Chapter 32

GRACE

We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

I drank him in like I hadn’t seen him in years. He was as handsome as ever; his hair was a little longer, and he had scruff on his cheeks. He also looked a little thinner, and I wondered whether he’d been taking care of himself.

“Grace,” he said at the same time I said, “Brady.”

We both smiled. Then Brady said, “You first.”

I sat down next to him, but not quite close enough for him to touch me. I wasn’t sure if I could handle that right now. I realized I was shaking, and I had to hide my hands under my thighs.

“I’ve been looking for you all day,” I said.

Brady’s brows rose. “Really?”

“Why didn’t you answer your phone? I thought something was wrong.”

Brady pulled out his phone from his back pocket and grimaced. “Shit. The battery’s dead. I hadn’t even realized. I’m sorry for freaking you out.”

I took a deep breath. Then I looked more closely at his phone, taking it from his grasp. “How old is this thing, anyway?”

“It still works.”

“Um, clearly not.” I handed it back, trying not to laugh at Brady’s grumpy expression. “I’m glad you’re okay. Were you waiting here long?”

Now Brady looked uncomfortable. “Yeah, but I needed to talk to your parents. We hashed things out. Your mom really told your dad off. I’m sorry you missed it. She was pissed about him making me stay silent about Ben.”

I closed my eyes. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I have so much I need to say. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“I’m just glad you’re talking to me.”

I opened my eyes again. Brady was looking at me like I was an oasis in the desert. My heart soared. That dangerous, dangerous hope bloomed inside me again.

“I want to make things work. I don’t even care about Tatiana,” I said.

Brady looked confused. “Tatiana?”

A blush climbed up my cheeks. “I saw her going into your apartment a week ago. I wanted to talk to you, but then I saw her, and I just couldn’t do it.”

Brady gaped at me, and then he groaned. “Oh Christ, it’s not what you think. Tatiana was at my place, but nothing happened. I swear.”

“How did she know where you live?”

Brady grimaced. “We’ve hooked up before. At my place. But that was a long time ago. She just showed up that night because her flight was delayed, and she was bored. I sent her away.”

I could tell by the intensity in his expression that he was telling the truth. I let out a sigh of relief.

“I was about to go fight her,” I admitted, laughing.

“You have to know—the only woman I love is you. It’s always been you, Grace. I know you’re angry with me, and I won’t tell you that you should forgive me—”

I scooted closer and pressed a finger over his mouth. “There’s nothing to forgive. I realized that I was taking out my feelings about Ben dying on you. I was mad that you hadn’t been honest, yes. But my mom told me that it was all because of my dad interfering.”

Brady closed his eyes. “So you know everything.”

“I do. And you know what? It doesn’t change how much I want to be with you.”

Brady pressed his forehead to mine, and we breathed each other in. “I hoped you’d say that to me, but I never thought it’d happen,” he murmured.

“I’m so sorry for everything I said to you that night in your apartment. The guilt has ate away at me.”

“About those damn keys ...” Brady moved so he could look into my eyes. “I should never have given them to your brother. It was a stupid, split-second decision. I’d seen him drinking a beer earlier, but I assumed that he was sober enough to drive. I thought he’d never drink and drive and put himself in danger, or anyone else. I’ve lived with the guilt of that mistake. It haunts me.”

I could see that in his eyes. I hated that for him, that he’d had this terrible burden on his shoulders for so long.

“I think Ben would want us to let go of the past,” I said. “Can’t you see him rolling his eyes and telling us to stop moping around?”

That made Brady chuckle. “He’d definitely tell me to stop being a ‘bitch baby,’ as he’d like to say when my hockey playing sucked.”

“My brother was so motivational.” I chuckled, then sobered. “I also get why you listened to my dad. I can’t keep wishing you hadn’t because if I’m being honest, I would’ve done the same thing.”

“I was so afraid of losing all of you.” Brady looked away. “I’d already lost Ben. If you and your mom knew the truth, your dad was sure that you’d never speak to me again. I couldn’t bear that. Especially you. I could’ve lived with that guilt for the rest of my life if it meant I could still be in your life.”

“Well, I know you didn’t ask for it, but I do forgive you. I love you. It’s always been you. You’re the only man I’ll ever love.”

I then took a deep breath. “I also want you to know that you’re enough. You don’t have to be some amazing hockey player to prove that you’re worthy of love. I know you’ve been through a lot, especially with your mom. I know you felt like you didn’t belong with us, but you do. I think I knew that the day you first arrived at our house.”

Tears filled Brady’s eyes. “Shit. I don’t know what to say. I wish I could believe you.”

“I hope someday you will believe it. Until then, I’ll just keep saying the words and showing you how much I love you.”

He hugged me close, and I could feel him shaking. I rubbed his back as I waited for the multitude of emotions to move through his body.

He finally pulled away and wiped his eyes. “Jesus. I didn’t even realize I wanted to hear somebody say something like that. All my life, nobody wanted me. I was always a burden, another mouth to feed. My mom couldn’t even stop drinking long enough to bring me home. I wanted to be a part of your family so badly, but it scared the shit out of me, too.”

He looked away. “Then Ben died, and I thought, This is it . This is the end. I’ll lose the Dallases, too. Just like I’d been kicked out of every other foster family I’d been in. So, yeah, I did whatever your dad wanted me to. I’m not proud of that, though. I should’ve been stronger.”

“It doesn’t matter. All of that is in the past.” I cupped his cheek. “We’re here, together. And I’m not letting you go, Brady Carmichael.”

Brady groaned. He pulled me into his arms, and it felt like I was finally coming home. He kissed me; I clung to him like he was a lifeboat amid a storm.

“I love you so damn much,” he said between kisses. “Not talking to you for a whole damn month was too fucking long. It almost killed me.”

“I thought about you every day.” I grinned. “And every time I masturbated, of course.”

He growled. “Don’t tempt me or I’m going to fuck you right here in your parents’ house.”

“They’re not coming back for a while.” I grabbed his shirt and then led him to the large leather chair. “And if you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to lose my damn mind.”

Brady didn’t need to be told twice. He kissed me as he ran his hands down my spine. He stripped me out of my shirt and bra in record time. When he palmed my breasts, I gasped. It’d been so long since he’d touched me that it felt like the first time all over again.

“I thought about you all the time, too,” he admitted. “I loved to think about you playing with your sweet pussy when I jerked off. But then I’d always end up feeling worse afterward because I couldn’t really touch you.”

“I felt the same way. Sometimes it felt better not to touch myself, but then I’d always give in.”

He kissed me, the stubble rough against my face. I rubbed a hand across his cheek. “This is new,” I said with a laugh.

“I haven’t felt much like shaving. Or getting a haircut. Or really living, because I didn’t have you around.”

“Well, then I’ll definitely have to take you to a barber after we’re finished.”

Brady’s eyes darkened. “And you think we’ll be done before every barber in this town closes? Think again.”

I squealed when he pinched my nipples in tandem as he kissed me. I humped his lap, desperate for more contact. But Brady seemed content to make me suffer.

“You’re going to get my jeans soaked,” he said with a chuckle. He slicked his hand through my folds. “Damn, baby. You really want me to fuck you, don’t you?”

I nodded. He began rubbing me—slowly, ever slowly—and I had to bite back a scream. I didn’t care that I was humping his hand or that I was probably leaving marks on his shoulders from my fingernails.

Brady kissed the side of my neck; then he swore. “I don’t have a condom,” he said, frustrated. “Shit. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m on birth control.”

His eyes widened. “You sure?”

“Absolutely. I trust you.”

He sighed and wrapped his arms around me tightly. “I love you. How could I have ever thought I’d be okay without you?”

“That’s all over now. You’re here, and we’re never going to be apart again.”

I helped Brady out of his jeans and boxers, needing to feel his cock again. He was hard and hot in my palms. I stroked him as we kissed, loving the way he pushed into my hands for more friction.

“Put me inside you,” he said in a low voice, his eyes narrowed.

I did as he bade. I slowly sat on his cock, loving the way he filled me. We both moaned when he was entirely inside me. I was stuffed full. I leaned forward and pressed my face to his shoulder.

“Ride me, baby.” He gripped my hips to start me moving.

I felt a little awkward at first, unsure of what to do. But it didn’t take long to find my rhythm. I bounced on Brady’s cock and discovered how amazing it felt when my clit brushed against his pelvis.

“That’s my girl. God, you’re gorgeous.” Brady played with my breasts as I increased my pace.

We were both panting now. I felt my climax creeping up on me. I watched as Brady clenched his jaw.

“Baby, you better come soon. Otherwise—” He groaned when I swiveled my hips.

I laughed, but my laughter devolved into moans when Brady thrust up against me. Then, before I realized it, he’d taken control. He used my body to fuck himself, and it was so hot and erotic that it took all of ten seconds before I yelled in orgasm.

I shook and writhed on top of him. It took all my strength just to hold on to him. And then Brady came, and I could feel his cock pulsing inside me. He filled my pussy with his hot cum until I could feel him dripping out of me.

“Fuuuuuuuck.” Brady kissed me as he bucked under me for a few more seconds. “Holy shit, Grace.”

I could only shake my head. I didn’t have the power to say anything.

We kept kissing for a while longer, not wanting to lose our newfound closeness. When Brady finally pulled away, I blushed when his cum gushed out of me.

“I’ll get a towel,” he said with a grin. He returned, and we cleaned each other up.

It was only as we were making sure the leather chair was also clean that I started laughing like a lunatic.

“What?” Brady gave me a strange look.

I pressed my hands to my cheeks. “Oh God. Brady, that’s my dad’s chair. I wasn’t even thinking earlier.”

Brady looked at me, then he looked at the chair. Then he started laughing so hard he was nearly choking.

“Oh my God. Oh, shit.” He had to sit down, he was laughing so hard. He wiped his eyes. “Baby, you should’ve said something.”

“I was distracted!”

Brady pulled me onto his lap. “You make me lose my mind, clearly. But you know we’ll have to keep this a secret until we die, right?”

“Uh, duh. We should maybe think about taking the chair out back and burning it for good measure.”

“And get your dad a new chair without him putting two and two together? Good luck.”

I sighed, leaning my head against Brady’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed my forehead. “And I think it’s time you moved out of your parents’ place.”