Braydon (Alluring Indulgence #6)(51)
Author: Nicole Edwards

Her stomach lurched and she had to stop. It was the heat. That’s what it was. The unusually high temperature was making her sick to her stomach. It had nothing to do with the fact that thinking about Braydon with another woman actually made her sick.

“Jess, wait. Let me take you home.”

Jessie didn’t bother to look up at him. He had moved around in front of her as she stood there, trying to keep from losing her lunch. Yes, lunch. Because that was the last time she ate anything. She did eat lunch, right?

“Let me take you home and we’ll let Kylie know.”

Jessie shook her head.

“Come on. You can’t walk. It’s ten miles out to the house.”

Jessie slowly lifted her head until their eyes met. The black Stetson he wore tonight shielded his eyes, casting his face in shadows. In the dim light from the distant street lamp, the silhouette of his big body was surrounded by a yellow glow.

She didn’t say anything. She wanted to tell him fine, he could take her home because otherwise, she was either going to have to go back inside and endure seeing Brendon and Braydon with Cheyenne, or she was going to have blisters on her feet from walking ten miles in her boots.

Neither sounded like fun.

When Braydon’s hand slowly slid down her arm, Jessie stared at it. He continued until he linked his fingers with hers, all while he continued to stand way too close.

His voice was calm, soft when he said, “Let me take you home. I’ll even drop you off. You won’t have to worry about me trying to talk.”

Jessie’s heart fluttered strangely. His hand was so big, so warm against hers. His voice was rich and soothing, and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and let it wash over her. She wanted to feel the safety and security she’d felt in his arms again. It was one of the things that kept her up at night. Thoughts of what it would be like to be held by him again.

Braydon began moving and Jessie allowed him to lead her back the way they’d come. He walked around to the passenger side of his truck and opened her door. Once she had climbed inside, he shut the door gently behind her and she watched as he made his way around the front of the truck once again.

As his door opened, Jessie sent up a silent prayer: God, please, please, please don’t let me let him break my heart again.

chapter TEN

Braydon was relieved that Jessie had allowed him to drive her home. If she had insisted on walking, he would’ve walked with her. Or even ten feet behind her if she demanded to be left alone. Under no circumstances would he have allowed her to walk home by herself.

He’d actually been surprised that he could persuade her to go with him. She’d been hell-bent on doing things her way since the moment he got back to town, and he hadn’t expected tonight to be any different. But then she’d climbed into his truck and he’d joined her. After he’d instructed her to message Kylie so she wouldn’t worry, the two of them had driven in silence.

But now, as he pulled down the main drive that passed by his parents’ house and led to hers, Braydon kept replaying what she’d said over and over in his head.

Leave me alone, Braydon Walker. I’m not going to help Brendon and I’m not going to help you, either. I refuse to be used to help you or your brother land women. Using me to make her jealous ain’t gonna work because I’m not gonna let it.

It still pissed him off that she could possibly think he was capable of something like that. But then it had dawned on him that Brendon had done exactly that. Braydon had been watching the two of them as Brendon made his way across the room, and when he started talking to Jessie, her eyes had flashed with rage. When she came barreling through the crowd, Braydon had known something was wrong, but not until she scolded him in the parking lot had he realized why.

If Braydon was correct, which he was pretty sure he was, then Brendon was trying to make Cheyenne jealous. And he had been planning to use Jessie to do so.

What the hell had gotten into Brendon?

Never in their lives had Brendon used a woman. And certainly not to make another woman jealous. What was it about Cheyenne that had Brendon acting like a dumbass? What had the woman done to him? Braydon knew firsthand—thanks to Jessie—just how much a woman could fuck with a man’s head, but what Brendon was doing wasn’t acceptable. His brother was out of control.

“Thanks for the ride,” Jessie said, pulling Braydon from his thoughts. He hadn’t even realized that they had reached her house. That was only a little worrisome, especially since he was the one driving.

“You’re welcome,” he answered, but after coming to a complete stop he climbed out of the truck. He left the keys in the ignition and the engine running, but he wasn’t about to let Jessie walk to the door herself. He was raised to treat a lady right, and he wasn’t going to change that now. No matter what she said.