Page 79 of Beyond Friendship

Waves of relief and guilt wash over me at her words. Relief that she isn’t leaving; remorse that she has to bear all of this just because of me.

“Please, don’t push me away,” she says, her voice trembling with emotion. “I’m here because I choose to be here—with you—no matter what.”

I let out a shaky breath, my heart warming at her words while my mind still wrestles with the fear that the shadows will eventually envelop us both.

“Thank you,” I whisper before pressing my lips to hers. The moment our mouths connect, all my anxious thoughts melt away and a wave of warmth spreads through me, sparking something within my heart that gives me a sense of calm, despite the chaos inside my head. Our kiss deepens and her presence envelops me like a comforting blanket, assuring me that in this moment, I’m all right. Her closeness reminds me of the beauty of life, despite the darkness and lurking insecurities.

When we pull away from one another, we remain cradled in each other’s arms. She leans her head against mine and we stay there, relishing being together. She strokes my cheek with her thumb.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this together.” Her words are no guarantee of the pain to come, yet the warmth in her voice ignites a spark in me that blazes with determination, promising to fight against the darkness no matter what obstacles lie ahead. And I hope I’m as brave as her.

24

BRIAN

For the past month, Amanda and I have taken a lot of leisurely strolls together. Hitting the gym doesn’t feel right, so this is a nice alternative. And today we’re in the forest. We’ve been walking through the cool winter breeze, talking and laughing, and I’m mesmerized by the impulsivity with which Amanda commands my attention in even the most mundane moment. She’s everything I didn’t know I needed. As I look at her, something dawns on me so powerfully that it takes my breath away: I’m head over heels in love with this woman. I love Amanda Brown. I love her strength, her upbeat personality, her stubbornness, her drive to succeed, her naughty side, but most I love her caring heart. Next to my mom, she’s the only woman I’ve ever felt so strongly about. And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she gets everything she wants and deserves in life.

My body tenses and my cock jumps to life as I watch her move, her hair sweeping from side to side. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m crossing the few feet of space between us and pulling her near, determined to make the fantasy playing out in my mind a reality. Trapping her in between my arms and the hood of her car, I bury my nose beneath her velvety chocolate locks.

“Brian.” She chuckles. “What are you doing?”

My hands wander onto the swell of her curves, and she softly moans in pleasure.

“Ever done it in the woods before?”

She pushes her hands onto my shoulders and flicks her lashes up at me. “It’s winter. People don’t have sex outside when it’s this cold.”

I take a second to survey our surroundings, then let my gaze drift up to the sun radiating its warmth on this idyllic February day and offer her a naughty smile. “Why not? We’re alone, and what fun is life without a bit of spontaneous adventure?”

“We do have an appointment to get to.”

She’s trying to deny that my suggestion is igniting some fire within her, but the glint in her eyes reveals I’m right on point. I lean forward and capture her lips with mine, whispering into her ear between kisses.

“How do you want me to take you?”

Her arms wrap around me and she melts into me as I ravish her mouth.

After a while, she pulls away and sends me a sultry glance. “Take me from behind.”

A mischievous smile curves my lips as I loom closer. “Place your hands on the hood of the car,” I order.

A wave of lust slams into me, making my hard-on push urgently against my fly when she complies. “Hope you don’t mind the chill.” I smirk, sliding down her pants and thong until they pool around her ankles. She quivers with aroused anticipation. “Push your gorgeous ass back, Brownie.”

“Like this?” She enticingly grinds her hips.

My hands cup her tight buttocks. “Dammit, woman, I can’t keep from telling you how much I worship this butt of yours...” A passionate moan shakes the woodland when I dip and bite the side of her buttock.

“Brian.”

“Just claiming what’s mine.”

Her gaze locks with mine through her long lashes, a tantalizing smirk on her lips as she arches her torso over the metal. My eyes widen when she undulates her hips to the side while slipping one of her hands between her legs to massage her clit.

I open my zipper and shove down my jeans and boxers to my knees, freeing my firm cock—which is unaffected by the cold air due to the pulsating blood coursing through it. “Widen your legs farther,” I demand while snatching a condom and sheathing my length.

She shifts her stance, and I notice the hunger in her eyes.

“On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you want me?”

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