Page 14
ALEC
The anger and fear that ran through me when Bren told us about what had happened today nearly took my breath away. It was then I realised how much she meant to me and had always meant to me, but I was too stupid to realise it.
The thought of anything happening to her… I didn’t even want to contemplate it. After my initial outburst, I held my tongue as Reaper issued orders. While I knew we all had trackers, something that had been implemented after Kaleb had been kidnapped, I also knew I wouldn’t relax until I’d made sure Bren was as safe as we could make her. Lexi would be safe enough at the garage with Gunny, Mum, and me, plus all the mechanics; nobody would get to her. But Bren and Ellie were always moving from company to company. Bren more than Ellie.
After Church, I catch Sam’s eye and tilt my head towards the corner of the bar where we can talk without anyone listening to us. Tagging Ben on my way, I tell him, “Follow me.” Knowing that with him would come Brice, and where he went, Booker followed, and Beau wouldn’t be far behind.
“What’s going on?” Sam questions, taking the beers that Dragon holds out to him and hands them out.
“We need to do something about security for Bren. I know that Reaper is setting stuff up, but I need to know she’ll always have someone on her. Ellie too as she’s usually with Bren. I’d do it, and I will some days, but I’ve got a massive order that’s on a timeline. Once I’ve done it, I’ll take over the bulk of shadowing her.”
Sam and Ben share a smile. “What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Ben replies, “It’s just that you’re finally turning into the guy I always knew you could be if only you’d pull your head out of your arse.”
Rolling my eyes, “Yeah, okay, it took me time to grow up, I get it. Fatherhood will do that to you. What about Bren and Ellie?”
“We can take turns,” Sam replies.
“If you all give me your schedules, I’ll set up a rota,” Beau informs us. “Ellie works from our office most of the time anyway, so I’ll be there for her then, and I’ll make sure we keep the door locked and clients will have to buzz in.
“I’ve got a few out-of-town projects,” Booker informs us, “but when I’m here, I can tag along with the girls if they need me to. I’d suggest you let them know what’s going on as soon as possible, and you’d better let Reaper know too.”
Beau shakes his head, “No need. He asked me to set up the schedules, and he’ll check them over, so it’s not a problem. Get me your availability by tomorrow morning at the latest, and I’ll sort it out. I was just about to send out a message when worrywart over here had us come for this little huddle.” Beau smirks at me, clapping me on the shoulder.
The rest snigger with him, but I don’t care that they’re laughing at me as long as Bren’s safe. I relax a little, knowing that we’d do our best to keep the girls that way.
Taking a sip of my beer, I enjoy some time shooting the shit with them and try not to make it obvious that I’m keeping an eye on Bren, who’s talking to the girls.
“Is it weird that we seem to have broken up into groups?” I wonder.
Sam frowns, “What do you mean?”
I nod towards the main room, “Don’t you notice it? The OGs always sit over in the corner over there, then Pres and the First Gen always congregate over at that side of the bar with their Old Ladies, and we take up this side, and the girls always hog the pool table and the couches over at that end. I mean, I know we mingle, but we tend to fall back to our own corners.”
Sam looks around before turning back to me with a shrug, “It’s the natural order, I guess; the Originals went through their shit together, same with the First Gen, adding in that they all served together. As for us, we were thrown together because of school and training at the gym. It makes sense that we formed our own unit. We know that they’re there if we need them, but we are more than capable to handle shit on our own.”
Ben and I exchange a look; I’m not sure if Sam even realises that he’s always been our unofficial leader, and I know when it becomes time for Reaper to step down, he’ll be handing the gavel to Sam.
“Bren’s on her way over,” Brice informs me quietly. Turning, I frown slightly when I notice that her headache seems to have got worse. She’s always suffered from tension headaches, probably from always worrying about her siblings and their well-being. When she gets to me, I immediately take Lexi from her, and I can’t help but rub at the tension in Bren’s neck, hating to see her in pain.
‘Fuck, no wonder she’s got a headache,’ I think when I feel how rock-hard the muscles in her shoulders are. I take that she’s letting me touch her like this as a win, though. Two weeks ago, she’d never have let me touch her like this. Thank fuck we’d seemed to have turned a corner.
So, when she tells me she is going back to the house, I go with. I’d rather spend time getting to know her again than drinking with my brothers and wasn’t that a complete mind fuck. ‘Fuck me,’ Ben and Sam were right. I’d grown up! Or maybe I wasn’t letting my past fuck up my future. It had taken enough from me, and I was tired of letting it win.
*********************************
I didn’t mean to fall asleep in Bren’s bed, but now as I lay watching her feed Lexi, I couldn’t help but be happy that I had. I’d not expected her to let me stay once she was awake, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
I tried to keep awake because watching my girls had become a favourite pastime of mine. I now understood where Cash was coming from when he told me fatherhood was a gift, and he would always regret missing out on Sam, but he’d never regret that he’d done it to keep him safe.
It felt like I’d just closed my eyes when I woke to a heavy weight on my chest and a knee nudging my hard cock. Not sure if I’m still asleep and dreaming, I tilt my head slightly, and my eyes widen when I realise that, NO, I wasn’t dreaming; Bren really was curled around me. I’m just wondering if I should wake her or not when she mumbles, “You snore.”
My chest lifts and dislodges her slightly when I start to laugh, “I know.”
Sleepy blue eyes meet mine as she rests her chin on my chest, “How did I not know that the perfect Alec Owens snores?”
Running my hand over her head, I push a strand of hair behind her ear and reply, “Maybe because I’m not perfect.”
Bren smiles, “No, you’re not, and that’s okay. I like this, Alec.”
I still, and I’m almost afraid to ask, “You do?”
Bren pushes up on her arms so that her face is hovering just over mine, “I do,” she answers before pressing her lips to mine. I stop breathing, not believing that she’s just kissed me; it’s only as her lips move softly over mine that I open for her, resting my hands lightly on her back. I’d follow her lead; if all she wanted was kisses, then I was good with that.
Bren throws her leg over my body and settles back on my cock as her tongue strokes mine, and I’m hard-pressed not to push my aching cock up into the juncture of her thighs. Tightening my fingers, I dig them slightly into her hips to hold her still as she rocks against my hardness.
Bren lifts her head to look at me with a confused expression. “Don’t you want this?”
Swallowing, I huskily reply, “So much, Bren, I want this so much, but I don’t want you to hate me after. I’d rather wait until you trust me again.”
Her expression softens, and she runs her fingers down my cheek before she sits up and gathers her silky top in her hands and slowly lifts it up and over her head. She’s still wearing a nursing bra, and I can see she’s a little uncomfortable. Reaching behind her, I unclasp it. Bren catches it before it falls, saying softly, “I’ll leak.”
Shrugging, I reply, “I don’t care, I want to see you.”
Biting her lip, she slowly lets it fall to the bed, and I can’t help the groan that falls from my lips. I’d known she was slightly larger than she had been before; reaching out, I slowly run a finger around her nipple, goosebumps popping up over her skin, making me smile. “Gorgeous,” I whisper. Taking my eyes from her breasts, I look into Bren’s eyes, “You’re beautiful, Bren, you always have been, but seeing you like this,” I hesitate before continuing, “it takes my breath away.”
If the smile that beams from Bren is any indication, then I know that my words have made her happy. I’ve come to realise over the last few weeks that Bren’s happiness means the world to me. She pulls at my T-shirt, “Take this off.”
Sitting up, I pull it off and throw it on the bed behind her before lying back. Bren needs to lead; I’ll follow, but I want her to make the first moves, even if it is killing me to not touch her and get my mouth on her. For months, the memory of her riding me has been my main fantasy, and obviously my cock agrees because I was still hard as a rock.
Bren leans forward and licks across one of my nipples, playing her tongue across the bar that I had through it. Instantly, a shot of lust flows through me straight to my cock that takes it as an invitation to twitch against Bren’s pussy.
“Mmh,” she looks at me through her lashes before bending and doing the same to the other one, getting the same reaction. “You like that,” she whispers.
“I like having you do it,” I tell her.
Bren sits up, resting her hands on my belly, her pussy cradling my aching hard cock, making me wish we didn’t have any barriers between us.
“Have you really not been with anyone since that night?”
“I haven’t,” I answer her truthfully.
“So, you’re clean?”
I nod, “Yeah, babe, I’m clean. We don’t have to go any further, though. I’m just happy that you’re talking to me again. Never in a million years did I expect to be in your bed.”
I need her to know that this isn’t about sex. Did I want her? Fuck yeah, I did, but I’ll take her any way that I can get her. Not because she’s the mother of my child either, but because I can now admit to myself that I love her. I’ve always loved her.
“I want to, though,” Bren replies. Lifting her hips, she pushes my pyjama pants down my thighs, my cock springs up hard and long. Bren wraps her hand around my length and slowly pumps me, never taking her eyes from me. It won’t take me long to cum at this rate. I’m primed and ready to burst at the slightest movement. Gripping her wrist, I stop her, “Babe, I’m about ready to blow.”
Bren smiles at me and lifts off my thighs. Thinking she was about to get off me, I let go of her wrist, and then a shout leaves me as she pulls her panties aside and slides down my cock.
“Holy fuck, Bren,” I shout and curl up, wrapping my arms around her, panting hard. I hold her to me for a second before lifting my face from where I’d buried it in her throat.
Cupping her face, I say a little angrily, “You’re not ready yet. Dammit, Bren, you should have let me take care of you first.”
Bren smiles and wriggles her hips, “I’m more than ready, Alec, can’t you feel?” She tightens her pussy walls around my cock, and I realise that she is ready; she’s wet and is sliding up and down my cock easily.
Closing my eyes, I breathe a small sigh of relief that she isn’t hurting. I’m still a little mad at her, though, even if my cock is very, very happy.
Bren pushes me back slightly, ordering, “Lie back.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I reply and do as she asks, hands gripping her hips as she starts to ride me, my fantasy woman come to life, her eyes never leaving mine as if she needs this connection, and truthfully, I need it.
For months, I’d remembered her exactly like this, and I didn’t want to miss a single minute of it. I can feel her pussy start to flutter, and from the familiar tingle in my lower back, I know it won’t be long before I’m joining her. Bringing my thumb to my mouth, I suck it, wetting it, and press it firmly to Bren’s clit. She gasps and throws her head back, rocking against the new friction my thumb provides. It’s a beautiful sight, her riding me, breasts thrust out, nipples hard. Bren cries out as she comes. Taking my thumb from her clit, I grip her hips hard and pump up into her twice before I join her, coming hard. This is what I could have had for years if I hadn’t been an absolute bellend.
Wrapping my arms around her, I ease her down to my chest in a tight hug. Bren starts to cry, and I let one of my own tears escape at the sound of her tears.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper over and over into her hair until she quietens down. Knowing that this is about more than us having sex. This is about the pain we’ve caused each other over the years. I’m hoping they’re cleansing tears and not tears of regret, though.
Bren shakes her head against my chest, saying softly, “I’m sorry too.”
“Look at me, baby,” I tell her.
Bren lifts her head to look at me, and my heart hurts when I see her tear-drenched eyes.
“Today’s a fresh start, okay? No more apologies, just the two of us building an unbreakable relationship—not for Lexi, our parents, or anybody else, but for us.”
Bren stares at me for a long minute before she speaks.
“Okay,” she agrees, leaning forward to kiss me. I moan as my cock slips out of her warmth. She laughs softly; we lie for a little longer, but we both know we’re on limited time because Lexi will be waking up soon.
“Shower with me,” she invites.
“I’d love to,” I accept, lifting her off me and getting out of bed. As we wash the evidence of our tears away, I can’t help but be grateful I’ve been given a second chance. This time I’d do my best not to fuck it up.