by K J Bell
Because I’m being ridiculous, I give him one more nudge. “Will you at least think about it?”
“Every. Damn. Day,” he spells out. “Every day I think about telling her how sorry I am, but I can’t fucking do it!”
Without another word, he stands and helps me up. When I step out of the tub, I nearly slip on the wet tile, but Brady rescues me before I fall. His hand around my wrist, he guides me back to the bedroom.
“Lie down, Tori.” His voice is commanding, his eyes dark and stormy, and I do exactly as he says. Brady spends the next couple of hours showing me I’m the one he wants to be with. Showing me that he owns me. All of me.
As my eyes open the next morning, I smile, looking over at the soft white tissue next to me. I reach over and pick it up. Best night of my life! XO, B. I clutch his note to my chest and smile so big my cheeks hurt.
I glance around the room, not finding him, and then I hear the shower. My gaze lands on a small table full of food. My stomach rumbles in response, reminding me that we never got around to dinner last night. I stand and wrap the sheet around me, blushing as I remember our night together, Brady’s touch and the countless orgasms. I walk to the table and sit down. Brady’s already made me a cup of coffee. If he weren’t in the shower, I’d kiss him.
The door to the bathroom opens, and Brady walks out, bare-ass naked. He’s obviously confident with his body. When he sees me, he smiles lovingly and sits down at the table across from me. As I pick up a strawberry, Brady reaches for it and takes it from my hand. He sets it on a plate and tugs on the sheet I’m wearing.
Bedroom eyes sweep over me, and he flashes a sexy smile. “You only get to eat if you’re naked.”
My hands instinctively grip the top of the sheet. It’s one thing to be naked in dim light with sex as a distraction, but the idea of sitting at breakfast in a brightly lit room totally exposed kind of freaks me out. “I like my sheet.” I smile modestly.
His playful smile widens, and he pulls on the sheet again. “I like it, too. With you on top of it.” Standing, he saunters toward me and slides in behind me. He cups my shoulders and kisses my neck. His hands slide forward, and his fingers dip under the sheet. “You have a beautiful body, Sunshine. Never cover it up around me.”
My nerves flutter away with his words, and I let him remove the sheet. He returns to his seat, still smiling.
“Better.” He grins and picks up the strawberry, holding it to my lips. I bite into it. Looks like we’re skipping breakfast.
Brady
When Tori and I arrive at my house, I’m relieved to see that there are no cars. I’m not ready to speak to my parents yet. I want to enjoy Tori as long as possible before I do. My mother is going to do everything in her power to stop me from telling Tori our family secrets, including making things difficult for her. But, I won’t let that stop me. Tori deserves to know everything if she’s going to be mine. And she is mine.
I face Tori, and put my hand on the headrest behind her. She has her hand on the door handle and is just about to open it.
“Tori, wait.” She turns to look at me. I notice the hint of a rash on her cheek from my stubble. I like seeing my mark on her. She smiles and raises her eyebrows, silently asking, What? “You’ll tell Harrison today.” It’s more of an order than a question, and the possessive asshole I am shines through as the words leave my mouth.
Her gaze slides back and forth. “I will. We’re supposed to go to a party at the beach for some friend of Tug’s. Liv and Tyler are going. I’ll talk to him then.”
I lift my eyebrow, because I don’t like her answer. “You need to talk to him before then.” My voice is gruff, and she frowns.
“He’s at work. I can’t tell him while he’s there. It’s not right.” Her eyes are down, looking at her lap.
She’s too nice, but she’s sweet, so I let her off easy. “I understand. But the second you have a chance, tell him. I mean it. I don’t want him touching you.”
She turns to me. Her eyes squint, her mouth purses, and she cocks her head. She’s trying to give me a dirty look and she’s successful, just not in the way she expected. It’s a sexy look that makes me want to do dirty things to her. “I will – jeez, bossy. By the way, since you and I are a secret, what exactly should I tell him?” she smirks.
I shrug. Truthfully, I don’t give two cents what she tells Harrison as long as he knows she’s not with him. “Without giving him a name, tell him the truth.”
Her eyes pull sideways, and she puts a finger on her pouty pink lips. She giggles. “The truth…hmm…tell him I met a hot guy who makes fire explode between my legs and makes me come so hard I see stars.”
I can’t believe she just said that. And the way she said it, all raspy and oozing sexiness. Maybe I have corrupted her. “Keep teasing me like that, and I’m going to carry you into the house and fuck you over the back of the couch.” I grin, a “fucking dare me” grin.
She fucking dares me. “Promises, promises.” The words leave her lips in a singsong, the same raspy, hot voice as before. Her blue eyes lock on mine as she grins proudly.
Oh…she thinks she’s cute. And she is, but I’ll have the last word. I hop out of my truck, then rush to her side and open the door. I yank her from the truck by her hand and pull her toward the house.
She squeals. “Brady, what are you doing?”
I whip my body around and curl my fingers around both of her arms. “When it comes to sex, I don’t make promises. I find action is much more effective.” I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder, like some primitive being.
She giggles but goes with it, relaxing. Once we’re through the front door of the house, I slam the door behind us and set her down. She looks at me with an exhilarated expression. I swallow and break eye contact with her, letting my eyes sweep down her body. I’m thankful the skirt she’s wearing will makes things simple. Without speaking, I spin her, bend her over the back of the couch, and hike her skirt up over her gorgeous ass.”You have a perfect ass,” I say, smacking her cheek playfully. She giggles, and then falls silent when I slide my fingers under the sides of her panties.
Completely out of patience, I rip her panties from her body and slide two fingers inside her wet warmth. She screams out my name. I love hearing my name leave her throat, pleading for me to fuck her. I withdraw my fingers, and pull my jeans and boxers down. I can’t wait to be inside her. Being with her is therapy, and I need an abundance of help before I’m cured.
With my hands clasped firmly around her hips, I slam into her from behind, just as I’d fantasized about doing so often before. Between the intensity of the curtains on the windows being open and thoughts of someone walking in on us at any moment, it’s a completely earth-shattering experience.
I move slowly, trying to savor the moment. But then I begin moving faster. It’s going to be over too quickly if I don’t slow down. I try to stop for just a minute to gain some control, but she pushes back into my hips, so I continue. She hums my name repeatedly, and it’s my undoing. We come together, peaking and falling simultaneously. My fingertips dig into her skin just above her knees. I drag them all the way up the sides of her legs over her thighs and hips. When I slide out of her, she stands and whirls around to face me, cheeks pink and slow, winded breaths escaping her parted lips.
I take her face in my hands. “God, that was fucking incredible, Sunshine. I’ll never get enough of you.” I give her a quick peck. “I love you.” Without thinking, I let the words fall from my lips and then freeze. It’s too soon. She’s not ready. Tori blinks and looks down. Goddammit! I messed up, and she’s going to run.
Tori looks up and smiles softly. She pushes up on her tip toes and slips her arms around my neck. She knows exactly what I’m thinking. “I love you, too, Brady.”
I exhale and kiss her deeply. She loves me, too.
Chapter 21
Tori
While I shower and get dressed for my night at the beach, all I can focus on are Brady’s hands
on my skin, his lips on my mouth. He left earlier to go to Jesse’s, and I already miss him.
When I go downstairs to the kitchen, I find angry brown eyes glaring at me.
“Where have you been?” Liv demands.
“In the shower.” I’m being sarcastic, but by the look on her face, she’s not amused.
Her eyes scrutinize me. When I go the fridge for water, she’s right on my heels. There is no chance she’s dropping this. “You know what I mean, Tor. I ran into Harrison last night. He told me you two were supposed to go out, but you blew him off.”
Shrugging, I hold the bottle of water to my lips nervously. “Something came up.”
Her arms fold together in front of her chest. She leans back against the counter, shaking her head back and forth. “Like my brother?”
Does she know, or is she guessing? “What makes you think I was with Brady?” My voice shakes. Wow! I suck at lying.
She glances over at me, a look of steel on her face. “Tyler and I stopped over at Jesse’s last night. Guess you didn’t know they were friends. I heard Jesse tell Tyler that Brady was off somewhere with you. So, you wanna tell me what the hell is going on?”
I start biting my nails. I’m not usually a nail biter, but I can’t possibly look at her without spilling my guts. So I look down and nibble on the ends of my fingers. “Not really,” I mumble.
Her eyebrows wrinkle together. “Are you going to anyway?”
“I can’t, Livvy, okay?” I keep chewing and remind myself not to look up. If I look up, I’ll be trapped. She’s like a frog, and I’m the fly. She knows if she waits, I’ll get close enough for her to strike. I can’t look up, or I’m dinner.
I hear her sigh. Her hand slaps against the counter next to me. “I see how you look at my brother, and honestly, he looks at you the same way. If the two of you had hooked up before Vanessa, I would’ve been thrilled. His head’s all screwed up right now, and I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”
Oh, she’s good. I look at my feet. I glance at a Cheerio gathering dust under the table. I spot a dried macaroni shell over in the corner, but I don’t look at her. She’s just waiting for me to get close enough. “Things aren’t what they seem, Liv. You just have to trust me, okay?”
“Are you going to go out with Harrison again?” She sets the trap and waits. I’m too freaking close. Damn it! I look up, meeting her eyes, and our gazes clash. I’m doomed.
“Harrison isn’t the guy for me, Liv,” I admit. “I plan on telling him tonight.”
And she strikes. “Oh, my God. I know that look. You’re in love with Brady.”
“I am not.” I make a last-ditch attempt to deny it.
A victorious grin lifts her mouth, and she shakes her head. She knows me too damn well. “We have been friends since before we could walk, and I can tell by looking at you that you handed him your heart gift-wrapped with a bow yesterday.”
And she’s got me, I’m trapped. I did wrap my heart up, but I didn’t have to give it to him yesterday. It’s been his for years. “I love him.” I start to cry. “I love him something fierce. Please don’t tell anyone. I promised Brady I wouldn’t say anything, even to you. He wants to be the one to tell your parents because he thinks they’re going to flip out.”
She hugs me, and I hug her back. Then she looks at me and wipes away a stray tear. “They are going to flip out.”
I pull away and throw my hands up. “Why? What’s wrong with us as a couple?”
“My parents know how Brady is with girls. He’s almost twenty-five years old, and the only serious relationship he’s ever had he screwed up big time. He comes home with tattoos, and I think he’s dropped out of school.” She pauses, looking worried. She summons a smile and continues, “I’m sure they’ll worry that if things don’t work out with the two of you, they’ll lose their favorite daughter.”
I do have a great relationship with her parents, but I’m more concerned about how this will affect our friendship. “How do you feel about it?”
Liv darts her eyes to the floor and then back up. “I’m not sure. It’s obviously been a long time coming. Please don’t take this the wrong way, okay? Brady is still nursing a broken heart, and I’m a little worried about…well…about.”
I interrupt her before I have to hear her say it. “I’m not a rebound, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
Liv treads cautiously. “How can you be so sure?” I understand her worry. She doesn’t want to lose her best friend.
“Let’s talk.” I loop my arm through hers and walk her to the kitchen table. We both sit, and she flashes me a doleful smile.
It takes over an hour to fill Liv in on everything that’s happened between me and Brady. I leave out the Center because I’ve already broken his trust once. I tell her everything he said to me about Vanessa and his feelings for her. How it was Vanessa who encouraged Brady to come home and tell me everything. I skip over most of the “best sex of my life” talk because when I start it, she squishes her face up and pretends to stick her finger down her throat.
When I’m finished, I pat her on the knee and tell her, “See, you have nothing to worry about.”
Her mouth is hanging open, and she looks blown away. Wow! Liv, speechless…I never thought I’d see this day.
Poking her in the arm, I say, “Please say something, because you’re starting to freak me out.”
Her expression still confused, she finally speaks. “Sorry. I’ve known for a while he wanted to sleep with you, but I never had a clue he was in love with you. I’m kind of in shock right now, honestly.”
As I tell her I’m shocked myself, the doorbell rings. My stomach knots up, knowing it’s Harrison at the door. Liv goes to answer it, and I’m relieved when she enters the kitchen with Tyler. She is positively glowing when she introduces us. The correct word is “smitten,” and I’ve seen plenty of guys smitten over Liv. What I’ve never seen is Liv so lovesick. She has been completely swept off her feet by this baby-faced guy in her kitchen.
Tyler drapes his arm around Liv and kisses her on the side of her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Tori. Liv’s told me a lot about you.”
“It was all Liv’s fault. All of it,” I say, pointing at Liv. We all laugh, and Tyler places another kiss on her cheek. I love seeing Liv so happy.
My relief is short-lived as the doorbell sounds once again. My eyes dart to Liv, begging her to answer it because I’m a big coward.
“If we’re ready, why don’t we just head out?” Liv relieves me of my worry as only a true best friend can. She winks at me, and picks up her purse and keys from the counter.
I say hello to Harrison when we open the door and do my best to avoid his kiss. He ends up planting one on my cheek. It’s immature, but when he looks away, I wipe it off with my hand.
Liv rescues me again when she informs the guys that the girls will be riding in the front seat. She winks at me again, and I remind myself to do something nice for my best friend. Excessively, over-the-top nice.
The car ride isn’t as uncomfortable as it could have been. With the boys in the back talking sports, Liv and I talk about our working at the Bean. We both adore Ted, even though I’d thought he was a complete whack job when we first met him.
Chapter 22
Tori
There are at least a hundred people on the beach when we arrive. Harrison takes my hand to help me out of the car, and I quickly pull it away. We all walk toward the crowd of people, but Liv and Tyler veer off when Tyler spots one of his friends.
Harrison stops abruptly and grabs my hand. Hesitantly, I turn around to face him.
“Are you okay? You seem off tonight.”
I avert my eyes to the beach as the awkwardness between us grows. “Can we go somewhere up the beach and talk?” I stuff my hands into the tiny front pockets of my shorts.
“Sure.” One of Harrison’s friends spots us and calls him over. He nods a greeting and grabs my hand, pulling it from my pocket. “Let’s gra
b a drink first.” I don’t want a drink, I want to talk, but I can’t be rude. Harrison hasn’t done anything wrong. With his hand on the small of my back, Harrison guides me through the crowd. While I’m waiting for him to fix me a drink, a wisp of my hair catches the wind and splits my lips. Harrison reaches up to remove it, letting his fingers linger on my cheek afterward. I move my head away. He’s speaking to his friend, and a warm hand suddenly wraps around my elbow.
Brady’s voice is in my ear, whispering. “He touching you like he doesn’t have a clue you’re just friends.”
His voice plays tricks with my thoughts as he leads me away from the crowd, not stopping until we are hidden away between two cars. When he lets go of my arm, my eyes drink him in. He’s in board shorts and a T-shirt, nothing special, but on Brady sexy as hell.
What is he doing here? I thought he was with Jesse. “Jesus, Brady, I haven’t had a chance to tell him. I told him I wanted to talk, and I was politely waiting for him to finish up with his friend.”
Threading his fingers through my hair, he glares at me with so much heat I might disintegrate if he doesn’t stop soon. He slams my body up against the car, pulling one of my legs up and holding it around his waist, palming my backside. The hand wrapped around my hair yanks gently, and I throw my head back. He starts trailing kisses down my neck, and bites gently into my skin.
“I’ve thought about you since the moment I left today, and I can’t wait to be buried deep inside you again. You’re mine, Sunshine. Please talk to him. I can’t stand watching him touch you.”
“Okay,” I answer, short of breath.
With that, he smiles wickedly and lets go of me. I watch him walk back toward the crowd and disappear behind a curtain of people.
The heat throbbing in my core prevents me from moving, and it takes me a minute to compose myself enough to return to the party. Flush warms my skin, and I’m positive I have freshly fucked hair from my brief but erotic encounter with Brady.
When I return to the party, I’m lifted off my feet and spun around in a circle by a very drunk Tug. After setting me down, he says, “I’m stoked you made it, Tor.”
