Closer Than A Brother Read online

  “I was barely able to get a flight into JFK because of the snow.”

  “How long are you in town?” she asked turning toward him. His body much closer than expected, she collided with his hard chest. Her gaze immediately rose to search his eyes, darkened, she suspected, with desire. She felt the heat creeping up her neck—the strong need to run her hand up and over his hard chest. Her hands ached from wanting to touch him again.

  “I’m in town for as long as you will have me, Danielle.” His deep, hushed voice sent chills over her body. She had thought about him often in the last two months and how he felt against her naked form. She needed him to kiss and caress her. I want his touch…God what am I thinking? This is Shane, annoying little boy from down the street that would never leave me alone—turned into an amazing, sexy, hard-bodied, irresistible, man… damn it. She could barely look at him with all the carnal thoughts running through her mind, clouding her better judgment.

  “What? What’s wrong?” He stepped toward her.

  “I…It’s nothing. You definitely can stay this evening. I don’t want you going back out in this weather. I have a pull-out couch,” she said, moving away from him.

  He moved so quickly it took her by surprise. His hands at her hips, he moved her back to the window his body blocking her in. She felt the familiar chill at her back as he stared down at her. His forehead leaned in against hers. “I have really missed you, Dani. Not just these last two months, but these last ten years. I’m tired of you avoiding me.”

  “I’m not—I’m not avoiding you.” She felt her breath catch in in her throat.

  “Then why are you denying this chemistry between us?”

  “What in the world are you talking about?” She put her hands up as a barrier between them. She wasn’t going down this road again with him. Her hands met the hard muscle of his chest as she tried to push him away. She looked back up at him when he grabbed her hand and moved it away from his chest, down to her side, moving her body closer to his. “What…chemistry?” He kissed along her jawline.

  “You are so full of shit,” he growled in her ear, his breath hot against her.

  “We can’t do this,” she groaned, feeling her guard cracking.

  “Dani, don’t feed me a line of crap. We went through all of this at your parent’s house and then again at the club. You know what chemistry I’m talking about.” His hand encircled her waist.

  “We are family, damn it!”

  “Not blood.” He breathed in her ear. “Our moms are best friends. They would be our biggest supporters,” he persisted.

  “Damn it. Damn you. I can’t think straight when you are this close,” she moaned.

  He finally captured her lips with his. She opened to him. She could feel her knees weaken as his hands immediately supported her at either side of her hips, pulling her into his arms. Moving his erection against her stomach, she gasped as he nipped at her ear. “Are you okay to do this?” She sighed as he ran lazy kisses over her face, and down her neck.

  “I’m more then okay, baby.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said putting a hand to his chest. Physically or emotionally.

  “I can handle whatever you’re willing to give.” He hoisted her up against him. “I want all of that and more, Danielle.”

  She lifted her T-shirt up and over her head, discarding it on the floor. She watched his eyes darken as he took in the sight of her full breasts. “No bra?”

  “I was ready for bed, when someone showed up at my door.”

  He smirked. “Let me make it worth your while.”

  She whimpered slightly when he took a dark nipple in his mouth and caressed it with his tongue. She bit down on her lower lip and held on tight to his shoulders when his hand disappeared under her boy shorts to find her center, wet and waiting for his touch.

  “Where is your room?” he uttered against her lips.

  “Down the hall, second door on the right.” She barely pointed before he lifted her in his arms, his lips never leaving hers.

  They entered her room, and he lowered her to the bed. Her hands were at his belt as he pulled the sweater up and over his head. She immediately focused on his wound, still taped up, but not as bad as it had been. “Oh, Shane,” she said feeling tears coming to her eyes.

  “Hey, hey,” he said, lifting her chin up. “I’m fine.” She stared back into his heated eyes. “Don’t cry, Dani. You have me thinking you might actually care about me,” he teased, brushing his soft lips over hers.

  “You know I care about you, Shane.” She sighed, feeling his arms tightening around her. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” she scolded in his ear.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he drawled.

  “Who are you calling ‘ma’am’?”

  He chuckled moving his hands over her butt. He squeezed playfully. “I’m serious.” She pulled back from him. “I was sick to death when I looked down at you in that club. You were limp and lifeless and…” She choked back a sob.

  “I heard it was pretty bad,” he said softly. “I’ve been scolded already from my mom, your mom, and Brandi. I know I scared everyone and I’m sorry. I’m on leave right now so no harm can be done.” He threw his hands up in surrender.

  She stole that moment to bend down to kiss his stomach, next to his wound. Unzipping his pants, she laid kisses against every revealed piece of skin she could reach. She watched him step out of his jeans and boxers. Feeling her breath catch as she looked over his sculpted, tan body. His hardened length twitched under her scrutiny, and she grinned. “You are gorgeous, Shane,” she said, gazing up at him. He took her hand and pulled her to him circling her with his arms. She sighed against him, loving the way his taut skin felt under her soft hands.

  “Thank you,” he muttered against her ear. “You aren’t so bad yourself.”

  She watched as he bent to pick up his jeans to produce a gold wrapper. Her eyes widened as he held it up for her to see. “The famous gold wrapper.”

  “No interruptions this time,” he promised. “If someone knocks on that door, they can go to hell ’cause I’m not answering it.” He leaned her back on the bed covering her body with his, taking her mouth in a kiss that sent her heart racing. She took the condom from his hand, opening it and flinging the wrapper to the floor. She found him hard and ready between their bodies. Her warm hands moved over his steel hardness. His erection jerked in her hands and had him to gasping. She looked in his eyes. Years of longing and desire were harbored in his smoldering eyes. “Shane,” she whispered as she caressed his face. “Please don’t put me up there.”

  “Up where baby?” he asked kissing her softly.

  “I don’t want to disappoint you,” she mumbled as he captured her ear lobe between his lips.

  “How in the world would you do that?”

  “I feel like you had a vision of how you wanted this night to go between the two of us. I hope it just matches up to what you had in mind.”

  “You think I put you up on a pedestal? Is that what you meant by up there?”

  “Yes,” she answered, avoiding eye contact.

  He kissed the beating pulse on her neck as his hands traveled down her body. Everywhere he touched ignited something in her she didn’t know was there. She wanted him. She was willing to give herself to him. The thought scared the hell out of her, but she would live in this moment and hope for the best.

  “Danielle, I love you. No matter how this turns out, I couldn’t imagine anyone else I would want to be with right now. Lying on that hospital bed, I only wanted to get better so I could come here and be with you. Making love to you right now would be an added bonus. I am fine with just being here with you if that is all you want.”

  Her eyes searched his. “No,” she breathed. She caught his hand before he could move away. “I want you to touch me.” She saw the desire come back in his eyes as he lifted a hand to stroke her breasts. “Yes, baby, right there.”

  He brought his warm mouth down on a h
ard nipple. His other hand separated her legs. “These are sexy as hell, baby, but they would look so much better on the floor right now.” He slipped both hands between the waistband of her boy shorts to move them over her hips and clear them out of his way, tossing them to the floor. He brought his attention back to her, kissing over her breasts and stomach, his hand exploring her body as well as causing her to buck and grind against his touch.

  “Tell me what you need, baby. I want to make you feel good.” He ran a hand over her belly.

  “Yes, keep going,” she moaned. His abled hands ran the length of her body, racing each other to their goal, over her belly button, down over each thigh. She held her breath in anticipation. Both hands slipped between her thighs and she closed her eyes tight, reveling in the fact she could not see him. She allowed her other senses to pick up where her sight left off. She could hear his raspy breathing and feel his warm touch. He pushed her legs wide, revealing her sex to him. She nearly lost her mind when his thumb ran over her sensitive nub. “Baby, you are so wet.” His warm words against her sensitive V caused her to shiver. Two fingers traced the outside of her opening. “One or two?” he asked.

  “Fill me up,” she whispered.

  * * * *

  He raised his head to watch her reaction as he stroked two fingers in and out of her wet channel. His tongue joined the assault on her swollen clit. She writhed against his hand and mouth. “Yes! Just like that,” she cried.

  “Yeah, baby, tell me what you like.” He moved fingers slick with her essence in and out to the rhythm she set with her hips.

  “I need you inside of me—wait…mmm…” She opened her eyes searching out his gray-blue eyes. “I need you inside of me.” She grabbed his wrist, halting his ministrations. Pulling him up toward her, she placed both hands on either side of his face. She kissed him gently. “Make me yours,” she whispered.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice,” he growled, capturing her lips again, this time more possessive and hungry.

  She felt his heavy erection against her stomach and she moaned, wanting to feel him inside her. “You feel so good.” She closed her eyes moving her hand to take hold of his thick girth. She ran her hand up and over the smooth sheathe stretched tight to encase his length.

  He took hold of her hands, hands that were controlling his pleasure, and held them above her head. “I can’t let you touch me, baby, or this will not last as long as we both would like.” He winked at her, moving his mouth to hers.

  She kissed him with as much passion as she could muster without use of her hands and her body trapped beneath his. He has full control. He positioned the smooth head of his member at her entrance. Her pussy wet with anticipation, she bucked her hips to meet him. She felt his lips curve in a mischievous smile. “You okay, baby?” he asked, licking at the quickened pulse on her neck. “Don’t play games,” she moaned. She lifted her head a fraction to meet his kiss. He swallowed her scream when he entered her, smoothly, without further pause.

  * * * *

  He released her hands, leaving her free to grab hold of his arms. She felt blinding pleasure wash over her body as his hand moved between their bodies, finding her clit with the pad of his thumb. All thoughts of who was younger and who he was to her vanished from her mind as he moved her to orgasm. As he continued moving in and out of her, she felt a sheen of perspiration forming on her body. She closed her eyes welcoming the overwhelming sensation each nerve ending was experiencing. She whimpered as his warm mouth found her nipple hard and ready for him. She arched her body again, matching each thrust he gave her. She was ready for him.

  “Baby, I’m going to come.” She heard him growl.

  “I’m right there with you,” she moaned.

  She heard him roar her name, somewhere in the midst of her own haze of ecstasy.

  Chapter Eight

  “Wake up, you bum.” She poked at the toned form in her bed. He rolled over bringing a pillow with him, and tossed it in her direction.

  “Leave me alone. I need sleep,” he grunted, pulling her light gray and pink comforter up over his face.

  “You’ve been here for two weeks, Shane. You know I like to get up early, have a cup of coffee, and get our day started. You act like this is new.” She pouted, getting up to move around her room. They had spent two amazing weeks together. She took him to all the New York attractions from the Empire State Building to horse-drawn carriage in Central Park, covered in snow. They ice-skated in Rockefeller Plaza and took the Staten Island Ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty. Every night he took her back to her apartment and made love to her until she lay breathless in his arms. He whispered his feelings to her until she fell asleep, next to him, on top of him, under him, and sometimes with him still warm within her. She was falling hard for him, and she didn’t know what to do about it. It scared her.

  He sat up. “Hey,” he said softly watching her walking around her room.

  “What,” she replied, still sullen.

  “What time is it?”

  “Ten in the morning.” She turned back to look at him. He ran a hand down his face.

  “What are you cooking in there? It smells awesome.” He turned his face in the direction of the kitchen.

  A huge grin moved across her face. “It’s Thanksgiving Day, knucklehead. I’m making our dinner.”

  “It’s early as crap, babe,” he complained, falling back on the bed.

  “So what. We’ve already missed half the damn parade. Wake up and watch it with me.” She fell on her bed. He immediately rolled over on top of her.

  “Oh no you don’t.” She giggled as he nuzzled her neck.

  “You know I like the way you feel in the morning.” He flirted with her.

  “I know you do, and I’m not getting into this right now.”

  His hand moved down the side of her body. “But I miss you.”

  “We were just together last night.”

  “That is too damn long ago.” His warm tongue moved in circles along her pulse.

  She giggled at the sensation. “See, you know that is my spot and you are using it against me.”

  “Mm-hmm.” His hand found her breasts underneath her snug T-shirt.

  “Stop…mmm…I—I…have to go check on the food…”

  * * * *

  An hour later, Shane wandered into her kitchen, wrapped in a towel—his hair wet from a shower. Her gaze ran hungrily over his hard body, and she felt her insides stir. It didn’t matter how many times she saw this man naked, she would feel the pang of desire every time. “Would you be terribly mad if I invited some folks to dinner?”

  Distracted by the towel, she barely looked up at him when she answered. “Who could you possibly know in New York?”

  “They aren’t from New York,” he drawled dropping onto a bar stool.

  “Who is it?”

  “Our parents.”

  “What?” Her gaze shot up to meet his.

  “I flew our parents up for Thanksgiving.”

  “You acted like you didn’t even remember it was Thanksgiving an hour ago,” she nearly screeched. “Does your mom even know you’re still up here?”

  “Of course she does.” He laughed.

  “Oh my God, Shane. I don’t know if I’m ready for them to know that we are—”

  “That we are what, Danielle?” he asked standing up to face her. “Shacking up? Screwing like bunnies…”

  “Stop it,” she warned him. “This is not funny.”

  He moved toward her. “That I’m having the time of my life with the most beautiful woman I have ever met?” he said against her mouth, nipping at her bottom lip.

  “No, I was going to say that we are crazy, horny nuts that have lost our freaking minds.” she said hitting his arms.

  “Oh, I’m nuts all right.” He playfully swatted her ample backside.

  “Stop that!”

  He silenced her words with his mouth. She fell into his embrace, allowing him to kiss her.

  “Bran
di and Jason are coming too.” He breathed against her mouth.

  “Damn it, Shane, who is cooking for all these people?”

  “I saw the turkey, the size of a small child, you bought the other day, baby. I think we have enough. I can help you make sides and you know your mother and my mother will bring something.”

  She frowned at him. “What is it?” he asked.

  “It’s just…we are…what are we? We haven’t defined us, and now we are making Thanksgiving dinner for our parents and best friends. We are standing here in my kitchen cozy, in pj’s…and a towel, talking like a couple.”

  His gray-blue eyes darkened when she mentioned the word. “That is exactly how I think of us, baby. You’re my woman.”

  “We haven’t made that official,” she protested.

  “I’m telling you, I want you to be my woman. If there are any other men in your life…” Shane’s voice faded. Jealousy and emotion were so sexy on a buff cop.

  She grinned at him. “What’s wrong, Officer Matthews?” she asked, purring his name. “The thought of another man touching me got you worked up?”

  “There better not be any other man touching you.” His voice turned dangerous.

  “Whoa, partner. I don’t have time for any other man, trust me, with the way you have me lying on my back every night,” she whispered in his ear. Feeling his member twitch against her stomach, she knew she said the right thing. “What time will our families be here?” she asked moving her hand to the fold of the towel, pulling it slowly away.

  “We have time.” The towel fell away, revealing his impressive erection.

  She licked her lips, and he scooped her up, carrying her back to the bedroom.

  Chapter Nine

  By one o’clock Danielle was pleased with the spread Shane and she had prepared. Knowing their mothers were coming with more food in a cooler made her smile. Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday.

  She walked into her bedroom and saw Shane standing in front of her mirror tucking his shirt into his jeans. She stopped to watch him. He looked great. She felt the same fullness in her heart every time she looked at him, every time he held her in his arms, and every time he made her shout his name in pleasure. She smiled. The man had skills for sure. The feelings she had toward him scared her.