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15
Iwoke the next morningin my usual hazy fog. It took a good few seconds for the memory of Brady’s lips on mine to surface. I couldn’t help the massive grin that instantly spread across my face. Tracing my fingers over my bottom lip, warmth surged around every part of me as I recalled his soft, passionate embrace. I’d never wanted that kiss to end.
My moment of elation was short lived however when a shot of dread settled in my chest, reminding me that for the first time ever, I’d kissed someone other than Ben. Having been with him since I was fifteen, he wasallI knew.
An internal battle raged inside me. One side of me curled with guilt, punishing me for being unfaithful. Yet the other side reigned stubbornness and the right to indulge myself in whatever I wanted because of what he’d done to me.
I frowned. I didn’t want to involve Brady in all of my drama, and especially not to use him as some sort of rebound or revenge thing. But, the emotions he stirred inside me were something I’d not felt since first meeting Ben. They were creeping through me, slowly claiming and consuming every last part of me. It was invigorating and exhilarating in its own right—and I didn’t want it to end.
A soft knock at the door cut through my thoughts. Excitement bubbled in my gut—I knew who it would be. I opened the door, biting my lip to curb my grin.
He took his hat off, smiling. “Morning.”
I couldn’t help my cheeks turning a bright shade of red. “Hi.”
“You sleep ok?”
I nodded, still sporting my goofy smile. “You?”
His eyes twinkled as he nodded. “I wondered if you wanted company for breakfast?”
A burst of adrenaline clenched my heart, my breath catching in my throat. “Sure. That would be nice.”
He lifted a hand to my face and pulled my bottom lip free from my teeth. “Please don’t bite your lip, Sophie—” He ran his thumb over my lips, his focus fixated on my mouth “—I love those little pink pillows of yours.”
I laughed. “Pink pillows?”
“Yeah,” he said, dropping his contact. “A pillow is something so soft and enticing, you want to rest on it.” He took a step towards me and slipped an arm around my waist. “And I would happily keep myself on your lips all day.”
My heart thudded with such force, I felt it in my throat. A heady mix of adrenaline and scorching heat pulsed around me, leaving me almost frozen in time. He was saying all the right things, he was doing all the rights things, how was a girl supposed to resist this?
“So how about that breakfast?” he said, all but whispering.
I nodded, hypnotised by his early morning closeness. He smelled so damn good—whatever fruity shower gel that was, I wanted to bathe in it. I rested my hand just above his hip with a firm enough hold to feel the solidity of his muscles beneath. Desire took a hold of me. The yearning to just slip a finger beneath his shirt and feel his silky, honey brown skin was almost too much to bear.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, refocusing my body and mind on the matter in hand. “Yes, breakfast.”
He chuckled. “You...err...want to get dressed?”
Horror crept over me, flooding my desire with nothing but embarrassment as I realised in my eagerness to open the door, I’d presented myself to him in a pair of shorts and a crop top. My cheeks erupted as I mumbled my apologies, grabbing my dressing gown from the back of the door.
“It’s fine. I’m not complaining.” He stepped back, ending our moment. “I’ll wait out here for you.”
I rushed to the shower, cursing myself as I got ready at breakneck speed. When I emerged from my room twenty minutes later, I couldn’t help but smile as he stood from the bench he was sat on, and strode over to me.
“You look good in the mornings.”
I blushed. “Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“How’s your wrist?”
“Ok, thank you.”
“Think you can manage a day in the saddle?”
A small grin crossed my lips. “Why?”
“Well, we need to move some of the critters from one pasture to another. I could do with a hand keeping the stragglers in check.”
