“Y—you can open it now.”
I grinned, grabbing the box, happier than I’d been for a while. Brax was responding. Captive audience, I supposed.
I cracked open the box; my heart flurried. “Brax, it’s… gorgeous.”
“You like it?” His voice heightened to boyish delight as he plucked the bracelet from its cage of velvet.
“I don’t like it. I love it.” I placed the box on my lap, holding out a wrist. I couldn’t tear my eyes off the dainty silver jewellery. It symbolized us: gentle love hearts entwined with silver strands, the occasional glint of diamonds at the centre of each heart.
Brax’s fingertips grazed the underside of my wrist, securing the clasp. I shivered, sucking in a shaky breath.
“Tess … I—”
Tension blossomed between us, like a fast unfurling flower, and I ached. Ached for him. Ached for connection. Ached for his body inside mine. Something hot seared in our gaze, and Brax clenched his jaw.
He dropped his eyes, breaking the spell.
Pretending nothing happened, I rested my head on his shoulder, inspecting my new bracelet. “I’ll never take it off.”
He sighed, snuggling closer, kissing the top of my head. “I don’t want you to. It’s yours forever. Just like me.”
I inhaled sharply, breathing in his soft apple scent from our shared body wash. Would he ever stop making me hurt and heal at the same time?
“Forever,” I whispered and closed my eyes.
* * * * *
The next time I awoke, tyres bounced on the runway, and in a foggy haze, we disembarked. The airport was manic, even at one in the morning, and we let the sea of passengers guide us through immigration and processing.
By the time we headed outside to the awaiting taxis, my scratchy eyes felt like a cat had mistaken them for cat-nip, and my mind was cotton wool.
I let Brax lead the way, following obediently while he searched for our driver to the hotel.
“Stay here. I’m going to ask at the info desk. The hotel should’ve arranged a shuttle for us.”
He parked the suitcases by the curb, and I took his laptop satchel, blocking it with my feet. I plonked on top of one of the cases. “No problem. I’ll guard the bags.”
He caressed my cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
I smiled, capturing his hand as he pulled away. “I’ll miss you till then.”
With a grin, he turned and headed the way we’d come. I admired his fine butt in his baggy jeans. Just once, I’d love to see him in a nice suit, or at least some fitted trousers. No matter how many compliments I rained on him, Brax acted forever self-conscious. Silly man. He didn’t see the way other women looked at him, but I did. My claws unsheathed every time.
Ten minutes passed, while I sat in the little oasis our bags created, and my nerves steadily grew. Mexico was loud, boisterous, and the air hung heavy and wet with humidity. We were used to the heat in Australia, but that was dry heat. The moisture saturated my clothes, turning my curly hair limp.
“Excuse me, señorita.”
I twisted on the case, looking behind me. A good-looking Mexican man took off a baseball cap, bowing slightly. His black eyes assessed, making me squirm on the inside.
“Yes?” I asked, standing upright, looking for Brax out the corner of my eye. Where the hell was he?
“I wondered if you were here on your own? Do you need a lift somewhere? I have a taxi. I can take you wherever you need to go.”
A wide smile showed stained teeth and skin crinkled around his eyes in a friendly way. My instincts didn’t flare into panic mode; I relaxed a little. “No, thanks. I’m here with my boyfri—”
“Tess?” Brax appeared like an apparition, glaring at the man. “Can I help you?”
The man backed up, putting his baseball cap on. “Not at all, señor. Just wanting to make sure such a pretty girl stays safe. This city is not good for women left alone.”