Her Protector: A Braxton Brothers Romance

by Meyer, Anne-Marie

  “Jaw off the ground, Braxton,” Tiffany said, pointing at him.

  Heat burned his cheeks as he shot her an annoyed look. Tiffany just grinned as she glanced around.

  “Where’s Jonathan?”

  James jutted his thumb toward the water. Tiffany nodded, stripped down to her swimsuit, and took off in the direction of the splashing and yelling.

  Beth excused herself as well, running after Tiffany.

  Now alone, James glanced over at Layla, who had her arms folded across her chest and was staring out at the ocean.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” James asked and then winced. He hoped she’d think he was talking about the ocean and not her. Because, even he wasn’t sure which he meant.

  Layla glanced over at him. “It is.” Then her expression softened. “Thanks for sharing it with me.” She met his gaze and held it for a moment.

  Not sure what to do, James just cleared his throat and nodded. “Of course. Mi familia es tu familia.” He tried not to wince at his poor attempt at Spanish.

  What was the matter with him?

  Layla was studying him, and James wished he knew what she was thinking. Did she feel the same undeniable attraction that he was? Did she know how he felt? Did she care?

  A small smile spread across her lips, and her shoulders visibly relaxed. James blew out his breath as he grinned at her.

  At least she wasn’t running the wrong direction.

  He moved to kick off his flip-flops. He needed to relax before he did something he’d regret. “How was your little escape with Tiffany?”

  Layla’s hand moved to pull off her sarong, and James was having a hard time not focusing on how incredibly touchable her skin looked or the way the swimsuit clung to her curves. He’d already had a hard enough time that morning seeing Layla in her pajamas, but a swimsuit? It was torture.

  Layla pulled a bottle of sunscreen from her purse. “Tiffany’s great. She’s such a sweetheart. I, um…” Her voice trailed off as she peeked over at him.

  James slipped his shirt off. Call him crazy, but he swore he saw her eyes widen as her gaze fell to his chest. His heart began to beat faster, and a small glimmer of satisfaction rose up inside of him. It was nice to know that he wasn’t the only one attracted to the other person.

  Layla dropped her gaze as she flipped open the bottle of sunscreen. “I may have agreed to design her wedding dress.”

  James glanced back at her. “You what?” he asked.

  Layla shrugged as she began slathering her skin with sunscreen. “I agreed to design her wedding dress.”

  James focused his attention on Layla’s face just to make sure he’d heard her right. “You know the wedding’s not for a while.” She was leaving as soon as the coast was clear. Why would she make a commitment like that?

  Layla nodded and bent her arm so she could cover her back with the sunscreen. After a half-hearted attempt, she held out the bottle to him. “Do you mind?”

  James swallowed as he glanced down at her smooth, olive skin. He wanted to touch her—oh, how he wanted to touch her. But it would mean a lot more to him than to her. Was he ready to open himself up like that?

  She wiggled the bottle in front of him, and he gabbed it. He didn’t want her to read anything into his hesitation. It was better for him to just power through his fears than for him to confirm any suspicions she might have.

  He squeezed some lotion out into his hand as Layla turned and pulled her hair to one side. James stared down at her the hollows of her shoulder and neck. He rubbed his hands together. Maybe he needed to distract himself for a moment before he touched her. Or he needed a running start. He paused and then took a deep breath as he placed his hands to her skin.

  There was a calming feeling that flooded his body as he began to rub in the sunscreen. Touching her was what he was meant to do. She was familiar and new at the same time.

  He glanced up to see her looking at him from over her shoulder. Her expression had stilled, and the intensity of her gaze caused him to pause. Did this mean something to her too? Did he dare hope?

  James stopped moving so every part of his focus could be on Layla and what she was trying to say through her gaze. There was something deep in the way she looked at him. A soulful expression on her face.

  She parted her lips, and James’s gaze dropped down to them. They were perfect in color and form. She had a dainty Cupid’s bow and a pouty bottom lip that begged to be kissed.

  James’s body responded as he glanced down at her.

  “I know the wedding’s a few months off,” she whispered as she slowly turned to face him.

  James swallowed. She was now inches away, staring up at him. He could feel the warmth her body gave off as she stood there. It was hotter than the summer sun.

  He tried to fight it, but it seemed he was made to rotate around her. She was rapidly becoming his universe.

  “But I like your family, and I want to help,” she added as she held his gaze.

  “You do?” he asked, his voice deep and exposing.

  She nodded. “I, um…” Her voice trailed off, and James could tell she was fighting something inside.

  And for the first time in a long time, James wanted to open up and tell his story. He wanted her to know what he’d gone through. He wanted her to know the truth.

  And that thought was both liberating and terrifying.

  If she rejected him, he was already so broken he didn’t think he could survive.

  But if she accepted him…maybe he could be happy.

  Chapter Twelve

  Layla knew she should pull away. She knew she should sever this connection between the two of them. She should turn and walk away before she fell harder than she already had.

  But she couldn’t.

  There was something mesmerizing about standing there staring at James. He gave her this warmth, this confidence, that she hadn’t had in a long time. He was filling a void inside of her that she’d ignored ever since Juan had pulled her heart from her chest and stomped on it.

  Loving someone meant taking risks, and she hadn’t wanted to take a risk…until now.

  So, moving away from this source of happiness was getting harder and harder for her to do. In fact, the one thing she wanted to do was also the one thing she knew she shouldn’t do. To lean in. To lose herself in James Braxton.

  She wanted to forget the baby growing inside of her for a moment. To forget the weight of her past that bore down on her, making her feel as if she couldn’t breathe.

  She felt herself lean in. She tipped her lips toward James, inviting him to come closer. And from the intense way he stared down at her, that was exactly what he intended to do. To take her into his arms and kiss her like she needed to be kissed.

  “Well, isn’t this just a beautiful day.” Mrs. Braxton’s voice sounded from behind James.

  Startled, Layla snapped her gaze from James to see Mrs. Braxton coming across the sand with a large sun hat on. Her sunglasses were perched on the tip of her nose, and her gaze was directed at the two of them.

  Embarrassment coursed through Layla as she stepped away from James to grab a water bottle from one of the coolers. Her whole body felt warm, and she needed to cool down.

  “Did I interrupt something?” Mrs. Braxton asked.

  James muttered something under his breath, and from the corner of her eye, Layla saw him dip his head and study his phone.

  “I can go,” Mrs. Braxton started, but James rested his hand on her forearm.

  “I should go take this,” he said as he made his way out from under the protection of the umbrellas and walked a good distance down the beach. His shoulders were tighter than usual as he brought his phone to his ear.

  Layla couldn’t help but stare at him. A sinking feeling in her gut. What if it was Juan calling? Was the mess he’d gotten into solved? Was she free to go home?

  Did she even want to?

  “You okay, sweetie?” Mrs. Braxton asked.

  Layla
glanced over at her to see Mrs. Braxton standing next to her with a concerned expression on her face. She was worrying her lips as she stared up at Layla.

  Not wanting to worry James’s mom, Layla just shook her head and forced a smile. “Everything is just fine.”

  Mrs. Braxton nodded. Then she started to shake her head. “It’s just that James hasn’t been home in a long time. That explosion over in Afghanistan really destroyed him.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I just wish there was some way I could get through to him. To help him heal.” Mrs. Braxton’s voice broke, causing Layla to move closer to her.

  Layla knew exactly what Mrs. Braxton was going through. She’d been on the giving end of worry herself with her brother. Connor has slipped away so fast. There wasn’t a day that went by that Layla didn’t ask herself what she could have done different. If she could have saved her brother.

  Wrapping her arm around Mrs. Braxton’s shoulders, Layla pulled her closer. “You’re letting him know you love him, that’s about all you can do.”

  Mrs. Braxton slouched as she stared down at the sand. “There’s something about being a mother and seeing your baby hurt. It kills you inside.” She sighed. “No matter how old they get.”

  A sharp pang shot through Layla’s stomach. She thought about the tiny baby inside of her. About the fact that even though he or she wasn’t born yet, she loved it. She would do the right thing for it and love it forever, no matter what.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  They stood there in silence for a few minutes, watching James pace the beach. There was an unspoken connection between her and Mrs. Braxton. A pain that was only felt by a person who had to stand on the sidelines as their loved one hurt.

  It was a feeling that Layla wouldn’t wish on her greatest enemy.

  Finally Mrs. Braxton sighed as she stepped away from Layla.

  “Listen to me blubber on like that.” She wiped her cheeks as she glanced around. “This is a party, and here I am making it feel like a morgue.”

  Layla just shook her head. She didn’t feel that way at all. For the first time in her life, she felt wanted. She felt like she belonged. Being here with James showed her the kind of life she wanted. The kind of life she’d been looking for.

  And suddenly, every reason why she couldn’t be with James flew from her mind. Never in her life had she felt so complete as she did standing there with James’s family. Or with James.

  A spark of courage lit in her stomach and raced throughout her whole body.

  Seizing the moment, Layla excused herself from Mrs. Braxton and headed down the beach after James. There was a picnic area with showers that he’d slipped behind. She was going to find him, and she was going to show him how she felt.

  She cared for him. Probably more than she should, but that didn’t matter. Right now, she was going to be strong and fight for what she wanted.

  She followed the sound of his voice until she peeked around the corner to see him leaning against a wall. His head was tipped back and his eyes closed as he listened to whatever the person on the other end was saying.

  “I understand. But, Juan, what am I supposed to tell Layla?”

  Layla hesitated as a cool jet of worry flowed through her veins. She leaned closer, straining to hear what they were saying.

  “You’re sure? Nothing…” James’s voice trailed off.

  She narrowed her eyes, wishing she could somehow hear their entire conversation.

  “Okay. Fine. I’ll do your dirty work.”

  Layla’s blood turned to ice as his last words washed over her. She wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to, but she had a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to like it.

  What dirty work was he talking about? Her stomach pitched to the side as she forced her once euphoric feelings down. Feeling foolish, she turned around to hurry away from the building. Just as she took a step forward, she yelped as a loud clang surrounded her. Glancing down, it took a moment for her brain to register what had happened. In her hurry, she’d knocked over a trashcan.

  And suddenly, James was beside her.

  “Layla?” he asked. She tried to ignore the hopeful hint to his voice.

  Trying to keep her dignity, Layla straightened and cleared her throat. “I needed to use the bathroom.”

  James’s eyebrows went up. “Really?”

  She focused her gaze, hoping he couldn’t see the hurt that was filling up inside of her. “Really.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then nodded. “Okay. Did you go yet?”

  The adrenaline had worn off, and suddenly, Layla felt exhausted. Her shoulders slumped and she began to shiver. James stepped closer to her as if he wanted to offer her something. Which was a joke. All he was wearing were swim trunks.

  “Layla, I—”

  “What were you talking about?” The words spilled from her lips before she could stop them.

  James pulled back as he furrowed his brow. “What?”

  Suddenly getting the urge to pace, Layla stepped past him. “What were you talking to Juan about? What were you planning? Why…?” Her voice drifted off as the dam inside of her broke.

  She pinched her lips together. Did she want to know?

  “What are you talking about?” James asked, his voice cutting through the fog inside of her mind.

  Layla stopped, turning to stare at him. “I heard you.” She dropped her gaze to her hands. Then she glanced back up and started pacing again.

  “You heard that?” James motioned to the place he’d been standing moments ago.

  Layla nodded. “I thought you were on my side. What dirty work did you agree to? What is he having you do? Why are you…” Her mind seized up, and she lost all strength to talk.

  Why was she fighting this? If James was loyal to Juan, fine. At least she’d found out before she allowed herself to fall deeper into this hole.

  Just as she walked past James, his hand engulfed her elbow and pulled her back. She went crashing into his chest. His arms surrounded her, stopping her from moving.

  “He’s gone, and he’s not coming back. He’s fled to Mexico and told me to tell you goodbye.” His voice was low and muffled by her hair.

  Tipping her head back, Layla stared at him. There was something in the way he was holding onto her and the emotion in his voice that told her to pause. There was something else going on.

  James met her gaze and held it. “I didn’t want to have to be the guy that broke your heart. I didn’t want to be the person to tell you that.”

  A shiver raced down her back and exploded throughout her body. “You didn’t?” she whispered.

  James shook his head. “I can’t see you hurt—I’m supposed to protect you. I live to see you smile.”

  Layla’s heart began to pound as she stared up at him. At first, her mind was telling her that she wasn’t actually hearing what she thought she heard. But, as James reached up to cradle her cheek with his hand, all thought left her mind.

  “Are you okay?” He breathed, his voice deepening as he stared into her eyes.

  Layla hesitated, listening to her heart and her soul. Nothing craved Juan like it craved James. She wanted every part of James. Her body ached to be held by him. Her heart yearned to feel his love.

  He was becoming her everything.

  “I’m okay,” she whispered as she nodded. James dipped down lower, meeting her gaze head on. Like he wanted to be sure she was speaking the truth.

  And she was. With all the uncertainty in her life, this was the one thing she was very sure about. The only thing that existed inside of her was James and how much she wanted to be right here.

  “James,” she whispered as he ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers.

  Fireworks exploded and she forgot every reason why she’d been upset. His lips moved against hers, and she followed suit. Never in her life had she felt so complete as she did in this moment, kissing James.

  Two broken hearts finding solace in each other—it was like
a poem in the making.

  James completed her just like she hoped she completed him.

  He held onto her waist as he gently led her over to the wall and pressed her against it. Every point of contact heated from his touch. His hands slid up her side and then back down, like he was trying to memorize the feel of her.

  Letting go of her inhibitions, she ran her hands from his shoulders to his chest and then across his abs. Her body heated from the feeling of his muscles under her fingertips.

  He groaned as he grabbed her hands and brought them up to his shoulders. Layla giggled as she slipped her fingers to the back of his neck and entwined them into his hair.

  James returned to kissing her, more gentle this time. She could feel his every emotion in the soft movement of his lips against hers.

  She wasn’t sure how long they kissed, but it didn’t matter. The world stopped spinning when he held onto her. He was rapidly becoming her breath of air. Her reason to live.

  He was exactly what she wanted. Exactly what she needed.

  When he pulled away, she protested, but he just laughed.

  “I’ve gotta breathe,” he murmured.

  He kept both hands pressed on either side of her and tipped his forehead towards hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer. Their breathing matched as they stood there in silence.

  So many thoughts were flowing through her mind. How she felt about James. How he’d irreversibly changed her.

  She hadn’t known she could feel this way about someone. She doubted she’d ever felt this way about Juan.

  “Layla,” James said. His voice was low and sent shivers down her spine. He pulled back and met her gaze.

  Too overwhelmed by her feelings, she just nodded as she bit her lip.

  James reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. His expression was sending warmth exploding through her body. She cared about him, and she was pretty sure he felt the same.

  “Yes?” she finally said.

  It seemed as if he’d gotten lost in studying her. His fingertips played against her skin until his thumb found her lips. The gently way he touched her bottom lip caused her to gasp slightly. Every part of her wanted him. Wholly and completely.