Broken Beginnings: A High Heat Small Town Romance Suspense (Citrus Cove Book 1)

I WAS GOING to kill my older brother.

As I pulled up my driveway, I cursed, and Haley laughed. My cum was still inside her, and I planned on ripping off her jeans again and fucking her once we got inside, but all of my plans came to a halt as I parked next to Hunter’s truck.

“He’s been gone for a couple weeks, and today of all days, he shows back up,” I muttered.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Hunter was sitting on my front porch, drinking a beer. He took a slow sip from the bottle, watching us.

“Well,” Haley said, studying him. She grabbed her hair tie and began pulling her wild curls back, glancing at me. “I’m not sure if we were keeping things secret, but I think he’s about to figure out what’s going on.”

I couldn’t help but smile like a damn idiot. Her curls were mussed and her cheeks rosy from our activities. It wasn’t too hot today, but we were both covered in a sheen of sweat. Yeah, there was no way in hell we’d sneak anything by him. But I didn’t care. Fuck, I wanted the whole world to know that she was mine.

Mine. It was possessive. Maybe a little crazy. But now that I finally had her, I wasn’t going to just let her go. That would make me an idiot, and I did my best not to be one.

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m pretty sure the whole town will know, considering we almost kissed at the cafe earlier,” I said. And the way I looked at her. Anyone with eyes would know I wanted her.

“True. Well, we have to get out sometime.”

I opened the truck door, going around to open Haley’s before she could. I liked opening the door for her. I liked doing things for her.

Fuck. God damn it, Hunter. He was messing with my plans.

I glanced up at him as she got out of the truck and watched as he raised a dark brow, measuring the situation. He’d been the one to kick my ass all those years ago, and here I was with Haley Bently getting out of my pickup with my cum inside her.

Holy hell. That pleased me more than it should have. If I hadn’t known before, it was clear now that I had a breeding kink. Or maybe Haley was my kink. Either way, I was satisfied knowing my cock would be filling her again soon.

Focus.

“You’re home,” I said to Hunter as I led her to the porch. Her hand slid into mine, and a wave of pride washed over me.

He rocked back and forth in the wooden chair, his gaze going from me to her and back again. “Haley Bently,” he said, leaning forward. “I hope he’s not being a pain in your ass.”

“Far from it. Hi, Hunter,” she greeted. “You look good.”

“So do you,” he said, his gaze rolling over her. Hot temper crept up my spine. He looked back at me. “I didn’t realize I’d be interrupting something.”

“Could have called,” I quipped. “Or texted. Emailed even.”

“You know I prefer snail mail.” His teasing didn’t amuse me.

My front door was already open, which wasn’t a surprise. Sammy,  Hunter, and Colt had keys to my house, I had keys to theirs, and we all had keys to Mom and Pops’. It’s just the way it was.

“Was on a plane and then on I-35, which you know is always shit. They’ve been doing construction since before we were born.” He stood up and gave Haley the warmest smile. “Want a hug, sweetheart?”

Fuck. I was a jealous bastard, it turned out. I glared at him as Haley gave him a brief side hug. I met his gaze over the top of her blonde ringlets, seeing a flicker of anger there.

Did he think I was going to hurt her?

“I’ll see you later, and we’ll catch up,” Hunter said. “Mom and Pops are back. I think the plan was for us to have a family meeting over dinner tonight. You can come too, Haley.”

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude,” she said.

“Nonsense,” Hunter said. “I’m sure you’d be more than welcome. Besides, I have some questions. One of my best friends is an officer.”

Fuck. I’d forgotten he was close with Alexa Davis, who was basically Bud’s right-hand woman. Of course she’d called Hunter. Alexa and I had never been close, nor was she a favorite of mine. Probably because she’d stolen Jenny Hardy out from under me in tenth grade and left her with a broken heart. I could hold a grudge, that much was true.

Haley stiffened next to me. “I thought officers were supposed to keep things to themselves.”

“Not in this small of a town,” Hunter said, frowning. He took a swig of his beer, finishing off the bottle. “I won’t pry right now. But are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said, her voice becoming stoic. I stole a glance at her, feeling a bit of worry. Was she okay? Of course not. How could she be? “Maybe you can get them to actually do something helpful. Since she’s your friend and privacy doesn’t exist around here.”

Hunter winced. “Sorry, Haley. I’ll get out of y’alls hair. And hopefully see you later.”

“The shower is upstairs,” I said to Haley, opening the door for her. “I’ll be up in a minute, sunshine.”

“See you.” She gave Hunter a wave and went inside.

I wanted to catch up with him just for a moment. Despite the flicker of jealousy and uneasiness, I loved my brother. Was I pissed that I’d been working my ass off over the last few weeks and got fucked by half the family? Yes. But now that they were all back, my work schedule would balance back out. Which meant I’d have more time for Haley.

I shut the door and turned and managed to step out of the way before Hunter landed his punch. He hit the wooden frame and cursed, shaking his hand as he drew it back.

“For fuck’s sake.”

“What the fuck are you doing?” he growled.

I pushed him back, letting out a low snarl. “What are you doing? We’re too old to be fistfighting. You’ll throw out your back, old man.”

“Fuck off,” he said, narrowing his gaze. “I’m only two years older than you.”

“Your point? I see the grays.”

Hunter looked a lot like me, except his hair was a little bit longer, and there were a couple of silver strands that sprouted near his temples.

“I blame our parents,” he said. “I didn’t know Haley Bently was back in town. And I sure as hell didn’t know you were screwing her. And according to Alexa, she has been through hell and back. They called Baltimore and got the reports. So imagine my surprise when I got a call from her today and she asked me if I knew anything about the two of you and if I’d seen anything out of the ordinary.”

I took a step closer to him, rage pumping through me. “First of all, watch your fucking mouth. This is more than some quick fuck or a one-night stand. Second, there is a lot going on. And you’re right, she’s been through hell. I’m hoping right now that demon didn’t find anything out about her, or if he did, he just lets it go.”

“Yeah, they’re hoping that too.” Hunter took a deep breath, shaking his head. “Is she really okay? She looks good. And before you growl at me like a fucking monster, the message is received loud and clear. She’s off-limits.”

“She is,” I said, stiffening. “As far as okay—she’s stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. And she’s doing the best she can. She came here to forget what happened there, and now it seems like it’s just going to follow her. All I can do is protect her.”

“You can’t protect everyone,” Hunter warned.

Maybe he was right. Maybe he wasn’t. I’d spent a lot of my time over the years doing what I could for people. Helping them, being a good neighbor, keeping Citrus Cove afloat. When I opened the winery, it had been partially because our sleepy town needed more tourists to thrive. And it worked.

“Maybe not everyone, but I can protect her.”

We stared at each other for a couple of moments, and then he took a step back, holding up his hands. “You’re grown. And not a dumbass most of the time.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I’ll see you at dinner. I need to fill all of you in on some stuff too. Also, this is my formal notice that I’m taking off for a few days next week, considering I’ve worked nonstop since the three of you decided to go on vacation. Sammy and Colt have been working overtime. And I hired Haley to help with the bar.” And to hopefully help her get through everything.

I wished that I could do more for her.

The thought of something happening to her sent a cold fear through me that bled into my bones. I’d seen those photos. I’d heard her story. I hated that Bud said there wasn’t much he could do.

We didn’t know the killer’s name. Where he was from. Didn’t know what info he had on Haley. None of it sat right with me, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

“I’ll get more info from Alexa,” Hunter said. “And I’d already planned on working the bar this weekend. You can relax. I’m not sorry for being gone though. We all need a break sometime.” His so-called “break” had come after a fight with Pops. One I still wasn’t one hundred percent privy to.

I decided to pry a little. “You and Pops okay?”

Hunter’s eyes glistened with a hint of anger. “Do you want to talk about that, or do you want to go be with Haley?”

He had a point. Family problems could come later. There was a naked woman waiting for me upstairs. “I’ll see you,” I sighed. “And thank you.”

He winked and then went down the steps to his truck.

I went inside and locked the door behind me, my shoulders slumping.

Small towns. Word traveled too damn fast. And the gossip that had blown in with Haley’s arrival would be too much for Citrus Cove to withstand. They’d be talking about her, talking about us.

Maybe it was a good thing. We protected our own here. If someone felt out of place, people would scrutinize them. It was a curse and a blessing.

I heard the water running upstairs. My house was two stories and decorated by my mom. I didn’t have a sense of style when it came to homes.

It was too big for one man. I kicked off my shoes, thinking about Haley.

There was a very real part of me that wondered if she’d ever share this home with me.

Or would she leave?

I started up the staircase and went to my bedroom. Steam billowed in my room, her voice a soft hum. A song. I smiled.

Haley sang in the shower.

That was cute. And hot.

I stripped off my clothes, put my worries out of my mind, and opened my shower door, thankful that I’d invested in the kind that I could have fun in.

“Hey,” I said.

She turned, hot water running down her naked body. I let out a low whistle, looking at her unabashedly, feasting on how knock-down-dead gorgeous she was.

“Hey,” she said.

“Mind if I join you?” I was already reaching for her, pulling her against me. She leaned up, wrapping her arms around my neck, my cock pressing against her.

“I was waiting for you to,” she said.

Fuck. She was the end of me. I couldn’t get enough of her.

I backed her against the stone wall, the water beating on my shoulders as I kissed her. My hands ran over her smooth skin, touching and cupping and squeezing. She moaned against my mouth as I slipped two fingers between her soft thighs, circling her clit.

“Oh,” she rasped, arching against me.

She’d come twice for me, but I wanted more. I wanted to watch her face, to feel her on my hand as she cried out. Steam swirled around us, her eyelashes dark against her cheeks as she closed her eyes.

Fuck. She had a beautiful voice. Perfect for singing and for moaning. I kept teasing her clit, rubbing her faster as I leaned down and sucked her nipples.

More soft noises, cries and gasps, all growing more urgent as I continued. I watched her, enchanted by her. Touching her this way was a gift.

“Cam,” she moaned. “Fuck. You’re doing something to me.”

I smiled as hot water rolled over my body, never easing up. She thrust against my hand, grinding against me as I circled her faster, egging her on.

She gripped my shoulders, her nails scratching me again. The pain made my cock hard. I wanted her to leave her marks on me.

“That’s my girl,” I rasped. “You’re so close, sunshine.”

She responded with a sharper cry.

“Are you going to come for me, baby?”

“Yes,” she gasped. “Fuck.”

I fought back a chuckle as she suddenly yelped, every muscle in her body tensing as she came on my hand. I held her, kept her from falling, all while feeling her orgasm.

Fuck. She was gorgeous. She was everything I could ever dream of and more.

She collapsed against the shower wall, her eyes finally opening as if she were floating back down to earth. I lifted my fingers to my lips and sucked, the taste of her making me moan.

Her eyes widened.

“Can’t get enough of you,” I whispered, licking them clean.

“You keep shocking the hell out of me.”

And I liked that. I chuckled and kissed her, pulling her against me. I reached for the soap on the rack and lathered it up, washing the two of us. I took my time, rubbing her muscles, feeling every part of her.

That familiar silence settled over us. It was sweet, like pulling on a favorite sweatshirt. How could it be like this with her? Years passed like no time at all. As if we’d always known each other.

I kissed the curve of her neck as the last of the soap went down the drain.

She turned, looking up at me and smiling. “You’re good at this.”

“Thanks,” I said, kissing her again. Again and again. I couldn’t stop myself.

Haley was a drug made just for me. I’d never been a man of faith, but seeing how perfect she was for me made me start to question.

“I propose that we order pizza and snuggle,” I said.

“I think that’s perfect.”