“Daddy, you’re talking like you expect to die.” I threw my arms around him, my shoulders shaking as I fought not to break down completely. I needed to be strong—for him, if no other reason. “You can’t die, Daddy. You can’t! Please, please don’t leave me.”
“I can’t promise that, Nev. I wish I could, but I won’t lie to you.” He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me gently. “All I can promise is that you will be okay. None of you will ever have to worry about anything. Ever.”
“I don’t care about that!” I couldn’t hold on a second longer. The sobs left me, making my entire body quake and ache from the force of them. “Money means nothing. Having material things is useless to me. None of it matters if you’re not here.”
“I know, sweetheart.” He rocked me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.”
I could only hope he was right.
--
My eyes still felt swollen when I got on the plane the next morning. I’d cried all night until my throat was aching and my voice was hoarse.
I didn’t want to go back to Virginia, wanting to stay so I could have as much time with Daddy as possible before his surgery, which had been scheduled for the week before Christmas, but he wouldn’t let me. The semester was almost over, with only finals to deal with before I came back for the holiday break, and he refused to let me put my education on hold.
Sunglasses perched on my nose instead of my normal prescription glasses, I didn’t look at anyone as I dropped down into one of the seats and fastened the belt. The flight attendant asked me if I wanted anything to drink, but I just turned my gaze out the window, unable to answer her without crying again.
Braxton’s warm hand covered mine, and I sucked in a shuddery breath, fighting the tears that wanted to be released. “What can I do?” he asked quietly, his thumb stroking over my knuckles.
My chin trembled, but I kept my eyes trained on the window without seeing anything outside. “Just hold me,” I whispered brokenly.
“Always, Kitten,” he said reverently as he unfastened my belt and pulled me onto his lap. I laid my head on his chest and let the tears leak from my eyes the entire flight back to Virginia.
Chapter 12
Braxton
With Nevaeh’s head pressed against my chest, I carried her into her room and laid her on her bed. The whole flight home, she’d done nothing but cry silently, then on the drive from the airport, she’d fallen asleep against me.
Pulling back the covers, I took off her shoes then tucked the thick comforter around her, taking off her glasses and putting them on the nightstand. She sighed softly and folded her hands under her cheek as she turned onto her side. As I looked down at her, my heart clenched painfully, seeing the tear tracks on her beautiful face that was pale from exhaustion and grief.
Bending, I brushed my lips over her cheek and would have left her to rest, but when I straightened, she caught my fingers with her hand. Surprised, I looked down to find her wide awake, her swollen eyes blinking up at me. For the longest time, we just gazed at each other, and then she gave a weak tug on my fingers.
“Don’t go,” she pleaded in a voice that sounded painfully hoarse from all the crying she’d done.
“Are you sure?” I asked, even though my first instinct was to give her exactly what she wanted and crawl into bed beside her. “You need to rest, Kitten.”
“I need you to hold me,” she said weakly, her chin trembling. “P-please?”
“Ah, baby, you don’t have to beg. I’ll give you anything you want, no matter what it is.” Kicking off my shoes, I carefully climbed in beside her, positioning us so I was lying on the side with my good leg.
As soon as I was beside her, she wrapped herself around me. It was so natural, it was like she’d been doing it forever. She fit so perfectly against me it was as if we’d both been created to fit each other.
With her head on my shoulder and her arms around my waist, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
“What about Sasha?” she whispered after a few minutes passed.
“She’s staying with Lyla and Howler. She will be okay for another night. We can pick her up in the morning.” Brushing her hair back from her face, I rubbed my thumb over her cheek. “You should sleep, baby. You need to rest.”
“I can’t,” she murmured. “All I can think about is Daddy. I wish I were back there with him right now, Brax. What… What if something happens to him and I’m here?”
The thought of her back in California without me made my heart pound. I didn’t want to be away from her. But I knew she needed to be closer with how sick her dad was. “Don’t think about the negative,” I told her, trying to hide the fact that I was already clawing at the walls of my sanity just thinking of her being so far away without me. “Mia’s mom said he has the best doctors, and we’ll be back in a few weeks for Christmas and winter break. Once he has his surgery, he will be good as new.”
“Y-you think so?” There was so much hope in her voice, it broke my heart.
“Yeah, Kitten. I really do.” I lifted her chin with my thumb. “Would I ever lie to you?”
She shook her head. “Never.”
“And I never will,” I promised. “Your dad is going to be okay, baby.”
“You have more faith in that than he seems to,” she said sadly. “He wants me to prepare myself in case something does happen to him. I don’t know what I’ll do if we lose him, Brax. I can’t picture my life without him in it. Just thinking about it, I feel like there’s this gaping hole in the middle of my chest, trying to suck all the happiness out of the world and into some black void where I can’t smile. I can’t breathe for the pressure it puts on my lungs.”
“Don’t think about that. For now, just concentrate on your finals and Christmas shopping.” I rubbed one hand down her back before cupping her ass. Giving it a firm squeeze, I pressed my lower half into her. “Think about this, Kitten. And how good I’m going to make you feel.”
She let out a little mewling sound that went straight to my cock, making it twitch against her. “Brax.”
“Now that you’re eighteen, we don’t have to hold back. I can kiss you and touch you and hold you as much as you’ll let me.” I kissed the corner of her mouth, causing her to gasp in pleasure.
“I never wanted you to hold back,” she moaned. “I’ve craved you, Braxton. Your kisses, your touch, your arms around me every night. But I thought you didn’t want me.”
I skimmed my nose down her neck, inhaling her scent and causing her to shiver. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean for you to think I didn’t want you. I was just trying to keep myself in check so I didn’t fuck this up for us.”
Her fingers combed through the short hair at the back of my neck, holding me to her. “I want you so much right now…but, could I have a shower first?” she asked shyly.
I lifted my head. Seeing how pink her cheeks were, guilt filled me. “If I’m going too fast for you, let me know. I’ll slow down for you, Nev. Just say the word, and I’ll give you whatever you need.”
“You’re not going too fast,” she said with a tiny smile. “If anything, I think this is long overdue. But I need a girl moment. Give me half an hour, tops. I want everything to be perfect.”
“Then take all the time you need.” Sitting up in her bed, I leaned back against the headboard. She jumped to her feet then paused on her walk to her bathroom, glancing at me over her shoulder. “You’ll still be here when I get back, right?”
“I’m going to grab a quick shower in my room, but I’ll be right here when you come out,” I promised with a grin. “Go, Nev, before I decide to join you in there. I’m not sure you’re ready for that yet.”
With a yelp, she ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Laughing softly to myself, I waited until I heard the shower turn on before getting to my feet. I walked out of her room just as Mia was coming down the hall toward her and Barrick’s
room.
“She okay?” Mia asked, her face pinched with concern for her cousin.
“She’s showering now,” I told her evasively.
“I called her parents to let them know we made it back okay.” She grimaced, turning green. It was a color that was becoming a normal shade for her face. “I think I’m going to go take a nap. Don’t wake me up for dinner.”
“Got it. Get some rest. I’ll take care of Nevaeh,” I assured her.
A sly grin teased at her lips. “I bet you will.” But then the grin turned serious. “You need to tell her about the whole Darcy thing.”
“I will,” I muttered, not wanting to get into the whole situation with my parents and ex yet.
“Soon, Brax,” she warned.
“I said I will, Mia,” I told her frustratedly, scrubbing a hand over my face. I needed to shave the scruff off my jaw so I didn’t scratch Nevaeh.
“I just don’t want you to leave it too long. Nev is really vulnerable right now. This crap with your family and that Darcy bitch could end badly. I don’t want Nev to get hurt when she doesn’t have to be.”
I blew out a tired sigh, knowing she was right. “I’ll do it soon, I promise. Just not today, okay? We have other things we need to figure out before I bring up that bullshit.”
She nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’ll let you figure it out on your own.” Walking around me, she opened her bedroom door, and moments later, I thought I heard her moan of contentment.
This pregnancy was wearing her down already, and I hoped the whole morning sickness thing didn’t last long. I hated seeing her unwell. It made me feel helpless because there was nothing I could do to make it better for her. Just like I couldn’t do anything to take away the pain and heartache Nevaeh was feeling over her dad.
Groaning, I went to my room. After shaving, I took a quick shower and was back in Nevaeh’s room before she even turned off her own shower. Sitting on the edge of her bed, I sat there waiting as nervousness swamped me for the first time.
I hadn’t had sex since the accident that had cost me my leg. Fuck, until I saw Nevaeh, it was like my dick didn’t care if it ever saw any action again. From the first moment I set eyes on her, however, it had been paying just as much attention to her as my damn heart had.
Now that I was about to get the girl I’d been craving for over two years, my hands were sweating like it was my first time. Part of me wished it were. That this moment with Nevaeh was my first experience, because I fucking knew she was the one for me.
From the bathroom, I heard the water turn off, and my cock throbbed, tenting the material of the basketball shorts I’d pulled on after my shower. A short time later, the door opened, and she walked out, wrapped in nothing but a damp towel she clutched to her body like a shield.
All my nervousness evaporated, replaced by all the need and hunger I’d been unable to release because I wanted to make sure this thing between us was done right. Her long dark hair was still slightly wet and hung down her back in sexy waves. Her blue-gray eyes blinked at me, reminding me yet again of a curious little kitten as her gaze went straight to my bare chest and skimmed over my ink.
Standing, I walked toward her, not in the least bit self-conscious about the prosthesis showing under the shorts I was wearing. Nevaeh had never made me feel less for having lost my leg. It was like she didn’t even see my disability, and that was only one of the thousands of things I loved about her.
As I neared, I saw the pink in her cheeks travel down her neck, across her chest, and over the tops of her breasts that were barely contained by the towel. “You are so damn beautiful, Kitten,” I rasped, reaching her.
Tilting her chin up with my thumb, I let everything I was feeling for her shine out of my eyes as I lowered my head to brush my lips over hers. I felt her tremble against me for a moment before she released the hold she had on the towel and kissed me back.
She tasted of mint and something addictively sweet, and I ravished her mouth until we were both gasping for our next breaths. Dazedly, she clung to my shoulders as I lifted my head to gaze down at her nakedness. I’d never thought of any one person as perfect, but everything about Nevaeh was just that. She was pure perfection, every single inch of her calling to me to caress, kiss, and brand her as mine.
Stepping back, I offered her my hand. Biting her lip, she placed hers in mine, and I backed toward her bed, pulling her with me. “Are you sure this is what you want?” I asked her.
“More than anything,” she whispered. “I want you so much, Brax. I need you.”
I jerked her against me, unable to stand the distance between us a second longer. “Baby, I need you too. So fucking much, I can’t think straight.”
She smiled as she stroked the backs of her fingers down my jaw. “Then stop thinking, Braxton. Make me yours.”
Chapter 13
Nevaeh
Rough hands caught me by the hips and lifted me off my feet. On instinct, my legs wrapped around his waist, and I held on as he dropped down on the edge of the bed. “You are mine, Kitten. You always have been. From the first time I saw you blinking back at me on that damn Skype call.”
I pressed my hips down harder on his, only to have my breath catch when I felt his cock flex against my core. “Have you been mine too?”
His brow furrowed at my shy question. “You doubt it?”
“I…don’t know,” I answered honestly. “Please, just tell me.”
“Every second, baby. I have belonged to you in every way.” He cupped my face in hands that openly trembled, his callused thumbs rubbing over my cheeks tenderly. “I love you, Nevaeh Joy Stevenson.”
Tears instantly filled my eyes. I knew he wanted me, could feel just how much pulsing against my core right then, but to have him confess he loved me… It was surreal and earthshaking. “Brax,” I choked out, unable to hold back telling him exactly how I felt in return. “I love you too.”
“Baby,” he groaned, tipping my head back to meet his kiss.
The kiss didn’t last more than a few seconds before his lips released mine. Need blazed out of his dark eyes as he cupped both of my breasts in his hands, his thumbs rubbing back and forth over my diamond-hard nipples.
“I’ve dreamed of these,” he muttered. “I should be shot for all the things I’ve wanted to do to them.”
“Tell me.”
But he shook his head. “Not yet, baby. Soon, I’ll show you. But right now, I’m going to make love to you, not fuck you like an animal.”
Something deep inside me clenched, hard, and I felt my core gush. He must have felt the rush of wetness too, because he cursed almost violently, and suddenly, I was on my back and his face was buried between my breasts. “You’re perfect, you know that? So fucking perfect—and mine.”
I wanted to tell him no one could ever possibly be perfect, but his mouth engulfed my left nipple, sucking it against the roof of his mouth. I lost my entire train of thought, combing my fingers through his hair and holding him against me.
Whatever he was doing with his mouth, it felt so fucking good. I didn’t know my nipples were so sensitive, or that he could make me fall apart just by sucking and scraping his teeth over the engorged points. He moved from one nipple to the other, devouring them each in turn until I was mindless and incoherent, needing relief so badly from the pressure building deep between my thighs that I would have sold my soul for just a taste of it.
When he moved farther down my body, I whimpered my protest, but his lips left a damp trail in his wake until he reached my pelvic bone. Dark eyes looked up at me, silently asking me if this was what I wanted.
“Please,” I panted, feeling like I might pass out if he didn’t kiss me where I ached the most. “I hurt so bad, Braxton. Make it stop.”
“Ah, Kitten,” he groaned, his breath fanning over my wet folds. “You should have said you were in pain.”
“I… Oh God!” I cried out as he brushed his tongue over my pulsing clit and then sucked it between his lips. Stars flashed
before my eyes, and I quickly clenched them closed, but they continued to burst behind my lids. I pushed my hips up, grinding against his face in search of fulfillment that was just beyond my reach.
Braxton thrust two fingers inside me, barely going deep enough to press against the barrier that proclaimed me as an innocent. That was all I needed before I was screaming his name. Everything inside me exploded and fused back together in a single instant, shattering and melding into place so rapidly I was sure I lost consciousness for a few seconds before reality set back in.
Gasping for breath, I opened my eyes to find Braxton pushing his basketball shorts down his legs.
Holy hell.
I had no idea how he was going to fit inside me without splitting me in half. He was so thick and long, I was sure he would spear right through me and pierce my heart.
He wrapped his fingers around his shaft, pumping himself up and down as he stood over me, the tip leaking thick, creamy liquid I suddenly had the urge to taste.
“I know you’re on the pill, and I’m clean, baby. There’s been no one since I lost my leg. But if you aren’t comfortable with me going bare—”
“I want to feel you,” I interrupted him, and his eyes became hooded.
Braxton climbed over me, supporting himself with one hand while he guided his cock to my entrance. The tip skimmed over my swollen clit, making me jerk in renewed pleasure, a weak moan leaving me as I spread my legs wider in an attempt to accommodate him.
We both gasped when the head of his cock pushed inside me. I felt him begin to shake as he thrust into me until he broke that thin barrier. Remorse filled his eyes when our gazes locked. “I’m sorry, baby,” he gritted out before pushing his hips forward and tearing through.
I bit my lip to keep from crying out in pain, but it quickly faded, followed by the most intense feeling of…fullness. I squirmed underneath him, but I couldn’t escape the feeling no matter how I shifted.
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