Battered Not Broken Read online

  Seeing him fully coherent and apparently healthy again was unraveling the bonds of anxiety that had threatened to choke her the night before. If she’d gone home, she wouldn’t have been able to sleep. Fear for him and guilt over leaving would’ve kept her up all night. As it was, his improvement lifted her spirits, even if his eyes were red-rimmed. How long had he been up?

  He seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but turned to face the stove after a moment’s pause. “Two sunny-side up eggs coming right up.”

  She considered asking him if he wanted help, but something told her he wouldn’t appreciate being babied. So she took a seat at the nearby table and watched him cook.

  Bruised and bandaged or not, he was beautiful. Butterflies soared through her empty stomach. What would it feel like to wake up in his apartment after a night that hadn’t involved blood, bandages or pain? She let her gaze drift from the broad span of his shoulders to his trim torso, all the way down to where the shallow trench of his spine met denim. His jeans were slung low – perfectly low – around his hips, like they’d been made to ride there.

  He lifted two eggs from the pan with a slotted turner and slid them onto a waiting plate. A particularly strong wave of bacon-scented air wafted toward her as he removed several pieces from the pan and laid them next to the eggs.

  “Here you go.” He carried her breakfast to the table and placed the plate in front of her, like the world’s sexiest waiter, flashing her a half-smile that left her breathless.

  When he handed her a fork, she took it and started eating her breakfast, partially because she was hungry and partially because having a full mouth made up for the fact that she didn’t know what to say.

  A few moments later, he joined her with a plate of his own. “I’ve got coffee brewing. It’ll be ready soon.”

  “Sounds great.”

  The table was small. Despite the fact that he was technically sitting at the side opposite hers, his knee brushed her thigh as she ate. The contact brought back memories of their night at the movies. Though reality defied the notion, it seemed like a long time ago.

  Maybe that was because the amount of time she’d spent with him so far was roughly equivalent to about half a dozen standard dates. If the relatively unexciting dates she’d been on with other guys were to be used as a plumb line for comparisons, anyway. Sometime between the moment she’d slipped behind the wheel of his car and when she’d fallen asleep holding his hand on the couch, their night together had evolved irrevocably beyond what could be called a mere second date.

  “Do you want me to drive you straight home later, or to the gym?”

  Ally froze mid-chew. She’d all but forgotten that it was Saturday and what that meant. “To the gym, I guess.” Her fights were that night, and she definitely wanted to get in some practice early enough to leave herself time to rest before the actual event.

  “Great. That way I’ll be there for sure to help you practice those kicks.”

  Oh, no. “You don’t have to do that. After last night, you’d be better off getting some rest.”

  His brows plunged as he shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth. The motion caused the skin at the top of his brow to pull slightly at the lowest end of his butterfly bandage.

  Ally tried not to wince visibly as she regretted her phrasing. Apparently, he didn’t appreciate being told what he’d be better off doing.

  “Look, I’m sorry I freaked you out last night. But I’ve had a hundred of those headaches if I’ve had one. I know what I’m capable of, and I’ll be fine coaching you for an hour or two.”

  Her insides wriggled with guilt. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be bossy. Have you been living with those migraines for long?”

  “Almost a year.” His tone was even, but for the briefest of moments, his eyes seemed to flash a darker shade of blue.

  Almost a year. The date struck a familiar chord in her memory. Hadn’t he said he’d moved to Baltimore nine months ago from North Carolina, where he’d been stationed as a marine? Could that have something to do with why he was no longer serving in the military? Or had his contract simply ended, leaving him free to pursue a civilian life? After obviously rubbing him the wrong way with her last suggestion, she didn’t have the will to ask. “That’s too bad. I’m sorry you have to deal with them.”

  “Yeah.” It sounded like less of an agreement than a simple acknowledgement that she’d spoken. He took another bite instead of responding further.

  When she finished eating, he cleared her empty plate from the table along with his own and deposited them both in the sink.

  Ally excused herself to use the restroom. Before she left the small bathroom, she gargled with a capful of mouthwash from the bottle that rested on one corner of the sink. When she finished, her mouth tingled with minty freshness – a true relief after going to bed and waking up without brushing her teeth.

  Ryan was still sitting at the kitchen table when she emerged, his elbows propped on its surface as he stared across the room with eyes that were bluer than the sky.

  No sooner had she stepped foot into the kitchen than he rose.

  “Ally…” He faced her, his eyes reflecting seriousness – and maybe a hint of indecision, if she wasn’t mistaken.

  It was the first time she’d seen him look uncertain. “What is it?”

  He crossed the space between them in two surprisingly quick steps. When he reached her, he placed his hands firmly on her sides. Meanwhile, he bowed his head, the butterfly bandage she’d fixed him up with nearly brushing her hair.

  Instinctively, she tipped her head back.

  He took her mouth in a crushing kiss that made the one he’d given her two days ago beside his mustang seem absolutely chaste in comparison. The heat of his lips against hers swept through her entire being, lighting up her nerve-endings like Christmas tree lights. She’d managed to contain the strongest of her feelings inside some sort of mental lockbox the night before, but it seemed to have broken overnight, leaving her vulnerable to a tidal wave of raw emotional and physical sensation that made her realize how very, very badly she wanted him.

  He slipped his tongue past her teeth, penetrating and exploring the recess of her mouth. His intrusion set her senses on fire and demanded all of her attention, and yet, it felt right. Nobody else’s tongue had ever felt like it belonged in her mouth, but his did. She let hers slide along the length of his, tasting him. His breath held a hint of smoky flavor, courtesy of his breakfast.

  When he slid his hands lower so that they rested on her hips, she opened her mouth a little wider, welcoming him deeper.

  His response was two-fold – a low rumble of a moan and a swift tightening of his grip that drew her so close that she stood snug against him, his jeans button digging into her middle. And below that… A hard rod had risen beneath the denim. It rested against her belly, unforgivingly rigid. She wasn’t soft around the middle – daily workouts had seen to that – but feeling how firm his erection was against her stomach sent a shockingly strong thrill through her.

  In one breathless moment, everything between her waist and her thighs seemed to tighten, wrenching the air out of her lungs as sensation shot up all the way from her now-aching sex to her mouth, causing it to water around Ryan’s invading tongue.

  He pulled her even closer as another moan rumbled in the pit of his chest. In that moment, she would’ve rather been struck by lightning than separated from his all-consuming embrace.

  When their lips finally parted, she felt almost as if she’d sustained a blow to the skull. Her head spun and buzzed faintly, and her eyes didn’t quite want to focus.

  It only added to her dizziness when Ryan lifted her suddenly, using his grip on her hips to hoist her into the air.

  She gasped and instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist – a move that sent his breath rushing from his lungs, too.

  He seemed to regain his momentum a moment later and quickly turned.

  The toe of Ally’s shoe brushed
the corner of the island countertop, then the counter’s hard surface was beneath her, the edge forming a bench that supported her as Ryan continued to grip her hips, keeping his body wedged firmly between her thighs.

  One breathless moment later, he pressed his mouth to hers again, picking up where they’d left off. This time, he slid his hands around until his palms glided over her belly. His intentions became clear when the sound of her jacket zipper being pulled down rent the air, a metallic zip that heightened her senses.

  She let him remove it from her body, allowing the sleeves to slide down over her arms so that the garment puddled behind her on the countertop, forgotten.

  With the barrier no longer between them, it felt even more stirring when he replaced his hands on her sides, the heat from his palms radiating through the thin fabric of her long-sleeved t-shirt. Slowly, he slid them upward, until his fingers met the lower swells of her breasts.

  Her bra was the soft-cupped kind that supported with an underwire but didn’t add unnecessary bulk or padding. She’d worn it because it was pretty and comfortable, but in retrospect it had been an excellent choice for other reasons as well – namely, because it let her feel the pressure and heat of Ryan’s fingertips almost as easily as if there had been nothing between them.

  Her nipples hardened instantly as he caressed the lower curve of each breast, his fingers drifting over their outlines in a half-moon shape. Back and forth, he took his time moving upward. By the time his fingertips slipped over her nipples, they were aching.

  He rubbed them through her clothing, beginning a circular, teasing massage.

  Between the magic he was working with his fingers and the way he’d entwined his tongue with hers, she was on the verge of sensory overload. At the same time, she wanted more. She was constantly aware of the solid presence of his torso between her knees. It sent little tremors through the insides of her thighs as she continued to grip him that way, hooking her ankles behind his hips.

  When he removed his hands from her breasts, a throbbing began beneath her breastbone, protesting the end of something she’d only begun to enjoy. She sighed, gripping him more tightly with her knees, willing him not to stop.

  Heedless, he slid his hands lower, until he settled his fingertips on the button above the fly of her jeans.

  Chapter 8

  Every nerve in her body seemed to spark when he popped the button through its hole, then pinched the zipper between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it down with a zip that caused every inch of her skin to pebble.

  Slowly withdrawing his tongue from her mouth, he straightened to his full height, his fingers resting in the V between the parted teeth of her zipper.

  When he met her gaze, all traces of the uncertainty she’d seen there a short while ago were gone. His eyes gleamed with a deliberate intent that seared her all the way down to her bones. In one impossibly quick motion, he hooked his thumb beneath the waistband of her jeans, took a step backward and pulled them over her hips. Inch by inch, he tugged them down, until they pooled at her ankles.

  After removing her shoes without bothering to untie them, he let her jeans slide all the way off. A half-smile of satisfaction spread across his face as they hit the floor with the soft sound of crumpling denim.

  He stepped back between her legs, his groin meeting the edge of the countertop as he smoothed his palms over the outside of her thighs, from knee to hip. “Your skin is so soft.” He leaned in close, his lips just barely brushing her jaw as he spoke.

  Her lips tingled, anticipating contact.

  But he bypassed her mouth as he sank down, lower and lower until he was kneeling in front of her, his chin level with the countertop.

  Ally’s pussy shrank of its own accord, an instant tightening seizing it as she looked down, taking in the proximity of his mouth to her mound. It was covered by her panties, but those were thin – so thin that his breath was warming her tingling skin there every time he exhaled.

  When he reached up and hooked his thumbs into the sides of her panties, she almost forgot to breathe.

  Raising her bottom up off the counter, she made it easier for him to pull the microfiber hot shorts down. As soon as they were past her hips, his breath hit the bare skin of her sex.

  The effect was explosive, especially for such a fragile touch of air. Her arms and thighs trembled as she sank back down onto the countertop as gracefully as she could manage before her muscles could give out altogether.

  Though she was seated again, she was hardly less exposed to his gaze. He was focusing on the tender area between her thighs with an intensity that made her want to squirm – half from anticipation and half from sudden nervousness.

  As if he’d read her mind, he dropped his gaze, pulling back far enough that she could no longer feel his breath against her skin. When his jaw brushed her knee, he turned his head, pressing his lips to the same spot.

  He showered her knee with light kisses, ones that were more breath and heat than lips or tongue. As he moved upward, they became more intense – harder pressed and longer lasting. By the time he’d kissed a trail mid-way up her thigh, he was applying his tongue as well as his lips, licking and then scraping lightly with his teeth. At the same time, he gripped a thigh in either hand, his hold firm.

  She didn’t dare move. If she did, she might melt on the countertop. Her thighs were already trembling and her breath was coming faster and faster.

  When his lips were just a couple scant inches from the juncture between her thighs, he paused and looked up.

  His gaze locked with hers and the initial eye contact was like an electric shock. One that jolted her to her core and left her tingling with a lingering sense of exhilaration.

  A gasp escaped her, half-hushed and half-ragged.

  Closing his eyes, he tightened his grip on both her thighs and pressed his mouth flush against her pussy.

  She shaved her entire bikini area out of personal preference. With hours spent at the gym nearly every day, training and sweating, lack of body hair made it easier to get and stay clean. Being bare down there helped her feel fresh, and smooth skin was at least as feminine as natural curls, if not more so. At least, that was what she’d always told herself. As Ryan devoured her with an open mouth, the only thing she could think about was how good it felt to have his tongue and lips against her bare skin with nothing between her and him.

  He worked his tongue over and below her clitoris, running the tip of it between her lips, teasing her entrance. The glide of his tongue over her sensitive skin was wet, hot and explosively intimate. He took the time to get acquainted with her every fold and swell, as if he wouldn’t rest until he’d tasted every bit of her.

  That idea had Ally gripping the edge of the countertop, her arms and fingers tense. If she’d been able to see her knuckles, she wouldn’t have been surprised to find that they were white. Instead, she squeezed her eyes tightly closed, shutting out the light pouring in through the kitchen window, the sight of the kitchen and living room – everything. All she wanted to focus on was Ryan – the way his hands felt on her thighs and his tongue felt on her clit, then inside her, and finally circling her clit again.

  Sitting perched on the edge of the kitchen counter with his head between her legs was going to lead to the quickest orgasm of her life. It was already mounting inside her, winding her nerves tight and filling her entire middle with a delicious sense of impending release. She craved it, even feared she’d crack at the seams if it didn’t happen soon.

  Maybe he sensed it, or only guessed. Either way, it was heaven when he devoted all his attention to her clit, working it with his tongue and letting his teeth scrape lightly over the top of the swollen bud. That combined with the way his stubble scraped the insides of her thighs was what sent her over the edge.

  Her climax gripped her with breathtaking intensity, causing her limbs and fingers to tense to the point that it hurt to grip the counter so hard. Even her breath seemed to freeze inside her lungs. Only her hips still s
eemed to be mobile. They bucked involuntarily, causing her clit to grind against Ryan’s mouth in a way that set the air inside her lungs free. Her breath escaped her in a shuddering gasp, one that lasted for several long, mind-numbing moments. When it ended and she opened her eyes, it was like emerging from a dense fog.

  His gaze cut through the haze her orgasm had left her in. Looking down, she met his eyes as he rocked back on his heels, still gripping her thighs. His lips were shining wet, and not just with his own saliva. When he extended the tip of his tongue and swiped it over the generous swell of his lower lip, her pussy seized up all over again, wrenching one last wave of pleasure out of her. It left her with hitching breath and a palpitating heart.

  It couldn’t have been more welcome when he rose and wrapped his arms around her. His embrace supported her, giving her the freedom to melt like she’d wanted to the instant his tongue had touched her clit. She let herself lean into his chest, her flushed cheek against his pec.

  His beating heart took her by surprise, pounding out a furious rhythm against her jaw. It had to be racing as quickly as hers – something she wouldn’t have predicted.

  He tipped his head, nuzzling his mouth in close above her shoulder as he reached up with one hand to brush loose sections of her hair out of his way. When his lips made contact with her neck, she sighed.

  He kissed and nibbled, letting his lips and teeth scrape her neck in an imitation of how he’d used them to give her such pleasure only moments ago.

  The sensation set her nerves tingling in memory and reminded her of how she’d felt before he’d pushed her to climax – taut, aching and expectant. If the tenseness of his muscles and the hard rush of his breath was any indication, he felt the same way. Eager to feel his desire for herself, she slipped a hand below, past his washboard abs and over the V of muscle that slashed down to his groin.

  He was even harder than he’d felt when they’d first kissed that morning and he’d pressed himself against her. Running her thumb down the length of his erection was like stroking a bar of heated steel. Satisfaction unfurled inside her – satisfaction that he was hard for her and that making love to her with his mouth had made him even harder.