Page 78 of Three Pucking Ex's Brothers

Because I don’t want her to stop touching me, but I need her to understand that this…it’s not what I came here for.

“I just…” I delicately slip my fingers through hers. “I just want to take care of you because I can see how bad he hurt you.”

“Freddie…” She breathes my name like a prayer, and I can’t help but feel the wistfulness, the hope in it.

“I’m here,” I say. “I’m not the same, I know that, but…I’mhere,Nora. And I’ll be here for as long as you need me to be.”

She looks at me with misty eyes and nods, a tear sliding down her face.

“It’s late,” she says carefully. “I should go to bed.”

“You should,” I agree, but neither of us moves and I realize she’s waiting for me tolead.

“Show me where you’re staying,” I tell her, my voice firming at this realization.

She wants me to lead. To provide her the control she craves. I know that on some deeper level, but I didn’t really understand it until now.

She doesn’t let go of my hand, but leads me down the hall to a guest room. The bed is covered in clothes, and is a bit of a mess.

“Sorry, I uh…” She looks sad, nervous. I note the bottle of wine on the end table, the strewn clothes. The rumpled pillows and comforter. “It’s a bit of a mess.”

“It’s fine,” I tell her as I pick up the clothes and set them on the dresser. I fluff the pillows, and the whole time, all she does is watch me.

“Why?” she asks.

I turn to look at her as I pull the covers down. “Why what?”

She looks at me with those misty, warm eyes and my insides melt.

No one’s ever looked at me like this.

Not even my ex.

“Why me?” she breathes. “You could have any woman you want, Freddie. Why bother with a mess like me?”

I drop the covers and move to her, grabbing her face in my hands and holding her still. Forcing her to look at me.

“Hey…” I say firmly. She sniffles. “You listen to me, Nora. You arenota mess, baby.”

The endearment falls from my mouth far too easily, and I know I’m in danger of drowning. No one will be able to save me now.

“You are perfect,” I breathe, smirking at her, and she lets out a soft sob. I wipe her tear with my thumb. And kiss the spot it marked.

Her tear against my lip tastes salty. But her skin is sweet. Smooth, as I knew it would be.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” I whisper, tilting her chin up with my other thumb.

Her bright blue eyes are filled with glistening tears, but her lips part and she looks at me like all she wants to do isobey.Like all she wants is to just submit to whateverthisis between us. Because I know there’s something here.

Maybe I felt it before but didn’t understand it, and that’s why I stayed away.

Maybe I fought it because I knew it was wrong and I was trying to preserve my sanity and the remains of my fractured heart. But I know as I look at Nora now, with tears in her eyes and her lips parted for me, that there is no fighting this. Not anymore.

“Daddy’s here, he’ll make it better. I promise.”

And then I dive into the waters of Nora headfirst and let myself drown in her sweet kiss, the salty taste of her tears on my tongue my undoing. I pull her down to the bed with me, and she follows me without question.

She kisses me softly as I settle her against me, and she curls into my side like a damn puppy, her hand finding my jaw as she kisses me back.