Page 36 of The Sweetest Risk

I laugh and break our kiss. “Excuse me, Lawson. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Taking what’s finally mine.” Tristan smiles and kisses me more. This time, his tongue explores my mouth a little, making my knees buckle at the sensation that runs through my body. Memories of the other night flood my brain. I swear that tongue is going to be the death of me.

His fingers run through my hair and pull it slightly so that I am looking up at him. He’s in control again and I am totally okay with that. “Last chance to back out, Cupcake. Just say the word and I’ll take you home.” He places a small peck on the side of my mouth, teasing me and thus infuriating me at the same time. I am about to respond, but Tristan continues, “Because once we do this, I have no intention of going back and pretending to hate you, Brooke. I do, however, have every intention of falling deeper in love with you.”

I am catapulted back to the night I first met this man. Back to the first smile I ever witnessed come across his face. How his dimples became so prominent and his eyes lit up. That is how he is looking at me right now.

I knew that man was inside of him. All this time.

Tristan plays with the hair framing with my face. At some point my hands moved down to rest on his abs. I slowly move them around to the sides of this torso. My desire for him is increasing every second. But being playful has always been a part of our relationship, so I decide to tease him a bit. I lean awayfrom him, just enough so there is an inch of space between our bodies.

“You know, someone told me tonight that it sometimes pays off to take risks. So, I’m taking a risk right now and I’m hoping it pays off.” I scan his body. “Besides, you told me you were going to take this dress off me. I thought you were a man of your word, Hot Shot.” I smile against his lips and I can feel him smile back.

“You’re right. I am. Turn around,” he whispers against my lips. I do as I’m told because I can’t wait to get this dress off me. I want to feel Tristan’s hands all over me. His hand goes across my chest and pulls me against him. I let my head fall back against his sculpted chest. He presses little kisses on my neck and I let out a small moan. His other hand is splayed across my lower back. I feel it travel up the path of my zipper and his fingers grab onto my zipper pull.

My hands start to shake. I am so nervous. I know that I was practically naked in front of Tristan the other night, but this moment holds more weight. Confessions have been made. It feels like I woke up from this alternate reality where Tristan hated my guts and I’ve been pushed into this new reality where it was all a lie.

“You bought this dress to make me jealous, didn’t you? You really wanted me to take it off your perfect body, didn’t you Cupcake?” Tristan bites my ear as he pulls my zipper down, slowly, meticulously. He knows what he is doing. He is driving me insane. Like always.

I reach up and grab his hair. I love that he has grown it out a little. More to grab onto. “God, Tristan. Just take my dress off already. You’re driving me crazy.”

“I love it when you get upset at me…that means I have your attention.” The zipper pull finally reaches the zipper’s end. My dress falls to my feet, exposing my black lace thong. No bra was needed for this dress. It was all built-in with the corset. Iinstinctively cover my boobs, remembering that I don’t have the enormous boobs that Tristan is probably used to.

Tristan’s hands grasp my wrists and pull my hands down to my sides. “Don’t. I want to see all of you, Brooke.” Both his hands find my hips and turn me around, so now I am facing him. I can feel myself blushing. This is so unfair. He is still dressed while here I am, laid bare with nothing but a thong and heels that are killing my feet. I step out of the dress and Tristan kicks it off to the side.

“Mmmm.” Tristan’s eyes travel across my body. I feel a surge of confidence because I can tell he likes what he sees. With his hands still on my hips, he pushes me against his couch. My butt is resting on the top of the couch and I place my hands next to me to steady myself for whatever Tristan is about to do to me.

Tristan falls to his knees and lifts up my foot.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

He unclasps the buckle on one of my heels and takes it off, his fingers briefly caressing my feet. I feel immediate relief. I am not used to wearing heels like that. I am used to wearing my white Keds all day. Heels would not bode well while running around after little kids.

“You looked uncomfortable, Cupcake. I want you to be as relaxed as possible tonight.” He does the same thing to my other foot. This is the second time that Tristan Lawson has been on his knees before me. And this is also the second time I have been nearly naked in front of this man.

Just when I’m thinking it is going to be a repeat of the other night, Tristan stands up in between my legs. My chest heaves as he puts his hand under my chin and gently lifts it. He nearly brushes his lips with mine and shivers cascade through my entire body. I want more. My body is craving him. I think it has been for ten years.

His thumb brushes my chin and he licks my bottom lip. He is teasing me. He’s roping me in with his unadulterated hotness and he knows it. His eyes are the darkest I’ve ever seen them. I can feel how turned on he is and I love how hard he is right now. I inch my hips toward him and run my hands around his torso, pulling him closer to me.

“Tristan…” I say against his lips.

He lifts my chin to meet his lips and kisses me hard this time. Like he has been waiting all his life to do this. All of our moments, good and bad, are all wrapped up in this consuming kiss. Somehow, magically, it’s as if all the bad dissipated and all that is left are the good moments. This is definitely the biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life. But even if it does backfire, somehow I know that it will be okay in the end. At least I took a chance, right? In any case, that is what I am telling myself at this moment, because I’ve never wanted anything or anyone this badly. I desperately want to know what I have been missing all these years.

My fingers find Tristan’s belt buckle and start to undo it. Tristan’s hand firmly grabs mine. He breaks our kiss and my eyebrows furrow.I thought he wanted this.He gives me a quick peck, almost like he can read my confusion and temporary self-doubt.

“Patience, Cupcake. There is something I want to do first.” Tristan hooks one of his arms under my thighs and throws me over his shoulder. I laugh out of surprise, and from the thrill of being carried like this. He goes to the back door and lets in his pups, then heads upstairs. To his bedroom. But instead of going to the bed, he heads to his bathroom, which is the size of my living room and kitchen combined.

His shower has all glass walls and there is a massive bathtub at one end. I glimpse a rainfall showerhead and built in benches.

He reaches into the shower and turns it on. The bathroom starts steaming at the perfect moment. Tristan unbuttons his shirt and pulls the bottom of the shirt from his almost-too-tight-for-his-body pants. That is when I unabashedly take him all in. I just saw him shirtless a couple weeks ago, but I didn’t allow myself to stare for too long. Now I feel no shame for staring, and I have a suspicion that Tristan doesn’t mind it.

His chest is covered in tattoos and he has a small one on his left rib cage. I’ve never noticed it before. I walk toward him, partly because I want to help him finish getting undressed, but also so I can see what his tiny tattoo says.

“What’s this? I’ve never noticed it before.” I reach out and touch the tattoo. I squint and make out the initialsB.B. “Aw, did you get a tattoo with my brother’s initials? You guys are so cute. Does he know how much you love him?”

Tristan laughs and shakes his head. “Okay, you caught me. The second B is for Beckett.” Then he pauses and points to the first B. “But the first B is not for Bradley. I know you always think I am fawning over your brother but, like I told you the night I met you, I am not. There’s another Beckett who I hope knows how much I love her.”

Wait. He got my initials tattooed on his body?“You got this for me? Why?”

---