The ship of mortification has left the dock. In fact, it’s sailing gloriously toward me. Oh, and look…it’s now docked at my feet.
I avert my gaze and start to fidget with the seat belt. “Anyway,” I say quickly. “It’s not a big deal…”
A warm hand lands on my fumbling fingers, and I look up.
“I’m sorry.” His expression has changed to warm. “That is just, literally, probably the last thing I expected you to say to me.”
“Oh.” I swallow. “I just wanted to thank you. For being there for me that night and for giving me your hat. I never got a chance to truly thank you for what you did for me.”
His voice is gruffer than usual when he says, “I’m happy if holding onto the hat helped you in some small way.”
“It reminded me every day that most people are good,” I say softly. “You didn’t save me physically that night, Brayden. But you saved me in just as important a way—you gave me strength in salvation.”
“Leleila.” His gaze feels like fire on my skin.
I bite my lip, and he gives my hand a quick squeeze and then abruptly shifts to face the steering wheel.
“I better get you to Sophia’s,” he says in apparent explanation.
But the spark between us will not die. The electricity heats up the car during the entire ride even though we only speak occasionally. And guilt tugs at my chest. I try to calm myself with the truth—in a few weeks, any time spent hanging out with Brayden will be over for good. And if I weren’t already having so much fun with him, it probably wouldn’t be so painful to imagine it ending.
Chapter Twelve
Brayden
I’m falling for her. For the brilliant, green-eyed, shy on the surface but sassy on the inside woman who got inside my heart with one curious glance, and no matter what I do, I can’t shake her out.
But I have to.
Leleila’s engaged, for fuck’s sake. I’ve never once been drawn to a woman who was taken. Not one fucking time. So why is this happening now?
And Christ, why’d she have to go ahead and tell me she kept my cowboy hat? The whole time I drive her to Sophia’s, I’m picturing her wearing my hat. And yeah, sometimes she’s naked. With me.
Riding me.
Bent over in front of me.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I pull into Sophia’s driveway, and Leleila nearly leaps out of the truck. We say goodbye politely and in measured tones, completely faking the fact that this truck is about a thousand degrees right now. Because of us.
Once she’s finally gone, I exhale and head for home. I force the dirty images of Leleila out of my mind by focusing on what plays we should run in practice Monday. Next Friday is a big game, and it’s at home. So no worries about Wes and his father, although to Luke’s credit, everything was in good shape when we got home late last night. Luke was at Wes’s house. Wes’s dad was sitting up next to him watching an Old Western movie. Sober.
No idea what the fuck my brother did to conjure up that magic, but I took it. We said goodbye to Wes, and we left.
So yeah, I have enough going on with football and the ranch. So much that I could easily tell Leleila I can’t dance with her. Ishouldtell her that. With the way my truck nearly combusted just now, I should definitely back out.
But I don’t break promises. And Leleila clearly needs a friend. So somehow, I’m going to have to ignore my heart and stay on the proper side of the line. I’ll be her friend. Just her friend and nothing more.
Thoughts of kissing her dominated my brain when we were chatting on the couch. Dirtier thoughts of taking her against the washing machine raced through my head while I tried to keep up a casual conversation about my career plans. The way Leleila looked wearing my clothes had me so turned on I could barely focus on anything else. Everything was too big on her, but it didn’t matter because she wore my sweatshirt and pants like she owned them. And she relaxed for the first time since I’ve known her. She seemed…at peace, almost. It was a turn-on. I run my hand down my face. And now it’s time for me to turn off.
As I reach the ranch, I pull down the driveway until I reach the guesthouse. I step out of my truck, close the door, and jog up the steps to the front door.
Before I can put my key in the lock, the door opens wide.
“Hey!” My cousin, Cam, has me in a headlock before I can answer him.
He releases me immediately.
