A small twinge of disappointment gnawed at her belly. Yes, she had let things go too far that night, but part of her had enjoyed the rawness of it, the abandon. She nodded. “Sounds like a plan. As long as kissing is still part of the agenda.”
“Oh, definitely. Item number one, in fact.”
He curled his palm around the nape of her neck, drawing her closer, then brushed his mouth against hers. The move was sweet, a simple whisper of his lips against hers, but her body shuddered in response. She’d spent so much time the last few weeks keeping a careful distance from him and trying to forget the night in his truck that even the minute contact sent her nerve endings alight.
His fingers threaded in her hair, gently tugging her head back, allowing him access to her neck. The tender force behind the movement caused an odd thrill to rush through her. They had agreed they both wanted to take things slow, but the tension in his grasp made her think he was fighting the urge to charge forward. He kissed the tender skin behind her ear, then her jawline, leaving goose bumps trailing along her skin. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she relished the delicious decadence of his touch. By the time his mouth found its way back to hers, her whole body had flushed with heat.
His hands moved down to her waist, then braced against the tops of her legs, his thumbs making circles on her inner thighs while his tongue explored her mouth. His fingers bit into the soft flesh of her legs through the cotton of her pants. Unraveling restraint, that’s what it felt like. Like he was riding the edge of his control and if she made one wrong move, he was going to throw her down on the coffee table and rip off her clothes—an idea that frankly sounded all kinds of enticing at the moment.
Even though she told herself they were simply going to kiss, her body refused to believe it. Slick moisture flooded her sex and desire, sharp and wicked, clouded her thoughts. Unconsciously, she spread her legs wider, and Reid’s growing erection brushed against her. A low murmur of pleasure escaped her, but was quickly swallowed by his kiss.
Reid pulled back, his breathing heavy. “God, I can’t even kiss you.”
She blinked at the sudden break in contact. “What do you mean?”
He tilted his head back and raked his hands through his hair. “I think you know.”
She moved her hand to his crotch, his cock as hard as steel against the denim of his jeans. She ran her nails along the scratchy material, loving the fact that she could turn him on so quickly. “It’s okay. Apparently, we’re not so good at slow and easy.”r: Roni Loren
“Do you think she needs to go to a doctor or the police?”
“She’ll refuse to see either.”
He nodded. “Okay, then why don’t we get her somewhere she can rest and sleep it off?”
Brynn sighed and stood. She gave her mother’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “Ma, I’m going to help you get up and walk to your bedroom, okay?”
Her mother reached up and patted Brynn’s hand. “Thanks, baby.”
Reid went around the opposite side from Brynn and gently grabbed her mother’s upper arm to help her to her feet. She stumbled a bit, but managed to stand with their assistance. With slow, steady steps they led her out of the kitchen and down the narrow hallway. Brynn bumped open one of the doors with her elbow.
The room was barely bigger than the closet in Reid’s own bedroom and looked way too neat to belong to a woman who was clearly out of control. He wondered if Brynn had led him to her own bedroom to protect herself from more embarrassment.
Brynn pulled back the sheets, and the two of them helped her mother to sit on the edge of the bed. She bent down and slipped off her mom’s heels, then placed them on a rack in the closet. Reid frowned. This wasn’t Brynn’s room, but apparently she played maid to her mother along with everything else.
“Who the hell are you?” said a slurred voice.
Reid turned to see her mother squinting at him with her uninjured eye.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your daughter’s boyfriend.”
She snorted. “Right.”
Brynn hurried to her mother’s side and shot him a withering look. “Come on, Ma, let’s get you into your nightgown.”
“He’ll only break your heart,” she said. “Cheating bastards—all of ’em. Believe you me. They all do it eventually. I’d be broke otherwise.”
“You are broke,” Brynn muttered, and glanced at Reid. “I’m going to get her changed. I’ll be out in a minute.”
He nodded and stepped into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. As he made his way back to the living room, his heart broke for the girl who had quickly become the sole focus of his days. No wonder she didn’t have time for a burger. She was taking care of everyone around her. He sank into the well-worn couch and ran a hand over his face.
After his last date with Brynn, he’d thought she might be the girl he could share his secret with, but now he knew he had to keep his lips sewn shut. The last thing she needed was to hear about his sordid fantasies. Her opinion of men had already been warped enough.
No, what Brynn needed was a hero—a guy who would treat her with the respect no one showed her mother. The only question was, did he have enough self-control to be that guy?
Brynn clicked her mother’s door shut and took a moment to gather herself before facing Reid. She didn’t want to discuss what had happened, but she couldn’t just kick the guy out with no explanation after he’d been decent enough to help. She smoothed the creases in her black pants, straightened her shoulders, and walked toward the living room.
Reid was sitting forward on the couch, forearms on knees, and his mouth in a grim line. His black tailored shirt and expensive jeans looked out of place against the faded flower pattern of their secondhand furniture. He looked up when she sank into the love seat. “Got her in bed okay?”