Audrey
I’d woken up hot, wrapped in Brody’s arms. It startled me. I didn’t remember falling asleep at first, or how we came to share a bed. But then memories of the night before came rushing back as my sleep-induced fog lifted. Dinner. The walk on the beach. My birthday present. A locket I was gripping tightly in my hand, too afraid to let go in case I lost it. And the knowledge that Brody had miraculously managed to find and save some photos of my family when I thought they were long gone.
I’d cried. Like a baby. But it was honestly the best gift anyone could have given me. It was irreplaceable. I feared that with time, I’d forget what my parents and my sister looked like, how their voices sounded, the way they smelled. But with my locket, I’d never lose sight of their faces. They’d be with me forever. And because of that, the giant hole in my heart got a little bit smaller, and the pain a little more bearable.
Brody slept while I lay there quietly in his arms, too afraid to move in case I woke him up. I wanted him to sleep. He worked crazy hours and needed this break as much as I did. I also didn’t want to wake him because I was enjoying being in his arms too much and didn’t want him to get up and leave me just yet. I was more than happy to stay right where I was for the remainder of the weekend.
In his arms.
Bennett had teased me relentlessly at school all week about my “crush,” laughing his ass off every time I mentioned Brody’s name…which, apparently, I did a lot.
Brody seemed to have other ideas, though. He’d woken a short while after I had, but rather than jumping out of bed like I’d expected, he stayed there, trailing his hands up and down my back, not saying a word. I wondered whether he was as confused as I was. I didn’t know what was going on with us. We were friends. And we kissed. But we hadn’t kissed for a few days. And I wasn’t seventeen anymore. I was eighteen. Old enough to make up my own mind and my own decisions about my life. And I knew what I wanted.
Brody.
The day went by so fast. After breakfast, we went exploring the beach and the caves and hiked through the trees a little way. The view was incredible, something I couldn’t even describe. It was breathtaking. And then the afternoon disappeared as we swam in the ocean, something I never thought I’d do ever again. The water was cool and refreshing and felt magical on my skin. I never wanted to get out.
I was so nervous wearing a swimsuit in front of Brody, but after Bennett had helped me pick something that suited me and still covered some of my scars, then reassured me that I didn’t look like a freak, I felt a little more comfortable. If Brody’s expression was anything to go by, I knew I had nothing to worry about. He looked at me like a man dying of thirst in the desert, and I was his water.
“You’re looking thoughtful,” Brody said from beside me as we roasted marshmallows on the fire.
“Just thinking about how good this week has been. I feel so lucky and never thought I’d feel that way again.”
Brody wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed the side of my head. We didn’t speak, and it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was nice to just be there beside him without anyone else around. Time was going too fast, though. Tomorrow we’d have to leave and go back to reality. To people. Work. School. To pretending that things were normal, when they were so far from normal.
I sandwiched my marshmallow between two crackers with a piece of chocolate and took a bite, savouring the sweet and sticky goodness from the marshmallow. Chocolate oozed down my fingers as I ate. It was delicious.
“How have I lived my entire life and not had a s’more before?”
“Good, right?” Brody said, shoving the rest of his in his mouth.
“Better than sex,” I said. Not that I’d ever had sex before, but I’d heard the expression plenty of times. And I figured sex must be pretty spectacular if people seemed shocked when something else was said to be better. Kind of like Brody right then.
He coughed and choked down the rest of his s’more. “What?”
“Figure of speech.”
“Shit.” He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Is there a way to eat these things so they don’t make such a mess?” I asked, licking my fingers.
Brody’s eyes snapped open and darkened as he watched me. “Audrey.”
“Mmm?”
“Stop.” He clenched his fists and gazed up at the stars. Was it just me, or was he a little on edge?
“What?” I asked again, licking a trail of chocolate off my fingers. It was so delicious. I didn’t want to waste a single drop.
Brody groaned and snatched my hand in his and proceeded to…oh, my god.
He licked the marshmallow and chocolate from each and every finger, sucking them into his mouth. And I should have been grossed out, because really…ewww. But I wasn’t. My heart rate increased, and I could practically feel it beating out of my chest, and I knew he would too if he moved any closer.
It was hot.
Was it hot?
I was hot.
Brody’s tongue swirled around my fingers, licking every last drop of chocolate and marshmallow until there was none left.
“Brody?” My voice was rough, thicker than usual. What was with that? I sounded like I was getting sick, but I wasn’t. I felt fine. If fine meant I really wanted to rip Brody’s shirt off and lick melted chocolate off his chest.
“Cupcake.” He pressed his lips to the inside of my wrist and pulled me into his lap.
My legs hung on either side of him as I draped an arm over his shoulder. His mouth trailed wet, hot kisses up the other.
“Kiss me.” We hadn’t kissed since my birthday, but things were different now. Feelings were intensifying. There were lingering gazes and frequent touches. A brush of the shoulder, holding hands, kisses on the cheek. And we were alone on a beach by the light of the fire, and everything felt so right.
Brody’s mouth descended on mine. Hot, demanding, and urgent. His fingers flirted with the hem of my shirt as though unsure what to do. I leaned into him, threading my fingers in his hair, not getting close enough.
Our tongues danced together to a rhythm set by the waves crashing against the shore. He was gentle and unhurried as he explored my mouth and his hands skimmed along my skin. Breaking the kiss, he pressed his mouth to the top of my shoulder and lifted my shirt over my head. Wrapping his arms around my back and pulling me against his chest, he continued kissing my shoulder while his fingers caressed my spine, causing shivers to roll through my body.
I reached for his shirt, wanting to feel his skin against mine more than anything else. I pulled it over his head and dropped it into the sand with mine. Leaning back in, I pressed my lips to his collarbone, dragging my teeth across the ridge, tasting his skin. It was better than any s’more.
Brody threaded his fingers into my hair and pulled back just enough for me to see his swollen lips and dark eyes. His breaths were heavy, laboured, and his mouth brushed mine as he spoke. “We need to stop.”
“Please, don’t.” I kissed him again, and that was all it took.
He gripped my hips and lifted me. Stepping around the log we had been sitting on, he carried me across the sand, over the deck, and back into the tent where he laid me gently on the bed.
Standing at the edge of the bed, shirtless, hair a mess from my fingers, he was incredible. He stood back and admired me. In nothing but a bra and pair of shorts, my scars on full display, Brody looked at me as though I was the most beautiful person on the planet. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. My heart swelled in my chest as I watched him watch me.
Again, not for the first time, he seemed to be warring with himself. The conflict flashed in his eyes, only to be replaced with desire, time and time again. Knowing he’d want to do the noble thing and never make up his mind, I sat up and reached for the button on the top of his shorts.
“You sure?” he asked.
I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t find my voice all of a sudden, so I nodded. Brody gently pushed me back on the bed and leaned over me. “You’re beautiful. You need to know that.”
I nodded again, my throat thick with the emotion I saw swimming in his eyes. Brody’s fingers reached for the waistband of my shorts and slowly pulled them down my legs, before he straddled my waist and smiled at me. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” My voice was husky and didn’t sound anything like me at all. Brody looked at me as though I was the most precious person in the world.
“Good, because I’ve been dying to do this,” he said and flipped me onto my stomach. I gasped and flinched, but he placed a reassuring hand over mine on the mattress and dipped his head to my shoulder blade, pressing a kiss to the scarred skin before dragging his lips in a torturously slow movement down my back, his fingers expertly unclasping my bra. I tried not to think too much about how he learned that skill and instead focused on the sensations his lips and tongue were bringing to my almost numb skin.
“I want to kiss every scar, every blemish on your body,” he whispered as he pulled his lips further down toward my hips. His fingers hooked into the elastic of my underwear and pulled them down over my hips. Teeth grazing my hip, he spoke again. “I wish I could take away all your pain and hurt. I wish I could have stopped the suffering. But I’m going to make it better, one kiss at a time.”
In that moment, I knew I had fallen irrevocably in love with Brody Kellerman, my hero upstairs. The man who saved my life and held my heart in his hands.
His lips and tongue continued their delicious assault on my body right to the tips of my toes before Brody flipped me back over and traced the same path on the front of my body. Hands smoothed over my skin, teeth nipped at my hip bone, his tongue swirled around my nipple, and I almost passed out from that alone. He stayed true to his word and kissed every single scar on my body until he captured my mouth with his. I reached for him, pulled him closer, wanting more, and not getting enough. I tried unsuccessfully to find the waistband of his shorts, causing him to chuckle and roll away.
He removed his shorts and dug a condom from his wallet. At least one of us was prepared for this moment. I tried not to analyse the seemingly innocent and responsible action, but…
Was that condom new? Did he pack in the hopes of this very moment? Or was he a good Boy Scout and always prepared for sex? Did he have sex with women a lot?
Crap. My mind was running away from me. I should be enjoying the moment and not worrying over every little detail. Brody climbed back on the bed and kissed me softly, tenderly, slowly.
“I’ve wanted this a long time, cupcake, but now is your chance to back out.”
Back out. Was he crazy?
“Shut up and come here.” I pulled him to me.
Brody kissed me again, the heat from his kiss searing and urging me on. He settled between my legs, and I brushed a lock of hair out of his face. The look in his eyes said more than words ever could.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I kissed him with everything I had, hoping to convey the depth of my feelings for him.
“Brody,” I whispered and shifted my hips, letting him know I was ready. He pushed forward gently and peppered my neck with kisses. His fingers twisted through mine, holding my hand to his chest, right above his heart, as he inched in further, taking his time because…ow!
But I knew it would be worth it in the end.