Claiming Abby (The O'Connell Family Book 3) Read online

  The older couple saw us and gasped. I thought they were going to be mortified by our behavior, but they were concerned that we fell in.

  “Are you two alright? Do we need to call an ambulance?” the kind old woman asked.

  “We’re fine. Someone didn’t know there was no swimming and thought she was being funny.”

  “Oh, honey, that’s a dangerous place to swim.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Abby said politely.

  The woman turned her head to the side and asked, “You’re from Texas, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” she said a blush spreading across her face.

  “My son just moved down there and we got to visit. The whole state is wonderful. I’ve been trying to convince him to move down there,” she said as she pointed to her husband.

  He shook his head and added, “I told this woman. Everything is big there, including the bugs. I’ll pass.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Abby said, letting out a chuckle.

  “Thank you for your concern, but I’ve got to get us back before we freeze to death out here.”

  We started to walk back, and this time I took her hand in mine, she didn’t fight it. “This isn’t going anywhere, Ethan. That kiss was amazing, but you know I’m going back home tomorrow. Then heading to my school in Michigan.”

  “Give me your number so we can talk until we see each other again.”

  “Give me your phone and I’ll put it in,” she said, sticking her hand out waiting for me.

  “Son of a bitch,” I barked out. I reached into my pocket and my phone was there along with my wallet and soaked to the core. Thankfully, I still had my keys.

  “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll have Claire get it for me.”

  “Well, I need to go in and dry off. Do you want to come in or is this goodbye?”

  Chapter 2

  Abby

  I haven’t heard from him since I left over two weeks ago. This was my first day back at my college. I left a few days early because the ranch was getting on my nerves. Normally, I could stay there all the time, but Ethan was messing with my head. Home didn’t feel like home anymore. This sucked something terrible. I thought he wanted me, but I guess I made it too much of a challenge. I suppose it was for the best. He wasn’t right for me anyway, no matter how hard and fast my heart thumped in my chest. No matter how awful these two weeks had been, I just wasn’t meant to be with Ethan O’Connell. He was too pretty, strong, and freaking handsome. His grey eyes were tempting me even in my dreams. From the first time he walked through the door, I felt his presence and my body shivered with need, then he went on the typical charming routine and my desire cooled down to a simmer.

  Now, here I was back in my dorm, thinking about a man who was just mildly interested. Why did he make it seem that he was interested? Didn’t he realize that we’d end up seeing each other at family events? And that I might fall for him and then where would we be?

  I was walking back into my dorm room after signing up for my classes and saw someone leaning against my door. I gasped as I got closer. It was Ethan.

  “Sorry, but no one would give me your number.” He pushed off the door, standing at full height in front of me. “I didn’t want you to think I was playing.”

  “I can’t believe you came here,” I said with a surprised snicker, my face heating in the process.

  “I told you that I wasn’t going to let you go that easy.” He stepped closer, crowding me against the wall across from my dorm room. I could smell his fresh scent invading my nostrils, as well as the hint of alcohol.

  “Were you drinking?” I asked, arching my brow wondering if he needed liquid courage. Something about a bit of fear of being turned down made me happy.

  “I had a glass of whiskey on the plane trying to figure out what I was going to do.”

  “So, what are you going to do?” I asked, biting my lower lip. I was trying to be sexy, but I think it came off a bit awkward because his eyebrows squished together.

  His hand reached out, his palm cupping my jaw. He let his thumb pull my lip from my teeth. I felt a million sensations that I wasn’t sure I could stand. What came next was even better than the first time. With his forehead pressed against mine, he whispered, “Mine.” Tilting my head up, he dropped his down, twisting it slightly, and closed the distance. A slight whimper expelled from my lips as I fell deeper into our kiss. My hands pressed against his broad chest. He was wearing a well-tailored suit that didn’t hide his strong muscles. This man was perfection. It should be a crime to look that good and kiss so damn well. And from what I remember from the pond, he was very well built down below. There was too much sexy going on with this man.

  He pulled back just far enough to look into my eyes. “I don’t want the whole hall to hear you come for me. Invite me in.”

  “What if I don’t want to let you in?” I challenged. I so wanted him to come in, but I was afraid that I would cave like I desperately wanted to.

  “Then I’m going to toss you over my shoulder and carry you back to my hotel.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  And like that, he flipped me over his shoulder, grabbing my backpack off the floor and slinging it over his other shoulder, then paraded down the hall like I was a feather. What was I thinking? Since when has that line ever worked in a movie or book. I might as well have double-dog-dared him to do it. “Put me down, Ethan.”

  “Nope.” He shook his head and continued walking toward the elevator. I was glad no one came out of their rooms.

  “People are going to think you’re kidnapping me,” I complained, trying to wiggle myself out of his hold, but he just held me tighter. I went limp on him, hoping I was too heavy and he would put me down, but he didn’t. As I relaxed on his back, his ass was in perfect view. Seriously, the man did some major squats. I was tempted to pinch his ass, but then again, mine was in his face and too easily a target for retaliation.

  “Well, let them. I’m still going to take you away from here.” The man must have had some liquid courage left in him. I wasn’t going to get out of this, and I didn’t want to.

  It was time to give up. “Fine, I’ll go willingly. Just set me down.”

  “Promise?” he asked, stopping in front of the elevators.

  “Yes, I promise.” Ethan set me down on my feet, straightening my t-shirt.

  “Thank you, Abby,” he sounded really sincere. “Did you eat dinner already?” he asked as he pressed the down button.

  “No, I was about to go down to the cafeteria after I dropped off my books.”

  “How about we have dinner at the hotel?” His question didn’t sound innocent at all, but I didn’t want him to leave without me. These weeks of not hearing from him made me realize how badly I needed to see him.

  “In your room?” I asked suspiciously as we entered the elevator.

  “Yes. I’ll behave myself. I just want your sole attention.”

  “I bet you do,” I said sarcastically.

  He quickly pinned me to the wall inside the small elevator. “Yes, I do. I want all your attention and I want to give you mine. I missed you, sweet Abby. I want you naked, but I’ll take you any way I can get.” I felt my knees start to shake. The heady feel of his breath on my neck as he spoke his piece. He stepped back, straightening his suit jacket, and took my hand in his.

  “I missed you, too,” I confessed without thinking.

  “That’s good, baby. Really good,” he whispered, lifting my hand to his lips and kissing it.

  Chapter 3

  Ethan

  God, she looked so fucking perfect, that blush painting her face. I knew she was embarrassed about admitting she missed me. She shouldn’t. I loved hearing it. Two weeks without her had been the hardest fucking thing I’d ever gone through. My brother was still in the hospital and there was no news on his condition. Rick didn’t waste time chasing Sam, and he was right, time was short so I wasn’t going to wait
for a long time with the woman I knew was the one. My sister and Travis were getting married in two weeks, but that was too much time apart. I didn’t know what I was going to do since she wasn’t even in the same state as me and she still had one year left of college. That was something we were going to have to talk about.

  We walked to my rental and I helped her into her seat, closing the door with a smile. I couldn’t stop the foolish grin even if I wanted to. The time apart had been hard on me. Every day I saw Travis and Claire together was a reminder that I had to wait to see her. Travis said he wouldn’t give me the number unless Abby said so, which of course he said she hadn’t asked.

  We drove away in silence. There was so much to say, but I had to focus on driving. Seriously, it was harder than I thought. Never had any woman intrigued me so much. Thankfully, my hotel wasn’t too far from the school and I didn’t have to concentrate long. I’d never been to this city before, so I relied on my GPS to guide me.

  “Any news on your brother?” she asked, just as I was pulling into the valet spot.

  I hopped out and walked around to let her out, then said, “He’s still in a coma, but we’re not giving up hope for him to pull through.”

  “He will. I’m sure of it,” she said, squeezing my hand tighter. That sweetness was as much of a turn on as her cattiness.

  “Thanks, Abby. I’ve tried to block it from my mind. My brother’s my hero and my best friend, even though he wasn’t liking me too much when Sam came to the house.”

  “Oh, did you want her?” she asked as we got on the elevator.

  “No, but when it comes to the one and any man looks at her, well, the gloves are off,” I said, giving her a slight warning of what would happen if a man challenged me over her.

  “Did you get into a fight?” she asked, looking a bit jealous.

  “Not at all. I didn’t want her, so it was his little paranoia. See, Sam is younger than you and I’m younger than Rick, so he got a little concerned that my youth could sway her.”

  “That’s kind of silly.”

  “Yep, but he was serious about it. It was fun to watch him squirm, but in truth I just want him back so he can marry her already.”

  We’d been talking so much that we were on my floor before I knew it. We stepped into my room as I led her to the chair near the bed. It wasn’t a master suite, so it was in that chair or on the bed. “This is their menu. Take a look and let me know what you want.”

  I took off my suit jacket and tie in order to get a bit comfortable. She looked at me like I wasn’t going to keep my promise. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to try anything.”

  “I wasn’t thinking that,” she said, blushing profusely.

  “Liar,” I countered, shaking my head slowly at her.

  “Well, just a little. I want the chicken parmesan,” she said, handing me the menu.

  “Okay,” I replied before calling down and making it a double order with a bottle of wine.

  “While we wait, tell me what it is that you’re majoring in.”

  “Um…liberal arts.”

  “So you don’t really have a specific major, yet?” I liked that which meant that I could probably get her to stay home with the kids and then I could see her anytime I snuck off early from work.

  “No. I know it’s terrible and that a degree like that isn’t the most beneficial, but I never even wanted to go to college. I just was tired of being the one everyone was trying to take care of.”

  “That’s fine. We worried about my sister because she was the youngest. It’s what brothers do.”

  “I know, but it’s annoying,” she grumbled, twisting her lips. It was so cute that I couldn’t stop myself from stealing a quick peck. It took her by surprise, but I didn’t linger. I was serious about getting to know her better. It wasn’t that I hadn’t made up my mind about what I wanted from her, I just aimed to make sure I could make her happy. If she still wanted to finish school here or transfer to a school by my home, I would find a way to make it work.

  “Trust me, I’ve been learning. I would stop giving Travis a hard time if he wasn’t giving me a hard time when it came to getting your number.”

  “He wouldn’t give it to you?” Her eyes widened in a shocked and pissed expression. She crossed her arms and then stood up, shoving her hands to her sides.

  “Nope, he said if you said I could have it then he’d hand it off, but I’m sure the prick never asked you for it.” I halted her movements and pulled her into my lap while I sat in the bed.

  “I haven’t spoken to Travis since two days after I left, and he didn’t even mention you.”

  “When I get back I’m going to deck him,” I snarled.

  “Well, I’m glad you came to talk to me,” she replied sweetly.

  “Me, too, but as much as I love having your sexy ass on my cock, it’s not smart if we’re going to be talking.”

  She jumped off my lap and sat down on the chair again. “Do you have a career choice in mind?”

  “Not really, I still have one year left. I thought about going back home and running a shop or working on the ranch.”

  Chapter 4

  Abby

  Ethan stared at my lips after each bite I took. I never felt so nervous eating in front of a man before. Even when George took me to dinner the night that I keep trying to forget. "Are you going to always watch me eat?"

  "Maybe. I'm sorry, Abby, but your lips are so fucking beautiful. I want to be that fork."

  I gasped softly, my pussy throbbing. His voice was so smooth and deep that I melted in my seat. I wondered if he could see me squirm in my chair.

  “After dinner, I should take you home.”

  I gasped. “Oh, okay.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want you here. I just don’t know if I can have you here and not toss you on that bed and make love to you all night.”

  “What if I didn’t want to leave?” I murmured.

  He put his fork down and stood up. I saw his height, but instead of intimidation, I felt desire. “Then plan to become mine, Abby.”

  “For the night,” I said.

  “I’m thinking a lot longer.” He grabbed my hand and made me stand. I focused on his chest because I was too nervous to look up in his beautiful grey eyes.

  “Okay,” I said, slightly nodding just agreeing because I wanted him, not that I bought his “a lot longer,” bullshit.

  He cupped my face and tipped my head to him and placed a kiss on my lips. His tongue played with mine, twirling around my mouth. I ran my hands up his shirt collar and into his hair. He moaned against my mouth before quickly picking me up and carrying me over to the bed. We came down on the mattress together, his hands slid behind my head while his legs rested in between mine. Ethan’s cock was pressed on my core. My pussy pulsed when I felt his long thickness rubbing on me. He let out a little moan when I tilted my hips upward. Still clutching his hair, I tugged on it and kissed him back. I felt him kick off his shoes before he kneeled in front of me. I must look like a mess, but he didn’t care. Those eyes told me that I was going to be really sore in the morning.

  “Take off your top.” I didn’t hesitate, tossing it onto the floor beside the bed. I laid there, forgetting that I had a plain nude bra on. It wasn’t a sexy one, but he didn’t seem to mind. He pulled his shirt from his pants and lifted it and the undershirt off his head. I sighed delightfully as I saw his muscular chest. I bit my lip, anxious to feel any sort of relief. My body was burning with need and I didn’t know how to make it stop.

  He gave me a crooked smile littered with charm. He reached down and pressed on my pussy through my jean shorts. I nearly came completely off the bed. “I know you need more, don’t you, Ms. Williams? Let me take care of you,” he said, moving his hands to the button on my shorts. He pulled them down, undressing my lower half with such delicacy. I loved his touch more than I wanted to. I was feeling addicted already. I flushed with embarrassment as he parted my thighs and pressed his face to my sopping wet
pussy.

  “Ethan,” I said, trying to stop him by closing my legs, but he wasn’t having it. He held them tightly, placing kisses on my thighs before he ran his tongue down my slit. A moan came from both our mouths. This was amazing. He did it again, this time stopping at the top and flattening his tongue. My orgasm came out of nowhere and I was crying out his name as I shook with pleasure.

  “Yes, come, Abby,” he growled against my pussy with his tongue lapping up every drop of me.

  He stepped off the bed to take off his pants. “Are you on birth control?” he asked, stroking his cock that was leaking his pre-come from the tip.

  I nodded. I’d been on it since that night with George and I hadn’t missed one dose. “Good, because I don’t want anything between us.”

  “Is that what you usually prefer?”

  “No. I never believed a woman when she said that. I’ve always used a condom.” I felt relief at that. I wasn’t naïve to think someone his age would be a virgin, but I would hope that he wasn’t too lax with sex.

  “But you believe me.” I smiled with his trust. It meant a lot to me.

  “Without a doubt. I wouldn’t even care if you were lying. I’m only asking for you. You have a year left.” He climbed up on the bed in between my thighs with that wicked grin again. I couldn’t take my eyes off his cock that looked so thick and ready.

  He leaned down, readying himself to take me. I relaxed and breathed in because it was going to hurt. His eyes met mine and he whispered, “Mine.” His mouth came down on mine as he pushed his way into me. I bit back a scream as he tore through my virginity. His eyes opened wide as he looked down at me then down at where we met.

  “So fucking mine. Calm down, sweet Abby. Don’t cry.” He wiped the tear that rolled down my cheek. The pain eased immediately. Ethan stared into my eyes and I felt myself relax.

  Chapter 5

  Ethan

  Fuck, she's a virgin. Wow, I thought the ex-boyfriend had it, but fuck me, her kitty was mine. I kissed her hard, trying to convince her pussy to let me all the way in. Her tears calmed my urge to come. Her body slowly relaxed, and her pussy opened a little more. I began moving back and forth, not coming all the way out. She was getting wetter with every thrust back in. "That's it, baby. Feel it. Yes, keep moaning. I want to hear you come for me." She grabbed my shoulders, her nails clawing and digging into my skin. Her hips pumped up against me, needing more.