Page 27 of Cody (Maine Silver Foxes)

C ody

I knew why Max had dragged Alina to the dance floor, why he’d pulled her too damned close and wrapped his arms around her. I knew why he’d kissed and fondled her in front of me. Because he knew I’d been watching. He was making a point. And knowing all of that, I still decked him.

I purposely held back because he was a brother, and I loved him, but I still wanted the satisfaction of hitting him for daring to touch Alina. His point had been received loud and clear, and I’d reacted like a jealous boyfriend before I’d had a chance to think of what my response would reveal.

To everyone.

I no longer cared.

Ignoring the shocked look on her face, ignoring the disbelief in her voice as she demanded to know what I was doing, I snatched up Alina’s small hand and pulled her behind me to fuck knows where.

I had no destination in mind as I stomped through the room toward the entrance door.

Thank God it was dark outside, because the way I was feeling I was going to make a scene.

My blood had reached a boiling point when I’d seen Max grab her ass and plant a kiss full on her lips.

I needed to erase that image from my mind, but first I needed to set some things straight.

It was time I manned up.

“Cody,” Alina said breathlessly as I pivoted around the corner of the hall and we moved away from the lighting. “What are you doing?”

Deciding we’d gone far enough away from the crowd, I pushed her up against the building wall and held her there by curling a hand against her throat.

We were both panting with emotion now, and I imagined Alina was a little frightened by my sudden move.

It wasn’t painful, just enough pressure to show her that I wasn’t fooling around and she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing?” I rasped the words close to her face. “Did you move on to Max? Is that it? Are you fucking him now?” Hell, I already knew the answers to that, but I couldn’t get the image of them together out of my head.

Her eyes rounded before she made a sound that was a mix of laughter and a snort. “No! Max and I are friends!”

I tilted my head and raised a brow. “Like we are?”

She knew exactly what I meant. Her hands came up to wrap around my arm, which told me that I’d tightened my grip around her throat. I let up a little. Hurting her was the last thing I wanted.

She released a sigh of resignation. “He’s not a friend with benefits, Cody. But then, neither are we.”

“Then why was he all over you?”

She scoffed, not the least bit of concern in her voice. “I think you know the answer to that.”

I clenched my jaw. Fuck, I wanted her, and I was no longer confused about how. Putting it into words, however, admitting it out loud, would seal my fate. I held back, years of staying in the same commitment-free box taunting me to stay there.

What the hell was I so afraid of?

“What are you doing, Cody?”

It was as if she knew what I was thinking.

Keeping my hand around her throat, I leaned in close.

“I’m claiming my woman,” I said simply against her lips before kissing her.

I kept it soft, tentative, content to run my lips lightly over hers before taking her lower lip between my teeth.

She was so soft. So sweet. Her soft whimper of need fueled my arousal, and my dick punched forward.

She wasn’t fighting me, and yet her hands flattened against my chest as she pushed me away. “Your woman? Like your other women?”

I didn’t blame her for pushing me away. I’d expected her protest. But what I hadn’t been ready for was the confusion that laced her soft words or the hurt I saw in her eyes.

Thanks to the move Max had made on her inside, I realized that it was time to get my head out of my ass.

“Not my other women Alina. Just you,” I clarified. “I want you.”

I could see in her eyes that she still didn’t believe me. “For now. Tonight. Because I’m available. Tomorrow it will be someone else.”

I shook my head. “No, baby.”

“Don’t call me baby!” she hissed. I could feel her little body stiffen with anger.

She’s said that to me once before, and I finally understood now what I hadn’t then.

She was under the impression that “baby” was a meaningless term that I used on the women I was involved with, and it didn’t mean anything.

I shook my head. “You’re the only woman I’ve called ‘baby’ in recent history.

” It was the truth. For me, calling a woman “baby” or “babe” implied that I had feelings for her.

I’d known the first time I’d slipped up and called Alina that that she was going to be different, that she was going to mean something different to me.

Her mouth opened with surprise, and I knew that she was going to have more questions, but I wasn’t in the mood to answer them.

Not right then. I swooped in and effectively shut her up by slamming my mouth down on hers.

I felt the slight stiffening of her body but ignored it, determined to make her accept what was happening.

When her submission finally happened, we melted into each other in a series of moans, lost in a hot kiss that revealed more than words ever could.

I tried but failed to curtail my roughness, but a week without Alina had felt like a lifetime.

I was hungry for her, and she was so responsive.

She opened her mouth, drawing my tongue inside, and that ignited a fire in my blood that threatened to consume us both. Suddenly we couldn’t get close enough.

More groans sounded between us as we tried to crawl inside each other.

The building vibrated with the loud music being played inside, but our mutual sounds of pleasure drowned everything out.

I threaded my fingers through her hair until the clip came undone, releasing the thick, silky mass.

As I continued to grind my mouth against hers, my dick was dry humping against her belly.

The friction was nice, but I needed something better.

I lifted her slightly so I could grind against her pussy.

Alina bit down on my bottom lip and pulled away. She turned her head and gasped for breath, and I turned my face against the side of her neck to do the same. We were both panting out of control, chests heaving, hearts pounding like one.

“If I was twenty years younger, I’d take you up against this wall,” I rasped when I could put a whole sentence together. “I might try anyway.”

Her laugh was soundless, but I felt it in the vibrations of her body. “If I was twenty years younger, I’d let you.” She paused for a moment. “Try.”

I had no doubt that I could fuck Alina anywhere without any problems, but we weren’t horny teenagers.

I respected her. We were cloaked in darkness, surrounded by various vehicles, the scent of cigarette smoke reaching us from where smokers were stationed outside the door, puffing away.

Muted sounds of music, voices, and laughter disrupted the night, warning us that we could be seen at any time by someone returning to their vehicle.

Realizing that I still had her pinned against the wall, I forced myself to step back.

She took the opportunity to lower her legs.

Just enough yellow light coming through the dirty window above our heads allowed me to see the flicker in her eyes as she stared up at me.

I sensed her question before she asked it.

“What’s going on, soldier?”

I snorted at her mistake, but didn’t correct her this time.

She was trying to turn a serious situation into something light because she was uncomfortable.

I got that. With a heavy sigh, I reached up and cupped her jaw, running my thumb across her bottom lip.

I finally said what I’d been feeling for a long time.

“We’re good together. A week without you seems like a lifetime, baby. ”

“I’ve missed you too,” she admitted. “I’ve kept busy just to keep you off my mind.”

I knew I shouldn’t, but I asked anyway. “With Max?”

Her laughter wasn’t what I’d expected. “Are you jealous?”

I didn’t answer because fuck yes, I was jealous.

I knew they were friends, that didn’t bother me, but seeing his mouth and hands on her had put thoughts in my head that had turned me feral.

I’d never wanted to hurt one of my brothers over a woman before, and I wasn’t proud of myself for losing control.

Alina said what I’d been thinking. “You know he only did what he did to get a rise out of you. I hope you didn’t hurt him.”

I snorted. It would take a lot more than a single punch to hurt Max.

I’d seen him take two bullets during a fire fight running through the jungle and still remain on his feet.

I’d held my punch back because I hadn’t wanted to hurt him, and I half-suspected that his reaction had been over-exaggerated for effect.

“So are you going to explain what’s going on or not?” she asked with mild irritation.

“Yes.”

That was all I got the chance to say because Max rounded the corner of the building in the kind of hurry that raised my alarm.

“Shit! There you are.” He halted a few feet away, slightly out of breath.

“Been looking for you both. Just heard from Lincoln that Mia’s in labor and they’re on their way to the hospital. ”

“She’s early,” Alina said as the three of us began to move.

She moved to follow Max, but I snatched up her hand and pulled her in my direction. “You’re going with me.” I didn’t give her a choice, and she didn’t seem bothered by it. “We’ll meet you at the hospital!” I called over my shoulder to Max.

When we reached my bike, I handed Alina my helmet and dug out my leather jacket from the saddle bag.

“Wear these.” It was a warm June night, but the hospital was a ways off, and after a while the sting of the wind would penetrate her clothes.

Plus the leather would help protect her if we had an accident.

I helped her with the helmet. “We’ll finish our conversation at the hospital while we wait. ”

“We were having a conversation?”

Her sass drew a grunt from me.

“I don’t remember us having a conversation. All I remember is that hot kiss you planted on me.”

The amusement in her voice caused me to pause from strapping the helmet beneath her chin. I looked into her eyes, noting the sparkle in their green depths. “That’s all you remember?”

She held my stare.

“Do you need a refresher?”

Suddenly, what had started out lightheartedly between us turned serious. “I’m not joining your harem,” she said firmly. “And I’m not sleeping with a man who can’t be monogamous.”

We didn’t have time to go into it, so I finished tightening the strap.

“We’ll talk at the hospital.” My jacket looked ridiculous on her small frame, but it was better than nothing.

I climbed onto my bike and waited for her to get on behind me before starting it.

I turned and said over my shoulder, “You remember the rules?”

“Lean into the curves and hold on tight!” she yelled to be heard over the engine.

She wrapped her arms tightly around me. It felt good. It felt right. Like she belonged there. “Good girl!” I kicked up the stand, and once I was sure that Alina was settled, I took off. Max was ahead of us, but I knew we’d catch up quickly.

The roads were quiet at this time of night, not because it was late, but because that’s how it was in our small town.

I knew all that would change once we hit the highway that would take us to the hospital.

I usually avoided taking the highway whenever possible, but I knew that the back roads would take twice as long, and I wanted to get to the hospital fast. Max hadn’t given us much information other than that Mia was in labor.

This was her third baby, but King, who had a daughter with his first wife, was probably wearing a hole in the linoleum with worry.

My brothers and I figured our presence and support would ground him.

Thirty minutes later, Alina and I were rushing through the hospital doors with Max right behind us.

We headed straight for the receptionist desk where a kind-faced, older woman sat with a bright smile on her face.

Alina gave her a brief explanation of why we were there, and she directed us to the fourth floor.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Max asked, “Do you think she’s had the baby yet?”

I gave him a scowl, still slightly pissed at seeing him kiss and grope Alina. “No, dipshit. It can take hours.” I kept Alina close to my side.

She glared at me, apparently unhappy with my response to Max. “It’s possible,” she began, directing her gaze onto Max. “It depends on how long she was in labor before they got here. Plus this is her third baby. But I have a friend who delivered her second baby in nine hours, so you never know.”

Max winced. “Nine hours of steady pain. Not even sure I could handle that.”

Alina laughed. “That’s why God made women the child bearers.”

It got quiet for a minute as Max considered her answer. He frowned.

I snorted.

And Alina gave us both a smirk of amusement that conveyed more than just words.