There Are No Words (The Morelli Sisters #3)

Chapter Seventeen

Brady

Ever since Allegra had come back from her dad’s she’d been unusually stressed and absorbed in finding her half sister. It was starting to concern me.

There was no way that was good for her or our baby. So I took the night off and was staying home with her. I’d cooked dinner, and after dinner, I cleaned up so she didn’t have to be on her feet while she went to her bedroom to get some work done.

Or so she’d said.

But I knew Allegra and the crease on her forehead suggested she wasn’t thinking about work. She was thinking about her sisters and half sister.

So I poured water into the same glass she’d been keeping by her bedside for weeks. Something about her always waking up thirsty. Although thanks to my handy book, I happened to know that it was a good practice anyway for when she got further along in the pregnancy. I wouldn’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say drinking plenty of water had something to do with preventing preterm contractions.

I knocked on her door, but it was ajar, so it swung open.

Allegra was leaning against a couple of pillows against the headboard, her legs sprawled out in front of her, crossed at the ankles with her laptop in her lap. She was wearing her pajamas and couldn’t have looked sexier if she’d tried.

I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention. Peeling her away from that screen lately had been more difficult than you’d think. “I come bearing water,” I said, feeling awkward and raising the glass in my hand.

She looked up. Finally. Her eyes glistened, and I knew she was tired. That was only confirmed when her mouth opened, and she yawned, a yelp coming from deep in her throat. She waved a hand in front of her mouth as she finished yawning. “Sorry about that. Thanks for the water.”

I nodded and walked over to the nightstand, placing it there. “You really should get some sleep. Whatever you’re doing can keep until morning.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not a toddler, Brady. I think I know when I’m ready to go to sleep.” Then she directed her attention back to her laptop.

I didn’t leave, instead choosing to sit down on the edge of her bed.

“I’m serious. I don’t need you to tuck me in. I’ll be fine to do it by myself.”

Why did she have to make everything so damn hard? She had a knack for that. Not that I was complaining when she made me hard, but instead of jacking off in the shower like a teenager, I would’ve preferred emptying myself inside her.

Ignoring Allegra’s obvious desire for me to leave, I made myself comfortable, angling my body to face her as I brought my hands to her feet and uncrossed them to give her a foot massage.

“What are you doing?” Allegra asked, her lips closing tightly as she swallowed.

I wouldn’t mind coating the back of that gorgeous throat of hers and watching her swallow every last drop I gave her. I grinned at the thought. “I’m not leaving, so you can continue doing whatever you’re doing, but I’m going to sit right here and help you relax.”

She didn’t pay me any more attention after that, only went back to typing.

“Are you still planning that party?” I asked, trying to engage in easy conversation as I moved my hand from the ball of one of her feet down slightly to about a third of the way from the bottom. I must have pressed an acupressure point because Allegra closed her eyes and moaned. Loudly.

I chuckled, the sound coming from deep in my throat as I watched her facial expression.

Her reaction to a foot rub must have freaked her out, though, because her eyes immediately popped open. She looked around, her cheeks growing a dark pink as she looked embarrassed.

“You don’t ever have to be embarrassed.”

She tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear, just fussing to fuss. “That was, um, out of character for me. I’ve been given foot massages before, and I don’t usually moan like that. Ever.”

I grinned. “Noted.”

“Don’t look so cocky,” she spat back.

I shook my head, looking down at her feet again as my hands worked them. “When was the last time you pleasured yourself?”

It was obvious I was making her uncomfortable because she bit down on her bottom lip. Was it wrong that I was glad to know I was making her uncomfortable?

“It’s not good to deny yourself,” I said.

“I do not need to orgasm, okay? I’m fine. And don’t go getting any wild ideas. I mean, it’s not like your hands on me do anything for me. I feel—” Her words were cut off by another moan as I brought my fingers to the inside of her foot by the base of her toe.

“You were saying?”

“Why does that feel so good?”

I shrugged. “No clue.” Seriously, I had no damn idea what I was doing when it came to massaging feet. “What I do know is that I love it when you moan. I love it even more when I get to swallow your moans, my mouth on yours.”

“Brady.” My name fell from her lips like a warning. One I wasn’t going to heed. Maybe she didn’t want to address the elephant in the room, but I did.

“I want to hear you say it.” I stared into her brown eyes ablaze with desire that I’d swear made them the darkest shade of brown I’d ever seen.

She closed the lid on her laptop— about damn time —and licked her lips. “Say what?” she questioned.

“You want me, and it’s killing you that you’re standing in your own way.”

“Brady.”

I pressed harder on the ball of her foot, and she bit down on her lip. “Stop saying my goddamn name unless it’s going to fall from your lips while you’re climaxing. Do you understand me?”

She threw her head back and groaned. “Would that make you happy? Me saying something that won’t change anything? Because it won’t.”

I inched my way closer to her, rising so I was hovering over her body. “Say it,” I pushed as I continued my climb over her. Maybe if she said it aloud, she’d no longer be able to ignore it, ignore what was between us.

“I want you,” she said, her eyes homing in on my mouth, which was mere inches from hers at this point.

We were so close as I hovered over her that I could feel her hot breath on me, her nipples straining against her shirt as she tried to slip down but the pillows kept her firmly in place under me. My cock was nestled against her stomach. I didn’t need to slide my hand down between us and touch her panties to know that she was wet.

“Now was that so hard?” I asked, a smile dancing on my lips.

Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and I forced my gaze to her eyes to see if she wanted me to kiss her.

* * *

Allegra

If he was going to kiss me, he was way off the mark. I didn’t just want a kiss from this man. I wanted everything he had to give. I wanted to throw caution to the wind like I had that night in his pub, grab the back of his neck, and feel my way through the turmoil waging war in my head. I wanted to silence all my doubts.

If Baby wasn’t involved, if it wouldn’t have affected her, I would have done it.

I would have toyed with my own emotions. If for no other reason than to give myself the chance to say that I knew what it was like to be with a man like Brady—and I wasn’t just talking about sexually.

His eyes traced my lips like he was about to feast on his prey and was happy about it—hungrily.

Maybe a kiss would do. Maybe it’d suffice.

We were so close to one another all I really had to do was move, even a twitch of my lips would do the trick, and our lips would be touching. I’d be kissing Brady Moore.

I wished I could kick myself for what I was about to do. And maybe one day I would, in fact, kick myself for this, but in this moment, it felt like the right thing to do.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him back.

His brows furrowed, and his expression grew confused at my push. Of course he was confused. We both wanted this. I had just admitted I wanted him. My body clearly wanted him. His body definitely wanted mine, I could feel it.

Nothing needed to be said. I couldn’t be sure what was running through his head, but I did know this—I hated myself.

I ran a hand up and down my arm, trying to release the pent-up energy I had.

Meanwhile, he got up without a word, rubbed a hand over his mouth, and walked to the door.

“Brady,” I stopped him.

He turned around and cleared his throat. “What?”

I shook my head. I couldn’t say what I wanted to, which was how resisting him was one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life. He wouldn’t understand my fears. So instead, I patted the spot on the bed beside me and slid over to make room for him. “Would you stay with me? Please? We could watch a movie.”

He looked wrecked, like he was having an internal battle, something I knew about all too well. “Sure.” He strode over, looking less frustrated.

I moved my legs and slid them under the sheet. “It’s cold in here. Is the heat on?”

He nodded as he climbed into my bed and leaned against the headboard with me. “Yeah, but don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm,” he assured me as he brought his arm around my shoulder.

I snuggled into him, taking in a deep breath and decidedly leaving my pregnancy pillow on the chair by my bed for the night.

Maybe if things were different.

If I wasn’t different.

If I believed he’d stick around long-term.

If I hadn’t seen it happen time and time again—Allegra Morelli ending up alone.

Then we could make a good couple. But none of that was the case, and the facts remained, so I was doing all three of us a favor.

* * *

“Dad did it. He did it!” I shouted and shook Brady awake as I read the latest email from my dad, a hand on my belly, rubbing it absentmindedly.

I knew what you were thinking. . . . Brady had been in bed with me, so what changed?

The answer was simple—nothing. Nothing changed. We watched a movie, fell asleep, and here we were the morning after. Sorry to disappoint.

A groggy Brady groaned next to me and moved the pillow over his face. “What?”

“He found her. Can you believe it?” He hired an investigator to find her, and they did. I hadn’t doubted Dad for a second. I had all the faith in the world he’d come through and find my half sister.

Removing the pillow, Brady looked at me, his eyes thin slits. “Do you ever sleep?”

Oooh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Actually, a side note: I was finding he was a ridiculously heavy sleeper and didn’t care for his sleep cycle to be broken. The hours he usually kept probably didn’t help. Yeah, I doubted he’d be on night duty once Baby came.

Getting back to the topic at hand. . . I shook my head, crossed my legs under me and resisted my urge to bounce on the mattress. It was right there in black and white on my laptop—the very reason I shouldn’t be sleeping. Dad had found my half sister.

Sitting up next to me, Brady leaned over and tried to look at my laptop screen, which I turned to him.

“It’s all right there. Her name is Jade Logan,” I said and pointed, my finger shaking a bit as I did. The shaking wasn’t coming from nerves, though. No, more like the shock and relief that I could finally refer to her by her name.

Whistling, he shook his head. “Angelo works fast. So do you want to call her?”

Turning to face him, I smiled wide because I already knew my answer. “No way. I’m going to see her. She lives right here in New York. Can you believe how close she’s been this entire time? I mean, I imagine she’s always been right here in New York. What do you think?”

Brady shrugged. “I guess so,” he said, sounding hesitant. “Are you sure you want to see her in person? Don’t you think that’s a lot? She doesn’t know about you.”

I considered what he’d said. Perhaps he was right. But a phone call could be worse. It was cold and distant, and if she wouldn’t talk to me, then showing up on her doorstep would only be worse. And I think we all knew I was definitely going to show up on her doorstep. So why delay the inevitable? “I’m going to see her.”

Narrowing his eyes for the second time since he’d woken up, he looked at me. “Just be careful.”

I shook my head and waved him off. “Don’t be macho just because I’m pregnant.”

“Fuck, Allegra. Baby or not, I want you to be safe.”

Okay, not going to lie, I loved when he got protective, so there was no way I was going to argue with him now. I mean, my argumentative side seemed to bring it out in him, much to my pleasure, but I knew when enough was enough. “Fine,” I conceded, feeling my cheeks flush. “I’ll call my sisters, and we’ll plan something.”

Brady turned and got out of my bed. “Good idea. Call them. And don’t do anything stupid.”

My vagina and I saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

He groaned as he walked to the door. “I’ve got to get to the pub. I’ll see you later.”