Home > Defying Our Forever (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #3)(7)

Defying Our Forever (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #3)(7)
Author: Claudia Burgoa

I want to hold on to it, onto her.

Never before have I thought I had something to offer, but tonight I feel like there’s a part of me that can give her what little I have. Whatever she wants.

 

 

Chapter Four

 

 

Leyla

 

 

What have I gotten myself into?

I shy away from feelings. I’m not sure if it’s to keep others safe from me or the other way around. Ultimately, I only trust animals; dogs and horses above all the others. After all, dogs descended from wolves. They are my favorite, even when they are misunderstood.

Wolves are extremely intelligent, very social, and super affectionate. My favorite facts are that they mate for life and sacrifice themselves for the survival of the pack.

My dream is to one day be normal enough to find my forever mate. To have a family—my pack. For now, I am what some call a lone wolf. Which is, of course, just a figurative term for seeking the meaning of life. In my case, it is more like searching for peace. If I stayed, it would be because of the dog, but here I am in some stranger’s house feeling as if I just handed my soul over to him.

Which is wrong. I’m not ready to have a long-lasting relationship with him or anyone. But as I stare at the intense gaze of Pierce, I want to stay in his embrace forever. The sadness weighing me down earlier is gone.

My stomach chooses that moment to growl. The moment is gone, and I realize that it’s time for me to leave.

He can take care of the dog, right?

“Is pizza okay?” he asks as I’m searching for my clothes.

He hands me a t-shirt and says, “We’ll find your clothes later. Why bother getting dressed when we’re just taking a break to feed you.”

“I should leave,” I say, staring at the black shirt in his hand.

“But we’re just warming up,” he claims, actually putting the shirt on me. “Come on. We’ll order whatever you want. We can check on the pup, and then we’ll come back to my room.”

Here’s the ambiguity of the situation. I don’t want to be alone tonight, but it feels like if I stay with him, I won’t want to leave him—ever. I’ll most likely be so hung up on him that he’ll serve me with a restraining order.

“Listen—”

He brushes my lips with his and says, “You’re running away.”

I lift my gaze and find him studying me meticulously, as if counting the freckles on the bridge of my nose or trying to figure out why I’m about to jet off from this place.

“It’s one night.” His voice is quiet but firm. “We owe it to ourselves to see this night through, find out how far we can go. We owe it to Buster too.”

I swallow because he’s using the one thing I can’t say no to, the dog. I did promise I’d help him find a forever home for Buster. I owe him that much, but what is it that we owe to ourselves? Discovering how good it can be between us? I think we have already established that. It was ardent, passionate, and unparalleled to anything I’ve experienced before. Exploring if there’s more than what we unraveled might be futile—for me.

For him, it might mean just another Saturday night with some random woman he picked up at a bar.

“Sounds like a sex-a-thon,” I try to lighten up the intensity of this conversation. “I’m sure you have those weekly.”

He shakes his head. Those eyes, that I swear keep searching for something inside, hold me in place. “Don’t do that. Don’t cheapen what just happened to us because you’re afraid of it. Let your wild side take over, Leyla.”

“I’m sure you can find someone to make it even better next time,” I joke.

His jaw twitches. “Stop!”

“What is it that I’m doing?” I ask, not sure if I want to provoke him or want him to make me stay. “Not obeying? I’m not a child or a puppy to train.”

“Deflecting,” he answers with an angry voice. “You want to escape us.”

He’s right, and the way he’s talking to me makes me panicky and giddy all at the same time, which is precisely why I should walk away and never turn back.

Did I like what happened between us?

I loved it so much I want to remain in the sex-hazed fog, which is wearing off pretty fast.

I need more of him.

A lot more.

I hate to compare this to the time I tried ecstasy. It was a one-time thing. Wrong place, wrong crowd, and a lousy year pushed me to say, “Why not.”

It was one of the best and worst nights of my life. For a minute, I felt like nothing could ever hurt me. I was invincible. After the effect was gone, I wanted to die. It’s an experience I never want to repeat. I could bet my life that if I stay for the entire night, it’s going to take me a long time to recover, or I’ll come back for more.

He steps closer to me. I take a step backward, and suddenly my back is touching the wall. His big hands take mine, and one of them clamps on my wrists. He lifts my hands over my head, pinning them to the wall. His body is pressed against mine, and his mouth captures mine.

I don’t know what I like the most, that he’s taking charge, his body’s weight, or how he devours me. This is a bad idea. I should stop him, but I can't reason over the heart drumming, stomach leaping, and knees weakening that he’s causing.

He pulls back slowly, letting my hands go. He looks at me and whispers, “I could give you a million reasons for you to stay, but I won’t force you. The door is open. The offer is for you to stay because this is too good to waste. It is there for you to grab.”

The cocky voice is gone, replaced by his boyish grin.

He places his palms against the wall. The space between us is just the length of his arms, but it feels too far away. This is what I’m talking about. I’m going to get used to him, and when he’s gone…

“Is this kind of sex normal for you?” he asks. “Intense, charged with passion, and out of this world.”

“Like almost fairy-tale magical?” I ask, trying to find a better, more mature way to describe it, but honestly, I can’t.

“Yeah, let’s go with that,” he concedes. “It’s a first for me, and I owe it to myself to explore further. Just let this happen. This isn’t anything more than…strangers with benefits.”

I swallow hard, hypnotized by his gaze. “So, no friends. Just a booty call.”

He chuckles. “Well, soon it’ll change to friends. I just met you, so I can’t just call you that, can I?”

“What does this entail?” I ask curiously, not listening to reason.

“Unlimited hookups, a good time, and I might even have your car washed during the winter.” He winks at me.

“Tempting,” I mumble. “What if one of us wants out of the arrangement?”

“We’re adults, Leyla,” he says. “We discuss it. If we’re doing this, we won’t add any complications. We speak the truth. If you need more, you come to me and request it. If I can’t give it to you, we call it quits.”

“What if it is the other way around?” I ask. “If you want more and I refuse to give it to you?”

“Good point,” he responds. “I doubt that’ll happen, but the same rules apply.”

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