Fate (Steel Brothers Saga #13) - Helen Hardt Page 0,21
scoffed. “Not in the cards.”
“It should be.”
“It’s not. Want to dance again?”
“No,” a voice said from behind me. “The next dance is mine.”
Chapter Fourteen
Brad
Jealousy raged through me. I’d expected to find Daphne with Prince Charles. That was who she’d said her plans were with, but he was across the room making out with a blonde. This guy was new.
She’d lied to me.
“Who are you?” the sandy-haired guy asked.
“Brad Steel. Let’s dance, Daphne.”
“I—”
I pulled her away before she could finish. Her drink sloshed as we walked swiftly out of the crowded lounge and outside. Darkness had fallen, and stars dotted the night sky. I grabbed the red cup out of her hand. “You’re drinking? After last night?”
“It’s virgin,” she said.
I sniffed it and took a drink. She was right.
“You have to be careful,” I said. “Those guys in there will try to get you drunk and then…”
“And then…what? I’m eighteen. I can take care of myself.”
God, she was beautiful. So beautiful, and so naïve. I was only four years older, but those four years made all the difference.
If anyone hurt her…
If anyone hurt her…what? What would I do about it, and why should I even care?
But I did. I fucking cared. Protecting Daphne was of paramount importance to me, and I had no idea why.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
I didn’t answer. I simply poured out what was left in her cup onto the ground. “This was spiked.”
Why I lied, I had no idea.
“No. He said it was virgin.”
“He’s a guy, Daphne. Guys will try to get you drunk so they can fuck you.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Yeah, so naïve.
“He seemed perfectly nice. He’s studying to be an engineer.”
“I don’t care if he’s studying to be a brain surgeon. He’s still a college guy.”
“So are you,” she said.
“I’m…different.”
“How, Brad? You had another girl at your place last night, so just how are you different?”
Her lips were glistening, her beautiful dark eyes burned. She was angry at me, justifiably angry. I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed her, pulled her to my body, and crushed my lips to hers.
She didn’t open. I traced her lips with the tip of my tongue and gently probed at the seam.
Then I pulled back slightly. “Please,” I whispered. “Open for me, Daphne. Let me show you what a real kiss is.”
She sighed and parted her lips.
I forced back my instinct to dive into her mouth and explore. Instead, I entered slowly, gently, finding her tongue and touching it with mine.
Had this beautiful woman ever been kissed? Really kissed? I hoped she hadn’t. We’d shared a short one last night, but I wanted to be the one to show her what a kiss truly was, what a kiss could be.
What love could be.
Her tongue was even silkier than I remembered, warm and soft against my own. I tasted the traces of her fruity drink plus another lingering sweetness. A sweetness that was all her.
She sighed into my mouth, a soft noise that I felt through my whole body.
And I quivered. I actually quivered.
Had I ever quivered from a kiss?
Ever?
Her innocence charmed me, enticed me. Gave me the insatiable urge to keep her from harm, protect her from anything that might hurt her. So the guy she’d danced with hadn’t spiked her drink. He might have eventually, and I’d protect her.
I deepened the kiss slightly, taking more of her mouth. Our lips slid together in passion, and I explored her gums, her teeth, the inside of her cheeks with my tongue. When she finally moved her own tongue, twirling it against mine, I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I grabbed a handful of her dark hair and deepened the kiss so that our mouths were fused.
And she jerked away, our mouths parting with a loud smack. She inhaled sharply and wiped her mouth with her hand.
“Hey,” I said gently.
No response.
She’d enjoyed the kiss. I was sure of it.
“I’d really love to do that again,” I said softly, trying not to scare her.
“I… No one’s ever… You know.”
“No one’s kissed you like that before?”
“No. No one. I feel really stupid.”
“Why should you feel stupid?”
“I’m at college. All these girls are so… I mean, Patty didn’t come home last night.”
“I know.”
“I’m a mess.”
“You’re beautiful,” I said. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I meant those words with all my heart, and even they didn’t convey what I truly meant. I wasn’t sure words existed to describe Daphne Wade. Not the way I saw her. Not the way I felt about her in