Priceless (Finding Love Book 5)

by Paris Hansen

  Sticking her tongue out at him again, Meghan laughed. “Yeah, I’ll go ahead and let you believe that bull cause I want more details. How do you plan on proposing this time? What was your plan before? I need to know everything.”

  “I’ll tell you, but if you breathe a word of it to anyone other than Oliver, I’ll make your life miserable.”

  Meghan smiled and put her hands up in the air, before reaching one out to him. All of her fingers were in a fist except for her pinky. “I, Meghan Brooks, pinky swear that I won’t tell anyone other than Oliver what you tell me here today.”

  “And people say I’m a dork.”

  “Well, you are. That’s one of the reasons I love you. Now give me the goods.”

  Unable to argue with her, Braeden just smiled as he began to regale her with his super romantic, super amazing proposal plans. His plan at eighteen was a tad bit cheesy, but that was probably to be expected. He was a kid who had no idea what he was doing. All he knew at the time was that he loved Andi with everything in him and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Now, he was older and wiser and, he knew his plan was golden.

  Seeing the look on Meghan’s face as he told her the idea solidified what he already knew. The nail technician’s gasp when he finished the story made him feel even better about what he had in mind. All he needed now was the ring and the right time. He just had to hope the idea of getting engaged didn’t end up sending Andi running the other way.

  ✽✽✽

  Andi

  She was dying.

  At least that’s what it felt like. Or maybe it was what she was hoping for. Death would’ve been preferable to the way her body ached and the cough that only seemed to get worse with every passing second. At least she was finally having a fever free day, unlike the three days prior where she couldn’t seem to regulate her temperature no matter how much ibuprofen she took. Even a cold washcloth on her forehead didn’t help much.

  It was hell.

  But it wasn’t as terrible as not being able to see Braeden or anyone else for the last three days. She didn’t want to get anyone else sick, although she’d probably already been around them all when she was incubating the terrible plague she was dealing with.

  The moment she realized it was the flu and not stress wearing her down, she called Brooklyn to warn her. The last thing she wanted to do was get her adorable nephews sick, but she’d loved up on them right before she started feeling like crap. She’d gladly take on another week of being sick herself if the babies were spared.

  Thankfully, it seemed like they were doing okay so far, which made her feel a bit better. If only her nose would stop running and her throat would stop feeling like the Sahara desert. Looking over at her diminishing supplies on the coffee table, Andi realized she was going to have to make an emergency run to the store soon. Her box of tissues was nearly empty as was her bag of cough drops. She’d almost exhausted the box of cold medicine as well. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t seem to get any of them delivered.

  Andi had no energy though, so getting up and getting dressed sounded like a form of medieval torture. Part of her wished she could call Braeden and have him bring her the supplies she needed, but she knew he’d want to stay and take care of her. While she would’ve loved to have him do that, he was knee deep in a crucial case that would be going to trial soon. On top of that, he was still dealing with the bullshit Matthew created. It was too critical a time for him to come down with the flu.

  Rolling onto her side, she started to flip through the channels, the remote resting on her leg because she didn’t have the energy to hold it up. When she found reruns of the show Supernatural, she stopped her channel surfing. She didn’t have the mental capacity to pay attention to what was on the screen, but you could never go wrong with eye candy like Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki.

  She was so out of it she barely heard her front door opening and closing twenty minutes later. Someone was in her apartment; and she didn’t have the energy to fend them off if it was a burglar or something worse. It didn’t even sink in that the person probably had a key since she hadn’t heard any signs of breaking before the entering.

  “Baby, I’ve come to take care of you. I’ve got soup and cough drops. Some cold medicine and an entire four pack of tissues. I even brought some of those firecracker popsicles you like.”

  She tried to lift her head off of the throw pillow so she could see him, but couldn’t. Instead, Andi waited for Braeden to enter the living room. He unloaded one of the bags onto the coffee table, then took the other into the kitchen. She could hear him rustling around, opening the fridge and a cupboard or two. Finally, he came back into the room and set a steaming mug onto the table in front of her.

  “Come on, let’s get you sitting up so you can eat some soup,” Braeden said as he leaned over her and helped her get upright.

  The minute his hands were on her, she remembered that she hadn’t showered in days and probably looked like death warmed over. How embarrassing. No one should have to see her looking the way she did, especially not Braeden. She kept her eyes focused on her lap as he handed her the mug of soup.

  “You shouldn’t be here. I could get you sick.”

  Taking a seat next to her on the couch, Braeden wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “When my girl’s sick, there isn’t anywhere else I should be than right here taking care of you.”

  “But you’ve got that big case coming up. You can’t afford to be sick for that. I’d feel terrible if I infected you with this plague. If it’s anything like what people at work are dealing with, it could linger for weeks,” she explained, hoping he’d get it through his thick skull that he shouldn’t be in her apartment and he especially shouldn’t be sitting so close to her, touching her.

  “Stop worrying. I’m taking care of you whether you want me to or not. You’re stuck with me.”

  “But…” she tried to protest.

  “But nothing. I’m here for you, so you better get used to it,” he interrupted her. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Thanks to our buddy Price, I no longer have a case to worry about. At least not until an inquiry proves I’m not involved in the embezzlement scheme he just tried to pin on me.”

  “What the hell?” she growled, the force of the words causing her to cough. Braeden leaned forward grabbing a glass of water off of the table so she could take a drink once the coughing fit subsided.

  “He and Quinn must have gotten wind of Archer’s investigation. Suddenly there’s evidence that I’ve been siphoning money from the firm. Archer knows it’s not true, but it’s my word against Quinn and Price until he can prove otherwise. Until then I’m on the bench which gives me plenty of time to take care of my girl.”

  Andi’s heart sank. “This is all my fault.”

  “The hell it is. We’ve already talked about this. With or without you, all of this would have gone down eventually. This is all about Price and his crazy vendetta against me, you were just collateral damage. I’m sorry you’ve had to be any part of it. You don’t deserve to be tainted by those assholes.”

  “I can’t believe you have to deal with this kind of crap at work. It’s not fair, and it’s not right,” Andi said.

  The minute the words were out of her mouth, she was irritated. Her stupid illness made it sound like she was whining instead of pissed as fuck. If she weren’t on her death bed, she’d be hunting Matthew Price down so she could give him a piece of her mind and maybe a swift kick to the junk.

  “It is what it is. There’s nothing we can do about any of it. So until it’s resolved, we’ll have to think about other things. The first item on our agenda is helping you feel better. As soon as you’ve finished your soup, it’s nap time. Then later, we’ll get you into the shower. You’re a bit ripe.”

  Andi felt her cheeks heat up and it had nothing to do with the soup she’d finally started to eat.

  “Oh my gosh. Seriously? How embarrassing,” she muttered, wishing the couch would open up and swal
low her.

  “Just kidding, baby. You aren’t that bad, but I’m sure a nice hot shower would go a long way in helping you feel better. I promise I’ll only help you get clean and stay upright. I will be the perfect gentleman.”

  Andi laughed until it turned into a snort. “Not sure I’ve ever heard that word associated with you. It’d be an interesting turn of events for sure.”

  “You’re lucky you’re holding onto that mug of soup right now, young lady or I’d have to make you pay for that comment. I wouldn’t even care that you’re sick since you started it.”

  She turned to face him finally, a smile tugging on her lips. “I guess I’m going to have to savor this soup then.”

  Braeden threw his head back and laughed, a sound she’d never get tired of. “You think you’re so smart; just you wait.”

  He gave her a wink, then leaned in to press a kiss against her forehead. Neither of them said another word as she worked on her soup and they watched a rerun of Supernatural. Having Braeden take care of her was exactly what she’d wanted since the moment she got sick, but she’d never have asked him to do it. Not even if he hadn’t had so much on the line at work. The words in sickness and in health rang through her head, but they weren’t there yet, were they?

  Braeden talked a lot about the future and the fact that he wanted to marry her sooner rather than later, but she still couldn’t get it through her head. Yet here he was, ready to risk getting sick himself so he could take care of her. Love wasn’t only about the good times or the sexy times. It was about the snotty noses and fevers; the drama at work and the uncertainty of the future. As long as they had each other, everything was going to be okay.

  Slowly but surely, Andi was beginning to believe that was true. She just had to hope nothing would come along to shake her new found resolve. She didn’t want to ruin the best thing to ever happen to her, ever again.

  ✽✽✽

  Braeden

  A week later, Andi was feeling better, and Braeden was thanking his lucky stars that he hadn’t come down with the plague that had taken her out. It was rough watching the woman he loved suffer through something he couldn’t fix. Even though being on paid leave sucked, it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Being able to stay home and take care of her had meant the world to him. It would have been difficult to leave her alone every day to suffer on her own. Instead, he got to wait on her hand and foot and give her a sponge bath when she was too weak to stand up in the shower.

  Since she was finally feeling better, he started thinking about what they should do on their next date. He still had plans to wine her and dine her, to show her how much she meant to him. But all of that was going to have to wait. It was game night, a tradition they’d started back in middle school, that took on a whole new meaning when they became a couple. It had been far too long since he’d gotten a chance to play their game and he couldn’t wait.

  After a week of living in her sick house, they finally moved their party over to his place. At first, Andi had been apprehensive, but when he reminded her that he had a Super Nintendo and her favorite video game, she was packing a bag before he could blink. Now they sat in his living room on the extended part of his sectional. Andi sat between his legs, her focus entirely on the game playing out on his big screen TV.

  She’d always been the most focused video game player he’d ever met which had made her the best out of all of their friends. It didn’t look like time had changed how well she played, but it did seem to change how much she moved around while she played. Every shift of her hips drove him crazy as her ass brushed against his dick. The basketball shorts he wore did nothing to protect him from her body. The fact that she was only wearing panties and one of his t-shirts didn’t help his situation at all.

  “Baby, could you please stop moving around like that? You’re driving me crazy back here.”

  She didn’t answer him, not that he expected her to. She was in the zone, after all, making her way through the Street Fighter competitors. Of course, she’d picked Chun Li as her character to play. The female fighter had always been her favorite back in the day, so he wasn’t surprised when the character's backstory had begun to play on the screen.

  “You’re asking for trouble, babe. You know what will happen if you don’t stop,” he warned knowing full well he was going to go through with it whether she stopped or not. It was their thing even if they hadn’t done it in more than a decade.

  Andi shifted slightly causing him to swear. Braeden knew if he could see her face she’d be smiling. The little tease knew exactly what she was in for, and she was trying to egg him on. He pulled her back into his lap, so her back rested against his chest. The reclining position would make playing a little more awkward for her, but it would make what he planned a lot easier.

  Braeden ran his hands along the tops of her thighs. She shivered against him but didn’t turn away from the screen. When it was clear he wasn’t going to get a reaction out of her, he moved on, his thumbs brushing against her core each time he brought his hands back toward her body. She wiggled a little as his hands retreated, but didn’t make a single noise or any other acknowledgment of the game he was playing.

  She was stubborn and hated to lose, so he knew he’d have to take the game to the next level in order to get a reaction. Bringing his hand back to the juncture of her thighs, he palmed her through her panties, his fingers rubbing along her pussy up to her clit, then back down. He worked her through the thin material until it was soaking wet and yet she continued to maintain her focus. Her damn restraint was still as good as it always had been and he hated it. While he was ready to whip his dick out and fuck her until she was screaming his name, she played on.

  As one hand snaked up her belly to cup one of her breasts, the other snuck under her waistband so he could plunge a finger into her hot core. She tensed for a moment at the intrusion, her breath catching. Braeden nearly cheered as he thought he’d finally gotten her attention, but it only took her a moment to adjust to the new sensation and move on with her game. Meanwhile, his cock was as hard as granite, and he swore he was one ass rub away from exploding in his shorts.

  He was going to need to change things up if he was going to keep from losing his cool like a teenage boy. First, he added another finger to the act, plunging them deep inside of her until he knew he was hitting just the right spot. His thumb rubbed against her clit, while he plucked at her nipple with his other hand. He leaned in to place kisses along the length of her neck, the tipping of her head the only indication that she even noticed what he was doing. Once he reached her ear, he sucked it into his mouth, knowing it would drive her wild.

  And yet, her hands continued to work the controller while he worked her.

  He kept at it, fucking her relentlessly with his fingers. Finally, he could feel her getting close to the brink. Her body tensed between his legs, her core gripping his fingers like a vice. The sounds of the video game were suddenly being drowned out by her moans and whimpers. As she fell apart in his arms, he fought back the urge to cheer for his victory.

  She’d barely come down from her climax before she was pausing the game and reaching behind her to pull his cock out of his shorts. At first, Braeden thought she was going to give him a simple hand job so she could get back to it and he would’ve been okay with it, knowing she’d make up for it later. The fact that he’d won game night was all he needed. When she pushed herself up, so she was hovering over his lap, he realized she had something better planned.

  Placing a knee on either side of his body, she lowered herself onto him; her panties pushed to the side. The minute he was seated fully inside of her, he groaned long and loud. She felt so fucking perfect wrapped around him. He’d always known they’d been made for each other. In moments like this one, he was even more sure of it.

  Grabbing onto her hips, Braeden helped guide her up until his dick nearly popped free, then slowly lowered her back down. She took it from there, creating her own rhythm that he matc
hed with each thrust of his hips. The view was incredible, watching her ass bounce on his lap, his dick slick with her arousal. He only wished he could look in her eyes while she came, but there’d be time for that later. Right now, they both wanted it quick and dirty, and he was always willing to give his girl whatever she wanted.

  “Oh fuck, oh fuck…” she muttered as she reached the crest again. Her greedy body pulled him in, driving him ever closer to his own orgasm.

  “Baby...I’m gonna come, and we forgot a condom,” he warned her as his hips pushed up off of the couch. They were so going to have to clean that spot later.

  Finally, for the first time since he’d started their little game, Andi looked over her shoulder at him. He could tell she was trying to make a decision, but they didn’t have time to have some kind of conversation about protection and babies. That would have to wait until he was done blowing his load.

  The decision made, she quickly jumped off of his lap and lowered herself onto her knees next to the couch. Her mouth immediately replaced her pussy, her lips wrapping around his dick as she took a long hard pull on it. Her cheeks hollowed out as she sucked him in. She bobbed on his cock a few times, her tongue running along the underside of his dick, teasing the tip before she plunged back down to suck him in deep. The second his cock hit the back of her throat he was done for.

  “Fuck...I’m coming baby, oh fuck…” he growled as his release flowed through him. Andi drank him down, taking in every last drop as her gaze met his. He’d never seen anything hotter than his woman on her knees with his dick in her mouth.

  Reaching out, he brushed a strand of hair off of her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. She slowly eased off his cock until she released it with a pop. As she sat back on her heels, she licked her lips, then gave him a knowing smile. It fucking drove him mad when she did things like that, and she knew it. If she wasn’t careful, he was going to haul her into his bedroom and never let her out again. Chun Li would just have to wait until morning.