Worth the Wait(47)

“It’s the thought that counts,” he informed me. “You’re lucky I went this route. Can’t cook for shit.”

My head fell back on a laugh. Whether he cooked or not didn’t matter to me. The fact that he even thought to handle dinner before I got home was what really counted. He was so getting lucky.

“Mommy, look it.” Callie came running up to where Brett and I stood. “We drew pictures of our family at school today.”

I took the picture from her hand and studied the stick figures she’d drawn on the page. Brett’s chest pushed against my back as he leaned over my shoulder to take a look.

“Dats me and bubs and you and Brett. See? He’s wearing a toow belt.” She pointed to a yellow scribble around one of the stick figure’s waists. The breath whooshed from my lungs as she spoke. My little girl drew a picture of her family, and there Brett stood, right there in the middle of stick figure Callie and stick figure Cameron.

Brett’s solid body went stiff as a board behind me and I could have sworn he’d stopped breathing.

“Do you like it, Brett?” Callie asked, staring up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

Brett’s chest rumbled as he cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion as he answered, “Yeah, ladybug. I love it.”

She jumped up and down excitedly, clapping her little hands. “Can we put it on the fwidge?”

“Heck yeah.” He stepped from behind me, took the picture from her, and stuck it front and center on the refrigerator door.

“YAY!” Callie yelled as she bounded up to Brett. “Now evewyone will see our family.” She hugged his legs tightly, muttering a quick, “Love you, Brett,” before going back to the table to finish her coloring.

When I turned to catch Brett’s eyes, the love I saw shining in their warm brown depths made my heart squeeze.

“Christ, I love that little girl,” he mumbled in a hoarse, gravelly voice.

Walking up to him, I put my arms around his waist and squeezed tightly, burying my face in his chest and inhaling his clean scent. “Thank you,” I whispered against the ball in my throat as tears pricked the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over.

He reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “For what, beauty?”

I pulled back and stared up at him, hoping he could see the sincerity in my eyes. “For being so wonderful. How’d I ever get lucky enough to have you?”

The kiss he placed on my lips was feather light, but full of emotion. “I’m the lucky one, baby.”

God, this man undid me in every way. I had no walls left. He’d shattered through ever defense I had. I could finally admit it to myself.

I was crazy in love with Brett Halstead.





“Oh, God. Harder, Brett, faster,” I begged helplessly, writhing beneath him as he thrust into me with slow, torturous strokes.

“Eyes on me, baby,” Brett panted as he continued to drag his cock in and out, driving me out of my mind.

Using all my strength, I peeled my heavy eyelids open and stared up at the man doing insanely erotic things to my body, manipulating it in ways no one ever had before.

“Fuck me, your pussy’s so perfect,” he ground out, making my walls clench around him. I was never much for dirty talk, but there was just something about when Brett did it that set my blood on fire. Just his words were usually enough to send me careening into a blinding climax, but this time was different. It was as if each thrust was calculated to drive me closer and closer, but not enough to send me over. He was intentionally denying me my release.

“Baby, please,” I whimpered, on the brink of tears if he didn’t let me come soon.

Slow thrust in. Slow drag out.

“Say it, beauty.”

Thrust in, drag out.

My brows dipped in confusion. “Say what?”

Thrust in, drag out.

His deep brown gaze bore into me. It was as if he was seeing every single thing I felt. “Say it, beauty. I know you feel it. I want to hear you say it.”

Thrust in, drag out.

Oh shit. He knew. He knew how I felt about him. My breath stalled completely. “Brett,” I whispered on an exhale.

Thrust in, drag out.

“Say it, Kenzie. Tell me what I want to hear and I’ll let you come.”

Thrust in, drag out.

My head shook frantically, my eyes wide as fear took over.

Thrust in, drag out.

“Yes, baby. I know you do. Just say it.”

Thrust in, drag out.

Fear took hold of me. Yes, I knew I loved him. But knowing it and saying it were two different things. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was still terrified that admitting it aloud would change everything…would change Brett.

Thrust in, drag out.