Smiling, Braydon felt the insistent punch of his heart in his chest. He couldn’t find the words to answer her, his throat closing as he looked down at the most stunning woman in the room.
“The ceremony was beautiful,” Jessie stated, obviously wanting to make small talk.
As far as Braydon was concerned, he just wanted to hold her against him; words were merely an interruption he didn’t much care for at the moment.
“Yeah,” he croaked, forcing the word out through the lump in his throat.
Jessie was referring to the ceremony that had resulted in his brother Ethan and Ethan’s better half, Beau, tying the knot. At least as tight as the state of Texas would allow them to anyway. It had certainly been a day chock-full of enthusiasm and well-deserved celebration.
Braydon would’ve never thought Ethan, the loner of the family, would find love, much less open himself up enough to let it in. Considering Ethan had spent the majority of his life purposely avoiding permanent relationships because of a brutal incident he’d experienced as a teenager, something he had recently revealed to his family, Braydon was happy Ethan had finally come around. Of course, they all knew Beau Bennett wasn’t one to sit on the sidelines, and from the rumors Braydon had heard, the man had steamrolled right over Ethan’s arguments throughout their brief yet intense courtship. Which had led to a union that Braydon figured would last until the end of time.
Lucky them.
Without hesitation, Braydon could admit to himself that he was somewhat jealous of the relationships his brothers had found. He wanted what they had. The love Travis shared with Kylie and Gage, the pure adoration between Kaleb and Zoey, the intense heat that transpired between Zane and V, and, yes, the deep affection that Ethan and Beau had found together.
Braydon should’ve been fighting for what he wanted, but like now, he was settling just to have Jessie to himself for a little while, sharing a simple dance while happy couples shuffled around them.
Settling because the alternative just seemed like a mountain he wasn’t ready to scale.
JESSIE WAS LOST in the warmth of Braydon’s arms. Overwhelmed by the feel of him against her, the hard planes of his chest against her breasts, the silky softness of his dark hair beneath her fingertips, the delicious, spicy scent of him. For the last few minutes, she’d nearly forgotten where she was and why she was there. But that wasn’t a new occurrence for her. Especially when she was with Braydon.
The way he held her, almost reverently, his big hands gently caressing her lower back, his lips brushing her forehead every so often . . . It was enough to make her hopes soar. This was what she’d longed for, these few minutes she could steal with this man. She could forget all about the course her life was on and pretend that she wasn’t fumbling blindly through each day, wanting something she couldn’t have.
Something she wasn’t supposed to want.
But she did. Oh, how she did. Because in her heart, she knew that Braydon was different from the men in her past. He wasn’t going to hurt her, at least not physically.
All in all, it still boiled down to the fact that Jessie fell in love too easily and far too often.
Braydon Walker had taken her completely by surprise from the moment she met him. Well, to be fair, she’d been rather captivated by his twin, Brendon, just as much, but in an entirely different way. While she was attracted to both men, it hadn’t taken long for Jessie to realize that she had begun to feel something for Braydon. Something powerful. Something she’d sworn she wouldn’t feel again.
And to her credit, she’d managed to fool everyone else, just not herself. Although there was that tiny piece of herself that refused to get too attached, because in her brief experience with men, love usually ended with pain.
Braydon’s fingers caressed her bare back, over the small expanse of skin that was exposed by her gown, sending an electric charge along every nerve ending in her entire body. The ridiculously expensive teal-blue sheath that she’d splurged on just for this occasion, just for this reason, was nearly nonexistent in the back, leaving plenty of room for Braydon’s warm, callused hands to graze lightly, something she’d found him doing quite often since he pulled her into his arms. When Braydon’s eyes had widened upon seeing her earlier in the day, she’d no longer regretted the dent that particular shopping expedition had made in her checking account. That moment, and this one, had been worth every single penny.
As she leaned into Braydon, his presence overwhelmed her, consumed her on all levels. Although her shoes were killing her feet, Jessie liked that they gave her additional height, bringing her closer to Braydon’s six-foot-four-inch frame, although he still had several inches on her. She felt as though she was made to fit in his arms, against his big body. For whatever reason, she felt safe with him, and that was something she needed.