Chapter Thirteen
Casey
B rayden is a cuddler and I am so here for it. He also plays with my boobs in his sleep. And he is always ready to go when I push my ass against his cock. This morning, I am deliciously sore and completely spent.
Maybe I can tell Clara I don’t need to walk anymore since I’m getting a full-on whole-body workout each night now.
I stifle a giggle. Brayden’s grip on my breast tightens. I’m tempted to get him aroused again, but I know he’s tired. We both are. Lying here with him without a care in the world makes me insanely happy.
When was the last time I felt deliriously giddy?
I’m disappointed to realize maybe back in college years ago when partying with my sorority sisters.
What about with Derek?
As if he knows my thoughts are wandering, Brayden’s cock thickens against me. I’m not sure if I can go again, but I’ll try. His hand slides from my breast down to my pussy. It’s only taken a few times of touching me for him to learn exactly how to make my body sing. This morning is no different.
I let out a soft moan.
“You moved on quick.”
The deep voice doesn’t belong to the man with his hands on me. It belongs to someone else. Someone I also know intimately.
Shocked by the intrusion of someone in my house, both me and Brayden scramble to sit up and face off with our peeping Derek.
“What are you doing here?” I demand, voice shrill. “What the hell, Derek?”
Derek’s shirt strains over his biceps as he stands, arms crossed over his chest, scowling at us. Like he’s caught me cheating on him. Unbelievable.
“Go downstairs,” I bark out. “We’re undressed. I’ll be down in a minute.”
His jaw muscle ticks and then he turns on his heel, storming out of my room and stomping down the stairs.
As soon as he’s gone, I slide out of bed to throw on my pajamas.
Brayden wears an unreadable expression as he pulls on his boxers, his erection flagging after our surprise visit.
I admire his lean, virile body as he dresses.
I quickly brush my teeth and pee before making my way downstairs. Brayden is in the kitchen making coffee while Derek paces in the living room. He gave me his key. How the hell did he get inside my house?
“What are you doing here?” My voice is icy and sharp. “You don’t live here anymore.”
Derek casts a glance toward the kitchen and scowls. “You’re lucky I don’t call Cole to deal with this. You’re fucking an underage kid—”
Brayden flies into the living room with chaotic energy that takes us both by surprise. He walks up to Derek and pokes his chest. “I’m not a kid, man. And do not raise your voice at her. Ever. Are we clear?”
I gape at Brayden. Derek blinks at him, as if he doesn’t know what to do next. That makes two of us. I thought I was about to have sex again, not get into a fight with my ex.
“Brayden,” I say, tugging at the back of his shirt. “It’s okay.”
He relaxes and steps away from Derek before disappearing into the kitchen again. Derek watches him leave. Then, his dark gaze lands on me again.
“This is a low move, Casey. Reid’s son? Seems a bit predatory.”
Derek isn’t normally cruel. Something is going on with him.
“Why are you here?” I ask, voice much calmer than before. “How did you get in?”
He grits his teeth. “Door was left unlocked. It wasn’t even pushed closed all the way. I was worried something had happened to you, so I let myself in.”
Me and Brayden were in too much of a hurry to get naked to worry about things like closing and locking doors. Ugh.
“Fine,” I say with a sigh. “But why were you here in the first place?”
“To talk about getting back together.”
Brayden chooses this moment to reenter the living room. He winces at Derek’s statement. “Here, babe. Just how you like it.”
I accept the steaming mug and flash him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
“Should I go?” Brayden asks, eyes locked on mine.
No.
Please stay.
I’ll get rid of him.
And yet, I find myself nodding. Derek is struggling, actually showing emotion for once, and he needs to get it out. I can at least hear what he came to say.
Hurt flashes in Brayden’s eyes, but he quickly shutters the look. He presses a soft kiss to my forehead and then slips out of the house without another word. A shiver races down my spine. It’s as if he took his sunny warmth with him.
I sit down on one end of the couch and draw a blanket into my lap. Mo prances into the room, meowing and letting his presence be known. I pat my thigh, and he jumps up onto my lap so he can get morning cuddles.
“You got a cat?”
“Stole it.”
Derek’s expression of horror would be comical if I weren’t so annoyed about him being here in the first place.
“Maggie,” I explain with a sigh. “Mo just visits when he wants.”
Derek stops pacing to take a seat on the other end of the sofa, angling his body toward me. “It was not easy seeing that up there.”
Me with another man.
“I’m sorry it upset you.”
He scrubs a palm over his scruffy face. “Nick told me he saw you. Failed to mention your date was a teenager.”
“You’ve made your point how you feel about that, but I won’t continue to take this level of disrespect from you in my own home.”
His body flinches and I know I’ve gotten through to him. He’s being an asshole, and he knows it.
“Sorry,” he grumbles. “I just got jealous, you know? The thought of you with someone else made me miss our good times.”
“Too little, too late, Derek.”
He nods. “I can see that now.”
“This isn’t like you. You’re not explosive or angry. In fact, you usually bottle up all your feelings.”
“I gave up smoking,” he says with a grunt. “Turns out when you can’t smoke, the feelings burst out a lot more easily.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I just thought about us and…” His bottom lip quivers just once, making my heart ache.
“The baby,” I whisper. “Not a day goes by where I’m not sad too.”
“It really messed us up losing it.”
I take a sip of my coffee as I stroke Mo’s soft fur. “We were messed up before getting pregnant. We were too stubborn to admit it.”
“Maybe we could fix it,” he says, voice tight.
But we can’t.
I realize now Derek never truly made my heart flutter wildly whenever he was near, not even in the beginning.
Brayden does, though.
Every single time.
“Listen,” I say gently, “I know you miss the idea of us, but we weren’t going to last. I know this now. Even if we’d have had the baby, I don’t know if it would have been enough to keep us together. Something was always missing. Don’t you see that?”
His jaw works like he might cry which would be a sight since I’ve never seen him do it, not even after the miscarriage. “I wanted to feel that with you. I just…”
“You can’t force chemistry and true love, Derek. But we had a solid friendship. I still think of you as someone I can count on. You thought something was wrong when my door was left ajar, and you immediately came to check on me. That matters to me.”
“But…”
“But we’ll never have what we had. It’s not good enough for either one of us. Your person is out there. When you find them, you’ll realize that is worth fighting for, not this.”
“I’m sorry I barged in and insulted you and Brayden. That was out of line.”
“Apology accepted.”
“I should go.”
“You should. I need to go find where my boyfriend ran off to and assure him we’re still good.”
Derek nods, defeated. “For what it’s worth, tell him I’m sorry for being a dick.” He pauses and gives me a sad smile. “And tell him thank you for making you coffee. I should have done stuff like that for you. You really do deserve the world, Casey, and I hope he’s the one who can give it to you.”
After Derek left, I took a shower and spent time dolling myself up. I need to have a conversation with Brayden. Looking hot for him will help win him back.
Do I think he’s angry with me for sending him away?
No.
Did I hurt his feelings again?
Absolutely.
But, apparently, the conversation with Derek was long overdue. It gave me closure I didn’t know I needed. I’m ready to put my past with him behind me once and for all.
The wind blows as I walk toward Gordon’s old unit, lifting my short white skirt. I have to hold the material down with both hands, so I don’t flash any creepers like Joel or Troy. This outfit is specifically for my man.
Rock music blasts from the townhouse Reid and Brayden have been working on freshening up.
I find Brayden aggressively sanding a patched wall.
White dust dances around him, clinging to his brown hair.
He’s wearing only a sleeveless undershirt and basketball shorts.
Though he’s lean and not a “beefcake,” I think he’s entirely too good looking.
My mouth waters just watching him sand a freaking wall.
I walk over to the Bluetooth speaker and turn it off.
He whirls around, face pinched angrily but softens when he sweeps his gaze over my outfit.
Smart choice, girl.
Now that you’ve distracted him with something pretty, get on with your speech.
“You never cease to amaze me,” I say as I saunter over to him. “Most men don’t learn so quickly from their mistakes. You practically become perfect.”
His eyebrow arches in faint amusement. I’m grateful when I step close to him, he doesn’t back away. Instead, he leans closer, head angling down at me.
“That was a messy situation, and it needed diffusing,” I say, running my palm up his chest over his shirt. “You handled it well.”
“I didn’t like him speaking to you that way,” he growls, teeth grinding together. “Honestly, I seriously wanted to punch him, but we both know he can beat my ass.”
We both chuckle.
We’re getting somewhere.
“The fact that you came to my aid was sweet and admirable. Thank you.” I reach up and stroke my fingers into his dusty hair.
“And when I asked for privacy to speak to him, you didn’t act jealous or refuse to.
You gave me the space I needed. Very mature for a man with zero dating experience. I trained you well.”
He gives me an adorable, dopey smile at my teasing. I’m too distracted by how cute he is and end up pulling him to my lips for a kiss. The kiss turns filthy quick. It’s as if we spent weeks apart rather than an hour or two.
He manhandles me into the bathroom and pushes me over the sink. The heat flaming in his eyes tells me he has a fantasy he’s looking forward to giving in to. I’m game for wherever this goes.
“We never finished our talk,” I say as he roughly yanks my skirt up over my ass.
He grunts and jerks my panties down my thighs to my knees. “How did your conversation go with him?”
“Fine.” I bite on my lip as he pushes his cock against my pussy.
Brayden pushes all the way into me as he pulls on my hair. It’s painful on both ends, but seeing the animalistic expression on his face as he fucks into me is worth it. He’s claiming me and I love it.
“This ass is so fucking beautiful,” he rasps out, looking down between us. “So perfect.”
Because he’s so hot all feral like this, I’m aroused which has him easily slipping in and out of me. Each thrust is bruising but sends zings of pleasure through me.
“Mine, mine, mine,” he chants with each thrust. “Say it, babe.”
“I’m yours,” I choke out, legs shaking with need.
“That’s my girl.”
He fucks me hard and fast. And then, to my utter surprise, when he comes, he doesn’t pull out. Our eyes meet in the mirror, his daring mine to argue. My heart twists happily at the promises he makes with one penetrating stare.
You’re mine.
Always.
No matter what.
His thrusting slows now that he’s climaxed, and he speaks again. “What did he want anyway?”
“To talk about getting back together.”
He frowns. “What the—”
“Bray, kiddo, where are you?”
“Shit, my dad’s here.”
So much for that conversation.
He pulls out, yanks up his pants, and escapes out of the bathroom all within three seconds. I’m left still bent over, cum running down my thighs, wondering if I’ve just lost my mind to be okay with this.
My smile reflecting in the mirror says I’m stupidly falling hard for Brayden, and I don’t care if that makes me crazy.