Chapter X The Three F’s （Brady） #2
“Apart from you,” I echo, though how inauthentic is it, really? The engagement, definitely. But the chemistry?
It’s burning the air like a flame to paper as we speak.
“What about you?” I ask. “Since we’re trading regrets, it’s your turn. Don’t tell me you’re still single thanks to one bad prick?”
She hesitates, taking a long drink from her beer before setting it down. “I haven’t dated for a while, really. Not seriously. Too busy with work, and I like it that way. It’s just easier.”
I wait, letting my silence press her for more.
“There was a guy, a few years ago.” The words are quieter now, spoken to her hands instead of me. “We were . . . serious, I guess. At least, I thought he was. Then he wasn’t.”
She doesn’t say who, but she doesn’t need to.
She’s a god-awful liar.
It doesn’t take much to know it’s her ex, the heart-wrecking asshole who’s coming for her clinic.
Damn, what did he do to her?
My blood boils as I reach for her hand and squeeze it too hard, looking at her intently.
“Don’t talk about it if you don’t want to. You don’t owe me everything.”
“Thanks.”
It must be the light painting her like an angel that’s crossing my wires.
“Just know there’s always another chance. I don’t know how he hurt you, but there’s no reason that has to be the end of the line. Even if this isn’t real, you and I, it’s a reset. For my reputation and yours.”
“My reputation?” She blinks. “I don’t have one. Not like you.”
“The one in your head, Sass. You start letting ugly mistakes define you, you can’t learn to forgive, that’s when you’re sunk.
” I smile, stroking her fingers. They’re strong from her work yet still so delicate.
“You can buy Pawsome Hearts now. Take the wheel, do all the things you’ve ever dreamed of.
Best of all, you can take it and spit in that fucker’s eye. ”
She laughs roughly, like she’s barely holding herself together.
“Brady, I—” Her throat bobs, and fuck, it’s so easy to lean in, tugging her closer, tangling up her warmth with mine.
She doesn’t resist.
It’s even easier to tilt her face up.
This woman is a broken dove. Proud, strong, determined as hell, but unable to heal and take flight.
Tears cling to her lashes, mirroring the tiny freckles dotting her cheeks like constellations.
This time, I’m not sure who moves first.
Maybe both of us at the same time.
I just know we collide like a volcanic blast, falling to a hunger that’s mindless. Needy. Rampant.
This isn’t like the staged kiss for the cameras at all.
Then, I lost myself in her for a few heady seconds, but I was constantly aware of the camera, my fans.
I was focused on making it look like this wasn’t new for either of us.
Now, I don’t care how it looks.
The urge consumes me, and there’s no one watching.
Just us.
Just Lena.
She’s so impossibly warm it hurts not to kiss her.
Her hand curls around the back of my neck for support, and I trace her curves with one palm.
A small sigh escapes her mouth, passing from her lips to mine. Over her clothes, I find her breasts. Even through her bra, I can feel the hard nub of her nipple, aching to be sucked.
Moaning, she arches into my hand.
Forget restraint.
You couldn’t hold me back if I was chained to a mountain.
One more flick of her tongue, and I’m hard enough to split rock.
“Brady.” The faint gasp of my name has me seeing myself tugging those jeans down her slim legs and discovering what’s between them.
Then she slides up and perches on top of me, her lush hips rolling against mine like waves calling me to dive in.
Fucking madness.
Her cheeks are still damp, reeling from that harsh confession about her ex ruining her for other men—and it makes me want to find him and kick his nuts through his skull.
This isn’t real.
It isn’t supposed to be.
But every kiss, every moment, every scalding breath can’t lie.
My fingers dip down, diving under her jeans, toying with the lace underneath, pulling until she whimpers. She inhales so sharply there’s no resistance.
If I want to rip her panties off and mount her right now—
But what’s that sound?
Somewhere in the distance, there’s a sharp thud.
I’m so sex-drunk I almost ignore it.
It can’t be important when I have Lena Joly on my lap, her mouth fused to mine. If it’s some lost maintenance guy or building security making the rounds, they’ll find their way out.
I slide my hand through her hair, and it’s just as soft as I imagined.
Sweet perfection.
Then another sound. The chime of my doorbell this time.
Lena breaks away.
“Brady?” Her rosebud lips are flushed, and her eyes are mad marbles.
“Ignore it. They’ll go away.” I move in to kiss her again, but she turns her head.
“I don’t know if she will,” Lena whispers, twisting away.
She?
For the first time, I hear my name in an incoherent screech.
“Brady Pruitt, you answer this door right this fucking second!”
Goddamn, so much for paradise.
Why did they let her up?
Lena slides off my lap, rushing to fix herself, running her hands through her hair and over her clothes to smooth everything back into place. “I think you’re going to have to answer.”
I wish I didn’t, but there’s no point delaying the inevitable. And with the announcement, it’s not like Nancy Loomer’s dropping by for an ice cream social.
“What the hell?” I snarl as I walk over and rip the door open, but Nancy bolts in without waiting for an invitation.
I shouldn’t be surprised.
“Oh, good. She’s still here,” she snarls the second she sees Lena.
“Watch it,” I warn.
“Seriously, Brady?” Nancy whirls around and jabs me in the chest with one long nail. “This is what you picked over me? This . . . this nobody? This budget bitch who can’t even look happy for a three-minute Insta Reel?”
“Enough, Nance. Walk yourself back out. Right the fuck now,” I growl.
Lena’s on her feet behind me, her face flushed with anger.
If I’m not careful, I could have a brawl on my hands.
“I told you how it had to be the other day. Made it clear we’re not right for each other.
Now it’s time for you to accept that like an adult. ”
“That.” Her laugh is more of a cackle, high pitched and grating.
“I let you down gently. I tried,” I say, folding my arms. “But hell, Nancy, if you keep barging in here with your insults, I won’t be gentle at all.”
She staggers back like she’s been shot.
In another setting, it might be amusing. But when she straightens herself enough to look at me, her eyes are seething.
Whatever. She thought she had me in the bag.
She wanted our arranged mismatch to work from the first time my mother set us up, but until now I could never figure out why she was so damn invested.
“Okay, Mister Man. Fine. Enjoy it when the shit-talkers come calling to rip your balls off. I’ll tell them you’re a two-pump chump too. Gladly. You’ll regret walking away.”
I swear I can feel my blood pressure spiking.
I’m on the verge of picking her up and throwing her out by those fake-ass hair extensions when I feel two small hands winding around my waist, hugging me from behind.
“Sorry you’re salty. You lost,” Lena says with the sweetest venom in her voice. “But honestly, can you blame him when you’re such an entitled freak?”
“Entitled? Who do you think you are, you little—”
“Wasn’t done yet. The only thing Brady should ever regret is every second of misery he wasted with you.
He’s found better company now.” The acid in her voice should be criminal.
“We’re in a happy mood today, and that’s why I’m going to give you a choice—pick yourself up and go crawl off to lick your wounds, or we’ll have you in handcuffs.
And not the kinky kind. You’re not welcome here, bitch. ”
Holy fuck.
Nancy doesn’t even blink. Two screaming red blotches surface on her cheeks.
It’s like Lena just repeatedly slapped her across the face.
And she did, without lifting a finger.
Nancy’s a self-propelled ego. I have no doubt this isn’t how she imagined this conversation going.
I also have no doubt she’s about to start swinging, so I step up, lodging myself between the two women.
“You heard her. Get out,” I order, pure violence in my tone. “Get the fuck out! And if you know what’s good for you, don’t ever show your face again.”
I regret nothing, even if this causes a hurricane-grade shitstorm.
After all the times she’s barged in like she lives here, like she has a right to me, this feels glorious.
Cutting Nancy loose—that’s a huge win.
When she still doesn’t move in her paralyzed state, I turn, wrapping Lena in my arms and pulling her in for a kiss until the other woman stumbles back.
Then the door slams in Nancy’s face.
I don’t stop when she’s gone.
Neither does Lena, attacking me but staying where we are. Almost like there’s this unspoken agreement binding us from moving to the sofa.
You can’t go there, no matter how fucking tempting. Here, there be dragons.
“She’s gone.” Lena’s soft mouth curls into a smile under mine.
“She’s smoldering ashes. That was you, hellcat.” I kiss her again, my arms locked around her waist, bending her body into mine. She doesn’t resist. “Do we always need an audience for this?”
“This is supposed to be fake.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t have real moments.” I groan raggedly, taking her mouth again.
This wasn’t what I intended.
Hell, if anything it reminds me why kissing a beautiful woman like her is so recklessly dangerous. Still, I can’t bring myself to regret it, much less to stop.
“Nancy Loomer had that coming since the day she was born,” I mutter. “I’m just glad you were the one to dish it out. You’re tough as nails, Sass.”
“You aren’t pissed I didn’t save you the honor?” Her eyes dance as she leans back, holding my hands.
“Hell no. I enjoyed the show.” Reluctantly, I release her and step back. “I haven’t said this enough, but I’m glad I chose you for this adventure, Lena. Imagine having a partner in fakery without some teeth.”
She laughs until she’s red in the face, and I just stand there, gobsmacked.
It feels deceptively ordinary, having this girl slam my heart across the Milky Way.
At least there won’t be much trouble faking chemistry.
With Lena Joly, I only have a hundred other problems.