Too Haught Read online

  Too Haught

  by

  Leela Lou Dahlin

  Haught Brothers

  Book # 2

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Too Haught – Haught Brothers Book #2

  COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Leela Lou Dahlin

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Published by Dahlin Publishing

  Edited by Tee Tate

  Cover Art by Shannon Lumetta

  Publishing History

  First Edition, 2018

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my 5 amazing children. Although they’ll probably never read this I just wanted to tell the world how much they mean to me. They are so supportive, loving, kind and they don’t care how often we have pizza. (They also swear I’m famous…shhhh…don’t break their hearts.) I’m constantly humbled at how awesome you all are. Thank you for letting me love you.

  Acknowledgements

  The woman who support me in this journey come from a wide range of experiences, walks of life and ages. I’m so thankful and grateful for each and every one of you. Some of you I know from face to face interactions and others I’ve never met in person, but my life is richer and more fulfilling because I know you. I am so thankful to have you in my life.

  Angie Davis, Jennifer Ramsey, Jennifer Reilley I don’t know what to say that I haven’t already. Daily talks, bitch sessions, encouragement, laugh fests, intriguing conversations, plotting assistance…there are too many things to mention and thank you just doesn’t seem like enough. I’m more grateful and appreciative of you than you would want to hear. LOL.

  I mentioned before that this list is woefully incomplete, but know that if you have purchased a copy, read an arc, gave me a shout out, a cheer of encouragement or feedback, then I consider you part of my journey. Consider yourself appreciated and loved from the bottom of my heart.

  Hugs, love and blessings

  Chapter 1

  Beau

  What the entire fuck have I gotten myself into? Beau Haught walked into the dimly lit studio, trying to pull himself together. He’d been out of sorts lately, but that wasn’t unexpected, right? His baby brother’s wedding was in a few days, and his nerves were shot. He’d like to think it was because weddings in general made him slightly nauseated, and if anyone asked, that was what he would say. How could they tell him he was wrong?

  Ouch. What the hell? he thought, somehow managing to hit his toe on a huge trunk that he would have seen if the mood lighting wasn’t on the too-damn-dim setting. Looking down, he saw the real reason he’d been out of sorts, and why his big toe was throbbing. Karessables Lingerie and Intimate Attire. The trunk was filled with sexy, exclusive unmentionables that would make his heart race and mouth water…just like their curvy creator. Beau shook his head to clear his thoughts, because lately that woman had started occupying ever-increasing space in his brain.

  He hobbled around the heavy container, trying to keep the pleasant, calm demeanor he usually displayed intact, and that’s when he saw a door open. That had to be the room True was using for the boudoir photos she was creating for the bride, the groom, and all of the people in the bridal party. If the flickering glow was anything to go by, the room had several candles lit.

  The sound of jangling keys and high heels clicking on tile flooring led him to believe that he wasn’t alone, but the speed of the footsteps suggested someone was trying to leave quickly. Was True leaving? With all those candles lit? He tried to make it back to the door, but the maze-like obstacles and dim lighting made it difficult. By the time he got to the entrance, he could only watch as True jumped in her car and drove off. Beau tried to open it, but it was locked, and he knew he needed a key to open it. He pulled out his cell, hoping this weird behavior would be explained with a simple phone call, but she had the nerve to not answer her phone.

  “Now what?” he murmured to the empty room. He’d come from the bachelor party early, by cab, because he’d been drinking and didn’t want to chance driving while even slightly intoxicated. Well, he was sober now, pissed off that he was missing one of the last few times to be with his brother before he tied the knot, and trying to figure out what the hell was happening in his life. Of course, everyone he knew was busy tonight, and for some reason his best friend seemed to want him to try out the bed in her boudoir set up. Well, if that wasn’t what she wanted, Miss Jet-Pack was out of luck. Maybe she’d put some of those sleepy vanilla-lavender packets she’s always giving him in the bed she’d set up. He’d never tell her that they sometimes helped him get comfortable enough to sleep…not because he didn’t want to admit to the meddlesome woman that she was right, but because True would know the reason why. They reminded him of her. Karessa. The woman behind the brand, Karessables. Karessa Monroe. That was how he had described her after he rode her sweet pussy through the night and brought them both to fulfillment. They’d snuggled together, and he’d enjoyed just listening to her breathe. She was Karessable, and he’d told her so almost every day. The fact that she’d taken that endearment and made it a part of her very successful business made him smile, even though it hurt like all hell. He had no right feeling like he was a part of something that she created, especially when he knew she hated him, and had every right. Somehow that didn’t change the fact that he missed snuggling with her.

  Snuggling…that was a fucked-up word. He couldn’t even believe he’d been that guy. The one who wanted forever. The one who would have done anything for his woman. The one who did everything for his woman. He even let her get away from him, so she could have the life she’d always dreamed of. No one knew how hard it had been to let her go, or how much his sacrifice continued to cost him to this day. She was rich, famous, and successful. That was the life she wanted, and that was the life he wasn’t going to get in the way of.

  He wondered if True had anything to snack on, as he’d missed the food portion of the evening. It probably was only going to be wings and burgers, but right now that sounded like a little piece of heaven. Ordering some wings might be an option, but unless he wanted to break the industrial-strength door to let the delivery person in, it wasn’t going to happen. Flicking on the lights by the door, he wondered why the hell he hadn’t done that in the first place. Damned Adios Motherfuckers. That was the drink his brothers and a few friends were having at the bar: equal parts rum, gin, tequila, vodka, Blue Curacao, a little bit of sweet and sour, and lemon lime soda. That drink could make even the most horrendous farewell a bit more palatable. The sudden brightness of the room made him squint, but his name was on a note taped under the switch. Ripping it off the wall, he tore it open.

  Beau,

  I know you’ve had a rough couple of years, and although I’ve never mentioned it, I’ve always known why. I am also aware you’ve had trouble sleeping for a little while, so I wanted you to try out the comfy new bed I’ve placed in my studio. I said I wanted your opinion on the room for the pictures we are taking tomorrow, and I do, but you owe me a favor, and I’m calling it in now. One night in my studio. You can’t leave unless there’s a true emergency. I’ll be back to unlock the door around 9:00 am. You have nothing planned except the photo shoot, and that’s not until 4:00 pm, so you can relax and enjoy your evening. You’re welcome.

  True

  P.S. There are wings and other goodies in t
he kitchen.

  He was welcome? For fucking what? He walked into the studio, now wanting to blow out the candles before he was in a fire while locked in here.

  He’d rounded the corner and entered the door he’d seen open before True left. It was useless to mutter under his breath, but he did it anyway, just because he damn well could. True had all the lights on a remote control he would have to freaking find in a room that was probably as cluttered as she usually had everything. He could just go around blowing out all the candles, but then he’d be in the dark in this big-ass room that had no windows. He’d probably break all kinds of shit just trying to find the bed.

  Irritated. That’s what he was.

  What kind of payback was this? Anytime True needed something, he would do it with no questions, but when he needed someone to drive with him to the bartender competition last year, they’d had to leave at 4:30 am and they were gone for three days. She didn’t mind the competition, but waking up before five in the morning was something she said no artist should have to do, and then she said he owed her. No problem. It wasn’t like he didn’t do whatever she wanted in the first place. All of the Haught brothers thought the world of her, and if he couldn’t help her, one of the other brothers would have jumped in. He didn’t think she’d have asked him to miss the best part of his brother’s bachelor party for a solitary night in a room created to make a guy think sexy thoughts with a box of his ex-fiancée’s…er…ex-girlfriend’s lingerie.

  “True? Have mercy. That took forever. Are you ready now?” The voice came from the center of the room, and it hit him like a physical punch. He hoped it was that Adios Motherfucker he drank, because the voice that he let himself remember as he stroked his cock at night seemed to be filling his ears at this moment. That just wasn’t possible.

  He turned his head slowly, wishing with all his heart that what he thought was happening was actually happening, and hoping almost as hard that it wasn’t. Adjusting his eyes in the dim room was difficult, but when his focus sharpened, he could barely recall how to breathe, because sitting on the bed like his very favorite wet dream was the woman who owned him heart and soul. She had on pink boy shorts, and a…was that… his white linen shirt? Damn. Here sat the woman he gave up, so she could globe trot around the world and make her dreams—dreams she was going to give up if he’d have allowed it—come true. The breath he was holding was starting to burn. When he finally exhaled, it was so loud in the quiet room it sounded like dust should have been expelled with it.

  “Karessa?” His voice sounded like he’d not talked in ages. This wasn’t how he thought their first meeting would go. He thought he’d be able to see her, say a few things, and then move to a neutral corner of the room away from her. True, Gemmi and Camden had all told him they weren’t sure if she’d be able to come to the wedding, but the women of the bridal party were so excited to get lingerie that Karessa had made exclusively for this event. She’d made it just for Camden and his bride…even named it the Haught Line. Not that Beau had asked, because when it came to this woman he’d never asked any questions. The info he’d received about her was from the media or came unsolicited from friends and family. He didn’t feel like he really deserved any intel, but that didn’t stop him from soaking up every piece of Karessa information that someone spilled.

  “Beau?” She turned her head this way and that. Her brow was furrowed like the prospect of it actually being him was impossible. It was then he noticed she was blindfolded. He walked over to the bed to find her hands tied behind her back and attached to the headboard. What the hell was going on?

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “One hundred percent,” she said loudly, and the lights of the room came up full blast.

  “Let me guess. True has the lights set to voice control now?” Beau looked at Karessa in the full light and held back the groan that felt like it was fighting to get out. “Why are you tied up and blindfolded?”

  “True told me she had an idea for the last few pictures. She tied me up and told me to wait right here. It seems like I’ve been here forever.” She giggled. He remembered how she’d always done that when she was really nervous. He’d seen the sleek, confident woman on television for the last few years and almost forgotten she had one of the cutest nervous habits he’d ever witnessed.

  “It looks as if True has pulled a fast one on us both. She locked us in here with snacks and said she’d be back tomorrow morning.” Beau just stood there drinking in her beauty and hoping he’d be able to get through this without embarrassing both of them.

  She gasped, and his body tightened at that sound. That was the exact same noise she made when he entered her and his cock lengthened and thickened like it hoped what usually followed that noise would happen again and again. She barely had on any clothing, and what she did have on was draped in a way that made him want a strong breeze to flow into the room.

  “Could you untie me?” she said in a small voice that reminded him of how much she hated to ask anyone for anything.

  He stared at her and wasn’t sure he could touch her and keep his composure. It was slipping fast. Her aroma filled the air, and she smelled as sweet as she always did.

  Concentrate on the task at hand.

  The way she was bound, there was no way to untie her without wrapping his arms around her. “Fuck.” He really hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but he was just so off-kilter. He wouldn’t have thought the whole damsel-in-distress thing would have him so discombobulated. That was his brother Camden’s deal, before the man had met his fiancée. It had never been Beau’s thing. He liked independent woman who knew what they wanted and took it without abandon.

  Karessa looked so beautiful as she sat and waited for him.

  “I know. You’ll actually have to touch me.” She sounded slightly offended, and after his outburst, he could see why.

  “Touching you has never been a problem I just…” What could he say? Touching your skin may be more than I can take? Looking at you laying there with your skin flushed pink and your breathing pattern a bit altered is making most of the blood that would normally fill my brain and allow it to function properly, now fill my cock? That information probably wouldn’t make this situation any better, so he decided to keep it to himself.

  “Beau?” Her breathy voice made his cock even harder.

  He froze and hoped he could get his body to calm down. Beau cleared his throat to give him a minute to get his thoughts and words together. After a few seconds he realized that breathing in her scent and listening to her breathing wasn’t going to get him calm, no matter how long he tried to settle himself. Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain what he was doing. “I was just trying to figure out how to free you without molesting you too much.”

  “Don’t worry about what you have to touch to get the job done. I’ll give you a pass. This should be short work for you. You never had any problem setting me free.”

  The sadness in her voice weakened the erection he’d thought was going to beat down his zipper, and the elephant that was sitting quietly in the room trampled all over his heart. Beau had to see her eyes. Maybe if she could look at him, she’d see that this was just as hard for him as it was for her. Untying the blindfold from behind her head, he took time to caress the silky strands of the thick, black hair that wrapped around his fingers as he gently pulled the knot from the fabric. When she was released from the darkness, she blinked a few times and peered up at him.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he said, and then wanted to recall those words immediately. That’s what he’d always said to her when she woke up. He couldn’t count the times he’d woken up before her or had stayed up after she fell asleep and just watched her slumber. She’d always thought he was such a prize, but little did she know that he was the big winner when it came to them being a couple.

  She didn’t smile the way she used to, but he could see she was affected by his words. Her shallow breaths and wide eyes belied the calm he could see she was trying to disp
lay. That shouldn’t make him happy, but damn…it sure did.

  He reached behind her from the side, trying to get a grip on the rope that bound her to the bed, but he was barely able to work his hand down into such a tight space. Taking another deep breath, he wrapped his other arm around her and was able to feel the intricately tied knot. What the hell? The silky rope was pulled into one huge, tight ball. Karessa turned her head to the side, and his face rested on her neck while her hair fell across his cheek.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I didn’t say anything,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “No, you didn’t, but you’re growling.” She sounded amused, and he was happy that one of them found this funny, because he was going to need a trip to the ER for both the scrapes on his hands and blue balls.

  “This knot is just so tight it’s hard to get it apart. How long did it take for True to do this?” He knew he was speaking through his teeth, but he was getting more and more frustrated as her sexy lavender scent filled his senses.

  “Not long. It was partially done when I put my hands into it. She just pulled on one of the ends, and it was done.” She was facing away from him, but every time she said something her jaw would move against his face. That shouldn’t be sexy at all, but even Karessa clipping her fingernails made his body hop to attention.

  This knot wasn’t coming apart. He had to get closer and bend down a little more to get a better grip on the fabric. Scraping his hands on the wall and trying to fit them behind the large brass headboard was painful as hell, and he would have thought his cock would at least take notice that this wasn’t time to fuck, but there it throbbed as it waited for something that wasn’t coming. He looked up to see how Karessa was faring, and her mouth formed a perfect circle. She usually did that when…he looked down. He’d been rubbing his cheek against her nipple, a hot spot for her and a favorite spot for him.