Page 48 of Broken Roads (Hard to Handle #1)

I fumble with the buttons of his shirt, suddenly desperate to feel his skin against mine.

He helps me, practically ripping the fabric in his haste.

Clothes fly in all directions—his jeans, my pants, underwear kicked aside as we stumble backward toward the bed, unwilling to break contact even to navigate the small room.

The backs of my legs hit the edge of the mattress, but before I can fall onto it, I drop to my knees in front of him. Bradley freezes, his eyes widening as he realizes my intent.

"Hailey." My name comes out half-warning, half-plea.

I look up at him through my lashes, drinking in the sight of him—all hard muscle and tanned skin, his cock standing proud and ready. "Let me," I whisper, wrapping my fingers around the base. "I want to taste you."

A groan tears from his throat as I lean forward and take him into my mouth. I start slow, savoring the way his breathing quickens and the way his muscles tense beneath my free hand resting on his thigh.

"Fuck," he hisses, one hand threading through my hair. "Your mouth is so perfect."

His words spur me on, and I take him deeper, hollowing my cheeks as I establish a rhythm that has him cursing under his breath. His fingers tighten in my hair, and the slight sting only makes me wetter.

"Sunshine," he groans, voice strained. "You keep that up and I'm not gonna last."

I hum around him, delighting in the power I hold in this moment, in the knowledge that I can bring this strong, capable man to the edge with just my mouth. But before I can push him further, his hands cup my face, gently pulling me off him.

"Not like this," he says, his eyes dark with need. "Want to be inside you when I come."

He helps me to my feet, then sits on the edge of the bed, pulling me onto his lap so I'm straddling him. His cock, hot and hard, presses against my center and I can’t help but rock against him. The movement draws a hiss from between his teeth.

"Eager," he murmurs, gripping my hips.

"For you? Always," I admit, pressing open-mouthed kisses along his jaw.

He reaches toward the nightstand where we've kept condoms these past two nights, but I catch his wrist, stopping him.

"I want to feel you," I whisper, suddenly nervous despite my boldness. "Just you. Nothing between us."

His breath catches. "You sure?"

Holding his gaze, I nod. "I'm clean. Got tested after... everything. Before I came to the ranch." I lick my lips and add, "And I'm on birth control."

"I'm clean too." The gruffness of his voice sends a shiver down my spine. "Get checked every year whether I'm with someone or not."

The moment feels weighted with significance, this isn't just about physical pleasure anymore. It's about trust. Commitment. A step neither of us has taken lightly.

Hands framing my face, his thumbs gently stroke my cheeks. "I've never done this. Never been with anyone without protection."

The confession steals my breath. "Neither have I."

Something shifts in his gaze. "I want this with you," he says. "Only you."

Instead of answering with words, I lift myself slightly, positioning him at my entrance. Our eyes lock as I sink down slowly, taking him inside me inch by delicious inch. The sensation is overwhelming, hot and perfect and so intimate it makes my eyes sting with unexpected tears.

"Hailey," he breathes, voice almost reverent as he fills me completely. "Fucking perfect."

Gripping my hips, he holds me still for a moment as we both adjust. I can feel every ridge, every vein of him pulsing inside me, and it's almost too much, too intense. But then he moves, rocking up into me, and coherent thoughts dissolves into pure pleasure.

We find our rhythm easily as his mouth crashes to mine in a kiss that's as desperate as our movements.

"Fuck, sunshine," he groans against my lips. "I can’t get enough of being buried deep inside you."

His words push me closer to the edge, that familiar tension building low in my belly. One of his hands slides between us and circles my clit with just the right pressure.

"Bradley," I gasp, nails digging into his shoulders. "I'm close—"

"Me too," he groans. "Come with me. Want to feel you squeeze this cock when I fill you up."

His words combined with the pressure of his thumb against my clit send me flying over the edge. I cry out his name as waves of pleasure crash through me.

"Fuck, yes," he growls, thrusting up into me one final time before he comes inside me. The sensation is unlike anything I've ever felt. Intimate in a way I wasn't prepared for, a claiming that goes beyond the physical.

Breathing hard, we cling to each other as the aftershocks ripple through us. Slowly, reality returns, but I make no move to lift myself from his lap, content to stay connected for as long as possible.

With a gentle touch, Bradley strokes up and down my back in a soothing caress. There's something different about this moment, a shift I can't quite name but can feel in my bones. Whatever we're building between us, it's stronger than I ever expected, deeper than I dared to hope.

And for the first time in longer than I can remember, I'm not afraid of what comes next.