Page 74 of Brand
“Mona.”
“The fuck?! That’s terrible, man,” Sketch said before I had a chance to.
“Biscuit?”
I shot him a look.
“It was the first meal we shared together,” he said talking about the dog. “And I figured you’d veto sausage and egg.”
I busted out laughing. Come on, that was really flipping adorable.
“Well, hello there Biscuit,” I said moving in to get kisses on my nose.
“The hell is that?” Brand said walking up from the back, having been in the office and missed the whole thing.
“Biscuit,” Blade practically grunted.
“You know that’s a dog and not a biscuit, right?”
“Yes, jackass.Her nameis Biscuit.”
“Um, okay then,” Brand said shrugging off the fact that he was still lost. “We’ll be in the office. Don’t bother us and don’t fuck anything up.”
With that, he was dragging me through the shop and into the back room. Once we were both inside the office he closed the door. I didn’t have a chance to open my mouth and ask what was wrong before his lips were on mine, his rough, warm hands on my jaw.
There was something different about this kiss. I didn’t question it. I merely took and gave everything I had in me. He backed me up to the desk, then with strong arms, lifted me up and gently placed me on top. The kiss continued, neither of us taking the steps to go further.
For the most part, we’d kept things pretty professional at the shop. Sure there was the occasional touch. Or his arm around my waist when we were standing together. And then there were the kisses to my temple and the ones that were stolen when no one was looking. But we hadn’t taken it beyond that. Which I was totally alright with. I mean, we were pretty much around each other twenty-four seven, if we didn’t take a break at some point, we were bound to burn out. Right? Maybe. I had no idea. But I loved that he respected his business and me enough to put a pin in it.
When we were hanging out with people, he was a little more affectionate but it never went to the point of being inappropriate. I always followed his lead and found that it was the perfect balance to the intensity we had behind closed doors.
So, that said, whatever this was led me to think that something was up.
“Talk to me,” I said finally gathering the strength to tear myself away from him.
My hand cradled his face as I captured his gaze. There were so many emotions swirling in those magical chocolate orbs. A heavy feeling came crashing down on me and I felt the urge to cry. But I held it back as best as I could. I wouldn’t have said that my eyes stayed completely dry, but I was able to keep the tears from falling.
“Sometimes I can’t think straight around you,” he started and I gave him a little smile of understanding because it was very much the same for me. “But then, I get a moment alone and I can’t help but let it all flow in. I get lost in here sometimes.” He touched the side of his head and I knew where he was coming from. I often was in my head a lot, too.
“So, tell me about it. I’m here with you. I want to know. I want to be apart of whatever is going on with you.”
“I don’t deserve you,” he breathed out, his forehead coming to rest on mine. “I just can’t help but think about if this is the best thing for you. It’s stupid, maybe, but I see Laurel and how she doesn’t seem to be handling everything all that well, and I wonder if I’m really doing the right thing by you.”
His words couldn’t have been more true as far as the Laurel thing went. She was off in her own downward spiral. I’d tried to be there as much as I could, but it was clear she didn’t want help. She didn’t want anything, in fact. The last time I’d been to see her, in her tiny apartment that I knew she was suffocating in, she had told me that she didn’t want my pity and sent me on my way.
I didn’t hold it against her. How could I? I had a tiny idea of what she was going through, but she had been embedded into the family and lifestyle more than I had been. She had been the good daughter with the engagement that made the parents happy and proud. She blamed herself for it all, and while it had been her decision that started this domino effect, she shouldn’t have had to pay for it this way.
Our parents sucked.
And that was putting it nicely.
I had Brand.
I had Sketch, Blade, and Chris.
I had the members of the club that had taken me in and accepted me for who I was.
She had no one except me and she was trying really hard to cut that off as well.
