Breathless (Steel Brothers Saga #10)(46)

And I’d finish it.

Once and for all.





Chapter Twenty–Nine





Marjorie





“I can’t offer you anything past today,” Bryce said to me. “I wish I could. You have no idea how much I wish I could.”

“Fine,” I said, not caring at the moment whether it lasted past the next thirty seconds as long as I got to kiss him again. “But don’t kiss me unless you mean it.”

His blue eyes softened. “I’ve always meant it.” He touched my cheek, his fingers making me tingle.

“I can’t be your escape, Bryce, no matter how much I want to be.”

“I know that. Why do you think I’m trying to stay away? You deserve better, and an escape is all I’m after right now.”

“An escape probably doesn’t include moving into the guesthouse and working for my brothers.”

He was silent then.

“Have you seen the guesthouse?” I asked mischievously.

“A time or two, when Ryan lived there. But I didn’t visit him often.”

“Want a tour?”

“Now?”

“Do you have somewhere else to be?”

Silence again.

“Start the engine,” I said. “We’ll drive over.”

He sighed and obeyed. “All right.”

A few minutes later we parked at the guesthouse. “Come on,” I said, opening the car door. “It’s still fully furnished. Ryan and Ruby chose all new stuff when they moved into their permanent home.”

Yes, still fully furnished. Including the master bedroom.

Not that I was thinking about that…

I unlocked the door and entered. Bryce kept a safe distance behind me. Wow. He was doing everything he could to resist me. I should leave him alone, let him deal with the issues he felt he needed to. I was a nice person. A good person.

But I wanted this man.

Even now, I ached between my legs just being in his presence.

The house was immaculate. After Ryan and Ruby moved out, everything had been cleaned to a spit shine, and sheets and blankets had been changed on all the beds.

It was a sterile environment.

I could never resist dirtying up a sterile environment.

But I wouldn’t push it. Bryce would have to make the first move.

“Here we go,” I said, gesturing to the left. “The living roo—”

With a thunk, he pushed me against the wall in the foyer and clamped his mouth to mine.

First. Move. Made.

I opened, letting him in and kissing him back deeply. God, his kisses. I’d done my share of making out, but Bryce kissed on another whole level. He fucked with his mouth, made me crazy with his mouth.

Our lips slid together, and soon I was breathless, but I couldn’t bring myself to push away and gasp. I inhaled what I could through my nose as we continued making love with our mouths. When he finally broke the kiss, we both inhaled. Then he yanked on my ponytail, pushing my head back and baring my neck.

He slid his wet lips over the sensitive skin of my neck and upper chest. “So beautiful,” he murmured.

I closed my eyes, surrendering to the moment, to our passion.

“I want to kiss every inch of you,” he said, his voice humming against my skin.

“Yes,” I breathed. “Please.”

“Bedroom,” he grunted.

I didn’t want to move, didn’t want his lips to leave my flesh, but I forced myself, knowing the delights that would come. I grabbed his hand and nearly dragged him down the hallway to the master bedroom.

The room was large and airy, and centered on the opposite wall was a king-size bed covered in a masculine brown comforter.

His eyes widened. “God.”

“What?” I said, nearly breathless.

“The bed.”

“Yeah, it’s a bed.”

“I can’t…”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I want to. You don’t even know how much I want to.”

“What’s the problem, then?”

I expected to hear the same old excuses. I deserved more. Pink unicorns. Baby sister.

Instead, “I don’t have a condom on me.”

Was that all? “I’m on the pill. And clean.”

He inhaled, closing his eyes. “I’m clean too. I got checked after my marriage ended. Thank God.”

He pulled me to him and tugged the band out of my ponytail. My hair fell down my back and around my shoulders. “Love your hair. Love every part of you. You’re fucking perfect.”

I tried not to pay attention to the word “love.” He didn’t love me. He was just wildly attracted to me, as I was to him. I loved every part of him too, from the gorgeous sandy-blond hair on his head to his muscular calves and oddly beautiful feet.

Of course, at the moment, his legs and feet were covered.

I wanted them uncovered.

“You’re perfect too,” I said. “Undress for me.”

A smile curved his lips upward. “I give the orders here, sweetheart.”

I bristled at the husky timbre of his voice, his command. I wasn’t submissive. Far from it. I wanted this man, though, and if he wanted me to undress, I’d do it.