7 Months

  “Can I sleep here tonight?”

  “Of course.”

  He got up to go and lock the front door, and I saw him eyeing the proof of my pity part on his way.

  “I’m sorry, Ming,” Brady said again as he crossed back to me.

  “I’m glad that you’re okay, and that you came to me when you needed someone,” I assured him, then we slipped into bed.

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he replied.

  Chapter Twenty-Five ~ Brady

  There was a dull ached at the base of my head.

  Probably from crying like a little damn baby in Ming’s arms last night. How fucking embarrassing.

  Rather than opening my eyes right away, I shifted in the bed, enjoying the feel of Ming’s warm, soft body tucked into mine.

  She hadn’t made me feel weak when it happened, she’d just held on tight, like she knew that was what I’d needed. Surprisingly, she’d been a source of strength for me, and I didn’t regret what happened. I’m glad I came here rather than going home.

  Still, I never needed what happened to get back to my brothers. They’d never let me live that shit down.

  My hands moved, my body finally coming to life and realizing where it was. One caressed the sweet curve of Ming’s ass, while the other slipped down my chest to brush across her full breast, resting against me.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured as she writhed slowly against me, her nipple puckering against the back of my hand.

  Definitely awake now, Ming brought her hand from around my waist to settle on my stomach, her fingers splayed out, white against brown. I squeezed her ass cheek in my hand, then moved lower until I reached the hem of her nightie and slipped underneath. I was about to turn onto my side when Ming began to travel lower, her fingertips teasing as they dipped beneath the waistband of the boxer briefs I’d been sleeping in. Tilting my chin, I watched her fingers disappear as I felt her tiny hand wrap around my cock.

  Ming jacked me slowly as my fingers found her turned on and already wet for me. She bucked against me when I entered her, her clit brushing against my thigh as she did, and I knew she enjoyed the dual hits of pleasure when she moaned deep in her throat and her hand started moving faster.

  I was simultaneously pinching her nipple as I fucked her with my fingers and watched her hand shifting beneath the cotton. It was a feast for the senses. Touch, sight, sound, and smell, everything seemed heightened, and when she ran her thumb over the head of my cock, then squeezed all the way down, I bucked against her with a loud groan.

  Fuck, it felt so good, but I didn’t want to come this way…

  Ming protested when I stopped fondling her and took her hand out of my briefs, but her eyes were hot on me when I pushed her on her back and moved over her and began pulling her panties down her legs. She sat up and rid herself of the nightgown before laying back against the pillows and watching me.

  I started at her calves, my fingers caressing her softly before my lips lowered to do the same, just a gentle swipe of skin against skin as I traveled up, eyes locked on hers the whole time. The back of her knee, her thighs, the quickest tease over her clit, before hitting her flat belly and moving to pay homage to her tits. Her breath caught as I sucked her right nipple into my mouth, my teeth nibbling as my tongue curled around the hard peak. After giving the same attention to her left breast, I continued my path over her collarbone, to the base of her throat, and up her neck.

  I could feel her body quivering beneath me, but when I would have taken her mouth with mine, she turned her head.

  “I didn’t brush my teeth yet,” she murmured, her face reddening.

  “Doesn’t bother me,” I said truthfully, flicking out my tongue to lick her jaw.

  When she kept her head turned, I bypassed her lips and began to kiss my way back down.

  “Please,” she begged, her hips thrusting up, telling me what she wanted.

  I pushed off of her and relieved myself of my underwear, then returned to my position over her, her legs widening to welcome me inside. Once I was settled between them, the tip of my cock tempting her center, I took a moment to take her in.

  Dark hair wild and face still sleepy, yet turned on. My eyes trailed down her body, flush and ready for me, then back to her face.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I said, and her face softened while her lips turned up, and I thought she’d never looked more amazing, until I entered her slowly. Her lower lip dropped and her eyes became heavy, and I took a mental picture of how she looked in that moment, before I closed my eyes to let the sensation of being inside her overtake me.

  Ming’s legs came around my waist, as her hips tilted up to take me deeper. I kept my pace slow at the beginning, wanting to make this feeling last as long as I possibly could. I dipped my head and kissed the side of her neck, then maneuvered my thrusts so that my pelvic bone would hit her clit as I moved in and out.

  I knew I’d hit the spot when she breathed, “Yes, there,” and lifted her hips up off the bed to get better contact. She braced herself with her hands on my shoulders, and when she began whimpering in the back of her throat, I moved faster.

  Ming came with my name on her lips, then moved to take my mouth with hers, and the feel of her clenching around me, along with the sound of her pleasure, triggered my own orgasm, and I came while we kissed.

  I moved to rest my forehead against hers as I struggled to catch my breath, and when I heard Ming whisper, “I love you, Brady,” I was overcome with warmth and affection.

  I’d never had a sexual experience like the one we’d just shared, and I knew that I wanted to spend more time with Ming, get to know her better and see where things went, but I wasn’t able to reciprocate her feelings. Not yet.

  Still, the fact that she felt that way about me, and after everything we’d been through, was ready to share it with me, was a gift. I knew that, even if I didn’t know how to say it without saying something wrong and hurting her unintentionally.

  I looked her in the eyes and kissed her with every ounce of passion and tenderness I could muster, hoping she’d understand what I was trying to convey. Then I shifted to my side, so I could cradle her against me and hold on to this moment.

  It was the first time someone other than my parents or my brothers had said those words to me. It was at the same time overwhelming and wonderful, and I wasn’t sure what to do with these feelings, but I knew I wanted them … More than anything, I wanted them.

  Chapter Twenty-Six ~ Ming

  I stood nervously on Brady’s front stoop, taking in every inch of the outside of his house like there’d be a test later. I couldn’t believe I was actually there. Of course, I’d rather be there because he’d invited me over for a meal or something, but I’d take what I could get, even if we were forcing ourselves into his home to have Bronagh’s baby shower.

  The door opened and he was there. Tall, broad, heart-stutteringly handsome, with his hair damp from a shower and a sweet smile on his face.

  “Hey,” I said, lamely.

  “Come on in,” he replied, stepping back to let me in.

  I clutched my handbag to my chest, the papers containing the directions for the baby games secured inside, as I looked around his personal space for the first time.

  The house was larger than I thought it would be. The foyer opened up into the living room, which was smartly decorated in rich, deep tones. Dark-brown leather furniture with natural wood accents, what looked like vintage instruments decorating the walls, all tied together with the drumstick chandelier I’d give him for his birthday.

  I turned to Brady, please and surprised, while he looked sheepishly at the ground, his hand holding the back of his neck.

  “It’s gorgeous,” I said, sure the shock was evident in my tone.

  His head lifted and he admitted, “Victoria did it.”

  “She’s very talented,” I said, moving through the space, my fingers touching ever surface.

  “The rest of the house isn’t this put
together,” Brady said.

  “I’d like to see it,” I replied, eager to get a new glimpse into his personal life.

  Brady moved to me, his hand reaching out to take mine, and leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he added, causing pleasure to warm my cheeks.

  “Me too.”

  “Would you stay … after? I can bring home something to eat and we can have dinner.”

  “I’d love that,” I replied, knowing that a huge grin was splitting my face and not caring in the least.

  The kitchen was neat, but outdated, and I was surprised to note all of the different appliances out on the counters. Obviously well used.

  “Do you cook?”

  “Not as well as Bren or anything, but we all had to pull our weight growing up, so I know how to keep myself alive.”

  His dining room was pretty sparse, holding a table and chairs and that was it. No accent pieces, or decoration, and obviously rarely used, but…

  “That table is gorgeous.”

  “It was my parents,” Brady said, his face flush with pleasure. “Brock gave it to me after Victoria moved in and I refurbished it. Sanded it down, stained it, stuff like that.”

  “I’m impressed,” I said, and I was; the work he’d done was amazing. Just another secret of Brady that I was pleased to learn.

  There were three bedrooms. One filled with boxes, “Stuff from my childhood,” and another that held a desk with a computer and a bookshelf that was practically bowing, it held so many books.

  “You need another shelf,” I said with a small laugh.

  “Yeah, I keep meaning to get one,” he replied, then led me down the hall to the final bedroom.

  His room.

  Brady took a deep breath, then seemed to almost shrug to himself before opening the door and letting me in.

  It was messier than the rest of the house, and I’m sure he’d figured no one from the party would come into his room, so why bother cleaning it like the rest of the house.

  The bed was large, probably a California King, and was dressed with dark-blue bedding, which was still unmade. There were clothes on the floor, right next to the hamper, and a wicker basket full of assorted balls. Basketball, football, Nerf baseball, soccer, and a few just blown up bouncy balls. Finally, there was a large TV mounted to the wall.

  “The balls are for Dec, he loves to play,” Brady said quietly from behind me.

  I turned to look at him, taking in his embarrassment as I took a couple steps to bridge the gap that had appeared between us.

  “This is me … not out there, that’s Victoria. I’m kind of a slob.”

  Laughing softly at his words, but touched that he was worried I would somehow view him differently after seeing his bedroom, I ran my hands up his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck.

  Stretching up, I placed a soft kiss on his chin before saying, “This doesn’t scare me.”

  “You’re very neat,” he said, and I realized this had been something that had been on his mind for a while.

  “Beds can be made and clothes can be picked up,” I replied, kissing his full bottom lip. “The balls are very sweet.”

  Brady visibly let out a sigh of relief and curled his arms around the small of my back and pulled me in tight.

  “Will you stay here tonight?” he asked, and my stomach fluttered deliciously. “I promise to make the bed.”

  “No point in making it when we’re just going to mess it back up,” I murmured, and when he smiled beautifully down at me, I figured I’d died and gone to heaven, because this is certainly what that would look like for me.

  “Text me when the party is over, or I’ll text you when my meeting at Brandt’s is over, whichever comes first.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “Have fun, and if my thing runs later than yours, just make yourself at home.”

  We walked back out and I said jokingly, “I promise not to snoop through your stuff.”

  My heart soared when he replied seriously, “I’ve got nothing to hide from you, Ming.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven ~ Brady

  I was feeling good and actually anticipating my return home to Ming when I walked into Brandt’s building, and was caught completely by surprise when I was grabbed by the shirt and pulled off to the side of the lobby.

  My first instinct was to strike out, but Brock caught my fist before it could connect with his face.

  “What the hell?” I asked as I scowled at my brothers.

  “That’s what we want to know,” Brock said, his face conveying that he was very pissed. “Why do we have to see on the news that you’ve been in a shootout at the bank? You can’t fucking call your family to let them know you’re okay?”

  “Ah,” I stuttered, my stomach dropping as I looked from Brock to Brendan, who looked sullen.

  “No call, no fucking text, nothing … Victoria heard from Bronagh, who got it from Ming, that you were all right, so I held off from storming your house and beating the shit out of you. But just barely. Victoria made me wait until I saw you today to confront you about it, so I had time to calm down … It didn’t work.”

  Shit, Brock is scary when he’s angry, I thought, then felt horrible that they’d all been worried.

  “I’m sorry, man, everything happened so fast, I didn’t do anything but react to the situation. Then, Doobie was hurt, so I wanted to be there for him … I didn’t even have my phone on me for the most part.”

  “What about the next day, or the day after that?” Brock asked, not giving me an inch.

  “I was fine. Uninjured. I didn’t think it mattered.”

  When Brock glared and looked ready to breathe more fire, I admitted, “And I was ashamed. I shot a man, Brock. Aimed for his leg, but still, I shot someone.”

  I watched Brock calm a bit at the obvious tension in my voice, but knew I wasn’t off the hook yet, so I added, “And I’ll promise you the same thing I promised Ming, when something like that happens at work, I’ll take the time to shoot you guys a text and let you know I’m okay. It’s just nothing like that ever happened before, and I didn’t think … I’ll do better next time.”

  “Okay,” Brock said, his anger defused, then pulled me in for a quick, hard hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  I nodded, then turned to Brendan, who was still wearing that look.

  “What, are you giving me the silent treatment?” I asked, half joking, then realized when he didn’t respond that he was doing exactly that. “Jesus, Bren, grow up.”

  Brendan had been the king of the silent treatment all through our youth, and since I went out of my way to push his buttons, I was often on the receiving end of it. He hadn’t given me the treatment in years, so I’d figured he’d grown out of it; guess I just hadn’t made him mad enough.

  I’ll have to work on that…

  “C’mon, Brandt’s waiting,” Brock said, turning toward the elevator.

  I caught Brendan’s eye and stuck my tongue out at him, then hit him on the shoulder with a laugh.

  “C’mon, Bren, you can’t stay mad at me.”

  Then, in true spoiled younger brother fashion, he ignored me and stomped off after Brock.

  Shaking my head, I followed.

  “Morning, gentleman,” Carson Brandt said as his secretary, Michael, ushered us into his office.

  He stood up behind his desk, his slate-gray suit fitting him so well it actually made me want to go out and buy one.

  With jet-black hair and blue eyes, Carson Brandt had it going on. The looks, the money, the status, and, he was a helluva nice guy. It made me wonder how he’d wasn’t tied down to some model or something.

  Embarrassed that I’d essentially been checking him out, I ducked my head and averted my eyes, only to see Brendan watching me with a goofy grin. When he wiggled his eyebrows at me, I shot him the finger, and he laughed.

  It looked like he was already done being pissed at me.

  After we’d all
shaken hands and said our “hellos,” Carson led us out of his office and up a couple floors to the studio he’d built.

  Since we were walking side by side, I decided to bring up something that Ming and I had talked about after her meeting with Nat.

  “Hey, ah, Brandt?”

  “Yes?”

  “I was wondering if you had any openings in HR, or somewhere where someone with a degree in HR might fit?”

  “Mmmm, I might, I’m always looking for good people. Hard workers who would be a good fit for Brandt Industries. And, if I don’t, you can always check with Scott, see if he needs anyone in his area.”

  I nodded, thinking it might be awkward to ask Scott for a favor, but realizing I was willing to suck it up to help Nat out.

  “Who’s it for, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Our friend, Natalie. You may have seen her bartending at Jake’s; she usually works the night’s we play. She’s going through a tough time, and hasn’t really been working toward her strengths due to a bad situation, but she’s trying to get her life back on track.”

  “Well, as an underdog myself, I know those are often the people who will fight the hardest. Shoot me her resume when you get the chance, and I’ll look it over.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “No problem, Brady.”

  We went into the studio. Brandt had instruments set up, so I found my way behind the drum kit, pulling my favorite drumsticks from my back pocket, before settling in.

  Once we were all in place, Brendan opened his notebook and we began working on a couple new songs. One in particular stuck with me…

  I’m never more alive than when I’m with you

  Near you

  In you

  The way you watch me when you think I don’t know

  The way you love me

  Like I was meant to be by your side

  Like I’m your everything

  The funny thing was, that while Brendan was singing the lyrics he wrote for Bronagh, all I could think about was Ming.

  The way she watched me and the way she made me feel.

  I was beginning to realize that she’d come to mean more to me than any woman ever had, and I was terrified I’d fuck it all up.