Page 33 of Expiry Dating

Even though she knew where this was going, a heavy knot formed in her stomach.

“My injury, it was caused by shrapnel, an after-effect from the explosion. His though ... he’s the one who stepped on it ... on the IED. Stepped on it, Ali.” The more his voice cracked, the more her heart broke. “There were fucking pieces of him everywhere.”

He dug the heel of his palms into his eyes, and she just couldn’t take it anymore. Quickly rounding him, she carefully pulled his roughened hands away, revealing his pain-filled eyes. She needed to get closer. Touch him. Comfort him. The way she did at night.

She climbed on top of his splayed thighs until she was straddling his lap. After settling her weight on him, she wasted no time cupping his face in her hands.

There was nothing she could say to make it better. This was all she had. The light kisses started at his jaw and followed the line around his face. When she came full circle and reached his lips, she rested her forehead against his and looked into his caramel eyes. “It’s going to be okay.”

His eyes closed, and she took the opportunity to brush her lips against his. When he opened, she slid her tongue inside, instantly deepening their kiss. It started off gentle, innocent even, but the longer their tongues glided against each other, the hungrier they both got.

All the raw emotion they’d both kept hidden for so long bubbled to the surface, and suddenly her heart was racing. Her blood heated and all her brain could register was how good Brady tasted. How right he felt.

It wasn’t long before he took control of the kiss, pushing his fingers through her hair and holding her face in place so he could take what he wanted.

Before she knew it, his other hand was moving all over her, and when it made contact with the bare skin on her thigh, a familiar fire ignited inside of her.

He drew back his tongue but kept her lips hostage. “I need you, Ali.”

Not sweetness, not baby, just Ali. Why those words unravelled her the way they did, she had no idea. It wasn’t like he didn’t call her Ali; he did, all the time. But in the bedroom, in the heat of the moment, it was only the past few nights that he’d let her name leave his lips.

“Say it again.” Her whole body was ablaze.

“I need you, Ali. I need you so bad.”

She took his mouth again and pushed under his shirt. She needed him too, and that scared the crap out of her.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“What the hell, Ali?!” Lily screeched as she stormed into Alice’s cabin, disturbing the peaceful cup of tea she was in the middle of having.

“Oh, come on in, sis. No, don’t worry about knocking. That whole privacy thing is totally overrated.”

“You done?” Lily stood in front of Alice’s armchair, hands on her hips and looking murderous.

“What’s up, Lilypad?” Alice had a general idea, but feigning innocence was as far as she got when she was planning what to do.

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