Curling his fingers into her soft, generous ass, Bram felt his shaft grow even harder. God, he really was a bastard for even wanting this from her right after she told him about her abuse, but he needed to help her wipe away the memories of the panther and replace them with only ones of him. He didn’t do any more than kiss her slowly, waiting for her to give her permission to go further.
“I don’t know how this will end up, but I do know I’ve never felt like this in my life, Bram.” He pulled back and looked down at her. In a soft voice, she said, “I want to forget about him, and I want you to be the male to help me with that.” He stared into her eyes, feeling a gentle part of him rise up, one he’d never felt or experienced before. “I want to give you the one part of me I’ve never given to anyone else… the one part Rook didn’t steal from me.”
The air left him violently at her words.
As he pressed his hips forward, the fresh scent of her pussy called to the male in him. It wasn’t lost on him that her scarred past made her delicate and vulnerable, but showing her, telling her that he fucking needed her, that she was it for him, and that he would do everything in his power to ensure she knew that, eased the human and bear within him.
That asshole’s time was coming, and when he faced off with Bram, because there was no doubt the panther would come after Kenzie, Bram would let his bear out at full-force and finally bring his girl peace.
“Bram.” She sighed and let her head fall back, and he continued to lick her like she was the best-tasting treat in the whole fucking world. “I do want this. I do want you, but I can’t.” She put her hands on his chest, and he dragged his teeth up her neck.
Her breathing was haggard and rushed, and he knew that if he pushed her just a bit more, she’d give into him, but that wasn’t what he wanted, and that wasn’t how he was going to get her under him. It took a lot of strength for him to take a step back, because he badly wanted to be buried deep inside her body, but he and his bear were in agreement that rushing her was not the answer.
Before she could pull fully away from him, he sank to his knees in front of her and held her hips loosely in his hands. He was not letting her go. She was his.
17
Staring up at her showed him that Kenzie wore an expression of shock.
“What are you doing?” she asked. Her throat worked as she swallowed, and he smelled her confusion.
Bram had never gotten on his knees for anyone, let alone a female, but Kenzie was something different, something special.
He grabbed the edge of her shirt. It was one of his and far too big for her body. He couldn’t help but smile at the little knot she made out of the edge of the material to make it less baggy. He lifted the hem up, and she stopped his hands by placing hers over his.
“I know I’m asking a lot—fuck, I know I am—but trust me like you’ve never trusted any other person, and I promise I won’t ever disappoint you.”
It took her several seconds before she removed her hands slowly and let them fall to her sides. Bram resumed lifting her shirt up until the scar she revealed earlier was visible.
His vision turned red at the old injury, but instead of showing her his anger and pain that he hadn’t been there to protect her, he leaned forward and ran his tongue along the length of it.
She tensed, most likely wondering what the fuck he was doing, but Bram was intent on showing her that there was nothing he didn’t like about her. To him, she was perfect in every conceivable way. He kissed her over and over again, keeping his hands on her waist, feeling her smooth, warm skin beneath his palms, and wishing things had been so much different.
He moved his tongue along her belly until she relaxed once again and placed her hands on his shoulders. The scar tissue was raised beneath his tongue, but that just made him lick her more slowly and thoroughly. He vowed to himself, and would soon do the same to her, that once she was naked and in his bed, he would drag his tongue over every inch of her, memorizing her body the way it deserved, the way she deserved.
“I wish I could take it all away.” And he did, with every fiber of his being. “I’m sorry he hurt you.” He continued kissing her until his lips were numb and she trembled against him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to make sure you were safe.” He moved his hands in slowly so that he was now framing the scar. “I just want you to know you don’t have to be afraid of me.”
Pulling back and lifting just his eyes to her, he saw the fresh stream of tears falling down her cheeks. But despite her tears, there was no sadness, only a profound understanding that what he said was the truth.
“There is no need to run from me.” He stood and took both of her hands in his. “Instead, let’s go shopping, because I know girls like to do that shit.” He smiled, changing the mood to something lighter, because he wanted—no, he needed—to see her smile. She gave him what he wanted, and his heart thumped against his chest as her
