Flawed (Triple Canopy Book 2) Read online

  “A long time ago, Jake broke up with me.”

  That alone was proof positive this Jake guy was a complete moron. Adalynn Walker was not a woman you broke up with. She was the type of woman you tied yourself in knots to make happy.

  “Why’d he break up with you?”

  “He was leaving on deployment.” Addy stopped and lowered her eyes. I sensed she had more to say so I stayed quiet and waited her out. A few beats later she said, “At the time, I didn’t understand. I thought everything was good, so when he broke up with me, it hurt. I didn’t see what the big deal was about him going on deployment. I mean, I come from a military family. When Jake and I got together, I knew it was a possibility and I didn’t care. I was willing to wait for him. He was of a different mind so he made it clear we were over.”

  I didn’t like the way that sounded and fought to keep my body relaxed. Addy was freaked out enough, the last thing she needed was witnessing me losing my shit.

  “How’d he make that clear?”

  Her gaze shifted to the side and she quietly answered, “Two days after he broke up with me, I went by his barracks. He was leaving the next day. I thought I had one more shot at getting him back. But he didn’t answer.”

  The “he” was emphasized in a way that told me someone had answered.

  “Who did?”

  Addy shrugged but the hurt that raced across her face nullified her nonchalance.

  “Some blonde wrapped up in a sheet. I was still standing at the door speechless when Jake came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. He looked at me, glanced at the woman then smiled. I was still too stunned to move. Jake however was not, he came to the door and asked me what I’d expected. When I didn’t answer, he explained he was leaving the next day and hadn’t had a decent fuck in months. That’s when I came unstuck and left.”

  Jesus Christ, the asshole was stupider than I’d thought.

  “Adalynn—”

  “I forgot that part,” she whispered.

  “What part?”

  “The part where I gave him my virginity and he threw it in my face. The part where he humiliated me. Today when I saw him, I was so surprised, I didn’t remember. I’d shoved it down deep so I’d forget. When I agreed to go to lunch with him, I didn’t remember how I felt standing there mortified and hurt.”

  Irrational jealousy reared and my chest tightened. Addy had given that asshole her virginity. What the fuck was wrong with that douchebag?

  “Baby, listen to me—”

  “He was right, he hadn’t had a decent fuck in months.”

  There were so many things wrong with what she’d said—most importantly was her thinking he was right about anything. Next up was her cursing. Addy very rarely cussed, and hearing her say fuck in reference to sex made my stomach roil. A man didn’t fuck Addy, he made love to her. It might not be sweet and gentle but in no way would it be fucking.

  “He was not right about anything.”

  Something ugly filled the cab of my truck and it was coming from Addy. The sadness in her eyes had evaporated but something worse took its place—shame.

  What the fuck?

  “Baby—”

  “He was right. It was bad. I was bad. I didn’t know what I was doing and it was awkward. I was a fumbling twenty-year-old virgin for God’s sake. It was pathetic and embarrassing.”

  “Addy—”

  “And you wanna know how I know he was right?” she asked, and my gut clenched tighter. Before I could tell her I absolutely did not want to hear more, she answered her own question. “I couldn’t even have an orgasm.”

  Jesus.

  I didn’t want to hear this.

  “And, that’s not all. It was the same exact way with the second guy, only worse. It was horrible. Beyond awkward and embarrassing.”

  I’d heard enough.

  “Adalynn—”

  “So after that, why bother trying again? It’s obviously me. I’m shit in bed and—”

  Yeah, I’d heard enough about her being with other men. Jealousy didn’t cover the emotion that was coursing through my muscles.

  “Enough,” I ground out and Addy jerked in her seat. “Straight up, Adalynn, neither of those idiots knew what the fuck they were doing.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “Yeah, Addy, I can and I do. They were shit in bed, not you.”

  “You’re wrong,” she muttered.

  I lost the battle. I’d fought hard, but I’d lost the last thread of my control. My hand shot out, hooked Addy around the back of her neck, and I pulled her toward me as I shifted closer. I didn’t stop until our mouths were touching. It took a moment for the shock to wear off and some of the stiffness to ease. When it did, I made another decision, although at the time I didn’t understand the enormity of my next move. I took advantage of her surprise and licked the seam of her lips. Her mouth opened, my tongue slid inside, and she purred.

  It was the mew that vibrated against my tongue that spurred me on. It was the innocence of the sound that clinched the deal.

  Addy tasted great. Smelled great. Felt great.

  All of it so fucking good. I slanted my head and took the kiss deeper. She purred again and this time, her hands moved and shoved under my tee. My hand slid up into her hair. Soft. So damn soft. I let my fingers glide through the strands before I gathered a fistful and tilted her head where I wanted it. It’d been so caught up in the way her tongue felt against mine it hadn’t dawned on me, she didn’t have the first clue what she was doing.

  Real. Unpracticed. Inexperienced.

  Once she’d relaxed, she let me take over.

  Jesus. Perfect.

  I wanted more so I took it. And she gave—her sweet, sexy sounds filled my senses, her hands roaming my chest fueled my need, but it was the way she openly gave that ratcheted up my desire. Unable to take the kiss where I wanted it to go, I slowed the kiss and she whimpered.

  Christ.

  Hot.

  I let our tongues linger, slow and soft until I broke the connection and kissed the corner of her mouth.

  Addy’s eyes came open—dazed and languid. I released her hair but only so I could cup her cheek.

  “Proof,” I whispered.

  “Huh?”

  “Baby. That kiss.”

  “What about it?”

  “Proof you’re wrong.”

  She tried to pull away but I’d been ready and held her where I wanted. Face-to-face, so she couldn’t miss what I had to say.

  “Adalynn, there’s no disputing you’re gorgeous. You see yourself in the mirror so you gotta know you’re beautiful. What happened with those other guys wasn’t your fault, not by a long shot. Either they had no clue how to handle a woman or they didn’t bother to try. Two seconds into that kiss, you melted into me and it became seriously fucking hot.”

  “Don’t patronize me.”

  Christ. If I wasn’t ready to come in my pants, I would’ve hunted Jake the dickhead down and bashed his skull in for making Addy unsure.

  I snagged one of Addy’s hands, pulled it out of my shirt, and lowered it to my crotch.

  “Does that feel like I’m being patronizing?” I asked and cupped my hand over hers. “I’m not blowing sunshine when I tell you, you can fuckin’ kiss, Addy. Not only that, but I can’t remember the last time I was ready to come in my jeans from a kiss.”

  “Trey—”

  “You ready for the truth?”

  She nodded. Again, it was doubtful Addy was ready to hear anything I had to say. But after that kiss, everything had changed.

  “If we weren’t in my truck in a parking lot, I’d further prove to you how sexy you are, and you can believe when you’re in my bed you will have no problem orgasming.” Her hand resting on my hard cock flexed and I froze. “And, Adalynn, you will be in my bed.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, but didn’t loosen the grip she had on my erection.

  “Then it’s a good thing when I
get you there, you won’t be able to think. Once I have my hands and mouth on you, all you’ll care about is how good I make you feel. How sexy you are and how I respond to you. Contrary to what women think, a man’s cock doesn’t get hard unless he’s seriously into what he’s doing. At least mine doesn’t. And as you can feel, my cock’s hard, baby, and you did that. As I said, we weren’t in my truck, my hand would be down your pants, and I would put forth a good amount of effort and time to make sure what you were getting got you off.”

  Her response told me everything I needed to know. Her hand on my cock moved, but not to pull away—to rub. Her hand on my chest moved, too, and glided down toward the button of my jeans.

  “Trey.” She whispered my name and I took it in.

  The breathy sound full of need.

  Hot.

  But I needed to shut this shit down before I finger-fucked her in a parking lot while she jerked me off.

  I caught her hand and shook my head. Addy blinked and I knew she was coming out of her lust-filled haze.

  “I said my bed, baby.”

  “Right.”

  It wasn’t her retort that concerned me, it was the way she’d gone stiff.

  “Listen to me carefully. I am not turning down your offer to get your hand down my pants. I’m simply telling you I have more respect for you than to allow this to continue in public.”

  Shit. I was losing her to the bullshit those two other asswipes had planted in her head.

  “Don’t close down on me.”

  “I’m not,” she said, but her hand slid away from my cock and I lost her hand on my chest.

  “Ad—”

  “This isn’t a good idea.”

  I didn’t bother responding, not verbally anyway.

  This time when I lowered my mouth to hers, I didn’t have to coax her to open. And I didn’t have to direct it or deepen the kiss. Adalynn did that herself, proving irrevocably it was a really great fucking idea.

  5

  I did not call my sister when I got home. I did not start my laundry as I had planned. I also didn’t pay my bills, which was on my to-do list. I did, however, text Hadley so she’d stop blowing up my phone. And I did think about the fact that there had been a time when Hadley had hated her cell and very rarely carried it with her or answered. For a nanosecond, I wished she’d go back to that. Then I remembered the reasons why she now had her cell surgically attached to her person. Not literally of course, but Brady had drilled it into her, and getting kidnapped had hammered home how important keeping her cell close was.

  But right then, I didn’t want to talk about Trey. I didn’t want to think about how awkward I’d behaved after Trey kissed me and how I’d stared at him for so long he’d had to call my name twice to break the spell. I really didn’t want to contemplate the quick but silent drive back to the VA. And I really, really didn’t want to remember how I’d jumped out of his truck when he’d stopped next to my car. I practically ran the five feet to the driver’s side door and threw myself into my car.

  God. I must’ve looked ridiculous. I hadn’t even said goodbye.

  How embarrassing.

  So, right then, I didn’t want to talk to my sister or think about how big of an idiot I was.

  I wanted to do something else.

  I was headed back to my bedroom so I could alleviate the ache Trey had created, when there was a knock on my door.

  I was going to strangle my nosy sister.

  I stomped to the front door annoyed beyond belief. Then I stopped and smiled.

  So, this was what it felt like? Never had I been so worked up I felt like I was going to scream in frustration if I didn’t take care of it. Never had I felt the urge to touch or be touched in a parked truck. We’d been in public, for God’s sake. But I had been ready to…I still wasn’t sure what I’d been willing to do but I’d been so caught up in the moment it felt like I was going to die if I didn’t get my hands on Trey’s dick.

  There was another knock at the door and I wanted to laugh. I was actually pissed I was being interrupted. I finished my short walk to the door and checked the peephole—one could never be too careful even when their panties were wet and they were on a mission of masturbation.

  What in the world?

  “What’s wrong?” I asked when I opened the door to a scowling Trey.

  His hand came up, landed on my chest, and he gave me a gentle shove back. When he was inside, he slammed the door, locked it, then stared at me.

  “What’s…” That was all I got out before Trey advanced. I retreated and he moved with me.

  “You’ve got two seconds to tell me to leave.”

  “What?”

  “Two seconds to stop this, Adalynn. You want me to leave, you say the word and I’ll walk out the door. You don’t, baby, you’ll be naked in your bed, I’ll be naked, and my face is gonna be between your legs.”

  “Trey.”

  “One second. No joke. In one second, I’m getting you out of those clothes, then I’m getting you off.”

  Suddenly my mission of masturbation didn’t sound as satisfying as it did a few minutes ago.

  “Time’s up, baby.”

  This time when he advanced, I didn’t move. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was doing cartwheels, but nervousness took over. Trey saw it, so when his arm wrapped around me he held my gaze. And when his other hand came up, his thumb gently brushed my jaw but didn’t stop until his fingers were in my hair. He kept looking into my eyes.

  “Relax.”

  I nodded even though I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to.

  “Trust me to take care of you.”

  Trey being able to take care of me sexually wasn’t in question. My ability to return the favor was what worried me.

  “I see I didn’t make myself clear. Thought I did, but I didn’t. Not sure I can be any clearer but I’ll try. For months, I’ve wanted you. For months, I’ve laid in my bed and fisted my cock thinking about you. Which means I’ve imagined us together in a variety of ways. But, baby, that kiss was far better than any fantasy.”

  Holy crap.

  Holy, holy crap.

  “Knowing that makes me more nervous,” I told him honestly. “And talking about it makes me nervous because I feel like I’m ruining the moment.”

  His hand went to my butt, and at the same time, he pressed his hips forward. and his erection could not be missed.

  “Does that feel like the moment’s being ruined?”

  “No.”

  “All I need you to do is trust me to take us both where I want us to go. You don’t like something I’m doing, you tell me and I’ll switch it up. You want more of something, you tell me and I’ll give it to you. Can you do that for me?”

  I wouldn’t have to do anything but trust him. Surely I could do that.

  “Kiss—” I didn’t get the ‘me’ out.

  His mouth slammed down onto mine, and just like in his truck, I was swept away. All thoughts vanished. All but him and me and the way he tasted and felt. His tongue tangled with mine and something crazy happened—his hand in my hair tightened. Intuitively, I knew that was the moment he’d taken over.

  Yes, this was what I needed, Trey in control. And boy did he take control—or more to the point, he took us straight to hyper-speed. He broke the kiss, scooped me up, and moved straight to my bedroom. Later when I had my wits about me, I’d wonder how he knew which room was mine.

  Then I was on my feet next to the bed, my shirt was off, my pants were next, then my undies. His clothes vanished just as quickly as mine had, and before I could get a good look at all the beauty God had seen fit to grant Trey, I was on my bed. After that, I wasn’t thinking about a darn thing because Trey’s mouth was between my legs.

  “Oh. My. God,” I half-panted, half-shouted.

  Part of my response was to the shock of where his mouth went. The other part was because his hands on my inner thighs holding me open was so hot, I was going to lose my mind. His fingers dug into my fl
esh, his tongue licked and sucked until I was no longer in danger of losing my mind—it was just gone.

  “Keep ‘em open,” Trey growled.

  I had no idea what that meant and at that point, I didn’t care. I was so close to exploding, all of my concentration was on preventing that from happening. I felt a finger sliding through my wetness, then two, and that’s when my hips surged up and my legs started to close around Trey’s head. His fingers drove in and I did not care he was courting suffocation when my thighs clamped tight. I needed his fingers where they were, I needed his tongue to keep doing what it was doing, and I didn’t know how to communicate that.

  “Open,” he demanded, but he didn’t lift his head so he spoke that demand against my sensitive clit, and the vibration that one word caused sent shock waves through me.

  I fisted the blanket and let my legs fall open.

  “Ride my fingers, Addy.”

  I didn’t know what that meant either, but my body did because it bucked at his command and his fingers slid in deeper then he curled them, rubbing against a magic spot I had no idea existed. And it was magical—it made my neck arch and my eyes close, and I fought with all my might to hold on.

  “Let go, baby.”

  “Can’t.”

  “Adalynn. Let. Go.”

  “Can’t.”

  Trey was not one to be denied. So many things happened at once I couldn’t fully comprehend what he was doing. But I felt it. All of it. His mouth latched onto my clit. His fingers curled more. And his other hand reached up and yanked down my bra. His fingers found my nipple and pinched it so hard my back came off the bed. Then a flash of color danced behind my eyelids, my lungs stopped working, and every single muscle in my body seized.

  It was glorious.

  It was scary.

  It was wild.

  It was out of my control. I couldn’t stop what was happening to me. I didn’t want it to stop. I was babbling nonsense.

  My mind completely blanked, and when I came to, Trey was covering me. His hips were cradled in mine. Balanced on his elbows, his palm cupped my face and his thumb stroked my jaw. All of that felt great, but it was Trey staring right at me that made me shiver.