RidingtheWaves (3 page)

He took a step forward. “You know what I’m talking about. I
need certain things…sexually.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as the reality of the situation
hung over her head like a bag of concrete. It felt as if someone stomped the
life out of her heart. “Our sex life was good until two months ago. Is that
when you started fucking Willow?” When he nodded, she took a deep breath and
released it slowly. Blood pumped through her jugular and her face burned.

“Annalee, you are a beautiful, wonderful woman. Part of my
desires require physical pain. I could never expect you to inflict—”

“What!”
Physical pain?
She’d love to demonstrate a
little on him right now. “You neglected to talk to me about this, yet you
involved Willow? How in the fuck did you discover she’s into that sort of
thing? I didn’t even know it and I’ve been friends with her for fucking
forever.”

His gaze dropped to the floor.

“Oh I get it. She made the first move, didn’t she?” She
needed to calm down before the top of her head blew off. “Answer me.”

“You’re so innocent in certain aspects. I could never
subject you to this type of sex.”

Was that his way of calling her boring? “Not once have you
said, hey Annalee, let’s buy a whip so you can beat my ass. Not once, Jared.
Not one fucking time.”

“Annalee, I love you. The sex with Willow is just that, sex,
nothing more.”

She raised her chin defiantly. The remorse in his eyes was,
hell, it was too damn late. “And you want the best of both worlds. Pack your
clothes and get the hell out of my house.”

“You’re taking this out of context. I don’t want to lose
you.”

“You should have thought about that before playing piñata
for my best friend.”

Chapter Two

Annalee sat on a chair in the back of the banquet room,
sipping a glass of soda mixed with rum. With each refill, she had unbuttoned
another button on her coat. Only one remained fastened, which was directly
between her breasts. Eventually she’d shed the coat, but not yet. She wasn’t
mentally geared for the exposure.

During the past two weeks she’d been so distressed about her
breakup with Jared, she’d neglected to buy an appropriate costume for Whiltby’s
company party. So, here she sat, clad as a belly dancer with rock and roll
music playing in the background. She wasn’t the only woman dressed risqué for
the event. Surprisingly, three other bellies were exposed by two-piece
costumes. The Indian maiden’s breasts poured over the seams of her skimpy top.

Sean Whiltby Jr., the owner’s son, wore a cheesy smile while
he watched the maiden’s boobs sway in sync with her hips, and he buzzed around
her like a fly on shit. Men! Always searching for a new cave to warm their
cocks.

No!
He was not heading toward her.

Please, not again.

She crossed her legs and glanced at the floor. Maybe he’d
stumble on by if she pretended not to notice his presence. She’d arrived at
eight o’clock and he’d already overindulged in alcohol. His obnoxious behavior
was full-blown, but he did what he wanted without any repercussions.

“Miss Parschen?”

Damn it.
“Yes, Sean?”

He stopped beside the chair, examining her leg as she began
bouncing her foot. “Will you allow me the pleasure of hanging up your coat
now?”

“I’d rather hold onto it. I’m still a little cold.” The
headpiece she wore gave away her outfit, and she had no doubt he impatiently
waited to examine her costume up close.

“Then how about another drink? I’m on my way to the bar.”

“I’ll get one when I’m ready. Thank you.”

He turned and walked into the crowd. She’d spotted only nine
or ten coworkers from her office, escorted by their spouses. The remaining
guests traveled from Whiltby’s numerous out-of-state locations. He deemed the
costume party the biggest event of the year because it represented their
existence within the party supply industry. For seven years, Annalee held the
supervisor position in finances. Willow worked in accounts receivable. Ugh,
why’d she let that name surface? She didn’t care if she ever saw the woman
again. Although, realistically, she’d be forced to endure her presence at least
once a month to audit Willow’s reports. Double ugh.

She rose and, surprisingly, the room tilted. A quick grab
for the back of the chair saved her from an embarrassing tumble. She giggled.
It’d been a long time since she’d drunk alcohol, but she couldn’t think of a
better reason to get shit-faced than having her heart ripped from her chest.
Soon, she needed to tell her mom and dad she’d cancelled the wedding, but she
hadn’t been able to talk about it yet.

When she regained control of her equilibrium, she sauntered
to the bar and ordered her third refill.

“Nice party,” someone said at her back.

She grabbed her glass and spun around. A man dressed as a
surgeon in blue scrubs stood three foot to her left holding a beer. A lopsided
grin contorted half of his face. When he smiled, his eyes turned into thin
slits. “Hi,” she replied. “It’s a very nice party.”

He became a blur when, from the corner of her eye, she
spotted two muscular, mammoth-sized men open the entrance door to the hall and
enter the room. They stood above the tallest man present by at least six inches
or more. And they looked so much alike…wow.

Was she seeing double? How many drinks had she had?

She backed into a barstool, treating herself to a complete
view, and gasped as they greeted one individual after another. A few people
stepped forward, offering handshakes or hugs, their body language expressing an
acute amount of respect. It was no secret each held those men in high regard.

Neither male wore a coat despite the outside temperature
lingering around twenty degrees. Whoa, their huge bodies must harbor tons of
heat. They carried pride on those broad shoulders, and the confidence in their
well-paced strides captivated her to such an extreme, every person and artifact
in the immediate vicinity faded from her view.

Holy hell, they even
walked
alike.

One had on a white shirt, the other wore a black vest over
an unbuttoned, black long-sleeved shirt that hugged his biceps. Some type of
gold band or manacle encircled both arms above his elbows. The sleeve cuffs
were folded, exposing well-proportioned forearms. And his chest, dear God, it
was bare down to the waistline of his black leather pants. She found it nearly
impossible to get a clear, below-the-waist view through the abundance of
bodies, but she tried. Damn, she tried.

She gulped and took a sip of the drink. Then off went the
last button on her coat. Literally. She tugged it open so quickly the button
shot into the air and dropped to the floor.

And then his gaze met hers.

Her fingers trembled as she brought the glass to her lips
once more. As if on cue, he switched direction and headed toward the bar,
leaving the other guy talking amongst a group of people.

While guests addressed him in passing, he smiled and nodded,
but his gaze never wavered from Annalee’s face. The dark shadow of a beard
defined his high cheekbones and sharp jawline. Long jet-black hair hung below
his shoulders, swaying in rhythm to his stride. The familiarity in those
rugged, perfectly chiseled features and gait caught her off guard, causing her
knees to weaken and her heart to pound.

Then a too-familiar wanton ache thumped inside her pussy.
She placed her hand on the closest barstool for stability and smiled as he drew
near. His exotic scent of musk and spices reached her before he physically did.
She inhaled sharply as he stopped only inches away. The hunger in his gaze
prickled her skin as it traveled from her eyes, lingering around her bare belly
to her red-painted toenails.

“Hello, Annalee.”

The timbre of his voice swept across her skin like a soft
caress. If he couldn’t see her shivering to the bone it’d be a miracle. “Brent
Delaney. Oh my God, I barely recognized you.”

“It’s been a long time.”

She dared to visually examine his physique. “You’ve gotten,”
her gaze lingered a second longer on his rippled chest, “bigger.”

The kiss he placed on her cheek ignited sparks in her blood.
His body heat wrapped around her tighter than her underpants. Goose bumps rose
on her flesh. How could such an innocent, friendly peck transmit so much
passion? “I’m sorry I…um, missed your return phone call. I’ve been busy…exceptionally…over
the past couple of weeks…they’ve been horrendous.” An extreme case of jitters
caused her teeth to chatter.

He pressed his luscious lips to her ear. “Relax, baby, I’m
not going to kidnap you.” Hot breath cascaded along the side of her face, down
her neck to the swell of her breasts.

Good God, she was on fire. She swooned and braced her back
against the bar.

As if to steady her, he reached inside her coat and slipped
an arm around her naked waist. She gasped.

“Not yet, anyway,” he whispered in a sensual, husky voice.

Her nipples hardened. If she hadn’t felt them transforming
into stiff little buds, she’d never believe they could do so without
experiencing some form of stimulation.

Again she gasped when his palm skimmed her waist, adding
circular caresses at the curve as if memorizing the detail, before proceeding
lower to the flare of her hip.

Perspiration gathered along the base of her neck.

The man knew exactly what he was doing, and he took his
inquisitiveness a step further by sliding his hand along the outside of her
ass. Through the thin material of her costume, fingertips padded her skin. The
effect was so intense he may as well have inserted a finger inside her vagina.
Juices oozed onto her panties.

She sucked in a breath of air and took a tiny sip of her
drink to regain perspective. “You, um,” she squeezed her thighs together, “look
great, Brent. The pirate costume suits you.”

“Thanks.”

She stepped aside, away from his roaming hands and body
heat. She had to, otherwise she’d be excusing herself to the privacy of the
ladies room to partake in a bit of finger action. But Lord, it was the hardest
thing she’d ever done. “Are you positive you don’t want to relocate to Ohio?”

“I gave up the accounting career for a little warfare. I’m
riding the high seas these days.”

“A real-life pirate?”

“Not quite. I’m one of the good guys who protect Whiltby’s
cargo ships.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re part of Whiltby’s sea crew?
You
rescued Captain Kobby when he was taken captive?” Just three months ago,
pirates had taken control of the sea liner and stolen every box of freight on
board.

The office personnel had constantly gathered around the
water fountains and break room to talk about the horrendous crime, not knowing
the fate of the captain and crew. Unfortunately two men were bludgeoned to
death and tossed out to sea before the rescue team arrived. Brent had been a
part of that? Whoa. “I can’t believe you helped save those men.”

“It’s what I’m hired to do.”

“Brent, you saved people’s lives.”

“I don’t work alone. I couldn’t have done it without my
men.”

She stared into his piercing charcoal eyes. He hadn’t
changed. Brent Delaney remained the same compassionate man who’d never
willingly taken credit for a job well done or put himself above his peers. “Is
he one of them?” She nudged her chin toward the front of the room where the
other huge guy stood smiling and talking to Mr. Whiltby Sr.

He snickered. “Yeah. My brother Brody.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother, let alone a twin.”
Unbelievable. Two Brents actually walking the earth should be illegal.

“There’s quite a bit you don’t know about me,” he said, his
voice sultry and controlled.

Lord, it sounded like he’d dared her to ask his deepest
secrets. “You’re right, I don’t.” But she’d love to find out. Back in the day,
he never talked about family or his personal life, and she’d feared asking
because he appeared very mysterious. Especially his eyes. Oh she loved looking
into those eyes, surrounded by thick, dark lashes. At times they turned black
as if masking his thoughts from the world.

“I’ll introduce you.”

A nervous thrill raced to her tummy. “That would be great.”

The instant Brent looked at Brody on the opposite end of the
room, he glanced back and nodded as if they shared some type of intuitive
connection. Because of the distance, Annalee couldn’t hear what Brody was
saying to an elderly man, but she knew by his meager grin and a pat to the
man’s shoulder he’d politely excused himself.

She watched as he strode across the room, closing the
distance to mere feet. Although he carried himself as confidently as Brent, his
eyes were grayish-blue. They danced with so much emotion it momentarily shocked
her.

They also shared the same dark lashes and the same chiseled
features. From a distance they appeared identical, but up close, despite
resembling each other to an extreme, both brothers’ individuality shined.
Brent’s lips were a little fuller and his eyebrows thicker. She’d definitely
love to meet their parents—these men looked like they came from top-of-the-line
breeding.

“Who do we have here?” Brody asked, glancing first at Brent
then at her from head to toe as if taking inventory of her body parts.

She shifted her footing uncomfortably, thankful she still
wore the coat.

“Annalee Parschen,” Brent replied. “Annalee, meet my brother
Brody.”

“
The
Annalee?” Brody asked, raising both brows.

That rocked her a bit and her hand trembled when she offered
it as a kind gesture. “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine.” He brought her fingers to his mouth
and gave them a gentle kiss. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

You have?
“All good I hope.”

“Coming from my brother,” he winked, “I guarantee it’s
excellent.”

It’s excellent
. Wow. She’d never been so enlightened
or felt so tiny standing in between these two enormous, testosterone-dripping
men.

“Yoo-hoo, Miss Parschen?”

Oh shit!
Annalee glanced in between the brothers at
the same time they looked over their shoulders. Sean Whiltby Jr. stumbled
toward the bar from twenty feet away.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said.

“Sorry, but this is where I make my getaway,” Brody chirped.
“Annalee, I look forward to seeing you again real soon,” he added, then fled
toward a group of people gathered around the dance floor.

Obviously she wasn’t the only person having issues with the
owner’s inebriated son.

Brent nudged his head toward Sean. “What’s that all about?”

“He’s been bugging me to remove my coat.”

A brow rose. “Why haven’t you? It’s quite warm in here.”

“I don’t know.” She held the drink between both hands and
tapped her fingernails against the glass. Her gaze lowered to Brent’s abdomen,
which proved to be a huge mistake. The six-pack of solid muscle sent her mind
traipsing to her bedroom with him in tow. Unless he ended up in her bed, it was
going to be a very long night with her dildo.

While visualizing her hands running along his chest, a vast
amount of heat rushed to her tummy. “I…I guess I’m…feeling a little
self-conscious.” She needed forgiveness for the obscene thoughts running amok
in her head.

He took her glass and set it on the bar. Gently he placed a
hand on each side of her neck. “Annalee, you’re a gorgeous woman,” he said,
stroking her chin lightly with his thumb. “Never hide your beauty.”

The delicate caress caused a new streak of tingles worming
their way to her spine.
Beauty?
He considered her
gorgeous
? Why
hadn’t he ever said so before? She’d thought he perceived her as a plain,
no-frills woman. For the first time in her life, she fell speechless. And
during the awkward moment, the deep feelings she’d harbored years prior came
crashing back, swelling her heart.