Chapter Nine
Blair Riggens went all out for the spectacular party. A three-course meal had been planned, and guests had been invited, mostly lawyer friends of theirs and people from the country club Blair belonged to. Nevertheless, over two hundred guests were coming to their house to ring in the new year.
Brianna made sure her mother had everything Shiloh would need since she’d be spending the night with Regina and then drove like a bat out of hell to get home and get ready before Kaden got there. He too had been recruited by his mother to pick up last-minute items and to arrange last-minute things.
She pulled in the drive, forgetting about the mail and parked her car in the garage. If she didn’t get dressed before Kaden did, then they’d be lucky to walk out the door and make it to the party on time.
She grinned, stripping as she ran to their bedroom. Her mother and his agreed along with Kristy that her dress would definitely surprise him. She just hoped he liked it.
Leaving a mess of clothes on the floor, she jumped in the shower She’d pick them up later. After washing her hair and body, removing the remnants of the restaurant from her, she grabbed a hot pink towel and screamed when Kaden walked in the bathroom.
His eyes widened, though he didn’t take them off her naked body. “Scare you?”
“Stop doing that!”
He chuckled, leaning against the vanity. She wrapped the towel around her and tried to calm her racing heart. He was a large man who took up a lot of space, and with him being so close, she had to remind herself to breathe again.
“I’m not going to bite you.” The grin turned sly. “Unless you want me to.”
“Stop. Go out there,” she said, pointing to their bedroom. “And get dressed.”
“What? No ‘hi honey’ today?”
“Fine. Hi, honey. Go get dressed.” She grinned, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere but closer to her. “Kaden, I’m serious.”
He crossed his arms over his black and silver T-shirt with the Chinese symbol for “fuck you” on the front. It was a very rare occasion that she seen him out of his suits, but she liked him in denim just as well.
“Come here.” He held his hands out, and she shrank against the wall.
“No way. I just took a shower. You’re not touching me.” She grinned holding the towel closer to her body.
“I just want to kiss you.” He motioned with his hand for her to come closer.
“Yeah. Right. You don’t mean on the mouth.”
He grinned. “What a dirty mind my wife has.”
He pushed off the vanity and trapped her against the wall next to the toilet. She had no options of escape. His body heat surrounded her, the feel of him seducing her, and he hadn’t done one damn thing yet. She was the weak one. She wanted him now possibly more than he wanted her.
“You’re getting wet, sweetheart. I can smell it.” He leaned down, brushing a kiss against her shoulder.
“Kaden.” His name was a plea when she reached up for him and wrapped her arms around his neck. The towel was history, falling to the floor with one simple tug.
He kissed his way to her mouth, keeping his hands firmly against the wall. She held on to him, fisting his shirt with both hands. They hadn’t had much time together during the last week, at least not alone. When he came in from work, he was worn out, and when she came home, she dealt with the baby. But now . . . now they could make up for time lost.
“Kaden, please.” She slid her hands down to his jeans, sliding beneath the waistband and past his boxers.
“I can never take my time with you, can I?” He kissed her lips and slid his hands to his zipper. Once he shoved his jeans and boxers to his ankles, he grabbed a condom from the potpourri dish and handed it to her.
She rolled it on quickly, gaining a moan or two from Kaden as he kept his hands inactive against the wall, watching her. As soon as she pulled back satisfied, she met his eyes.
“You’re getting pretty good at that.”
“Shut up and fuck me.”
He closed his mouth over hers, slid his hands to her backside, and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and with one smooth thrust, he was sheathed within her body.
His passive motions soon became active as their bodies slammed against the bathroom wall, sweat breaking out across their skin. Brianna didn’t know how this man had such an affect on her, but she loved that he did. She loved everything about him.
She couldn’t hold back her orgasm even if her life had depended on it. It literally came from nowhere and would have had the power to knock her down, had she been standing. Kaden stared into her eyes letting her body milk his, fighting his own urge to come, then giving up.
Sometime later, Kaden pulled away from the wall and sat on the toilet to dispose of the condom. Brianna clung to him, keeping him as close as she could.
“I’m taking my time with you tonight, wild woman, and you’re going to let me.”
She kissed his shoulder, pressing her face against him. “You’re not going to last that long.”
“Why?”
“Wait until you see my dress.” She sat up, smiling. “That’s why I tried my damnedest to get home before you and get dressed. Hence, all the clothing thrown everywhere.”
“Put it on.”
She stood, grabbing her black lace thong and pulled it on. “You need to take a shower.”
“I will.” He kicked his clothing off, watching as she dressed.
She pulled the black strapless dress out, careful not to rip the gauzy material covering the satin lining. It was the only dress she found that was loose and comfortable, something she could stand wearing for half the night.
She undid the zipper and stepped into it. Kaden took the hint and came to her to zip the back up. The bust pushed her breasts high, giving her a decent amount of cleavage without making her look like a whore. The A-line design fell to the floor, because of the matching five-inch stiletto heels Blair had picked out. Together the dress looked beautiful, and turning to see what Kaden thought, he agreed.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Not to sleazy?”
“Nothing you could ever wear would make you look sleazy.” He kissed her. “You’re beautiful, baby.”
She smiled. “I need to fix my hair and do my makeup, so you need to get moving.”
“Hey, are we coming home or staying at my parents’ tonight?”
“Home.”
She wasn’t about to have sex with her husband in his parents’ house. It was too weird and awkward, and Blair checked in with her enough as it was. All she needed was her mother-in-law opening the bedroom door right in the middle of things.
She did her makeup while Kaden took his shower, singing a wonderful rendition of Billy Squire’s The Stroke. With a few improvisations, he had her laughing so hard she nearly poked her eye out twice with the mascara wand.
He dressed while she did her hair, then came back into the bathroom, kissed her shoulder and began working on his hair. It was so unusual for them to be in the bathroom at the same time since he woke before she did, and was dressed and ready for work by the time she got up to make coffee. It was kind of nice getting ready together.
“Hair up or down?” She wadded the curly strands in the form of an up-do, turning toward him, then dropped them do he could see her hair down.
“Up.” He squirted gel in his hands and combed them through his hair making it stick out all over the place. He washed his hands and then began working a different product into his hair.
“Do you know any of the people coming to this party?” Brianna clipped her hair up in several different places creatively forming a decent up-do.
“Yeah. My friends are coming—the guys you met at the restaurant that first night. Derek supposedly has a new girlfriend, so this will be interesting.” He washed his hands again, drying them on the hot pink towel she had laid next to the sink. “Kyle’s coming. Some friends of ours from Charlotte. So yeah, I know the people there. Why?” He turned toward her rolling his sleeves down.
“I’m going to feel out of place, aren’t I?”
“No. You know Kyle. I haven’t heard if Jason and Kendra are coming, but if they do, you’ll know them. Ben and Jonathan are bringing their girlfriends, and then there’s my family. You know tons of people too.”
Brianna huffed, getting frustrated with the bobby pin that wouldn’t quite make her hair lie right. “If you stick me with Kyle all night, I’ll save you the trouble and cut your balls off right now.”
He laughed, only to get a mean glare from her. “I’m sticking you with me all night, how about that?”
“Yeah, whatever.” She finally pulled the misplaced bobby pin from her mess of curls and huffed, looking at her hair in the mirror.
“And after the party we’ll come home and start a little party of our own.”
She pulled her hair to the side, hoping to push it in the direction she wanted it to go and slid the bobby pin in. “Fine. How does my damn hair look?”
He frowned, coming in front of her to inspect the damage. He fiddled with the pins, pulling and yanking until he was satisfied with the results. He turned her around and both sides were perfect, just the way she wanted them.
“How’d you do that?”
“Magic. Come on. Get your cute little ass out here so we can go.” He swatted her behind and stepped over the mess of clothes heading into the bedroom.
After taking one last look in the mirror, she followed him, stopping short when she seen he held a black necklace box in his hands. So far, the only necklace she wore was the locket he gave her at Christmas, holding both Shiloh and his picture inside. But the sexy grin on his face said he was up to something.
“I knew you’d never agree if I asked you, so I didn’t and went for it myself.” He motioned for her to sit on the bed, and she did, wondering what he was up to.
“Now, I had the jeweler pick out a sapphire blue necklace thinking your dress would be blue, but . . . I think this necklace is going to go perfect with that dress. Better actually.”
He came to her opening the black velvet box to show her the most beautiful diamond and sapphire necklace she’d ever seen. Cut in marquis form, little diamonds and sapphires alternated around a huge sapphire set as a center stone. It was beautiful, and worth more than she could care about.
“That costs more than—”
“Don’t, Brianna. It’s a rental, and you’re going to wear it, along with the diamond earrings I purchased.” He pulled out another box and handed it to her.
Taking a deep breath, she opened it and gasped at the teardrop diamonds set as dangle-form earrings. He purchased these? For her? She looked up at him, and he smiled as he undid the necklace from its case.
“You bought these?”
He scoffed, leaning over her to clasp the necklace around her neck. “Why do you think you don’t deserve nice things?”
“I’ve never owned a diamond before, Kaden. You give me this beautiful ring for Christmas. And now these earrings. Not to mention letting me wear this necklace. It’s overwhelming.”
He squatted in front of her, sliding his arms around her thighs. “You’re a beautiful woman, Brianna. You deserve beautiful things. Now put the earrings in and finish getting dressed.”
She smiled sheepishly as she put the earrings in her ears. “It’s not my fault we’re late. You ravished me in the bathroom.”
Dreading the first time of wearing a pair of new stilettos, she grabbed her new shoes. If she could make it for a few hours, she’d be doing great. She slid them on her bare feet while Kaden slipped on his tux jacket.
“I ravished you? Were you not the one that said, ‘Fuck me, Kaden’?” He stuffed his wallet into the pocket as he continued talking. “Clearly that’s your fault because I mean, how could a guy resist?”
He spritzed on his cologne finally and turned around to watch her finish up dressing. “Oh, whatever. If you hadn’t have come in there in the first place, I wouldn’t have said it.”
She stood, a little wobbly at first in her new shoes, putting her up to Kaden’s chin now. She’d never worn heels this tall in her life. A few inches sure, but five? She felt like a hooker going to prom.
“You keep saying it and playing dress up will be such a waste.” He kissed her, sliding his hands to her waist. “Are you ready?”
“Let me spray some perfume, brush my teeth, and change my purse, and yeah, I’ll be ready to go.” She turned doing her best not to break her neck at the new and unusual height.
“If we make it there on time it’ll be a miracle.” Kaden sat on the bed waiting for her to finish.
After spritzing his favorite smelling perfume on, she brushed her teeth and grabbed her purse to exchange the vital stuff. Her wallet, driver’s license, and lip gloss all fit into the small satin bag, and that was about all that could fit. Once done, she stuffed it under her arm, grabbed the matching shawl, and looked over at Kaden’s raised eyebrow.
“Ready?”
He stood. “If three things are all you need, then why do you carry all that other junk in your purse with you?”
“Well, some things I need at certain times but not all the time. Hence, tampons or gum or lotion. Depending on the mood and circumstance. It’s easier to carry it with you all the time instead of taking the chance of forgetting it when you need it.”
He shook his head as she thrust her purse into his arms so she could fix the shawl around her shoulders. Once satisfied, she took the purse back and took her husbands arm. He held the car door open for her like a perfect gentleman. Once situated inside, he went around to the driver’s seat and climbed behind the wheel.
“Have I told you that I love you today?” he asked backing out of the garage.
“Yes. When Shiloh was crying this morning and you didn’t want to get out of bed. I told you I’d get her, and you said, ‘Thanks, babe, I love you.’”
He grinned, grabbing her hand and placing their interlocked fingers on his thigh. “I did enjoy sleeping in that extra twenty minutes.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“What if I say it now? Would that make me look to soft?”
“As long as it’s before the party I suppose your softness will be just between us.”
“I do love you, Bree.”
“Yeah, well you can prove it to me tonight.” She pulled his hand to her strawberry glossed lips, kissing it. “I love you, Kaden Riggens. More than you’ll ever know.”
* * * *
Three hours into the party, Brianna couldn’t avoid Kyle any longer. He spotted her and of course asked Kaden if she was here. Like the good husband he was, he nodded and pointed to her with a huge smile on his face. She tried ducking behind a fake plant, but Kyle started her way, getting to her side before she could find a better hiding spot.
“There you are.” Kyle pulled her to him for a hug, sloshing her fruit cocktail all over her hand.
“Hello, Kyle.” She tried pulling away but his grip tightened around her.
“Kaden told me about your marriage.” He pulled back with a smile. “Congratulations. How’s that cute bundle of joy?”
“You know about Shiloh?”
“Of course.” He waved her off as if she was foolish to ask. “My mother is best friends with Blair. You know that.”
Brianna nodded, tipping her strawberry daiquiri to her lips and swallowing the alcohol. Kyle was her friend. The five musketeers as their parents used to say. Kaden, Jason, Ben, Jonathan, and Kyle—Brianna wasn’t an official member, though she did hang out with them, mainly because Ben and Jonathan used her to get to her friends. But nevertheless they were all friends. Still are.
“So, great party, huh? Kaden said Jason was here with his wife Kendra. I haven’t seen him though.” Kyle looked around seeking Kaden out.
“Well there are close to two hundred people here. He may be lost in the crowd.” Or avoiding you, she added silently.
“Yeah, you’re right. You always were right about things like that.” He tossed back the contents of his own glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “So you have a picture of that cute little doodle bug?”
She grinned. To give him one compliment, Kyle was great with kids. Probably came from being a kid himself, but he loved them, and they loved him.
She pulled the picture of Shiloh at Christmas that Kaden had taken. “She’s her daddy made over.”
“Hey, hot stuff.” Jason came up behind her wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He pecked her cheek and smiled at her. “Greg told me you and that asswipe I call my friend tied the damn knot. How the hell did that happen?”
Kendra smiled, standing to Jason’s side. She always was a quite girl, if Brianna could remember correctly. “One too many drinks.”
He chuckled, pulling her tighter against him. “Don’t look now, but here comes two other losers we used to call friends.”
Ben and Jonathan came up, each kissing Brianna on the cheek and saying hello to Kendra. Then a vast amount of profanities was exchanged between the men. Poor Kendra looked offended. Ben wrapped his arm around her, pushing Jason back to his wife.
“Now, tell me why the hell you really married that dickhead.” Ben cradled her to his side, protectively, like a brother.
“Because I love him.” She grinned up at him.
“Have you had one too many hurricanes tonight?” Jason grinned, wrapping his arm around his wife.
“Damn. I can’t believe you two got married,” Jonathan commented.
“Leave my poor wife alone.” Kaden cut through the crowd, rescuing Brianna from their friends. Ben stepped back as if Brianna was a live wire, and Kaden wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Dude, I’m still trying to get over the fact you two had sex.” Kyle held the picture up of Shiloh. “She’s a cutie though, isn’t she?”
The men mumbled their agreements each staring at the picture as they passed it around. When it came to Brianna, she stuffed it back in her wallet.
“How can something that cute,” Ben said, pointing to Brianna’s purse, then to Kaden, “come from that?”
“She gets it from her momma.” Kaden replied and kissed Bree’s temple.
“Well, I will admit, Bree is hot, but that baby looks like you, and she’s cute. No fucking way could you deny her.” Jason tipped his beer back, taking a long drag.
Brianna smiled. “Leave him alone.”
“Or what?” Ben said, grinning ear to ear.
“Or I’ll kick your ass.”
“Brianna,” Blair called from behind them.
“Hide me!” She ducked in front of Kaden who protectively wrapped his arms around her body.
“I think she can still see you,” Kyle said singsong, rocking on his heels. The other guys laughed.
“Brianna, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Feeling defeated, she stepped back from Kaden, who smiled just like the rest of them. “Some husband you are.”
The grin only widened.
“Hey, Bree, if you had married me, I would have protected you.” Jonathan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “In fact, we wouldn’t even come to things like this. We’d be at home—“
“Okay, enough of the visual.” Brianna held up a hand. She shoved her glass into Kaden’s hand. “You fill this up, and if I’m not back in thirty minutes, you’d better be heading up a search party.”
“And if I don’t?”
“It’s just you and your hand tonight.”
She walked away with her head held high as all their friends laughed and ooh-ed at her comment. Kaden shook his head, staring after her as she went to where Blair stood with a very official looking man.
“Oh, Brianna. This is Judge Parker.” Blair looped her arm in Brianna’s and smiled at the man. “Judge Parker, this is my daughter-in-law Brianna. She married my eldest, Kaden.”
Brianna stuck out her hand. “It’s a pleasure.”
The judge smiled, though he didn’t take her hand. Feeling like a loser, Brianna dropped it wishing Kaden would come back with her drink at hand.
“Well, thank you for the invite, Mrs. Riggens, but I must get home to my wife. Tell your husband I’ll see him in court Monday.”
The judge left the two women standing there, and Blair looked utterly baffled. “What an ass.”
Brianna chuckled. “Who is he?”
“The asshole Greg has to go before Monday. He’s the new family court judge in Raleigh.”
“Is he the one handling Kaden’s case?”
“Oh, I forgot about that. Probably. They said he’s taking over a lot of the other judges’ responsibilities. He’s hardcore, they say, but fair. Just what this town needs.” She rolled her eyes and led her to the food table.
After picking up more than enough food for one person to eat, she turned around and found herself in Kaden’s arms.
“Saving your ass, I see.” She took a bite of a cream puff.
“You look like you need this.” He handed her the drink, kissing her forehead. “What were you doing talking to Judge Perkins?”
“Your mom wanted to introduce me. He’s a prick.” She took a drink of the slushy liquid handing it back to her husband. “Is he the one you’re going before?”
“Yep. The new family court judge. Supposed to be hardcore.”
“Well, he’s an ass. Wouldn’t even shake my hand.” Brianna grabbed the last cream puff and offered it to Kaden. When he refused, she stuffed it in her mouth and licked her fingers.
“The guys want us to join them in the gazebo.” He shrugged. “Jason had to take Kendra home so it’s just the five of us.”
“Yeah, I don’t think she likes us all that well.”
“How someone like her ended up with Jason will forever be a mystery.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
He led her to the gazebo out back and met up with their friends who were talking about the football games they used to play. Brianna shivered as she sat down and scooted closer to share Kaden’s body heat. Being a true gentleman, he took off his jacket and slipped it around her shoulders, holding her plate of food while she stuffed her arms in the sleeves.
“Oh, whatever, Kyle. You didn’t have the balls to catch the ball. Brianna caught more balls than you, and she has boobs.” Ben shook his head leaning back against the wood of the gazebo. “Very nice, by the way.”
“Leave my boobs out of this, Chandler.” She turned to Kyle. “But he is right. You squealed every time the ball hit you.”
“So. Kaden picked me over you.” Kyle tried to defend himself, but it didn’t work.
“Ah, that was before he nailed her.” Ben replied. “I bet you he wouldn’t think twice about picking her, would ya, Riggens?”
“Guys, she’s already busted my balls enough about that. Don’t give her any more ammo.” His arm tightened around her. “But I would pick her first, not only because I’ve nailed her, but she has a damn good arm. And each one of you know I’m telling the truth.”
“Thanks, baby.” She kissed him gaining groans from the others.
“Kaden? Are you over there?”
“Oh fuck.” Ben said just as Bethany rounded the corner.
“There you are. You’re mom wanted me to come get you. Something about working the bar.” She smiled at the men, totally ignoring Brianna.
“Go home, Bethany.” Kaden said, trying to avoid Brianna’s gaze.
“Not likely. Blair invited me, so I came. Just because we aren’t fucking anymore doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with your mother.”
Brianna stared in the pale light at the other woman’s short dress and thick makeup. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail of sorts. She still looked the same, after all these years, and she was still after Kaden. Wow.
Brianna stood. “Um, excuse me.”
Kaden finally worked up enough courage to look at her, and she turned her head away from him and walked away. She didn’t make it very far before an arm came around her shoulders. It wasn’t Kaden as she suspected, but Ben.
“Is she still pining after him?”
“Appears that way.” Brianna walked to the side garden and took a seat before Blair’s luxurious water fountain, which was lit by four lights underneath the water. Ben took a seat next to her, not saying a word.
“You know I would have never even considered marrying him if it weren’t for Shiloh. His grandfather Tim died and arranged in his will that he be married or no member of his family gains their inheritance, and Shiloh stood to gain a lot. I didn’t do it for the money, but so my daughter would know a great-grandfather’s memory. He gave her the ranch in Texas, the one he loved so much.” Brianna wiped a tear from her cheek. “So I married him. We agreed to keep it short—only a year. Sometimes I wonder if he really cares. Sometimes I think, you know, he only sees me as a mistake. That he doesn’t care for me and is only with me for one of the million reasons possible. He told me he loved me for the first time ever just a few days ago. He says it often, but I don’t know. When he looked at Bethany, I could see the memories flood his face.”
Ben pulled her to him in a tight hug. “If I know one thing about my best friend is that Kaden doesn’t say he loves anyone if he doesn’t mean it. He might show it, but he’ll never say it unless it’s a true emotion he’s feeling. He never even told Bethany he loved her that I know, and if he did, it’s in the past, Bree. Yeah, you may have agreed to the year thing, but I can tell you make him happy. Hell, you make us all happy. Even when we were kids, he treated you like his wife, actually proclaiming to ask you before he made a decision about anything. And that shit was minor. He’s smart, and he knows a good thing when he sees it. You’re a good thing, Bree. A damn good thing he’d be fucking stupid to let go.”
She sniffled, trying to keep from crying. “I’m going to tell him you said he was smart.”
“Don’t make me kick your sweet ass.” As if to make his point, he swatted her behind.
“Bree?” Kaden called, walking toward them. “Brianna, where are you?”
She pulled back, wiping her eyes. Ben gave her an encouraging smile before tipping his beer to his lips.
“Brianna!”
“I’m over here.” She licked her lips wishing she had her lip gloss.
Kaden rounded the corner stopping short when he saw Ben sitting next to her. “What’s going on?”
“I’m leaving.” Ben stood, patting Brianna’s shoulder before he took off back to the house.
Once he was out of earshot, Kaden turned on her. “What the hell were you doing back here with him?”
“Oh, would you keep your voice down? I wanted some fresh air, and Ben didn’t want me to be alone. He’s like a damn leech.” She shoved her hands in his coat pockets trying to keep warm. How he stood here without a jacket, was beyond her. She froze just staring at him.
“Brianna, I didn’t know she was here. I talked to Mom, and she said she came with a lawyer friend they invited. She didn’t invite her.” Kaden sat beside her, propping his elbows on his knees.
“How much longer until we can go home?”
“Two hours.” Kaden’s watch shined in the moonlight. “We can leave now if you want. Truthfully, I really don’t want to stay any longer.”
“Will you answer something for me? Honestly?” Brianna folded her hands in her lap, waiting for him to answer.
“Sure. What do you want to know?”
She paused, took a deep breath then paused again, looking for courage to get the words past her lips. She wanted to know, and felt she deserved to know. “Did you love Bethany?”
He blew out a harsh breath. “I cared for Bethany. We spent four years together, all throughout law school she was my girl. But I don’t really think I was in love with her. We had a connection from the start, and her parents liked my parents so there was the family thing. Her father was a judge, and my father was his best friend. Still is in fact, but I felt then and see more clearly now that that relationship was more forced than anything. Her family wanted her to have a husband and were convinced her that I’d be the best match.
“I never fell in love with her though. She did her own thing, I did mine. Sometimes we’d meet up together, often not. And this lasted nearly half the length of our relationship. She wasn’t ready to get married, and quite frankly, neither was I. So that’s when I came home and found her in my bed with another guy. She didn’t even have the decency to stop when I asked her what the hell was going on. She completed her orgasm and then climbed off him to argue with me. I should have expected it, but I guess I was caught up in all the fairy-tale crap I’d seen in my family. Kristy getting married and having kids. Kevin finding a wife in Julia. I just wasn’t ready for it. I wanted to be, but I wasn’t.”
Brianna slid her hand along his thigh to his hand. “So you came to my place got drunk and got me pregnant.”
“That wasn’t intentional.” He turned her hand over and rubbed her knuckles with his fingers. “I wanted someone I knew would love me for me. Bethany used me. She wanted money, fame, and glory. I came to your house because I knew you’d understand and wouldn’t say, ‘I told you so,’ even though you were thinking it. But you broke up with Brett the same night, and both our good intentions got sidetracked.”
Brianna laid her head on his shoulder. “I didn’t break up with Brett. He broke up with me because I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
“Why did you save yourself for so long?”
Brianna never thought about it. “I guess I just wasn’t ready. Or maybe I didn’t feel a sexual attraction towards Brett. I mean, he liked to gag me every time we kissed for sticking his tongue down my throat. It was awful. Maybe subconsciously, I knew that sex with him would be awful as well.”
Kaden’s fingers made lazy circles around each of her knuckles going to the end only to start back again. He leaned his head against hers as they sat together in silence under the pale moonlight.
“I’m glad it was with you, Kaden,” Brianna finally said, nothing more than a whisper.
“I love you, Bree. I know you felt used when I got you pregnant and left you for the dogs, but that wasn’t how it was for me. I never doubted the baby was mine. I doubted myself more than anything.”
Brianna knew this. She didn’t see it then, but being around Kaden, and getting to know him better she saw it. From what he told her about Bethany, she knew it.
“Did you ever tell Bethany you loved her?”
“Nope. You’re the first and only.” He pulled back and kissed her forehead. “I’m really glad you’re my wife, Bree. I never thought an arranged marriage would suit me, but damn it if my grandfather didn’t know what he was talking about.”
She smiled. “I wish Shiloh could’ve met him.”
“Me too. Did I ever tell you he had a picture of her? My dad gave me a box of his stuff from the office, and he had a picture of her—one like the hospital took in his belongings. I never knew that until I saw it.”
Brianna saw the confusion in his face. “He came to visit me. In the hospital. Tim stopped by to see the baby, and I gave him the picture. He was proud, you know, of you and the baby. He never held her, or got to see her other than through the nursery window, but I could see the love. Shiloh was definitely loved by more people than I can count before she even made her grand entrance in to this world.”
He cupped the back of her head and pulled her to his mouth. She tasted the salt of his tears, though they fell silently as he thought about his beloved grandfather and his daughter. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter to her. The kiss went from sweet and desperate to hot and steamy within a second.
“I love you,” Brianna said, kissing his lips. “I’m proud of you too, because you’re truly an amazing person.”
“Can we go home now?”
Brianna smiled holding his arm up in the light. “Not too much longer until midnight, then we can go home.”
He pulled her to him, pressing his face into her cleavage. “And when we go home, I get you all to myself, right?”
She smiled down at him. “All to yourself.”
He let her go. “Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever wished to leave alcohol and friends as much as I have tonight.”
He stood, slipping his hand underneath his own jacked pulling her body close to his as they started walking back to the house. Kaden was perfect, in every since of the word, for her. If she took Ben’s words to heart, she’d be fucking stupid to let him go.
“Before we go back in there, what did you and Ben talk about?”
She smiled. “He gave me a pep talk, and actually complimented you on how smart you were for picking me and that you’d be quote ‘fucking stupid, to let me go.’”
He kissed her hair, breathing her scent in. “He’s right. That’s why I’m not letting you out of my sight.”