Page 59 of Expiry Dating

Jesus, she’s beautiful.

They both stared into each other, neither of them saying a word. His heart was hammering against his chest. This was his chance, and he had to take it.

Get your shit together and start fighting.

“Ali.” His attempt to speak came to a sudden halt as she said his name at the same time.

They both laughed nervously, yet it did nothing to dissipate the newly thickened air.

“Please, let me go first.” There was a hint of trepidation in her voice. He wasn’t sure if he was going to like what she had to say, but he nodded in agreement for her to continue anyway.

“Um, okay ... I had this speech in my head, but it’s all a bit fuzzy now, so you’ll have to bear with me.”

“Speech?” His lips twitched. She was cute when she was flustered.

“Yeah, um, okay. So ...” she sputtered as she straightened her spine, a look of defiance plastered across her delicate features. “When I first met you, I wanted to throat-punch you and I wasn’t sure why. It was such an extreme reaction, especially for me.”

“Sweetness,” he warned, “I’m not sure I’m gonna like this speech of yours.” Even with the very real possibility he was about to have his heart ripped out, he could feel a smile forming.

“Brady Mitchell, will you shut the fuck up for one second, please? See, this is what I was talking about. You bring out something in me that no one else ever has. I guess for the first few weeks I knew you, it was mostly a lot of violent thoughts. But after that kiss ...” She let out a sigh. “After that kiss, you brought out something else. You made me want you. Want you in a way I’ve never wanted anyone else, ever before. And you know what? That scared the shit out of me.”

“Sweetness.” He took a step forward, no longer able to keep his distance. She looked so vulnerable, he just wanted to wrap her up in his arms and promise that everything was going to be all right.

She lifted her palm to stop him from coming any closer. “Just let me get this out, okay?” she pleaded.

Going against all his instincts to touch her, he bit down on his lower lip and nodded.

“I thought that I could do the whole friends-with-benefits thing. I thought that by letting myself have that, it was enough, that it would satisfy any cravings we both had but at the same time I’d be protecting myself from pain.” She let out a humourless laugh. “I’m an idiot, I know. You knew from the start it was more. You kept trying to tell me, but I didn’t listen, and then I was at your door and ... and ... that woman. When she opened your door, Brady, ...” Her voice was trembling.

He just couldn’t take it anymore. Giving in and wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into his chest. His lips hovered over her ear. “Sweetness, no woman has existed for me since I first laid eyes on you. I promise you that.”

Pulling back slightly, she remained in his arms but tilted her head up to look into his eyes. “I’m sorry I ran away when you told me ... when you said...”

She didn’t finish her sentence, instead she went up on her tiptoes and claimed his lips. The kiss was soft and slow, yet his pulse still quickened as she opened for him. She tasted of coffee and cupcakes, but the sweetness was no match for the chocolate scent he inhaled as he surrendered to the intoxication.

Breaking their connection, she remained close, a look of something he couldn’t quite figure out sparkling in her eyes. “Brady, I made a decision last night ... I don’t want to be scared anymore. This past week, not being with you, well, it hurt more than I ever could have imagined. What I’m trying to say is that ... I’m in love with you. I love you. And—”

He didn’t need to hear anymore. He slammed his mouth back onto hers. She was in love with him. A mix of emotions swirled through him. He was happy, content, humbled and one lucky son of a bitch. They were done wasting any more time. Their lips still entwined, he lifted her and waited for her legs to wrap around his waist. Once she was secure, he was on the move. Kicking the front door shut with his boot, he then carried her up the stairs.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” she muttered into his mouth.

He waited until they were at the foot of the bed before he drew back and stared into those mesmerizing sapphires. “Baby, don’t you get it yet? You’ve just made me the happiest man alive. And, sweetness, now that I know you love me, I’m never letting you go.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” He tightened his grip on her behind and traced his tongue across the shell of her ear, delighting in her body’s reaction. “Let me show you just how much I love you, Ali.”

***

“You never told me where you’ve been this past week?” Alice shifted in his arms and continued to run her fingers across his bare chest.

“We haven’t exactly had time to talk, sweetness.” He didn’t need to look down to know she had a matching smirk. They were still in bed, and he had no plans to leave it anytime soon. As he gently stroked back her hair, he told her all about what happened with Ace.

It felt good to talk to her. If they were going to do this, then they were going to do this properly. Open and honest all the way. With that in mind, he used their talk as an opportunity to tell her about his own injury and how it had felt when he’d woken up in the hospital.

“Ever since that day, I’ve just felt broken. Useless. Like half a man.”

“Brady—”

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