Braydon (Alluring Indulgence #6)(53)
Author: Nicole Edwards

Then again, it wasn’t her fault that Braydon had fallen in love with her.

Braydon moved to the wooden post that held up the roof above the porch as he stared out into the darkness surrounding them. He placed one hand on the smooth wood, the other on the back of his neck, trying to massage some of the tension out of the knotted muscles.

The only sounds were the crickets chirping in the underbrush, the lonesome howl of a coyote somewhere in the distance, and the steady rumble of his truck’s engine, which was, yes, still running. Oh, and the erratic thump of his own heartbeat.

“I’m sorry if I came between you and Brendon,” Jessie said faintly.

Braydon lifted his head to see her standing a few feet away, leaning against another one of the cedar posts.

“What are you talking about?”

“I never thought you would leave. I knew from the beginning that what the three of us had was supposed to be temporary. It went on too long, but I . . .” Jessie trailed off and Braydon waited for her to continue. He needed her to continue.

She didn’t.

“You what?”

“I got too comfortable,” she said.

That wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“I enjoyed your friendship. And Brendon’s, too. It was easy to be around the two of you. And like it or not, the sex was amazing. But . . .” Jessie paused again. “Being with both of you . . . That was exciting at first. But I don’t think I’m capable of being in a relationship like that. My sister has managed to do it. But it isn’t for me. And I know that you and Brendon don’t have relationships without the other being involved.”

Braydon let go of the post and moved closer to Jessie. “Jess, that’s exactly what I want.”

“What? A relationship without him?”

“Yeah. Exactly that,” he told her. “I’ve been dying to have you all to myself, Jess.”

“But what about Brendon?” she asked.

“What about him? He’s a big boy. He can figure it out on his own.” Braydon glanced away briefly. “Not to mention, Brendon’s on a single-minded quest to win Cheyenne Montgomery, which might be an impossible feat. But I know Brendon. He’s not gonna stop until he gets her.”

Jessie nodded. “I’ve seen the way he looks at her.”

“This is new for us, Jess. Brendon and I have always done things one way. But then you came along and . . .” Braydon sucked in a deep breath, but before he could say anything more, Jessie spoke.

“I don’t want to come between the two of you,” she told him, her blue eyes sparkling in the light from the moon as she looked up at him.

“You won’t,” Braydon said. He wasn’t sure whether that was the truth, but he would make it work. If she gave him half a chance, he would prove his love to her. Prove to her that he could be the man she needed.

“He’s going to feel betrayed.”

“Doubtful. That’s not to say he won’t be pissed because things aren’t working out the way he planned, but it is what it is.” Knowing Brendon, especially the man he seemed to be now, he wasn’t going to give a shit. He seemed to have a one-track mind. And honestly, Braydon wasn’t particularly fond of the man his twin had become.

JESSIE WAS STILL reeling from the kiss she’d shared with Braydon. Pulling away from him had been damn near impossible, and if it weren’t for the fact that she had to breathe, she never would have. But now, as he stared down at her, she felt her resolve slipping where he was concerned.

She had been serious when she’d told him he couldn’t come inside.

There was no way she was going back to the way things had been between them before he left. She didn’t want to find herself in his bed temporarily, and certainly not if it meant Brendon was going to be there as well.

It wasn’t because she disliked Brendon or that she hadn’t enjoyed their previous time together, but Jessie had moved on. At least from that part of her life. It had been fun, just like she told Braydon. The sex had been incredible, and she wouldn’t change what had happened even if she could.

But her feelings for Braydon had overpowered everything else, and in the end, she’d been left with a broken heart, even if she had intended to keep things casual going into it.

This man was capable of shredding her fragile feelings without even trying.

It didn’t change the fact that she was grasping hopefully at what he was saying. Could they make this work? Was it possible that they could move forward without moving back? And if that was the case, how did they go about it?

“Brendon will eventually understand, Jess. He knows how I feel about you,” Braydon explained.