Page 42 of Brazen Mistakes

She’s been exhausted for weeks. I’m starting to think she’s forgetting to eat, too. She’s falling to pieces.

I want to talk to Walker about it, talk to anyone really, about how I can help. She needs something, and cuddles and naked sprints around the house don’t seem to cut it. I’m trying to silently act out my worries to Walker when both of our phones buzz.

Shimmying mine out of my pocket leads me to a text from RJ asking for a ride back. I show it to Walker, and Clara shifts in his arms, a whimper escaping her as she turns and burrows into my chest.

Walker reads the text, then presses a kiss to her head. “I’ll go,” he whispers.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s your bed, so you get to stay, you lucky bastard.”

“Damn right.”

He huffs out a laugh, lingering beside us, not wanting to head out. I get it. Totally. But I’m not offering to switch places.

One more kiss and then he’s on his feet and out the door. Trusting me with Clara. Just the two of us. Using all the grace of which I’m capable, I slip out of bed and switch off the light, lock the door, strip down to nothing—itismy room—and slide back to where I was, Clara snuggling closer the second I’m under the covers.

Lying there in the dark, my mind races, a constant hum that needs an outlet.

Tomorrow will help. A theft will smooth out the damn bumps in my brain. But until then, I’m stuck with the urge to hunt down Bryce and bring him back to the house half dead, like a cat with a mouse, and leave him on the couch as a present for the rest of the team. I could do it. I know I could. I know where he lives and how to get in and out unseen.

Poor RJ. He’s not going to like that Bryce was back here, that there was another note while he was away. And with his dad starting up again? Bad timing all around.

I’ve got to focus on the good, though. The alternative isn’t a path I want to visit again. So, twirling a curl around my finger, I celebrate that Clara’s joining us. For real.

I’ve never really taught anybody anything before, but walking her through the basics of a lift earlier? That plus my naked apology sprint around the house, well, it calmed my buzzing brain and body just enough for me to lie still beside her now. And I’ll do anything to keep her comfortable while she gets some of that sleep she’s been missing out on since Chicago.

Pressing my nose to her head, I force my eyes closed, but sleep isn’t coming. I’m too wound up.

I’m planning what neighborhood I want to hit up tomorrow when Clara whimpers, her legs twitching under the blankets. Her upper body locks and her breaths come in pants.

“You’re okay, you’re safe, I’ve got you,” I whisper into her ear, but still she twitches.

“Clara, it’s a nightmare. You’re home. Wake up, beautiful.”

Even in the dark, I can see the moment her eyes fly open, skipping from my face to the wall behind me to the blanket twisted under her arm. “Damn it,” she murmurs, blinking away the terror.

“Hey,” I say, running my hand the length of her arm as she takes shuddering breaths, staring at the ceiling.

Her eyes flicker closed for a moment, and I lie there, watching her, not sure what to do.

Pressing my lips to the side of her head, she turns and directs my mouth to hers. “Hey,” she says after the softest kiss I think we’ve ever shared.

“You okay?”

She huffs out a breath, not answering.

“It’s okay to not be okay.”

With a soft shove, she rolls me onto my back, straddling me, pinning my arms to my mattress, and all my nerve endings flare. Her lips are pressed in a line as she stares down at me. “I don’t want to talk. I want to forget. So shut up and fuck me, Jansen.”

She dives for my mouth, and I meet her halfway, careful to keep my arms where she obviously wants them. If this is what she needs, then I’m here. I dive into sensations, the warmth where her body meets mine, the slow drag of her nails over the pulse at my wrists.

Pulling back to strip off her shirt and bra, shimmying out of her pants and underwear, she keeps her gaze locked on me, and it’s like I can see a plan forming. I can’t wait to find out what it is.

If she needs to feel in control again, I’m happy to let her. I’ll be whatever she needs, whenever she needs me. This girl is the center of my world. And I can’t wait until things calm down enough that I can finally show her, tell her.

Flicking on my bedside lamp, she sits back on her heels, her ass brushing against my dick as I suck in a breath at the tease. Her fingers tap on my chest, then she nods. “Jansen, I want to try something.”

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