Lenna closed her eyes and sighed wearily. “Braxton...please let me in.”
“Sorry,” he sneered, “but it’s already too crowded in here, what with my harem of women I have keeping me company.”
Grinding her teeth, Lenna moved forward.
Braxton didn’t bother to step out-of-the-way. She had to turn sideways to squeeze by him; even then, her breasts brushed his arm. He sucked in a breath at the contact and jerked backward.
She stopped, her spine still pressed against the inner wall of his foyer as he kicked the door shut. The glower he sent was like a punch to the gut.
Realizing her plea for forgiveness had to be a lot better than what she’d planned, Lenna’s eyes filled with hopeless tears. She didn’t want to lose Braxton. The last two weeks without him had been hell.
He noticed the trickle down her cheek and paused. Then he jerked his head to the side.
“Well?” he demanded, his voice raspy and hoarse.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Pathetic attempt, yeah, but it was all she could think to say. “God, Braxton, I’m so sorry. Dad finally told me everything. He admitted to lying about you having other women. He told me why he was suspended. He even apologized for breaking us up.”
Braxton jiggled his knee anxiously as he stuffed his hands into his back pockets and gave a derisive snort. “It’s about time he confessed.”
Lenna’s shoulders slumped. “Braxton.”
“Don’t,” he growled. “Jesus, you can’t just come crawling back—God, will you stop crying? I can’t handle seeing you cry.”
She sniffed and wiped at her tears. “I’m sorry, but I had to come. You know I had to try to get you back.”
“It’s too late,” he ground out and turned his face toward the wall this time. She wasn’t sure whether he was trying to hide the agony creased into his features or keep from seeing hers. The muscles strained in his neck as he clenched his teeth.
Betting everything, Lenna took a cautious step forward. “I don’t agree,” she murmured and stroked his back.
At the light touch, he leapt desperately away. He spun to nail her with a sharp frown. “You didn’t believe me.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and reached for him again. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He evaded her hands. “Don’t touch me.”
She pulled her fingers to her chest and sucked in a loud sob that made him wince. “I want to be with you, Braxton.”
He snorted, but it wasn’t as effective this time, especially when his eyes misted and his chin quivered. But he sounded plenty condescending when he scathed, “Yeah, until Tom throws a fit and you once again choose him over me.”
Lenna scowled. “That’s not fair. Don’t say that. My life doesn’t revolve around him. I don’t—”
“Are you kidding me?” His eyes snapped fire. “The entire foundation of our relationship was centered around him. We had to be hush-hush because of him. If I wanted to be with you, I had to keep us quiet.”
Her mouth fell open. Shaking her head, she said, “But you didn’t want him to know either. You wanted to keep it quiet too...Didn’t you?”
He sent her a bleak look. “You don’t know how many times I could’ve blurted everything to him. I was so ready for him to learn the truth, it wasn’t even funny. I wanted to move past the secrets and the lies. But I kept my mouth shut...for you.”
“Braxton...” She reached for him yet again.
“Lenna, stop this,” he rasped, desperation so thick in his voice he pleaded. “It won’t work. We won’t work. Your dad is always going to be between us. We don’t stand a chance. And I said, don’t touch—”
“Why?” she countered, her temper rising. “Don’t you think you’ll be able to resist me if I put my hands on you?”
The challenge in her tone had him standing rigidly still when she reached for him the fourth time. Taking advantage, she ran her hands up his chest and pressed close. When her hip nudged his erection, she leaned up to kiss him. But he turned his face to the side, and she caught his jaw instead.
She nibbled on his five-o’clock shadow. He shuddered.
“I miss this,” she said, running her hand down until she cupped him through his pants.
He caught her wrist but didn’t move it off him. She tightened her grip and listened to his breath catch. His eyelashes fluttered, and he clenched his teeth.
Lenna stroked him through his clothes. “I miss our late-night talks, our tickle wars, snuggling on the couch, eating together in bed, feeling you deep inside me. No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”