He sighs heavily, biting on his lower lip so intensely, I'm afraid it's going to start bleeding.
I run the pad of my thumb over his lip, stopping him. “Talk to me. Believe it or not, I can be a pretty good listener.”
“My nana was amazing. But when she died, I found out she was in debt.” He runs his hand through his hair and bites his lip yet again.
“No more biting your lip,” I scold.
“She got behind on the taxes and the fool put additional mortgages on her home just to put me through school. I took the job at Foxy’s to save her house. My house.”
Damn. Bradley has real issues, and I was worried about coming here alone tonight.
“Did you?”
Bradley clears his throat while shaking his head. “Save the house? Not yet. I took care of the back taxes, but not the mortgage.” His voice softens for the next part, like he doesn’t want me to hear. He’s not successful; each word reaches my ear. “And time is running out.”
“I have faith it’s all going to be fine.” I lift my hand, letting the tips of my fingers trail along the side of his face, along his jaw. “Let’s put everything else to the side and enjoy the rest of the night. I want to bid on something and hopefully win. If not, I’ll be making a donation. Will you help me decide?”
Bradley pauses—only a second, maybe two—then just nods his head, before a ‘yes’ slips from his mouth.
Our gazes lock, and the world narrows, creating a bubble around the two of us, blocking everyone else out. The surrounding stillness is so intense my body hums. Bradley stares back at me with a kind of look that makes me feel like I’m standing in a doorway, knowing that once I cross it, nothing will ever be the same.
Bradley’s chest rises with a sharp inhale, his lips parting slightly as if to speak, but thinks better of it.
We don’t need them. I’m positive I’m feeling everything that he is. I shouldn't. I didn’t come here for this. But with him, it doesn’t feel like pretending.
I lean into him, slightly at first, allowing his body to adjust to my closeness. Bradley doesn’t pull away, and it’s the invitation I need to continue. My breath catches as my pulse quickens. Theair between our mouths warms as our faces come close to each other, our lips barely touching.
My hand moves without thought, allowing my fingers to slip through his hair as I grip the back of his head, pressing my mouth firmly against his.
And then—finally—we kiss.
Slow at first, then deepening with each passing second, more sure, more urgent. Our mouths move together gently at first, then become greedy, begging for more. Bradley’s hand slides to the back of my neck, pulling us closer until there’s no space left between us, only the soft grind of bodies and the heat rising fast between us.
The rest of the room blurs into nothing, this kiss between us sparking something I’d thought only belonged to one other person. Someone who wasn’t ready for the same level of commitment as me. I’m not sure how to process it, but I’m not running.
We pull our lips away from each other, both a panting, breathing mess.
“That was…” Bradley seems at a loss for words as his face turns the cutest tinge of pink.
“It was for me, too. Now let’s go spend my money.” I drop my hand from his head, gripping his hand as I pull him along back over to the auction items without a care in the world that we were just making out in view for anyone to see.
Chapter 15
Bradley
Theroomswirlswithmusic—a mixture of sweet ballads and low, throbbing bass and shimmering lights that make the walls pulse like a heartbeat. Bodies move everywhere, tangled in shadows and strobe light, but in the center of it all are me and Jefferson.
Jefferson’s fingers graze along my wrist as we sway back and forth to the haunting, sad song playing. Our bodies close, our chests pressed together as our hips sway in sync, the motion fluid, lazy, almost hypnotic. My eyes wander past him to the couples around us, not wanting him to see how this is affecting me. It shouldn’t be. This is a job, and I shouldn’t be having these longing desires for him.
Jefferson slips his hand further around my waist, splaying his palm along my back, resting it just above my ass. His touch is firm and grounding, and I’m loving it. My breath hitches, and he lets out a soft rumble, letting me know it didn’t go unnoticed.
The music shifts to an upbeat rhythm, and more couples spill onto the dance floor.
“Shall we get another round of drinks?” he asks huskily.
“Yeah. But it’ll need to be my last. Still need to drive home tonight.” I wink with a gentle reminder. Our time is nearly up, unless he’s wanting to add on the additional three hours.
He moves his arm, angling so he can see his watch. “That it is. Go ahead and have a seat and I’ll be right back. They should begin announcing the auction winners shortly.”
