh brought with it.

  He shook his head and walked toward the back of the house. Most likely to go retreat into his tent. “Go to work, Carly. Before I make you late.”

  “Can I take the Buick?” she yelled out.

  “It’s yours until you get another vehicle.”

  “You know, sometimes you can be a thoughtful asshole,” she shouted.

  Then the back door slammed.

  How’s the baby?” Carly asked Amanda as the woman put her feet into the stirrups.

  “Really, Doc? You’re going to have a conversation with me when you’re wearing a mining light and inspecting my cooch?”

  “Yeah, why not?”

  Amanda laughed and scooted toward the end of the exam table. “Hannah is fine. Though making Max jealous because my boobs belong to her right now.”

  “She’s nursing well?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “Tired,” Amanda answered, sounding it.
r />   “That’s to be expected.”

  “I have a feeling I’ll be tired for the next eighteen years.”

  Carly was tempted to tell her to not complain. Some women longed to have a child and didn’t get the chance. Amanda was lucky to be able to get pregnant and have a healthy baby girl.

  Not to mention, she was lucky to have a handsome husband too.

  Carly ducked her head and did the exam.

  “So, will everything go back to normal down there, Doc?” Amanda asked.

  “Is that why you made the appointment a month sooner than you should have? I told you that you didn’t have to see me until six weeks after the baby was born.”

  “I know, but you know… I got a little worried and Max told me just to make an appointment to alleviate my fears.”

  “Well, just so you know, it’ll never be the same again.”

  Amanda slammed her palm on the table. “See? I told Max that!”

  Carly picked her head up, turned off her light, and straightened. “You can slide back now. You’re fine. You’ll be fine. I’m only screwing with you.”

  Amanda looked relieved. “I just didn’t want having a baby to affect our sex life. It’s so freaking awesome.”

  Carly laughed. “Oh, it will affect your sex life, just not in the way you’re thinking.”

  “Yeah, however that’s what’s nice about having Max’s family so close. Lots of babysitters. You gotta remember, Greg lives with us too. We learned to get creative.”

  Carly had met Greg, Amanda’s intellectually disabled brother, a few times during her pre-natal visits. With the baby, the woman would have her hands full.

  “Speaking of family…” Amanda began.

  Uh oh.

  “I heard you moved into my old house with Matt.”

  So maybe her reason for making the unnecessary appointment was really an excuse to be nosy. Maybe she was doing recon for the family. Carly ripped off her gloves with a snap and threw them into the waste can. “I moved in, but not with Matt.”

  “Yeah, okay. Semantics. However, you’re right. He’s living in that damn tent in the backyard which is not only an eyesore, it’s killing off the grass. You two must have hit it off right away.”