Braden: #5 (Kelly Clan)

by Madison Stevens

  When Braden turned from the fire and fixed his soft eyes on her, her stomach flipped.

  “I don’t intend to be a princess,” she said. “Being sick all the time, I was never really much a part of this life. It always seemed like some distant piece that would never affect me. Of course, I never really expected to get better.” She sucked in a breath. “I guess I expected to die.”

  He frowned. “But you’re better now, aren’t you?”

  She nodded. “I was seeing the doctor today,” she said. “All those appointments you took me to paid off.”

  Her mind drifted back to Braden having some of her medication. That wouldn’t be easy to get, she assumed, even for a mobster.

  Teagan gave a laugh, not sure why she was talking about all this. It wasn’t as if he cared. This was just a job to him. He’d said so.

  “Good,” he said and placed his hand on hers.

  She was startled by his response. Teagan glanced down at his hand on hers and then back at him.

  As if he just realized what he’d done, Braden pulled his hand back quickly.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled. He rubbed the back of his neck as if trying to give his hand something else to do.

  Teagan reached out and took his hand back.

  “I’m not,” she said.

  Her heart hammered in her chest, and she didn’t have a clue what she was doing, but holding his hand felt right.

  Chapter Eleven

  A wave of lust rocked Braden’s body.

  Shit. Double shit.

  The touch was a simple gesture, but somehow even something minor like that seemed to be more when it came to Teagan. Just the act of touching her made his whole body go up in flames.

  Damn it. He needed to keep control. It didn’t matter how much he wanted her. This wasn’t the time or the place to give into his desire.

  She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and it was about all he could take.

  Fuck it. He didn’t care anymore. Why was he resisting? He’d wanted her for a long time now. Maybe just something simple.

  Braden pulled her hand to his mouth and placed a soft kiss there. Her eyes widened in surprise.

  “I want nothing more than for you to be safe and healthy,” he said. His trembling voice marked his raw emotions bubbling to the surface.

  He knew if he didn’t gain some fucking control that he’d be in serious risk of falling more in love with her than he already was. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing, especially for her.

  This wasn’t a situation where things would work out happily ever after. No matter what happened with Ennis and the Russian Mafia, that wouldn’t change him or what he’d done. He would still be the rotten Mafia guy, and she would still be the beautiful princess, too good for a goon like him. If he truly cared about her, maybe the best thing he could do was stay away from her.

  At least stay away from her as much as he could manage in a small cabin when they were hiding out together.

  Braden let her hand slip from his and stood. Now was as good a time as any to get the cookies he’d bought and put the soup away.

  He gathered their bowls and took them into the kitchen, hurrying a bit more than he needed.

  “I’m surprised you can cook,” she said, still sitting by the fire. “I mean, before you never…” She shrugged. “I guess you never really had a chance before either.”

  He couldn’t hide the smile that came as he placed the bowls into the sink.

  “I can’t really cook,” he said as he turned on the water to rinse them out. “Just a few things here and there. My Nan was adamant about my learning. My older brother, Cullen, had to learn as well.”

  He turned to find she had moved to the other side of the island. The smile on his face faltered as he stared at her wearing his sweater. There was just something about the look he found highly erotic.

  Teagan brushed her long brown hair behind her. He noticed she’d taken it out of the bun she usually wore it in.

  His cock twitched in his pants as an image of him ploughing into her from behind, his hand wrapped around her silky hair, flipped through his mind. He took a deep breath, hoping his attraction wasn’t too obvious to her.

  “I didn’t know you have a brother,” she said, oblivious to his internal struggle.

  Braden busied himself with the soup as he poured it into a container. “He went off to college, and I didn’t hear much from him after that.”

  When he turned back around, she was frowning slightly.

  “And you don’t see him during the holidays?”

  He shook his head. “We’re not really that sort of family,” he said and placed the pan into the sink with the bowls. “After Nan passed, we all just sort of went our own ways.”

  He could see the sadness in her eyes, and it only made her more endearing to him that she cared at all.

  Of course, her experience had been different. Despite her brother being in deep with the Irish mob, she’d still been able to grow up around him and keeping her family connections. He wasn’t sure if that was for the best given what was happening, but then again, it was her brother’s effort that had helped get her the treatment she needed.

  He couldn’t help but envy their connection on some level, even though he’d long since convinced himself that being distant from his own family was best for everyone involved.

  Braden pulled out the container of store-bought cookies he’d picked up. Whatever meager skills he had in the kitchen didn’t extend to baking. The sadness in Teagan’s expression melted away at the sight of the cookies.

  “Oatmeal raisin with walnuts,” she said. She pulled one from the tray and took it back over to her spot on the floor.

  Braden watched, mesmerized by the sway of her hips. Ever since she’d said she’d gained a little weight, all he could think about was how it had gone to all the right places. She was a healthy woman now, one that he yearned to be with.

  He shook himself. At this rate, he was going to get himself into trouble. Braden carried the tray over as well as two new bottles of beer.

  Everyone could use a little relaxation. At least he could.

  Instead of sitting next to her, Braden placed himself in the chair she was leaning against. At least this way he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her again.

  Teagan turned around and smiled at him. “Thank you. I think this was just what I needed.”

  She leaned her head back against the chair and jumped when his hand touched her soft hair. After that, though, she made no move to pull away. Instead, she turned again and placed her head against his thigh this time so she could look at him.

  “You should spend Christmas with me,” she said and took a drink of her beer and then blushed. “I mean my brother, Claire, and me.”

  He stared at her for a moment not sure what to say. It was as if she’d completely forgotten who he was to her, that he was still working for Ennis and an indirect ally of the Russia Mafia.

  Even if the situation cleared up, he still wouldn’t be able to be with her until Ennis and the Russia Mafia were finished.

  He doubted they’d all be mopped up by Christmas, and that’s assuming Ennis and the Russian Mafia didn’t win the war.

  Teagan turned back toward the fire but kept her head against his thigh. The heat from her body was almost more than he could take.

  “We’ll sleep in late and all get up still wearing our PJs. Then while Conor shakes all the packages that are for him, I’ll make French Toast and Claire will brew the coffee.”

  Braden chuckled at the idea of the large man going around shaking his presents like a child. Somehow, though, the image fit.

  “Then once our stomachs are full, we’ll sit around and open gifts. And it will be a beautiful day.”

  He hadn’t noticed, but as she spoke, his hand crept into a lock of her hair. He wove it through his fingers as she painted a picture of perfect family bliss.

  The damn Russians had threatened her life. She’d been free of having
to face any of it before them. For that, let alone any of the other things they’d done, he couldn’t forgive them.

  “That sounds nice,” he said, his voice low and rough.

  Teagan leaned her head to the side again and smiled at him.

  “Good,” she said. “I’ll add you to the list.”

  His heart was torn as he continued to stare at her. She needed to understand. He needed to make her understand.

  “Teagan, I—” he began.

  She pulled the hand that had been caressing her hair and cupped it against her cheek. She closed her eyes and turned slightly to place a kiss on the palm of his hand.

  “Don’t say it.” She sighed. “I’m not stupid,” she said softly. “I do know what’s going on, but I’m just tired of it all. Always having to watch other people live the lives they want while I sit on the sidelines. Before it was my medical problems, and now it’s all this other stuff. The world doesn’t revolve around me, so I’m just going to have to go along with what it throws at me.”

  He hadn’t expected this sort of candor from her.

  She stared up at him, her light brown eyes asking him for the one thing he wanted most. “Just tonight can’t we both be something else? Someone else? Maybe it won’t change anything, but at least it’ll be a memory.”

  Braden leaned in, his hand at her cheek threaded through her hair as he pulled her to him. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Teagan rose on her knees to meet him half way, and when their lips met, it was as if all was right in the world. She was exactly where she should be, in his arms.

  Chapter Twelve

  The kiss was soft. Soft, but not sweet. The passion passed between them, sending even more warmth into her.

  Teagan let the feel of the kiss sweep over her as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, the fire in her demanding more.

  She’d spent years denying the mere possibility of something like this, but now she was done running, done worrying.

  She wanted him. He wanted her. Nothing else was important.

  Braden slipped from the chair he had been sitting in and kneeled with her on the soft rug by the fireplace, never breaking the kiss. She moaned softly into his mouth.

  His hand moved further through her hair, and she groaned when his tongue slipped further against the seam of her mouth. She opened fully to him and let their tongues slide against one another. His face was rough with stubble, but the harsh feel of it only excited her more.

  It was everything she’d imagined and more. They were finally sharing what she’d wanted for months. All the worry, all the fear had vanished, replaced only by desire.

  She was surprised when his other hand managed to grab ahold of the sweater he’d given her and tugged it up. She broke away for him to allow him to lift it up over her head.

  Her breath came out in small ragged bursts as she stared at him. His warm eyes remained fixed on her, clouded by lust, making her feel like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  Braden leaned in again. This time he pushed them both down onto the floor. His hard body pressed against her. She shuddered with pleasure, already almost overwhelmed by his mere kiss and touch.

  She shifted in his arms when he leaned down and pressed open mouthed-kisses against her neck, responding with appreciative murmurs. His rough face scraped the sensitive skin there.

  “You always smell like you’ve just baked cookies,” he mumbled against her ear.

  It was silly really, but she worried that maybe that was a bad thing. The last thing she wanted was for her smell to ruin the mood.

  “Do you like cookies?” she asked.

  Braden sat up on his elbows to look down at her. A small smile played on the corner of his lips, which seemed to just beg for her to kiss them. She liked seeing him smile. He did it so rarely.

  The sight made her feel like she was seeing something secret. Like it was a special part of him that most didn’t see. The idea filled her with joy and ate away all her concern from before.

  “Yeah, it’s a good thing,” he said and leaned in a little. “I love cookies.” His voice was low and rich. “I just want to eat them up.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as he moved toward her again. She could feel all the hard areas of his body as he shifted himself between her legs. Warmth pulsed from her center.

  His mouth came down on hers. No softness this time, instead it was hot and hungry. Her head spun as she found herself falling deeper into the inferno kiss. What little rational thought that remained was being consumed by the powerful lust.

  His hips bumped against her aching center. She moaned around his mouth at the glorious feeling. This certainly was different from when she pleasured herself. They’d barely started and she’d already felt ridiculously good.

  Teagan brought her hands around to his back and ran them over his t-shirt, feeling the hard muscles that lay underneath. She’d imagined touching him so many times, and she wasn’t disappointed.

  She gasped when he sat up and yanked his shirt off before tossing it on the couch.

  This time he stayed on his knees staring down at her, his rippled chest on full display. She sat up and ran her fingers over the many tattoos. A small smile played on her lips when one of the muscles twitched under her touch.

  She liked to know that she was affecting him as much as he was affecting her. It only excited her more.

  He leaned in a little. Her hand went flat against his chest, and she loved the feel of his bare skin against her own. Teagan reached up with the other hand and ran it along the path of his muscled chest. Her fingers slid down his rigid stomach and stopped just above the line of his pants. She took a deep breath.

  She looked up at him and found his eyes on her, watching as she touched him. Braden raised a brow as if in challenge, and something about it made her want to be bold just to shock him. She wasn’t the ignorant princess from the tower he thought she was.

  Teagan slid her hand further down and rested on the large bulge there. Her eyes widened as he groaned, the rigid source of heat growing even larger in her palm.

  Holy hell, how was she supposed to make that fit? Maybe this had all been a mistake. She’d thought she was ready, but did he ever measure up.

  She gasped when she felt a hand slip up her blouse and rest against her stomach. Braden moved up a little higher, and she could feel her heart beat in her throat. Just as he reached the bottom of her bra, Teagan couldn’t hold back any longer. He needed to know the truth.

  “I’m a virgin.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Braden froze and stared down at her. He blinked several times, processing what she had said. “What?”

  Her hand fell off his now painfully swollen cock.

  “Well, I never had a chance being sick, and there wasn’t anyone I wanted, and then there was you,” she said nervously, not looking at him as she spoke.

  Of course, now that she explained it, it all seemed reasonable, almost obvious, but never in his life had he even thought that she might be a virgin. He just assumed he was drawn to her, so others had been drawn to her, and she had at least dealt with one other man before she liked enough to sleep with.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. A tear slid from her eye into her soft brown hair that lay around her.

  The sight stabbed at his heart. She had to sacrifice so much in her life. He didn’t want her to feel bad because of his assumptions.

  Braden leaned in and placed a kiss against her lips. His hand came out of her shirt to swipe away the tear.

  “Hey,” he said softly. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I just didn’t think…”

  That was exactly it. Of course she was a virgin. When was she supposed to be having all this sex? In the hospital? Hell, there was a part of him that was even relieved. A woman like her could have plenty of men if she wanted. Better men than he could ever hope to be. Men a lot more worthy of her.

  “You probably don’t want me now that you
know I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said softly.

  Braden nearly laughed. “I think it should maybe be the other way around. You sure you want your first time to be with a guy like me?”

  Teagan looked at him. Her eyes were so clear and honest. He wasn’t even sure she knew how to lie. She was a princess who’d been sheltered from the harsh realities of her brother’s life until recently. Was he tainting her by being with her? Even if that were true, he wasn’t sure he cared anymore.

  “You’re the only person I want,” she said softly. She sucked in her bottom lip and nibbled it nervously.

  “Fuck,” he grunted. How the hell was he supposed to be the good guy when she was making it so fucking hard? “I just don’t want to fuck this up for you. I want this to be special for you.”

  Teagan cupped his face in her palm. “It’s not possible for you to mess up, and it’s already special for me.”

  It was like he’d been set free. Those words were so small but carried so much weight. She wanted him, and he was tired of denying himself a woman he’d wanted a long time.

  He pressed his mouth to hers, this time with a purpose: to do whatever he could to make her happy.

  As they continued to kiss, his fingers fumbled with the buttons on her shirt. He hadn’t been this nervous since he was fifteen during his first time. Thankfully, he’d learned to last longer than five minutes and how important foreplay was. He’d do everything he could to make this a good memory of exquisite pleasure.

  Once he’d unbuttoned the shirt, Braden pulled it open and let his hands feel the weight of her breasts in his palm. Gently, he pinched the nipples and was met by a loud groan against his mouth.

  Braden pulled away from her and sat on his knees between her legs. She watched him as he unbuttoned her pants and slid them off her legs.

  She’d worn the red panties and bra. He hadn’t thought about them much as he picked out the clothes, but it had been hard not to picture her creamy body in the red set. Braden could feel his cock press painfully against his pants.