Page 46 of When the Storm Breaks
Why not Saturday?
“Okay. Love you Daddy.”
“Love you more.” He set Noah down and ruffled his hair. “Be good for your mommy.”
I noticed he didn’t mentionDaddy Jude. Noah ran off with Buster and when he was out of earshot, Jude took me aside. “Listen. I know this is a shit thing to ask and I’d never normally do it. But for Lila, I’ll suck up my pride and ask.” He winced. “When the tickets went on sale for your concert in Austin, I tried to get tickets, but they sold out too fast.” He ran his hand through his disheveled brown hair. “Fuck. I’m sorry but I’m prepared to drop to my knees and beg if I have to.”
I laughed. “You don’t have to beg. It’s no problem. I’ll hook you up.”
He released a breath. “Yeah?”
“Yep. I can even get you backstage access.” I winked at him. “I know a few people.”
“You have no idea how happy this will make her. Won’t hurt my cause either.” He chuckled and rubbed hands together. “Pretty sure I’ll win the best Christmas present contest this year.”
“You’re such a shit.” Brody snorted with disgust. “She’s trying to lay low. Not be hounded by assholes looking for handouts.”
Jude held up his hands like he was innocent. “Hey. I did it in the name of love. The tickets are for Lila, not me. And there’snothingI wouldn’t do to make her happy.”
“History has proven otherwise,” Brody said.
Jude’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t start.”
“Not looking to start anything.” Brody had a surly look on his face and despite his casual demeanor, leaning against the horse stall, arms and ankles crossed, I could feel the tension. “Just speaking the truth.”
Jude pointed his finger at Brody. “You need to get the fuck over this. I apologized to you. I fucking thanked you for what you did for me. But why is it that every time I see you, I’m tempted to plant my fist in your face?”
“Feeling’s mutual.”
“Daddy Jude! Come on, I’m hungry. What’s taking you so long?”
Jude rolled out his shoulders and took a deep breath before releasing it. “I’m coming.” He turned his gaze on me. I felt like I shouldn’t have been standing there, witnessing any of this. “Sorry about that. And thanks. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
I nodded once and gave him a smile then watched him stride away before I turned to look at Brody. His eyes were hooded, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t say it.”
“What do you think I was going to say?”
“That I’m an asshole. And you’d be right.”
“Brody...” I took a few steps closer to him. “I don’t think you’re an asshole. I mean, sometimes yeah...” He huffed out a laugh and looked down at his scuffed boots. “But that... what just happened with Jude... my brother Landry and I have done the same thing about a million times. Different set of issues, obviously, but that’s how it is with family sometimes. You expect better from them. You hold them up to a higher standard because you care so damn much about each other. From where I’m standing, you and Jude are typical brothers. You love each other and would fight to the death for each other, but you don’t always like each other very much.”
He gripped my hips in his hands and walked me backward until my back hit the wall next to the barn door. I flattened my palms against the rough wood. “Where did you come from, Shiloh?” He moved his hand next to my head and used the other one to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear then kissed the sensitive spot just below it. “Why are you making excuses for me?”
“I don’t know.” My voice came out in a whisper. Lifting my hand to his face, I cupped his cheekbone and he leaned into my touch. “Maybe because I think you’re too hard on yourself. You’re only human, Brody.”
He kissed the corner of my mouth. “Damn. I hate it that you figured that out.”
I laughed a little, but my laughter got swallowed up by his kiss. It was different from our other kisses. Slow and easy, almost gentle, like he had all the time and the world, and his sole focus was on this kiss. He deepened the kiss and my body melted into his, my hands slowly exploring the hard muscles of his back and shoulders before sinking into his hair. He smelled like horses and leather and cedar and he tasted like a dream come true.
It’s him, Maw Maw. I found him. I knew it as surely as I knew my own name.
I rocked my hips, angling them just right against his erection. He groaned, the sound deep and guttural, and it reached deep into my core. I rocked my hips again. He slid his hand down my thigh to the back of my knee and lifted my leg then wrapped it around his waist, so his hard length hit the spot between my thighs. My clit was throbbing, and I was so wet, my panties were soaked.
God, I wanted him. I wanted him so fucking much. I pulled his head down to mine, clawing his scalp as our slow, gentle kiss turned frenzied and wild. If he wanted to fuck me against the barn door right this very minute, I’d let him.
Someone cleared their throat. “Sorry to interrupt,” a male voice said.
With a muttered curse, Brody released me and turned his back to me, blocking my view. “The hell do you want?”
