Page 31 of The Nook for Brooks
I stroked his cheek with my thumb. “That sometimes it takes a storm to lure a man out of his tower?”
He sighed, sinking further into me. “Exactly.”
A fresh surge of water slammed against the foundations. Dust sifted from the rafters, making Brooks jump, but I held him tighter.
“It’s okay. This place has been here for over a century. It’s not about to give up now.” I kissed the top of his head again. “We’ll wait it out together. Just you and me.”
Brooks gave the faintest nod, eyes fluttering shut, and for the first time since I’d met him, he looked… peaceful.
BROOKS
I wasn’tsure whether it was the rush of adrenaline from the storm, or the reckless intimacy of what Cody and I had just done, or the fact I’d run headlong through a downpour like some overzealous rescue dog… but the excitement was clearly too much for me and before I knew it I was out cold.
Despite the thunder, despite the groan of the mill and the river raging beneath us, I fell sound asleep, safe in his strong, sturdy arms.
When I opened my eyes again, the world had changed. The storm had passed, leaving only silence, broken now and then by the drip of water through the roof and the relieved chirp of a bird outside.
The late afternoon sun poured through the gaps in the shingles, and a pair of doves fluttered in through a broken frame, their wings scattering light as they cooed, happy the storm was over.
Cody was still asleep beside me.
For a moment I didn’t move. I just looked at him. His face was soft as he slept, his mouth parted slightly, the faint shadow of stubble darker now in the glow of the sun. His hair was a wild, damp mess, curling in directions gravity had clearly given up on.His broad, bare chest rose and fell with each steady breath, and I had to fight the urge to lay my hand on it, for fear I might wake him.
He was handsome. Unfairly handsome. The kind of handsome that doesn’t just happen, it pulls at your heart you when you’re least prepared.
And if my eyes weren’t deceiving me… the front of his shorts was tented just enough to suggest he was enjoying a particularly pleasant dream.
I considered waking him. I should have. It was the practical thing to do. But instead, I stole a few selfish minutes to simply… watch. To memorize the lines of his jaw, the shimmer of his oh-so-kissable lips, the twitch of his lashes as his secret dream played out.
Suddenly he stirred in his slumber, ever so slightly, his face flinching a little and his mouth opening, just enough to utter words as he slept—“Brooks… come with me, I don’t… don’t leave me… yes you can… come on, baby.”
I felt a prickle of heat in my cheeks as I blushed.
His muscled frame shifted, as though getting more comfortable, and one arm reached out and found something invisible that he pulled to his chest. Was it me?
He smiled in his sleep.
Then he caught his breath.
And then, with a soft groan and a jerk of his shoulders, Cody’s eyes blinked open.
For a second it was obvious he had no idea where he was. A look of confusion and disorientation overcame him, before he sat up a little, wiped his bleary eyes, and saw my face.
“Oh, hey. Shit, did I fall asleep?”
“We both did,” I told him.
He became aware of his hard-on and gave it a casual nudge with his palm. I wasn’t sure whether he was trying to push itdown or move it into a more comfortable position. “The storm’s over, huh?”
“Seems that way.” My voice came out softer than I intended.
Cody stretched himself awake, his limber body cracking with satisfaction as he raised both arms overhead. The movement drew another flush to my cheeks—partly because the late sun picked out every line of muscle across his chest, and partly because, well… his shorts still weren’t hiding much.
He caught me looking, of course. Of course he did.
“See something you like?” he asked, grinning through a yawn.
“I was merely checking to see if you were awake,” I lied, sitting up straighter, self-consciously buttoning up my shirt which was still damp and slack.
