Chapter 5 #2
He nearly offered to fix that too. One step at a time. Then his mouth went dry at the sight of her in a thin camisole that clung to her curves and sleep shorts. “Are those unicorns?”
“Are you judging?” she challenged, pulling that cream sweater over her head. “Come on, come on, come on.” Barefoot, she dashed to the door, her hand outstretched. “Stars are waiting.”
He dropped his phone into a pocket on his thigh and joined her. Bracing himself for the contact, he wrapped his fingers around her hand. Good thing too, because she nearly dashed off before he’d reset the security system.
As they left the glow of the overnight lights on the deck, he turned on his flashlight, the beam guiding their path out to the fire pit, over the dunes, and down to the beach.
Each step toward the ocean was like dialing up the volume on the surf.
The maritime forest cast a long shadow and cut down the breeze.
The moon was high and the stars sparkled across the deep velvet sky. Beside him, Roni threw her head back, a smile on her lush lips. She hugged his arm and sighed. “You’re good at fixing, Bray. Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he murmured, breathing her in. He picked out the individual scents that added up to Veronica. The citrus shampoo, vanilla lotion, lingering sunshine, and ocean air all blended into the fragrance that was simply her.
She moved closer to the water, giggling when the foamy tips of the waves rolled over her feet. “Oh, it’s perfect out here.” She squeezed his hand. “I can almost forget the chaos.”
He should probably let go, but he was enjoying even this innocent touch too much. “I’m sorry about today,” he said. “About your sisters. They’re scared, Veronica. When people are scared, they lash out at the easiest target.”
“I know,” she whispered, staring out over the water.
“But it sucks. They think I’m being naive.
Maybe I am. But we can’t pretend our father doesn’t exist. He’s a part of this place.
He’s a part of us.” She stepped close enough to lean back against his chest. “I’m scared too.
If we stop trying to reach him, maybe he’ll just drift away forever. ”
His heart broke for her. “You’re not naive, Roni.” He ran his hands up and down her arms. “You’re strong and stubborn when it really matters. You’ve been the peacekeeper for as long as I’ve known you. That translates to not giving up on your dad.”
Veronica twisted to face him, her hands looped around his waist. He imagined anyone watching would assume they were a couple. Was she inviting another kiss? His body said yes, hers was definitely giving yes vibes, but he needed to find a way to ask outright.
As he struggled for the right words, she licked her lips. “Why are you really here? I know what Jess said about familiarity and all that. But I get the feeling you wanted this assignment? Why?”
“It’s you. And me. How could I let anyone else handle this?”
The breeze seemed to swirl the question around them, pulling them closer until the years of unspoken longing were just too much.
They were, first and foremost, friends. Best friends. They’d spent time together and apart and never lost the bond that made the relationship so special. When the Guardian Agency had offered him a post in the area, he’d jumped on it, eager to reconnect with Veronica.
And maybe they’d been apart too long. Because as soon as he’d seen her, he’d wanted more than friendship. He’d wanted the right to hold her, the privilege to become her partner. Her lover. The person she confided in, depended on. The person who shared her bed every night.
He was tired of hiding it, of masking it all. He’d kissed her—granted, not the kiss she deserved—but she’d chosen to ignore it. It was time to just tell her. If she didn’t feel the same way, he’d still protect her from a distance. He’d still find a way to be her friend.
“There’s more?”
He let out a long, slow breath. He traced her jawline, then cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing the soft curve of her lower lip.
“Yes.” So much more. “I’ve spent years running toward danger all over the world and every time I walked into the unknown my one true anchor was the thought of coming back to you. ”
Her breath hitched, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“I took this assignment because I needed to be close to you as much as you need help with this developer’s crap.
” He bent his head, his cheek nuzzling hers.
“When I caught that surveyor trying to intimidate you, I saw red. You need me. And I will protect you. But more? Yes. I’m done keeping this all bottled up. I love you, Veronica.”
She gasped.
He eased back to look into her eyes. “Since we were kids, I’ve loved you as a friend.
” His hands coasted to her shoulders. “This is different. I am in love with you. These feelings aren’t something I can put away or deny any longer.
You don’t have to reciprocate. I’m not pushing for anything here. I will always be your friend.”
“The friend who loves me?”
He laughed, a painful sputter in his chest. “Yes. You don’t have to make excuses or try to tell me what I want to hear. Please don’t do that.”
“I wouldn’t.”
No, she wouldn’t hurt him by feeding him lines to soothe his ego. A warmth washed through him. Hope, or just holding her? Maybe it was the first sign that he was about to combust from waiting for her reaction.
Veronica’s hands stroked his chest, her fingers curling into his t-shirt, pulling him closer. “You’ve kept your distance long enough,” she whispered. “Kiss me. Please.”
Maybe he wasn’t alone in this after all. Brayden closed the scant space between them, claiming her mouth.
Sweet. Hot. His. A marvel of perfection.
His whole body reacted, riding a surge of rightness in the moment.
She was everything. This was where he was meant to be.
The excitement kicked him square in the chest. Nothing like the interrupted brush of lips last night.
Probably why she hadn’t counted that moment.
Because he could completely discount it now. He wrapped his arms around her waist, anchoring her to him. Her lips parted on another short gasp and he got his first full taste of her. Everything else faded away in the raw joy pulsing through his system.
What in the world had kept him in check? Whatever willpower he’d used up until now was gone. He’d promised to always be her friend—and he’d keep that vow—but he’d never forget this kiss. She was intoxicating. Exhilarating. He never wanted to stop.
But they were outside, sand underfoot and cool ocean a few paces away.
Just because he’d wanted this for years didn’t mean she was up to speed.
He couldn’t ask her to go from zero to forever with one kiss.
He eased back, his breath sawing in and out of his lungs, as he let out a low, ragged laugh. “I should have done that years ago.”
“Yes,” she whispered, her face glowing. “We definitely should have.”
It wasn’t a declaration of her feelings, but he counted it a wonderful start. She wanted him and was clearly willing to blur the old lines of their friendship in favor of something new.
She shivered and he hugged her close, lending as much warmth as possible. “We should get back to the house.”
“Hm. I suppose.” She gave him a squeeze.
He walked her back to the house and opened the door for her. “I need to finish one last perimeter check,” Brayden said reluctantly, kissing her temple. “Go inside, lock the door, and get some sleep. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Sleep?” She gawked at him.
“Yes. We both need the rest.” He tipped up her chin. “There’s no way I’m rushing you or anything about us.”
“This is a side of you I’m not familiar with,” she confessed.
“Patient?”
She chuckled. “Well, yeah. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve gone straight after what you want.”
He could’ve studied the bewildered half-smile on her face for hours.
“That hasn’t changed, Roni. I want you.” But not for a night or a short-term fling.
He hadn’t taken this risk for such small stakes.
He wanted them to become more. She needed time to adjust to that.
And he wanted to romance her too. To discover a new facet of her as well.
“Let me handle the job first.” He touched his lips to hers, keeping it light.
“I could tag along again.”
He tortured himself, running his fingertips along the edge of her sleep shorts. She shivered. “Not tonight.”
“Okay.” She raked her fingers through his hair. “Don’t be long.”
He waited until he heard the security system engage and then he backed away, his heart lighter than it had been in years. He flicked on his flashlight and headed out for one last in-person check before he relied on the tech overnight.