The Love Game (The Game #1)(45)
Author: Emma Hart

“You’ve already been to Starbucks,” I accuse, narrowing my eyes.

He chuckles. “You’ve turned me into an addict.”

“Where’s my coffee?”

“In Starbucks,” he replies. “Let’s sit in instead of standing out here.”

I nod. “I can’t believe you got me up at this time and didn’t have coffee in your hand immediately.”

“Hey, you.” He sweeps an arm around my waist and pulls me against him. “You’re grumpy before you get your coffee, aren’t you?” He’s grinning.

“You should know this.” I trail my finger up his chest. “Didn’t you discover that the last two days?”

“Mmm.” He sucks my bottom lip between his teeth. “And what a weekend it was.”

I halfheartedly slap his arm. “I want my coffee.” I pout.

He kisses me again and tucks me into his side. “Come on then, grumpy.”

I settle my arm around his waist and poke his side. “I’m not grumpy.”

“You’re always grumpy.” He kisses my head.

“Psssh.” I shake my head, and he laughs.

Braden reaches for the door and shoves it open. The smell of coffee hits me full force, and I breathe it in, sighing in happiness.

“Nice to know coffee makes you feel good on a morning,” Braden mutters.

“If you’d been there when I woke up this morning, you could have been the feel good,” I mutter back, silently laughing to myself.

His step falters, and I bite my lip, amused.

“Did you just say that?”

I look up at him wide-eyed and blink twice. “Well it wasn’t the barista that said it.”

“One weekend of hot sex and you’ve turned into an animal,” he whispers in my ear.

“Not quite.” I giggle. “I was merely making a statement.”

“Maybe tomorrow morning?” he asks hopefully.

“Maybe.” I laugh.

As he orders our coffees, I ignore the barista’s evil looks in my direction and curl in closer to Braden. His arm tightens around my waist, and he carries the tray she gives him in one hand. Ignoring her flirty glances, he leads me over to the plush sofas we were sitting on last week, laying the tray on the table and dropping us both onto the sofa.

“Sofa this week,” he mutters.

I laugh and swing my legs over his, resting my head against his shoulder. He passes me my cup, and I wrap my hands around it, sipping it slightly. “That’s better.” I sigh, feeling the warmth from the hot drink slipping down my throat.

“So….” Braden begins after a few moments, resting his hand on my thigh. “Have you, er, heard from your brother?”

“No,” I say softly. “Not a thing. I spoke to Dad when we got back yesterday night, and he hasn’t seen him since he left Brooklyn to come here. I… I think I want to care, but I don’t know if I can. Does that make me a terrible person?”

“No, Angel, God no.” His lips brush my forehead. “He put you through a lot, and sometimes, family or not, you have to say goodbye to people.”

“I hate it because we used to be so close. I remember helping Mom in the garden. Granted, Pearce was more of a hindrance than a help, but it was something that happened every year. We’d all go swimming once a week at the local pool, dinner… Then after what happened, it all kind of…. disappeared.”

“It’s okay to miss him.”

“I don’t know if I do. I don’t know if I miss him or if I miss the memories. Maybe it’s just the person he used to be that I miss.” I look at a spot on the wall. “I don’t know who he is anymore. Maybe that’s why a part of me finds it hard to care. I guess I lost my brother the same day I lost my Mom and most of my Dad.”

I sigh and rest my coffee on my legs. Letting it out feels good. I know I have to let go. I know, after three years, if I ever want to move on with my life I have to put it all behind me as best as I can. Mom will always be in my heart, but as long as I hold my brother there too, I’ll never move on. I’ll never live.

“The thing with memories is, they never die. You can keep them and relive them, and that’s okay because they’re the happy ones,” Braden muses. “Like the ones we make. Just replace the bad memories with ours.”

I smile and lean my head back up to look at him. “I’ll try to do that.”

“And while you’re trying, we’ll make even more.” He smiles back.

It’s strange to have someone understand you.

Chapter Thirty-Six – Braden

In approximately two days, this relationship should be over.

But it won’t be. I can’t see myself letting her go now.

Ever since we returned from Vegas, we’ve been together almost constantly. It’s as if me realizing I’m in love with her has changed everything.

She’s changed, too, though. She laughs more now. She smiles more. Maddie has a little light in her eyes that wasn’t there before.

She presses a soft kiss to my lips, and I circle her waist with my arms, pulling her in closer to me. She squeals a little and puts her hands on my shoulders to steady herself. Her fingers dig in, and it makes me pull her closer. Her knees bend, and I open my legs so she can rest them on the chair. She does, and I slide my hands down to her hips.

“Can I help you?” I pull back slightly and smile at her. Her eyes flutter open, and she nods, pulling the corner of her top lip into her mouth. “What is it, Angel?”

“Let’s dance." She straightens, taking my hands from her hips and linking our fingers.

“I don’t dance,” I protest lamely, trailing behind her.

She flashes me a coy look over her shoulder. “You do now.”

“Really, I don’t.”

She pulls me into the throng of grinding bodies and drops my hand. Her fingers hook into the waistband of my jeans. My dick twitches. She yanks me towards her, right up against her. Her boobs press against my chest, and she looks up into my eyes slowly. It’s a seductive move that would be wrong on anyone but her.

Her lips curl upwards slightly. “Really, Bray. You do dance.”

She trails her hand round my body, her fingertips brushing the skin beneath my shirt. Her hand comes to rest on my back, the other up on my shoulder. She looks at me expectantly.

Slowly, I trail a finger along her arm to her shoulder. I let my hand fall down her back to cup her hip. The other follows the same pattern but instead of her hip, I cup her ass. I pull her even closer to me and breathe into her hair. My head ducks until my lips brush her ear.

“Okay, Maddie. I dance,” I say. “Only for you, though.”