Page 22 of Brazen Mistakes

Because if nothing else, I love this girl, and I’ll do what I can to keep her moving forward, functioning, and as happy as I can make her.

She pulls back the shower curtain with a smirk, her dark hair glued to all the places I plan to touch, as I click the door shut behind me, slipping out of my boxers.

The rest? I can’t fix that for her. All I can give is my presence. Because I’m hers. And I’ll show it every chance I get.

She welcomes me into the shower, and my hands wrap around her waist, tugging her against me, needing to know that I didn’t push her away with my urge to fix what’s broken. And she melts into me, the hot water coating us both. “Want me to make the nightmares go away?” I tease, hoping this is the right tact.

“If you could, I’d worship the ground you walk on.” She grins at me.

Teasing. I can do teasing. “Don’t you already?”

She laughs, then licks up my chest, her tongue cooler than the sauna she’s made in the shower. “I could show you.”

“How about I show you?”

“I wouldn’t say no to that.”

When I take her mouth, she whimpers, like everything inside of her is already so close to the surface that she can’t hold back. And I don’t want her to hold back. I want her everything. Every moment I was gone where she was worried, scared, sad, or lonely, I want those bad things replaced by something so good that it’ll be like they never happened.

The water coats us both as I inch my way down her body, treasuring every inch of her skin with my mouth, my fingers, my love. Only good things. Only pleasure.

She moans when I lick and suck her nipples; she cries out when I press first one finger, then another into her warmth. By the time I circle her clit, she’s panting, using the wall to keep herself upright, the water washing over us, pooling around my knees as I take from her. As I give to her. As I wipe away and create anew.

When she comes, her release tart on my lips, she screams, and pride blossoms.

I can’t take away the nightmares. I can’t go back in time and prevent what happened. But I can bring her momentary solace, a cloud of pleasure to hide her from the monsters that eat her from the inside out.

When I stand and pull her back into my arms, though, I realize even this gift isn’t enough. Tears mix with the water,and she burrows her face against my chest, hiding them from me.

“Clara?”

“I’m fine.” She forces a smile onto her face, and my pride plummets. “Your turn?”

I can’t, not when it looks like her heart is breaking. “No, princess. Not right now. Can I wash your hair?”

She looks confused, but turns and hands me the bottle of shampoo.

As I lather, the floral scent almost overwhelming, terror takes hold. This didn’t help. Not really.

What else do I have to offer?

Chapter 9

Jansen

RJ chuckles as I leap from the car the second I throw it into park. The knob to the back door is in my hand before he’s even gotten his seat belt undone. I’m going to beat him to Clara and get all my welcome back kisses first.

Not that it’s a competition. But still. Me first. RJ second. This is the way it’s going to go.

I fumble through the new security setup at the back door, but I still make it before RJ comes up the steps.

Half a dozen bounding leaps later, and I’m in the living room, diving for Clara, rolling so she’s lying on top of me. Then I kick Walker off the couch, keeping her to myself for a moment.

“The fuck, Jansen?” he gripes from the floor as Clara giggles and nuzzles my neck.

“Mine.” I wrap my arms and legs around her, burrowing my face into her mess of curls. The constant buzz I felt while I was away eases as the scent of flowers engulfs me.

“I take it you missed me?” Clara asks, her nose brushing against the shell of my ear.

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