The radio squawked, Fordham’s voice speaking. “Please inform Mr. Knight he no longer needs to fly to New York. Stephanie Caldwell is here.”
A weight lifted from Bran’s shoulders, and he couldn’t help laughing. He felt giddy and light, like he could fly without the plane. As Hosea banked the jet into a one-eighty, Bran sang along with the music in his ears. “The boys are back in town…”
Stephanie paced in front of the glass doors, waiting for the transport van to bring Branson back to the estate. According to Fordham, he’d been flying to New York to talk her into moving back. Evidently, he feared his father might cause her physical harm. The idea sounded absurd, but Fordham believed it was possible.
It seemed Branson was now dealing with both depression and anxiety. Her heart hurt for him. As much as she loved him, she knew she couldn’t fix everything in his life. All she could do was hug him and remind him he had people who loved him.
“Could you please sit down?” Finn complained from the bench on the side. “You’re making my eyes cross. He’ll be here in a minute.”
“I think I see him coming.” Steph stepped outside, shading her eyes with her hand as she peered into the distance.
“A black Suburban?” Finn joined her, outside. “Yeah, that’s it.”
As the SUV skidded to a stop, Branson jumped out of the passenger side door.
“Stephanie?” he called. “Are you here?”
Before she could respond, Finn shouted. “I’m here. Your best friend. Don’t you want to see me?”
Branson threw his head back and let out a belly laugh. “I don’t want you, Finn. I want the present you brought me from New York.”
He doesn’t act depressed. Maybe he’s hiding his pain.
“I’m here, Bran.” She limped toward him, her clutch still tucked under her arm. “I’m so sorry about what happened. I know you must be—”
He took two steps, dropped his cane, and hoisted her into the air, in a bear hug, spinning her in circles, her legs dangling. Her purse went flying, and she squealed, beating playfully on his chest. “Put me down, you beast.”
“Never,” he replied, relaxing the circle of his arms until she slid down, their faces level. “From now on, I’m not wasting another minute of my life. Since any minute without you in my arms is a waste, I’m never going to let you go.”
Her pulse throbbed in her ears, racing faster and faster, as he nuzzled her neck. “You smell so good.” His lips brushed along the line of her jaw, taking her breath away. “You feel good, too.” He peppered her face with tiny kisses, moving closer to her hungering lips. “Let’s see how you taste.”
His mouth slanted across hers, lips crashing together in an explosion of burning fire and icy tingles. Her world narrowed until nothing was left but Branson—his spicy scent, his sultry voice, his urgent lips, his gentle hands. The power of his kiss left her thirsty for more.
As her feet touched the ground, his embrace gave her no chance to escape. Not that she wanted to.
“I love you.” He breathed the words into her mouth. “More than life.”
“I love you, too.”
“Never leave me,” he demanded, though his kiss turned gentle and pleading, its tenderness her undoing.
“I won’t.” She pulled away to respond, panting for air, then dove back for more, wishing she could somehow get closer.
“Did I mention I love you?” he asked, his mouth still caressing her lips.
“Yes, but you can say it again,” she whispered.
“I love you, Stephanie Knight,” he murmured in her ear, making chill bumps rise on her arms.
“Please,” she begged, though she had no idea what she needed. She only knew Branson was the sole source of it.
He murmured, “Yes,” as he nipped at the hollow place under her jaw.
His arms closed tighter, holding her so close she could barely breathe. Given the choice, she would’ve picked his arms over oxygen, anyway. Then reality inched its way into her mind.
“What about your father? And Carina? And the baby?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not going to worry. Not anymore.”
He caressed her lips with a gentle kiss that drew her anxiety away and covered it with a soft blanket of peace.
“I love you so much, Stephanie Knight.”
Her heart did a flip. “That’s really my name,” she said, in a breathy tone.
“I realized something when I was on that plane. By trying to prove I was better than my dad, I was becoming exactly like him. I was so obsessed with success, I almost missed the best thing that ever happened to me… you.”
“I don’t know why you would want me. I come with a lot of baggage. An unfinished degree. A ton of debt. A daughter with cystic fibrosis. A psycho ex-husband.”
He grinned. “That’s exactly why I fell in love with you. Despite everything that happened, you still have a kind heart. Sure, maybe you’re a bit too trusting, but I’m cynical enough for both of us. I love that you forgive people, even when they don’t deserve it.”
Steph kissed each of his eyelids. “You know what I love about you?”
“Tell me,” he mumbled, while nuzzling her neck in the most distracting way.
“I can’t think when you’re doing that,” she complained.
