Attracted to her 💘

Chapter 13

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Hello,

There are some mature scenes and content in this chapter. Please take that into consideration while reading.

Happy reading!! :)

BRENT

When I first open my eyes, I'm disoriented. I don't know what time it is, or how long I've been asleep. Then I realize I'm on the couch, it's still dark and raining outside—and as the recollection of Kennedy not showing for dinner hits me like a sharp jab below the ribs, the knowledge of what woke me up breaks through my foggy brain.

It was a knock on the door.

I walk to the door and open it, just in time to catch a petite blonde going down the steps.

"Kennedy?"

She stops on the sidewalk and slowly turns to face me. She's soaked through—her jeans molded to the curves of her legs, the sleeves of her white and navy striped sweater dripping, her hair flat, lips slightly tinged with blue.

"I wasn't going to come," she says.

My voice is drowsy and deep. "Yeah, I kind of figured that when you didn't show up." I open the door wider. "Come inside."

Instead, Miss Vinegar to my Mr. Water takes a step back.

"I don't know why I'm here." And she sounds genuinely bewildered—even a little panicked.

"Obviously because I'm irresistible." The wind blows, spraying ice-cold drops across my bare skin where my shirt hangs open. "You're shivering, honey, come inside."

She stares at me, so many emotions swirling in her expression. She's like a skittish kitten who can't decide if she should let the stranger pat her head or haul ass up the nearest tree.

And it breaks my heart.

"I don't think I can."

So I go to her.

The rain is cold and hard, soaking my shirt. Her eyes dart from the sidewalk to my chest, up to my eyes and back again, like she's ready to bolt—but her feet stay planted.

I lean in so she can hear me above the deluge. "Do you remember when I first learned to ride a bike again?"

The corners of her mouth tug up a little. "Yeah, I remember."

"And we only had your girly bike, so you sat on the handlebars and I pedaled?"

She nods.

"And one day, I was going way too fast and we hit a rock, and both of us went flying. I didn't want to ride like that anymore, because I was afraid you'd get hurt. Do you remember what you told me?"

Her eyes meet mine. "I said . . . I said we had to keep riding . . . because the ride was the only thing that made falling worth it."

I nod tenderly.

And she adds, "Then you called me a fortune cookie."

And we both laugh.

When our chuckles settle, I hold out my hand. "I'm not going to let us fall this time, Kennedy."

Her eyes are back on my chest. "I'm not sure—"

"All you have to do is take my hand."

It's like I was saying before—you never really know who someone is inside. That someone as magnificently ferocious in court as Kennedy could be hiding such a fragile, delicate soul. And don't think for a second it's because she's weak. The fact that she's even fucking standing here shows how strong she is. It's just . . . instinct.