Kaelyn as he returned the relaxation she’d gleaned from the steamy water.
“I could say the same.” Husk infiltrated Bryce’s timbre, roughening his voice, though not his touch. He knelt then nuzzled her belly as he began drying her thighs. “Honey, you might as well move your hands so I can do a good job here. I’ve pretty much seen it all anyway.”
Kaelyn balked. “Maybe on your other women, but not me.”
She couldn’t help her old beliefs from slipping out.
“Do you mean Nola and Sally?” Bryce paused at her acerbic tone.
“Sorry, sorry.” She swallowed hard and shook her head. “I wouldn’t say something like that about your friends’ ladies. It’s just that your dad…”
“What?” He gritted his teeth. “What did that fucker do?”
“After you left, he seemed chattier. He’d always find me to tell me how proud he was that you were seeing some beautiful woman or other in Europe.” She couldn’t help the bitterness draining from her. “He would tell me how charming they were, how worldly, how—”
“I get the picture.” Bryce gripped her tighter than he probably intended. “Listen. I hooked up with women. I’m not saying I was some kind of monk. But they weren’t that frequent and I certainly didn’t have any meaningful relationships. I haven’t since…”
He swallowed hard, then looked directly into her eyes.
“No one’s meant to me what you did. Do,” he promised. Except something flickered in his gaze when he rubbed the back of his neck.
Suddenly, she didn’t want to know. For the first time in forever, part of her blossomed, yearning to be touched. It’d been ages since she felt compelled to explore. “Hey, you don’t need to explain. It’s not like I’m a virgin either.”
He winced at that.
Some selfish part of her kept her from telling him how bland her experiences had been. How boring. Unfulfilling.
“Besides, Kae, it wouldn’t matter if I’d slept with a thousand women. None could compare to you.” Bryce melted her last shreds of resistance. “Who are you going to trust—my father or me?”
She touched his cheek, hoping he could tell she felt the same about him. Between him and the evil bastard who’d raised him, there was no contest. Bryce deserved her faith. At least she prayed he did.
“So I’ll be honest. If you think I really had my eyes closed those times we went skinny dipping…” He caught himself, maybe because he noticed her eyes narrowing as she thought yet again of how naïve she’d been.
Unfortunately it was true. And her chill returned.
“Fuck, Kae.” He growled. “I can’t think when you’re around. That was dumb. I’m sorry. And I was a jerk for sneaking a peek back then.”
“You’re not really sorry, are you?” The revelation awed her. She’d tempted him? Those times he’d seemed oblivious to her crush—could he have actually felt something?
“Ah. Honestly?” He blew out a sigh that fluttered his hair over his creased brow.
Her fingers curled into fists to avoid burying themselves in the strands. Still, she nodded as she looked him straight in the eye. So she saw it, when he told the pure, unadulterated truth.
“No. I’m not. They’re some of my favorite memories. You were gorgeous.” His pupils dilated as his praise gave her the courage to let go of some of her insecurities and her death grip on her goods.
His Adam’s apple bobbed after she bared her breasts to his stare. When he rocked forward slightly, she wondered if he really meant to lick his lips right then. Distracted by his intense admiration, her hand between her legs fell away also.
“Fuck me.” He moaned. “You are gorgeous, I meant. More than I ever dreamed, Kaelyn. Lush. Filled out from that girl’s body. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Squirming, she shifted restlessly before him.
“I’m making you uncomfortable.” He squeezed his eyes closed, causing wrinkles where she’d never seen them on his
“I could say the same.” Husk infiltrated Bryce’s timbre, roughening his voice, though not his touch. He knelt then nuzzled her belly as he began drying her thighs. “Honey, you might as well move your hands so I can do a good job here. I’ve pretty much seen it all anyway.”
Kaelyn balked. “Maybe on your other women, but not me.”
She couldn’t help her old beliefs from slipping out.
“Do you mean Nola and Sally?” Bryce paused at her acerbic tone.
“Sorry, sorry.” She swallowed hard and shook her head. “I wouldn’t say something like that about your friends’ ladies. It’s just that your dad…”
“What?” He gritted his teeth. “What did that fucker do?”
“After you left, he seemed chattier. He’d always find me to tell me how proud he was that you were seeing some beautiful woman or other in Europe.” She couldn’t help the bitterness draining from her. “He would tell me how charming they were, how worldly, how—”
“I get the picture.” Bryce gripped her tighter than he probably intended. “Listen. I hooked up with women. I’m not saying I was some kind of monk. But they weren’t that frequent and I certainly didn’t have any meaningful relationships. I haven’t since…”
He swallowed hard, then looked directly into her eyes.
“No one’s meant to me what you did. Do,” he promised. Except something flickered in his gaze when he rubbed the back of his neck.
Suddenly, she didn’t want to know. For the first time in forever, part of her blossomed, yearning to be touched. It’d been ages since she felt compelled to explore. “Hey, you don’t need to explain. It’s not like I’m a virgin either.”
He winced at that.
Some selfish part of her kept her from telling him how bland her experiences had been. How boring. Unfulfilling.
“Besides, Kae, it wouldn’t matter if I’d slept with a thousand women. None could compare to you.” Bryce melted her last shreds of resistance. “Who are you going to trust—my father or me?”
She touched his cheek, hoping he could tell she felt the same about him. Between him and the evil bastard who’d raised him, there was no contest. Bryce deserved her faith. At least she prayed he did.
“So I’ll be honest. If you think I really had my eyes closed those times we went skinny dipping…” He caught himself, maybe because he noticed her eyes narrowing as she thought yet again of how naïve she’d been.
Unfortunately it was true. And her chill returned.
“Fuck, Kae.” He growled. “I can’t think when you’re around. That was dumb. I’m sorry. And I was a jerk for sneaking a peek back then.”
“You’re not really sorry, are you?” The revelation awed her. She’d tempted him? Those times he’d seemed oblivious to her crush—could he have actually felt something?
“Ah. Honestly?” He blew out a sigh that fluttered his hair over his creased brow.
Her fingers curled into fists to avoid burying themselves in the strands. Still, she nodded as she looked him straight in the eye. So she saw it, when he told the pure, unadulterated truth.
“No. I’m not. They’re some of my favorite memories. You were gorgeous.” His pupils dilated as his praise gave her the courage to let go of some of her insecurities and her death grip on her goods.
His Adam’s apple bobbed after she bared her breasts to his stare. When he rocked forward slightly, she wondered if he really meant to lick his lips right then. Distracted by his intense admiration, her hand between her legs fell away also.
“Fuck me.” He moaned. “You are gorgeous, I meant. More than I ever dreamed, Kaelyn. Lush. Filled out from that girl’s body. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Squirming, she shifted restlessly before him.
“I’m making you uncomfortable.” He squeezed his eyes closed, causing wrinkles where she’d never seen them on his
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