The Necessary Engagement (EBOOK)

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“Oh, for God’s sake, where is it?” Sydney blew her breath out in frustration. She had been through her meager amount of clothing three times now, and she still couldn’t find her damn bra. It was Thursday, and she had to leave for her shift at the bar in less than an hour. She had very little clothing, but somehow, she’d mysteriously lost the push-up bra she had bought specifically to wear at the bar.

“Where could it be?” She sat on the edge of the bed and thought back to when she had it last. She had been wearing it Saturday night, and it –

Her eyes widened with horror.

“Oh shit.” She had a clear vision of Grayson shoving her bra into his jacket pocket at the hospital. Jesus, neither of them had remembered it was there. He had to have been carrying it around with him ever since.

She reached for her everyday plain white bra and hesitated. Her tips had nearly doubled since she’d started wearing the push-up bra. With a soft groan, she threw her work tank top on and headed for GG’s.

“GG?” She knocked and entered the old farmhouse.

“In here, honey,” GG called from the kitchen.

“Hey, GG, is Grayson around?” She hadn’t seen him since the meeting with Martin on Tuesday, and although she hadn’t been specifically avoiding him, she hadn’t actively looked for him either. She was still embarrassed that he had stocked her kitchen with food, and although she knew she would have to thank him sooner or later, she hadn’t yet worked up the nerve.

“He’s upstairs taking a nap. He was out most of the day repairing the fence in the west field. That crazy boy is thinking about starting a cattle farm again,” GG said. “Although I admit, I’m a little excited about having the farm up and running again.”

She smiled at Sydney. “Do you need to speak with him?”

“Well, not exactly. He has something of mine that I need for work. I think it’s in his jacket pocket.” She looked at the coat tree at the front entrance, but Grayson’s jacket wasn’t hanging on it.

“Oh, I think he was still wearing his jacket when he went upstairs. It’s probably in his room. You can just run up there and grab it.”

“I’d better not. I wouldn’t want to wake him.”

GG laughed. “Honey, that boy could sleep through an earthquake. Trust me – tiny little you won’t wake him up. Go on now. You know which room is his.”

Sydney hesitated and then nodded. “Okay, thanks, GG.”
Feeling oddly nervous, Sydney climbed the stairs and crept down the hallway. She eased opened Grayson’s bedroom door, and peeked in. He was lying on his back in the bed, breathing evenly and deeply.

She quietly closed the door and looked for his jacket. It was draped across a chair beside the bed, and she walked softly across the room. She glanced at Grayson. His eyes were closed, and she could see his broad chest still rising and falling evenly. She had a sudden urge to reach out and thread her fingers through the hair on his chest. Instead, she curled her fingers into fists, silently berating herself before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out her bra.

She turned to leave when a hard hand wrapped around her wrist. She dropped her bra and let out a soft shriek of surprise as she was jerked backward onto the bed. Grayson pinned her hands above her head and threw one muscular leg over her thighs before leaning over her.

He stared down at her, his eyes sleepy and unfocused. “Why are you in my room?”

“I – I needed my bra,” she squeaked.

He frowned. “Your bra?”

“From the night in the hospital. It was in your jacket pocket.”

“Right – the hospital.”

He studied her abdomen. “How is your stomach, by the way?”

“It’s fine. Much better.” She cleared her throat. He still held her hands captive above her head, and she tried to ignore the way it made her pulse speed up.

“Let me see.” Keeping one hand around her wrists, he used his other hand to lift her white tank top. He ran his hand over the healing cut on her stomach and then tugged the waistline of her jean skirt down until he could see her hip. He inhaled sharply at the sight of the large and sprawling bruise.

“Jesus,” he said.

“It’s fine,” she said.

Without speaking, he leaned over and licked her bruised skin. She moaned and twitched against him.

He looked up at her. “Did that hurt?”

“N-no.”

He bent his head again, and she squirmed against him. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Licking me!”

“You licked me.”

“I did not,” she said.

He grinned. “You did. The night I brought you home from the hospital, you asked me to stay and keep you warm, and then you licked me.”

She gave him a look of horror. “I don’t believe you.”

He dipped his head to her neck. “You licked me right here.” He used the tip of his tongue to lick her soft skin, and she wiggled beneath him. He licked along her jawline and then licked her mouth until her lips parted, and she moaned again.

He pulled his head back and stared at her mouth for a long moment before his eyes dropped to her breasts. Her arousal was evident, her nipples hard and straining against the thin material of her shirt, and his nostrils flared in response.

“Please, Grayson,” she said. “Let me go.” She tried to free her wrists from his hand, and he pressed them down further into the soft mattress.

“You’re so little, so helpless against me.” His voice had deepened with desire, and Sydney felt a flare of heat deep in her pelvis in response to the raw need in his voice.

“If I wanted to kiss you right now, I could, and you wouldn’t be able to stop me.” He reached down and pushed her thighs apart, shoving his hard thigh between hers.

Sydney groaned and shuddered against him. He trailed kisses across her jaw and placed his mouth just above hers. His warm breath made her lips tingle with anticipation.

“But you want me to kiss you. Don’t you, Sydney?”
“Yes,” she said.

“Good.” He kissed her hard on the mouth. His tongue probed at her lips, and she parted them, giving him access to the warmth of her mouth.

He flicked his tongue into her mouth, darting and tasting and driving her crazy. He tugged lightly on her bottom lip with his teeth and then sucked hard on it, making her moan and writhe against him.

He kissed her slowly, taking his time exploring every nook and cranny of her mouth. He gave her no break from his relentless tongue, sliding it against hers, tracing it along her teeth as he pushed her deeper into the pillow until they were both gasping and shuddering. He pulled his mouth free and stared down at her. Her full lips trembled, and he nibbled lightly, first on her top lip and then her bottom.

“You have the most beautiful mouth. Did you know that, Sydney?”

She moaned when he traced the low neckline of her tank top with one warm finger.

She pulled at his hand again, and he tightened his grip on her wrists. “Do you want me to let you go?”

“Y-yes,” she lied. Something about the way he so easily held her captive in his bed was turning her on to the point of embarrassment. She glanced upward, her face flushing at the sight of her small hands held in Grayson’s large one.

He could do whatever he wanted to her, and she couldn’t stop him. The thought should have alarmed her, but instead, it brought on another large wave of desire that made her entire body shudder against him.

“Are you sure?” He smiled and kissed her again, sucking roughly on her bottom lip until she gasped.

He dropped his gaze to her body once more. The way he held her arms above her head made her slender body arch, and her small breasts, their nipples jutting out against the thin fabric, were practically calling his name.

She stared wide-eyed at him. He hadn’t shaved this morning, and his stubble had left red marks on her skin and mouth that tingled pleasantly. His hazel eyes had darkened until they were nearly brown, and she moaned loudly when he bent his head and trailed kisses along her upper chest.

He hooked his fingers into the neckline of her tank top and tugged it down until her breasts were bared. He admired them for a moment, watching how her nipples grew harder in the cool air. He licked her right nipple with the tip of his tongue, making her cry out, and then sucked it into his mouth. She arched her back, pulling frantically at his hand as he licked and pulled on her hardened nipple.

“Grayson, please,” she begged as he switched to her left nipple and grazed it gently with his teeth. Her nipples were extremely sensitive, and just the wetness of his mouth and tongue was driving her crazy.

“Does that feel good, Sydney?” he asked.

“Yes,” she moaned again. She couldn’t stop herself from rubbing against his hard thigh, feeling the delicious friction of his rough hair against her smooth skin. His cock was hard against her thigh, and she gasped again when he bit lightly on her nipple.

She pulled again at his hand, and he let her go this time. She immediately clutched his head, twisting her fingers through his short, dark hair and pulling on it. He lifted his head, and she mashed her mouth down on his, desperate to taste him again.

He kissed her, his tongue stroking her upper lip with delicate movements that had her shuddering against him. He cupped one breast in his large hand and ran his thumb over her nipple before he pinched it lightly with his thumb and forefinger.

She wrenched her mouth free and stared up at the ceiling as he slipped his hand behind her neck and cupped it firmly. He trailed kisses down her neck and across her collarbone before kissing the base of her neck. He flipped onto his back, pulling her small body on top of him and sliding her into a straddling position. He sat up and abruptly yanked her tank top over her head.

He stared greedily at her, and suddenly feeling shy, she crossed her arms over her breasts. “Grayson, maybe we should – “

He pulled her arms away roughly and took one nipple into his mouth again. He sucked hard on it, and she thrust her pelvis helplessly against him, her fingers clutching and pulling at his broad back. He was wearing just a pair of boxer briefs, and she could feel his cock against her warm core. He wrapped his large arms around her, curling his hands into her mass of hair and pulling until she stared at the ceiling. He kissed her throat, then her breasts and upper chest, licking and nipping until she thrust frantically against him. He groaned against her breast, grabbed the hem of her jean skirt and pushed it up around her waist.

He was reaching between her legs, wanting to slip his fingers under the soft material of her panties and explore her warm flesh, when GG’s voice made them both freeze.

“Sid, did you find what you were looking for?” she called softly up the stairs.