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“I…”
“What?” I whisper, sitting up, suddenly wishing I still had my pants on.
Why is he looking at me like that?
“I have to go,” he snarls, turning away.
“Braden.”
But he won’t listen.
His heavy footsteps pound through the apartment, across the living room, and toward the door. I listen to the slam of the door as confusion barrels through me, stomping all over the pure and starry emotions that filled me only moments ago.
Why would he barge out like that after what we just did?
Chapter Ten
Braden
Trying to focus on my work is a goddamn joke.
I do my best when I’m in front of the camera, forcing Bria to the back of my mind. But it’s impossible to get rid of her completely, especially when I’m wearing the clothes she selected. It’s like I can feel her all over my jacket, the same way she touched me when she first fitted it, the nervous sassiness in her touch.
Nervous sassiness.
It’s a mixture only my woman – my fucking woman – can achieve.
It was the same way she creamed all over my mouth yesterday, her moans coming out like part of her was ashamed of showing so much blatant pleasure. But there was this quiver beneath the shyness, this hungry-for-more shiver that threatened to drive me fully feral.
I spend the morning in the studio, in front of the green screen, pretending to be somebody else. But even as I exchange lines with douchebag Tyler, I can’t stop thinking about the unscripted truth I need to reveal to my woman.
That’s why I had to leave as I stood over her. I was so close to letting her know about the possessive passion that has taken hold of me, about the impossible and ridiculous need.
No, it should be ridiculous, to want a stranger this badly.
But it doesn’t feel ridiculous.
And I can’t devalue what we have – what we’re going to have – by labeling it that.
When I see her walking across the lot just after lunchtime, I know I can’t hold myself back anymore.
She’s wearing a shirt and trousers, as usual, but it’s difficult not to snap when I can so easily undress her in my mind.
It’s too easy to peel away the layers of her clothes, to remember the way her thighs trembled for me as she reached her climax.
Before I know it, I’m striding after her, my breath loud in my ears. My heartbeat thunders as my gaze travels over her breasts, the faint outline of her bra.
She stops and snaps her gaze toward me, mixed emotions flaring in her eyes. There’s movement all around us, people rushing around, but that doesn’t stop her from staring at me like she wants to kill me.
Maybe it makes me messed up, but the sassiness in that expression fires through me, making my balls buzz and my seed roar.
Even now, even after I abandoned her.
Even when she’s angry with me.
Perhaps it’s time to accept that everything my woman does drives me feral.
“We need to talk,” I snap.
“About how rude you were last night, or…”
“Come on.”
Without waiting for a reply, I stride past her. A moment later, I hear her following after me, her footsteps coming quickly as she struggles to keep up with my long strides.
“You know, there’s only so much of this I can take,” she says. “If you think I’m going to let you—”
“Let me?” I snarl, spinning on her.
We’re standing at the corner of the studio, out of earshot of the milling business of the set. But not out of eyeshot.
I don’t care. Maybe it’s good. It means I have to hold myself back.
“Let me?” I say again, shaking my head.
She stares up at me, wide-eyed as she tries to stay angry, as she tries to keep herself filled with rightful rage.
And hell, she does have reason to be angry with me.
There’s no denying that. She has every reason in the world to never want to speak to me again.
“You don’t let me do anything,” I snap, staring down hard at her, her eyes glistening in the sunlight. “That’s why I left last night because I knew I was going to tell you. I knew I was going to let it all out.”
“Let what out?” she whispers, her voice softening a little.
“My feelings for you.” I peel off with a gruff laugh. “Fuck, I can’t even call them feelings. It’s just… reality, the way things are. I don’t feel like I need you. I know I need you.”
She gasps, wrapping her arms across her middle.
“I need you,” I go on, feeling as though a mammoth weight is being lifted from my shoulders. “I need to make you mine, to make you my woman so no other man can ever touch you, can ever even think about touching you. I felt it the first moment I saw you, this need, this impossible compulsion. I can’t stop thinking about the future we’re going to share together…”
