The Sound of Secrets (The Monsters Duet #2)

Chapter 4

Channing

Sucking dick wasn’t only a perfect distraction from whatever aches and pains plagued Win. It was also a solid way to stop him from pressing me for answers I didn’t have. I told myself I was going to leave after Winnie’s birthday. However, with the date rapidly approaching, I’d yet to make any moves toward finding a permanent place to stay. I lied to myself, saying that I didn’t want to leave Winnie while Win was working so much, but I missed Win while he was gone, and wanted to be there to welcome him home. It felt like the least I could do after he moved rivers and mountains to make sure I didn’t mess Winnie up any more than she already was.

I didn’t plan on rekindling the intimate part of our relationship, but there was something about seeing him shy and hesitant over his appearance that tugged at my taut heartstrings. Jumping to shoving his cock down my throat without even a hello kiss was a drastic move, even for someone as impulsive as me. Watching him take a shower didn’t do anything to cool the heat in my blood either. Even banged up with his veneer of perfection dinged and dented, Win was still a dangerously attractive man. His thinner frame and longer hair gave him a new roguish look. The scars dotting his neck and shoulder lent themselves to an almost pirate vibe, as if he were now ruling the high seas instead of the boardroom.

Being attracted to this man had never been a problem for me.

Liking him was the issue. And falling in love with him was a looming threat I had to take seriously.

Win’s cock was warm and hard against my tongue. I curled a hand around the back of one of his strong thighs. The muscle tensed under my palm as his hands landed on the top of my head. I felt his fingers spasm, but he couldn’t clutch at my hair the same way he used to. I felt frustration ripple through his big body. The only way I could think to comfort him was to pull him closer and do a better job of taking his mind off his pain, be it physical or mental.

I rolled my tongue around the impressive length stuffed into my mouth and added my hand to the amount I couldn’t take in. Win swore from above and shifted his hold to the back of my head, urging me to move forward and pull him deeper. The motion caused me to gag as Win hastily apologized.

“You were gone for a long time, Harvey. My self-control isn’t what it normally is.” He scoffed. “Not that it ever is where you’re concerned.”

I hummed at the offhanded compliment and pulled back so I could flick the tip of my tongue around the arrowed tip and already damp slit. I dragged my hand along his length, applying light pressure until I heard him groan. His hips shifted again, and his cock slid across the roof of my mouth. I used my tongue to massage the underside and felt his body kick in response. The heavy vein throbbed in time with my movements and my name came out in a rough whisper as Win’s fingers tangled in my short hair. In turn, I dug my nails into the back of his thigh.

He smelled fresh and clean from the shower, and he tasted like raw, unfiltered man. Whenever I was close to Win in this way, he overwhelmed my senses. I thought I was well-versed and experienced enough to treat my interactions with him like any other hook-up. I grossly underestimated my response to him. Even when I was focused on giving him pleasure and making him lose his ironclad composure, my body heated and quivered with arousal. Touching Win turned me on and made me forget all the excellent reasons we weren’t supposed to be together. If I planned this sensual assault better, I would’ve stripped down while he was still in the shower while I watched him like a voyeur. I longed to touch myself. To rub my fingers over my pebbled nipples and to stroke them through the wetness I could feel gathering between my legs. My body clearly indicated I was as deprived by the distance I put between us as Win claimed to be.

Win moved his hips with more force and a faint salty flavor touched my tongue. I swallowed as his tip hit as deep as he could go. My eyes watered, and Win swore.

I tightened my hand and felt his entire body contract. His heavy breathing and the faint tremor in his thighs indicated he was close to shooting his release down my throat. Before he reached his completion, he pulled me off of his cock and yanked me to my feet with shaking hands.

I absently wondered if he enjoyed the taste of himself when his lips landed on mine. It still felt like an absurd fever dream that I, Channing Harvey, was kissing the Winchester Halliday like there was no tomorrow. Touching him felt like playing with fire. Everywhere his bare skin pressed against mine burned. I gasped as he roughly pulled my clothes from my body, leaving me as naked as he was on the end of the bed. I could feel the difference in his hands as they ghosted across my chest and down my torso. It was almost like he was hesitant to let them fully rest against my skin. An unsure Win was oddly endearing, so I put my hands over his and pushed them down until my breasts filled his palms. My nipples drilled into his touch as I wiggled impatiently underneath him.

The way he kissed me was full of longing and maybe a hint of despair. I knew that leaving when I did would affect him, but not to this extent. He kissed me like he would never let me go.

Win’s knee went between my legs, and my arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. His body was covered in new battle wounds, and whenever they grazed against me, I felt him flinch.

When he finally released my lips, I told him, “Stop it. I want you to focus on me. Nothing else.” Maybe I wasn’t enough to take his mind off everything he’d lost recently .

Win’s lips skimmed over my cheek and pressed against my ear. His teeth nipped at my earlobe and his breath was hot on the side of my face when he whispered, “You’re all I’ve been thinking about since the moment you left. I’ve never focused on anyone so hard in my life.”

I let one of my hands fall from his broad shoulder and trailed it down his side until my fingers lightly touched the healed bullet wound. It was so garish on such a fine specimen of masculinity. “You’ve survived so much, Win. All these marks are a reminder that you’re still here. You won.”

He chuckled softly. “If I won, does that mean I get to pick a prize?”

I laughed as well, but it quickly turned into a gasp when I felt his fingers dive between my legs and skim through the dampness coating my folds and entrance. “Collect more tickets if you want the big prize. Right now, you only have enough for the small ones.”

His teeth bit down, causing me to arch into him. I curled a leg around his lean waist and used my heel for leverage to push myself against him. I felt his long fingers stroke their way inside of me and the line of moisture left by the tip of his cock as it dragged along the inside of my thigh.

I was fully immersed in sensation. Being with Win always felt like something bigger than scratching a sexual itch. Not because he was particularly spectacular in bed or that I was so hard up that I was easily satisfied. There was something about the two of us together that felt like it created a perfect storm that swept away all our differences and complications. Being with Win was the best balance between passion and possibility I could ask for. None of the men I’d been with before him ever made me feel like the potential for more was infinite. When he was inside me, I forgot to worry about the future because the present was so powerful and poignant.

“I’m not good at games. You know how I grew up. If you tell me the best way to win those tickets, I’ll dedicate myself to the task fully. I don’t half-ass anything.”

He certainly didn’t. I felt his touch everywhere. I was enveloped in his warmth. When he shifted his body and pushed inside of me, I moaned his name and my vision blanked out. I threw my head back against the bed.

My body welcomed him home.

His lips moved from my ear to the side of my neck, and I felt his tongue lick down to my collarbone. I heard my heartbeat in my ears and my breath rushed out of my lungs. I wrapped my other leg around his waist and held on for dear life as he started to frantically move within me. Win’s thrusts were rushed and frenzied. He growled against my skin and one of his hands squeezed my hip hard enough it hurt. When he reacted like this, his new scoundrel-like appearance fit him even more. I laughed to myself when I imagined him dressed as a sexy pirate. The silent giggle died in my throat when his fingers moved from my hip to the cleft of my backside. My eyes popped wide when his rough touch started to explore places he never had before.

I never imagined he could be so bold.

Win Halliday was supposed to be too refined to get down and dirty in bed.

Maybe I could get him to dress up for me after all .

“Ahhh…” Win’s movement paused and his ragged breathing stilled. He pulled away, and I watched as the blood drained from his face. He slapped a hand over his burned shoulder while his face contorted with pain. He pushed up and moved to collapse next to me. He panted through the spasm and closed his eyes. “Sorry. Cramp.”

I sighed while reaching out to rub the river of perspiration that ran down from his temple. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like he had even more silver strands threaded throughout the black than when I last saw him.

“You need to follow through with whatever your doctor advised you to do in order to heal properly. There’s no reason to cause yourself unnecessary pain. Your entire family has suffered enough. Don’t punish yourself for things that aren’t your fault, Win.”

Instead of responding to my advice, he tugged at my hand until I took the hint and straddled him. His erection was still standing tall and prominent. It looked sexy, glistening with the evidence of our combined arousal.

“Remember when I made the rule that you weren’t allowed to mention my mother when we were having sex?” I placed his hands on my waist to help me balance while I grabbed his cock and guided it back into place. “The new rule is you aren’t allowed to talk about my mother or my injuries during sex.”

I sat myself down and let out a strangled sound at the feeling of being stretched and filled. I put my palms on the center of his chest and used my pinky finger to scratch at one of the scarred spots. “What if I tell you I think the scars are sexy? You know I’ve never been one for perfection. I find it boring.” Gods were untouchable. Humans aren’t.

Win’s hand stroked along my ribs and a satisfied smile played across his lips as I started to bounce up and down on his dick. I closed my eyes as I found the perfect rhythm and desire started to wind down my spine. Few things felt better than having one of the world’s most powerful men underneath you. I moved faster as Win urged me on. It didn’t take long for the heat to ratchet back up to where it was before we were rudely interrupted.

Win grunted my name and slipped one of his hands between us so he could press his knuckle against my clit as I rode him within an inch of his life. The added stimulation caused my breath to catch, and when I moved my hand from his chest to clutch my breast, it didn’t take too long for my body to tremble with the anticipation of release. I moved faster until I felt my pussy clamp down on the rigid length inside. My insides fluttered and quaked as Win swore repeatedly. The warmth and wetness of my orgasm was enough to pull Win over the edge shortly after. Satisfaction hummed through my body, and for the first time since our reunion, Win looked relaxed.

The lines that marred his handsome face softened, and he didn’t look like he was in agony with every breath. I felt it was a job well done in getting his mind off of what hurt him for a short amount of time.

I collapsed onto his wide chest; my cheek purposely pressed against his injured shoulder. I reached out a hand and entwined our fingers. He tried to resist when I pulled them closer to my face. Even in his post-sex stupor, he didn’t want me to get too close to the damage. Ignoring his resistance, I kissed the tip of each damaged finger.

“I’m serious. I don’t think you need to worry about how you look. It’s going to take more than a few burns and bullets to make Winchester Halliday inferior to anyone.” I rubbed my cheek against the rough skin. “I told your brother the same thing. Granted, his situation is worse than yours, but he’s still Archie Halliday. That name means more to people than his appearance. He still won’t interact with Winnie without covering himself from head to toe. It’s sad. She loves him unconditionally. He’s the only parent she has left.”

Win sighed. He dropped a kiss on the top of my head and shifted below me until our bodies separated. Neither one of us mentioned precautions before things got hot. I decided to take it as a sign he trusted me and knew I hadn’t taken any of the cute Italian men up on their offers to keep me company.

“I know. It’s not just him being self-conscious. Archie is dealing with trauma we can’t fathom. He feels like he failed Willow as a husband, and that he’s not worthy of being Winnie’s father. He firmly believes he should’ve died in that fire with your sister. My mother kept him drugged up and out of it for so long. There’s damage that might never be repaired. Right now, baby steps are the best option. As long as he’ll still see her, that’s progress.” He kissed the top of my head again and wrapped his arms around me in a hug that comforted me down to my very soul. I couldn’t recall anyone ever holding me the way Win did. “Your mom has taken him under her wing. She’s very good to him. Sometimes she remembers he’s her son-in-law, and other times she thinks he is your dad from when they were younger. Regardless, she’s always kind to him and encourages him to be part of Winnie’s life.”

My mother was schizophrenic. The severity of her symptoms varied throughout my childhood. Once Willow ran away to marry Archie, her condition took a turn for the worse. And after my sister died, there was no choice but to have her put in a medical facility that could monitor and guarantee her quality of life. I worked myself to the bone to keep her comfortable until I made the marriage deal with Win. The thing he used to effectively bribe me into agreement was the promise to take care of my mom for the rest of her life. That assurance was the only reason I felt comfortable enough to leave for Europe.

I nuzzled into Win’s embrace, feeling melancholy. “She was a wonderful mom when she could be.” And when she wasn’t, she felt like my worst enemy. “If she wasn’t ill, she would’ve been the best. I’m glad Archie gets to know what it’s like to be cared for by a parent, even if it’s sporadic. Though, she’s doing much better now that she gets to see Winnie.” But just like with Archie, she often thought Winnie was my sister when she was a teenager. Fortunately, my niece was emotionally mature enough to play along and not aggravate her grandmother.

Win used his free hand to stroke my cheek. His chest rose and fell underneath me with a big breath. “Your dad has been sniffing around the facility. Since I own the place and the security is on my payroll, he hasn’t been able to get in to see your mom. But they’re still married even though they’ve been separated for a long time. If he gets a court order, we’re going to have to let him in. I don’t have any proof, but if I had to make an educated guess, I would bet that your old man is behind the leak about Archie’s condition. That information is worth a pretty penny, and your dad is always looking for a quick buck.” He exhaled again and his breath ruffled my hair. “If he’s the reason those shitty little kids had ammunition to tease Winnie, I won’t go easy on him.”

I lifted my head and rested it on the back of my hands so I could look at him. “Can we add not talking about my asshole father to the rules when we’re in bed?” I wrinkled my nose in distaste. “If he’s looking for her, it’s about money. He tried to track me down a while back when my name was in the news after the explosion. If he shows up to see her again, have your team let me know. I’ll deal with him. If it has anything to do with harming your family, you have my permission to deal with him how you see fit. What did you tell me on the plane? I feel the same way. I don’t have any sentimentality left where that man is concerned.”

We lapsed into silence and watched one another without blinking. It felt like a hundred words were exchanged without a sound. After a long moment, he quietly asked, “How long are you staying, Channing?”

Since I still couldn’t come up with a real answer for him, I deflected like a champion. “If you agree to let Winnie invite her new little friend to her birthday party, I’ll stay longer than I originally planned.” I lifted a hand so I could rub at the frown line between his dark eyebrows. “She just wants a normal friend, Chester. Don’t deprive her of something so simple.”

It took a while for him to agree, and once he did, it was with an ultimatum. “I’ll agree as long as you promise you won’t leave without telling me. Promise to give me a chance to change your mind.”

I bobbed my head in agreement and playfully asked if he wanted me to sign another contract. His refusal was fast and adamant.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who viewed the way we initially got together as the highest hurdle we had to cross.