Trusting Them by Marla Monroe Page B

hand and running her other hand through her hair over and over again. At this rate, she would be bald and have worn a hole in the floor. When he thought he was going to have to intervene, she finally spoke again.
    “How can you let your brother touch me after you have? If I’m important to you…” She drew in a deep breath and continued. “Or is it that I’m not really that important, so it doesn’t matter?”
    “Don’t ever think that. You’re important to us. We both think you’re very important to us. Why would we be trying to convince you to stay otherwise?” Brock felt the old anger resurface. She didn’t trust them to care about her.
    “I don’t know what to think. You’ve thrown me.”
    Brady finally went into action. He walked across to the fireplace and leaned into her. He kissed her sweetly on the lips, and then drew her into the circle of his arms.
    “We want you to stay with us. You feel right to us. Don’t throw away something like this until we’ve explored where it can take us.”
    Brock watched her sway towards his brother and smiled. Brady always did have a way with the ladies. Brock wasn’t too proud to take a back burner where she was concerned. He wanted her any way he could get her. That included letting his brother lead. She obviously felt safer and more comfortable with Brady.
    “I can’t stay with you. Glenn will find me and hurt you both.”
    “Don’t worry about that. We can take care of the likes of him. He’s just an overgrown bully that needs taking down a notch or two.” Brady lifted a strand of her hair and twirled it between his fingers.
    “No one’s been able to do that with him—ever.” She stared him in the eyes.
    His brother just kept her eye contact, and she was the one who lowered her eyes first. What had they just won, though? Brady would say a battle.
    Brady wondered if she’d declared war on them, or if they were waging a war with her and her past demons. Either way, he planned to win. There was never really an option in the first place. He drew in a deep breath through his nose and smelled her arousal. Their little confrontation had excited her. He filed that tidbit away to take out later and think over what it meant. For now, Brock wanted to touch her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her so close to him that she became a part of him.
    He watched as his brother took her hands in his and slowly pulled her back to the couch where Brady pulled her onto his lap. She straddled him, kneeling on the couch without making a fuss. Her eyes never left his. She rested her hands on his shoulders but didn’t squeeze them.
    Brady’s hands rested on the swell of her hip on either side. He looked up at her, and she down at him. Without breaking eye contact, Brady unbuttoned the first button on the shirt she wore. She didn’t try to stop him, so he unbuttoned another one. She kept her eyes on his. He unbuttoned another button and then another. There was only one left and he took her hands from his shoulders and placed them around the button. For several long moments, Brock wasn’t sure what she would do. Finally, she unbuttoned the last button and sat with her hands on her thighs, looking down.
    Brady slowly swept the blouse from her body and leaned in and kissed her neck and shoulders. Brock could see the sweat break out over his brother’s brow. It was taking a monumental effort for him to remain in control right then. He was envious of his brother then, only because he wanted to be there too. She wasn’t ready yet for both of them. Let Brady charm her first. He knew he could be a little intense. Okay, a lot intense.
    He watched as his brother brushed aside the shirt until it fell from her shoulders to pool in her lap. She sat with the entire top part of her body nude and bathed in the light of the fire. He longed to lean into her back and sandwich her between him and his brother. It wasn’t time yet, he reminded himself.
    Then Brady flicked his