Page 71 of Twisted Redemption
She places a finger against my lips, looking up at me with wide brown eyes. “I hurt you when you were the most important person in my life. And I mean that. You’ve always meant more to me than David. But chasing after love that’s not freely given to me was all I knew.”
“Not with me,” I whisper against her finger.
“Not with you. Not until I...” She sighs, closing her eyes—but not before I see the regret shining in them. “I should’ve fought for you. And I know it’s a little late, but I still want to. I know this is going to be hard. I know you’re still angry.”
I wish I wasn’t.
“But I’m going to fight for you. I’m not going to give up on you. You mean too much to me. And to be honest, Blaze, living without you for ten months almost destroyed me as much as you tormenting me for two. I can’t imagine what a lifetime of not having you would be like. And I don’t want to find out.”
“I’ll fight for you, too.” I take her hand in mine, kissing the pads of each of her fingers. “You mean everything to me, Daisy. And I’ll work to prove it until the day I die.”
She gives me a soft smile. “You were right, you know.”
“About what?”
“I don’t hate that nickname.”
“Good,” I murmur. “Because I’m never going to stop calling you my Daisy.”
This time, she smiles fully, and I swear it’s like one of the broken pieces of my heart snaps back into place.
I need you, Brooke.
Her eyes flit to my lips. I freeze. There’s no way she could possibly be thinking about kissing me right now. Hell, just last night, I took pleasure in her pain. I taunted her and dug into her old wounds until she was a sobbing mess on the forest floor.
So why on earth is she staring at me like I’m the only thing she cares about?
Her hands move to cup my face. They’re so small, so soft. “Why did you bring me here, Blaze?”
I run a hand through her hair until it rests on the back of her neck. “Because I don’t want to be your chaos either. I want to be the person who makes you the happiest in the world. And earlier, I couldn’t bear the thought of you crying again. I just...”
She tilts her head, watching me as I gather my thoughts. The tiniest hint of a smile appears on her lips, and god does it make me want to kiss her.
“I know I’ve caused you so much pain, Daisy. And I know I don’t deserve to be in your life. But I want to take away your sadness. I want to give you happy memories. I—”
My next words are cut off by Brooke fitting her mouth to mine. Her fingers thread through my hair, and every thought leaves my mind.
It takes me a second to react. Kissing Brooke is a type of heaven I thought I’d lost forever. But once I gain my bearings, my mouth moves against hers as a low groan sounds in my throat.
I fist her hair in my hand, and she sighs happily against my lips. Then I’m pulling her onto my lap, and she’s straddling me, our kiss deepening. My tongue traces her bottom lip, causing her to shiver as she opens up for me.
Her tongue meets mine in a dance—not of control, but of lustful exploration. As we taste each other, my mouth captures her moans. They’re tiny and perfect, just how I imagined they would be.
One taste of Brooke wasn’t enough—hell, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough. If I could bottle up this moment and keep it forever, I would.
Brooke pulls away first. Her eyes stay closed for a moment before she looks up at me with a content smile.
Fuck. Fuck, she’s so beautiful.
“Brooke.” My voice is unsteady as I pull her closer to me. Her hands land on my chest.
She still wants me. I don’t know how, but she does.
“More,” she whispers.
Her mouth crashes against mine. This kiss isn’t peaceful or exploratory—it’s everything else. Desperate. Needy. Passionate.
My hands land on her bare thighs, and she moans. When she breaks away, she’s panting. She tugs the hair at the base of my neck until I’m looking up, groaning at the feeling of her lips on my neck.