Tortured Souls (Rebels of Sandland 2)

He placed his forehead gently against mine.

“I think I’m beyond help.”

“You don’t know if you don’t…”

I was the one who didn’t get to finish this time. Brandon kissed me, grabbing the back of my head and crashing his lips hard onto mine. He sent my mind into freefall.

I kissed him back, opening my mouth and groaning as our tongues laced together. I’d never been kissed this way before. Raw and electric; that’s the only way I could describe it, because he lit up my whole world.

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer, and he spun me round so my back was against the wall. Then he lifted me up by the backs of my thighs and I clamped my legs around his waist.

We stood against that wall in the shadows, finding ourselves in each other. The warmth of his body made me melt. The heat of his kiss set me on fire. I never wanted it to end. I wanted to live in the darkness forever, with him. He made me feel alive.

I ran my fingernails across the back of his head, and he moaned into our kiss. I threaded my fingers through his hair and tugged lightly as he squeezed my ass and ran his hands from my waist to my thighs and back again. And all the time, we were grinding our hips against each other. Needing more.

Brandon was the first to pull away, but he kept his forehead pressed against mine and panted as he said, “I don’t want to end this, but I’m not fucking you in an alleyway, Harper.”

I blushed at the crudeness of his words. “I didn’t think…”

“I want to, but you deserve better.” He sighed as he dropped my legs and let me stand on my own. “I’m not saying I don’t want this. I do. Trust me.” He quirked an eyebrow and looked down at his trousers with a smirk and then back up at me. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face at the obvious bulge he was sporting.

“You like me,” I said like an idiot.

“I more than like you.”

He gave me another kiss and then he chuckled to himself.

“I guess my mother was good for one thing after all. I never thought my night would end like this.” Then he full-on laughed. “I can’t believe you slapped her.”

“She asked for it. And for the record, that’s the first time I’ve ever hit anyone.”

He reached down to take my hand in his and lifted it up to kiss my knuckles.

“Good. I’m the brawler around here, not you,” he said, then playfully knocked his fist against my chin and laughed again.

“Your mum got us together. What are the chances?”

“Are we? Together, I mean?” He bit his lip and looked at the floor, shuffling nervously and kicking stones that weren’t even there.

“We’re something. Let’s not label it just yet. Let’s see where this thing takes us,” I suggested, and he seemed happy with that.

“I can do that.”

“Brandon?”

“Yes, little warrior?”

“You ever creep into my garden or my kitchen again to stalk me and I’ll kick your ass.”

He threw his head back and roared with laughter.

“What if I’m doing it to sneak into your room? There have to be exceptions to the rule?” He winked.

“I suppose I could overlook certain exceptional circumstances,” I said, pretending to look serious about it.

“Good, because I’m not staying away. I want to be everywhere that you are.”

I’d been a gentleman the night before and taken Harper home. Not my usual M.O, but then I was trying to be a better man for her. I managed to get another kiss at her front door, but I didn’t want to push my luck. I wanted this to work, and I also had Emily bloody Winters sat on my shoulder the whole time, telling me I had to treat Harper differently. She wasn’t like most girls I’d been around. She wasn’t like any girl I’d ever met before.