Page 37 of Purrfectly Kissed

“I thought the baby was mine,” he continued.

His voice hitched a little when he said baby. Jessica couldn’t blame him. She wrapped her arms around him, silently willing him to take from her strength to continue the tale and he did. Amazingly enough, he did.

“So, I asked her to marry me. One morning, there was a nasty thunderstorm, and I had to go to work. We were barely talking at that point. Hadn’t gone near each other again. Never, in fact, after that one night. She was depressed, and I was young. I didn’t know what to do. That day, she drove into a telephone pole and died on impact.”

“Oh no,” Jessica swallowed.

“Later, I learned the baby was John’s, not mine, and the cub had died inside of Valerie the day before she’d killed herself. Her grief over losing that one last connection with him had made her suicidal. I blamed myself for a long time, and I’ve been carrying that guilt around with me.”

Sorrow at the tragic loss of his friend, and the poor Sow, whose mind had broken with her heart, filled Jessica. Those feelings were quickly followed by sadness for Brayden. He’d carried this burden for so long, thinking it was his fault when all along he’d done the best he could.

“Oh Brayden, I am so sorry.”

“It’s my fault, I should have helped her-”

“You did help her. There was nothing you could have done.”

“I guess I know that now. I just felt like it was my fault for so long, it’s hard to stop that line of thinking. I feel I failed John somehow. Valerie too.”

“It was a terrible tragedy, and I am sorry you had to go through that,” she replied and meant it.

Her heart hurt so much for the big man. He’d been young and in pain. His friend’s mate had obviously felt the pain as well. She knew from the stories what happened to mates separated by death. One often followed the other. This was just a touch more tragic to her because Brayden had gotten involved.

“I will always be sorry for what happened to them, but it’s what led me here. To Maverick Point. And to you.”

Hope sprung up inside of Jessica. For a moment, she feared he was about to tell her goodbye, but not now. Not when his eyes glittered once more with heat and desire. She felt the subtle changes in his body as he pressed it against hers.

“So, you mean it then? About us being mates and wanting a future?”

“Yeah, I mean it.”

Brayden grinned, and she felt heat pool in her belly, and the slow, drugging pull of desire began its pulsating thrum inside of her. He was willing to try for happiness, even after all his pain.

With her.

What could be sexier than that?

“I think it’s about time I kissed you, kitten. Wouldn’t you agree?”

His words slid over her like warm honey, bringing her arousal to peak.

Fuck. Yes.

Jessica wanted to kiss him. More than anything, and she was just about to tell him so. But before she found the words, his head was already lowered.

Slowly, oh so carefully, giving her ample time to back away should she so desire it, Brayden leaned close.

His clean rain scent enveloped her, and it filled her nostrils. Heat from his body warmed her despite the sudden chill in the air. Jessica shivered at the contact.

It was the anticipation rather than the cold that made her body tremble so. Want, need, lust filled her, and something else, too. Something too big to utter into the fragile night air. She was afraid if she did, it would disappear on the cold winter breeze.

“Wait,” Jessica stopped him, ignoring the pang of hurt she felt coming from the big man.

“No, I mean, that’s not why I said stop. I want you to kiss me. But, uh, I’ve built a lot of dreams and have a lot of expectations on kissing, and uh, if you’re my mate, well, I don’t want you to fuck it up,” she whispered, and bit her lip.

“I understand,” he replied and grinned wildly.

Then took her face in one big hand and tugged her close.

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