Page 16 of My Ex’s Billionaire Brothers (Forbidden Hearts #5)

HUNTER

I slam the hood of our SUV for the second time in five minutes, sending a useless clank echoing across the gas station parking lot. “Well, folks,” I mutter under my breath, “we’ve officially entered the Automotive Twilight Zone. Next stop: Meltdown City.”

Feels like we’re already in Meltdown City. The hot North Carolina sun beats down on me, making my T-shirt cling to my back. I’m about two degrees away from ripping it off, but I doubt that’d help. There’s no breeze, just sweltering heat.

Gage stands off to the side, phone in hand, pacing like a caged lion.

Theo’s busy folding his arms like he’s posing for a lawyer’s headshot, and Anya…

I spot her near the rear of the SUV, chewing on her lip and looking ten times more anxious than the rest of us combined.

And that’s saying something, given my blood pressure.

I run a hand over my buzzed hair, biting down on my exasperation. Yes, car trouble is bad, but at least we’re not spontaneously combusting. Yet.

It doesn’t help that Gage filled me in on the latest Calvin development. Not only is he apparently gallivanting around with his political consultant—who looks about as cuddly as a crocodile—but now he’s bringing her to Castle Beach for the holiday.

If he’s so busy launching a fancy Senate campaign, what’s he doing messing around in our territory?

I swear, that man is like a boomerang. You throw him away, but he keeps coming back to annoy you.

The gas station attendant, who’s definitely on her third coffee of the day, has called her mechanic buddy to come check out Theo’s poor dead SUV. Except we’ve been waiting… forever. At least we have the blazing heat to keep us company.

I glance at the car’s dusty windshield, remembering last night.

The memories make me somehow hotter. My skin prickles just thinking of Anya’s soft body.

It was like I’d hopped into a fantasy dimension where everything tastes like candy.

And now, I’m back in the mundane reality of a broken-down SUV and a blistering parking lot. Fate is fucking with me.

Also, there’s the pesky little fact that I told myself no feelings. But I can’t deny it anymore. She’s not just a fling. I want her—really want her. All of her. She’s unbelievably sweet, and the way she reacted to all three of us…let’s just say my daydreams are getting downright X-rated.

But if I’m honest, they always have been. My fantasies veer toward the gutter on the regular, only now, they’re all about Anya. Even when I try to think of doing her and another girl, the other girl is also Anya. Two Anyas might kill me, but what a way to go.

Still, I’m the easygoing one, the guy who’s just in this for the fun, right? Except somewhere between the first kiss and the tenth, my heart took a nosedive off a cliff, and now I’m doggy-paddling in a sea of uh-oh .

I shake my head, turning to find Anya. She’s on edge, tapping her foot on the concrete like she’s sending SOS in Morse code. Ever since we told her that her Calvin is crashing the Castle Beach party with a new girlfriend, she’s been wound tighter than a ukelele string.

A pang of protectiveness stabs me right in the chest. Gotta fix that.

I head over, forcing a grin. “Hey, good lookin’,” I say, resting an arm on the car roof. “You okay, or do I need to serenade you with a country ballad to calm the nerves?” I waggle my eyebrows for good measure.

She huffs a tired laugh, arms folded. “I’m guessing your singing voice isn’t what I need right now.”

“Probably not.” I lower my voice conspiratorially. “But I do a killer rendition of ‘Tennessee Waltz.’ It’ll make you laugh so hard, you’ll forget about your troubles, darlin’.”

The tease in her voice pulls at my heart. “For the love of Dolly Parton, your southern accent is awful.”

I snort a laugh and shake my head. “Thought I’d give it a shot.”

“Stick to your upper-crust Boston accent. It suits you.”

I shrug and lean on the SUV. “Seems like we’ll be here a while. Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?”

She smiles, but the tension in her eyes doesn’t ease. “I just…” She glances around at Gage, who’s still on the phone, and Theo, who’s trying to look like he’s not eavesdropping. “I keep thinking about what happens if we run into Calvin. He’ll probably make it a spectacle?—”

“We won’t let him,” I say, voice firm. With a flourish, I hold out my arm. “C’mon, let’s get you some air. Well…some other air. This particular corner of asphalt stinks of spilled diesel.”

She quirks a brow. “You have a plan, or just your usual random impulse?”

“Random impulse, obviously.” I wink and guide her into the station’s mini-mart. The AC hits us like a chilly slap, but I sigh in relief. “Ah, sweet, sweet air-conditioning. Is this love? I think it might be.”

She rolls her eyes, the smallest giggle escaping her lips. “You’re ridiculous.”

Ridiculous but effective. She’s smiling again.

We weave past displays of chips and candy, navigating toward the restrooms at the back. The overhead lights buzz, lending a slightly eerie vibe to the cramped hall. “Your idea of fresh air is a questionable hallway in a gas station?”

“What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic.” I stop near the restroom door, giving her a slow grin. “Besides, if you recall, I’m good at distracting you.”

Her cheeks go pink, and she glances at the door. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I can definitely be serious,” I murmur, stepping closer until there’s barely any space between us. “But for you, I’ll be ridiculous anytime you need.” My hand finds hers, and I gently tug her into the restroom.

The door clicks shut behind us, and I flick the lock. The cramped space and fluorescent light create an atmosphere fit for a zombie movie, but I’m determined to spin it into a private escape. Her expression wavers between nerves and anticipation. I lift a hand, brushing her hair aside.

“Hunter,” she whispers, “they’re going to wonder where we are.”

I snort. “Please. Gage is on the phone, and Theo is studying that SUV like it’s a Rubik’s cube. We’ve got time, trust me.”

She hesitates, but then I see it—the flicker of longing. She steps forward, pressing her palms against my chest, and I melt. Without a word, I wrap an arm around her waist and dip my head to kiss her. The tension in my shoulders drains the second our lips meet. Fuck, I needed this.

Our tongues tangle, and a soft moan escapes her as I back her into the wall. The cracked tile is cold against my hand, which I plant next to her head to brace myself. “Mmm,” I murmur between kisses, “I love that little noise you make.”

She laughs breathlessly, her fingers curling in my shirt. “I never thought hooking up in a gas station bathroom would be on my bucket list, but here we are.”

I flash a grin. “We’re killing your anxiety and spicing up your bucket list in one fell swoop. Impressive, right?”

She shakes her head, laughing against my mouth, and the tension in her posture eases. Her body softens into mine as she lets me take some of that burden off her shoulders.

We lose ourselves in a series of heated, hurried kisses. The restroom’s flickering light sets a jittery backdrop, oddly perfect for the frenetic energy coursing between us. I slide a hand under her vintage sundress, feeling the warmth of her skin. She sighs into my ear, and my blood roars for more.

Touching Anya is the perfect way to lose track of time, and when I tuck my hand into her panties, that damn sound she makes is all it takes for me to spin her around to face the wall.

I jerk her underwear down and finger her from behind, relishing the wetness there.

I nuzzle into her hair, my voice raspy. “Feel good, kitten?”

“Yes,” she gasps.

“But you need more.”

She nods, her hair fluffing against my face.

I breathe her in, memorizing this moment. Last night’s blow job was amazing, and I need to feel her scream on my cock again. But not now.

Right now, I need to feel her from the inside. “Hands flat on the wall. Brace yourself.”

She follows the order beautifully. I would have preferred an elegant hotel room or my own bed at home for our first time, but I need her now, and I’m not stopping.

I pull her ample hips back, delight in the way her sundress falls over her ass, the sight of her bare back thanks to the halter-style of her dress, and press my cock to her slit.

The sensation overwhelms me. I suck air in between teeth, a reverse gasp.

I work myself in, an inch at a time, as fast as I can.

Her whimpers and moans echo on the tiles, a song she sings just for me.

Once I’m finally fully seated, I wrap a fist in her hair, pull it tight, and press myself against her back. “Sunflower, right?”

“Yeah,” she breathes.

I’ll keep an ear out for it. I drive her into the wall, plunging even deeper.

The way her ass presses against me at this angle is utter perfection.

She’s firmer than she looks, but her skin is so soft I want to melt into it.

When I pull back, she follows, as if she doesn’t want me to leave her body.

“I’m not going anywhere, kitten. Not yet. ”

The slide of our bodies together is too delicious.

Practically sinful. As I whip myself at her, faster and harder than before, her sweet moans become something deeper, huskier.

She’s twitching on me, climbing that hill toward her orgasm.

So I lend her a helping hand, reaching around her hip for her clit.

The moment I make contact, her body goes rigid and she holds her breath.

I plunge deep and stop. No more clit strokes for her. “No, no, no, kitten.”

She whines prettily.

“You will not wait for me to make you come.” I pull out, releasing my hold on her before turning her around.

I press my forehead to hers to make her pay attention.

“You are not passive. You will not pretend to be with me. You will not stand there and take it.” I crouch down, slip my arms between her legs, and lift until she’s hoisted onto my arms. She murmurs some kind of objection to being carried like this, but I set her on the countertop which quiets her down. “Look at me.”

She gulps and stares at me with those pale blue pools she calls eyes. Her face is ruddy from before, her lips deep red and parted. The woman is perfection.

I pick up her feet, placing her heels on the counter’s rounded edge.

Her hands are braced behind her, and she’s spread wide open for me, utterly vulnerable.

“Better.” I thrust in and cup the back of her head so she doesn’t whack it on the mirror.

Her pleasure cries etch themselves on my bones every time I use the top of my cock against her G-spot.

She’s twitching again already, and this time, I’m going to watch her come.

“You’re right on the edge again, aren’t you?”

“Yes!” comes out in a ragged moan.

“I can feel it, you know. You’re tipping over, ready to come. But I wonder if I should stop?—”

“Please, no! I’m so close!”

Fuck, I love to hear her beg. A hot surge warms my balls, and she’s not the only one here about to come. “What’ll you give me if I let you come?”

“Anything!”

“I’ve had your mouth—exquisite, by the way—and now I’m in the sweetest pussy I have ever had. But next time, I want your ass. Will you give it to me if I let you come now?”

She shudders at first, but then quickly nods.

I bring her to me, searing that promise with a kiss right as I let her come on my cock. Her climactic moans become something else. Something deeper. She milks me with every throb, and I join her over that cliff, spilling inside her body.

After a breathless stretch of time, we pull back, panting. Her cheeks are flushed, and I’m pretty sure mine are too. “You okay?”

She nods, wide-eyed. “Yeah. Much better, actually.” A shy smile curves her lips. “Hunter, that was…”

I try on my most charming grin, my heart thudding. “Guilty as charged.” Then I press a last, gentle peck on her mouth and step back. “We should go before Gage sends out a search party or tries to fix the engine with his bare hands. Man thinks he’s a superhero sometimes.”

She snickers, smoothing her sundress. “Good call.” She hesitates, then leans in and whispers, “Thank you. Really.”

“It’s kinda my job,” I say lightly, though inside, emotions churn like a blender on high. I just want to make you happy, you silly, perfect woman. But that’s not exactly casual conversation, so I keep it to myself.

We clean up and exit the bathroom, the station clerk glancing at us with mild suspicion. I flash a bright smile her way. “Oh, nothing to see here, ma’am, just the best illicit bathroom sex of my life.” And I lead Anya outside.

She swats my arm, her face a tomato. As we leave the mini-mart, she hisses, “I cannot believe you said that!”

I chuckle. “Well, it’s true. That was the best bathroom sex I’ve ever had.”

She’s so precious when she’s exasperated. “I meant, I can’t believe you told her.”

I shrug and grin. “You’re worth bragging about, Anya.”

Her blush remains firmly in place. Theo is off the phone now, pacing near the SUV. Gage rummages in the back, presumably searching for a magic wand to fix the starter. He sees us approach, noticing our pink cheeks and rumpled outfits, and raises a brow. “Everything all right?”

I mock-salute. “Mission accomplished, Commander. Anxiety neutralized.”

“Mechanic says he’ll be here in ten,” Theo remarks, gesturing at the dusty road that leads into the small town. “We’ll see if that’s true or ‘Carolina ten,’ which probably means an hour.”

“No worries,” I reply, taking a seat on a bench outside the store with Anya beside me. I drape an arm over her shoulders, letting her lean in. “We’ll wait. We’re pros at that now, right?”

She nudges me, but she’s still smiling. If I can keep her grinning, keep her from panicking about Calvin, then I’ll gladly endure sweaty parking lots, broken-down cars, and a thousand questionable bathroom choices.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, that same little voice reminds me I’m in way too deep. But I push it aside. Because for now, the only thing that matters is that she’s safe, she’s smiling, and for a few stolen moments, she’s all mine.