Chasing Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers - Wicked Series Book 1) Read online

“Is…Daddy moving in with us?”

  “No.”

  “Then when will I see him?”

  “Don’t you worry, I promise we’re going to come up with a plan where you get to see him often.”

  “Like Kaylee sees her dad?”

  “Like Kaylee.”

  I turned my head so she wouldn’t see the hint of dread in my eyes. Nothing about sending her off for weekend visitations or splitting holidays made me happy. Though I knew I had to share her, I didn’t want to.

  She seemed content, rolling to her side and trailing her fingers down my forearm. “I’m glad he’s my dad.”

  “Me too.”

  Savannah sat up, staring toward the horizon. “Can we all go back to the beach this morning?”

  “You bet. Why don’t you go find your swimsuit and I’ll pack us a bag of snacks?”

  She took off through the adjoining bathroom to her room. Through the slats of the blinds, I could see the sun was already bright. I hadn’t checked the time on my phone, but figured it had to be around nine. Strolling over to the glass door leading to the deck, I took in the beauty of the bright blue sky; it was the same color as Stone’s eyes.

  To the left, motion coming from the stairwell caught my attention.

  Oh. My. God.

  One step at a time, a shirtless, glistening, Stone drew closer, sporting loose black running shorts and damp tousled hair. Without noticing me, he faced the opposite end of the house, giving me ample time to drool over the side view of his lean, chiseled perfection—and hot damn, what a sight he offered.

  Incredibly fit and rippled in all the right places. Solid and perfect. His powerful hands reached above his head, stretching one last time before reaching for a small towel hanging on the rail. He ran the cloth over his face and the back of his neck in quick sweeps, mesmerizing me with a mouthwatering show without even knowing it.

  I took in his powerful legs, slowly trailing up to his bulging biceps then on to his rock-hard chest. Feasting my eyes on every delicious square inch of him, I drew in a deep breath and licked my lips.

  Oh, Mother Mercy.

  Swallowing hard, I roamed up his corded arms to his oh-so-sexy chiseled jaw, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth. When my gaze traveled to his mouth, all the blood in my body seemed to rush to my face. He wore an arrogant grin—I’d been caught taking him in as if he were my favorite dessert. Slowly and reluctantly, I met his cocked eyebrow and amused expression. He had a dark sparkle shimmering in his irises.

  He sauntered over to the pane of glass separating us then rolled his crooked finger back and forth, motioning for me to join him. I pointed my finger down my body—I was wearing a tank with matching pajama shorts and had bed hair. Not caring, he mouthed, “Come here.”

  I opened the door, standing in the doorway. “I was just about to get dressed. Savannah is raring to go down to the beach.”

  He grasped my hand, pulled me out onto the deck, and pulled the door closed. “You look beautiful.”

  “Someone needs their eyes checked. I’m a mess.”

  “A beautiful mess.”

  I rolled my eyes, ignoring him. “Morning run?”

  He laughed but let it go. “Every day.”

  “Running doesn’t make arms look like that. You must have one hell of a workout routine.”

  “For a while, I had nothing better to do than work out. It saved my life.”

  “I feel the same way about my dance class. It pulled me out of a horrible time and helped me cope with a deep depression.”

  “I’m sorry, Avery, for how things worked out. For me not standing up for the truth. For you going through everything alone.” He cupped my face with the palm of his hand, stroking his thumb across my cheek. “Our lives got fucked up by some motherfucker who is going to pay.”

  I turned my head, pressing my lips against his calloused hand. “I’m glad we can be friends, Stone. I’m glad we’ve reconnected. Thank you for bringing me along with you and Savannah.”

  “I’m glad you said yes.”

  The three of us drove down to the beach in Stone’s Jeep. He’d taken the hard-top off and loaded a blue canopy and tropical printed chaise loungers so we could spend the day by the waves.

  After drenching Savannah’s body in a copious amount of sunscreen, I kicked back to watch her play at the edge of the water.

  “Did you apply lotion to yourself?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Turn over onto your stomach and I’ll rub it in.”

  My entire insides did a flip. He didn’t have a clue just how much his touch did me in. Just the thought of his hands on me spread warm tingles from my head down to the tips of my toes.

  “I’m going to stay on my back for a while. It’ll be all right for the time being.”

  “Turn over, Avery. The sun sneaks up on you around here. In a snap, your fair skin will be bright red.”

  Less than forty-five minutes before, his sinful shirtless self had given me a million-dollar show outside my bedroom window. Now his husky, seductive voice brought me to the brink of sexual frustration. He may have considered it an innocent act of kindness, but not me. Just thinking about it provoked the most wickedly sensual thoughts.

  He reached inside the aqua dyed straw bag for the bottle and kneeled in the sand next to my lounger. Savannah was only a couple feet away, working hard to fill her pail with sand as he leaned down to my ear. “I’m not about to let your skin blister, not when there are so many ways I want to fuck you tonight.”

  His words rippled a flush of heat between my legs. Since he had come back into my life, my sexual awareness had been exponentially magnified, especially when he spoke dirty to me. This new side of Stone turned me on so much, I physically tasted the desire.

  All hesitation gone, I rolled onto my stomach, facing Savannah. His hands began working magic on the back of my right calf and down to my foot. He massaged the cream into each toe before working his way up my thighs then moving on to my left leg, foot, and toes. Circle after circle, rub after rub, he reached my upper thighs underneath the cup of my butt, and I bit my lip to keep from moaning.

  The hypnotic massage mixed with the sounds and smells of the sea made my body go limp. Over the rim of my sunglasses, I watched Savannah scoop sand into a large pink and yellow pail. His thumbs worshiped my lower spine, applying smooth, firm pressure all the way to my neck as he spread the protectant across every trace of my skin.

  “You’re supposed to be rubbing me down with sunscreen.” I peered over the rim of my sunglasses at him.

  “I am. Stay quiet and enjoy.” Stone squirted another dab in the palm of his hand before pressing into my shoulders.

  Under his touch, I fell into a complete relaxed state. “You do have a way with your hands.”

  “You have no idea of all the things I want to do to you.”

  “I think I have a pretty good idea.” I let out something between a moan and a sigh. “If we were alone, I’d want you to show me.”

  This time, he let out a deep feral moan of his own, raking his hungry eyes up and down my backside. “Tonight, you’re going to scream my name, but don’t worry Ave—my mouth will silence the cries.”

  With that he pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth before sprinting toward Savannah.

  Later in the afternoon, Stone grilled steaks and we watched a Disney movie until Savannah yawned one last time before closing her eyes.

  “I’ll carry her to bed,” he whispered.

  I slipped into the bedroom, turning the covers back as he carried her like a china doll. She let out a sigh of contentment and pulled her beloved worn pink bunny closer.

  “She’s worn out.” He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.

  “Don’t worry, in the morning she’ll be good as new and you’ll be wondering where she gets all that energy.”

  “There’s a waterslide here on the peninsula, and a cool theme park in Galveston. She might like to do something other than the beach tomorrow.”<
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  I nodded. “She would love either, but I’m telling you she would be just as happy here.”

  “She’s a lot like you, so gentle spirited,” he said, closing the door behind us.

  My heart smiled as much as my mouth. “Don’t let her fool you—she can be stubborn and hardheaded.”

  “Like her dad.” He smiled adoringly.

  “Like her dad.”

  He opened the fridge. “Want a bottle of water?”

  “No, thanks. I’m good.”

  “Let’s go sit outside on the deck. I lit the citronella candles a while ago to deter the mosquitos.” He reached for my hand like we were careless teenagers again.

  Times like these made me feel like we had picked up where we left off. The way his skin felt against mine, the way his breath brushed against my skin, the contrast of my small hand inside his large powerful hold…

  But I wasn’t kidding myself. We were far from where we had been.

  Twinkling stars painted the night sky and although it wasn’t a holiday, a few spectacular flashes of fireworks illumined the beach in flashes. We walked to the railing, soaking in the beauty surrounding us. Stone took a sip from his bottle and sat it down on the wooden surface.

  “Is it always like this? Fun and beautiful, fireworks on a summer night?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can see why Dovie loves it so much. It’s too bad she can’t climb the stairs very well.”

  “She still visits, just not as often because of her knees. I offered to put in an elevator, but she said she’d rather I didn’t. When she started talking about selling, I knew there was no way in hell I was going to let it out of the family.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t let that happen. She told me about meeting your grandfather here, and that’s how the name Dovie’s Sandcastle came to be.” I stared at the blinking lights coming in from ships on the horizon. “If I had a place like this, I’d never leave it.”

  “I miss the house the hurricane destroyed. When she rebuilt, I assumed she meant a replica, but she built this one that’s twice as big.”

  “Since you’re an entrepreneur, you could live anywhere you want. Why would you choose that ridiculous sterile penthouse you call home instead of all of this?”

  There it was—the same broodiness that had overtaken him when he received the phone call and when we were in Houston. It plagued the air between us. I knew something haunted him, and I wanted to know why.

  “This is so you, carefree and comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, your apartment or whatever it’s called is luxurious and beautiful, but it’s cold and uninviting, nothing like the Hill Country you always planned on. For God’s sake, I was terrified for Savannah to have juice amongst all the white décor. It’s not the warm, full-of-life Stone I knew.”

  He leaned onto the railing, threading his fingers together. “That guy no longer exits.”

  “I think he does. I’ve seen him a few times these past few days.” I leaned over the railing, mimicking his casual position and cupping my own hands.

  He angled his head to the side, looking straight at me and shaking his head in a seemingly sad way. “Don’t let your mind play games. He’s been gone a long time.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Avery.” His eyes flashed a warning before he turned back toward the ocean that could only be heard in the darkness, not seen.

  “What is it that makes you so sure you’re not the same great guy you once were?” Every sense about me went into fight mode, and adrenaline-fueled courage pumped through my entire system. “Talk to me.”

  In the silence, I knew he had said all he cared to, and an unwanted heaviness filled my heart. Time was something too precious to take for granted; I knew that firsthand. Even if it took baby steps, I vowed to crack the wall Stone Mitchell had crafted, vowed to shatter it into a million pieces.

  “Make me scream your name, Stone.”

  Chapter 14

  Not waiting for his reply, I strode inside, leaving the door open. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw him shove off the railing and come toward me wearing a raw, primal smile. I made it to the staircase and pulled my tank top over my head, tossing it behind me, and then I didn’t even make it to the second step before he effortlessly draped me over his shoulder.

  He dropped me on the king-sized bed, towering and staring with lust-filled eyes. “Take off your shorts.”

  I breathed in and out, taking him in. He could make any woman sizzle with just a gaze. He seemed to decide I was taking too long in fulfilling his request myself and he snaked his hands at the elastic, pulling them down my legs in an almost rough manner. Electric jolts tingled my spine as he dipped his head, hovering over the dainty triangle of pink silk covering my oh-hell-yes spot.

  “You’re so fucking gorgeous spread out on my bed, like a gift,” he growled.

  My hips arched upward at the feeling of his hot breath brushing against the sensitive skin between my navel and the edge of the silk. His dark, London blue eyes seemed to penetrate deep into my soul.

  His fingers unclasped the front closure of my matching bra, sliding the straps from my shoulders and flinging it through the air. In a blink, he found the delicate strings at my hips and ripped the dainty garment from my body then guided my feet flat on the bed so my knees bent and my legs naturally fell open.

  “Place your hands above your head and hold on until I tell you to let go.” His voice was husky and firm, and his hot breath teased my center as if he was breathing me in. A soft moan escaped my lips and he answered with a soft laugh. “You want to scream, I’ll make you scream.”

  At the first swipe of his tongue, I almost came undone. My flesh pulsed with need for more, and of its own accord, my body writhed and arched upward. His hand pressed firmly against my abdomen and he drew his mouth from my most sensitive spot.

  “Stay still.”

  “Oh God, I can’t. Please, Stone.”

  He kept his hand in place, pressing me back against the mattress. His tongue flicked across my eager crevice as he ran his finger between my folds, followed by his tongue. He sucked the round mound between his teeth, gently nipping and licking. I wanted to buck wildly against him, but his arm held me down.

  Higher and higher, I started soaring toward cries of pleasure. His wicked mouth circled, swiped, and flicked, bringing me closer to bliss. I wanted to beg for mercy, beg him to let me move, but he kept me at bay, receiving only what he wanted to give.

  He pushed a finger inside me followed by a second, fucking me hard and fast while his mouth worked magic. “Cover your mouth with your hand and come for me, Avery. Now.”

  I jerked my hand free from grasping the duvet and suppressed the cries of release in the palm of my hand. With all the willpower I possessed, I contained my earth-shattering scream of pure bliss. I convulsed against his mouth as he slowed and gently rode me through waves of pleasure.

  “I love watching you come apart,” he whispered, his forehead to mine.

  I had no words, and couldn’t have spoken them if I’d tried. I came hard and my chest rose and fell as if I couldn’t catch my next breath.

  “That was amazing.” I propped up on my elbows, expecting him to climb up in the bed with me. Instead he walked away, leaving me naked and exposed.

  I watched him disappear through a doorway in the corner of the room. After rattling around a bit, he returned, wearing a look that dared me to ask. He shook his head, cutting off the questions before I spoke a word. Shudders passed through me as I patiently lay waiting for what he had planned.

  “Close your eyes.”

  Excitement flooded through me as I did as he asked. Something velvety soft covered my lids, and his hands slipped the elastic around the back of my head. “Stone—”

  “Shhh, no talking.”

  His finger trailed down the side of my face to my jawline then made its way around the edges of my lips. “I’m going to take you slow, and then I’m going to fuck you long and hard, all night long.”<
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  His mouth crashed onto mine and I greedily opened, inviting his tongue inside, still carrying my taste. He stole my breath away and I would have gladly traded ever having air again if this were my reward. I burned inside out.

  When he ended the kiss as quickly as he had started it, I wanted to protest but kept quiet as he’d ordered. Beside the bed, the sound of the metal zipper echoed with intensity, and the rustle of his clothes hitting the floor caused my heart to thud against my chest cavity.

  “You’re so responsive, Avery. I like hearing your pants and seeing you squirm for more.”

  Then the room quieted, except for his footsteps stepping away, his feet carrying him in the same direction as earlier.

  It seemed as if I was alone forever in the thrill of the unknown. I waited impatiently while my body ached for his touch, ached to be worshiped and filled by him.

  “Does being blindfolded turn you on?” I hadn’t heard him approach and flinched in surprise.

  “Maybe.”

  “Are you afraid?”

  “Should I be?”

  “No. I would never hurt you, Ave. You wanted to know who I am—this is me. This is just a taste of what I like. I need to be in total control, and when I’m pleasuring you, you’ll stay still, learn to control yourself. If you make a sound, I’ll bind your mouth.”

  Was this light dominance? Did he do darker things? I’d read the books and watched the movie that took the world by storm. Women had become fascinated by the pleasures of BDSM. Was this a softer edge of that? A thousand thoughts pushed through my mind, like if I should expect him to want to spank me, and if he did, would that turn me on?

  I didn’t have time to linger on the what-ifs. He dragged a small piece of ice across my right nipple, down the globe of my breast, across the small juncture between, and onto my left nipple. The sensations were almost too much, but I gasped and arched upward for more.

  He chuckled. “This is only the beginning. If you want me to stop, say the word.”

  I shook my head in a frenzy. “More…”

  He bit down on my taut nipple, not enough to cause pain, but enough to make me flinch. Immediately he swept another fragment of ice over it before licking and biting again.