by N. Kognytao
Chapter Nine
While Leah felt that there was something exciting and enthralling about Braydon, she also had to admit he was a little confusing. Keeping up with his moods was difficult when she knew so little about him.
After their romp against the wall, they had eaten the pizza and talked lightly—entirely about Leah. He asked her to describe the other band members and talk about the songs they were working on. It kept her talking for over an hour until he finally cleared the table and she helped him do the dishes.
Their fingers ghosted over one another as they worked and when the kitchen was clean, Braydon took her hand and led her into the bedroom.
“Do you have to be in the studio tomorrow?” he had asked.
“No.”
“Good.”
He pushed her back on the bed with a devious grin.
When she woke the next morning, the playful Braydon was nowhere to be seen.
Once again, Leah woke up alone, looking around groggily for the author.
She got out of bed and pulled on her panties and shirt, walking into the living room and seeing him sitting on the couch, his laptop on his lap as he stared distantly into space, headphones in his ears. His left forefinger tapped the keyboard in time with whatever song was playing. His face looked puzzled, yet somehow also at peace.
Leah stood near the wall, watching him silently, taking note of every little detail—the way the light hit the disheveled strands of hair, the way his eyes moved slowly around the area in front of him, focused on nothing, the way his finger moved just enough to tap to the beat of the music.
He sighed heavily and leaned his head back against the arm of the sofa. The action caused Leah to be in his field of vision and he visibly jumped, startled.
“I didn’t see you there,” he said, pulling the headphones from his ears.
“I didn’t want to disturb you,” she murmured, walking forward as he straightened. “I thought you finished your manuscript.”
“I got an idea for a scene for the sequel.”
“Doesn’t look like you put anything down,” she chuckled lightly, nodding to the blank screen on his computer.
He tapped his temple. “It’s there.”
A strange, heavy silence fell over them. Braydon did not even look at her, his eyes still glancing around the apartment, though she was not sure if he was still thinking about the next book or if he was avoiding looking at her.
“Are you alright?” Leah asked.
“Fine.”
“…is it always going to be this awkward after I spend the night?”
He groaned, rolling his eyes.
“It wasn’t awkward until you said it was awkward.”
She laughed, shrugging. “Well?”
He looked away, rubbing his hands together nervously.
“It’s…going to take me some time to get used to the thought of being in a relationship…I told you last night, it’s an uncomfortable feeling for me to be interested in someone.”
Leah was about to speak, but something stopped her. She stared at him for a few moments, her brain connecting pieces.
“Wait…you mean…you’ve never had a girlfriend before?”
“Not seriously, no.”
Leah blinked incredulously at him, unable to reign in her surprise.
“Never?”
“You make it sound as though it’s surprising.”
“It is!”
“And you?” he asked, raising her eyebrows.
“I’ve had boyfriends. I mean…” she hesitated. “Okay, they never lasted beyond a few months, but I’ve still been on dates. Have you ever been out on a date with anyone?”
“A few times. I’m not that much of a recluse,” he huffed. “But I was never really interested before.”
Leah could not stop the proud smile that took over her face.
“Before me?”
“Careful, kiddo,” he said with a teasing tone. “Don’t push your luck.”
She raised his hands peacefully.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
He nodded, watching her walk away. She ducked behind the door to the bedroom and waited a moment before peering out to see what he was doing.
He was looking out the large windows toward the cityscape, his lips pursed. He finally closed his eyes and took a deep breath, bending his head and placing both hands on his head.
“This is a bad idea,” he murmured. He hit the heel of his hands against his scalp. “Get it together…”
She watched him, confused and a little concerned by the behavior.
However, when he suddenly stood, she ducked back around the corner and hurried to the bathroom, turning on the shower and hoping he did not see her spying on him.
Before she had time to think over his strange behavior, the door opened and he walked into the shower.
“Hi,” she gasped, surprised.
He did not speak, pulling off his sweater and removing his pants before pushing her back toward the shower, shoving her under the water spray until her back collided with the cold tile wall. His mouth swallowed her startled hiss, their bodies pressed together, increasing the temperature of the shower.
The rational part of her brain wanted to ask why he was suddenly so interested in jumping her in the shower, however, the more primal part of her brain quickly killed the desire to talk. Her body ignited at his touch, the droplets of water somehow magnifying the immediacy and lust of the moment.
Taking a chance, she turned them pushing him against the wall and dropping her lips to his neck. He leaned his head back, allowing her to kiss around his neck and chest. But when she looked up at him with a dangerous smile on her face, he watched her, curious.
She went to knees in front of him and proceeded to make love to him with her mouth.
He had to lean against the wall of the shower to remain upright, one hand gently resting in her hair while his other hand held hers, their fingers entwining at any angle they could against his hip. Braydon had to clench his teeth and stop himself from pushing further into her mouth as she bobbed her head, the heat of her mouth and the clasp of her lips overwhelming and yet not enough at the same time.
She savored the feeling of him in her mouth. He was large, but when she relaxed her jaw, she was able to take most of him in, her hand pumping the base for more stimulation. She would bob a few times before pushing herself, taking his cock into her mouth until she felt the head hit the back of her throat and she backed off, gasping for breath.
When her jaw would get tired, she licked the length of his shaft, her tongue lapping at the hot skin, worshipping his body as he had hers.
She glanced up at him as she took him into her mouth once more. His head had dropped, his chin resting against his chest as he looked down at her through half lidded eyes, the water falling over his rising and falling chest in seductive rivers that made his skin glisten.
Turned on by the sight of how much pleasure she was giving him, Leah tried to deep throat him once more.
Grinding his teeth together, he gently guided her off his erection, looking over her swollen lips, flushed cheeks, and lust filled eyes. He hauled her to her feet, crushing her lips in a devouring kiss as he backed her against the glass wall of the shower. In an instant, he turned her around and yanked down the panties she had not yet removed. She kicked the sopping wet fabric away as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his erection rubbing against her buttocks, his hips moving of their own accord.
He kissed her shoulder once, stepping away just long enough to grab one of the two condoms on the shower caddy in the corner. He ripped it open and slid it on his erection faster than either of them thought possible, and then he pinned her against the glass once more. She leaned her head back onto his shoulder, meeting his mouth in an awkward, but fiery kiss.
He pressed their bodies together, starving for the contact, dizzy from the heat of the shower’s spray. One hand grabbed her jaw, pulling her back so their mouths could clash once
more. It was sloppy and hurried, but they were both too far gone to care about finesse.
She shifted her hips, pushing against his pelvis, inviting him to continue, a gentle moan escaping her mouth as need consumed her yet again. She wondered if it was possible to be addicted to sex with someone. Her contemplation was quickly halted as he slowly entered her, his hands shaking on her hips as he tried to restrain himself. She groaned in frustration and pushed back against him, connecting them completely.
She could feel his smile against her shoulder once more.
Both shuddered before his hips began moving, thrusting into her with growing intensity as the need grew stronger and more urgent.
Holding her tight, his body moved against hers as if they already knew exactly which angle to hit for the perfect friction. Her breath fell from her lips in broken cadence as he picked up pace, rushing to the conclusion they both wished would never come and yet longed to reach.
Her hand reached back blindly, her nails scraping at his hip, he pushed forward even deeper, which caused her to let out a choked moan that went straight to his groin. He snapped his hips forward only a few more times before they were both shaking and shivering together, pressed against the glass wall of the shower, every muscle reacting to the intensity of their union.
Leah had to press her forehead to the cool glass of the shower, trying to regain her thought process, though it seemed impossible while their bodies were still connected.
His head fell forward to her shoulder, his breath cooling the droplets of water that clung to her shoulder. With a shaking hand and weak fingers, she touched his hair, keeping him close.
“What are you doing to me?” he breathed.
* * *
Braydon’s mood was, once again, dark and awkward once they came down from the high of sex.
Leah was unsure if it was because she was falling in love with the complicated author so fast, but she seemed to understand the awkward feeling. Therefore, when he hesitantly offered to take her out to dinner, she declined and sat next to him.
“Look,” she started, “I don’t know much about you, but it seems like this is a big change for you. Having me here, I mean.”
He let out a broken laugh and nodded, his eyebrows going high.
“You could say that.”
“So, I’m going to head out now,” she said. She kissed his cheek gently. He blinked at her, clearly surprised. “I’m not really clingy, and I have my own work I need to focus on as well. We’re going to take this one day at a time. That’s something I learned with my sister’s treatment. I’m in no rush and I understand if you need space. I’ll probably need it too once my singing takes off. But, one day, I hope you’ll get more used to me being around and maybe you’ll want me around more and we can act like a more traditional couple, going on dates and such.”
She stood, but before she could get far, he grabbed her hand. Leah watched as he opened and closed his mouth several times.
“You’re right,” he finally murmured. “I’m not used to having women, people, really, around for extended periods of time. When I’m with you…I don’t really understand the way I feel. There’s nothing you’re doing wrong…I just come with a lot of baggage.”
She turned their hands so their fingers entwined.
“If you think that’s going to scare me away, you’re wrong,” she said gently. “Maybe someday you’ll let me help you carry that baggage.”
His fingers tightened around hers.
“I don’t want to do that to you,” he murmured.
“I want to know more about you,” Leah said. “But I’m in no rush. I plan to be around for a while.”
Braydon stared at her, as if he did not understand the words. But finally, he shook his head, taking her face in his hands, kissing her deeply for three long seconds.
She smiled when they parted.
“You just keep surprising me,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers. “I’m not sure I can handle it.”
She laughed, placing both hands around the back of his neck.
“I’m fine with just letting things happen as they happen. I’m a firm believer that patience is the best approach to anything.”
He pulled her into a gentle hug, his thumbs smoothing over her back as they held the embrace.
Leah left Braydon’s loft not long after their conversation. Even though she was being truthful about wanting to stay with him as long as she could, not knowing how to respond to his various mood changes was exhausting. However, considering his reactions, it seemed that she was saying exactly what he needed to hear.
She walked around downtown for nearly an hour, her mind playing over their evening together and the look in his eyes when he said that he would not want to burden her with his problems. She was patient to learn about him, but she was also extremely curious what darkness lingered within him that Tim had warned about.
When her legs were tired, she decided he needed to talk about Braydon with someone. Her family did not know about their relationship, and considering the dynamic with Braydon and Tim Gracie, Leah did not want to involve her parents in what could become a very complex situation.
Therefore, she called Aaron.
The guitarist invited her to his house, which Leah had not been to in many years. Riding the familiar bus route and seeing the expensive houses pass through the windows brought back both fond and painful memories. She felt guilty about not keeping in touch with her friend. She could make excuses all she wanted about Aaron becoming busy training at RM while she had to help her family get through Meggie’s diagnosis and treatment, but she still felt guilty about the distance that had come between them during those years.
She vowed during that bus ride to spend more time with her best friend. She figured if Braydon was always going to be so complicated, she would need a friend to talk to, particularly a guy who could decode some of the behavior from a male perspective.
Aaron’s father was a very wealthy corporate attorney, and the house exhibited his success. When she was younger, even though she had noticed the difference in the affluence of their families, the money had never bothered Leah before. After living in the tiny apartment for several years, she felt more out of place walking up to the large door set against a porch surrounded by white Corinthian columns.
Rather than ring the doorbell, she texted Aaron that she was at his door.
A few moments later, her friend opened the door, smiling.
Aaron took Leah to the entertainment room—a space at the back of the house that had a lot of great memories for both of them. Aaron’s home studio was set up there, though there was also a large couch, television, and a pool table in the bright room, which meant it was not ideal for recording. However, in their first years of high school, they had little worry and would record themselves performing in the room, pretending they were holding their own concerts, Leah trying to play bass along with Aaron’s guitar playing skills, though Leah’s preferred instrument was the piano.
As Leah flopped down on the couch, she smiled, patting her hands on the leather.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been in here,” she said, noting that the books, movies, and guitar displays were all still in the same place.
“I still come in here all the time,” Aaron said, grabbing the guitar he had clearly been playing when Leah arrived, setting it on his knee and absentmindedly strumming a few chords. “So what brought you here? I would have thought you would spend your day off with your new boyfriend.”
Leah let out a small laugh, her eyebrows going high.
“Well, that was the plan. I did go see him last night, stayed the night and all…”
“Did you guys have a fight?”
“No.”
“Not even about the fact that his brother-in-law is your boss?”
Leah shook her head. “Nope.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Honestly, you’re probably the only person who understands how weird this
situation could get,” Leah laughed nervously. “You’ve know Mr. Gracie a lot longer than I have. He’s been your boss for a while. He told me that Braydon was really difficult to get to know and that he didn’t like people to get close to him and that I should be prepared for a drama-filled relationship. Do you think he was just trying to get me to break it off with him?”
Aaron shook his head, picking at the strings of the guitar.
“No, he really stays out of everyone’s private lives,” the other musician assured. “I really don’t think he cares. If I had to take a guess, I would say that there are some things that make Kyle Hayward a bit complicated. Mr. Gracie was probably just warning you that being with him will probably not be easy.”
“You’ve met him once for about ten seconds,” Leah noted, her tone exasperated. “There is no way you could know his personality.”
“No, but I know his work,” Aaron corrected. “Some of it is extremely dark. In my opinion, you can’t write that stuff unless you’ve seen some shit.”
“I’ve only read one of his books,” Leah murmured. “And yeah, I guess it was pretty dark.” She rubbed her face, leaning forward. “I’m feeling a bit twisted up about all this.”
“About the relationship?”
“Yes…no. I don’t know,” Leah sighed. “When I was talking to Mr. Gracie, I told him that I wanted to be with Braydon no matter what anyone said. Even if it’s just for now. And I believe that. I do want to be with him.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know…” she sighed. “His behavior is a little strange. Sometimes he’s just really sweet and attentive and has this really calming presence. And then, out of nowhere, it’s like he’s nervous and wants me to leave.”
“Does he tell you to leave?” Aaron asked, unable to stop the worried tone of his voice.
“No, it’s just a feeling,” she assured quickly. “Maybe I’m just reading too much into it. Or maybe I’m not reading into it enough…I’m torn between what Mr. Gracie said, what Braydon said, and his behavior, and how I feel.”