Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“Yes, she’s all yours.”
“Thank you, Maximillia. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Of course. And… take care of her, Braden.”
“I will.” His voice becomes even more savage. “I’ll always take care of her.”
Tingles dance and shiver over my skin at his words, cascading through me, touching every part of me.
The word always bounces around my mind, multiplying over and over, in whispers and song like notes and joyous screams of hope – hope for the future, for our family, the sort I’ve never had before.
The door closes and then heavy footsteps move across the apartment.
Braden stands at the door in a dress shirt, the sleeves still rolled up, every part of him throbbing. His chest pressing against the fabric as he sucks in a throaty breath, his possessive eyes roaming up and down my body.
“Is it everything you imagined?” I murmur after a few seconds.
I can’t take it, standing here and waiting for his verdict.
“It’s more,” he snarls, walking slowly toward me.
His fingers twitch like he’s trying to resist the urge to reach out and grab me, tear the extravagant and expensive fabric from my body and reveal what’s beneath. I imagine throwing myself at him, leaping up and wrapping my legs around him with complete confidence he’ll catch me, with complete confidence he’ll never let me fall.
But I haven’t got it in me to behave so forward, not yet, maybe not ever.
He stops just short of me, his musky scent flooding my nostrils, traveling down to my chest, and expanding inside of me.
My body sends out hungry hands for his scent, as though searching for signs of his seed.
My belly pulses and my lips tingle, my clit giving an urgent nudge, as though telling me to forget the date and lose myself in my man instead.
“You’re beautiful.” He leans down, bringing his face close to mine, his hot breath whispering over my cheeks. “Fucking hell, Bria. You’re like something out of a fantasy, except I never could’ve imagined how gorgeous you’d look. You’re… you’re everything, Bria, everything I could’ve wished for.”
His lips crash into mine firmly, tingles dancing around my lips. His tongue attacks mine and I force mine to respond, pushing past the anxiety as we sink into the kiss.
I expect his hands to grasp me as he usually does when we kiss, but then he takes an abrupt step back, shaking his head.
“What? What is it?”
“Calm down, my beautiful girl.” He smirks. “I just can’t let myself kiss you, not when you’re making those sexy-as-hell moaning noises, not when I can feel how badly your body wants to give itself to me.”
He offers me his arm.
“Come on. Let’s try and be civilized… for a little while.”
I giggle and walk over to him, my cheeks flaming, the blush spreading beneath the golden fabric of my dress.
Taking his arm, I smile up at him.
“So, where are we going?”
“Somewhere private,” he says gruffly. “Somewhere it’ll just be me and you. And don’t you dare let that overactive mind of yours tell you it’s because I don’t want to be seen with you. I just don’t want to share you with those vultures. When we make our announcement to the world – which we will, because there’s no way I’m letting other men think you’re free for the taking – it’ll be on our terms.”
I squeeze onto the solidity of his arm. “I love how easily you can read me, Braden. And I love how you don’t feel the need to talk down to me about my insecurities.”
“Never.” He leans down and kisses my forehead with that surprising softness of his. “I’d never do anything to hurt you, or make you feel ashamed. It’s me and you—”
“Forever,” I say quickly.
He grins, the closest to a genuine smile I’ve ever seen him offer in real life. If his movie roles demand it, he’ll smile, but in reality, there’s always a dark tinge to his expression.
But not now.
He looks happy and as ready for our date as I am.
Chapter Sixteen
Braden
“This is crazy,” Bria says, standing at the edge of the roof and looking down over LA, at the glittering lights and the hills in the distance. “I can’t believe we have it all to ourselves.”
“Emptying one of the most coveted restaurants in town is a small price to pay to see you smile, Bria.”
She turns to take in the expanse of the rooftop restaurant, with its blue-flamed lanterns flickering next to the empty tables, its glittering silverware, and the unusually clear sky seeming so close we could touch it.
Stars glitter down on us, the moon shines brightly, but none of it is as captivating as my woman.
Keeping my hands off her on the car ride over was almost impossible. That dress is elegant and extravagant at the same time, highlighting my woman’s natural curviness, with her wavy hair cascading down her back.