Brady

by Kensie King

  I gave him another smile. “Of course.”

  The smile he gave me in return was breathtaking. And it touched me that something so simple could make him happy. I couldn’t help but picture us doing this in his new house, cuddling up by a fire as we listened to the rain fall outside, holding each other and making love every single night before I got up to write the next day.

  It was probably the first time I’d let myself truly believe in love and a future.

  “You okay?” Brady asked, leaning down to kiss me on the lips.

  I nodded. “I’m great.”

  “Good. I’ll be right back.”

  I watched as he walked from the room, then listened as he headed outside. Then I closed my eyes and let myself daydream just a little more.

  Chapter 12

  I dreamed about Noah that night, his lithe, muscular chest, the curve of his lips when I said something that amused him, the squint to his eyes when he was trying to see something and he didn’t have his glasses on.

  I dreamed he was in bed with me, hands moving over my body and arousing me to the point of nearly coming. And then he moved under the covers and put his mouth on my cock—

  Then I woke, my own eyes squinting against the light. I was disoriented at first. But then I remembered it was Saturday and not a big deal that I hadn’t gotten up at the butt crack of dawn to work.

  And also, Noah.

  My cock was still throbbing from the memory of the dream. I turned lazily to the side and then frowned when I found the bed empty. I sat up, swallowing when my dick tented the sheets.

  Fuck. I really wanted to wake up with him in my arms. And then wake him up with my erection. And my mouth.

  I searched the floor and found all his clothes gone. And I didn’t hear the shower. Which meant…what? That he’d left?

  Getting out of bed, I pulled on my jeans and nearly tripped over the leftover boxes that had held the food I’d gotten for us last night. We’d eaten in bed and he asked me all sorts of questions about my life and my adopted brothers.

  I noticed that he didn’t volunteer to talk about himself much, but I didn’t mind. There was time to learn more about him. Time to ask him all the questions I wanted and then enjoy his answers.

  Or, at least, I’d thought there was time. With another frown, I walked to the living room.

  Noah was nowhere to be found. His jacket was gone and it was like he’d never been here in the first place.

  Shit. Had I scared him off? Or had he just been here for a one-night stand? I mean, it wasn’t like we’d said it was going to be anything more.

  But Noah didn’t strike me as the kind of person to do something like that.

  “Shit,” I mumbled.

  Then I turned to the kitchen and paused. There was something on the counter. A note.

  I walked over and lifted it, noting the slanted script that looked rushed.

  It was from Noah.

  Hey, I woke up early and didn’t want to wake you. My mind is full of ideas and I need to write them down! I went back to my cabin since I’m inspired but I can take a break (or multiple breaks) from writing today. I had a great time last night and hope to see you again.

  Noah

  He added a small heart by his name, which was adorable and made all the tension completely drain from my body. Of course Noah hadn’t just walked out. He wouldn’t do that—it wasn’t in his nature.

  And now I was intrigued. What had inspired him so much that he had to head out bright and early to write? Was it our night together?

  The idea made my lips curve. God, it had been pretty spectacular. Noah was so tight and warm and he gave as much as he got.

  But Noah wrote children’s books, so our night wasn’t exactly appropriate content for something like that. He did say he wrote under a pen name, though. Now I was more curious than ever.

  And I was definitely going to take Noah up on his offer to take multiple breaks. I’d also see if he’d give up his secret pen name.

  I finished dressing and rehung the sign at the entrance to the resort since it wasn’t close to any cabins and I knew people were still sleeping. People like Fox.

  I was surprised to find both him and Derek in the main office when I returned, though. Fox was leaning on the counter wearing a lazy grin.

  “You’re up early,” I told him.

  Derek rolled his eyes.

  “I figured it was only right to walk Lewis to his car this morning, then figured it was only right to check in on you to get the scoop,” Fox said. He jerked his thumb to the back of the office. “You had company last night,” he reminded me.

  I lifted my eyebrows. It wasn’t like it was a secret—especially not after last night when I’d ordered two meals and then rushed out with both of them.

  Derek met my eyes. “Noah? Really?”

  I couldn’t help but grin. “He stopped by.”

  And stayed. I couldn’t lie, it was one of the best nights of my life. I wanted more, but I was afraid of scaring Noah away. It was crazy how fast this had happened and how much I felt for him already. But it had been building for years now. I had feelings before this, they were just undeniably stronger now.

  “He seems like a good guy,” Derek said and went back to work.

  It meant more to me than he knew. Derek was like an older brother, and though we didn’t talk a lot, we said a lot more in simple ways than most people knew.

  Fox, on the other hand, wouldn’t leave me alone.

  “I’m going to fix that sink in Cabin Six and then I’ll help with those tables,” I told Fox.

  But instead of agreeing, he followed me out of the main office into the mist.

  “That’s all?” he asked as I grabbed my toolbox and jogged down the steps.

  “All what?”

  “You aren’t going to say anything else?”

  I glanced at him with an amused expression. “You seriously want details?”

  Fox rolled his eyes. “I don’t mean that. Although…” He shook his head. “What’s he like?”

  “Don’t you have work to do?” I asked, stopping at a branch that had fallen and tossing it off the path. I’d grab it later when I did my walk-through.

  “I’ll get to it. Derek wants to hire someone soon but we’re not seeing eye to eye.”

  “Sounds about right,” I said. Cabin Six came into view and I tried to focus on it, though my gaze wanted to stray to Cabin One.

  In fact, my whole body wanted to go that way.

  “Anyway,” Fox said, following me inside the cabin. He was relentless. “He’s so shy. What did you do to get him to come out of his shell?”

  I didn’t do anything. I just stayed patient. But I still couldn’t help but kick myself for not doing something sooner. I missed years that could have been spent with Noah, years learning more about him. I kept telling myself I had time now and that we’d figure it out, but we didn’t. Not really. He was supposed to be leaving in a few days and that was definitely not enough time.

  Especially because I was already falling hard.

  “Seriously?” Fox asked when I ducked under the sink.

  “Seriously, what?’ I grunted.

  “You’re gone, man.”

  I peeked out from under the sink. “What?”

  “I think you’re already lost in love. You’re daydreaming when I’m trying to talk to you.”

  I sat up with a frown. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  But the words had hit home. I was feeling something more than simple attraction and it felt…strange. Good, but strange. Unfamiliar.

  “You’ve had a thing for Noah for—what? Five years? And now it’s falling into place. Of course your feelings from before are going to mix with now and, well, that puts you on the fast track to love.”

  My throat dried. Love. I shook my head, not because I was disagreeing but because I didn’t really understand it myself. “I don’t know.”

  “Sure you do,” Fox said. “You guys
are perfect for each other. You’re both homebodies and like the quiet. You like to keep it simple and I bet that’s how Noah is, too.”

  “I barely know him,” I said by way of response. Which was true. There were still questions I had, but I wasn’t in a rush.

  Or, at least, not until now. Now I was floored by what Fox was saying and wondering if he was, in fact, right. We did have a lot in common and the rest…well, that didn’t seem like such a big deal.

  I got that Noah was a private person and it didn’t bother me. But it would be nice to know more about him.

  “Then get to know him,” Fox said. He took a few steps back. “But you’ll see that I’m right.”

  “He’s leaving in a few days.”

  Fox shrugged and paused by the door. “Sometimes that’s all it takes.”

  He left me alone, but I couldn’t seem to focus. Dammit. I had to fix this sink. I ducked back under and got to work, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing.

  Work. Right now I’d focus on work and then I’d make time to see Noah. It was the best I could do. And maybe, maybe if things kept going well, we could figure out the rest.

  Because when I thought of him leaving by the end of the week, I knew something for certain. It was going to rip my heart out.

  Chapter 13

  This scene was making me hard. It gave me a little thrill to be writing steamy romances when the world thought I was writing children’s books.

  Of course, I did that, too. But those were the books the world knew about, the ones that were published under my real name.

  These romances, the ones of my heart, were published under a pen name that was in no way linked to me. They were growing more popular, which was wonderful to see.

  I enjoyed both genres and I couldn’t imagine not writing either one, but the romances were what kept me going when I was younger and just starting out writing.

  They were the ones I wrote during my breaks at work or on bus rides when I didn’t have a car to drive places. Or at night, before bed, when I felt lonely.

  And now they were published, making other people happy and giving people like me—Noah Holden, the man who didn’t believe in love—hope that real love existed.

  It was especially sexy when I got to use Brady and our encounters as inspiration, which was why I’d headed out early this morning. I wanted to wake up next to Brady and spend the entire day in bed with him, but I really did need to get this book done. I had a deadline.

  And Brady had work, too.

  I looked out the window next to the couch, searching for him. It was a thrill sitting and waiting for him to come find me at some point in the day. Anticipation was a sexy tool, I’d discovered.

  Rain had started to fall harder, making the inside of the cabin even more cozy. Soon, I’d start a fire. Or venture out to look for Brady and see if he wanted to come join me.

  I hoped I hadn’t made him upset by leaving so early.

  The idea made me frown. I barely knew this man, only that he was a decent man, with good family and ambitions. And he was a sex god. That was a good start, but was there more I needed to know?

  Maybe I was making a big mistake going so fast, especially knowing that I was going to leave soon. That wasn’t enough time to make any decisions about something so big and long-term.

  At least, in real life it wasn’t. In my books, people fell in love instantly all the time and lived happily ever after.

  If only.

  Nellie. She’d know what to do. She’d be able to straighten me out and make me think clearly. She’d been doing it our whole lives, just like I’d been doing it for her.

  We were the exact opposite in almost every way, so we were perfect to balance each other out. If I became too much of a hermit, she made sure I left the apartment and did something out in the real world. If she got too crazy partying every weekend, I would teach her the benefits of a weekend at home with a book or movies or something calmer.

  It worked in almost every situation, including love.

  My hand froze on my cell phone. Love. No, that wasn’t what this was. It was—what? A mutual attraction?

  I frowned. No. That was too mild of a word. Besides, it was a whole hell of a lot more than that.

  I put my computer aside on the table and stood, stretching my legs. I had to pace. I needed to figure out what was going on.

  I found my last incoming call and pressed the button, hoping Nellie was there. She’d set me straight. But the more the phone rang, the more I knew she wasn’t going to pick up.

  Dammit. Was she at counseling again? Did she really want to keep her marriage that badly? I liked James just fine. But I’d liked her other husbands as well and they hadn’t lasted. I’d kind of learned not to get too attached to any of them.

  Same with my mom’s husbands, although most of them weren’t really interested in getting to know me either.

  I ended the call. When I turned to pace in the other direction, I saw a figure on the other side of the door and froze.

  “Noah?” a voice said, followed by a soft knock.

  Brady.

  I walked over and opened the door, my heart rate picking up. Damn, I was happy to see him. No matter what I’d been thinking, I could feel it all over. How my body came alive when he was nearby. How my whole countenance changed just knowing he was here to see me.

  I smiled. “Hi.”

  Brady was wearing one of his usual flannel shirts, this one rolled up over his forearms, and his hair was slightly wet from the rain. He held a bag in one hand and had a wide smile on his face.

  “Hey—I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said.

  “I was just taking a break. Come in.”

  Brady stepped inside, making sure to wipe his boots before walking onto the hardwood floor.

  I was barefoot and hadn’t realized how chilly it had gotten in here until I’d stood up.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I probably should have turned the heat up or—started a fire or something.”

  Brady glanced to the fireplace. “I can start one for you. Probably helps to write when your fingers aren’t frozen.”

  I nodded. “Thanks.”

  I probably would have agreed to anything he said right now. When his eyes crinkled with his smile, my body melted.

  He set the bag on the table and turned to me instead of crouching by the fireplace. “One second,” he said.

  I watched as he leaned in, then felt my body go pliant when his arms came around me. He smelled like rain and the woods, like comfort and home.

  His lips met mine. I exhaled softly when his tongue ran along the seam of my mouth, teasing me to open for him.

  “I’m sorry about this morning,” I murmured, my lips touching his beard.

  He angled his head so he could lick deep into my mouth. This time I groaned.

  “I guess I’m forgiven,” I said after a moment.

  He chuckled and lifted one hand to cup my cheek. He stared into my eyes. “I’m not going to lie—I missed having you there. I wanted to wake up with you in my arms.”

  I shivered. I should have stayed. I missed that—a quiet moment with him. That feeling of belonging when you wake up next to someone steady and confident—and that you’re attracted to more ways than one.

  “But I get it,” he continued, kissing me softly again. “You got inspired. Maybe next time, you can bring your computer with you so you can write in bed. Or I could stay here.”

  Next time. The words seeped into the cracks of my heart—wedging their way between the elated feeling I had seeing him to find the uncertainty.

  I was only here a few more days. Unless next time was tonight or tomorrow it wasn’t going to happen. And then what? Even if we spent the next few days together, that was it. I was going home soon and we were both back to our real lives.

  But Brady hadn’t mentioned it and it didn’t make sense for me to ruin the moment. I was happy he was here, even if I didn’t know what the next few days might bring.

&nb
sp; “Let me get this fire going and then we can eat if you’re hungry,” he said, turning to crouch by the fire.

  “Hungry?”

  Brady glanced back, a smile in his eyes. “It’s after noon. I’m willing to bet you haven’t had lunch yet. You probably didn’t eat breakfast either.”

  I folded my arms. “I got distracted.”

  He chuckled again. “Sounds about right. I brought food if you’re hungry.”

  Fuck. He was trying to take care of me. And he knew I’d probably gotten too distracted to eat, which was pretty normal for me but Brady couldn’t know that. Who was this man? And how was he changing everything I’d thought about relationships—even ones that had started unconventionally like our own?

  I’d never been in a situation like this before—falling for someone who was actually a decent person. He seemed to care, to want more, and to understand that this was hard for me.

  I swallowed as I watched him build the fire, his strong hands deftly stacking wood and getting the flames going. This was…not good.

  Not good because it was good. It was too good to be true, that was it.

  We already had one strike against us—that we didn’t live close to each other. There was bound to be more.

  For some reason, that filled me with sadness. I didn’t want this to be over so fast. For once, I wanted to live in the moment and wring every ounce of pleasure from it as I could.

  So when Brady turned, I stepped up to him and kissed him hard, gripping his neck to hold him close.

  I could feel the surprise in his body and then immediate capitulation when his arms came around me.

  “Noah?” he murmured against my lips.

  I pushed my hands under his shirt. He hissed at how cold my fingers were but didn’t back away.

  “Yes?”

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  I met his eyes briefly. “I just thought we could build up our appetites a little more before lunch.”

  His eyes dropped to my lips, then lower. “I’m not going to argue with that.”

  And then he started undressing me.

  Chapter 14

  I wasn’t sure what had come over Noah, but I liked it. He was being assertive, going after what he wanted, and it made me want him that much more.