And God, did she need Brock to help her burn off some adrenaline.
Her hands trembled as she tried to fit the key into her lock. She giggled at the whole phallic situation until Brock caught on and started laughing too. He finally grabbed her keys and inserted the right one into the lock.
“A preview?” She barely got out the words before she was back in hysterics.
“Someone is squirrelly,” he growled in her ear. “Better work off some of that energy, huh?”
The minute her door was open, Brock had her up against the wall. His mouth came down over hers—relentless, demanding, claiming her until she was moaning helplessly into his mouth. He gripped her wrists and slid her arms up over her head as his hard body pressed against hers. She wrapped her right leg around his waist and used it to pull him even closer, savoring the feel of his erection pressing against her clit. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d even had sex, let alone wanting someone this much. She rubbed herself shamelessly against him, letting the pleasure build faster than it ever had in her life.
She was this close to exploding against him when he groaned and pulled back. She couldn’t stop the moan escaping her lips the second she was denied. Her hips moved forward without thought, trying to reestablish the delicious contact.
Brock dropped his head, breathing heavily, sweat dotting his forehead. “Fuck, Brianna, one more second and I was going to embarrass myself right there in my pants.”
“That was going to be mutual,” she laughed.
He looked up at her and the hunger in his eyes stopped her heart. “Your bedroom, now.”
She was about to lead him there when he swept her up into his arms and carried her down the hall. He set her down, standing, at the foot of the bed. Brock ran his hands down either side of her body, his palms molding to her curves as his gaze followed. “So damn beautiful.”
His expression turned dark and his voice shook.
“Oh my God, Brianna, I almost lost you. The entire time all I wanted to do was rush past everyone else and grab you up and get you to safety. It was torture having to wait, and then you tried to kill me by insisting that Twila go before you.” His voice cracked on the last words.
“I did that because she was hurt and I was okay,” Brianna started to explain, but Brock touched his fingers to her lips.
“Iknowwhy you did that, baby. Because you have a big heart and you’re always putting everyone else first.”
She grabbed his fingers and pulled his hand down. “No. Because I knew you’d save me, even if I were the very last one. I knew that from the start. You didn’t almost lose me, not for a moment.”
“Baby,” he whispered. She watched his eyes flash with desire and something deeper, bigger. “God, I love you. You have no idea what those words mean to me.” He shook his head, and suddenly he was far away from her.
“Where are you?” she asked. “Come back to me.”
He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her neck. His body convulsed and she felt hot tears against her skin. “Brock,” she whispered as she caressed him. “What is it?”
“Never expected to see someone named Badger cry, huh?”
“It takes a strong man to let someone he loves see him cry. It takes an even stronger man to talk about it. And I know you’ll tell me what’s wrong. Because you’re the strongest man I know,Badger.”
“Baby.” He lifted his head and ran his finger down the side of her face, then traced her lips.
“Tell me.”
“Sean Voelker. My teammate. My best friend.” When he was done touching her, he told her the story of how he lost Sean by the side of a river in a country he couldn’t name. Of how he couldn’t save Sean because he was busy rescuing a wounded SEAL under heavy gunfire. He’d carried that guilt with him from that moment until this one. “So when it happened again today, with you…”
“It didn’t. You saved us all. I never doubted you would.”
He buried his head in her neck again. “The sound of the water rushing today while I secured the van brought it all back. Sean loved the St. Vrain. Used to talk about it all the time. I kidded him that it must be the mother of all rivers, the way he went on. He told me I’d agree one day when I finally came to Colorado to see it. I was supposed to go home with him last Christmas and meet his sister in person and witness this legendary river. Instead, I met Arden before that, to deliver the letter.”
He stopped. He didn’t need to explain what the letter was. Her uncle was ex-military; he would’ve had a letter once too. They all did. The letter that told it how it was, but told it too late. The letter that said I love you and I’ll miss you and I want you to go on without me. That I’m proud of what I did, proud of what I became, and how I served my country. The letter that said everything and didn’t even come close to touching what needed to be said.
Too late. Always too late.
He cupped her face again. “I love you, Brianna. So I’m gonna tell you that a thousand times until it sinks in deep. I’m going to show it to you a thousand times in a thousand ways so that you never doubt it. You’ll never have to question my love or wonder if it’s real. You’ll know it.” He touched her forehead. “You’ll feel it.” His hand went to her chest above her heart. “Every single day, morning to night. And every single night until dawn. That’s a promise, baby.”
“This sounds long-term.” The whispered words were out before she could stop them.
He nodded. “It feels long-term. Felt it from the start. I’ve never met anyone close to making me feel the way you do.” He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “Are you with me?”
