Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

Brandon sighed. "Because you're the only person who can make me abandon all my principles."

His sweet-talking was impressive and effortless. He even sounded like he was commenting on the weather while he was at it. He was telling me he loved me without actually using the word "love". My eyes stung. Chewing on my flatbread, I said incoherently, "Come here, Brandon."

"Why?" Brandon asked, giving me a baffled look.

"Stop asking questions and do as you're told," I said stubbornly without explaining.

He rose to his feet and came over. He had just sat down when I leaned forward and put my head on his shoulder. He stiffened under me, and I said, "Food tastes better when I'm leaning on you." Brandon chuckled lightly, and my lips curled with a covert smile as well.

After dinner, we left the hospital and went home. When Brandon had tucked me into bed, I asked, "Will you be sleeping here or in your room tonight?"

"Here," he answered without hesitation.

Images of him doing push-ups and taking cold showers at midnight flashed through my mind. Wincing, I pressed my lips into a hard line and warned, "Fine, but you can't do push-ups in the middle of the night."

His cheeks flushed when he heard this, and he bit out, "Don't bring that up again."

I burrowed into his embrace and wrapped my arms around his waist. "I won't if you don't do it."

Brandon swallowed. "Mae, stop it."

controlling yourself?" I teased boldly,

felt his grip tighten on my

teasing me." His voice had turned low and

Brandon?" I asked. I didn't bother with decency

"Mae..."

one hand and snaked

voice had turned dangerously gravelly

while pressing myself against the hard planes of his body, "I'm all better

he seemed skeptical, and that

advances.

had come over me. I was like a thing possessed, my excitement at his restraint turning into feral delight when I saw the beads of sweat breaking out over his temples and the throbbing

all right? You might not be fully well yet, and

Brandon reasoned with me,

shook my head. "No, I

"Mae..."

say no, the more

stare. My

later, my body was