Chapter 72: Brayden’s Mate—Chapter 17

“At least it stopped snowing.” Taylor snuggled under the down blanket as Brayden turned from adding wood to the fireplace. “But it’s sooo cold.”

“I know how we can warm up.”

Taylor’s eyes widened. “I bet you do.”

“My. My. Taylor Stone. Your mind does go to interesting places.”

She pulled the blanket higher to cover her smile. Her mind was indeed going to interesting places. He was wearing jeans that had just the right fit. Not too tight. Not too loose. Watching him bend in front of the fire had set loose a flutter of little butterflies all through her stomach. She decided it was best not to answer.

“I was thinking more along the lines of a bath.”

“I already had a bath.” She said against the blanket.

“Didn’t it warm you up?”

She lowered the blanket from her face. “Yes. It warmed me up quite a bit.” She admitted.

He rubbed his hands along his arms. “You know what? I think I’ll take a hot bath.”

“Good idea.” She said and nestled deeper into the couch.

He grinned and went into the bathroom. A few seconds later, she heard water running.

With the blanket around her shoulders, she went to warm herself in front of the fireplace. She needed to think about something beside Brayden naked in the next room.

Anything would do.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t get her mind to focus on anything else for longer than a few seconds. She gave up, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to replay sliding her from the tree limb and holding her against him, her legs wrapped around him.

“The water’s about ready.”

She jumped and her eyes flew open. He was standing right in front of her. Totally in her space. “Good.” She scoffed at herself. She couldn’t even put her brain in gear enough to make a complete sentence.

He ran a thumb along her cheek and then across her lips. With just that simple touch, she was on fire. “I really hate to keep that hot water all to myself.”

Her eyes widened. She shook her head and he shrugged. “If you change your mind…” He said as he turned around.

She heard him turn off the water to the tub. She paced to the window and watched as the snow fluttered against the window pane.

She shivered. A hot bath sounded really good. A hot bath with Brayden sounded even better.

I just met him. Taylor wasn’t one to hook up with guys. She’d had a boyfriend in high school and a couple of boyfriends in college. She’d only slept with one of the boyfriends in college. And she’d really expected to marry him. But once they graduated and he moved to Minnesota to go to graduate school, he’d called her twice. Twice.

The second time he called, he told her it wasn’t going to work out. He couldn’t do the long-distance relationship thing. Taylor hadn’t seen that coming. He’d promised that they’d stay together and find a way to make their relationship work.

In retrospect, she considered herself fortunate. After she’d gotten over the pain of being dumped, she’d realized how controlling he was. Taylor enjoyed her freedom. She loved making her own decisions.

Single by choice. Single by choice did not have to mean being celibate. Having a mother who was a psychiatric nurse had led to her having an open mind about most things. Overall.

But she’d never been tempted like this before. There was something about Brayden that she couldn’t explain. Just seeing him set her hands trembling and her heart racing.

Being single didn’t mean she didn’t have needs.

Damn it.

She turned on her heel and tossed the blanket onto the sofa on her way to the bathroom.

He’d left the door open. She stood in the doorway and looked at him. He’d put bubbles in the tub. A bubble of laughter escaped before she could stop it.

He grinned at her. “What’s funny.”

“You. Taking a bubble bath.”

“You’ve never seen a man take a bubble bath?”

“No. Actually I haven’t. It’s very metro of you.”

“Maybe I’m a metrosexual.”

“You? Ha. I don’t think so.”

“I’m hurt. I’m very metro, thank you.”

“You’re a cowboy.”

“Okay. Now you’ve done it.” He put his hand on the edge of the tub and stood up in the tub. He was covered with bubbles, but nonetheless, she got a good look at him.

She put a hand over her mouth and laughed.

“You really know how to boost a guy’s ego.” He stepped from the tub.

“What are you doing?” She stepped aside.

“I’m coming to get you.”

“No.” She shook her head and turned. But before she could do more than turn, he grabbed her around the waist. She laughed and shrieked.

He nuzzled her neck.

“I take it back,” she said, but her voice caught as his tongue etched her earlobe.

“You can keep your clothes on.” He whispered against her ear.

“But then what would I wear?”

“Nothing.”

She giggled. “But it’s cold.”

“I’ll keep you warm.” He took a step back but kept his arms loosely around her. “You’re already wet.”

He had no idea.

“But you’re right. It’s cold.” He let her go. “I’ll be in the warm water.”

She covered her eyes until she heard the water splash. He was right. Her clothes were already wet.

But she wasn’t going to wear them in the tub. She pulled the sweatshirt over her head and slipped the sweatpants off. “Turn your head.” She motioned with her fingers.

He laughed and turned his head. Why not?

She unhooked her bra and dropped it on the pile of clothes, then tugged her panties off and added them to the stack. Watching Brayden to make sure he didn’t turn around, she stepped into the hot water and sat facing him, pulling the bubbles around her.

He turned then. “See. I was good.”

“I think you’re bad.”

“Maybe. One of us has to be.”

He grabbed her foot and lifted it into his lap. She gasped, thinking he was going to tug her under the water. But instead, he began to massage her foot.

Gently at first, then deeper. She relaxed against the back of the tub and closed her eyes.

He attended to each of her toes, then moved to the other foot.

She wanted more. She wanted his hands on her. She opened her eyes and looked into his dark brown eyes. Saw that he wanted more too.

She was in dangerous territory here. There was no going back now.

His hands massaged up her calves and she slid toward him.

He shifted her and she was sitting with her back against his chest. He began to massage her shoulders and kissed her neck there in that vulnerable spot.

She squirmed and leaned back against him. His hands moved down her sides, then traveled along her bare skin to the area just beneath her breasts. The warm water and bubbles teased her nipples.

Unable to take it any longer, she took his hands and placed them over her breasts. She stretched her legs until her toes rested on the tops of his feet. Then she turned her head so that their lips were a breath apart.

When his lips touched hers, she lost all rational thought. No going back indeed.

With his lips on hers, his fingers gently kneading her breasts, and their feet touching, she gave herself up to him. She put her arms up and ran her fingers through his hair.

He groaned and deepened the kiss.

Pressing her toes against his feet and pressing back against him, she felt his hardness against her bottom.

Still, she wanted more. She wanted so much more. She felt promiscuous and daring. But she’d come this far and didn’t want to stop. She pressed against him, and he placed a hand over her knee, then slowly ran his fingertips up her thigh. He stopped halfway up, and his fingers traced a path back to her knee. He slipped his hand to the back of her knee and this time his fingertips traveled up her inner thigh. He didn’t stop. He kept going until her fingertips brushed against her.

This. This was what she wanted. His hands on her body. She was already so close. She spread her legs and pulled on his hair, their tongues locked together.

She came against his hand, her body shattering into a thousand shards. The warm water moving through her.

Pulling her knees together, she lowered her arms. She whimpered as he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, and her forehead.

As her body calmed, she broke out in a sweat from the heat from the water. “It’s so hot.”

“Yeah.” He laughed. “Let get out of here.” After standing up, he helped her to her feet and, grabbing a towel, wrapped her in it.

He took her hand and led her to the bed. He switched off the light and climbed in next to her. Taking her in his arms, he held her close.