Unbreak My Heart: BWWM Romance (Brother From Money Book 20)

by Shanade White

  “I’ve taken care of that,” Brian said, pulling a garment bag out from behind him. “Amanda was nice enough to put a few things together for you. She said that everything you need is in the bag.”

  Heather couldn’t help but groan, Amanda had been after her for so long to go on a date and now she’d have to hear every juicy detail of the night. She could just imagine what Amanda had packed for her. Brian took her silence as hesitation and offered, “We don’t have to go there if you don’t want to, I just thought we deserved a treat.” When Heather didn’t turn him down, he handed her the bag and said, “I have to go see about our ride, I’ll meet you out front in a half an hour.”

  Chapter 7

  Heather waited until Brian was out of the building then sprinted to the bathroom, hoping that Amanda had packed something good for her. Amanda had a quirky sense of style that didn’t always work well on other people, and sometimes she had a hard time seeing that. But when Heather unzipped the bag she saw that Amanda had chosen perfectly. Inside was her one and only dress and the shoes she’d bought to go along with it, she’d found it one weekend last winter when Amanda had been bored and insisted they go on a shopping spree.

  The dress had been a huge waste of money, because at the time she’d been sure she’d never wear it, but now she was glad that Heather had insisted she buy it. Quickly slipping out of her scrubs and lab coat, she slipped the dress on, pleased when it fit just as well as it had last winter, maybe even a little bit better. Digging around in the bag, she found a bunch of makeup and hair accessories as well as a little bag of jewelry, and silently thanked Amanda again.

  The makeup she shoved to the side, she only had it because her sister was sure it was the only way she’d ever attract a man. Then she found her brush and began to work on her hair, which fell half-way down her back in gentle waves, silky and smooth, a gift from her paternal grandmother who'd had the same hair. It took her only a few minutes to pin it up in a sophisticated style that showed off her caramel colored skin and deep brown eyes.

  Looking at the clock on the wall, she saw that she only had a few more minutes and quickly searched through the jewelry Amanda had chosen, none of it hers but all of it striking in its beauty and simplicity. She chose opals which shimmered against the deep purple of her dress, a simple pair of earrings and a pendant that rested just between her breasts. When she looked in the mirror and saw that it drew the eye to her breasts she almost took the necklace off but decided that tonight she’d be a bit daring.

  It wasn’t every day that she got to go out to dinner with a very handsome man, and for just this one night she was determined to put her reservations aside and enjoy herself. She’d heard about the food at The Glass Slipper and was excited to finally have a reason to go, and she couldn’t think of a person she wanted to go with more than Brian. It was going to be a special night, even the air around her felt different. Heavy with electricity, she thought as she looked in the mirror once more.

  Satisfied, she headed for the front doors where Brian had told her to meet him, unlocked them and walked out into the night, listening for the click that would tell her that the doors had relocked themselves. But she immediately forgot about the clinic when she saw a carriage parked in front and Brian standing next to it, dressed in a suit and tie. He looked so handsome it nearly took her breath away, she took a step backwards as desire raced through her and ignited a coil of pleasure deep inside her.

  Brian, who clearly understood the effect he had on her, closed the distance between them in only a few strides, his eyes never leaving hers. As he got closer it was impossible not to see the desire in his eyes, it made her shiver and dangerous thoughts pop into her head, which only increased the desire. When he reached her, he pulled her into his arms, buried his nose in her neck and took a deep breath.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear, sending little waves of pleasure rippling down her spine.

  She laughed nervously and pulled away a little, afraid that she was going to embarrass herself by kissing him. “You look very handsome yourself,” she said. Then, unable to stop herself, she stretched up on her tip toes and gave him a quick kiss.

  Brian smiled at her, obviously thrilled that she’d kissed him this time. “Your carriage awaits my lady,” he said, then gestured to the carriage and offered her his arm.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said taking his arm, so charmed by the romance of the night her voice was shaking a little.

  He helped her up into the carriage which was strung with bright twinkling lights and was just big enough for the two of them. Once they were both settled, he picked up the reins, gave them a quick snap and they were on their way. It was a beautiful night and as they drove through town, people out enjoying it waved and called out to them, Heather knew that they’d be the talk of the town for days but she didn’t care.

  “I didn’t know you could drive a carriage,” she said as they turned onto Main Street.

  Brian smiled at her and said, “I am a man of many talents.”

  “And surprises,” Heather said, smiling back at him.

  All eyes turned towards them when they walked through the door but instead of feeling self-conscious, Heather held her chin up high. She looked good and she knew it and when she caught sight of the two of them together in a mirror in the front entrance she decided that they looked good together. Brian’s dark hair was just long enough to touch his collar, the dark suit only accentuated his muscular build, and she suddenly understood why everyone said that the brothers all looked like pirates.

  They were seated out on the porch with a wonderful view of the little town and the ocean beyond, the only illumination candles and the moonlight. Heather was so charmed by the entire experience that she decided that just for tonight she’d pretend that she had no doubts about the authenticity of Brian’s feelings, that she was as confident as he seemed to be about where their relationship was going. With a sigh, she relaxed back in her chair and picked up the menu, pushing any doubts she had out of her mind.

  When they finally made it back to her house hours later, she was a little bit tipsy from the wine she’d drank, but Brian had his arm around her and she managed not to embarrass herself. He walked her all the way to the door then opened it for her but didn’t step inside. It only took her a minute to decide what she wanted to do.

  “Would you like to come in?” she asked, her heart pounding.

  *****

  Brian thought about her invitation, one he wanted to accept more than anything. But he knew that if he did things would happen that they weren’t ready for, things he wasn’t quite ready for. Over dinner that night, he’d realized that Heather was the woman for him, that he’d never want another woman like he wanted Heather. Amanda had done a fantastic job of picking out a dress for Heather, she was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, but it wasn’t her beauty that had done it.

  It was the easy way they’d talked, each sharing a part of their lives that they hadn’t shared before, a feeling of trust growing between them as the night progressed. But she was also funny, making him laugh at just that moment when things got too serious. Her mind was just as sharp as his and she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion on any topic, a challenge he welcomed. He’d thought the night might end that way but he knew that wasn’t what he wanted, he wanted more, the perfect night for the perfect woman.

  “I really should get back to Theo’s, I told them I wouldn’t be too late,” he said, then realized his mistake when Heather’s face fell.

  Heather looked down. “Oh, okay. I guess I should be getting to bed anyway, I have to work tomorrow.”

  Brian stepped closer to her, tipped her chin up and waited until she looked up at him. “There’s nothing I’d like more than to come in but I’m afraid that if I do I won’t leave.” Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  *****

  The relief Heather felt at his words coupled with the feeling of his lips on hers made Heather’s knees go we
ak and she leaned into Brian for support. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against his chest and deepened the kiss, leaving no doubt in her mind how he felt. Her body responded to this knowledge, tingles of pleasure that washed over her and left goose bumps on her skin and a tingle between her legs. Somewhere deep inside her she knew that Brian was only putting off the inevitable, that at some point this was going to go farther and she wonder why he was waiting but before she could finish the thought, he pulled away from her.

  “I think we’d better call it a night,” he said, reluctantly stepping back from Heather. “We’ve already given the town enough to talk about, if I stay here one minute longer they’ll really have something to talk about.”

  Heather laughed. “I’ve never been the source of gossip around here, this will be a new experience for me.”

  “Well, they’ll be talking tomorrow. Can I come by in the morning and walk you to work?”

  “I think I’d like that but I leave at seven,” Heather said smiling at him, happier than she’d ever been.

  He was there the next morning and every morning after that, each night they shared dinner together and talked about their day, although Heather never talked about the research project since they’d agreed long before not to discuss it. It was hard not to share with him the results she was getting from the experiments she was doing on the fungus, especially because she knew they were everything he was hoping they would be. But he never asked so she kept the knowledge to herself.

  Brian seemed happy. Never one to sit around, he’d gotten himself involved in the winter preparations. He’d been out fishing several times, hunted with the men, and even helped harvest vegetables all over town. Their dinners together had become the thing she looked forward to the most. He’d show up at the clinic about seven and make her leave, which she did willingly, then they’d have dinner at her house or go out. But each time he left her with only a kiss and promise that he’d see her in the morning.

  But Heather was beginning to wonder if his interest in her was beginning to fade, the kissing was wonderful but they were both adults, taking it to the next level seemed the most logical step. Brian seemed to have no desire to do that, and it worried her because it might be a sign that he had changed his mind, that time was doing what she always thought it would. Two weeks was a long time, especially when they spent as much time together as they did, but she’d never force the issue. The memory of the night he’d rejected her was still fresh in her mind.

  She’d considered talking to Amanda about it, but just couldn’t see herself doing that, it was just too embarrassing. Plus, she was very aware that she was only days away from the experiments on the fungus being finished. She’d have her results and then Brian would want to go back to the Amazon, maybe it was just as well that nothing had happened between them, it wouldn’t hurt as much when he left. The fungus was everything he’d hoped it was, a real cure for so many diseases that it would revolutionize modern medicine and although she knew that being in on the discovery would make her career, she would have gladly traded it for more time with Brian.

  Heather was pacing around the lab nervously, not sure how the night was going to go. She had the final results from the experiments and what they showed was amazing. The fungus that Brian had discovered would cure cancer and so much more, it would help people live longer and more productive lives, it was the biggest discovery of their time. That had been her mantra since she’d entered the last sentence on her report and sat down to wait for Brian, the only thing that was keeping her from bursting into tears.

  That something could be so wonderful and so awful at the same time mystified her, she’d finally done something great in the lab, but that meant that she’d be losing Brian. Part of her wanted to wait just one more day to tell him, but she knew that she’d never be able to do that to him, and one look at her face was going to tell him all that he needed to know. There was nothing to do but tell him and she had to do it the minute he walked into the room or she might lose her nerve.

  When he walked through the door and swept her into his arms, she said, “I’m finished with the experiments on the fungus.”

  Brian was about to kiss her, but he stopped with his lips halfway to hers. “What did you find?” he asked, looking over her shoulder at the counter where she had all the results spread out, all thoughts of kissing vanished from his mind with those words. “Show me everything.”

  Heather sighed, she’d expected this reaction but still wasn’t prepared for it, Brian had completely forgotten she existed, his focus completely on the plates and test tubes. “Let me show you,” she said and pulled out of his arms.

  But she’d only gone a few steps before she felt his hand on her arm and he swung her back around and into his arms again. He kissed her then, a kiss brimming with the excitement he was feeling, but still full of the passion they shared. “Now you can show me what you’ve discovered,” he said, pulling her over to the counter.

  Hours later they were eating pizza from the café down the street and pouring over Heather’s notes and test results. “If you’re finished eating, I’ve saved the best for last,” she said, with a big grin. “You didn’t ask for this experiment but I just couldn’t resist.”

  *****

  She went over to the incubator in the back corner of the lab, made a note of the log sheet, then pulled out a tray of incubation plates. With great ceremony, she set them down on the counter and said, “This is your fungus at work, it’s what took me so long to get the final results. I had to distill the fungus into a biologic that was compatible with the human body, something that the natives have been doing without even realizing it.”

  Brian looked down at what was in front of him, not sure what he was seeing. Heather rushed to explain, “These plates over here are bacteria, these are viruses, and these are cancer cells.”

  Still not sure he was seeing what he thought he was, he looked up at her for more explanation. “See that circle in the center of the growth, that’s where I applied the fungus, there’s nothing growing there,” she said pointing out a spot on the growth.

  It took Brian several minutes to realize that not only had Heather isolated the part of the fungus that had healing properties, she’d found a way to make it work in the lab. Something he’d assumed would take years to accomplish. Suddenly all the love he felt for her came rushing over him, she was the only woman in the world who could have done what she had, captured his heart and solved the one problem he’d been trying to solve for two years.

  In a way, she’d just given him his freedom for the second time, now he could wrap up his research in the Amazon and make a new life for himself that he hoped would include Heather. Looking at her where she stood by the counter, he knew that he couldn’t wait another minute before making her his forever, that this moment was what he’d been waiting for all these weeks.

  He stood up from the stool he’d been perched on and pulled her into his arms, swung her around then said, “You did it Heather, you solved the problem.” Then he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.

  *****

  The minute Brian’s mouth came down on hers, Heather knew that something was different, there was an intensity that hadn’t been there before and her knees began to shake. She sensed that this was the moment she’d been waiting for and knew that she only had seconds to decide what she was going to do. When Brian’s hands began to slide up and down her back, finally coming to rest on her butt, she knew that this was what she wanted and that she was willing to take the risk of a broken heart to experience what was sure to be the most wonderful night of her life.

  Heather was breathless not only from the kiss, but from the desire and passion between them and the anticipation of what was to come. She leaned into him, loving the feel of his hard body pressed up against hers and let herself go, blocked anything else from her mind, determined to let nothing come between them. Brian’s hands strayed to her breasts, cupping each one in his large hands he teased t
he nipples with his thumb until Heather gasped with pleasure.

  He broke the kiss and began to nibble on her neck, making her squirm in his arms. Then he whispered in her ear, “Is everyone gone?”

  Heather nodded and said, “We’re alone and the doors are locked.” Her words coming out in short little bursts as Brian’s hands continued to explore her breasts.

  Taking her hand, he led her out of the lab and down the hall to the room that had been his for all those weeks he’d been sick. Once inside he closed the door and locked it, then crossed to the windows and shut the blinds, making it very dark in the room. On his way back to where she was standing he turned on a lamp, then pulled her back into his arms and found her mouth again while he began undressing her. He slid her lab coat off her shoulders, then pulled her scrub shirt over her head, exposing the black lacy bra she was wearing.

  He groaned when his hands came in contact with the lacy material and her stiff nipples straining against the fabric, and then he reached around and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor at her feet before he took one nipple in his mouth. Heather was instantly on fire, her body filled with the kind of pleasure that comes only with the trust that had grown between them. Heather had no doubt that Brian wanted her, that what was happening between them was real and her last bit of resistance disappeared.

  She began tugging at his shirt, groaning when it finally came off and she felt his hot skin under her palms. She reached for the button on his pants, unhooked it and slid down his zipper, shocked when his erection sprang free and he groaned. Brian quickly stripped off his pants then in one movement slid hers down and helped her step out of them. He took a moment to let his eyes roam, then picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed.

  He lay her down then joined her, stretching out beside her and letting his hands roam over her body, teasing and exploring until she was desperate for more. She’d waited so long to feel this way, to experience what a real connection with a man felt like that she was having a difficult time breathing, her breath coming out in short gasps each time his mouth or hands found an especially sensitive spot. When his hand slid between her legs to stroke the soft flesh of her inner thigh, her hips came up off the bed and she wanted to beg him to give her more, but she was suddenly incapable of words.