We Shouldn't (The Raven Brothers Book 2) Page 7

  “My family can fuck off. I never asked to be a part of this business. I never asked for their help.”

  “No. You ask nameless women to get you off every night.”

  I snarled. “You don’t know anything about me.”

  “Maybe not, but I understand a lot about people in your situation. You’re angry and in pain. You could overcome that, but you like being pissed at the world. Or maybe you’re afraid that letting go of it would somehow make you vulnerable. You like control. There’s also something about all those women—”

  “Yes, they make me come,” I said going back to the seductive voice I’d used before to see if I could lull her again.

  She checked her watch. “That’s our time for today.” She stood and walked toward the door of the office.

  I rose from the couch and went toward her. For once, I wasn’t done. I pressed my hand against the door, preventing her from opening it. It was an aggressive move, but I didn’t see fear in her face, so I left it.

  “Instead of talking about how good sex can be for mental health, maybe you should try it sometime, Doc.” I stared down at her, wanting her to see how good I could make her feel.

  “I’m not a doctor.”

  “And I’m not sick.”

  She sighed. “No one thinks you’re sick. You just need to deal with your anger and your past trauma.”

  “I deal with it just fine. Let me show you.”

  I swooped in, unable to wait a moment longer to taste her. And holy hell, did she taste divine. I wanted more. Once I finished with her lips, I wanted to taste the rest of her. To get lost in her. I wasn’t sure if it was because it had been so long since I’d been with a woman or something about her, but the need for her consumed me.

  She pushed me back. “Mr. Raven—”

  “Under the circumstances, you can call me Hunter.”

  “I’m your therapist. This is isn’t appropriate.”

  God, stop talking and start undressing, was all I could think about. “Isn’t it your job to learn about what makes me tick so you can help me?”

  “Yes but—”

  “This is what makes me tick.” I took my hand and pressed it to my cock, needing her touch like I needed my next breath. Her eyes turned a dark green as her hand rubbed, and I thought, Thank fuck. Then she pulled back. But I had felt her hand linger for that instant. I knew now she was interested.

  “This is wrong,” she said, trying to look serious as she stared up at me. I liked how she was defiant, remaining close to me as she tried to tell me we couldn’t touch each other.

  “Isn’t there such a thing as sex therapy?” I rested my hand on her hip, tugging her closer by slow degrees. I had to taste her again.

  “For impotence. Clearly, that’s not you.”

  “No. Clearly, not me.” My lips consumed hers again, and fire blasted through me. I ran my tongue along the seam of her lips and thanked fuck when she responded by opening her mouth to let me in. I maneuvered her between me and the door, pressing her to it. I slid my hand up that creamy thigh, and yes, it was as soft as I’d imagined. I lifted her skirt, taking in the sweet scent of her arousal. Oh yeah, she wanted this too.

  I ground my hips against hers, letting her feel my dick and how bad I wanted her. She gasped, and it was all I could do not to rip my pants off and thrust into her. Fuck, I’d never felt such an inferno of need before.

  She tore her mouth away from me and put her hands on my chest. I thought she was going to push me away, but they just lay there. “We can’t. I’m your therapist.”

  I looked down at her, need swimming in every blood cell of my body. I’d die if she didn’t let me touch her. “I won’t tell if you don’t.” I ground my cock against her again, wanting to remind her what we could experience together. She pressed herself against me, and I was sure I had her. I kissed her again, hoping she’d give in. I would work to encourage her, but I wouldn’t force her.

  “I like the way you feel,” I murmured against her lips. “Are you wet?” I slid my fingers under the panel of her panties, feeling her slick, hot pussy. “Ah fuck, yeah. You’re wet.” I flicked a finger over her hard clit, wishing it was my tongue.

  Her body jerked and her breath came in short gasps. Yes, she was hot and barreling toward an orgasm.

  Feeling triumphant, I asked, “Do you want to come, Doc?”

  10

  Grace

  Friday

  Yes. I wanted to come. God, I needed to come. He yanked down my panties, and my first thought was how much I wanted him inside me. But as the cool air hit my wet pussy, reality blasted through me.

  Using my hands that were gripping his shirt, I pushed him back and quickly pulled down my skirt.

  “We can’t do this.” I hated that my voice and labored breath gave away my desire for him. “I know that sometimes clients develop an attraction to their therapists, but it’s wrong to succumb.”

  “What about therapists that are hot for their clients?” He stepped to me, but I moved to grab my bag. “Because that was not one-sided, Doc.”

  No, it wasn’t, and I was filled with guilt at having crossed the line. At the same time, I wanted to beg him to finish what he started. Needing to get away before I did just that, I hurried from the office and to the elevator.

  I poked the button, hoping he wouldn’t follow me. It was a long ride down to the ground floor, and if he got in the elevator with me, there was no telling what would happen. Well, there was. I’d probably fail in my resistance and beg him to bring on the orgasm I desperately wanted.

  The doors opened and Sara stepped out. “Oh, hi.” She smiled at me and pulled me into an embrace. How such a sweet, innocent thing not only ended up in the family but wasn’t bowled over by it, was beyond me.

  “Hello,” I said, knowing I sounded a bit off.

  Sara frowned. “Are you alright?” She looked behind me, and the scent of Hunter’s cologne indicated he was there. Luckily, he didn’t linger and instead headed back to his office. Sara watched him and then turned to me. “Hey, Chase is busy tonight, so I’m on my own. Do you want to go to dinner with me?”

  This was another thing I should probably say no to. Sara was Hunter’s sister-in-law. I shouldn’t be friendly with any of them.

  “Maybe I could give you some tips on managing Mr. Moody,” she said with a nod toward Hunter’s office.

  “I shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be appropriate,” I said.

  “Listen, I know the Raven boys are a lot to handle. It’s like they have twice the testosterone required to be men. But deep down, they’re good guys. Even Hunter.”

  I felt a little defensive at that comment. Why “even Hunter”? He was a good guy who suffered a condition that would last his entire life as the result of serving his country. Of protecting all of us, including her. Of all the brothers, he had a good reason to be difficult.

  “I have some experience dealing with them and understanding what makes them tick,” she finished.

  I realized that perhaps having an outside perspective could be helpful. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility to meet with family members to better help a client. Of course, it wasn’t done socially, but the truth was, I needed a break from the Rookery.

  “Yes, I wouldn’t mind getting out.”

  Sara smiled sweetly. I hoped Chase realized what a lovely young woman he’d married. “Oh, good. I’m so glad.” She told me the name of a restaurant that I suspected was owned by the Raven family. I remembered Kade was the one in charge of them. I hoped he wasn’t there. I didn’t want his two-cents about Hunter as he seemed to resent his older brother. He seemed to resent them all. Then again, based on what little Hunter had told me about their father’s all-work-and-no-play stance until recently, I could see why they were the way they were.

  I went home, got in the shower with my wet-dry vibrator and finished off what Hunter had started. I needed the orgasm, and yet, it was also a disappointment. It didn’t have the same explosive pop as I expected i
t would have had if I’d let Hunter finish me off.

  Then I ducked my head under the spray of water trying to decide if I’d gone so far off the script that I needed to refer him to a new therapist. He’d touched me intimately. Surely that meant I needed to stop being his therapist?

  The problem was, I enjoyed being with him even if he was difficult. I often felt like I was right on the verge of a breakthrough. There were times that I thought I saw trust in his eyes and that he was going to finally open up. He never did, but even in those moments, I felt like I was making progress.

  If a man deserved to lose his demons, it was Hunter. He was dark and broody, but he had incredible self-control. He had to be exhausted at the end of the day as he worked to manage his anger and frustration. I wished desperately that I could give him a reprieve. And, I had to admit, that my wish wasn’t entirely professional. Yes, he was a sexy, potent man, but there was something more to it. Something he hid that I wanted to discover.

  I dressed in a white skirt, a floral sleeveless cotton blouse, and a green sweater that probably looked marmish, but the coloring was good on me. Then I headed to the restaurant to meet with Sara. She was already there and had a private booth near the back.

  “I’m so glad you could come,” she said when I joined her. “I don’t like it when Chase is away. He prefers me to stay home, but he acquiesces if I say I’m coming to a place one of his brothers is at.”

  “So, this is a Raven owned restaurant,” I said.

  “Yes. Normally, I’d prefer to go to one of Ash’s places, but at this point in my pregnancy, clubs are loud and too busy. So, we’re stuck with Kade.”

  “He’s that bad?” I asked.

  Sara shook her head. “Not bad. None of them are bad. But they’re all a little bitter and resentful. They all have baggage.”

  A waitress came by, and I ordered a glass of wine.

  “Kade is more immature than anything. I’m no shrink, but I think he feels like as the youngest he’s dismissed and for some reason, works to live up to it.”

  I tilted my head, interested at her insight. “Have you had any counseling experience?”

  A sadness swept through her eyes, and I felt bad that I’d brought up something painful for her.

  “Chase and I lost a baby, and we had counseling then. It really helped us both. Chase and I hope it will help Hunter.”

  “I’m sorry about your loss.”

  “Thank you. It was a difficult time and why Chase is really protective of me. Hunter too. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was lurking around somewhere.”

  “What?” I scanned the room looking for the large, broody, sexy man.

  “Hunter more than any of them, except Chase, looks after me. He’ll say it’s because security is his job, but I know it’s more than that.”

  I frowned. I remembered Hunter’s interesting comments about Sara during the intervention, but he hadn’t made any statements about her since. That could be telling too. Was he in love with Sara and trying to hide it?

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Sara’s expression turned sad. “I think he feels some guilt about what happened to me.”

  I simply looked at her, wanting her to continue.

  “My ex kidnapped me. Hunter had stopped it the first time.”

  First time?

  “But not the second. He was there when I was found. I know he did all he could to find me, but…well…I lost the baby.”

  All of a sudden, it was like all the puzzle pieces snapped together. Well, not all, but many. Or, at the very least, there was a hint at what possibly could be tormenting Hunter beyond his time as a soldier.

  “Do you or Chase blame him?” I asked.

  Sara shook her head, and her eyes looked sincere as she said, “No. It was Glen’s fault.”

  “Was it Hunter’s job to keep you safe?”

  “He thinks so, I’m sure. But his job is security for the company, not for family. Now, I have James.” She nodded across the room. I looked and saw a young, burly man in the corner. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if Hunter was around somewhere too.”

  “I thought he spent his nights trolling for women,” I said.

  Sara again looked sad. “He often does unless I’m out without Chase. When I go home, maybe he’ll find one. I don’t know. My sense is he hasn’t done that lately. I like to think it’s because of you.”

  I shrugged, not feeling like I’d made much of an impact on him at all.

  “I know you can’t tell me about your sessions, but you must be helping. Hunter wouldn’t keep going if you weren’t.”

  Well, that was good to know.

  She continued on. “I don’t know if this will help, but Hunter isn’t likely to do something for himself. You’ll probably have better success with him if you can connect his counseling to something that will help someone else. Hunter is a big marshmallow on the inside.”

  I nearly did a spit-take. “Hunter” and “marshmallow” didn’t belong in the same sentence.

  Sara laughed. “I know you think I’m nuts, but deep down, he is a really good and decent man. He has emotional scars from the war that wear him down and a difficult family that has made him hide that part of him.”

  “You seem insightful about the members of your family.”

  She shrugged. “I’m observant. And I might have picked up a little bit about human behavior from my own counseling, as well as the work I do at the children’s center.”

  That piqued my interest. “Children’s Center?”

  She nodded. “Yes, it’s a place where disadvantaged and at-risk kids can go for daycare, after school care, tutoring, recreation, and more. I love it. I feel like I make a real difference. I’m trying to get Chase to expand Raven Industries to more philanthropic areas to support programs for kids.”

  “He’s resistant?”

  Sara smiled. “No. He just hasn’t found a person he trusts to manage a foundation that would handle it all. I’d do it, but well, I’m going to be preoccupied in a few months.” She rubbed her belly.

  “Do you know what you’re having?” I asked.

  “No. We decided to wait and be surprised.” Her smile was radiant. It was why I didn’t ask about the marriage and baby plan Chase’s father had implemented. Surely, she knew about it, but she looked happy, and the few times I saw Chase he seemed happy too.

  Her gaze lifted up behind me.

  “Hello ladies,” I heard a man say.

  I turned, expecting Kade. I wasn’t wrong, but I hadn’t expected Hunter to be there too. I had to look away because the intensity of his gaze brought me right back to that afternoon when he had his fingers between my legs.

  “Hi guys,” Sara said. “Checking up on me?”

  “Chase would kick our asses if we didn’t,” Kade said.

  “James is there,” she nodded toward where her bodyguard sat.

  “We’re also discussing some security issues here. I’m sure Chase told you we had a few break-ins at Raven properties,” Kade said. “But our meeting is done. How about we join you?”

  Kade looked at Hunter. “What about you?”

  “I wouldn’t mind eating,” he said taking a seat in the booth next to me. I told myself he was only there to look after Sara. After all, she said he often took it upon himself to watch after her. But the heat of his body next to mine made every neuron in my body light up. How was I going to sit next to him through an entire meal?

  I knew I should excuse myself. Hunter was my client. I shouldn’t have been socializing with him. This was why I should have turned Sara down. But he blocked me in the booth, his thigh tantalizingly close to mine, and I was powerless to leave.

  11

  Hunter

  Friday

  When I first saw Grace with Sara, anger bubbled up inside. She had no right to be following me and interrogating my family. But when she saw me, her eyes shone with surprise, not guilt. Her cheeks tinged with pink, like I was a pleasant surprise.

/>   I studied her as Kade talked with Sara. Her clothes were still a bit on the conservative side, but she was even more stunning out of her work environment. The bright green of her sweater brought out the green specs in her hazel eyes and made her hair look more auburn than brown. She wore it down, and my hands itched to touch it. To grip it as her lips sucked my dick deep into her mouth. That was the image I’d use tonight before I went to bed.

  But then Kade invited himself and me to join them. Perhaps I could arrange for the real deal. She might be my counselor, but I had no doubt now that she was into me. Fuck, just remembering how hot she was when I touched her, the way her eyes turned that dark green as I fingered her wet pussy made my dick twitch. I’d licked her taste from my fingers and then gone straight to my office and jerked myself off because I was too hard to think straight.

  We weren’t in session now, so maybe it would be alright to finally finish what we’d started that afternoon.

  As I sat next to her, I had to hope Kade wouldn’t make any snarky remarks at her expense about my counseling. He could be such an asshole sometimes. Of all my brothers, he was the one that tested my limits the most.

  At first, I felt a little unsettled next to Grace. I could pick up a woman, but I hadn’t had what might be construed as a date since before I left for the military. Not that this was a date, but it wasn’t a pick up for a just hook up either. For a moment, I wondered what the fuck I was thinking and doing. If she wasn’t a one-off, I shouldn’t be touching her, and yet I couldn’t get the look of desire in her eyes and the way her body went pliant, just for a second, against mine out of my head. Perhaps instead of a one-off, I could convince her of a short-term affair. No strings. No harm, no foul.

  “So, Grace, when you’re not shrinking heads, what do you enjoy doing?” Kade asked.

  I winced at his choice of words, and then I glared at him. He wasn’t trying to pick her up, was he? She was mine, dammit.

  She shrugged. “I’ve been so busy with my work that I don’t have a lot of free time.”