He nodded and they both got out, moving slow. He offered his hand as she climbed the front steps after him and something about him standing there at her door in his dress uniform hit her hard. Like a punch directly to her breastbone, taking the air from her lungs.
“You okay?” He frowned and his hand closed around hers, the rough skin of his thumb smoothing over her knuckles.
She nodded even as her steps faltered and a sob rose up in her throat. “Yeah. Totally.”
“Babe...” He came back down, lifting his hands and curling them around her shoulders. But it wasn’t the gentle touch she’d come accustomed to from Brody. There was no tenderness in his eyes. Just...disconnect. Like he was going through the motions, and that scared her more than anything they’d been through this past week. She’d been down this road before. Too many times. She wanted to fight, but there was that fear in the back of her mind that wouldn’t let go...
“I’m fine. Really. Just...tired.” She squeezed his hand and pasted on a smile.
Once inside, he excused himself to the bedroom to shed his uniform while she kicked off her heels and pulled leftovers from the fridge. Thank God for emotional eating this past week, because she had a little bit of everything to pick from. Meatloaf, chicken salad, rice, mashed potatoes... By the time Brody returned, wearing a pair of satin basketball shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, she had a plate heaped and ready for him.
“Jesus, woman. Where did you find all of this?” He took the plate and a seat on the other side of the island, elbows on the counter and ready to dig in.
“I cook when I’m upset.” She lifted a shoulder and tied her hair up before joining him.
“It’s been a rough week. I’m sorry I haven’t been great company.” He stirred his food around more than he actually ate, but she was happy with the few bites that made it to his mouth.
“You really don’t need to apologize. I understand. It was hard when I lost my Gran a few years back. She was like a second parent to me.”
“It’s more than that, though.”
“I know.” She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I get that, too.”
“I’m just...” Brody pushed his plate away and balled his fists on the countertop. “So fucking pissed, you know? I hate how this has all gone down. That there’s not a damn thing I can do to change it.”
Yep. Got that, too. Life wasn’t fair, but somehow she didn’t think reminding him of that would help. “I’m sorry, baby. I wish there was something I could do...”
“You’ve done plenty.” He turned his head toward her and, for a second, soft emotion replaced the stormier version of late. She shivered. There’s my man. “But this is going to get worse before it gets better, you know that, right?”
She set down her fork and took a careful breath. “I had a feeling.”
“I need you to be ready for that.”
She nodded and covered one of his hands with hers. “Your girlfriend’s a pretty badass chick, Superman. Maybe you haven’t noticed.”
His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “I’ve noticed. Believe me.”
“Good. So you should know I can handle whatever it is you’re holding inside.”
The thunderous haze in his eyes went even darker and ripples of anticipation fluttered in her belly. “Be careful what you ask for, sugar.”
She cocked an eyebrow. She was playing with fire, but at least Brody was communicating. “Is that a warning or a promise?”
“Both.” He voice dropped an octave and his eyes fell to the low neckline of her simple black dress. “You done eating?”
“I think so. You?”
He gave his head a brief shake, before pushing the plates off to the other side of the counter. She gasped as the porcelain crashed against the floor and louder again when he hoisted her up in their place.
“Nope, babe. I haven’t even started yet.” His fingers slid up the outside of her thighs, until he reached the bands of her panties and—snap!—twisted them free.
“You’re awfully destructive tonight.” She wet her lips and prayed that hungry, wild-eyed look on his face meant what she thought it did.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet. Hope you’re really as tough as you claim to be.” He dropped to the stool again and—oh, God, yes—positioned himself between her legs. He kissed the inside of one thigh and the delicious scrape of his evening stubble had her hips lifting off the island. “Uh uh, sugar.” One big arm hooked around her leg, he pushed her pelvis back down. “Tonight we play by my rules.”
His rules? When had he developed rules?
“Pull the top of your dress down. Bra, too.”
Um...okay. Like...?
“Don’t be shy, Jenn.” He looked up at her with a feral, crooked smile. “You know you’re beautiful. You know I love your tits.”
Ohhhh! His words hit her like he’d leaned in for a lick. Her sex went hot and any second now he’d see the evidence.
He grinned as she loosened one sleeve and then the other, doing as he’d asked. Or rather...demanded. “Good girl. For that, you’ll be rewarded.” Then he dipped his head and tasted her for real. Slow and deliberately torturous, taking his time sweeping from the bottom of her slit all the way to the top where she wanted him the most. When he finally hit that spot, barely teasing his tongue around her clit, she cried out.
She abandoned the work on the top of her dress in favor of fisting his hair, but that only lasted a few seconds before he looked up at her with smoky eyes and pulled his mouth away, his lips damp.
“Tits out, babe. I wanna see you touch yourself.”
Jesus. “I hate you.”
“You fucking love me, and you’re gonna love me even more when I’m through with you.” With that, he lifted her up and slid her ass closer to the edge of the counter. She yelped and yanked down the cups of her bra, desperate for more of whatever he had in mind. “Ah, now you’re catching on.”
How could she not? He was planted between her legs, his tongue just millimeters away from giving her an incredible orgasm. All other thoughts...all other worries...melted away to nothing but the two of them in that moment.
She’d do anything for him and if distracting himself with sex was what he needed, so be it. She leaned back on one hand and used the other to cup one breast and stroke her soft nipple into a hard peak. It felt good. Better because, as he watched her fingers play, he’d begun to play himself. He slipped a finger inside and spread her moisture over her clit, only to lean in and suck it off, over and over again, like he couldn’t get enough.
When he growled his approval, her clit between his lips, she saw stars. Fucking stars. How did she deserve this man who got off on making her happy just as much as he got off on coming himself?
Realization blindsided her like headlights coming out of nowhere in the middle of the night.
This was the real deal, wasn’t it? Her and Brody.
Neither of them were perfect. Neither of them had a clue what the right move was, but just the same, neither was willing to give up trying. Together, they shared a single-minded determination to make the other happy, no matter the cost. Two imperfect people who saw through each other’s scratchy surfaces to the real gems inside.
She flew with that newfound knowledge lighting her up from the inside out. Brody wasn’t just her person...
He was her forever.
And she’d fight to the death for him.
Chapter Nineteen
She was too damn good for him. He’d known it from the beginning, but she sealed the deal tonight when she set aside all the worry in her pretty head and let him have his way with her.
She was giving him exactly what she’d sworn she’d never given another man, but yet she’d handed it to him on silver fucking platter, right alongside her heart. He should’ve given it back. Told her to save that part of herself for someone who wouldn’t use her, because that’s exactly what he was doing right now. Using her to pretend he wasn’t as messed up as they both knew he was.