Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“Sutton! Oh God.” He closed his eyes, and the look on his face was so beautiful, I nearly started to cry. “Christ, I’m coming. Oh God, that feels so good!”
I reached up and cupped his face with my hands, locking our eyes as he came inside of me.
When he pressed his mouth to mine, I swore I felt something pass between us. In that very moment, with Brody deep inside of me, I never wanted the feeling to end. I wanted to stay this way forever, the two of us as one for the rest of eternity.
Our breathing slowly returned to normal while Brody placed light kisses all over my face and neck. When he lifted up, I wrapped my arms around him. “Not yet. Please, don’t leave me yet.”
Smiling, he rested on his elbows and stared down at me. “That was amazing, Sutton. I’ve never…”
His words trailed off, and I wanted to know what he’d been about to say.
“You’ve never what?”
“It’s never been that good.”
I smiled, running my fingers over the soft fuzz of hair at the base of his neck.
He kissed the tip of my nose. “Are you sore?”
“No.” I trailed my fingers down the side of his handsome face. “I’ve never felt more alive.”
Brody drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He gently pulled out, then moved behind me. He wrapped his arms around my body and drew me closer.
He let out a long sigh. “I wish we could stay like this forever, but life is going to knock on that door any moment.”
I lazily moved my finger up and down his arm, tears stinging the backs of my eyes. When Brody kissed my shoulder, I turned in his arms to face him. “Thank you.”
He let out a soft laugh. “The one thing you do not have to do is thank me, sweetheart. Trust me, it was my pleasure.”
I felt my cheeks heat as I looked up at him. “Was I… I mean, did I do everything right?”
Brody blinked at me a few times before he took his finger and traced it over my brow. “I don’t like it when you frown. And why in the hell would you think you did anything wrong?”
Shrugging, I fought with whether or not I should bring up Jack. Brody and I had spent the most amazing time together, and I didn’t want to ruin it. “I’m often told I do these kinds of things wrong.”
It was his turn to frown. “By that jackass? Don’t listen to him, Sutton. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
My heart beat rapidly in my chest, and I looked away, trying to hide my face. I knew I was blushing hard because I could feel the heat on my cheeks.
Using his finger, Brody lifted my chin until our eyes met. “I’m the one who needs to be thanking you, Sutton. You gave yourself to me, and I’ll never forget this night for as long as I live.”
He leaned closer and brushed his lips lightly over mine. I was so taken by the moment, I let the words I held so close to my heart slip free.
“I love you.”
He stilled. His eyes searched my face, and I watched as he worked to swallow. Then I saw it. He was shutting down, pulling back from me.
“I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” I said. “And I don’t expect anything from you. Please know that.”
Brody forced a smile. “We should get dressed before we’re gone too long and people notice.”
I blinked rapidly to hold back the tears that threatened to come. “But…”
The words I wanted to say seemed stuck. Brody kissed me once more, though this time it felt like a goodbye kiss.
He sat up and crawled over me. Turning, he reached for my hand and helped me stand.
In silence, he helped me get dressed. I felt numb, and everything inside of me screamed to push his hands away. To tell him I could get dressed on my own. But another part needed to feel his touch. How messed up was that?
I sat on the sofa and watched as he quickly got dressed.
“Ready to head back?” he asked, not looking at me.
Standing, I shook my head. “No. What just happened, Brody?”
“Nothing.”
Tilting my head, I regarded him. “Nothing? How can you say that?”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t mean that in the way you think, Sutton. That was amazing. Making love to you was…amazing.”
I felt myself frown. “Then what happened?”
He looked away and stared off into space. “Nothing, it’s just…I can’t be with you.”
I took a step back at his cold words. It was clear he’d instantly put a wall up after I’d uttered those three words. “Ever? Are you saying this meant nothing to you, and we won’t ever…”
He looked away and rubbed at the back of his neck before he focused back on me. “Sutton, I’m in the Navy. I’m never home. You’re heading off to college. This…it wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”