Page 39 of Braxton

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Brax stopped twirling her fiery hair around his finger and looked down into Quinn’s sage green eyes. They swam with vulnerability and it caught him off guard.

“Can I ask you something?” he murmured.

“Sure.”

“Why didn’t you go back to your maiden name?” He’d wondered that the moment he discovered she was the final name on The Agency’s roster.

She let out a soft breath, seemed to consider her words, then met his inquisitive stare.

“Because you were always a part of me. I—” Her voice choked. “I loved you since the day we met and nothing was going to change that. It didn’t matter what my last name was, Brax.”

The last of his walls and resistance fell.

“Quinn…” He pressed a kiss to her hair, burrowing his face in its silkiness. “I think we have a lot of lost time to make up for, don’t you?”

“We’re divorced,” she reminded him softly. “Are you saying—”

“I’m saying I never got over you, either, and I think we owe it to each other to try again. What do you say, my feisty Cherry Bomb?”

Hope, and maybe something else, flared in her eyes. “Are you telling me you believe in second chances, Mr. Graves?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

She smiled. “Me, too.”

He caught her mouth in a long, slow kiss and it felt like they were exchanging an unspoken promise. After a long time, they broke apart.

“Do you still have your ring?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. Do you?”

“Yeah.” He nodded to the nightstand. “It’s in there.”

Quinn pushed off him and reached over to pull the drawer open. She fished around inside and finally found his wedding band, sliding it down her slim index finger and returning to his embrace. Lifting her hand, they both stared at it.

Memories of their time together consumed him. And, for the first time in five long years, it didn’t hurt. He tightened hisembrace and she snuggled under his arm. Hope surged inside of him and his heart felt full.

Finally, he had Quinn back in his arms, right where she belonged. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to lose her again.

Chapter Sixteen

Normally, the moment the sun rose, Braxton woke up. He’d never needed a lot of sleep. But when morning came and he felt Quinn’s warm, naked body stretched across his, he had no plan to leave his bed any time soon. Instead, he savored their nearness, lightly stroking his fingers up and down her back, his mind returning to the conversations they’d shared throughout the night. And, of course, he couldn’t stop thinking about the mind-blowing sex.

They’d always been explosive in bed, but last night took things to a new level. More than anything, he wanted to start over. Quinn brought a lightness and playfulness to his life that was otherwise missing. Despite being a badass, she knew how to not take herself too seriously, and that was something he always had trouble doing.

She made a soft sound, stirring, and her gorgeous green eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning,” she murmured sleepily and placed a soft kiss on his chest. “That was…quite a night.”

His mouth edged up and he brushed her fiery hair back over her slim shoulder. The woman entranced him, and the fact that she was here, with him again, had his head reeling. His heart, too. For a long moment, all he could do was stare at her.Words were caught up in his throat. A part of him was terrified he was merely dreaming and when he woke up, she’d be gone.

“Yeah,” he finally managed, “it really was.”

He noticed she was still wearing his wedding band on her finger and his possessive side liked it. A lot.

Pushing up, she tossed him a sultry look. Her long, dark red hair cascaded all around, covering her breasts, and he wanted to shove it aside, pin her down on the bed and have his way with her.

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