Page 31 of The Decoy

I gasp into his mouth, my hands running through his thick hair, bringing him in even closer. He deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding past my lips, and sending a sensation of liquid fire rushing through my veins directly to my pussy.

“Ellis,” he says against my lips, his hand sliding up my back to cup the nape of my neck.

He doesn’t rush me. He doesn’t press for anything more than the gorgeous, consuming slide of his mouth against mine. It’s passionate, heavy, and completely breathtaking, but he’s also being mindful of my space even as he consumes me.

I’m all but ready to crawl onto his lap when he pulls back an inch to let us catch our breath, his forehead resting against mine. His breathing is rapid, his eyes dark and blazing with desire. His thumb brushes over my lower lip, which feels swollen from his mouth.

“Fuck,” Brody lets out a gravelly rasp. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

I let out a soft laugh, my hands still in his hair. “Well, I’m definitely glad you didn’t hold back tonight.”

“I really was trying to be respectful,” he smirks, his lips dipping down to press a lingering kiss against the corner of my mouth, then the line of my jaw, making my breath catch all over again. “I wasn’t really sure what the protocol was here in our situation.”

“I’m not really sure there’s a handbook on what I’m going through right now, but I can tell you… that a kiss isn’t going to scare me off,” I say, turning my face slightly so my lips brush his jaw.

“Good to know,” he whispers, his hand sliding back down to rest on my waist, his palm feeling like a brand through my sweater. “Because now that I’ve started…I’m not sure I can stop.”

We stay on the couch for hours, tangled up together, kissing, touching, but never going farther than that, even though my body wants me to.

The fire burns down to soft orange embers, and we both start to get sleepy. He keeps his arms around me, my head now resting against his chest, and he drops sweet kisses into my hair as I listen to the steady beat of his heart.

I can hear the wind outside, and a realization hits me. My life feels a bit out of order, like the wind. My career is demanding, I have a baby coming in the spring, and the path ahead is slightly messy, complicated, and completely unscripted.

But looking up at Brody’s handsome face in the dim glow of the fire, feeling the warmth of his body holding mine…I know one thing for certain.

This man is becoming more to me than just a friend and someone I can rely on. He’s becoming someone I can’t see my life without. I may thrive on control, but when it comes to Brody Vaughn, I'm completely unraveled.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Brody

December twenty-fourth in Manhattan is magic, but driving through it in a truck is a test of my patience.

Which is why, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t even be in the city on Christmas Eve. We have a wild card playoff game coming up in a few days, which means strict personal time management, hours of film review, and intense morning workouts. But tonight, my routine fell apart in a series of unexpected turns.

First came the weather out of the Midwest. A massive lake-effect blizzard shut down all air traffic out of Cleveland, canceling my mom and sister’s flight into Newark. I’d spent forty-five minutes on the phone with my mom while she paced the terminal, apologizing endlessly for missing Christmas, while I tried to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault and that I’d get them on the first flight out so they could be here for my game.

Then came the small little gathering at Liam and Allie’s in their city place overlooking Central Park. Alie’s parents are the team owners of the franchise, and they live in the same building, so they just happened to stop by as well. While I like the Grants, spending my free time with them isn’t on my agenda for tonight. After my mom and sister’s flight was canceled, I just wanted to chill out with some of my buddies.

Alie went all out tonight, and I took advantage of eating all the amazing food they have prepared for us. But it’s getting late, and I really need to go. I say my goodbyes to the Grants, my friends, and their little families, then head to the elevator.

The second I walk out of the lobby and into the cold, my phone buzzes with an incoming text.

Ellis: Merry Christmas Eve!

Brody: Are you back from your family party? I have something for you.

Ellis: Just got home. You still in the city?

Brody: Yeah, just walking to my truck from Alie and Liam’s place.

Ellis: Do you want to stop by?

Brody: See you soon.

Snow has been falling since the late afternoon, dusting the blacktop and making traffic along Fifth Avenue into a sea of glowing red taillights.

I check the clock on the dashboard. 8:42 p.m. It’s been twenty minutes since I sent that text to Ellis.