Page 323 of Steamy Ever After

She reached for him. “Brodie.”

“Peyton?”

Instead of answering, she took him in her mouth.

“Peyton—” He groaned, trying to stop her, but she refused to cease her torment.

Moments later his body jerked against her, but she still wouldn’t relent and only stilled when he came.

“Jesus, that was good, sweetheart.”

Brodie let his eyes drift closed, but woke when he felt her shudder against him. “Everything okay?” he asked before realizing she was crying. He gently eased both of them, so he was sitting against the headboard and could see her face. “What is it, Peyton?”

She shook her head and tried again to hide herself from his view. When he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his fingers came under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head.

“You’re killin’ me, Peyton. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

She wriggled away but didn’t get up. Instead, she turned her body around so she was facing him. Brodie held his breath and waited.

“I never thought…I mean I never realized I could feel this way.”

“What way, Peyton?”

“I thought I loved Lang, and I thought I loved Kade, but…I don’t think I ever really did.”

He nodded, although he had no idea where she was going with this.

She took a deep breath, drawing so much air into her lungs that her naked breasts rose with it. It was all he could do not to pull her close to him and ravish her body. Instead, he closed his fists and kept them tucked next to his.

“Brodie…”

“Yes, sweetheart? Please, whatever it is, please say it.”

“I love you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anybody, except my kids, of course. I didn’t even know I could love someone as much as I love you.”

He felt the same way. He had no idea emotions like these were possible. “I do know, because I love you, Peyton.”

The worry he saw etched on her forehead fell away, replaced by the smile he loved so much.

Peyton rolled off the bed and took a robe from the hook on her bedroom door. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of bed.

“Whoa, slow down, there, cowgirl. Where’re we going?”

“I’m starving. Here, put this on. And don’t worry; he never wore it.”

“Who, Kade?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

“Don’t care, honestly.” Brodie tightened the sash on the terry-cloth robe. “Wouldn’t have cared if he had.” He was here, and Kade wasn’t. And if it had bothered him in the slightest, knowing that Peyton loved him was all that mattered.

She was halfway down the hallway when Brodie caught up to her. “You’re supposed to be waiting for me to bring you breakfast, sweetheart.”

“I can walk around, Brodie. I just can’t overdo it.”

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