Page 26 of The Sunny Side (Rojo 2nd Generation: Rojo Police Department #3)

C LANCY

I wasn’t irritated when Brawley tossed me over his shoulder and left the party, which was odd considering I had never thought of myself as the kind of woman to appreciate that sort of thing, but appreciate it I did.

There was something so . . . I couldn’t even think of the word to describe it, probably because all the blood had rushed to my head while I was hanging upside down.

The second I was settled on his bike, Brawley took off toward his house without a word. I couldn’t have been more grateful that it was just a short drive away, especially when he didn’t say a word on the drive over. He just focused on the road with an intensity that I didn’t quite understand.

Of course, since I was me, I wondered if there was a problem. I couldn’t just roll with it and assume that everything was okay. Instead, I had to ask, “Is something wrong?”

“No.Why?”

“You seem very intense.” As Brawley slowed down to turn, he glanced over his shoulder at me with such heat in his eyes that I couldn’t help but gasp at the sight. Without thinking, I muttered, “I guess that’s a good thing.”

“I have been waiting patiently to have you all to myself, alone, naked, and screaming my name, but I’m not willing to wait anymore.

There’s always something that seems to get in the way of me getting your clothes off - whether it’s dog vomit, one of your sisters popping in to say hello, or dispatch calling me in to work.

Tonight, we don’t have to worry about Cupcake eating something that upsets her delicate constitution, your sisters know damn good and well not to interrupt us, and if dispatch calls me for any reason, I’m going to fucking quit my job and become a car salesman. ”

I started laughing, but stopped abruptly when he pulled me off the trike and into his arms.

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him like I never had before, hoping that he’d understand my urgency and the promise of what was to come once we were finally inside. He reluctantly set me on my feet and then took my hand and led me toward the porch.

The moment we were inside, he tossed his key fob into the clay bowl on the console table and slammed the door behind us.

I was pressed against it in the next second, and Brawley’s lips found mine in another promising kiss.

Of course, this one was different because we were finally alone and there weren’t going to be any interruptions like there had been before.

“Did you mean what you said earlier, sweetheart?” Brawley murmured against my neck.

I knew exactly what he was talking about because even though we hadn’t talked about it again, my profession of love and then his in return had been front and center in my mind.

I was still mortified that I’d blurted that out without thinking about it first, but then again, it felt so right that I couldn’t really beat myself up too much.

Maybe spontaneity wasn’t so bad after all.

Brawley ran his hands up my sides, taking my T-shirt with them, and then cupped my breasts. As his thumbs moved back and forth over my nipples, I moaned, “I meant it. Did you?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t,” Brawley assured me before he pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it aside.

Brawley had seen my breasts before during a couple of our heavy makeout sessions on my couch or his, but tonight, I’d taken special care to wear a bra that might not be comfortable but looked damn good on.

I knew I’d chosen the right one when Brawley sucked in a breath before he groaned, “Fuck, you’re beautiful. ”

I had the presence of mind to ask, “Are you talking to me or my boobs?”

“Yes.”

I laughed as Brawley reached around to unhook my bra.

Unfortunately, boobs my size couldn’t be contained with one of those cutesy little front buckles.

As soon as he had it undone, I let my bra fall forward and down my arms to the floor, leaving me bare chested in front of him while he was still completely clothed.

“This isn’t fair,” I muttered as I pulled his shirt up to take it off. He reached behind his neck and pulled it off before he pressed his body against mine again.

He didn’t sound convinced when he said, “We should move this to my room.”

“Are you one of those people?” I asked as I worked at the button on his jeans.

“What people?” Brawley asked. When I slipped my hand down into his boxers, he hissed and asked, “How the fuck are your hands cold when it’s a million degrees outside?”

As soon as I started stroking his cock, all thoughts of temperature slipped his mind because we were finally going to be together like I’d been dreaming about for weeks.

No, that was wrong. I’d dreamed about my knight in shining armor over and over when I was young and still did occasionally even all these years later.

I confessed, “I’ve dreamed of you for years, Brawley.”

He looked shocked when he asked, “You have?”

“Yes. I couldn’t remember what you looked like, just that your voice was so comforting and I felt like I was right where I belonged when you held me in your arms.”

“It is.” As I gently pulled my hand out and started pushing at the waistband of his jeans to get them off, he said, “I dreamed of you too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. So many times that I had Orson locate you repeatedly over the years so that I knew you were okay.”

“You’re kidding,” I said, taken aback.

“Ask him,” Brawley ordered. He chuckled and clarified, “Not right now, obviously. Maybe tomorrow.”

“I will,” I assured him as I pushed him back and dropped to my knees, taking his jeans and boxers with me.

I soon realized we were going to have a problem undressing in the hallway.

I knew from experience that Brawley’s knee brace took some effort and time to remove, but I ignored that in favor of wrapping my hands around his cock as I opened my mouth to taste him.

“Help!”

I leaned back and looked up at him before I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Don’t stop what . . .”

“Help!Potty!Please!Treat!”

“Fuck me,” Brawley growled as he bent forward and bumped his forehead on the door.

He kept at it as his own recorded voice came from the living room. “Potty! Now! Please!”

“No interruptions, huh?” I rested my hands on his hips and laughed as I stood up. “He’s coming, Max.”

“Not yet, but I will be soon,” Brawley muttered as he pulled his boxers and pants up so he could take care of his dog. “Fucking cockblocking animals. Gonna sell him on eBay tomorrow, I swear to God.”

“Take care of Max and get him settled for the night while I go to your room and get myself settled.” Brawley moaned, so I added, “I’ll be naked and waiting whenever you’re ready.”

“Potty!Now!Please!”

“Better hurry. Sounds like he’s desperate.”

“He’s not the only one,” Brawly muttered as he walked toward the living room. “Let’s go outside, Max.”

I grabbed the clothes we’d already removed and walked down the hall to his bedroom.

From the first time I’d seen his home, I had been impressed with how simple and organized everything seemed to be.

At first, it seemed monochromatic and sort of boring, but the more I got to know Brawley and understand how much he loved the canyon where he grew up, I found that what I’d first considered plain was really just natural decor.

He had melded the different shades of brown, from the lightest straw to the deepest rust, and hints of varying greens into a palette that created a calming environment.

The pictures on the walls that I’d first thought were professional photos turned out to be snapshots he’d taken over the years while exploring his parents’ property.

They were the type of artwork I never imagined I’d appreciate since I was a mountain girl at heart.

I hadn’t met Brawley’s parents yet, but I completely understood why.

We hadn’t even been seeing each other for a month yet, although, after this evening’s declaration, I now knew that we were moving at warp speed.

I would guess he’d want to introduce me to his parents soon, but then again, he hadn’t mentioned it, so I shouldn’t assume.

Of course, that was when all my usual doubts reared their ugly head - maybe he didn’t want to introduce me because he wasn’t .

. . No! Stop it. He said he loved me, and I believed him.

He wasn’t ashamed of me in any way, not by my looks or my personality.

If anything, he encouraged me to be myself, which wasn’t an attitude I’d ever had from any man in my life.

I tossed our clothes onto the chair nearby and sat down on the edge of the bed to remove my new boots, not even worried about being topless.

That was something that would have bothered me in any other situation but clearly demonstrated how comfortable I was with my body around Brawley, who seemed to enjoy every part of it.

I had just stripped down to my underwear when Brawley came into the bedroom carrying his knee brace in one hand and his own boots in the other. He stopped in the doorway, and I took my time studying him.

With his shirt off and pants unbuttoned and hanging from his hips, he looked like an illustration on the front of a romance novel. Anyone would think he was completely unrealistic and probably photoshopped at least a little bit.

But he was real, and he was mine.

Brawley dropped his boots and knee brace beside the door and then leaned against the frame and crossed his arms as his eyes slowly roamed over my body, starting at my toes and then stopping on my panties.

I knew he’d be looking at my stomach soon.

It took everything I had not to cross my arms and cover myself, but I refrained and let him look his fill.

“What’s that song say? Body like a back road?”

“Sam Hunt sings that.”

“It’s not my favorite, but the words perfectly describe your body and what I want to do with it.”

“That’s better than the way I’d say it myself.”

“Curves.Beautiful.Exquisite.A work of art.”