For Her Protection-An Alpha Romance(23)

Uncle Frank suing her-no opinion on that one, but one word about Charlie  being in danger and she'd be encouraging that whole ‘ban Charlie from  work' threat Frank tried to use on her.         

     



 

She leaned her hands against the sink and bowed her head. Steps echoed, dull thuds on the tiles behind her.

"Charlie?"

The voice caused a wave of dread to curdle her belly. Her head snapped up and she met pale eyes in the mirror. "Simon?"

His gaze ran over her rear. She turned, words emptying from her head.  There were so many things she'd wanted to say to him-wanted to scream at  him. But now all she could think was that he seemed shorter than she  remembered. Even so she couldn't block out the gut-deep pain eating her  insides at the sight of him.

"What are you doing here?"

Aunt Bess as Switzerland case-in-point. She never took sides when one niece's fiancé became her other niece's boyfriend.

He stepped closer, backing her into the sink. "Don't look at me like that, Charlie."

He reached for her face.

She jerked her head back. "Nope."

Nope, nope and a truckload more nope. He'd lost the right to touch her.

His gaze grew icy as she'd seen it do so many times. Except these days  she didn't have to put up with the tantrum that followed. That was now  completely Joyce's problem.

"I'd hoped we could keep things civil."

"Then why did you come?"

His mouth twitched. "Joyce wanted me to."

He paused and she recognized the nervous jerk of his chin. He had something more to say.

"Joyce and I are getting married."

The pain turned knife sharp, cutting deep enough to stop her from  breathing. This was the betrayal she couldn't cope with, the one that  lost her a cousin. Because Simon-screw him, she was so much better off  without him.

But Joyce she couldn't pretend she didn't miss.

"Then pass my condolences on to her." She barged around him for the door.

A woman stood in the way, a hand pressed to her belly, brown eyes wide.

Joyce stepped in. "Charlie, I'm sorry if you're still upset about how  everything happened, but Simon and I are engaged and you're going to  have to get used to it."

Joyce moved to Simon's side, her blond locks shifting over her  shoulders. He put his arm around her waist. "I thought you'd have moved  on by now."

"I have moved on. I'm seeing someone." A lump rose in her throat. "That doesn't mean I have to accept what you did."

"You don't sound like someone who's moved on," Simon snarled.

Joyce looked from Simon to Charlie, mirroring his skepticism in the rise  of her forehead. Charlie's shoulders hunched. They both thought she was  lying. But one thing was for sure-only one man had any claim on her  now.



Connor strode through the house, having been directed by Aunt Bess on  where to find Charlie. Murmurs hummed down a hallway and he approached  the sound.

"You don't sound like someone who's moved on."

He stiffened. A snide male tone was not what he'd expected to hear. He  stepped into the doorway, his gaze taking in the couple facing Charlie.

Her back faced him, straight and bristling with so much tension it made  his joints ache. She twitched for a moment before he tugged her against  him.

"There you are, baby." His voice filled the washroom.

Charlie relaxed into him and her hand gripped the back of his shirt  where it tucked into his waistband. He studied the man, the way his gaze  flicked from him to Charlie, his neck coloring, lips thinning. Connor  squeezed his fist, resisting the temptation to simply knock the fucker  out for daring to look at his woman as if he had some claim on her. For  daring to make her uncomfortable.

She didn't introduce him, just looked up at him and smiled. Smiled only for him. "Let's go find Aunt Bess."

They walked out of the washroom. Connor caught a look at the silent  blonde, her lips pursed as if she wanted to say something, but she  glanced at the man beside her and her lips smoothed.





TWELVE


Charlie opened her eyes. Unfamiliar warmth surrounded her, lulled her  back into sleep. A weight rested over her hip, a hand cupped her breast.  Connor's scent surrounded her. Crisp cologne, soap and a hint of sweat.

And boy had she made him sweat last night.

She sighed and placed her hand over his on her chest. Time to get up.  They were already later for work than her schedule could handle.

His grip tightened, as if he had no intention of letting her go. To  prove his intentions, he shifted his hips at her rear, his stiff morning  cock showing her just how he'd like to spend the rest of their morning.

"We're late," she whispered.

He nudged the hair off her neck with his nose and brushed his lips  against her skin. She shivered. The bastard had already figured out  every sensitive place on her body and had no qualms exploiting every one  of them.         

     



 

"You're going to be later," he said then scraped his teeth against her flesh.

Her breath caught in the back of her throat.

"Really, we need to go … "

He squeezed her nipple with his thumb and finger then rubbed it deliciously. Pleasure tightened her core.

"Take the day off."

"I can't," she whispered then rolled over, unable to resist the slide of  her skin against his. She hooked her knee over his waist but before she  could breathe she was on her back, arms pinned over her head. He buried  his cock in her-no preparation, no hesitation. Just one deep thrust  that impaled her fully.

Fuck.

He'd known-known how wet she'd be, that her body couldn't resist him. He  knew her reactions. Connor looked down at her. His eyes sparkled.  Triumph and raw satisfaction made him the hottest thing she'd ever seen.  Even if she could have resisted, even if her pussy wasn't  throbbing-begging to be fucked-she wouldn't stop him.

His fingers wrapped around her wrists grounded her, made the world  shrink to this space. They kept her in place when so much seemed out of  control. He moved and her thoughts snapped. Focus narrowed to the  searing pleasure building between her thighs. His expression changed,  heated as he thrust into her slickness. The veins in his neck grew more  pronounced, his control a visible thing. Connor might hold her down but  she had just as powerful of an effect on him. His guard slipped around  her and only she could make him lose control.

Her insides hummed and she bucked against him, pushed herself against  his erection, rocked against it until his butting cock turned her inside  out with pleasure. He released her hands and gripped her thighs, pushed  them to her chest, exposing her to him further, angling her so he slid  into her that much deeper.

She moaned, fisting the sheets. He took her hard. Took her as if he were  imprinting himself on her. He stretched her with each pump, completed  her, filled her and made her whole. His hips knocked hers, his skin  batted against her skin, every stroke of his cock radiated pleasure into  every fiber of her body. Her thighs tensed, and her stomach tightened.  She held her breath as her nerves hitched closer and closer to  shattering.

"Come for me, Charlie."

His hoarse command seized her. Her pussy contracted and she spasmed.  Waves of bliss rolled over her. She shook but he continued to surge  inside her. She twisted and he held her in place, stopped her from  dissolving into the mattress. Her orgasm wracked her, on and on,  smashing through every cell. Her ears rang, her throat hurt. She  screamed but didn't hear the sound.

Connor's fingers dug into her thighs, his cock hardened. He rocked into  her while she quivered. She panted, her lungs raw. He pulled out,  gripped his cock and ran its thick head between her folds, over her  sensitive clitoris.

She twitched, letting out a desperate sound. He dragged his cock higher  then jerked and spurted onto her belly with a growl. The damp length of  his shaft dug into her pubic bone and warmth seeped over her skin.

She couldn't have felt more claimed.

Connor fell forward, braced himself over her with his elbows and rested  his damp forehead against hers. She breathed in his uneven breath,  wrapped her arms around him and held on. The intimacy of the moment  devastated her. More so than when he'd been inside her-more than sex.  His forehead on hers, his cum on her belly, and most of all the way his  breath shook. She'd seen and felt him come undone …

His breath evened and he kissed her, dragging his lips over hers. She  rubbed his back and opened her mouth, drowning in the gentle touch.  Sweet and heady, like a shot of coffee liqueur after a sinful meal.

They rolled to the side and she pressed her face into his neck, his  morning beard just rough enough to scrape her cheeks. He held her,  stroking her hair. She could live off this, forgo food-a dose of this  could sustain her for days.

But the real world already intruded. She could almost hear the clock  next to her bed tick, shouting that she'd be late for work if she didn't  get ready immediately.

"We need to get up." Charlie placed a kiss on Connor's pulse.