“I’ve had shitty luck with men and I take complete responsibility. I ended up in abusive relationships and I made plenty of excuses both during and after them. Which was why I actually came here, to Coyote Ridge. I was trying to change myself, to figure out why I am the way that I am and then to fix what was damaged. And then I met you and Brendon and y’all provided me with a distraction.”
Braydon thought she was going to stop, give him a chance to speak. Before he could get a word in edgewise, she kept going.
“I still don’t know if I’m ready for something permanent. No, I take that back. I am ready for something permanent. I’m ready for something permanent with you.”
Braydon wasn’t sure what to say. She was all over the map and it made him want to laugh. Not at her, but at her obvious confusion. He knew how she felt. He’d never been in a single relationship where he had to worry about things moving to the next level, unless of course the next level was a different sexual position. But with Jessie, this wasn’t about sex.
This was about love.
She loved him.
“I love you, Jess,” he told her again.
“Even after all that?” she asked, exasperated.
Braydon chuckled. “Because of all that.”
Finally, Jessie didn’t have anything to say, and Braydon took the opportunity to tell her how he felt.
“I’m not perfect, Jess. I don’t pretend to be. Hell, I don’t want to be. As far as relationships go, the most I’ve ever done is friends with benefits. I’ve stayed in Brendon’s shadow all of my life because it was just easier to be there. And then when I wanted to break loose after I met you, I realized it was too late. It was you . . .” Braydon forced his eyes to remain on hers. “I fell in love with you. When the three of us were together, I pretended it was just you and me. It was a fantasy I couldn’t let go of. When I was gone for those three months, I thought about you all the time. I thought about you and Brendon off making a life together without me and it damn near killed me, Jess.”
“I would’ve told you that we weren’t together if you would’ve answered my calls,” she snarked with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.
“I know. We don’t seem to do well with communication. Not the verbal kind anyway.”
“So maybe we start there,” she suggested.
“It’s not a bad idea,” he told her, closing the gap between them. “But I’m also hoping we can do a little nonverbal communication.”
“You’re bad, Braydon Walker.”
Yes, he was. And he’d be the first to admit it.
But he’d do that later. Because right now, he didn’t want to talk anymore.
WHEN BRAYDON’S LIPS came down on hers, Jessie didn’t let him get away with a mere peck that time. She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down toward her, their tongues meeting, dueling. There was so much promise in his kiss, and Jessie latched onto it.
She’d opened up to him, and honestly, telling him how she felt actually made her feel lighter.
So, yes, it was safe to assume that she was shitty with communicating. Her sister had informed her of that a time or two. In the past week actually. But Braydon was giving her a second chance, and she knew there was no way she could ruin it for them this time.
“I love you,” she whispered against his mouth when he pressed her into the wall.
They were crushed together from chest to knee, and Jessie desperately wanted to get closer.
“I wish you were wearing a skirt,” he informed her, his lips never breaking away from hers.
“Me too,” she agreed. “But I’m not, and we can’t do this in your brother’s guest room.”
As though someone on the outside knew exactly what they were getting ready to do, a firm hand began banging on the door.
Jessie jumped, pulling her mouth from Braydon’s and burying her face against his chest as she giggled.
“Get your asses out of that room,” Travis scolded from the other side. “Everyone’s waiting outside for you two.”
“For us?” Jessie asked Braydon, peeking up at him. “Why us?”
“No idea,” Braydon answered. “We’ll be right out,” he told Travis.
When Braydon stepped back, Jessie smoothed her hands over her clothes, hoping she didn’t look like she’d just had a heated make-out session in Ethan’s guest bedroom. Considering Braydon’s face was flushed and his hat was crooked, she figured it didn’t really matter what she looked like. Everyone was going to know.
“Oh, who cares,” she mumbled beneath her breath.