Read Online Secrets to Hide 3: Just a Little More by Ella Sheridan - Free Book Online
Authors: Ella Sheridan
Tags: Contemporary
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her. “Have a seat.”
“Brad, I can—”
“Sure you can.”
Angel’s hands fluttered around his as he guided her onto the seat and unzipped her coat. “What—”
He clenched his fingers in either side of her jacket. “Are you really gonna argue about me seeing you naked?”
“You seeing me naked? I don’t—”
“I do. I want you warm. I want to know you’re healthy, and whole.” And mine . If he was honest, that was the driving force behind stripping her. It might make him a selfish prick, but he needed to brand her, needed to know once and for all that she was his. He was finally, after all these years, going to see her fully naked. The thought made him shake like a druggie in need of a fix. Telling himself sex might not be in the cards, telling his cock to stand down, telling his overactive libido she needed taking care of, not ravishing, was useless against the knowledge that she was about to be bare before him. The best he could hope for was to get her in the shower quick and give himself a breather—elsewhere—while she got warm.
He resumed his stripping and got all the way to her bra before Angel seemed to break out of her astonishment.
She grabbed his wrists as he reached around her sides, going for the catch. “Brad, stop. Just for a minute.”
“Angel—” But he stopped. No way in hell could he pull away, though.
Angel wasn’t letting go either. She took his hands and guided them down to her denim-covered thighs. Her fingers stroked his while she seemed to struggle to gather her thoughts. Finally she shook her head. “Brad, I…I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” His wrist went cool as she released it, raising her hand to rub along the dark stubble lining his jaw. “Please believe me. I didn’t intend to hurt myself. I-I might not be as…stable…as I’d like to be right now, but I would never willingly leave you. Never.”
He wanted to believe her, but the sight of her sitting in that doorway, her eyes closed, was burned into the backs of his eyelids. “Then why didn’t you call me?” He covered her hand with his, holding her warmth to his cheek. “You know I’d do anything for you.”
Angel closed her eyes as if he’d stabbed her, which only added to his confusion. When she opened them, her midnight gaze was stark. “I can’t keep hanging on your coattails, Brad. You deserve a life, not a dependent.”
“A de—” The word sputtered on his tongue. “You’re kidding me, right?” Grasping her shoulders, he shook her gently. “Angel, when are you going to open your eyes? You’re not a dependent, and even if we were still just friends, I would be right here helping you. I love you. You would help me if I needed it, right?” He willed his words to sink deep into her heart, to finally, somehow, get through to her. “We’re in this together.”
“YOU DON’T NEED help.” Yes, she loved that he wanted to take care of her, but if he always gave and she always took, what good was she to him? What else would he get out of their relationship than, eventually, frustration?
“I sure as heck do,” he told her. “And it’s about time you stepped up to the plate.”
By the last word his voice had dropped to a sexy rumble that sent a shiver—the good kind—down her spine.
“Really?” she asked, a little breathless. “How?”
As if she didn’t already know.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but his eyes smoldered as they dropped to her mouth. “I can think of a few ways.”
She could too, but at least one of them brought to the surface fears she’d tried hard to bury the last few weeks. “What if…?” She swallowed, the sound a dry click in her ears. “What if I can’t?”
Brad rubbed her thigh, his touch so gentle, so at odds with the heat from moments before, that tears welled behind her eyes. “Then you can’t. And it won’t be the end of the world. Or the last time we try. We’ll get there, when the time is right.”
The determination in
“Brad, I can—”
“Sure you can.”
Angel’s hands fluttered around his as he guided her onto the seat and unzipped her coat. “What—”
He clenched his fingers in either side of her jacket. “Are you really gonna argue about me seeing you naked?”
“You seeing me naked? I don’t—”
“I do. I want you warm. I want to know you’re healthy, and whole.” And mine . If he was honest, that was the driving force behind stripping her. It might make him a selfish prick, but he needed to brand her, needed to know once and for all that she was his. He was finally, after all these years, going to see her fully naked. The thought made him shake like a druggie in need of a fix. Telling himself sex might not be in the cards, telling his cock to stand down, telling his overactive libido she needed taking care of, not ravishing, was useless against the knowledge that she was about to be bare before him. The best he could hope for was to get her in the shower quick and give himself a breather—elsewhere—while she got warm.
He resumed his stripping and got all the way to her bra before Angel seemed to break out of her astonishment.
She grabbed his wrists as he reached around her sides, going for the catch. “Brad, stop. Just for a minute.”
“Angel—” But he stopped. No way in hell could he pull away, though.
Angel wasn’t letting go either. She took his hands and guided them down to her denim-covered thighs. Her fingers stroked his while she seemed to struggle to gather her thoughts. Finally she shook her head. “Brad, I…I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” His wrist went cool as she released it, raising her hand to rub along the dark stubble lining his jaw. “Please believe me. I didn’t intend to hurt myself. I-I might not be as…stable…as I’d like to be right now, but I would never willingly leave you. Never.”
He wanted to believe her, but the sight of her sitting in that doorway, her eyes closed, was burned into the backs of his eyelids. “Then why didn’t you call me?” He covered her hand with his, holding her warmth to his cheek. “You know I’d do anything for you.”
Angel closed her eyes as if he’d stabbed her, which only added to his confusion. When she opened them, her midnight gaze was stark. “I can’t keep hanging on your coattails, Brad. You deserve a life, not a dependent.”
“A de—” The word sputtered on his tongue. “You’re kidding me, right?” Grasping her shoulders, he shook her gently. “Angel, when are you going to open your eyes? You’re not a dependent, and even if we were still just friends, I would be right here helping you. I love you. You would help me if I needed it, right?” He willed his words to sink deep into her heart, to finally, somehow, get through to her. “We’re in this together.”
“YOU DON’T NEED help.” Yes, she loved that he wanted to take care of her, but if he always gave and she always took, what good was she to him? What else would he get out of their relationship than, eventually, frustration?
“I sure as heck do,” he told her. “And it’s about time you stepped up to the plate.”
By the last word his voice had dropped to a sexy rumble that sent a shiver—the good kind—down her spine.
“Really?” she asked, a little breathless. “How?”
As if she didn’t already know.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but his eyes smoldered as they dropped to her mouth. “I can think of a few ways.”
She could too, but at least one of them brought to the surface fears she’d tried hard to bury the last few weeks. “What if…?” She swallowed, the sound a dry click in her ears. “What if I can’t?”
Brad rubbed her thigh, his touch so gentle, so at odds with the heat from moments before, that tears welled behind her eyes. “Then you can’t. And it won’t be the end of the world. Or the last time we try. We’ll get there, when the time is right.”
The determination in
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