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  “Shit,” she called out when he pushed two thick fingers inside her waiting pussy. Her hips bucked, trying to draw him in deeper to her heat.

  “I’m going to make you come on my fingers.” The promise in his tone was like a drug to her.

  All she could do was nod and whimper. He worked his fingers inside her, thrusting, scissoring, driving her crazy. Her back bowed, and she came hard around him as his thumb worked her clit in a way only he’d been able to do.

  His kiss engulfed her released cry, and he slowly lowered them to the ground. He gentled the kiss and began nibbling along her lips. She dragged her lids up and focused on the man above her. Right now, he was the man she’d given her heart and virginity to all those years ago.

  “Brody,” she whispered, reaching up to twine her arms around his neck.

  His stormy brown gaze bore into her as he continued to work his fingers inside her slit. She squeezed her eyes shut again and just allowed the moment to carry her away. He drew free of her and removed her pants then her panties.

  At the press of the broad head of his cock at her entrance, she opened her eyes slightly. His jaw set, tense with control, he pushed inside her with a fluid stroke. Muscles that hadn’t been used in a while gave way to his thickness. A moan of pure pleasure slipped free of her throat.

  “Fuck, you’re tight, Hermione.”

  And, he was bigger. Thicker. Longer. She maneuvered her hands below his shoulders then up, so she could dig her fingers into the muscles over the top of them. Drawing him down closer to her, she buried her face into the side of his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Brody began to move. Slowly, at first, allowing her to adjust to his size. They didn’t speak to one another, just allowed the actions to fall together. The familiarity of his body on hers took her back to all those stolen moments. She struggled to keep the painful memories away. Thankfully, his touch, so potent, superseded anything else.

  He braced his hands on either side of her and picked up his pace. Used to dancing with him, she responded instinctively. Undulating and rolling her hips to get the most of what he was offering to her. Pleasure spiraled up from within her, beginning at the bottom of her feet. He moved one hand to rest on her hip, his grip proprietary.

  “Look at me,” he rasped.

  Somehow, she managed to tear her lids open and meet his demand. She found herself falling into his gaze and knew it wouldn’t take any time at all before she was lost in it. She tried to pull away, but he refused to release her stare. He forced the connection as they both crested the pinnacle together. His cock jerked inside her, filling her with his seed.

  “I’m going to find out all these new tattoos you have on your body.”

  There was promise in his words. She knew, if she opened her mouth, angry words would spill, so she kept her lips pressed tight and just allowed the euphoric emotion that came with having sex with Brody to cocoon her.

  His cock flexed again and grew hard inside her. She raked her nails down his back and groaned when he moved his arm behind her knee, lifting her leg.

  Thank God she didn’t have to go to work for a while, because from the look on his face, he hadn’t any intention of letting her go for a spell.

  f

  “Hi Melinda,” Brody said as he approached the woman standing with the shopping cart before the next aisle.

  She tossed her hair as she turned to look at him. The warm expression on her face fell away to be replaced with a look hot as the ice in Antarctica. “Brody.” One eyebrow rose. “Or do you go by Alton now?”

  “We grew up together; Brody is just fine.”

  Her smile was pleasant, just like nails on a chalkboard. “I hear you landed some big part and came back to give all of us a head’s up.”

  Unease churned in his gut. “Something like that.” He shifted on his feet. “I wanted to deliver the news in person to my parents. And Hermione.”

  Her gaze grew diamond hard. “How kind of you. Have a good day.” She pushed away for two steps before pausing, turning around, and walking up to hug him. “I’ll kill you if you hurt my friend again. She went through hell after you ditched her. I’ll not let that happen again,” she whispered in his ear.

  To the onlookers, it appeared as if she was welcoming him home; he knew that. When, in truth, he got she didn’t give a damn if he was there or not.

  “I don’t want to hurt her.”

  “I don’t care what you want. She’s not one of your Hollywood floozies. She was your fiancée and is my best friend.” Melanie stepped back and pasted a smile on her face, one he accepted was strictly for those looking at them. “I don’t say what I did lightly. Good to see you again.” She pivoted on her heels and walked away, leaving him in a cloud of icicles.

  He spoke to some of the locals, signed some autographs, and finished his shopping. After he took the items home for his mother and put them away, he checked his watch. Noting the time, he went back out to his vehicle and climbed behind the wheel.

  His next stop was out to Vance’s. He knocked on the door to his friend’s house and waited. Vance opened it, wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung jeans.

  “What’s up?”

  “Hey, Vance. You said you had the ring; do you still have it?”

  He scratched at the scruff on his face and backed up. “Sure, come on in.”

  Brody followed him in and closed the door. He walked with Vance into the living room and waited as his friend ambled down the hall to his bedroom. A sound behind him had him turning to face the kitchen. A woman stood there wearing simply a long shirt. Her dark skin glowed and had evidence of recently having been washed.

  Her eyes grew wide, and she moved her mouth as if in shock.

  Brody smiled and stepped toward her. “Hi, sorry to intrude on your morning. I’m—”

  “Alton Rivers.” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God. I’m standing here talking to Alton Rivers, wearing nothing but a shirt.”

  His lips quirked. “Vance’s from the looks of it.”

  “You know him?”

  “We grew up together.”

  “Mr. Rivers, I’m such a—”

  “Let me interrupt you. No need for formality, and please, call me Brody.”

  “Brody?” She flashed her gaze from him to past him.

  “That’s what we call him. Before he moved away and got all famous on us.” Vance’s voice came from behind him, full of light-hearted teasing.

  She walked to Vance after he stepped up beside Brody. “Are you kidding me? You know Alton Rivers?” She seemed to be having a hard time believing what was right before her.

  “I hope so, or else he just broke into my house.” Vance tossed him a small black box.

  Brody opened it, and his heart skipped a few beats. The ring hadn’t been anything extravagant but simple, perfect in his mind at the time. A small diamond solitaire set in an eighteen-karat clad band with flower designs along the gold. He snapped it shut in time to catch the tail end of the woman’s suggestion he have lunch with them.

  “I don’t want to intrude.”

  Vance shook his head. “You’re not getting out of this one, man. I don’t want Kendria mad at me because you didn’t want to eat with us.”

  “Kendria,” he said with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Oh, God, I never even introduced myself.” She offered her hand, after which she bolted, saying, “I’ll be right back.”

  Brody crossed his arms when they were alone. “She’s cute; when’d you start dating her?”

  Vance ran a hand over his head. “She’s the one who Sarah called me about. She’s just sticking around a little bit longer.”

  “Man, you sure have changed. I’m not sure the Vance I knew would have done such a thing.”

  “I’d say we’ve both changed. There’s something about her, Brod, I don’t know what it is. I want to protect her at the same time I want to thrust her up against the nearest wall and fuck her until she has no ene
rgy to move. Even knowing how much you’re still in love with Hermione, I still want you to stay far away from Kendria. There’s got to be something wrong with me.”

  “If you have her in your house wearing nothing but a shirt, I’m guessing that has happened.” He didn’t address the statement Vance made about him being in love with Hermione. “I’m not a threat to you. Aside from being impressed you know Alton Rivers, she was all eyes for you.”

  Vance grunted. “She’s running from someone, has a fractured arm.”

  He frowned. “Someone laid a hand on her?”

  Vance shoved his hands in his pockets. “She says she fell, but I don’t know.”

  “Let me know if I can help,” he added, pitching his voice lower when he spied Kendria approaching them again.

  They sat down to lunch where he spent time asking Kendria questions and answering hers in return. They spoke of his earlier small parts and a bit more about what he was doing in the new Hawk movie. After signing an autograph for her, he shook Vance’s hand before giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek. Then, he left them with a wave.

  He pulled into Hermione’s driveway a short time later. Her car was parked there, and he smiled as he climbed out and made the short walk up to her front door. He pressed the doorbell and rocked back on his heels as he waited for her to answer. Glancing around, he waved at the people who went by and did the same to him.

  “You?”

  He turned back to see her standing there with a frown on her face. “Hermione.” Brody flashed the grin he used on camera, only to lose it when her expression darkened further.

  She crossed her arms under her breasts. Breasts he’d enjoyed fully earlier this morning when they’d stripped away everything but the passion between them. His cock stirred to life again. She was his addiction, and having that taste of her previously had demolished his resistance to her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He stepped forward. “I needed to see you.” Seeing what flowed between Vance and Kendria, Brody wanted to be with the woman who did that for him.

  Her jaw flexed. “Well, here I am.”

  He lowered his head closer to hers. “You can be as pissed as you want, Hermione. Hell, we both know I deserve it. But, none of it negates the fact I can see your arousal.”

  Diamond chips replaced her eyes. Frosted ones, at that. “You came to my door. Who’s to say I don’t have someone in here.”

  His world went green with jealousy then fiery red with anger. “Do you?” The words were forced from his throat and, even so, were barely decipherable.

  “Christ,” she muttered. “I can’t even have a fucking day off to myself. I know you; you’re not going to leave me alone until you look for yourself. Not that my life is any of your business. Come in, check it out, so you can leave.”

  He accepted her less than gracious invitation and made short work of going through her small house. There was no one else there.

  “Satisfied?” she asked, still standing by the door. While it was currently closed, he knew she was ready to toss him out on his ear.

  “Not hardly.” He raked his gaze over her once more. Need that had been simmering in his blood boiled over. He smoothed one hand over his facial hair and approached her. Not slowing until she was in his arms and his lips covered hers once again. Her whimper tore into him, and with a frustrated growl, he backed away. “I have to tell you something.”

  Trembling fingers touched her lips before she shored up her defenses. “Fine, but you have to talk in the kitchen. I’m in the middle of baking.” He waited for her to say something about him kissing her, but she never mentioned it.

  She strode by him, and he pivoted to track her with his hungry gaze. With the way her sweats rode low on her hips and the tank top with its crisscross back highlighted her figure, he knew he was torturing himself. In school, she’d shown the promise of the beauty she would become. Now, a decade later, she’d grown into that woman with abundance. There wasn’t any denying that. She was barefoot, and he’d caught a flash of electric blue on her nails as she’d moved by him.

  I deserve it. I should have left her alone. He hadn’t. Now, he was here. Staring at the one woman—aside from his mother—he’d ever loved. And the one I hurt.

  Her kitchen wasn’t huge, but it was open like the rest of her place. He leaned against the counter and watched her working on something.

  “What are you making?”

  “Cookie pizzas and some fruit pizzas.”

  “A fruit pizza?” He moved closer.

  “Yep.” She rolled out the dough and placed it on the sheet. “One, I’m doing with a sugar cookie crust in a large pizza shape. It’s over there. This one is going to be individual cookies.”

  He washed his hands. “Okay, put me to work.” Her gaze snapped up to his, and he held up his clean hands. “I’m serious. I want to talk to you and I can help. I can follow some orders. So, just tell me what to do.”

  “I need that cream cheese mixture smoothed out over the dough. Then, top it with the fruit. There are containers of it in the fridge. Kiwi, mandarin oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. Just pile it on, try to make it look nice. Once that’s done, take the small green container in there and brush the contents over the entire pizza with the pastry brush laid out there. Then, the whole thing can go in the fridge.”

  “Got it.”

  He took out the items from the fridge and lined it all up for himself, stealing occasional peeks at the woman working in the room with him. Her hair had been piled up on her head, and he recognized the clip holding it there. One he’d given her.

  “Thought you had something to tell me,” she said without looking at him.

  He took a deep breath as he spread the white concoction over the baked and cooled cookie. “I left because I didn’t think I had anything to offer you.”

  Silence met his claim, and he lifted his head to find her staring at him. “Nothing to offer me?” She finally posed the question.

  “The closer we got to the date, I began thinking that I wouldn’t be able to give you the life you deserved. That I wouldn’t be able to provide for you or our children. Not in the way I wanted to.”

  “And, your response to that was running away without a word to anyone.”

  He licked the knife, enjoying the flavor, even as shame put a sour ball in the pit of his stomach. “I was a kid.”

  Her snort had no humor in it. “So was I. And, while I’m not sure why I’m entertaining your need to clear your conscience, what exactly did you think I needed? Or deserved?”

  “Whatever it was, I didn’t feel up to the task.”

  “I don’t know why you thought, after all those years, that I would need something special. We’d known each other for years. Or why you didn’t just come to me and talk about it. But, I’ll tell you this, all I needed was a man named Brody Paget. The man who would take early walks with me. Hold me out in the rain for no other reason than I loved to be out in it. The man who could make me smile merely by walking into a room. A man who never called me crazy or insane when I began dancing, horribly I might add, to music I played on my parents old forty-five. The man who made me feel more cherished than a lot of the couples we saw around town, this town that we had grown up in.” She held his gaze, unflinching. “You took that man away from me and created someone called Alton Rivers. I hope you’re happy as him.”

  “I’m still Brody, Hermione.” Her words cut him deep, and he clenched the edge of the counter as the pain in her words continued to slice him to ribbons.

  “Not as far as I’m concerned. You needed to leave and search for something else, fine. Not blaming you for any of that. Lots of us need to find our calling. But, you took it a step further. You killed Brody, and the only—the only— reason you came back is because you wanted to give us a head’s up about reporters possibly coming back. Not because you wanted to check on us or apologize for what you’d done ten years ago, but so we could practice what we may have to say befo
re a camera and potentially ruin your image. That’s not the Brody I knew and loved. So, it must be Alton Rivers.”

  She finished loading cut cookies on the tray. “I didn’t care we wouldn’t have much money, Brody. I have no problems working outside the home. I’m not someone who wanted to be kept. Never was, and you should have known that. But, you needed more. I hope your fame and money keep you warm at night. Then again, with that, you tend to get more women than you can use, so perhaps, it’s not even an issue.”

  Hermione lifted the tray, carried it to the oven, and slid it inside. She set a timer then moved to his side and swiftly finished putting the fruit down. He stopped staring at her when she finished brushing the liquid from the green container over it. She was efficient and, soon, had that in her fridge as she began cleaning up.

  “I can’t lie—or rather, I won’t—and say I haven’t been with other women,” he began.

  “Stop, just stop right there. I don’t give a damn to know or hear if you’ve been with other women. You have your own life, and I have mine. Now, if you don’t mind, this is my day off, and I’d really like to enjoy some down time.”

  “Are you going to see your parents?”

  Her entire body went rigid. Tears shimmered in her eyes when she met his gaze. “My parents died. Please, see yourself out, Alton.” She slammed down the rag she’d been wiping up the counters with and strode out of the room.

  Fuck.

  Chapter Four

  The first hot tear tracked down her face as she stumbled into her bedroom. She didn’t have long to hide away in here, the cookies would be done in minutes, but for the moment, she needed to just… She climbed onto her bed and curled up in a ball, holding one of her body pillows. The tears ran fast down her face.

  As if it hadn’t been bad enough he’d left her alone, she could have used him when her parents had died. Although they’d been gone for six years now, the pain still existed. She opened her eyes when the doorbell chime reverberated through the house.