“It’s okay, darlin’. I’ve got you.”
Coach Walker clears his throat and Brady releases me.
“The bus is long gone. I’m going to find us a ride.” He glances at me and then back at Brady. “You’ve got two minutes. Then I expect you outside and ready to go.”
Brady nods, his relief apparent. “Yes, sir.”
The coach stalks toward the front desk and then Brady’s cupping my face, his eyes locked on mine. “What are you doing here?”
I grin. “Surprising you.”
He brushes a kiss across my lips. “I was surprised all right.” He pauses, looking me over. “Are you okay? I could kill that fucker for putting his hands on you.”
“I’m okay. He didn’t hurt me.”
He grunts as if unconvinced. “I wish you’d told me what was going on sooner. I could’ve helped.” He shoves his fingers through his hair. “Or, at the very least, I could’ve helped share the burden. If not financially, then emotionally.”
My heart swells, but the declaration is nothing less than I’d expect from him.
“You’re right. I should have told you,” I admit, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “I was ashamed, and I thought I could handle it. At first it was just money, but today…”
I shudder.
“No one has a right to put their hands on you like that, Piper.”
He’s fighting for control. It’s evident in the way he holds himself, hands clenched at his sides. Today was a tough day for both of us, and it’s not over yet.
“Just say the word and I’ll break every one of his goddamn fingers.” He grins and it’s positively feral. “Better yet, I’ll rip his arms off and beat him to death with them.”
I laugh at the imagery because we both know that despite his protective streak, Brady doesn’t have it in him. He’s not a violent guy. In the four months I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him lose his cool. Today was a fluke. A perfect storm of stress and pressure and Mike pushing him past the tipping point with his vile words.
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I can fight my own battles, big guy.”
“I know you can, but you shouldn’t have to.” He takes my hands in his, cradling them. “Let me in, Piper. What we have is amazing, but we could be so much more if you’d let me be there for you in all the ways that matter.”
This is it. The reason I came to Miami.
My palms begin to sweat and the urge to bolt is like a siren song, calling me home, but I stand my ground, holding tight to Brady’s massive hands.
“I love that you want to protect me, and I love that you have such a big heart. You’ve shown it to me in so many ways over the last few months and despite everything I’ve done to push you away, to keep you at arm’s length and protect my heart, I’ve fallen for you.”
His breath hitches and I’m not sure he’s breathing as he stares down at me, that familiar longing in his eyes, one that won’t be eased with sex or meaningless platitudes. “I love you, Brady, and I want to be with you in every way that matters.”
“Say it again,” he pleads, releasing my hands and cupping my face.
Emotion clogs my throat, but the words slip easily from my lips because I trust Brady. I trust him with my body and my heart. He will never hurt me, not intentionally. What we have is so far removed from the relationships I saw growing up that I don’t know how I could have ever made a comparison.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Piper Lilian Reynolds.” He grins. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to say those words.”
He crushes his lips to mine, kissing me slow and deep and it’s like every kiss that’s come before, but also new and different, a deeper connection that tugs at my heartstrings and brings tears to my eyes because Brady loves me. And I love him.
I don’t know how long we go on like that, but I know two minutes have come and gone because Coach Walker returns, cussing a blue streak.
Brady reluctantly releases me, but the tender look on his face promises we’ll continue this later.
“I talked to one of the hotel drivers. He said traffic is a mess and it’ll be damn near impossible to get to the stadium before kickoff.” He mutters another expletive and I get a mental image of Coach Collins waving his clipboard on the sidelines.Birds of a feather. “It’s only seven miles, but it could take hours to navigate with road closures and gridlocked traffic.”
