Hearing the words sends a sharp pain through my heart, but I shake my head. I can't blame Brayden for what happened. For the fact that my family is going to prison. They made their choice and they're going to have to live with the consequences of their actions. Brayden did what was right. And he did it to save me. Which neither of them gave a damn about.
“It had to be done. They got caught up in some bad shit,” I say. “But, they're the ones who put themselves in prison. Not you. Besides, we're talking about the man who tried to marry me off to a drug cartel. I'm not exactly feeling all warm and fuzzy about him right now.”
“Still, he's your dad,” Brayden says. “I understand if you're upset.”
I sigh. “It's complicated, Brayden. And maybe it's screwed up, but, the main emotion I feel right now isn't sadness for losing them to prison. It's relief that I am finally free. I am finally going to be out from under his thumb. I don't know. Maybe it's wrong of me to feel that way, but that's the truth. And I have you to thank for it.”
Until it was too late in the game, I had no idea that Armando was the son of a drug kingpin. It's a fact that they concealed from me. Knowing what I do now, well, it certainly changes a lot of things. Especially how I feel about my dad and brother.
“I guess that means you forgive me?” he asks softly.
“Nothing to forgive, silly,” I say.
I stroke his face as I sit back down beside him, inching the chair even closer to his side. I can't tear my eyes away from his and when I look at him, the emotions run through me in a torrent. It's as overwhelming as it is profound.
“I'm appreciative of you,” I say. “More than you'll ever know.”
A crooked grin spreads across his boyish face as he kisses my hand again, a light of genuine affection in his eyes.
“I love you, Holly.”
His words catch me off guard and nearly knock the wind out of me. It's not that I haven't felt the same way towards him for a while now, but hearing those words fall from his lips utterly shocks me. The look of surprise that must be plastered on my face makes Brayden chuckle. But, he opens his mouth and speaks again.
“I don't expect you to say it back,” he says. “I'm just telling you how I feel, and –”
“I love you too,” I sputter before he can say anymore. “God, it feels so good to say those words.”
“Doesn't it?” he says, his smile growing wider. “I mean, I knew there was something special about you from the moment I saw you.”
“Well, maybe not the moment you saw me,” I say and giggle. “It took a while for me to warm up to you.”
He shrugs. “Okay, well, soon after the moment I saw you,” he says, “I think I fell in love with you watching you torment that waitress in Vegas.”
“Fair enough,” I say and laugh.
We kiss, and he tangles his fingers in my hair, pulling me closer to him.
“Come here,” he growls, motioning for me to join him on the hospital bed.
There's enough room for me to lay beside him, so I do as he asks. I climb into the bed with him and he turns on his side, curling up with me as best he can. The pain meds are obviously doing their job because he doesn't flinch at all when moving around this time. Cradling my face in his hands, he stares lovingly at me. I fall into those deep blue eyes of his, enveloped in a feeling of warmth and love as he caresses my face.
Then, his hands move lower, cupping my breasts gently, surprising me once more. Though, in all honesty, I shouldn't be surprised.
“You're a horny bastard,” I tease, laughing as he rubs my nipples beneath the fabric of my shirt.
“Only when it comes to you. You drive me crazy, Holly,” he says. “Absolutely crazy with desire.”
He brings his mouth to my neck and kisses it gently, making me gasp softly. I lean into him, my body aching with a need for him, but I know that he's in no shape for sex right now. As much as I don’t want to, I pull back and shake my head. We’ll have plenty of time for this when he’s healed.
“Brayden, you're hurt –”
“The pain meds and adrenaline will keep me going,” he says, fighting against my hold and kissing me again. “I need to have you, Holly. Right now. Right here. I very well might die if I don't.”
I laugh. “I doubt that's a medical possibility.”
“I don't want to tempt fate,” he says and grins.
“Brayden, should we really –”
“Yes. Yes, we should,” he hisses, nipping my ear. “It's a private room. We'll be gentle.”
I can't believe we're doing this, but I also can't deny my love what he wants the most. After all, he saved my life. In more ways than one – if I really think about it.
“What if I just take care of you,” I whisper.
I slowly slip my hand under his hospital gown and take hold of his cock. Brayden's eyes roll back into his head and he groans softly.
“Like this,” I purr.
“Oh God, yes,” he moans.
I roll him on his back, and stroke him, moving my hand underneath the blanket. He looks over at me, pushing my hair back from my face and I watch as the pleasure I'm giving him courses through his body. He deserves this. After everything he's done, he deserves to receive something nice in return.
“I'm the luckiest man alive,” he says, his voice thick with emotion.
My eyes begin to well with tears. Tears of joy. I tighten my grip on his cock and savor the way his face twists and his eyes seem to glaze over as I pleasure him.
He groans, begging me, “Please, Holly – I need to be inside you.”
“I don't want to hurt you.”
“You won't,” he says.
I smile as he helps me remove my pants, and then positions me on top of him so my body rests against only the uninjured parts of him. His erection presses against me, and Brayden wastes no time guiding his cock to my opening. My body knows what to do, and we come together in one, gentle movement. We’re skin-to-skin for the first time in what feels like forever, I can see that Brayden feels me, truly feels me, from the inside.
I rock gently, with Brayden guiding me, and lower my face so we can kiss. I stick to slow, short movements, more grinding against him than fucking him, but it's enough. Just having him inside of me feels amazing, and he's already so close from the handjob that it's only a matter of minutes for him at most. I can feel his cock swelling inside of me and know that familiar look on his face.
Brayden does what he can to sustain it, though. He kisses me, playing with my nipples until my own body reaches the brink. He's a generous lover and wants to make sure I feel as much pleasure, if not more, than he does. I tighten my inner muscles, gripping him with my pussy and he lets out a low growl.
“Jesus, Holly,” he gasps. “I love you so much.”
Hearing those words coupled with feeling him inside of me take me over the edge. I bite my lip to stop myself from screaming as I grind on top of him, harder this time, but still trying to be conscious of his wound. I slide down his hard shaft as deep as I can take him, throwing my head back and moaning his name.
His breathing and heartbeat are racing now, and his hands grip my ass, keeping me in place. I repeatedly squeeze and release his cock with my vaginal muscles, riding him until my own spasms take the place of the intentional contractions I had created. It's quiet, but intense as my orgasm tears through my body. I stutter and shake, feeling my body explode with ecstasy.
I feel every inch of Brayden's cock as it pulses and throbs, and a moment later, I feel him burst inside of me. I cry out softly as the flood of his hot, sweet seed fills me up. He moans, his fingers pressing into the flesh of my ass as he joins me in climax, our two bodies experiencing the intense, overwhelming pleasure at the same time. The image of him coming inside of me for the first time only intensifies everything I'm feeling, until I'm completely spent.
I'm careful to fall beside him, instead of on top of him, as we bask in the afterglow. It was short, intense, but sweet, and I feel nothing but satisfaction and contentment as I lay next to him, feeling his arms wrapped around me. He presses his lips to my skin, dotting kisses over my entire face as we both try to remember how to breathe.
“You’re amazing,” he says.
“You are,” I mutter, looking deep into his eyes. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Did that sound like a man being hurt to you?” he laughs.