Page 65 of Under My Skin

Ian and Ky’s engagement party was yesterday. Where I need to be now is with you and Isaac.

God, he had no idea. I needed that too. So much. I needed to be in his arms again. I needed more of those kisses that made me forget everything and everyone around me and made me weak at the knees. I just neededhim.

Me

Ditto. Can I make you dinner tomorrow night?

Braden

It’s a date, beautiful. Can’t wait.

My stomach started doing flip-flops when the knock came on my door.

What the hell was I supposed to do tonight? Did I just come out and tell Braden that I wanted to give this a shot? Wait forhimto say something?

I hadn’t even been on a date in over two years, and neither of my past relationships had been that serious. There hadn’t been any kind of spark with them, and they’d fizzled out within a couple of months. One the guys realized they weren’t going to get into my pants that easily. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, especially with a man like Braden. The way I felt about him was something I’d never experienced before. Something bigger. Something wonderful, terrifying, and exhilarating all at once.

Taking a few deep breaths and shaking out my anxious energy, I opened the door to find the man I was head-over-heels for holding a huge bouquet of flowers and an obscenely large gift bag. And when his face lit up with one of those smiles that had always been my undoing, it made the nerves subside and replaced them with those now-familiar butterflies.

“Hey,” I mumbled, unable to meet his eyes.

Instead of answering me right away, Braden just stepped inside, kicking the door closed with his foot, then pulled me into his arms – flowers, gift bag, and all – and kissed the top of my head. I melted into his arms, for once not the slightest bit guilty or confused by the way I felt. For once allowing myself to bask in the safety and security I’d always known with him, even when I’d tried so hard to deny it.

“Fuck, I missed you, beautiful,” he whispered, so low it was barely audible.

“I missed you too,” I sighed against his chest. “How was your flight?”

“Awful, thanks,” he chuckled nervously. “It took for-fucking-ever and all I could think about was getting back to you.”

And there he went yet again, making me question why I’d ever thought he was capable of the things I used to think he’d done.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve been a nervous wreck pretty much all day.”

Braden took a deep breath before releasing me and setting the flowers and gift bag on the floor. Then he took both of my hands in his before speaking.

“I’ve been a mess this whole week,” he said, dragging in a slow inhale. “The whole time I was away, I couldn’t stop thinking about how we left things. I should have been happy, should have been present in the moment celebrating Ian and Ky, but all I could think about was you. I hated that we left so much unsaid. I hated that you didn’t feel like you could talk to me anymore, like you used to before you told me about Isaac. And I hated that I just kissed you and walked away instead of telling you that nothing’s changed for me. That I still want you more than I want my next breath, and there’s never going to be a day when I don’t. That I know I don’t deserve the time of day from you, but if you’ll let me, I want to spend every day of the rest of my life trying to become the man you deserve.”

It felt like all I’d done lately was cry…but I couldn’t help it. Tears sprang to my eyes and started to trail down my cheeks as he spoke. But at least this time, they were tears of joy and hope, not heartache.

“You already are, Braden,” I murmured as I wrapped my arms around his neck, stood on my toes, and pressed my lips to his.

With a sharp inhale, he pulled me flush against him as he licked at the seam of my lips, asking for entrance, which I happily gave him. And the quiet groan he emitted as I curled my tongue around his – tasting, exploring, savoring, worshiping – made those butterflies in my stomach turn into sparks that raced all over my whole body. Sparks that soon ignited into a blazing inferno, making me want things I’d never even thought about with anyone else.

Because no one had ever known me the way Braden did. Despite all my attempts to keep this man at arm’s length, he’d still managed to get under my skin. Still managed to learn more about me than I even knew about myself. Still managed to get me to let my guard down enough to build the kind of connection I needed to feel physical attraction.

I could feel the hardening bulge in his pants against my stomach as he fisted a hand in my hair, holding my lips hostage as he deepened the kiss even more, and for the first time ever, I loved that I was affecting a man this much with just a kiss. That he wanted me the way I wanted him. And Ididwant him. Desperately.

When he finally broke the kiss, panting for breath, he still kept brushing his lips against mine for several long, unhurried moments. Like he couldn’t get enough. Like he just wasn’t ready for the moment to end, the same way I wasn’t.

“I’ve literally never said these words to a woman before,” he breathed against my now-swollen lips. “And part of me is scared shitless to say them now. But I love you, Daniela Ramos. So damn much.”

I laughed softly, sniffling as I swiped at the water on my cheeks. “Iloveyou, Braden Hicks.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

BRADEN

She loved me.

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