Tap: Men of Lovibond by Georgia Cates (10)

Holy shit. I can’t believe Ollie walked in on Brou and me as we were going to the bedroom. Damn, that was a close one.

I don’t care what Ollie says about me being with Brou. My brother doesn’t get a say about who I’m with. But at the same time, I don’t want Brou to encounter a problem at work because of me.

I flop on the couch next to Ollie. He puts his arm around me and squeezes. “To what do I owe this surprise visit?”

“You were right when you said it had been too long since I’d been to see you. I thought it was time. And I wanted it to be a surprise so I could check up on you. You’ve been weird lately, but the last two weeks have been the topping on the proverbial weird cake.”

“Weird, huh?” He laughs.

“Yeah. It doesn’t feel like you on the other end answering me.”

“I’m sorry about that. Things have been a little crazy lately. Let me get through the next couple of weeks, and I promise everything will be back to normal again.”

“Good. ’Cause I miss my little brother. I want to get together more often. Six months is too long to go without seeing each other.” And maybe Brou will become an additional incentive to get me back in Birmingham more frequently.

“Yes, it is.”

I’m not sure now is the right time to bring this up but I feel I don’t have a choice. “Christie called me.”

“What does she want now? More money?” I wish. It would be much simpler to part with money over what she’s asking of us.

Ollie slams his fist into the couch cushion. “Dammit. I knew we shouldn’t have given her any. It only encourages her to keep coming back for more, which means we’ll never be rid of her.”

“It wasn’t about money this time. She’s in end-stage renal disease.”

“Well boo-fucking-hoo. She did that shit to herself, so she’s getting what she deserves if you ask me.” True. She was an addict and noncompliant diabetic. She wanted heroine more than insulin. Her kidneys couldn’t handle all those years of abuse and unstable blood sugars. It’s a miracle she’s still alive.

“I assume she called because she wants us to help her out somehow. Medical bills?” He’s going to go apeshit when I tell him.

“She wants a kidney.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I’m not giving her my kidney.”

He makes it sound like he won’t have one left. “You have two, Ollie.”

“I know and I’m keeping both of them. So are you. End of story.”

I wish she hadn’t contacted me. I should have changed my number after that last round of begging for money. Hearing from her has brought up so much from the past. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her and our childhood since she asked.”

“Don’t think about that shit, Lawry. No good can come from it.”

“Do you remember the time I wrapped a hamburger in a napkin and brought it home from school for you?” I traded my piece of chocolate cake for it because I knew it would be more filling and nutritious for Ollie’s little malnourished body.

“Yeah, and I also remember her putting me in the corner and making me watch her eat it while she was coming down from a high. I was so hungry my stomach was gnawing my backbone.” That was only one of the many cruelties she inflicted on us.

“I think about that stuff a lot.”

“Keep thinking about it. Remember the kind of person she is. That should help you make the right decision.”

I don’t want to talk about her anymore. “I’ve done my duty by telling you about Christie so enough of that.” What he does with the information is his decision. “Tell me what’s been going on in your life.”

“I’ve met someone I’m interested in.” Ollie’s beaming.

“That’s so good to hear.” A new relationship will help him move on from Eden.

“Tell me about her.”

“Her name is Madison. She’s an addiction and substance abuse counselor.”

“Exciting. Have you asked her out?”

“Not yet. The timing is off but I’m going to soon. Maybe in a couple of weeks.”

“Don’t worry. She’ll say yes when you do. She’d be crazy to not jump at the chance.” I may be biased but Ollie really is a catch. All my friends think so and tell me often.

“I hope so. I think I really like this woman.” He does judging by the goofy grin on his face.

“Tell me what you like about her.”

“She isn’t afraid to challenge me.”

“I bet she likes to talk a lot.” I would imagine a counselor would want to discuss everything. That could get exhausting after a while. Sometimes I just want to be quiet and enjoy silence.

“Yeah, but I don’t mind. I like the things she has to say.”

“I would love to meet her.” I’d like to see for myself she isn’t like Eden. I knew that one was a bitch the moment I met her.

“Let me ask her out first and see where things go.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“How do you feel about going back to the festival today?”

I know Ollie is anxious to see how things are going. “I’d love to. I had a great time yesterday.” Thanks to Brou. I leave off that part. I don’t want to cue Ollie to our friendship.

“I need to change first.”

“I think I will too.” The outfit I’m wearing is for travel. And now it looks like I’m sticking around a while longer. And I definitely have to get out of these wet panties. Ick.

“Can I use your cell to call a car?”

“Why don’t we just take the company car?”

“What do you mean?”

“Lucas told me you drove the company vehicle to Memphis because the pickup needed to be seen by a mechanic.”

“Um, yeah. But I’d rather not drive in case we have drinks.”

“Did you leave your phone in the car?”

“My phone?”

“Yeah, you wanted mine to call the car service."

"Oh, yes. It's in the car." Ollie looks a little lost. I guess he's driven from Memphis to Birmingham this morning. It's eight now, so he must have left around four. That's enough to tire anyone.

I toss him my phone. “Give me five minutes before you call.”

I decide on colorful printed pants and my peacock colored cropped Lovibond T. It’s going to be another hot one so I opt for a topknot instead of wearing my hair down.

“You look like a damn hippie.” Mission accomplished.

I slip my brown and gold sunglasses into my hair. “Thank you. I take that as a compliment.”

“What kind of pants are those?”

I do a turn to model them. “They’re called harem pants.”

“You do know what a harem is, don’t you?”

“Shut up and let’s go. The driver is waiting.”

We arrive at the festival and the scene is very different than the one I walked into yesterday. “No one’s here.”

“It’s still early. It doesn’t start for a few hours, but I expect a smaller turnout today since it’s Sunday.”

“There was a huge crowd yesterday. The boys hated you missed it, especially after how hard you’d worked to prepare the event.” He would have been so proud.

“They didn’t hate it more than I did.”

“Well, you’re here now.”

“Sounds like you spent the better part of the day with Tap.”

Is he picking my brain to see what I’ll say? “He mostly babysat me.”

“You told me you liked him in your text. And wanted him to kiss you. That’s not a good idea.” Too late, Ollie.

“I’d had a few drinks when I sent those texts. Oops. Party foul.”

“Sure that’s all it is?” I gotta throw him off our trail.

“Absolutely. He showed me kindness, and I took it for more than it was. I’m straight about everything now.”

“Tap is a good friend, but he doesn’t always treat women well. I’m looking out for you by discouraging a relationship with him.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.” I don’t really want to keep hearing about Brou and other women.

“You’ll find that someone special one day.” I’m tired of hearing that too.

“I’m okay with me, myself, and I for now. Believe it or not, we do okay together.”

“You’re my sister and I love you. I want you to have that happily ever after every woman wants.” He’s my brother so I’m sure he hasn’t considered the possibility of me being okay with a quick fuck with Brou. And I can’t tell him that.

Brou, Porter, and the Lovibond gang are already at the booth when we arrive. “Damn. This looks great, guys. The graphics are perfect. Exactly what I had in mind.”

The boys are talking shop, and it’s a beautiful Sunday morning, so I take the opportunity to walk the grounds. I find an empty bench beneath a tree and decide to people watch. I love doing that. You can figure out so much by seeing what people do when they think no one is paying attention.

A woman speaking sweetly to the dog she’s walking. Animal lover. She has a kind heart.

A man jogging shirtless. He thinks he’s hot shit. And he sort of is.

A mother pushing a crying baby in a stroller. She’s looking at her phone, not her wailing child. Doesn’t even give the kid a glance. Probably neglectful.

A good-looking man with a succulent beard sitting on a park bench watching my every move. Looks interested in me.

My phone alerts me to a new text.

My insides do a backflip.

I glance at Brou on the bench, looking at his phone. He’s purposely ignoring me now. Pretending I’m not sitting a bench away. Doesn’t want to alert the guard.

My eyes follow Brou as he leaves the bench and walks away. Sheez. His ass looks great in those jeans. And it looks pretty great not in those jeans too.

I can’t believe I had my hand wrapped around his cock.

I can’t believe he came in my hand.

I can’t believe he stood in front of me naked from the waist down.

I can’t believe he touched me with his fingers between my legs and then sucked them. Fuck. That was hot.

No one has ever made me come so hard in all my life. Brou gives quality orgasms. I can’t wait to have another.

* * *

I spend the day mostly hanging with Ollie watching him do his thing. He’s good at what he does. I’m proud of my little brother for achieving his dreams.

“It’s time for me to go.”

It seems like Ollie just got here. “Sure you can’t stay the night and go back tomorrow?”

“Wish I could. I’d love to spend more time together. Maybe I can make it over to Savannah in a few weeks.” Or maybe I can come back to Birmingham.

“I’d love that.”

“Do you want to hang out here or go back to my apartment?”

“This has been fun but I’m just about festivaled out after two days of it.”

“Okay. I’m gonna tell everyone we’re leaving.”

“I need to say goodbye to everyone since I won’t be seeing them again before I go.”

I go down the line telling the Lovibond gang how lovely it was to meet or see them again. I save Brou for last. He doesn’t get a hug like everyone else. Only a handshake. “It was nice meeting you, Lucas.”

“And you, Lawrence.”

The show between us is almost comical. I wonder if everyone believes our act or do they see straight through the façade?

My car is blistering hot after sitting in the hot sun for two days. I lower the windows, crank the air up, and position the vents so they’re hitting me in the face. I’ll definitely need a shower before Brou comes over so I don’t smell like sweaty ass.

* * *

Ollie is packed and ready to go. “I’m going to miss you, little brother.”

“Not for long. Time will fly, and I’ll be in Savannah before you know it.”

“I look forward to it. And Mom and Dad will be so happy to have you home.”

I hug him one last time. “Hope Raleigh is okay.”

“Me too. It’s been… rough.” He can’t look at me when he talks about Raleigh. I hope it doesn’t remind him of Eden. “Drive safe when you leave.”

“I’ll be well rested for the drive.” Or with any luck, I won’t be. “I’ll turn the music up and lay the hammer down.”

Ollie leaves and I immediately prepare for my upcoming rendezvous. Nine o’clock comes. And goes. Ten is approaching so I know Brou will be here soon. I’m simultaneously anxious and nervous. God, it’s been so long since I’ve had sex. But everything was falling right into place this morning before we had to stop.

I’m showered, shaved, and sitting on the couch fantasizing about all the things Brou is going to do to me when a knock interrupts my thoughts. “Coming.” Yes. I should be doing that very soon.

I open the door and find a damp-haired Brou on the other side. Oh, fuck, he’s sexy. “Someone just showered.” Explains why it’s after ten and he’s just now arriving.

I open the door wide so he can enter. “Sorry I’m late but it would have been unpleasant for me to show up as I was.”

The door shuts, and he pulls me into his arms. His mouth goes straight for my neck. Okay. He’s right out of the gate and going straight for it. I had hoped for a little foreplay but I guess this works too.

“Mmm… lavender and vanilla. I love the way you smell.” I was wrong. He isn’t skipping foreplay. He’s sniffing me.

“Thank you. I’m pretty fond of the way you smell too.”

“I was wondering how you’d feel about coming over to my place instead of staying here?”

I hadn’t given it any thought but the idea makes sense. And I get to see where and how Brou lives. Is he a neat freak? A slob? “I would love that.”

“Do you need a minute to pack your things?”

“I’m mostly packed already. Won’t take me but a minute to grab what isn’t.”

I take a step toward the guest room, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me into his arms. “I can’t wait. I need to do this first.”

His hands are on my lower back pulling me against him. His mouth possesses mine with eager lips and tongue. Mmm… tastes like mint.

“I’ve wanted to do that all day.” I know the feeling. “I could hardly work for thinking about you. And tonight.”

His hands are all over me. Touching. Squeezing. Rubbing. “I’m not sure we’re going to make it to your house if we keep on like this.”

He grasps my ass and hauls me against him. Warm breath hits my skin when he growls against my neck, “Go. Hurry. I need you and I don’t want to have to wait a minute longer than necessary.”

I sprint up the stairs. Makeup. Hair dryer. Clothing. It all goes into my bag without any regard for organization. No time for that.

I barrel down the stairs. “Ready.”

“Want to take your car or ride with me?”

It seems silly to not drive mine. “I’ll take my car so you don’t have to bring me back in the morning.”

“You sound confident you’ll be leaving early.” And he sounds confident I won’t.

“It’s a six-hour drive so that’s the plan.”

“You may find you have the need to sleep in.”

“Tomorrow’s Monday. Won’t you have to go to work in the morning?”

“Off all day because of the long weekend at the festival. That means you can stay as long as you like.”

I really need to get back to check in with Wynter. “We’ll see.”

* * *

We enter Brou’s house through the garage and I quickly learn something about him. He’s no slob. Everything I see is organized and in its place. “You’re neat.”

“Is there any other way to be?”

“Yes, according to some people.” He didn’t see Ollie’s apartment before I cleaned it. Damn disaster.

“But not you?”

“No. I like things neat and orderly which is completely out of character for someone like me.” Free spirits typically don’t become disturbed by something as trivial as disorganization. But I’m twitchy right now because my bag is a disaster.

He pats my bag. “Have a seat and I’ll put this in my bedroom.” I’m glad the thing is zipped so he doesn’t see the mess inside.

I don’t sit. Instead, I circle the living room. Wood-plank flooring. Brown leather sofa. Rich-caramel walls. Brou’s living room is warm and masculine. I don’t see a woman’s touch anywhere. Except the frames holding Ava’s pictures. I’m guessing Bridgette makes a habit of giving him a picture and frame combo.

There’s a ton of this kid. Anyone can see how crazy he is about that little girl. And the new baby boy on the way.

I’m still not positive about my take on the ex-wife and open marriage. That whole situation is messed up.

I’m holding a picture of Ava in a long flowing white dress when Brou returns from the bedroom. “She’s a beautiful child, isn’t she?”

I place the photo on the shelf. Not a bit of dust. “Yes. And it’s clear to see how much she adores her Unky Bou.”

“It’s actually Uncle Boudreaux but she puts her special twist on it.”

“I thought Bou was probably a shortened version of Broussard.”

“Bridg gave me that name right after I moved here. No one called me Lucas in high school. I was known as Boudreaux Broussard.”

“Boudreaux Broussard. That’s a tongue twister.”

Brou walks toward the kitchen. “Beer for you?”

“Yeah, I’ll take one.”

He returns with an unlabeled bottle. “I have something new Stout and Porter are working to perfect. It’s not quite there yet but it’s pretty damn good. Wanna try it?”

“Hell yeah.” I love being privy to new products. I get to rub that in Ivy and Kelsey’s faces.

Brou places a glass on the coffee table and pours the hazy orange liquid into the glass. I’m surprised by the color. Doesn’t look like anything they’ve done before.

“Has good head, eh?” He’s not going to let me live that one down.

“Yes it does. What is it?”

“Organic apricot ale.”

I bring it to my nose. “Mmm… smells good.”

“We want to try appealing to more female consumers. Fruity beers seem to be the way.”

I would agree with that. “I’m always drawn to a fruity option.”

I take a drink once the foam settles. “Rich. Full-bodied. Sweet with a hint of tartness. This is a beer I’d take to the beach.”

He snaps his fingers. “Yes. We’re shooting for this to be our first summer seasonal.”

“Great choice. How’s the pumpkin ale coming?” Seasonals are always great.

“Stout and Porter knocked it out of the park. The first batch rolls out of the brewery in eight weeks.” He lifts his glass of ale. “We’d love to see this one go out in April.”

“It’s delicious. I’m sure it’ll be a huge success.”

“Did you know you’re the reason Stout works so hard to grow the organic line?”

His words tug at my heartstrings. “No. I didn’t.” Of course, he would though. That has always been my Ollie.

We had so little in the early years, but even then when he was starving, he would look out for me. While it was my job as the older sister to look out for him.

Sweet boy. Sweet man.

That’s why it shattered my heart when Eden treated him so poorly.

“What made you decide to come over and surprise Stout this weekend?”

“There’s more than one reason but mostly I’ve been worried about his recent behavior.” Although I must say he seemed like the old Ollie today.

“What kind of change have you seen in him?”

“He’s been withdrawn since his breakup with Eden. It’s really worsened over the last couple of weeks. The big sister in me is putting her foot down. I’m tired of being ignored so I came to set my little brother’s ass straight.”

Brou smiles into his glass of beer. What is so funny about that?

“You said there was more than one reason.”

“I also had something important to tell him, and I didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

“Sounds intense.” Intense doesn’t really cover it.

“It is.”

I’d love someone else’s take on the kidney donation thing. I barely know Brou so I might have a chance of getting an unbiased opinion from him. “Did you know Ollie and I were adopted?”

“I’d heard that.”

“We were taken away from our biological parents when I was ten and Ollie was six. They were heroin junkies. The neglect we suffered at her hands was bad but our mother wasn’t just an addict. She was cruel. And we were her favorite victims because we were helpless to fight back.” To this day, I don’t understand why she enjoyed mistreating us. But it sparked something in me. An intense desire—maybe even a need—to unconditionally love my own children.

Brou puts his hand on my leg and squeezes. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“We were placed with wonderful foster parents who later adopted us. The rest of our childhood was terrific so our story has a happy ending.”

“I know your parents well. They’re wonderful people. Libby has been after me for years to come visit them in Savannah.” My goodness. I hadn’t considered the possibility Brou would know Mom and Dad. But that makes sense. They visit Ollie in Birmingham every few months.

Brou’s eyes widen. “Nothing’s wrong, I hope.”

“Not with them. They’re well and globetrotting in Scotland as we speak. Our birth mother is the one who’s ill.”

“You have contact with the woman who abused you?”

“Not by choice. She found Ollie and me several years ago. She claimed she was clean and wanted to apologize for the things she’d done. Said she needed to right the wrongs. And she did at first. But then it turned into her asking for a little money to get by because she couldn’t make rent. Within a few months, her hand was out every time she came around. Last week she told me she was in end-stage renal disease and needs a kidney. If we don’t give her one, she’s going to die.”

Brou rubs my leg. “Fuck. That’s a terrible guilt trip to put on anyone but especially your children.”

“There’s no guilt trip where Ollie’s concerned. He was very clear he wasn’t giving her one of his.”

“But you’re considering it?”

I live by the law of attraction. Helping her is positive but I have reservations. “I don’t know. The thought of giving someone an organ I could need later down the road is scary as hell. Is that selfish?”

“No. It’s a very legitimate concern, especially considering her past. This woman hurt you. I think you’re a saint for even considering it.”

“Despite every neglectful and cruel thing Christie did, she’s a human being. How do I live with myself if I stand by and let her die when I could potentially save her?”

“Do you know if you’re a match?”

“Our blood types are compatible. I’m her child so genetically I’m a fifty percent match, which is acceptable. I’ll need to go through the tissue typing and crossmatch testing so our compatibility can be confirmed. After that, I would need a physical to see if I’m healthy enough to donate.”

“I have questions bouncing around in my head like is she clean and sober? Does she follow doctor’s orders?”

“She’s been a noncompliant diabetic in the past but I don’t think any doctor would consider the transplant if she weren’t currently doing as she should.”

“There’s a front runner in my head when I consider what she’s asking of you. Do you want children?”

There’s no doubt in my mind. “Yes.”

“Have you considered how the transplant might impact your ability to start a family?”

“I’ve been so busy going back and forth about it I haven’t given that possibility any thought.” I can’t believe I didn’t even consider that, when having a child is so important to me.

“People survive with one kidney all the time but it seems like that could cause problems in a pregnancy. So many things can go wrong even under the best conditions. I think she’s asking you to put your future family at risk by doing this.”

“That’s an entirely new way of looking at it.”

“You wanted my opinion. There it is. And if I had to guess, any legit doctor would bring up that concern during your physical. Some might even use that as a rationale for not using you as a donor.”

“All valid points.” Smart, sexy, and now mature and wise. This man is far more than I ever imagined. Why would Ollie warn me against him?

“Don’t feel guilty for putting you and your future family ahead of her.”

“I needed an objective opinion. My parents and friends are too emotionally involved for that; they know the details of how she abused us so they would never be able to get beyond the past to have an unbiased opinion.”

I’m glad I talked to Brou about this. His opinion makes me feel like it’s okay if I don’t go through with it. He has no idea how badly I needed to hear that from someone who didn’t have a place in my inner circle.

“Thank you for listening.” Most guys would have lost interest within the first two minutes.

“You’re good people, Wren.” You’re good people. Ollie uses that same phrase.

“I’m sorry you’ve been worried about Stout. And I hate that you’ve been putting yourself through hell over this decision about your birth mother, but I’m not a bit sorry those things brought you to Birmingham.”

“Me either.”

He takes my glass from my hand and places it on the coffee table before sliding closer. His hand cups the side of my face and then glides around to the back of my neck. “Your hair. It’s beautiful.” He pushes all of it over one shoulder and drags his nose up the side of my neck. “You smell so good. It’s driving me insane.”

He presses a kiss below my earlobe. Chills erupt down the left side of my body. He is making a habit of this. And I’m okay with it. “We’re even because that drives me crazy too.”

We both know what we’re here for so there’s no need pretending to be virtuous. I want hot sex.

I move so one knee is on each side of his hips. I lower my body and feel his erection pressing between my legs. That didn’t take long.

As he shoves my shirt up, his hot mouth and wet tongue land between my breasts. I lean back with my palms on his thighs, arching my back while thrusting my chest forward. I don’t have a perfect, fit body but I do have great boobs. And I want to show them to him.

I reach for the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head, tossing it to the floor. He unfastens the back of my bra and reunites it with my shirt. I’m completely bare for him from the waist up.

He cups my breasts and pushes them up and together. His thumb and index fingers pinch my nipples, sending a message directly to my groin. You better get ready, Lawrence. He wants you. And you’re going to happily let him have you.

“Fuck, these are magnificent.” He flattens his tongue against my breast and drags it upward in one clean sweep until the tip reaches my nipple. He sucks it into his mouth and holds it prisoner for a moment before releasing it. “Mmm.”

I grind my hips against his groin when he moves over to give my other breast the same attention. My maxi skirt is riding high so my panty-only covered crotch easily feels the huge erection confined within his jeans. I held that impressive cock in my hand this morning so I’m already well acquainted with its magnitude. I can’t wait to have it moving inside me.

“Bedroom. Now. This couch isn’t working for the things I want to do to you.”

The things he wants to do to me. The probability of what those words mean makes me wetter than I already am. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

I move from his lap to stand. He grasps my hand and leads me down the hallway to his bedroom. He stops at the bedside and removes his wallet and phone from his pocket before dropping both on the nightstand.

I grab the bottom of his T-shirt and give it a tug. “I think you’re overdressed.”

“I know how to fix that.”

He crosses his arms and grabs the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. I stand in awe, taking in his male beauty. Broad shoulders. Pecs filled with muscle. A deep V at his waist, pointing right to his dick. That shit is awesome. Any woman who says it isn’t is a damn liar.

He has ink. A lot. I will take my time exploring that a little later. Maybe even outline it with the tip of my tongue.

My hands splay over the mounds of muscle covering the top of his chest. I suck a nipple into my mouth and give it a tug with my teeth. Women pay too little attention to men’s nipples. But not me. I love them.

Brou’s hands lace through my hair at the nape. “I have a confession.”

I look up but don’t release his nipple. “Mmm hmm?”

“When I turned around and saw you yesterday, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. And then you told me you were Stout’s sister. I was crushed because I knew that meant you were out of my reach.”

I release his nipple and straighten so we’re face to face. Sort of. He is quite a bit taller than me.

I snake my arms around his shoulders. “I think I’m very much within your reach. I’m yours until the morning so make it count.”

He slides his hands down my sides into the waist of my maxi skirt and panties. “We may not sleep at all tonight.”

“I’m all in.” Even if it means I won’t be worth shit driving home tomorrow. Every orgasm he gives me will make it worth it.

His mouth possesses mine as he pushes my bottoms down. I step out when both pieces drop to my feet and reach for the button of his jeans.

Brou ignores his phone vibrating on the nightstand. “You need to get that?”

“No fucking way. I’ve waited all day for this.”

A full minute doesn’t pass before the phone dances again. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

The phone rings a third time within two minutes. “They’re persistent.”

“They’re dead if they don’t leave us alone.”

He groans as he releases me and reaches for his phone. “It’s Warren. I need to take this.”

I’m guessing he wouldn’t be calling Brou late on a Sunday night for no good reason. “Hey, man. What’s going on?”

Brou turns and sits on the bed. “What are they telling you?”

I sit next to him and loop my arm through his free one. I’m surprised when he laces his fingers through mine and squeezes.

“Have they told you how they think he’ll do if she delivers this early?” Suspicions confirmed. Bridgette and the baby may be in trouble.

“I’m on my way.”

Brou ends his call with Warren and releases my hand. “Bridgette’s in the hospital.” He gets up and goes for his shirt on the floor. “I’m sorry, but I really need to be there.”

“Of course you do. Completely understandable.” I’m concerned for Bridgette and her baby, but it doesn’t mask my disappointment.

Brou comes to me and cradles my face. His lips wrap around his teeth and he closes his eyes so tightly his lashes almost disappear.

Going to Bridgette is a given, but he isn’t dropping me and running out the door despite his concern. I don’t think leaving me is easy for him. So good for my ego.

He presses his forehead to mine and laces his fingers through the hair at my nape. “Fuck. I wanted this so much.” His voice is a growl of frustration. I know the feeling.

“I did too.” He’ll never know how much.

“I wish I could hit pause, or rewind, so we could have more moments together.”

“You don’t wish it harder than me.”

He kisses my forehead. “It’s late. I’d feel better if you stayed here instead of getting on the road to drive back to Stout’s.”

“I may do that if you don’t mind.”

He slips his wallet and phone into his pocket. “I don’t mind at all. What time are you planning to leave?”

“Probably around seven.” I really need to get back to relieve Wynter at the shop.

He pulls me into his arms and looks deeply into my eyes for a moment. “Don’t you dare come back to Birmingham without seeing me.” It’s almost a whisper.

“I think I know where to find you.”

He kisses the top of my head, and inhales deeply as he holds me for a brief moment. “Drive carefully.”

“I will. I hope Bridgette and the baby are okay.”

He squeezes me hard and I know it’s because he’s about to let me go.

And just like that… he’s gone.