Page 96 of Igniting Sparks

I chew my lower lip and let the tears slip down my cheeks. “I’m in love with you, and if you still want this, I’m all in.”

“Mina—”

I’m losing him. I feel it. The tears come faster now, spurred by that knowledge.

“I’ll make you muffins every day.”

Okay, it’s a Hail Mary pass. Even someone with limited knowledge of love knows that fact.

Braden’s face splits into a smile at my random segue into negotiations. “Every day?”

I swipe my cheeks and nod. “Every damn day.”

“Any kind I want? Even those fancy pecan ones?”

“Even those. Especially those.”

He chuckles. “You hate making those.”

“I don’t hate doing anything for you. All I want is to make you happy, because you’ve made me happier than I ever believed I could be.”

Braden exhales hard, like the air’s been punched out of him. Then he grabs my face, his touch firm but trembling. His eyes search mine—wild, uncertain—and then something breaks. The fear, the doubt… gone. In its place is something raw. Something real.

Then he kisses me.

Not some soft, searching kiss.

This is desperation and possession, all rolled into one.

Braden threads his fingers into my fancy updo as he sits straighter, pulling me against him. I moan into his mouth, sinking my nails into his shoulders.

His mouth crashes onto mine with a hunger that steals the breath from my lungs.

There’s no finesse, no hesitation—just teeth, tongue, and a raw, desperate need.

I gasp, and he swallows the sound, groaning into my mouth like he’s been starving for this—for me.

His beard scrapes my skin as he deepens the kiss, his hands holding me fast.

As if I’d ever want to leave.

I claw at his shirt, tempted to rip it from his body so I can feel every inch of him.

I gasp, and he swallows it, dragging one hand down my side to grip my hip and grind me against his erection.

Another moan tears free as I move against him, my body coiled tight, desperate for more.

“Christ, who needs porn when we have the two of you?” As always, Zane, and his perfect timing, breaks into the moment.

We untangle, and Braden laughs, giving Zane the finger. “No one said you had to watch.”

“Hard not to when you’re doing it on the sofa. Get aroom, you two.” With a final chuckle, Zane returns to his game, and I return my full attention to Braden.

A wry grin creases Braden’s cheeks as he smooths my hair. “Sorry. Wrecked that a bit.”

“Who cares?” I pull the clip from my hair and shake out the strands. “See? All better.”

A mischievous glint lights in his eyes. “You love me, huh?”