Braydon(45)

Jessie’s heart fluttered strangely. His hand was so big, so warm against hers. His voice was rich and soothing, and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and let it wash over her. She wanted to feel the safety and security she’d felt in his arms again. It was one of the things that kept her up at night. Thoughts of what it would be like to be held by him again.

Braydon began moving and Jessie allowed him to lead her back the way they’d come. He walked around to the passenger side of his truck and opened her door. Once she had climbed inside, he shut the door gently behind her and she watched as he made his way around the front of the truck once again.

As his door opened, Jessie sent up a silent prayer: God, please, please, please don’t let me let him break my heart again.





chapter TEN

Braydon was relieved that Jessie had allowed him to drive her home. If she had insisted on walking, he would’ve walked with her. Or even ten feet behind her if she demanded to be left alone. Under no circumstances would he have allowed her to walk home by herself.

He’d actually been surprised that he could persuade her to go with him. She’d been hell-bent on doing things her way since the moment he got back to town, and he hadn’t expected tonight to be any different. But then she’d climbed into his truck and he’d joined her. After he’d instructed her to message Kylie so she wouldn’t worry, the two of them had driven in silence.

But now, as he pulled down the main drive that passed by his parents’ house and led to hers, Braydon kept replaying what she’d said over and over in his head.

Leave me alone, Braydon Walker. I’m not going to help Brendon and I’m not going to help you, either. I refuse to be used to help you or your brother land women. Using me to make her jealous ain’t gonna work because I’m not gonna let it.

It still pissed him off that she could possibly think he was capable of something like that. But then it had dawned on him that Brendon had done exactly that. Braydon had been watching the two of them as Brendon made his way across the room, and when he started talking to Jessie, her eyes had flashed with rage. When she came barreling through the crowd, Braydon had known something was wrong, but not until she scolded him in the parking lot had he realized why.

If Braydon was correct, which he was pretty sure he was, then Brendon was trying to make Cheyenne jealous. And he had been planning to use Jessie to do so.

What the hell had gotten into Brendon?

Never in their lives had Brendon used a woman. And certainly not to make another woman jealous. What was it about Cheyenne that had Brendon acting like a dumbass? What had the woman done to him? Braydon knew firsthand—thanks to Jessie—just how much a woman could f*ck with a man’s head, but what Brendon was doing wasn’t acceptable. His brother was out of control.

“Thanks for the ride,” Jessie said, pulling Braydon from his thoughts. He hadn’t even realized that they had reached her house. That was only a little worrisome, especially since he was the one driving.

“You’re welcome,” he answered, but after coming to a complete stop he climbed out of the truck. He left the keys in the ignition and the engine running, but he wasn’t about to let Jessie walk to the door herself. He was raised to treat a lady right, and he wasn’t going to change that now. No matter what she said.

“You’re not coming in,” she argued when she flung her door open, although he hadn’t said anything.

When they met at the front of the truck, he put his hand on the small of her back and urged her toward the front door. She stiffened immediately.

“You’re not,” she said again, but Braydon ignored her.

Once they were on the porch, he waited for her to unlock the door. She didn’t. She just stood there staring at him.

“I’m not leaving until you’re inside, Jess.”

It was her turn to not speak and they stood there, staring at one another for a long time. The only light was that of the moon passing between the trees and the dim glow from a lamp inside, filtering through the big window overlooking the porch. Not enough for him to see Jessie’s expression clearly, but enough for him to know that she could feel the energy pulsing between them.

Three months or three years, Braydon wasn’t sure that the staggering attraction they harbored for one another would ever go away.

Maybe neither of them were capable of making rational decisions when it came to relationships, but he knew right then and there that he wasn’t giving up on this woman. No matter how much she wanted him to.

He couldn’t.

He loved her.

And Braydon took that seriously. He had never loved another woman in all his life. He’d been in plenty of relationships, mostly sexual, occasionally not, but never had he felt like this. Even after all those days of being away from her, the moment he laid eyes on her again it had been as though he had never left. His heart had her image imprinted on it, and another hundred years could pass but Braydon knew he would never be able to forget her.

“Braydon,” Jessie whispered.

Braydon realized he had taken a step closer. His hand was caressing her cheek and he was staring down at her. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open, and Braydon wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to take another breath.

“Jess,” he said, losing the tenuous grip he had on his control. “Oh, God, Jess.” Braydon slid his hand behind her head, cupped her nape, and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.