Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Carly
I feel something in my face and bat it away. Ugh! Why did I drink so much again? Then I remember last night.
My eyes open to find Ava in front of me, and I scream.
Ava jumps.
“What’s wrong?” she says as my door flies open and Bray comes running in.
“What’s wrong?” he asks as he looks around wildly. Then his gaze lands on my face, and his eyes widen.
“Doesn’t Mommy look pretty?” Ava says.
I frown. What is she talking about?
I look down and scream again. Ava is holding a handful of markers. Oh no! No, no, no!
Leaping out of bed, I run into the bathroom.
“I saw Miss Cam using these eye markers,” Ava explains to Bray.
“Oh? Well, let’s let Mommy get ready. There are pastries downstairs. Why don’t you go have the juice and pasties I left out for you?” Bray says, and I hear Ava run downstairs.
I look in the mirror and grimace. There’s no way I can get this off my face.
I feel tears threaten. Bray walks up beside me, takes one look at my face, and pulls me into a hug.
“What am I going to do?” I say as I fight tears.
“You are going to have a coffee. I am going to get some alcohol wipes, and we are going to get that off your face,” he says as if the whole world isn’t imploding.
“Why do you make it sound so simple?” I grumble as I wipe a stray tear.
He pulls back and kisses the tip of my nose. “Because it’s that simple. Wait here, I’ll be right back,” he says as he ushers me to a chair in the bathroom.
I sit and try not to freak out. Tapping my leg nervously, I look out the window.
It’s a beautiful day. I just need to pull myself together.
The last thing I want to do is ruin Cam’s big day.
I force myself to calm down. I’m just tired and overwhelmed thinking about that kiss with Brayden.
We made out in the library for a long time and then some more back here at the villa last night.
Eventually, I couldn’t keep my eyes open, so he carried me to bed.
I’ve stewed over my feelings for a good five minutes when he walks back in and closes the door.
“Ava is watching a movie on my tablet. I’ll help her get ready once we finish,” he says matter-of-fact. “Now, let’s fix your face.”
He smirks as he pulls out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a small white cloth. He bends down and then stands again and clucks his tongue.
“I need you up here,” he says as he lifts me and plants me on the bathroom vanity as if I weigh nothing. I’m momentarily disoriented as I look around the room. I can’t remember the last time a man just lifted me up like that.
“Look up for me,” he commands.
I look up and watch his face as he begins to rub mine with the cloth.
His dark eyes are transfixed on his task.
He’s so handsome. I’ve always thought that, but being able to study him up close like this only confirms what I’ve felt for years.
His touch is gentle but firm. We’re both quiet as he works, but then he begins to talk.
“My childhood best friend once drew on me with a marker. Her mom helped get it off my face and arms.” He chuckles as he remembers something.
“What?” I ask.
He smiles. “She drew little dicks on my face.”
I burst out laughing. “She what? Is this Lanie?” I ask. He’s mentioned a few other childhood friends before, but Lanie seems to have meant something special to him. A ping of jealousy hits me.
Suddenly, Bray’s hand cups my cheek, and I look up at him.
“I never liked Lanie like that. I…she was sick,” he says, his eyes well with tears, and I suddenly feel like the biggest ass ever.
“I’m sorry. I…didn’t know,” I whisper. I suddenly have so many questions. What was wrong with her? She’s clearly still alive. Did he get sick, too? Why had he never told me that before?
His thumb strokes my skin, and he blinks back the tears before he goes back to wiping my face.
“I don’t talk about it a lot,” he starts.
I watch his face as he concentrates on his task.
“We were in first grade when she got diagnosed with leukemia. She was pretty sick. I didn’t know what that was.
My parents explained it, but all I heard was that she could die.
Our family dog had just died, so I knew that meant goodbye forever.
And something about that flipped a switch inside me.
I decided then and there that I would never get that close to someone again because they might die.
Somehow, years later, that translated to me never wanting to get into a serious relationship.
So I never dated anyone more than a few months. ”
“Ever?” I ask.
“Never. I’ve had hookup buddies and a few short-term relationships, but that’s it. I had a string of one-night stands in college,” he admits. “Not that I’m proud of that.”
I reach up and touch his face. “I don’t want to be your hookup buddy,” I say softly, suddenly feeling brave and wanting to make my feelings very clear.
He stops scrubbing my face, and his gaze meets mine. “I don’t want that either, Carly. I’m scared shitless, but I want you, I want it all with you.”
He releases a deep breath, and I crane my head up and kiss him. He kisses me back tenderly before pulling away.
“Almost done. Close your eyes,” he says as he continues to wipe around my eyes. “I think it took me hearing that you were dating for me to snap out of it. I couldn’t stomach knowing another man would touch you.”
“Another man has touched me,” I point out.
He stills, and I open my eyes.
He’s clenching his jaw. “I know. And I hate that. But it gave us Ava, so I’ll learn to live with it.”
That makes me giggle for reasons I can’t explain.
His serious look fades. “What’s so funny?” he asks.
“Just you,” I say as I lean up and kiss his cheek.
“Close your eyes,” he demands. But instead of being so serious, I see his lips twitch as he fights a smile.
I comply, and he goes back to gently scrubbing around them. After a minute, he pulls his hand away. I open my eyes and search his.
“So, we’re going to do this, then?” I say softly because I’m almost afraid to ask. I don’t want it to end. I don’t want him to say no.
He leans his forehead against mine. “Yes. We are most definitely going to do this.”
“So, I should cancel my date, then?” I tease.
“You better cancel it,” he growls.
I laugh again. “OK, caveman. I’m canceling it.”
I try to hop down to get my phone, but he presses himself harder between my legs, blocking me from leaving.
I can feel the sizeable bulge in his pants.
Holy shit! I hadn’t really thought about having sex with Bray.
I haven’t thought about having sex in more than three years. Do my lady parts still work?
“Do you feel what you do to me?” he says in a raspy voice that draws my thoughts away from mortifying territory.
I nod.
“I only want you,” he says as he pushes hair away from my face and kisses me once more. This time I wrap my arms and legs around him and keep him tightly against me.
His lips are warm against mine. His stubble grazes my skin as we both pour ourselves into the kiss.
He’s slow and sensual. His tongue and lips leave my mouth after a minute.
He kisses and sucks along my jaw and down the column of my neck.
He buries his face there, pressing his mouth to my pulse point.
“Mom! Are you ready yet? I want to put on my dress!” Ava screams from downstairs.
We both laugh. “I love that kid, but we need to get her a hobby,” he says against my collarbone before pulling away.
“We’ll work on that when we get home,” I assure him. “Now, skedaddle. I have to get dressed.”
He looks at me for a beat. “You could go like that, and you’d still be the most beautiful woman there,” he says as he leaves.
“Keep reading those romance books. Those lines work,” I tease.
He pokes his head back around the corner. “That was my own line,” he says with a wink and then leaves. I fan myself for a second before I hop in the shower. Brayden Murphy may just be the death of me with all his hotness; I might just burst into flames.