Page 55 of Make Me Whole
I was about to protest when he shot me a wicked grin before grabbing me by the wrist and tugging me toward the bed. Arm hooked around my waist, he spun me around; the back of my legs touching the bedspread.
Those deep, blue eyes held mine captive while his hands moved to the clasp on my bra. My breath was trapped in my lungs while I waited, for what felt like ages, for him to unhook the garment and toss it aside.
His gaze remained on mine for a few seconds longer; something burning in those depths I didn't fully understand. Before I could analyze it some more, he took a step back.
His eyes set off in a slow, appreciative perusal down the length of my body; pausing at my scars for a few beats before continuing down to the tips of my toes. A tiny part of me wanted to shrink back into myself. Wanted to cover the imperfections marring my skin.
The other part, though, the part that was yearning for this man's touch,thatpart wanted to stand tall and be proud. Because, yes, I'd made mistakes, but they didn't define me.
Bradley touched his calloused palms to my cheeks; cradling my face in his big hands. When his lips touched mine, the kiss was so tender I almost cried. "You're so damn beautiful, Hailey," his whispered words blew over my lips, before he captured my mouth in another kiss.
There was nothing sweet about this one, though. This one was hot and wet and filled with the promise of a passion-filled night. It happened so fast; one moment I was standing and the next I was flat on my back with Bradley hovering over me.
My hands immediately went to the hem of his shirt and I wasted no time in yanking the thing up. Bradley was forced to break the kiss so he could reach over his head and pull it off completely before he dropped it to the floor.
I couldn't help myself, my fingers found the ridges of his abs and slowly traced over each of them. A wide smile stretched across my face when he shut his eyes and drew in a sharp breath.
Fingering the waistband of his Levi's, I grinned at him. "This needs to go." His eyes flew open; raw hunger turning his irises as dark as the night. I fumbled with the button and zipper before Bradley pushed off the bed and rid himself of the rest of his clothes.
There was no time to appreciate his magnificent naked form before he protected us both and covered my body with his. Chest to chest, hip to hip. The delicious hard planes of his body perfectly lined up with mine. Bracing his forearms next to my head, his gaze locked onto mine. "Do you have any idea how many times I've fantasized about having you under me just like this?" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "The things I want to do to you."
When I curled my fingers around his neck, his lids parted to reveal those dark navy eyes. "You wanna tell me about them? Or better yet—" I tugged, and he came willingly; our lips brushing. "Why don't you show me?"
An animalistic sound filled the air before he took my mouth in a kiss. It started out rough and needy but quickly morphed into one of those torturously slow sensual kisses I felt all the way to the depths of my soul.
Then he moved and any coherent thought I might've had was lost to the magnificent sensations taking hold of my body. His movements were a lot like his kiss; unhurried with the ability to send my senses into overdrive in a matter of seconds.
I'd already been on the brink of ecstasy so all it took was one push for me to free fall into a sensuous abyss. Every cell in my body was alive and on fire. When Bradley finally collapsed next to me, I was still catching my breath.
"Wow," he breathed out. Pushing onto his elbow, he lazily traced his fingers up and down my arm.
"Yeah…wow." I smiled up at him already knowing this was so much more than two people chasing a release.
He dragged his thumb along my jawline, his eyes following the movement for a beat before lifting to meet mine. "Is it stupid to hope morning won't come too soon?" There was a raw edge to his voice that had me swallowing hard. "I'll be right back." His gaze dropped between us. "Gotta take care of this." After stealing a quick kiss, he jumped off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. When he came back, he snatched his jeans off the floor and rifled through the pockets.
"I wanted to give this to you yesterday, but the perfect moment never presented itself." Bradley held his open hand toward me; a small box resting in his palm.
Reaching out, I ran a tentative finger over the edges. "What's this?"
He raised his hand higher and urged, "Open it."
You'd think I was handling a bomb by the way I carefully took the offered gift and lifted the lid. My hand flew to my mouth the instant my eyes landed on the delicate sculpture.
My gaze snapped to his. I had so many questions, but I only managed to voice a single word. "How?"
His broad shoulders rose and fell in a shrug while he dragged his hand over the back of his neck. I might've been mistaken but I could've sworn I saw embarrassment flash in his eyes.
I caught sight of his tongue sliding over his lips before I heard him suck in a decent amount of air. "I…uh…Do you like it? Brett said that was the one you liked."
This man.
This giant marshmallow of a man was burrowing his way into my heart. So deep that I was sure getting him out would be completely impossible.
Because I didn't trust myself to speak, I hooked my fingers behind his neck and pulled his face to mine. Pressing my mouth to his, the second I was able to do so. With each stroke of my tongue against his, I tried to convince myself that I wasn't falling for Bradley Walker.
It was too fast.
Too soon.
Wasn't it?
