“Oh, burn!” Jaime shouts, making me snort a laugh.
“I do listen! I always listen to you.” She reaches forward to touch him again, but he retreats a step, taking me with him. Keeley’s expression flickers before she reawakens her nasty streak, “I knew you’d put a bun in an old oven, but I didn’t realise she wasbus passold,” she lashes out with a sharp smile.
“Unfuckingreal. Let’s make one thing very clear,Keeley, you’re only here because Torbyn invited you. If this had solely been for my birthday, you wouldn’t be anywhere near Shariorme. So back. The fuck. Up,” he seethes. “And for anyone else in any doubt, let me be clear,” he raises his voice, “Shari is not fair game – for bullying or for hitting on. She is carrying our baby and deserves your kindness and respect. Anyone who wants to ignore those rules is free to leave.”
“Phew, did Brad just get hotter?” Elle says, mock fanning her face.
“He's always been scorching, babe. But no doubt his protectively possessive side does something to my loins,” I say, biting my lip as I completely objectify his sculpted body.
In my periphery, I can see some of the guys giving Brad approving back slaps, but almost everyone's attention is on me. Assessing. Judging. Keeley still looks like she’s sizing up the competition with the way she’s looking at me, even though Brad literally just told everyone to be nice. So I just stare right back.
“Brad, are you coming surfing?”
His unsure gaze flicks to me but I can see how much he wants to get out on the waves. And I have my girls, so I don’t need him to worry. “Go! Surf! It's your birthday, enjoy yourself!”
“Yeah, Brad, listen to the pensioner.”Oh great, Bianca's here too.
“What is wrong with you girls? Seriously, you need to grow the fuck up, you're legal adults. Bloody act like it!” Max has clearly had enough of their whining, “Fuck me, were we like this?”
“Not even close.”
“Don't let them get to you, Shari. They know they've lost the match, so they're acting like spoilt brats,” Elle frowns at the Barbie Bitch Brigade.
My eyes automatically flick to my right where Brad is still holding my hand, but he's glaring at the Barbies. As if sensing my gaze is on him, he turns those mesmerising eyes on me, and his expression immediately softens. “She's right, you know. There was never any competition. You're the only one who holds my attention. Ever.”
A sudden jab in my gut stops whatever I was about to say next.
I suck in a sharp breath, and as I pull my hand from Brad's grip, his face falls. Until I'm the one grabbing his wrist to lay his palm on my belly.
“The baby's kicking! I know you haven't felt it yet, but just wait one second. They'll do it again.”
The look of wonder and joy on this beautiful man's face as our baby effectively assaults his hand is something that will be etched into my memory for the rest of my days. Brad immediately falls to knees in front of me, cradling my belly with both hands before placing soft kisses on the spot where our baby keeps kicking. His sheer awe makes me giggle, which makes the baby kick more, which makes Brad laugh, and for a moment we're in our own impenetrable bubble of joy. No one else exists.
He looks up at me from his spot on his knees, and several fantasies flow through my mind.Brad singing to my belly. Begging me to give us a chance. With a gleam in his eyes whilst we're both naked. Holding a ring...each image gives me butterflies for different reasons. I need to get a grip.
He stands slowly, never breaking eye contact, and when he rises to his full height, he says over his shoulder, “I’m taking my woman and my Bumpy to the house for a bit. No one follow us. You guys have fun, we’ll be back at some point.” Not once has he looked away from me and I feel trapped in his gaze as my face flushes.
The guys holler and whistle whilst the Triple B’s have their little temper tantrums. I glance over my shoulder at my friends with a grin as Brad effectively drags me away.
BRAD
I all but drag Shari up the stairs into the beach cabin we’ll be sharing with her friends tonight, and make sure to lock the sliding glass door behind us. I don’t want any interruptions for the next hour at least.
As I spin around to take both her hands, I’m struck once again by how beautiful she is. The midday sun is blazing in through the glass behind her, outlining her in an ethereal aura. It couldn’t be more fitting for how I see this woman.
I take a step towards her and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trailing my fingers along her jaw as I pull my hand back to tip her chin up.
“Hi,” she breathes, trembling slightly.
My mouth is unable to fight the wide smile she drags out of me with that one word. “Hi, back.”
I lean down and take those pouty lips in a soft kiss. First the top, then the bottom, and back to the top. Shari tries to deepen the kiss immediately, but I want to savour this. Savourher. I cup her face with my hands so I can control the angle and speed, and I drag my lips across hers so slowly that I’m not sure which of us I’m torturing at this point.
But much like a wildfire, my Blaze won’t be contained. She slides her hands around my waist and runs them down underneath my trunks, digging her fingers into the flesh of my glutes. When her hands start to trail around my hips towards the part of me that craves her touch the most, I know I can’t let her win this battle or I’ll never be able to slow it down again.
Bending my knees, I dip down and pick her up by the backs of her thighs, and she automatically winds her long legs around my waist as I walk us blindly to our bedroom.
I’d love nothing more than to throw her on the bed like a caveman and bury myself deep inside her, but she’s carrying precious cargo. I bend to place her on her feet gently, and keep going until I’m kneeling on the floor in front her.
