Summary: Liam watches Drake and Ilena after the duel…
Note: This is sort of an unofficial prequel to Betrayal. Dear Liam stans, please don’t hate me
***
Drake had beat Lord Neville.
Truth be told, Liam didn’t think he would pull it off but he did. Evidently his love for Ilena is stronger than any sword.
Liam hadn’t meant to see, but standing at the window of his private courtyard he was surprised to glimpse the two of them sneak in, nipping at each other’s necks like teenagers like a schoolyard. He watched as Ilena slid her hand down, squeezing Drake through his trousers… Liam’s trousers… that he had lent to Drake as a favour for this evening. He witnesses Drake grab her thighs and hoist her onto the wall and Liam knows that nothing good can come of his decision not to shut the drapes right there and then.
All Mixed Up Part 8: You Could Bust Me Out All Day
Book: Perfect Match x The Royal Romance (AU)
Pairing: Damien Nazario x TRR MC (Alyssa Devereaux), former Drake Walker x PM MC (Victoria Park)
A/N: I am participating in @wackydrabbles ’ Wacky Drabble prompts. Prompt #42 is “Let’s be honest with ourselves, we knew this was going to happen” and will appear in bold.
I’ve got Friends and sentence prompts, too: @zaffrenotes’ Ross prompt “my neighbors ate all my candy!” “mine stole my newspaper! It’s like a crime wave!”
and @bbrandy2002’s sentence prompt “Do I even wanna know?” specifically for AMU Drake to Alyssa and Damien
Gray sweatpants shoutout to @emceesynonymroll
Te lo prometo = I promise (thanks @axwalker!)
Catch Up: All Mixed Up Masterlist
Series Song Inspiration (and where all the chapter titles will come from): “All Mixed Up” by 311
All characters - except my best girl Alyssa Devereaux - belong to Pixelberry Studios.
Warnings: language, drinking
Word count: 1000 (The streak will end at 16 weeks!)
——–
Last time: The gang started to play Nazario Chug, Alyssa faceplanted while trying to do a drunken headstand, and Victoria convinced Alyssa to dare Drake to come to yoga with them.
Drake knew he was cornered. “Fine,” he huffed, glaring at Alyssa and Victoria in turn. He dared Nadia to bang on the ceiling with a broom to piss off the old man upstairs.
Damien pulled the two of hearts. Nadia grinned. “Tell us every sexual dream you’ve had about everyone in this room.”
Thank you to @mskaneko, who spoils and honors me, for bringing my babies to life with the edit of Lyss and Damien (!!!!) and the banner I hid at the bottom of this moodboard. love you!!!
Book: Perfect Match x The Royal Romance (AU)
Pairing: Damien Nazario x TRR MC (Alyssa Devereaux), former Drake Walker x PM MC (Victoria Park)
A/N: I am participating in @emceesynonymroll ’s Wacky Drabble prompts. Prompt #40 is “Don’t you ever do that again” and will appear in bold.
I’m still trying to use those Friends prompts wherever I can, so this includes @zaffrenotes’ Rachel prompt 17: “We would like more alcohol.”
All love and thanks to my beta reader @emceesynonymroll! I will ALWAYS need you.
Catch Up: All Mixed Up Masterlist
Series Song Inspiration (and where all the chapter titles will come from): “All Mixed Up” by 311
All characters - except my best girl Alyssa Devereaux - belong to Pixelberry Studios.
Warnings: language, drinking, and a little blood
Word count: 1000 (14 weeks and counting)
Alyssa just wanted to be left alone. She decided to play it cool. Avoiding Drake’s eyes, she said, “What would make you think you’d upset me?”
“You were quiet at brunch. You haven’t said a word here.” Your eyes don’t sparkle, he wanted to say.
This was great! I love seeing Drake and Alyssa interact!
In my head, Alyssa chose to pass on Drake’s question to her because her answer would have been Victoria (the bitch 😒) and she can’t be mean to people. 😂😂😂 okay, I guess that would have been my answer.
This part made me laugh!
“And you can’t pass two turns in a row!” Nadia shook her head. “We made that rule for Damien. He would just sit around and drink on every turn.”
This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.
Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)
Alternate Universe Theme: Senior Year of College for Drake, Leo, Bragnae and Madeleine in the United States
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC / Leo Reese x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)
Warnings for this series: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sex
Series Description: Bragnae Bennett sought adventure when she first went off to college. Now, navigating through her senior year, she finds herself befriending two gorgeous guys, Drake Walker and Leo Reese, who engage in a seemingly innocent bet with her during a game of pool that leads to a surprising threesome.
Their intimate evening prompts deeper feelings than they all expected to arise, and Bragnae is suddenly swept up in both of their charms, unique to each man himself. Through the pressures of college, work and maintaining a social life, which man will prevail and win Bragnae's heart?
Master List
A/N: Hi there! I want to apologize for the LONG delay! My business has taken off lately as well as I’ve felt less than well with a crohn’s flare up, so I couldn’t do much writing. This chapter is really important, and I didn’t want to rush it or just post it without really being happy with it. The chapter after this one will be the FINAL chapter in this series! I hope you enjoy this, and thank you so much for your patience in waiting to read it.
Warnings for this chapter: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sex
Word Count for this chapter: 8107 (it’s a long one, but I didn’t think you’d mind since there was such a long time gap since my last one)
Setting for this chapter: Drake and Bragnae have a chat after his hockey practice.
“Great,” Drake said. “I’ll meet you out front in twenty minutes.”
“Sounds good.” Bragnae stepped away from the open door to the rink, so Drake could shut it again. Once the boards were secure, he offered her a flash of a smile before skating off in the opposite direction.
Bragnae made her way outside the complex towards the front entrance. Autumn was finally here. The air was cool and crisp with beautiful red, yellow and orange leaves starting to make their way off the trees. There was a concrete bench near the entrance, so she took a seat. She responded to a few texts, and flipped through her social media apps on her phone to fill the time.
True to his word, Drake walked out of the complex twenty minutes later. She looked up from her phone to see him sauntering towards her with an athletic duffle bag slung over his shoulder. Sliding the phone back in her purse, Bragnae stood up as he approached her.
“I’m going to throw this in my truck quickly, and then we can head over to a less crowded area. Wanna walk with me?”
“Sure.” They started down the paved path towards the parking lot. “So, I see you made team captain?” Bragnae remembered seeing a big “C” on Drake’s uniform earlier.
“Yeah. The guys voted on that. I guess they like me.” He kept his head facing forward as he responded.
“Can’t blame them for that.” She smiled in his direction, finally prompting him to look at her. The corner of his mouth lifted.
Drake opened the door to his truck and threw his hockey bag on the seat. After locking it back up, he turned to her and pointed to an area with trees and a few picnic tables. “Let’s go over there.”
The area was beautiful. Colorful leaves littered the ground, and there were three white tables with bench seating placed conveniently for visitors. Luckily, it seemed they had the area to themselves. Bragnae set her purse down on the bench and took a seat. Drake sat opposite her.
He looked at her for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry it’s been a while since we last spoke. I got really busy with school and hockey, and well, I just wasn’t ready yet.”
Bragnae dropped her gaze to her fidgeting fingers. “It wasn’t easy not hearing from you, but I understood you needed time to think about everything.” She brought her eyes up to his again. “I didn’t come here today to rush you into talking to me, though. I just… wanted to see you, and watch you play.”
“I’m glad you did. I’ve been wanting to call you, but I talked myself out of it every time.”
“Does that mean you don’t want to see me anymore?” Nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she waited for his answer.
“Quite the opposite actually.” A wistful expression filled his face. “I’ve done a lot of thinking. I can’t exactly be upset that you have feelings for both of us. It makes sense. All of this started because we had that threesome.”
“Do you regret it?”
“I’d like to say I do, but if it wasn’t for that night, I might never have told you how I felt. I may never have even asked you out.” Drake sighed. “Have you seen Leo lately?”
“Just once. He said you punched him.”
“Yeah, well, he fucking deserved it… for more than one reason.” He averted his gaze for a moment. “I’ve missed you, Bragnae.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” Her voice was weighted down by the sadness she felt. “So, why did you talk yourself out of calling if you missed me?”
Drake worked his jaw in thought. His brow furrowed making his brown eyes look more intense. “I really like you, and I know you care about me. I want to be with you in the worst way, but if you want to be with me, then I want you to choose me for me. Not because I asked you out and treated you nicely after Leo ditched you. If you tell me that I’m the one, I want it to be because you want just me without anything standing in your way.”
“That’s fair,” she squeaked out.
Drake exhaled a harsh breath, shaking his head in frustration. He kept his eyes trained on the table. “So, I want you to be with Leo.”
“You want me to be with Leo?” Bragnae was shocked, but more so confused.
“Go out with him. Kiss him. Whatever you need to do to find out who you’re drawn to the most.” It looked as if it pained Drake to say it. “In my mind, it’s the only the way you’ll know for sure. I don’t want to hold you back if he’s who you really want to be with.”
She was stunned. “Drake, I don’t know what to say.”
He reached a hand out to cover hers. “This is why I didn’t want to call you. I was pushing it out as long as I could. I knew this was what needed to happen, and believe me, I hate to have to say it. But if you do this, and find that you still want to be with me, then I’ll know for certain that it’s me you want. And I’d rather have that than wonder if you’re still thinking about him as we move on in our relationship.” Squeezing her hand, he implored her. “Will you do this for me?”
The courage it took for him to have to offer up this suggestion blew her away. She felt so guilty for having put him through this, but there was a part of her that was curious about seeing Leo again with nothing holding her back. She didn’t feel right kissing or touching Leo when her relationship with Drake was up in the air, but now that he was giving her permission to explore the idea, it made her want to do it.
“Okay.” She watched as both relief and sadness crossed over his face. “I’m sorry that I’m putting you through this. I feel awful about it.”
“Thank you for saying that, but we’ll get it figured out.” He stood from the bench, prompting Bragnae to do the same. Drake walked over to her, gently grabbing her by the shoulders. “And in case it isn’t me who you choose…” He interrupted himself by drawing her into a tender, yet purposeful kiss that left her feeling lightheaded.
Whether or not it was his intention to persuade her decision with a final kiss, or just have one last chance to take her in that way, the strong connection they shared couldn’t be ignored. Anytime Drake touched her or pressed his lips against hers was earth shattering. And after two weeks of no contact, she missed him desperately.
When he pulled back, he cupped her face looking affectionately into her eyes. “I’ll look forward to hearing your decision.” Drake leaned in once more for a brief, sweet kiss.
Not knowing the words to say, she pulled him into an embrace, and luckily, he returned it. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
Later that day, Bragnae was a few hours into cleaning her apartment, thinking about what Drake said. The guilt she felt made her want to run back to Drake’s arms and tell him she didn’t need anyone else to make her decision, but she knew that was the wrong way to go about it. Even though she cared a lot about Drake, she knew she owed it to herself to experience a date with Leo, especially after everything they’d been through. If she didn’t take this opportunity, it might haunt her forever.
Peeling off her disposable gloves, Bragnae picked up her phone and called Leo. She was elated when he answered.
“Hello, Bragnae.” His voice was smooth and had a hint of heat to it that sent a shiver down her spine. “It’s been a while.”
“Hi, Leo. Yes, it has, and I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’re worth the wait. So, what’s up?”
She smiled. “Well, I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me sometime.”
He chuckled. “Like a date?”
“Yeah, like a date.” She bit her lower lip waiting for his response.
“Hell yeah, I’ll go out with you.” He said it as if she should have known the answer. “But let me handle the details, alright? When are you free?”
She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Um, I don’t work Wednesday. Does that fit your schedule?”
“Wednesday’s perfect. I’ll pick you up at your place at six o’clock. Sound good?”
Excited nerves filled her body. “Yes, sir. Can’t wait.”
“Great. See you then.”
Bragnae ended the call with an overwhelming sense of happiness surrounding her. That alone told her she needed to do this, and Wednesday couldn’t come soon enough.
~
There was plenty of time between classes and meeting Leo for Bragnae to finish all of her homework and get ready for the evening. She had showered, fixed her hair in long loose curls, and applied neutral tones of make-up to her face, save for the deep crimson lipstick. Not wanting her outfit to entirely scream sex, she found a long-sleeved, green sweater and paired it with black skinny jeans.
Even though she and Leo had been intimate before, she didn’t want this date to be focused around that, but still wanted to look nice. Stepping into a pair of black knee-high boots, she heard a knock at the front door. Bragnae grabbed her clutch for the evening, and answered it.
Leo stood before her in dark jeans and a plain black V-neck shirt. He wore a brown leather jacket over it adding to his smooth attitude, and his dirty blonde hair was styled in his charmingly messy way. She gave herself a moment to take him in before returning her gaze to his sparkling blue eyes. He leaned casually against the doorframe with his own debonair smile.
“Well, hello there.” His eyes remained on hers.
“Don’t you look nice,” she commented.
“Thank you. Not quite as nice as you, though.” With a warm grin, he presented a long-stemmed single flower from behind his back, holding it out to her. “For you.”
She gasped in surprise. “Leo, this is gorgeous. Is that a Calla Lily?” She accepted the magenta flower, bringing it up to her nose to smell.
“Yes, it is. I’ve always thought those were beautiful, and when I saw it today, I was reminded of you.”
Bragnae felt herself blush. “That’s so sweet. Thank you very much. Just let me put this in some water and then we can go.” Dashing off to the kitchen, she found a tall cup and filled it partially with water. She had a vase it would fit in, but she’d find it later. “Okay, ready?”
“Absolutely,” he replied as she shut the door to the apartment. “I hope you’re hungry. There’s a new Greek place I thought we could try out.”
Her mouth watered at the thought. “That sounds amazing. I love Greek food.” They headed to the complex’s parking lot, but instead of walking to his bike, Leo led Bragnae to a sleek, blue Ford Mustang with two thick, white stripes stretching the length of the car. “Oh, I thought we were taking your bike tonight. That’s why I wore pants this time,” she joked.
“I thought the Mustang would be more comfortable for you.” Leo took her hand and walked her over to the passenger side, opening her door. “After you.”
She smiled at him before stepping into the immaculately clean car. Even though his sports car was an older model, he kept it washed and free of clutter. She settled into the leather seats as Leo climbed in on the other side. As he turned the key, the engine immediately purred. Bragnae wasn’t into cars, but she could appreciate the thrilling and erotic growl of a sports car. And like the Mustang, she was turned on.
As Leo drove out of the parking lot and onto the street, Bragnae admired his stick shift handling. There was something about a man who knew how to drive a manual vehicle. It took patience to learn the extra skills, and it was sexy as hell to witness. She leaned back against her seat biting her lip as she watched Leo rest his wrist on the top of the steering wheel, while his other hand curled around the gear shift between them. He moved it with ease between the gears as he drove.
Leo must have felt her eyes on him, so he glanced her way. “Whatcha lookin’ at?” He smirked as he turned his attention back to the road.
“I’m just enjoying watching you drive. It’s hot.” She slid her hands down her thighs, feeling a tingle between her legs.
“Hotter than the bike? I remember you appreciating seeing me on it.” He continued to steal glances her way.
“Hmmmm,” she thought aloud. “That’s a tough choice. While you looked especially sexy straddling the bike, I think I'm partial to watching you shift gears seeing as I have a front row seat to the action. Then again, I was able to wrap my arms around your waist on the bike, and that’s proving to be a little more difficult here. So, really it’s a toss-up.”
As he pulled up to a stop light, he turned to look at her. “Good thing I have both then, huh?” Leo picked up her hand and let it drape over the stick shift before covering it with his own. The light turned green, and Leo moved the gear with her hand under his while he drove. When his hand relaxed between gears, his fingers playfully entwined with hers. She had to lean closer to the center console to keep her hand on the stick, but she didn’t mind. It was fun to let him include her this way.
Before long, they arrived at the restaurant. Being a Wednesday night, they were seated immediately. The Greek taverna was decorated in white and blue colors with a large mural of the Parthenon and the city of Athens. It was a smaller restaurant, but the atmosphere was inviting and warm.
They asked for two shots of Ouzo and placed their orders for an appetizer and a variety platter of Greek specialties to split.
“So, Bragnae,” Leo said as he stretched his arms beneath the table. “What made you want to ask me out tonight?”
She flashed a brief smile at him before straightening her posture. “Well, I had a talk with Drake last weekend.” She paused as the waitress brought over their Ouzo. Leo’s eyebrows perked up – she had his full attention. “He told me that I should go out with you.”
Leo drew back in surprise. “He did? Why would he say that?”
“It was actually very gracious of him. He wanted me to go out with you so I could figure out who I truly wanted to be with. For his sake and mine, he wanted me to explore this with you so I’d know for sure.”
“Oh,” he said, looking a bit disappointed.
Bragnae immediately rest a hand on his forearm. “I want you to know that this is something I wanted to do anyway, but having Drake’s permission made it easier. He’s given me the choice, and while I have feelings for him, I couldn’t ignore how I felt about you. And after everything, I really wanted to know what it was like to go out with you.” With a gentle squeeze of his arm, she looked deeply into his eyes. “I hope this doesn’t make you feel inferior in any way because that is definitely not how I see you.”
He took a moment to search her face before a soft smile lifted his mouth. “I don’t.”
“Good. And there’s no pressure to impress me tonight. You already have. I just want to enjoy this time with you.”
Leo looked down at his lap. “Actually, there is some pressure, but not from you.” He peered back up at her exhaling a deep breath. “I didn’t do it right last time. Everything I did when I took you to Inferno was solely in my own self-interests.
Bragnae made a disagreeable face. “No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it was – trust me. My goal that night was to sleep with you, and I made it so I could get to the finish line as quickly as possible.” He spoke with both regret and confidence. “I picked you up on my bike, not taking into consideration what you wore or even if you’d be comfortable on the back of a motorcycle. Then, I took you to a place I knew well, got us both in for free and led you straight to the bar to lower your inhibitions with alcohol. I didn’t even buy you dinner, Bragnae.” Leo shook his head at himself before continuing. “Then, we danced and I took you upstairs – a place I knew I could get you alone and seduce you.”
Her gaze fell to the table as her mind scanned through the memories of that night. “I don’t remember it that way.”
“That’s because I made it seem like it was all about you.” Leo averted his eyes again. “I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve learned techniques on how to make women feel comfortable and desired enough that they melt as soon as I touch them.” A remorseful expression filled his face as he looked at her again. “I knew I’d have you that night before we even left the bar to dance.”
Bragnae drew in an inaudible gasp, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in her own skin. She was embarrassed that she could be so easily manipulated that way and was apparently predictable. “You make yourself sound like some sort of predator.”
“I was.” Leo leaned toward her and covered her hand with his. “I’m not proud of it. And I’m not telling you this to remind you of why you should still hate me. I just wanted you to see how I used to do things, and how I’ll never do it again. You helped heal my past, Bragnae, but it hurt so badly knowing you wanted nothing to do with me. I could have turned it all around, but I let my fear of heartbreak get in the way. I really screwed things up.”
Turning her hand over, she stroked his palm before weaving her fingers with his as she spoke. “You worked really hard to unscrew it, though. I admired your persistence. In the back of my mind, I knew you were genuine about feeling bad, but I was still so mad and hurt from what you did that I didn’t want to see the good in you.” She stared at their joined hands in thought. The night at the club was where a lot of her deep feelings for Leo stemmed from.
Her eyes found his again. “Leo, do you think my feelings for you are real? Is it possible they aren’t since so much of that night was controlled to fit your agenda?”
He opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it while he considered her words. “I was able to seduce you, Bragnae, but it was still me. The things we talked about earlier that day, the connection we both felt that night… it was all me.” Leo swallowed. A hint of fear flashed in his eyes. “Did you like me before that night? Before the threesome even?”
“Yes, I did. I always thought you were funny, and I liked how you always brought me out of my comfort zone when we hung out.” She offered him a flirty grin. “Not to mention, I always found you devilishly handsome.”
Leo chuckled as his tense body relaxed. “Well, there ya go. I hope you can see your feelings for me are true.”
Taking a second to consider it all, she looked at him. “I do. I think I would’ve been able to see past them if they weren’t. It would’ve been so much easier to get over you had they been based on a lie.”
“I think so, too.” The corner of his mouth lifted as he reached for the shot glass on the table. “How about a toast?”
Bragnae picked hers up as well, and waited for him to speak.
“Here’s to acknowledging and forgiving the past,” he paused to look at her more fondly. “And to a fresh start, and hopefully a promising future.”
She smiled, clinking her glass against his before they both tossed the strong alcohol down their throats. Bragnae blew out a quick breath as the liquid burned on its way down.
The waitress dropped off their food a moment later, and as they tasted their way through Greece on a plate, Bragnae and Leo got to know each other more with real first date questions. It was very pleasant, and made her feel even more connected to him.
Later on after dinner, Leo brought them back to her place. Bragnae unlocked the door to her apartment, and stepped inside.
“Do you want to come in for some coffee or something?” She asked, not ready for the night to end.
Leo hesitated as his eyes raked down her body. “I better not. It’s a school night, young lady,” he said in a teasing tone.
She knew Leo was trying to make this better than the first time they went out, and she wanted to respect that. “Okay, then can I see you again soon when it’s not a school night?”
He smirked. “Friday or Saturday?”
“Friday. I’m off that night.” She lightly tugged on his shirt to bring him closer.
“I’ll make sure I am too.” Leo braced a hand on the open door, standing mere inches away from her.
“Great, then why don’t you come over here on Friday night, and this time, I’ll handle the details.” He nodded at her suggestion. “I had a really nice time with you tonight. Thank you for dinner.”
“Thank you for going out with me. It was nice to have a second chance.” Leo’s eyes dropped to her lips – his still curled up in a tempting grin.
His intoxicating scent delightfully overwhelmed her. It had been so long since they last kissed, and Bragnae was more than ready for it. She ran her hands up his chest until they reached the base of his neck. Pulling him towards her, she raised up on her toes to meet his soft, full lips. The kiss immediately sent a bolt of energy throughout her body. It was gentle and amazing, but it wasn’t enough. She pulled back just long enough to take a breath, and then went in for more.
Leo moved his body more squarely against hers, holding her face as he deepened the kiss. He groaned as his mouth hungrily feasted on hers. His tongue slid across her bottom lip before sinking into her. As her hands slipped down his body to cling to him more, Leo broke the kiss.
“Friday, then?” He asked, slightly out of breath.
Still reeling from the kiss, it was all she could do not to pull him back in. “Mmhmm. Friday.”
“Goodnight, Bragnae,” he said softly, gazing into her eyes.
“Goodnight.”
He gave her another desirous look before forcing himself away from her. Bragnae watched him until he was out of sight, and even then she felt breathless and weak in the knees. She finally shut the door, and walked to her bedroom. Plopping onto her bed, she stared at the ceiling with a fixed smile on her face. Leo was all that filled her mind, and she couldn’t wait for Friday to see him again.
~
The next day and a half went excruciatingly slow. As soon as Bragnae was out of class on Friday, she stopped at the grocery store to get a few snacks and beer for the night ahead. She told Leo to come over around seven o’clock for a game night, so she had a few hours left to shower and get the food ready.
After getting her hair and make-up just right, Bragnae set a game on the small and round kitchen table. She grabbed the vegetable and cheese and sausage trays out of the fridge, and displayed them on the counter. No sooner had she done that did she hear a knock at the door before it opened.
“Bragnae?” Leo asked as he slipped into the apartment.
She walked around a wall in the kitchen to the foyer to greet him. “Hey there.”
A bright smile appeared on his face as soon as he saw her. “Hi, beautiful.” Leo pulled her to him, connecting them both in a sensual kiss. Pleasant tingles collected between her legs while his lips and firm hands held her body to his. When he drew back, she had to ground herself again.
“Would you like a beer?” She asked.
“I’d love one.”
Bragnae went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, and removed their caps before handing one to him.
“So, what game are we playing tonight?” He asked, taking off his leather jacket.
“Yahtzee!” She said emphatically as she walked over to the table.
Leo laughed. “Alright, I like that game.” He took a drink from the bottle, and plunged a stick of celery into the dip before taking a bite.
They both plated some snacks before taking a seat at the table. Bragnae set out the dice, cup and their score sheets, and retrieved two pens for them. As Leo indulged in a piece of sausage between cheese and a cracker, she gave him a playful look.
“What are you planning over there?” He asked, chewing his food.
“What do you say we make this game interesting?”
He threw his head back chuckling. “I should have known. What are the stakes?”
“Not so much stakes as it is the way the game is played. I propose that we play strip Yahtzee.” She arched an eyebrow to accompany her smirk.
He smiled. “And what are the rules to this?”
“Well, if you roll the big ticket items like a three or four of a kind, a full house, or a small or large straight, the other person has to take off a piece of clothing of their choice.”
“And what if someone rolls a Yahtzee?” He asked, taking a swig of beer.
“The person who rolls a Yahtzee gets to choose which article of clothing comes off the other person.” She watched as Leo gave an appreciative nod to the rules. “So, what do you say? Are you up for it?” With Madeleine at work for the rest of the night, she knew they’d be able to have fun without any interruptions.
Leo looked at her with uncertainty. “I don’t know. Are you sure we should do this?”
Her confident expression fell when she realized he was still hung up on ‘making things right’. Normally, he’d jump all over an opportunity like that. “Look, Leo. I appreciate that you’re trying to be better this go around, but I don’t want you to have to change who you are. I know you want to have sex with me again.” She wet her lips, showing off a soft smile. “Honestly, that’s what I want, too. You’ve already proved that things are different now, but I don’t want you to walk on eggshells with me, and hide who you are or what you want just because you’re worried you’ll screw it up like before. I trust you. I know you won’t hurt me.”
After a moment of searching her face, Leo accepted what she had to say with a relieved sigh. “You saying that means a lot to me. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
A wicked smirk transformed his lips. “Well, on that note, I accept your challenge for Strip Yahtzee.” He leaned back in his chair with a new found arrogance about him. “You better say goodbye to those clothes because they’ll be flying off of you once I get my hands on those dice.”
“I love how cocky you can be. You’re on.” She smiled, passing him the cup of dice.
He shook his head. “Ladies first.”
Bragnae reclaimed the cup, giving it a good shake before scattering the five dice across the table. At the end of her third roll, she had only accumulated two of a kind, so she resigned to taking the two 1’s.
“Aww, too bad. My turn.” Leo grabbed the cup and spilled out three 6’s. He put the other two dice back, and rolled again. Another 6. “One more to go.” He shook the cup while smirking at her, then popped the last dice on the table. “Yahtzee!” He shouted as another 6 appeared before them.
Bragnae stared at the dice with her mouth open. “Already? My God!”
Leo folded his arms across his chest. “Oh, didn’t I mention it? I’m pretty good at this game. Go ahead and take off that shirt for me.”
Playfully narrowing her eyes at him, she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. “This isn’t going to fluster you is it? As I recall from the game of pool that night you were very easily distracted by me.”
“Oh, no. Not this time. I’m even more determined for my prize, and we’re not quite there yet.” His eyes sparkled with excitement as they danced across her chest. She wore a black bra with rhinestones along the wire – one she specifically picked out knowing it would most likely be seen that night.
She reached for the cup of dice, giving it a healthy shake making her breasts do the same. Relishing in his attention, she spilled the dice on the table.
“Look at that! A small straight just for me.” Before marking her scoresheet, she cocked an eyebrow in his direction. “Take off something. Preferably your shirt.”
Leo fumble with his legs under the table, and reached down before bringing his shoe into view. “How’s that?”
“Your shoe? Really?” She didn’t hide her playful attitude.
He fumbled again. “Okay, I’ll give you both shoes.”
“Gee, thanks.” She rolled her eyes.
“You should go for those Yahtzees, and then you can dictate what comes off of me. Now, gimme those dice.” Leo scooped them up and took his turn. Astoundingly, he rolled an immediate Yahtzee. He threw his hands victoriously into the air. “Yes!”
“What?!” Bragnae asked in shock.
Leo leaned over to look under the table. “Oh, good. You’re not wearing shoes. Take off those pants.”
Bragnae still stared at his dice roll with a stunned expression. “How are you doing this? It’s a game of chance!”
He laughed. “Not when you have my skills. Go ahead, take ‘em off.”
Heaving a sigh, Bragnae stood from her chair and hooked her thumbs beneath the waistband of her leggings. Remembering how much he appreciated her backside, she turned away from him as she pushed down the spandex to reveal her bare skin covered only by the lacy fabric of her thong. Keeping her gaze on him over her shoulder, she watched his eyes widen with pleasure while a broad grin covered his face.
Leo blew out a low whistle while she removed the rest of the pants from her legs. “Looking good, sweetheart.”
What was a thrilling moment suddenly turned into an uncomfortable one. Bragnae winced at the generic pet name as she sat in her seat again.
“What’s that look for?” Leo asked. His brow now pinched with concern.
“You called me ‘sweetheart’.” Disappointment was evident in her eyes.
Confusion spread across his face. “Yeah… what’s wrong with that?”
“Did you mean it or is it just something you say?” Sitting there in only her bra and panties was not what was making her feel vulnerable in the conversation.
“Of course I meant it. Why would you question that?” Leo sat forward with intent to listen.
Bragnae took a deep breath and looked at him meekly. “I had a serious boyfriend once who used to use all of those pet names, and I loved it. I really felt like I was in a grown-up, caring relationship.” She looked down at her lap to muster the courage to finish her story. “Then, I found out that my boyfriend was seeing two other women apart from me. And he was using those generic nicknames so he wouldn’t use the wrong name when he was with each of us.”
Leo gave her a sympathetic look as he reached over to cover her hand with his. “I’m sorry that happened to you. That guy was clearly a greedy asshole who didn’t appreciate what he had.” He squeezed her hand gently to get her attention back on him. “When I say it, it’s a term of endearment. I’ve always been the type of guy who enjoys saying those things, but it’s never been because I think I’m going to slip up and call you a different name. When I say it, it comes from my heart.”
She could hear the sincerity in his voice, and realized she was being unfair by assigning baggage from a past relationship to Leo even though he didn’t deserve it.
“And Bragnae, there’s no one else. I haven’t even thought about being with another woman since we were together that night. Even though I tried to push you away from me, I knew what I felt with you was strong and deep, and I couldn’t deny it.”
Laying her other hand on top of his, she gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I assumed you were doing the same thing. When we went out to the club, I enjoyed hearing you call me those things. I thought it was a good time to move on from what my ex did. But then…”
“But then,” Leo stepped in to finish her sentence. “I made you feel cheap and unwanted – ruining those pet names for you again. I can’t blame you for thinking that you meant nothing to me. But it’s actually quite the opposite.” He poured his heart into her as his eyes searched hers. “If you prefer that I not call you those things, I won’t.”
“No,” she protested. “It sounds wonderful when you say them, especially knowing what I know now.”
“Okay,” he smiled. Leo brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her skin. “I’m glad we talked about this. I don’t want anything standing in our way.”
“Me neither.” The words flowed out of her naturally. It felt so wonderful being open with Leo about this, and instantly felt closer to him.
He slid the cup of dice in her direction. “It’s your turn. Better make this roll count. You are literally hanging on by a few threads over there.” He smirked while admiring what he could see of her above the table.
Bragnae took the cup and shook it a few times, silently praying for five of a kind to appear. She sprawled the dice on the table to find her prayer was answered. “Hell yes! Yahtzee!” She clapped her hands excitedly. “Okay, mister! Take off that shirt!”
Leo laughed at her emphatic display as he stood to remove his t-shirt. Bragnae watched as the fabric lifted to reveal his taut abs and defined pecs. His body was beautifully sculpted.
“I’m very happy right now.” She beamed at him as she drank in the sight of him.
“Not as happy as I’m about to be,” he said, grabbing the dice. Leo shook the cup, and spilled them onto the table. “Three 4’s. I’m going for that Yahtzee.” He replaced the other two dice, and shook them again. Out came two more 4’s. Leo placed the cup down hard on the table and sat back with his arms folded across his chest. A big, cocky grin lit up his face.
Bragnae’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God! How is that possible?”
He chuckled. “I told you. I mean business.”
Sighing, Bragnae shook her head. “Okay, which one do you want?” With only two pieces of clothing left on her, his choices were limited, but tempting nonetheless.
Leo looked at her for another moment with a triumphant smile on his face, and then leaned over to look at his score sheet. “Well, since I’ve pretty much annihilated you with my score, I should probably put you out of your misery.” He stood from his chair, and knelt in front of her. “I’m going to need those panties, but since I’m such a good sportsman, I’ll take them off of you myself.”
She smiled as he ran his smooth hands up her legs until he reached the straps of her thong. As he pulled the lace down her skin, she lifted slightly in her seat to help him. Leo kept his eyes on his task as he lifted each of her legs to clear the panties completely.
“You know, there’s a prize for second place,” he told her, returning his gaze to hers.
“And what is it?”
“A kiss. Would you settle for that?” A certain heat burned in his eyes making her tingle with anticipation.
“Absolutely.”
Smiling, Leo moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her lower half forward in the seat. She was slouched in the chair comfortably as she watched him gently widen her legs.
Leo picked up her ankles and placed them over his shoulders before cupping her hips with his hands. He laid soft kisses on her inner thigh causing her to squirm with need. And then she felt his tongue draw a sensual line from her silky entrance to her throbbing clit. A moan immediately escaped her as her eyes fluttered closed.
Leo paid extra attention to her sensitive skin as he continued flicking his tongue against her clit at a rapid pace. The warmth in her loins climbed as she concentrated on the precise movements of his tongue hitting the right spot. As one hand gripped his sandy blonde hair, the other crinkled the Yahtzee score sheet while he brought her closer to the edge.
He sucked her swollen bud into his mouth letting his tongue meet her skin again. Bragnae’s head hung over the back of the chair as whimpering moans left her body. His mouth dropped to tease her entrance before returning to the place that would unlock the incredible release she sought. Leo licked with intention for another moment rendering her tense with anticipation.
Bragnae’s breath caught in her throat as Leo’s consistent effort made her come. She writhed and screamed. Grasping for something to hold as the pleasure overwhelmed her, Bragnae swiped the game’s contents onto the floor. As her screams subsided, Leo drew back slowly, kissing the inside of her thighs once more. Her long black hair hung like a waterfall over the back of the chair.
“Wow,” she said breathlessly. Bragnae slowly picked her head up so her eyes could meet his. “That was incredible.”
Leo smiled up at her. “That was just the opening act. There’s much more to come.”
Bragnae sat up and pulled Leo’s lips to hers. “Stand up,” she whispered when she broke the kiss. He did as she requested while Bragnae worked on unbuckling his belt, and then his jeans. Sliding both his boxers and pants down, she sprung free his giant erection that stood eye level with her. Her eyes darkened at the sight of him. She wanted to touch him, wrap her fingers around him, take him in her mouth. She wanted to feel him inside of her again. His glorious cock was the key to her undoing, and she was ready for it.
Encircling her fingers around the base of his shaft, she stroked her hand up to his engorged tip as she watched him take a shuddering breath. His crystal blue eyes appeared like the midnight sky as he looked down at her with desire. She used her other hand to pull his hips toward her as she allowed her mouth to consume his length. Tightening her lips around his steel-hard cock, Bragnae moved against him letting her tongue glide over his most sensitive area.
Leo braced his hands on the back of her chair, exhaling a groan. “You’re going to need to stop, Bragnae.” He waited for her to detach herself from him before lifting her to her feet. “You are really good at that, but I want to do this the right way.” Before she could respond, Leo hoisted Bragnae up by her thighs. She looped her arms around his neck sinking her lips against his.
“I want you so bad, Leo,” she said, staring at his full lips.
Leo started walking towards her bedroom. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m going to give you what you want.” In between kisses, he was able to navigate them to her room where he sat on the bed, keeping Bragnae on top of him.
Bragnae readjusted so her primed clit sat against his hard-on. The anticipation was overwhelming. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted to be with him again since the night they were together until it was staring at her in the face.
Leo brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Last time we did this, it was so cheap – on a couch in a public place. You deserve better than that.”
This was interesting. Up until Leo explained his perspective more thoroughly from the night at Inferno, she had enjoyed her time with him then. Yes, they were on a couch in a private room above a night club, but he had made her feel wanted and special. Now was their chance to make up for that night, but it wasn’t just for Bragnae’s sake. Leo didn’t allow himself to have the passionate and caring sex they both craved that night due to his past, but tonight would be different. He was finally free of the hold his ex’s past actions had over him, so he could truly enjoy what sex was meant to be between two people who cared about each other.
Bragnae framed his face, looking deeply into his eyes. “You deserve better than that, too. You’ve let go of your past and the protective wall that made sex meaningless for you since then. It’s time for you to really indulge in it… with me.”
“I’m dying to,” he replied in a desperate, hoarse whisper.
Their mouths connected in a deep, wanting kiss that was full of emotion. They held each other tightly – their chests pressed against one another. Leo’s fingers found the clasp of her bra, and freed her of it with a quick pinch of the fabric. After slipping her arms out of the straps, Bragnae grinded her hips against his throbbing cock making them both shudder.
She captured his lips once more, drawing back slowly while she raised up on her knees to hover over him. His eyes followed hers as she began to ease herself onto his stiff cock. A trembling gasp left her as Leo’s length filled her up.
Groaning, Leo closed his eyes in relief. “You feel so good.” After another savoring moment, his eyes shot open with concern. “Shit, I forgot to put on a condom.”
“It’s okay,” she dismissed quickly. Her hips rolled up and down his length as she barely managed to speak. “I’ve got that covered,” she told him, knowing she consistently took her birth control pills. The passion and excitement of the moment disallowed her from delving deeper into an explanation. Leo accepted her response hastily as he too was caught up in the pleasing gyration of her hips above him.
Bragnae pressed her palm into Leo’s shoulder to guide him down to the mattress. She followed after him with a tender-locking kiss. His hands slid down her back and onto her ass where he cupped and squeezed her skin helping to move her with him. She placed her hands on the bed, propping herself up. Looking down at his handsome face, Bragnae increased her pace feeling every inch of him slide in and out of her.
“Leo,” she moaned before biting her bottom lip. His cock was warm and firm inside her beckoning the pleasure that lay just beyond a sensual door. He was already knocking, and all he needed to do was open it for her. “Ohmigod.”
“You’re too far away. I need you closer,” he said, arching his neck so he could meet her with a searing kiss. Their uneven mouths moved against one another as gasps and moans filled the spaces between. Leo pulled her down with him, so they were both horizontal again. Bragnae kept her speed consistent, feeling the bliss grow inside.
As Leo hungrily devoured her lips, his hands squeezed her backside. While one kept a handful of her cheek, the other started to massage her puckered skin. The additional stimulation prompted an agreeable moan from Bragnae. And then, one of his fingers slipped inside her back door. She gasped surprisingly, breaking their kiss.
He slowly moved his finger back and forth watching her reaction. She already knew what it felt like to be penetrated by two men at once, and she remembered enjoying it. This was not exactly the same caliber of tools, but it was certainly a welcomed experience.
“How’s that feel, baby?” He asked, sliding his entire finger inside her. There was a warm, delightful pressure that filled her, which was different than what his dick was making her feel. The two combined made her mind spiral in many directions knowing an epic orgasm was about to release.
“Fucking great,” she sputtered out in a breathy tone before burying her face in the crevice of his neck. Leo kept his finger in place and moved her hips back and forth. She gripped the blanket on the bed and squeezed his shoulder as an explosive pleasure filled her body. She called to God over and over as new bursts of ecstasy rained down on her with Leo’s consistent efforts.
“Oh, Bragnae, you’re squeezing the shit out of my cock. I’m gonna to come.” Leo’s breathing grew ragged as he moved her faster against him.
Bragnae recovered enough to meet his gaze and use her own strength to move their bodies together. She watched as his mouth dropped open, and a fire blazed in the depths of his eyes. His body tensed as a low, satisfying groan rumbled in his throat, then he exhaled a few sharp breaths before letting himself completely relax. Bragnae sweetly kissed his neck and jaw giving him a few moments to regain his composure.
“Holy shit,” he said breathlessly before rolling Bragnae onto her back. “That was fucking awesome.” He smirked before diving down to seize her lips.
She giggled. “It sure the hell was.”
“I can’t remember the last time it felt that good.” His expression was more serious now. “I mean, besides the first time we were really together. But this was much better.” His eyes never left hers as he hovered above her.
“I feel the same way.” The single lamp that was on in her room offered a soft, amber glow against the rigid lines of his body. Looking up at him, she saw an intensity of affection that poured out of his eyes – similar to the moment after they came the first time they slept together. But there was something more this time.
Leo dipped down to place a few soft kisses on her chest. She ran her fingers through his feathery hair, enjoying the tender moment. When his eyes found hers again, they were relaxed, peaceful – loving even. “Can I stay the night?”
His question pleasantly surprised her. Even though she knew he had changed, this was a drastically different ending than the first time they had sex when he couldn’t get away from her quick enough. Looking back on the threesome and even the time she slept with Drake, none of those times ended in a cuddle session or anyone spending the night. This was a treat in and of itself.
“I’d love for you to stay.” The corners of her mouth lifted into a gentle smile, which he returned before sinking against her in a deep and warm embrace.
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Alyssa Devereaux Walker)
A/N: I am participating in @emceesynonymroll ’s Wacky Drabble prompts. Prompt #39 is “I opened my eyes and had no idea where I was” and will appear in bold.
Additionally, the following Friends prompt will be found in this fic (thank you to the beautiful @loveellamae:)
Crap bag prompt list 12. “Things are about to get wild.” specifically for Lyss
If you want to catch up on Parts 1-16 …
One Rainy Day in Valtoria Masterlist
You can read these as stand-alones, though. For this chapter, you need to know that Madeleine called Alyssa out for looking “thicker” and eating strangely at the Beaumont Bash … she figured out Alyssa is pregnant, and so they announced at 14 weeks, sooner than they wanted to.
Thank you to @mskaneko for the beautiful edit in the moodboard and the moodboard that closes this fic!
Warnings: this is a tiny bit NSFW 🍋 + language as ever
Words: 1000 exactly (13 straight weeks of compliance! That is a full quarter of a YEAR!)
Two days after Christmas, the Walkers are back at the obstetrician.
“I know it’s tradition that the heir’s gender can’t be revealed until birth,” Dr. Ramirez says as she moves the ultrasound wand over Alyssa’s 20-week belly, “so I’ll be very careful to avoid showing you any salient parts.”
So happy for them! What a beautiful story this is. With the exception of the Heir business, this is them actually happy and doing as they please... which is each other and I’m fine with that!! 😂 I love it!
I chose Liam, because of his innocence and absence of love. He wanted it so bad, and knew what it felt like because of his Mom, but misses it because of his Mom.....and dude is fine even though he's a drawing.
If Liam was not available, it would be Leo, because he's a bad boy with a good heart @star-spangled-eyes you know where I got that from 😉😘. Even though he abdicated, I don't need a crown.
A/N: This is my very first ROD fic! I just finished reading last week and was all in my feelings. I thought this was going to be it, but it might need a second part. Oops. Thank you to @mskaneko and @emceesynonymroll for pre-reading, and to my dear @zaffrenotes for the encouragement! xoxo
Warnings: mild language, very mild suggestiveness
Word Count: 869
Five months after Logan said goodbye, Liana’s fine.
We pick up where we left off. Riley helps Liam foal a horse and they bond.
I have never helped foaled a horse, so I googled how. Please don’t judge me.
⚠️⚠️This story and its contents contain material not suited for sensitive viewers. This story is not meant for anyone under the age of 18. If you are reading this, you are agreeing you are over 18. This warning serves as a blanket trigger and content warning.⚠️⚠️
Song inspiration: Starving- Hailee Steinfield
Word count: 3,285
Warnings: make out session, sexual thoughts
Thanks to @ravenpuff02 for the mood board! 🙌🏻
Special thanks to @star-spangled-eyes, @ravenpuff02, @emceesynonymroll, and my IRL friends for beta reading.
Liam and Riley had arrived at his house not ten minutes after leaving the restaurant. When they arrived, Riley had gone to open the door but stopped when Liam had cleared his throat. She smiled sheepishly at him, but waited patiently for him.
When inside, Liam went upstairs to his room and changed quickly.
Regina was in the kitchen, waiting for him. She looked Riley up and down with a small smile. “Wearing that to birth a horse?”
Riley blushed. “Uh, we came straight from the restaurant. I didn’t plan on playing cowboy today.”
[[MORE]]
Regina nodded. “I have some clothes that should fit you. Come,” she said as she ushered Riley to a spare bedroom. “There’s clothes in the closet there.” Regina pointed at a door. “I have some boots you can borrow. What’s your shoe size?”
“Eight,” Riley answered.
Regina nodded again then pulled the door shut.
Riley quickly dressed in jeans and a button up shirt. She appraised her reflection in the vanity mirror. Just need the hat, she thought with a giggle. She deftly climbed down the stairs and found a pair of cowboy boots with socks next to them at the bottom. She slipped them on and headed to the kitchen again.
Liam was leaning on the counter of an island, phone up to his ear.
“Uh huh,” he muttered. He didn’t sound happy. He sighed and turned around. He smiled when he saw Riley in her get up. “Okay,” he said. He made the ‘come here’ motion to Riley. “Okay. Okay. Goodbye.”
Riley approached him and he held out his hand.
She took it. “Everything okay?”
He brought her hand to his lips. “Yes, ma’am. Just talking to the vet. You ready?”
Riley nodded excitedly. “I do have to warn you, I’ve never birthed a horse.”
Liam laughed heartily. “That’s okay, darling. I’ll show the ropes, literally. First things first, it’s called ‘foaling.’”
Liam was kind and gentle with the mare. She was nervous at first, but he stroked her snout and talked her down. He tied the mare to the stall door.
“Usually,” he said as he tied a knot in the rope, “we don’t want to tie them up. However, her baby is breech and we need to hold her still.”
Riley nodded like she understood, but Liam could see she was clueless.
“You have no idea what that means, do you?”
Riley laughed. “Got me.”
Liam walked around to the side of the horse. Riley tried to go behind, but Liam pulled her back by her shirt. “Careful!” He chastised. “You’ll get kicked that way.”
“Oops.”
Liam smiled. “I forget you aren’t used to this.”
Riley looked up at him sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry.”
“Don’t be. You can learn.” He pointed at the hooves dangling out of the mare. “You see how they’re upside down?”
Riley nodded.
“That means the foal is either upside down or backwards. We have to use caution to make sure we don’t lose both baby and momma.”
Riley nodded again, slowly. “I think I’ll just watch this time around,” she said in a serious voice.
“What, a New Yorker afraid of something?” Liam teased.
“Ugh, shut up,” Riley giggled.
Liam carefully maneuvered around the horse and assessed the situation. He pondered the scene in front of him. “Riley,” he said quietly, “will you get my phone and calle Drake?”
“Uh, sure.”
Liam’s phone sat just outside the stall on a shelf. She picked it up and swiped the screen. No passcode, huh. She found the contact icon and opened the app. Riley scrolled until she found the name Drake and hit ‘call.’
“Hello?” Drake’s voice was deeper than she remembered.
“Uh, hey.”
“Liam? Who is this?” The voice on the other end of the phone was confused.
“It’s, uh, Riley?”
Silence. “Okay... and why do you have Liam’s phone?”
Riley blushed. “Liam is foaling a horse and he needs help.”
“Okay.” Drake drew the word out. “I’ll be there in ten.”
Riley set the phone back down on the shelf and entered the stall. “Drake will be here shortly.”
Liam nodded.
When Drake arrived, he and Liam quickly agreed on a course of action and began working on the horse.
Riley watched, confused, but enthralled. It was amazing to see Drake and Liam be so kind and soft. They were big, burly men, who had gruff exteriors and probably won every fight they ever had. Riley tilted her head and completely absorbed the scene in front of her. She tried to pay attention to what they were doing, but she was too distracted by Liam’s biceps. He and Drake had both taken off their shirts... and Riley was definitely not complaining.
The mare began getting restless and she began stomping. Riley backed away quickly.
“Riley, I need you to calm her down,” Liam said in an authoritative voice.
“What?” She squealed.
“You need to calm her down or she’s going to kick us. Grab her mane and talk her down.”
Riley’s heart pounded as she approached the horse. The mare reared and neighed loudly.
“Ahh!” Riley squeaked.
“Riley, do something!”
Riley felt possessed as she shoved her fear down and stood in front of the mare. She took the rope that Liam had tied to the stall earlier and yanked on it. The horse had a bit in her mouth, so the yanking action pulled the horse down a little. Unsatisfied with the result, Riley mustered all her strength and pulled hard, causing the horse to fall on her front two legs again.
Riley seized the opportunity to do what Liam said and grabbed the horse’s mane. The mare snorted.
“Shh,” Riley cooed. “Shh, babe. I know you’re scared. I’d be scared too. But you’re okay, I promise. Liam’s a good man. He’ll take care of you.” Riley pressed her forehead against mare’s snout and rubbed her nose against it, trying to soothe the horse. “Shh,” she whispered. It took a minute, but the horse stopped moving. Riley kept her eyes locked with the horse, petting her snout and running her fingers through the mane.
She wasn’t sure how long she comforted the horse, but she was content to be helpful.
Eventually, Riley heard the sound of the foal hitting the ground. She heard Liam and Drake congratulating one another.
“Riley, untie Marabelle and come here.” It was Drake who spoke to Riley first.
Riley carefully undid the knot that held Marabelle in place. She held onto the rope, though, to guide Marabelle to her foal. Riley gasped when she saw the small horse.
“It’s so cute!” She squealed.
Liam chuckled. “That he is.” He wiped sweat off his brow and smiled at Riley. “Completely healthy, too.” Liam nodded at Drake. “Thanks to you and Drake.”
Drake smiled.
“I didn’t do anything, though,” Riley said.
“You held Marabelle down so she didn’t kick us. That’s something, Brooks,” Drake offered. “I’m surprised you had the strength to pull her down,” he chuckled.
“Me, too,” Riley admitted as she approached the foal. “Can I pet him?”
Liam looked at Marabelle, who was already bonding with her foal. “As long as you don’t make momma mad,” he nodded.
Riley was enchanted with the scene before her. She’d never seen a baby born, let alone a horse. She sat cross-legged on the stall floor, just in front of the foal. It hadn’t stood up yet. She held out her hand and the foal inquisitively snorted at Riley before leaning into her hand.
Riley giggled as Marabelle whinnied softly. Marabelle also leaned into Riley. Riley touched her head to Marabelle. “No, I haven’t forgotten about you,” she whispered. Marabelle seemed satisfied with what Riley said and looked back at her foal.
Liam and Drake stood in the entry of the stall, watching Riley interact with the horses.
“She doesn’t act like a city girl,” Drake noted.
“No, she doesn’t,” Liam agreed.
Drake looked at his best friend and noticed something different on Liam’s face. He laughed loudly upon realization.
“You’re a love sick fool, Liam Rhys.”
Liam turned and glared at him. “Am not, Walker.”
Drake laughed again. “Whatever you say.”
Liam punched Drake on the arm.
“I gotta go home. See ya.”
“See ya, Drake.”
Drake peered into the stall. “See ya, Brooks.”
Riley waved but didn’t turn around.
Liam leaned against the stall, watching Riley intently. He knew he was going to marry Riley. He had known since she ran into him at the grocery store.
Liam let Riley play with the foal for close to 45 minutes. It was up and running with her. She would run away playfully, and the foal would follow her, neighing and kicking. It would approach her and butt his head against her before running away. Riley giggled with delight every time.
Riley was covered in placenta goo and straw when Liam said they should leave. When Riley stood, Liam laughed at the sight before him.
“I’m sorry, darling, but Regina won’t let you into the house like that. You’re going to have to strip to your skivvies.”
Riley attempted to dust herself off. “My what?” She asked as they exited the barn.
Liam chuckled. “Your, uh, undergarments.”
Riley was glad for the cover of night. She blushed profusely. “Oh. Uh,” she trailed off when they reached the back door. She halted and turned to Liam.
He stepped toward the door, eyes on Riley. “I never got my shirt dirty. You can wear that.”
Riley shook her head. “I was just going to change back into my dress.”
Liam plucked a piece of straw out of Riley’s hair and showed it to her.
“Oh,” she giggled. “Maybe a shower is in order.
Liam handed his shirt to Riley. “I’ll wait for you at the island. I’ll show you where the bathroom is.”
Liam went inside and Riley stripped down to her underwear and bra and quickly put on Liam’s shirt.
It hung down to her midthigh, not much longer than the dress she wore. Liam had been kind enough to turn off the porch light so nobody could see her. Riley picked up the clothes she had been wearing and stepped inside.
Liam was casually leaning against the island, completely lost in thought. Riley admired his physique. He was more than muscular. He had to be at least 6’7”, if not taller. Liam straightened when he noticed Riley.
“Just leave those on the back porch. Regina will get them in the morning.”
Riley quickly tossed the clothes outside.
She shut the door behind her and Liam began walking to his room. “I’ll let you use my shower. I know there’s clean towels in there for you.”
“Thank you.”
Liam showed her how the shower worked and offered his toiletries for use. Riley smiled graciously and was happy to get clean.
Liam was right; she was filthy. She used both his shampoo and body wash, being completely captivated by the smell. When satisfied with how clean she was, she stepped out and wrapped a towel around herself.
Liam’s en-suite was huge. It had a claw-foot tub, a double vanity, and a walk-in shower. The room had to be 12’x16’, if not bigger. The tile and vanity were white marble with flecks of red and gold. The trim of the handles were gold, as well.
“He was not kidding about his wealth,” Riley murmured.
She dried quickly and realized she didn’t have anything but Liam’s t-shirt. She donned it and wrapped a towel in her hair.
Riley exited the bathroom to find Liam laying on his bed, watching tv. He had changed into his pajamas. She sat down next to him.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she smiled. “Whatcha watching?”
Liam idly picked up the remote and muted the TV. “Nothing special. Just killing the time until you got out of the shower.” He looked at Riley and his eyes widened when he saw she only had on his T-shirt. “Oh, my gosh! Do you want some of Regina’s clothes? I forgot all about it.”
Riley momentarily felt self conscious and wrapped her arms around herself, but when she saw the kind look on Liam’s face, she felt relaxed again. “No, I’m fine.”
Riley didn’t know why, but she felt drawn to Liam. She felt safe. She felt like she’d known him her entire life.
The universe had definitely led Riley and Liam to each other.
Liam felt that same magnetic pull.
Before Riley could stop herself, she leaned in and kissed Liam. There was no voice in the back of her head telling her to stop.
Liam deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled Riley onto his lap.
She straddled him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. His arms snaked up her back and held her tightly as they kissed fervently.
Liam’s tongue licked Riley’s lower lips and she opened her mouth to allow access.
Riley had never been kissed like this, ever. None of the boyfriends she had in high school, none of her dates, not even Justin. She moaned lightly and felt heat pooling in between her thighs.
Riley bit Liam’s lower lip, causing him to groan. Liam put his hand under her shirt on her back and traced his finger to her waist, around her front, and placed it on Riley’s boob.
Riley pulled back instantly, tearing his hand away.
“No, I can’t. I’m sorry.” She sat next to him, face flushed.
Liam leaned back, trying to catch his breath. “No, I’m sorry. I should have asked.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what possessed me.”
Riley placed her hand in Liam’s. “I promise I mean it when I say, it’s not you, it’s me.”
Liam looked at her and saw she had tears. Before he could stop himself, he pulled Riley to him again and placed his hand on her cheek. “What’s the matter?”
Riley gave a small laugh and blinked. “I’ll tell you one day. Just not today. We had such a good time and I don’t want to ruin it.” Riley placed her hand on top of Liam’s. She felt that same pull to Liam and she was possessed once more as she leaned in and kissed him again.
This kiss was like a kiss between two life-long lovers; it didn’t seem like this was the second time they had kissed.
Riley pulled herself away and smiled at him. “Would it be rude of me to ask if I could stay?”
Liam laughed quietly. “I’m glad you asked, Riley. It makes me not look desperate.”
Riley laughed uproariously as she got out of the bed. “I have to call Hana and I’ll be right back.”
Liam waited until she was out of the room before adjusting his hard on and flopping onto his back. He dragged a hand over his face, emotions circling like crazy around him.
On one hand, he was glad that she was staying. On the other, he was upset because he wanted to show her how serious he was about treating her right. He wanted to prove to her that he was a perfect gentleman, worthy of his love.
Riley went to the entryway in search of her bag, still in nothing but Liam’s shirt. I should have asked for some pants! Realization dawned on Riley that she left her bag in Liam’s car and she had no idea where his car was or if it was locked. She was almost on the stairs when she heard footsteps.
She heard Drake laugh before she whipped around.
“What are you doing here?” Riley demanded.
“I could ask you the same, Brooks,” Drake chuckled. “Where’s your pants?”
Riley blushed. “I was wearing a dress when I got here. Borrowed some clothes but then I had to take a shower... and here I am.” Riley waved her hand in front of her.
Drake just shook his head and headed for the front door.
“Hey!”
He turned and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Can you get into Liam’s car for me? I left my purse.”
“Sure thing, Brooks.”
Drake chuckled all the way out to Liam’s car.
Riley awkwardly stood on the landing of the steps, waiting for Drake to return. She shifted her weight from foot to foot and her hands fell to her sides.
Drake returned, purse in hand, still smirking.
“Oh, hush!” She chided him.
“Never,” he said with another shake of his head. He handed her purse out and she dug for her phone.
“Thank you, Drake.”
“You’re welcome, Brooks.”
Drake left and Riley called Hana and caught her up to speed. Hana laughed at the fact that Riley helped foal a horse.
“Doesn’t sound like the Riley I know,” Hana said.
“I know,” Riley conceded. “But it felt so natural. Everything with Liam does,” she sighed dreamily.
Riley could sense Hana’s actions on the other end of the phone. 20 years of friendship helps with knowing how the other would react.
“I know you’re shaking your head at me,” Riley accused.
“You’re a love sick fool, Riley Brooks. Just give into it!”
“It’s been a week, Hana. I don’t even know his middle name!”
“Ask him, then.” Hana’s usual playful tone was replaced by a serious one.
Riley sighed. “Hana,” she started.
“I don’t want to hear it, Ri. I saw the way you looked at Liam. I’ve never seen you look at anyone else that way.”
Riley pursed her lips, but the silence gave Hana all the information she needed.
“He said he needs to be married in eight weeks.”
Hana gasped. “Okay, that is a lot.”
“No shit,” Riley dryly quipped. Riley groaned. “Yeah, he’s nice, but I don’t know him, know him. He didn’t straight up ask me to marry him tonight... but I think he wants to.”
Hana was silent.
“I don’t know the first thing about farming, either,” Riley pointed out.
“You can learn. Hell, my family did. We’ve only been here for ten years and we’re already well off.”
“I don’t know, Hana,” she said in a resigned tone after a few minutes of silence.
“A word of advice? You told me how safe he makes you feel. You managed to run into him twice in a county of 100,000 people on the same day. And you, a pure-blooded New Yorker, put on cowboy boots to help a man deliver a horse. Sounds like the universe is just prodding you two along.”
Riley grunted in return.
Hana laughed at Riley, but she knew Riley would take what she had to say to heart.
“If it makes you feel any better, Hana, I’m staying the night.”
“Oooh!” Hana squealed loudly.
Riley pulled the phone away from her ear and grimaced. Once Hana was silent, she put the phone back up to her ear. “Was that necessary?”
“Are you going to sleep with him? This is huge—”
“Omigod, Haha. No! No, I am not going to sleep with him!”
“Awh.”
“I’m going now. I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“Bye!” Hana eagerly squealed.
“Bye.”
Riley rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone. She made her way back to Liam’s bedroom and was pleased to see he was still awake.
Liam noticed the difference in her demeanor and was at her side, holding her.
“What is it, Riley?”
Riley looked up at Liam and the sincerity in his eyes and face took her breath away. She didn’t feel like herself as she reached her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
He returned the gesture, picking her up off her feet.
Riley giggled when Liam set her on her feet. She pulled back from him. “Nothing’s wrong now.”
I read this incredible story by @star-spangled-eyes named “Always Faithful”. I fell in love with Bragnae Bennet and Drake Walker. This story may have started off as a fan fiction, but to me, it has potential to be a stand-alone work. I finished the story and imagined it becoming a novel, and eventually, a movie. There is one song that comes to mind everytkme I think of this story: “Faithfully” by Journey.
I’m a mushy person, and I like to think of @star-spangled-eyes as a friend, even if it’s just an internet friend. I give my friends gifts with the talents I have crafted over the years.
This gift to her is a song.
I’m totally going out of my comfort zone and I recorded me singing “Faithfully”.
Know that I love ya, girl.
Check out the song. Check out the story. Hopefully you enjoy the song and I know you’ll definitely enjoy the story.
(I know there are some pitchy parts in the song. I am my worst critic. Please don’t comment on that. Lol.)
-flutistbyday
Journey - Faithfully recorded by flutistbyday2013 on Smule. Sing with lyrics to your favorite karaoke songs.
This is SO beautiful @flutistbyday2020! Thank you so much for this wonderful shout out and this beautiful rendition of Faithfully by Journey! This is one of my favorite songs in the whole world, so it’s funny that you picked this one!
I’m so happy Bragnae and Drake captivated you so much! You seriously made my day posting this, and I still have that goal of getting Always Faithful published! I’m working on editing it now, and will be coming to you for insight soon!
And I definitely consider us friends!!! Thank you again, and keep on singing! This is BEAUTIFUL!
This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.
Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)
Alternate Universe Theme: Senior Year of College for Drake, Leo, Bragnae and Madeleine in the United States
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC / Leo Reese x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)
Warnings for this series: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sex
Series Description: Bragnae Bennett sought adventure when she first went off to college. Now, navigating through her senior year, she finds herself befriending two gorgeous guys, Drake Walker and Leo Reese, who engage in a seemingly innocent bet with her during a game of pool that leads to a surprising threesome.
Their intimate evening prompts deeper feelings than they all expected to arise, and Bragnae is suddenly swept up in both of their charms, unique to each man himself. Through the pressures of college, work and maintaining a social life, which man will prevail and win Bragnae's heart?
Master List
A/N: This chapter gets a little sad, but I think you’ll enjoy it.
Warnings for this chapter: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language
Word Count for this chapter: 5319
Setting for this chapter: Bragnae tells Drake everything.
“Hold that thought, Bragnae,” Drake said as he moved to sit up. “I’m gonna grab some water first. You want some?”
She sat up too, reaching for a blanket to cover up with. Her mouth felt dry from all the pleasured gasps he gave her, so water sounded great. “Yes, thank you.” As Drake made it to the door, he bent down to pick up his discarded jeans throwing them on before leaving the room.
Knowing she was about to deliver a blow to their pleasant afternoon, Bragnae didn’t want to do it wearing nothing but a blanket. She’d be vulnerable enough telling him about Leo, and she didn’t want to make it worse. After collecting her clothes, she got dressed save for putting her shoes back on.
Drake came back into the room holding out a water bottle for her to take. As she wrapped her fingers around the cool plastic, his grip remained. He smirked as he pulled her to him for a kiss. “I don’t know why you got dressed. I’m just going to have to take it off you again.”
She giggled awkwardly trying to come up with a believable excuse. “You’re not exactly naked anymore either, which is a damn shame.”
“Yeah, well, I did that for Leo’s sake just in case he was home. We try to keep each other’s dicks out of sight when we can,” he told her as he plopped down on the bed. He leaned back on his elbows taking a swig from the bottle. Drake was absolutely stunning laying back on the bed with just jeans and a bare chest. He could be a model with those muscles and the denim provocatively hanging off his hips.
Bragnae brought her mind back into focus and away from Drake’s abs. She sat down on the bed, keeping her body more rigid than comfortable. It would have been easier and much nicer to just enjoy this moment with Drake instead of ruining it with what she had to say. Feeling parched, now more so from being nervous, she took a drink from the water bottle.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” He reached over and stroked her knee with a tranquil expression on his face.
Clearing her throat, she looked at him, mentally capturing his face this way – happy, calm, devastatingly handsome, and with the utmost affection in his eyes all aimed at her. “I need to tell you something, and it might be hard to hear.”
Instantly, his expression shifted to a cautious curiosity. “What is it?”
Taking a deep breath, she began. “The day after you and I got together to watch the movie – the night I basically kicked you out of my apartment, I hung out with Leo. We met up so he could teach me some self-defense, and then he asked me to go out with him to the club later that night.” As she paused, Drake sat up to be more level with her eyes as she spoke. His brow had furrowed as he listened intently.
“I agreed, so he took me there. We danced and had a good time. And we,” she hesitated again, knowing this next part would disrupt everything they had become. “We had sex.”
“What?” Anger and confusion spread over his face like wild fire. “I thought you told me he wasn’t trying to pursue you. Why did you lie to me?”
“I didn’t lie,” she said calmly. “At the time, he wasn’t.” She didn’t want to leave him confused, so she kept going. “As soon as we were finished, Leo became this different person. He ignored me and treated me like I meant nothing to him.” Although it stung to have to retell this story, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it once was – not now when she had finally forgiven Leo. “He took me home that night, and then I didn’t hear a word from him until the day he walked in here and saw you and me kissing in the kitchen.”
Drake scoffed, looking away as he shook his head in disgust. “Fucking asshole.”
Bragnae was a bit surprised by his reaction to chastise Leo, but it was short lived when he returned an intense glare in her direction.
“So, let me get this straight. I tell you ‘no’ one time, and the next day you run off and sleep with someone else? I didn’t think you were that type of girl, Bragnae.” His tone was both bitter and harsh.
She sat back, somewhat stunned by his assumptions of her. “First of all, I am not that type of girl. I liked Leo, and what happened between us that night happened naturally. I wasn’t just out for sex. Secondly,” she leaned toward him with a confident stare. “You were the one I was hoping to get to know better, but I had no idea why you suddenly seemed uninterested in being with me that night. I know the reason now, and I really wish I didn’t kick you out that night because I wouldn’t have gone out with Leo the next day if I hadn’t.”
“But, Bragnae, it wasn’t as if I told you I didn’t want to see you again. I explained myself and even asked you if I could call you. Why did you think I wasn’t interested?” She could see the hurt in his eyes as he desperately tried to understand her actions.
“It’s completely on me, Drake. You hadn’t called or texted me all day, even after I left you that message telling you how sorry I was for making you leave.” Drake opened his mouth to speak, but Bragnae continued her story quickly to cut him off. “I know your mom and sister came to visit you. But because of past relationships, where I had to endure mind games from immature boys, I figured you were ignoring me and playing those games too. We weren’t exclusive and I had no idea what your intentions with me truly were. So, I allowed myself to go out with someone else who had expressed clear interest in me.
“That didn’t mean I stopped liking you. I was upset that you hadn’t called.” Bragnae looked down at her lap, and fidgeted with the cap of the bottle. “I felt a connection with Leo that night, but then he ditched me and it… hurt very badly. I wanted to tell you when you took me out to dinner, but I couldn’t talk about it yet. I was devastated. I knew I wanted to be honest about this before you and I moved our relationship forward, but I just needed more time. And I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner.”
He looked at her incredulously. She could see him contemplating something and waited for him to speak when he was ready. “So, if he wanted nothing to do with you, why was he there to save you the other night?”
“Well, after he saw you and me together, he had a change of heart. He wanted to speak with me a few times after that, but I essentially told him to fuck off each time. The night I was attacked, he showed up at Mikey’s to talk to me again.”
“What the fuck did he want to talk to you about?” His gaze was intense, but Bragnae answered him despite wanting to curl up in a shameful fetal position.
“He told me that he cared for me, and that he was sorry for hurting me.” She pursed her lips together.
“So, he did all of this even though he knew I was with you?”
“Yeah, but Drake—.”
“Don’t,” he said, cutting her off, “…defend him. He knows what he did.” Drake looked away clenching his fist. “We’re supposed to be friends.”
Bragnae felt terrible. And she still had more to tell him. Ending this tortuous conversation seemed so far away. “So, after I told him I didn’t think I could ever forgive him, I later found out that Leo had stuck around the restaurant. He saw me walking home, and kept an eye on me to make sure I got there safely. As soon as he saw the guys chasing me, that’s when he interfered. I was lucky he was there.”
Drake’s hard expression relented, dropping his eyes to the bed as he exhaled a softened breath.
“After he fought those guys off for me, he took me back to my apartment,” a lump of emotion swelled in her throat as she continued. “He helped to clean me up. I was so scared, and he made me feel safe.” She looked at Drake wistfully as tears collected in her eyes. “I asked him to stay with me that night.”
He did a double take before he could actually speak. “Did you do anything with him?”
“No,” she told him, shaking her head. “I didn’t even kiss him. But I did ask him to lay in the bed next to me. I’m sorry. This turned into a huge mess, and I never intended it to be this way. And I especially didn’t want to hurt you.”
Drake leaned forward with his head cradled in his hands. He was silent for a moment, but then turned back to face her. “You said what Leo did to you hurt you so much that you could barely talk about it. So, that must have meant you had significant feelings for him. Do you still have feelings for him?”
She slowly nodded. “Yes.” He looked at her for another second before standing up in a fury, kicking one of his bags on the floor.
Bragnae got off the bed, and gently touched his back. “But I also have feelings for you, Drake. Very, very deep feelings. I care about you so much.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as her hand felt the tenseness of his back.
“I think you should leave,” he told her in a low, defeated voice.
Bragnae took in an inaudible gasp, and suddenly there was a tremendous ache in her heart. Even though she expected she’d have to give him space, it didn’t hurt any less hearing him ask her to leave. She sniffled. “Okay.”
She bent down to put her shoes back on, and grabbed her purse. Digging in the bag, she pulled out his truck keys, and placed them on his desk. He was still facing away from her when she went to pass him. She couldn’t ignore the urge to press herself against his back in hopes to convey the remorse she felt. “I’m so sorry, Drake.” Before he could say anything else, she let go of him and walked out of his room to the front door of the apartment.
Reluctantly, she opened the door and left. Once outside, Bragnae burst into heavy tears, taking her time as she walked down the stairs, and aimlessly wandered away from the building. After taking a minute to let it all out, she calmed herself down. She realized she didn’t have a car to drive home, so she’d have to call for an Uber. But first, she wanted to let Leo know that Drake was now aware of everything. She couldn’t stand the thought of him being blindsided. Retrieving her phone, she found his name and called him.
The phone rang a few times before he finally answered. “Bragnae? What’s up?”
“Hey, I just wanted to let you know I just told Drake about us. All of it.” She exhaled a deep breath waiting for him to respond.
She heard him sigh on the other end. “Oh.”
“I wanted to give you a heads up because he’s probably going to want to talk to you.”
“Yeah, I figured.” He was silent for a moment. “You doing okay?”
His question brought the tears back. “No. Not really.”
“Alright. Hang in there. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Yep,” she said, swallowing to push the hard lump back down her throat. “Talk to you later.”
Bragnae ended the call, taking another big breath. Brushing the tears off her face, she looked to her phone again to arrange for a ride.
“Bragnae!” Drake said from behind her. She turned to see him walking down the stairs towards her. “How are you getting home?”
A little surprised to see him, she couldn’t find the words right away. “I was going to grab an Uber.”
He stood in place, fidgeting with the keys in his hand. “Come on.” He motioned with his head for her to follow. “I’ll give you a ride.”
“Thanks.” She started towards him, but he didn’t wait for her to catch up. She had to hustle her steps to reach him. He didn’t open her door this time, which was a painful reminder of how much she hurt him.
After getting in the truck, Drake started the engine and began the drive to her place. It was a long and awkward ride home. She stayed silent, and so did he. Hugging the purse in her lap, she kept her eyes on the road in front of her.
Drake pulled into a parking spot and threw the gear in park. He sat back, staring in front of him not saying a word. She dared a quick look in his direction before deciding she’d better leave.
“Thank you for the ride,” she barely managed to say as she made a move to open the door.
“Bragnae, wait.”
She carefully looked back at him. His gaze locked with hers.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this. I’m pissed at Leo for what he did to you and to me. And I’m upset that you didn’t tell me before now.” The muscles in his jaw clenched before the rest of his face relaxed. “But I still care about you, Bragnae. I didn’t want you to think I was going to ignore or abandon you because of this. I’m not Leo.”
The tiniest of smiles appeared on her face. “I know you’re not.”
He worked his jaw allowing his eyes time to take her in. “I’m going to need some time to think about everything.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk, okay?”
She nodded, and gave him one last look before turning back to the door. Letting herself out of the truck, she turned back to him. Not knowing when she’d see or hear from him again was a horrible feeling. There could be so much of his life that’d she miss out on, and the thought was unbearable. He was only going to get busier with the hockey season starting up in another week, and she hated that she couldn’t be involved in that with him. Not until he was ready.
“Congrats again on getting the first line. I’m really proud of you.”
He swallowed, looking at her with sadness wrapped up in emotion. “Thanks.”
Bragnae shut the door to his truck and turned on her heel to head to her apartment. After a few steps, she heard him pull away. At least he still cared about her, and he wasn’t just going to run away from this. She was glad he was mature enough to want to think this through. That, at least, was good news even if it resulted in him turning away from her in the end.
The rest of the day went by at a snail’s pace. With no homework to do, she zoned out in front of the television. Shows she’d already watched played comfortingly in the background as she sat with her legs held against her chest not really paying attention. Madeleine was working, so the apartment was quiet save for the television.
Even though the afternoon had been hard to get through, she was glad Drake knew everything. She was not someone who enjoyed keeping information from people. It was overdue, and she knew it. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She paused the show, and got up to answer it. On the other side of the door was Leo, and he was sporting a brand new black eye.
Her heart sank. “Oh, my God. Leo. Come in.” He walked inside, and she immediately reached up to cup his face to inspect his eye. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said gloomily before holding up a plastic bag in his hand. “I brought ice cream. We both had a crappy day. Thought you might want to indulge with me.”
“Did you get punched, and then run right out to get ice cream?” She looked at him with a slight smirk.
“Shut up. It’s my comfort food,” he said with a wink and smile. “You want some or not?”
She mirrored his expression. “Yes, please.”
“Grab a couple spoons,” He told her as they walked into the kitchen together. Bragnae grabbed the utensils before joining Leo at the counter atop the bar stools.
“So, what flavor did you get?
“Um, the best flavor. Chocolate Fudge Brownie.” Leo removed the Ben & Jerry’s pint from the bag and popped the top.
Bragnae’s eyes widened. “Ooh. Good choice.”
Leo scoffed. “Look who you’re talking to here. I’m the king of ice cream,” he said, tilting the full container towards her. Bragnae scooped some onto her spoon and took a bite, melting as soon as the delicious taste hit her tongue.
“Ohmigod, that’s amazing.” She closed her eyes for a second to savor the flavor.
“You’re lucky I like you,” he said, lifting his own spoon of ice cream into his mouth. “I just gave you the first bite. The best bite,” he confirmed as he finished swallowing the ice cream. “I never give anyone the first bite.”
“Well, don’t I feel special?” She asked teasingly as she dove in for another round.
“You should,” he smiled, taking another scoop for himself.
Bragnae’s giggle trailed off as she looked at the bruised skin around his left eye. “I’m sorry you got hit.”
Leo shrugged, keeping his eyes on the ice cream as he took his time to fill the spoon. “It’s okay. I deserved it.”
“But you more than made up for it.”
He turned his head to look at her. “To you, maybe. But I selfishly went behind his back to try to convince you to be with me. He’s my friend – I shouldn’t have done that.”
“What happened between you two today?”
Leo returned his attention to the pint, idly digging a crater into the ice cream. “Well, when I got home from the gym, he wasn’t there. So, I took a shower, and by the time I was done, he had come back. We had a stare down of sorts in the hallway at first, and when I started to speak… he gave me his right hook.” Leo used the spoon to point to his eye.
Bragnae felt incredibly guilty. Even though Leo was responsible for some of the blame too, she felt bad that he was punched because of her conversation with Drake.
“He told me I was a shitty friend for doing what I did. And he gave me hell for ditching you that night, too. But I will say this,” he continued, using the spoon to emphasize his point, tapping it in the air. “I’ve been in a fight with Drake before – for some reason I can’t remember right now – and let me tell ya, he let me off easy today. He could have really beat me down. I think it’s because I helped you out with those guys. Or maybe because I didn’t put up a fight. Who knows?”
Bragnae patted his back.
“How are things between you and Drake?” He asked, taking another bite.
She sighed. “I don’t know where we stand.”
“Knowing him, Drake’s going to need time. But despite that, I know he still cares about you. I know he’s not going to want to let you go – no matter what.”
“How do you know?”
“If I was in his position, I wouldn’t want to let you go.” He looked more deeply into her eyes. “I would never let you go.” She felt his words deep in her soul. “What did he say when you told him about us?”
“Not a lot actually. Mostly, he asked questions. I told him everything. And before he told me to leave, he asked me if I had feelings for you.” Bragnae reached for the ice cream, but Leo tilted the top in his direction instead.
“And do you?”
Bragnae rested her arm on the counter, giving him a knowing look. “Don’t you know?”
“I’d like to hear it from you.”
She looked down at her hands. “Yes.” Her voice was almost a whisper, and then she found his eyes again. “For quite some time now. And they grew exponentially after last Thursday.”
Leo’s eyes searched hers for a long moment. His face revealed nothing. Then, he offered the ice cream to her again. She scoffed a chuckle, and dug her spoon in liberating a big chunk of brownie and fudge from the softening chocolate.
“Damn! You’re getting the best bites!” He feigned frustration in such a cute and playful way.
Bragnae rerouted the spoon from her mouth, and brought it to his mouth instead. He looked at her before slowly wrapping his lips around her spoon, taking the bite.
She cocked an eyebrow and smirked at him. “And you’re lucky I like you.”
He smiled as he chewed the delectable treat, watching her the whole time. “Mmmm…delicious.” His sultry tone could have melted the rest of the pint.
The offered bite had caused Bragnae to lean in close to him. As she observed Leo enjoying the ice cream, she became lost in the deep ocean of his eyes before her gaze dropped down to his full lips.
“Don’t,” he told her.
“Don’t what?” Her eyes shot back up to his.
“Don’t kiss me.”
She swallowed. “How did you know I wanted to do that?”
“Because I want to do that.”
“So, why haven’t you?”
He took a deep breath looking at her mouth. “Because I won’t be able to stop if I do. I’ve been craving to kiss your luscious lips for weeks. If I start, even just a little, it will certainly lead to more.”
His words only enticed her further. There was a burning need inside her to press her lips against his – to feel what it was like to kiss him with no barriers between them. He had confessed his true feelings to her, apologized, and atoned for his wrongdoing. A kiss now, after he’d come so far since that night at the club would be different… amazing… renewed.
“Leo,” she whispered. They both stared at each other waiting for the other to proceed. Bragnae felt her heart beat faster as he returned the same desperate look she was giving him.
As the memories of the day rushed back to her – sleeping with Drake and telling him everything, she knew she couldn’t allow herself an indulgence with Leo. Not now. Not when she was upset the way she was. It wasn’t fair to her, or to Leo, or even to Drake. As much as she thought she wanted to dive into his soft lips, she knew it’d be a mistake. At least for now, it would be. She needed time to sift through her feelings of both men, and wanted a clear mind when she finally did kiss him.
Her eyes closed, breaking the tension between them. “I’m sorry.”
Leo blew out a breath he’d been holding. “Don’t be. It’s probably for the best. It’s been one hell of a day.”
“Yes, it has,” she said disappointedly, looking at her lap.
Taking her hand, Leo regained her full attention. She was surprised by his gesture, and yet she was happy he was touching her – to have him hold her in such a tender way.
“You know this already, but I’m going to say it anyway. I want to be with you, Bragnae. I think about you all the time. I care about you so much that it hurts.” He paused to let it sink in. “And if you decide you want to be with Drake instead, it’ll be hard, but I won’t stand in your way.”
Placing her spoon on the counter, she tenderly cupped his cheek. “Thank you for letting me know. I’m going to need time to think about all of it, but I’m so glad you came over. I needed this.”
Leo turned into her hand, placing a gentle kiss on her palm. “Me too.”
~
Two weeks had gone by and Bragnae still hadn’t heard from Drake. She missed him, and hated not being a part of his life. Hockey season was starting up, so she knew that occupied a lot of his time.
She took that time to distance herself from Leo as well. Like Drake, she also needed time to think about things, and remove herself from the whirlwind of having two incredible men vying for her attention. While some might find that exciting, it was more stressful to Bragnae than anything else. She wasn’t the type of person to juggle more than one man at a time, so all of this was new to her.
Having strong feelings for both of them didn’t help the situation. She figured if she gave herself time away from Drake and Leo, she’d be able to have more clarity about who she felt pulled towards most. Drake, of course, was making the decision for her to stay away, but Leo understood that she needed time.
Despite his decision not to speak to her, Bragnae still wanted to support Drake, so she decided to attend his first hockey game of the season. She had originally planned on making it to all of his games anyway, and didn’t want what happened between them to change that. At least she’d be able to see him this way.
Bragnae arrived at the arena where Drake’s game was to take place. She sat in an open seat in the fourth row at center ice. Much like the other rink she’d visited before, there was only one side for spectators to view the game from.
It wasn’t long before the players from both teams took the ice. After the national anthem was sung, the players skated to their positions, waiting for the puck to drop. Drake stood as the right defenseman, which was closest to where she sat. Her breathing quickened at the sight of him as she watched Drake lean his weight on his stick – his eyes focused on the center line.
The puck dropped and both teams unleashed their fury to retrieve it. The Pit Vipers were facing another team with gold jerseys called the Arctic Wolves, and they appeared to be equally matched in terms of talent.
The first period ended with no goals scored. Both teams had fought hard to keep the puck out of the net. After a quick intermission the teams took the ice again. The start of the second period was even more exciting than the first. It seemed both teams had been properly motivated by their coaches and the lack of points on the scoreboard to amplify their skills.
The Pit Vipers worked together to score two goals by the end of the second period. As the buzzer sounded, the team rose from the bench to return to the locker room for one last intermission. Bragnae watched as Drake said a few words to the referee facing in her direction. Just as he was about to skate off, his gaze found her in the audience. He looked at her for a few seconds with no change in his expression. She didn’t wave or nod, she just kept eye contact with him until he turned away to leave the ice.
Now, he knew she was there. She hoped her presence wouldn’t distract him during the final period, but it was nice to feel his eyes on her again. Bragnae killed time during the intermission by using the restroom and playing with her phone. A part of her hoped he’d call her soon after seeing her at the game today, but even if he still needed more time, she was relieved to be able to see him now.
The players took the ice again to finish out the game. Drake and his friend Chuck covered defense as the puck came sliding their way. Chuck gained control of it, and passed the puck to Drake who skated expeditiously down the rink. Drake delivered the puck to another one of his teammates who shot it into the net to increase their score to three. The team celebrated in the corner. Drake had earned an assist with the goal – his first of the season. Bragnae smiled as she cheered for the team along with the other spectators.
The teams continued to battle for the puck as the clock counted down. With only a minute left to go, the Pit Vipers were doing their best to keep the puck out of their end to claim the shut out of 3-0 at the end of the game. The other team’s players dug in and furiously tried to regain control of the puck, but they weren’t successful. The buzzer sounded once more giving the win to the Pit Vipers. The audience stood and cheered as a sea of royal purple jerseys flooded the ice to celebrate the victory.
Bragnae clapped along with the others as both teams showed their sportsmanship to each other on the ice with quick handshakes. As most of the audience started to disperse, Bragnae stood there watching Drake rejoice with his team over the win. He wore a dashing smile that made her heart ache and soar at the same time. She was glad he was happy, but she knew when he thought of her that beautiful smile wouldn’t grace his face.
Before she could work herself into deep pit of sadness, Bragnae bent down to retrieve her purse, and started to make her way out of the row of seats. Reaching the aisle, she walked up the steps towards the door, but stopped when she heard her name being called. She looked over her shoulder and saw Drake at the edge of the rink looking up at her.
Stepping to the side of other people trying to leave, she returned her attention to him. Drake beckoned her with a gloved hand to come closer. Swallowing, she made her way back down the steps to get to him. He opened a latch on the wall, and slid the door to the ice open so they could hear each other better.
He stood with both feet on the ice, but hugged the boards just a foot away from where she was standing. He smelled like sweat and triumph, but she didn’t care. He was allowing her next to him, and that’s all that mattered.
“You came to the game,” he noted, taking his gloves off as he spoke.
“I didn’t want to miss it.” She grinned. “It was spectacular. You played great, Drake. Nice assist.”
He ran a hand through his wet and matted helmet-hair. “Thanks. We worked together, and got it done.”
His warm brown eyes locked with hers, and a chill shot down her spine. He didn’t look at her with the affection he once did, but at least there wasn’t a burning anger or deep sadness in his eyes now as he spoke.
“Listen, I’m going to shower, and get changed. Will you wait for me? I was thinking we could go somewhere to talk if you’re not busy.”
Bragnae drew in a sharp breath. He was ready to talk to her again, and she was more than happy to oblige. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.
Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)
Alternate Universe Theme: Senior Year of College for Drake, Leo, Bragnae and Madeleine in the United States
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC / Leo Reese x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)
Warnings for this series: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sex
Series Description: Bragnae Bennett sought adventure when she first went off to college. Now, navigating through her senior year, she finds herself befriending two gorgeous guys, Drake Walker and Leo Reese, who engage in a seemingly innocent bet with her during a game of pool that leads to a surprising threesome.
Their intimate evening prompts deeper feelings than they all expected to arise, and Bragnae is suddenly swept up in both of their charms, unique to each man himself. Through the pressures of college, work and maintaining a social life, which man will prevail and win Bragnae's heart?
Master List
A/N: Enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading!
Warnings for this chapter: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, discussion of assault from previous chapter, sex
Word Count for this chapter: 5955
Setting for this chapter: Bragnae copes with the aftermath of the attack, and Drake returns from the hockey camp.
Bragnae woke up the next morning feeling stiff and achy all over. As she opened her eyes, she saw rays of light coming in through the window, brightening up her room. Looking next to her, the bed was empty. Leo was gone. Disappointment covered her like a cold blanket.
After what happened last night, she thought he had come miles from where he started. And now, it seemed he abandoned her again. Of course, if he needed to leave for school she couldn’t quite blame him, but she still would have liked to be woken up before he left. She wanted to thank him for staying with her and helping her to fall into a peaceful and sound sleep. Perhaps, it was for the best that he left, but she couldn’t shake the sadness that filled her over his absence.
She got out of bed and went to the bathroom for her morning routine. She inspected her bruised cheek in the mirror, and winced at the memory of the horrific assault that ensued last night. After brushing out her hair, she threw it up into a bun at the top of her head.
Bragnae got dressed in casual clothes, but didn’t bother with any make-up because she knew she’d be skipping school today. There was no way she’d go to class with her face all bruised up, having to deal with stares and questions all day. After she got some coffee in her, she’d send an email to her professors letting them know why she wasn’t there.
Stepping out of her bedroom, she walked towards the kitchen hearing Madeleine talking. When she peeked around the corner she saw Leo standing with her by the counter sipping on what she assumed was coffee based on the delicious smell that filled the air. Her mouth fell open slightly in surprise as she halted in her tracks.
He hadn’t left without saying goodbye. She felt the corners of her mouth lift as she watched him conversing casually with her roommate. Whatever they were talking about, it seemed they were getting along at least.
Not exactly in a covert position, Bragnae was soon spotted by Madeleine. “There you are!” She said with enthusiasm. “Come here and let me see your—.” Madeleine gasped, interrupting her own sentence. “Oh my God! Look at your face!” She said running over to Bragnae with her hands gingerly examining it.
“Good thing I’m not self-conscious about it or anything,” Bragnae replied sarcastically.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little sore today.” Her eyes flicked to Leo who was staring back at her. “Morning, Leo,” she said warmly. He smiled as he brought the cup of coffee to his lips.
“Hey, B, will you help me pick out some shoes for class today? You know, in my room?” Madeleine asked.
Hearing such an odd request, Bragnae knew she really wanted to talk in private rather than gain advice about her footwear – especially since she was already wearing shoes.
She nodded and let Madeleine lead the way. Bragnae offered a quick but apologetic smile to Leo before she followed along. Once they were inside her room, Madeleine shut the door.
“Okay, so what’s up with the blonde hunk in our kitchen? I thought he was an asshole to you?”
Bragnae took a deep breath. “Did he tell you anything about last night?”
“Only that he helped save you from a couple of jerks. But why is he still here? Did you guys sleep together again?” Madeleine placed a judging hand on her hip with her chin tucked in and an even stare.
“No, of course not. Last night, I was really shaken up from the attack, and I asked him to stay because it felt safer with him here.”
“So, he’s not an asshole anymore?” Madeleine looked at her expectantly.
Bragnae shook her head. “No. We’ve had a few talks lately, and I finally saw that he truly cares about me and feels remorse for what he did. I couldn’t believe him at first, but after he kicked those guys’ asses last night, and then brought me home to take care of me,” she paused remembering the tender moment with him, “I actually believe him now.”
Madeleine’s expression softened as her hand fell from her hip. “Well, that’s good. I’m glad he redeemed himself. And I’m glad he had your back last night.” She shook her head as her eyes scanned over Bragnae. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, B. It must have been awful.”
“It was, but it could have been much worse.” Her eyes were caught in a stare as memories from last night flooded her brain again.
Madeleine watched her another moment before pulling Bragnae into a gentle embrace. She ran a hand over her back soothingly. “I’ve gotta get to class, but I’ll check in with you later.” Pulling back, she said, “We’re not working tonight, so let’s have a relaxing night in. We can paint our nails, watch movies, and eat the crap out of some comfort food.”
The two of them left Madeleine’s room and headed back to the kitchen. Madeleine grabbed her back pack and purse and left for school while Bragnae moseyed over to where Leo stood.
“Want some coffee?” He asked, pocketing his phone.
“Coffee would be great.” When she made a move towards the cabinet, he stepped in front of her.
“I’ll make it for you. Have a seat.”
“Thanks,” she replied before walking to the bar stool on the opposite side of the counter.
The aromatic cinnamon coffee brewed, filling the air with its sweet, heavenly scent. As it poured into the mug, Leo opened the fridge. “Want creamer?”
“Yes, please.” She watched him grab the bottle, and pour more than a splash into the mug before returning it to the fridge. After giving it a quick stir, he placed the hot cup in front of her. “Thank you, Leo.”
“No problem.” He picked up his own java, and took a drink.
Taking a small sip, she enjoyed its rich taste before the hot liquid ran down her throat. She looked at Leo as a small grin crossed over her lips.
“What’s that look for?” He asked.
She hesitated for a moment before answering. “You stayed.”
His eyes focused more as he squared his body to face her. “What?”
“When I woke up and you weren’t there, I thought you had left… without saying anything. I was disappointed. But you stayed.”
He pursed his lips in understanding. “I wouldn’t have done that to you, Bragnae. Even if I had to leave for class before you got up. I told you things are different now.”
“I see that.” She looked into his eyes with clarity. “I wanted to thank you again for last night. You staying with me meant a lot. I’m still kind of rattled by all of this, but you being here makes it easier.”
“I’m glad.”
“And I wanted you to know that I forgive you for what you did the night we went to the club.”
“You do?” His face was overcome with astonishment. “What made you change your mind? Was it because I fought those guys last night?”
Bragnae looked down at her coffee to collect her thoughts. “It was more than that. Earlier in the night when we talked, I couldn’t see how you’d ever convince me that you were genuinely sorry and that it would never happen again. And at that time, I had no idea what you could do to make everything better.” She paused to wet her lips. “And then you came to my rescue, but it wasn’t just that you subdued them. You took me home, you comforted me when I was scared, and you helped me through the worst night of my life.”
She averted her gaze for a moment when her eyes began to glisten. “I knew you didn’t do all of that just to win me over. You did it because you cared about me. When it mattered most, you didn’t leave me.” The emotions from the night prior had caught up with her, making Bragnae break into tears. Immediately, Leo rushed to her side.
He turned her away from the counter and pulled her against his chest. His strong arms encircled her as she rested her cheek on his firm body. Even now as she wept, he was there holding her and making her feel safe again.
Leo lower his head to speak softly in her ear. “I’m sorry it had to happen that way for you to realize my true intentions, but I’m glad you did.”
She pulled back to look at him. “Me too.”
He bent over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes in relief at the gesture.
“You’re not planning on going to school today, are you?” He asked in a soft voice, stepping back to give her space.
“No. I don’t think I could handle that and everything else today.”
“Good. I was going to suggest it. You should just rest.”
She nodded. “You’re right. But I probably should notify the police about this. I should do it today so they can see what that asshole did to me.” She clenched her fists in anger. “Do you mind if I tell them what you did?”
“No, go ahead. I won’t get in any trouble. I was defending you.”
She agreed. “And I have to call the tow truck to get my stupid car.” With so much accumulating on her plate, Bragnae started to stress. She cradled her head in her hands, suddenly tuning into every ache and pain in her body.
“Hey, don’t worry about that,” he told her with a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’ll take care of your car. Just give me your keys, and I’ll meet the tow truck today in between classes.”
Her gaze met his. “You’d do that for me?”
“Bragnae, I think we’ve already established that I’d do anything for you, including, but not limited to, beating some guy within an inch of his life because he crossed too many lines.”
She giggled. “You’re right. Thank you for taking that burden off of my shoulders. It already makes me feel better.” Something he said triggered a thought. “When you went to move your bike last night, were the guys still laying there?”
“No. All that was left was a few blood stains that spilled on the sidewalk. They were lucky they could walk away on their own.” Anger rose in his voice as he spoke while the muscles in his jaw clenched. “Fucking bastards.”
She ran her hand down the length of his arm, which eased the tension in his face and calmed the look in his eyes. He smiled down at her. “I’d happily hang out with you today, but I do have to get to class. And I have to go home before I do that to grab my books. Can I have your car keys?”
“Oh, sure.” She got up to retrieve the keys from her purse, and handed them to him. “Thank you again. Let me know what it costs for them to pick it up.”
He waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. I know a guy who owes me a favor. He’ll do it for free. I’ll text you later to let you know which shop we leave it with.”
Bragnae hugged him, looping her arms around his waist. “Thank you for everything Leo. I’m so grateful for your help.”
“Anytime,” he said, hugging her back.
After he left, Bragnae went to sit at the counter again to finish her coffee. She was stunned at how everything had unfolded since last night, and this morning to be honest. Leo was an incredibly sweet and caring person. The glowing feelings she had for him before they made love at the club that night were reminders of how she felt now, only at this moment, they seemed stronger than before.
Her thoughts immediately shifted to Drake. “Oh, my God. I have to call him.” She realized with all the drama, she hadn’t told him about the assault yet. Granted, there wasn’t exactly a lot of time seeing as it was late last night when it happened.
She retrieved her phone and dialed Drake’s number. It rang twice before he picked up. She was relieved to have caught him.
“Shouldn’t you be in class, Miss Bennett?” He asked.
The sound of his playful voice made her smile. “Yes, I should, but I’m not going today.”
“Give me a minute, Chuck,” she heard Drake say. “So, what’s going on?” His attention returned to her.
Bragnae realized now might not be a good time to tell him she was attacked last night. She didn’t want him to be distracted by the news and not perform well at his practices. Knowing how important getting the first line on his team was, she knew she couldn’t jeopardize that by telling him something he could do little about. If the coach had already revealed the first line, then she would tell him.
“Not much. How’s hockey going? Did your coach decide on the first line yet?” She prayed that he did.
“No, he won’t do that until tomorrow night. We still have all day today and tomorrow to prove ourselves.”
Shit. “I bet you’re looking forward to tomorrow night, then.”
“Yeah, after the announcements, the coach is taking us all out to a steakhouse for dinner. He said we’ve all worked really fucking hard, and we earned it.”
Bragnae smiled. “That’s great, and sounds yummy. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. So, why are you skipping class?”
She hated to withhold the truth from him, but knew she had to. “I don’t feel very well, so I’m just going to take it easy.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better.”
“Thank you.” Anxious to divert the conversation, she offered him a piece of good news. “You might be happy to know that I am no longer working on Sunday. So, after you get back and when you’re ready to see me, I can come over.”
“Ooh, yes,” Drake purred. “I can’t wait to see you, Bragnae. You better believe I’ll be calling you immediately when I get back.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Only two more days.”
“That’s right. Only two days stand between us. I hope you feel better before Sunday because well, you’re gonna need your strength and endurance.”
Bragnae laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
“Alright, I gotta get going, but I’ll talk to you soon.” She heard a commotion in the background, which sounded like his team getting pumped up for one reason or another.
After they said their goodbyes, Bragnae ended the call. The discussion didn’t go quite as she planned, but she’d tell him on Sunday. She’d tell him everything – even about Leo. He had to know. If they were going to take their relationship to the next level – again – Drake deserved to know what happened.
~
Sunday came faster than Bragnae expected. She had worked with both the campus police and the local city police department retelling her side of the story. An investigation was opened, and it turned out that it was actually quite easy to pinpoint who Ralph was as well as his lowlife friends.
Since Leo had also witnessed the crime taking place, it only strengthened Bragnae’s claim. When Bragnae was asked to the police station on Saturday to identify her attackers, it was only then when she was able to see the number Leo had done on them. The two lackeys had bruised up faces, but it was Ralph who had a broken nose, a bloodshot eye and two horrendous gashes in his skin framing his face. He looked pitiful, but Bragnae felt no sympathy for him.
She decided to press charges, and therefore Ralph and his buddies were booked for assault and being party to a crime. The manager at Mikey’s had banned them from ever coming back to the restaurant, and decided from then on that all employees would be escorted to their vehicles at the end of their night shifts.
It would have been the easy thing to quit her job, but with over three years of being a part of the staff at Michelangelo’s, she didn’t want to just throw that away because of one incident.
After Leo had gotten her car to the shop, they immediately diagnosed the problem as a bad fuel pump. Luckily, it only took a day to replace, but cost her a pretty penny in the end.
Drake had been giving her text updates all morning as he got closer to town. She had about twenty minutes before she was going to meet him at his apartment. Her nerves kicked in as she got ready to go. As excited as she was to see him again, the thought of how he was going to react to her news had her worried.
They hadn’t dated for long – she didn’t even officially have the title of girlfriend either, but Bragnae still had strong feelings for Drake. Their bond was special, and different from the one she shared with Leo. It was hard to pinpoint, but she cared for both of them nonetheless. None of this was easy, but with her feelings for Leo now more clearly defined, she didn’t feel right keeping Drake in the dark.
Ten minutes before she was expected, Bragnae made her way over to his apartment. Despite possibly hurting him with what she had to say, at least she’d be returning his Chevy Silverado without a scratch and a full tank of gas.
Taking a deep breath, she got out of the truck and headed up to second floor of the apartment building. She knocked on his door and waited with baited breath to see his face again.
Another moment passed when the door opened and Leo was standing there in a tank top and athletic shorts. He was fidgeting with his keys in one hand and had his phone and ear buds in the other. Expecting to see Drake, she was a little thrown off, but smiled at him anyway.
“Hi,” she said almost shyly.
He grinned. “Hey. You can go on in. I’m heading to the gym.” As he brushed past her, he put a warm hand on her arm. His touch prompted her to turn her head to watch him walk down the stairs.
Bragnae shook herself out of the momentary spell, and walked inside the apartment. She looked around not seeing Drake, so she headed into his bedroom. His unpacked hockey bag and suitcase sat on the floor. His bed was made, but he wasn’t in there. The television was on, playing an action movie she’d never seen before.
She took a seat on the bed, and watched the movie while she waited. The movie was exciting, drawing her in until she felt herself being dipped back towards the bed. Her sudden gasp was covered instantly by Drake’s mouth as he devoured hers in a surprising but heated kiss. Her back was against the mattress as he hovered above her making the incredible ‘hello’ kiss an upside down one. The sensation was unique, but pleasurable all the same.
He finally released her after playfully tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth. “Hi, there.”
She giggle. “What an entrance, Mr. Walker.”
“What can I say? I missed ya.” He bent down to kiss her again before helping her sit up.
Bragnae shifted on the bed to face him as he took a seat. His smiled faded as he leaned in to focus his eyes on her.
“Bragnae, is that a bruise on you face? What happened to your lip?” His face was wrought with concern.
She knew her face would be a dead giveaway. Even though her bruising had faded a bit, it was still evident that her face had seen better days. Same for her lip. It had mostly healed with the assistance of ointments, but anyone could tell something had torn it open.
He scooted closer to her, and gently lifted under her jaw to see the bruising better. “Did this hurt?”
She brought a hand up to his, and drawing it down to her lap. “Yeah, it did.”
“Well, what happened? Looks like you got into a fight.” His brow furrowed as his eyes continued to scan her face while his hand found the remote to turn off the TV.
She inhaled deeply. Here we go. “I was at work on Thursday night, and one of my customers grabbed my ass. So, I turned around and slugged him for it.”
Drake’s worried look quickly transformed into restrained anger. “Yeah… go on.”
Bragnae swallowed before continuing. “Well, later after my shift was over, my car wouldn’t start, so I decided to walk home.” She felt heaviness in her chest as she recounted the night. Even with her assailants caught, the incident was still too fresh in her mind, making it difficult to talk about without becoming emotional.
Drake had recaptured her fallen gaze with alarm now raised in his eyes. “Bragnae, what the fuck happened? Did someone hurt you?”
“While I was walking home, that same customer and his friends followed me. They were belligerent, and I told them to go home, but then they chased me down the street.” She could feel his rage growing beside her, but pushed herself to finish the story. “I had to wait to cross an intersection because of an oncoming car, and that’s when he hit me in the face and knocked me down.”
Drake stood from the bed in a flash. “What the fuck?! Who is this guy? I’ll fucking kill him.”
She grabbed his hand and gently tugged. Her calm voice brought his attention back to her. “Drake, please let me finish.”
His chest heaved with frantic breaths, but he sat down slowly on the bed to allow her to continue. Bragnae briefly remembered that Drake was already on edge from not having any sort of release of tension in his body, so his reactions might be more amplified.
“After he knocked me down, he tried to rip my shirt off, but he was too drunk to be coordinated for that. Luckily, this allowed time for Leo to help me. He was able to level the other two quickly, and then beat the other guy’s ass… thoroughly.”
Drake sat there stunned, trying to follow the story. “Leo was there?” She nodded as he sat back a little to take it in. “That’s a relief. I know how well he can fight. I’m sure he fucked them up.”
“He did. And the guys that did this have already been arrested.” She watched him carefully as his eyes stared at the bedspread in contemplation.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this, Bragnae? You said it happened Thursday night?” He asked, finding her eyes again.
“I was going to on Friday when I called you, but… I didn’t want to distract you.”
“Distract me from what?” He leaned in towards her again, waiting for her response.
“Well, I didn’t want to make you worry about me while you were trying to get the first line on the team. I know how important that was to you.” She felt timid under his adamant gaze.
Drake scoffed in disbelief. “What? Bragnae… fuck the first line. Don’t you know you’re more important to me than that? This wasn’t just some bullshit thing. This was your safety and quite possibly your life that was at risk.” He sandwiched her hand between his, looking into her eyes. “I don’t care what is going on in my life, if you’re hurt or being threatened or anything else that makes you upset, I want to know about it. I want to be there for you, Bragnae – no matter what. If you would have told me this on Friday, I would have left to come be with you. Hockey is my life, but you mean more to me than that. Hands down.”
Her eyes began to water as a smile breached her lips. He had once again floored her with his words. When would she realize that he truly cared about her? Better yet, when would she start to believe that she was worth caring about? Both Drake and Leo had professed their deep feelings to her, and even though she heard their words, somehow she’d always find an excuse to discredit them to mean less than they did. How unfair of her to do to herself.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I should have.”
Drake gently gripped her chin with his fingers. “Promise me you’ll keep me in the loop from here on out.”
“I promise,” she said with a delicate voice.
“Good.” He leaned forward to kiss her sweetly.
Bragnae sighed in relief. “So… did you get it? The first line?”
He looked at her for a moment before a smirk appeared on his face. “Yes. I was the first one named.”
She beamed at him, immediately cupping his face to pull him in for another kiss. “I knew you’d get it. That’s wonderful. Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I’m pretty happy about it.” He smiled, but the way he affectionately poured his gaze over her told her it wasn’t about hockey. Drake brushed his fingers against her cheek, drawing her in for another tender kiss. His hand casually slid down to her leg, hooking around her knee with the other hand at her lower back. In a swift motion, he pulled her closer, draping her legs over his.
A delightful tingle ran down her spine as their kiss deepened. His touch was slow and deliberate. As amazing as it was, Bragnae reminded herself that she still had more to say. She achingly pulled away from his soft lips. His tempered, brown eyes were full of warmth and passion as they peered into hers.
“There are still some things I wanted to talk to you about.” It was horribly disappointing to have to stop them in their tracks to talk about Leo, but it was the right thing to do.
“I think we’ve talked enough for now,” he said in a calm, convincing tone. Drake ran a gentle hand through her hair as his eyes leisurely roamed her face. “I missed you, Bragnae. I just want to feel you in my arms, and get lost in your full lips.”
God, she wanted that too. Drake’s eyes followed his hand as it lazily outlined the neckline of her shirt. His fingertips grazed across the top of her breast sending another delicious feeling through her body that pooled at her core. His face, mere inches from hers, was ruggedly beautiful. He looked so determined and yet peaceful. It was captivating. She watched his eyes slowly meet hers again, darkly rich with desire. Then, he trained on her mouth, leaning in with the utmost care until their lips connected.
Bragnae sank into his sensual kiss, parting her mouth to allow his tongue to tease hers. Drake had taken her breath away, as well as any sense of control she had over her thoughts to insist they speak before going any further. This was something they both had wanted since the night of the threesome – to be with just each other.
Inspired by his arousing touch, Bragnae adjusted to straddle Drake as she reached for the hem of her shirt to remove it all together. A soft smile laid on his lips as he looked up at her. His arms stretched around her back, his hands taking their time to find the hook of her bra as his mouth placed cherishing kisses on her neck and chest.
Her fingers wove through his hair while his dedicated mouth sent shivers throughout her body. With her bra unlatched, Bragnae allowed the straps to slide down her arms and off her body to give Drake free rein over her ample breasts. Drake covered her with a satisfying warmth and dampness, using his tongue and lips to draw her taut nipple into his mouth. She threw her head back, reveling in the divine sensation she felt especially when his hand paid her other breast equal attention, kneading and squeezing her affectionately.
She guided his mouth up to hers again in a more fervent kiss. The intensity between them started to increase, and Bragnae needed to feel his skin pressed against hers. She broke the kiss only to bring his shirt over his head. As she settled onto his lips again, Drake stood up taking her with him as he pushed the door to his room shut. He used the weight of their bodies to click it in place before setting her back down.
Drake locked the door before leaning both hands flat against the wooden surface on either side of her head. Her eyes hungrily swept over his muscled arms leading to his even more chiseled torso. She allowed her hands to slide down his glorious chest until they found his belt. Once she was past that barrier, she undid his jeans sliding those as well as his underwear down his legs. Drake stepped out of his clothes, and then picked Bragnae up again to take her back to the bed.
He dropped them both to the mattress keeping Bragnae on her back. His lips consumed hers for a heated moment before kissing down her neck, chest and stomach. His fingers popped open the button to her jeans, and then moved to lower the zipper. He gripped the top of her pants bringing them and her panties down her legs slowly adding to the anticipation of feeling him again.
With both of them now completely freed of any clothing, Drake crawled over her letting his eyes rake up the length of her body. “You are so unbelievably beautiful, Bragnae.” He sank a smiling kiss to her lips as he nudged her legs open to fit his body between them.
She felt his massively hardened cock rubbing deliciously against her clit as he moved rhythmically above her. Her hands traveled down his back to his hips where she pressed him against her more. An inferno blazed between her legs, enhancing every touch with irrefutable pleasure.
Drake glided his cock along with her natural slickness, teasing and pleasing her, but she needed more. “Drake, I need you inside me, please,” she begged while his attention was focused on her neck.
He propped himself up on one hand with a wicked smile looking down at her as he reached between them to guide his cock to her entrance. Their eyes locked as he pushed the tip of himself inside her. She gripped the sheets as her mouth dropped open. She shuddered as she felt his girth widen her. Drake’s eyes rolled as his lids fluttered shut. His breathing immediately became more ragged than before.
“Jesus Christ, Bragnae. I could come right now.” He blew out a concentrated breath as he opened his eyes again.
“Please, don’t. I still need more of your dick.” She giggled prompting him to join in.
“Oh, don’t worry. I can manage. I’d never leave you dry.” Drake dipped down to kiss her again as his hips slowly thrusted into her.
She could feel him stretching her walls as he filled her completely. “My, what a big dick you have, Drake.”
He smirked at her. “The better to pleasure you with, my dear.”
She adored how quickly he responded to her fairytale reference. Smiling, she pulled him in for a playful kiss that was swiftly interrupted by a pleasured gasp as he moved in and out of her at an unhurried pace. He was scratching the itch in all the right places.
“We’re going to have to keep this slow for a bit, so you can get yours before I do,” he told her as another slow breath left him.
“It’s feeling really good.” She felt him everywhere, and could already tell the warmth was building.
He bit his bottom lip and nodded in agreement as he continued to move above her at a consistent but conservative speed. As slow as it was, Bragnae felt it made the sex even more special. She was able to gaze into his dark eyes as both of them expressed the building sensation within. The deep affection she sensed between them only grew with each passing second. Desperate to convey her affection for him, she lifted her head to meet him in a tender kiss that left them both breathless. Drake rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and groaning as his hips rolled on.
Whimpering moans escaped Bragnae’s throat as her release sat just out of reach. “Drake, I’m really close. Can you go faster, please?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, appearing relieved as he dug his hips into her with more determination.
Bragnae’s fingertips pressed into his back as she felt her core beckoning for her to come. Drake’s increased pace made her tremble as she came closer to the edge.
“I’m going to come with you,” he told her, his eyes focusing completely on hers.
“Yes,” she panted. “Come with me. I’m ready.” The slow and steady build made for an explosive and powerful release that Bragnae hadn’t experienced in a long time. She clutched to Drake as a loud and gasping moan left her lungs. In the midst of experiencing an incredible orgasm, she had the pleasure of watching Drake come undone above her.
His mouth gaped open revealing his gritted teeth. He took in a sharp breath only to release a shuddering throaty groan in exchange. Drake panted out a few more grunts as a satisfied smile formed over his lips.
“That was certainly worth the wait. Wow. I think I forgot my name for a second there.” He chuckled as he bent down to capture her lips again. He slid his hands underneath her back pressing against her before rolling them to the side.
“That was amazing, Drake.” She combed his hair back with her fingers as she looked at his relaxed and happy face. “It was so beautiful. I really enjoyed it.” She had never felt closer to him than in that moment.
“Me too,” he replied, taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss on it.
There was an overwhelming feeling of euphoria that filled her body. As she looked into his eyes, Bragnae realized just how much she cared for Drake. She loved him. The strong emotion had always been sitting there, but it wasn’t until they made love – one on one, that she could truly identify it.
Her sudden serious expression must have alerted him because he looked concerned. “Are you okay, Bragnae?”
She nodded while plastering a gentle smile on her face. “Yeah. I’m just really glad we did this.” Even though she felt this love for him, she wasn’t sure it was the right time to bring it up, especially knowing she’d have to tell him about Leo next.
“It was long overdue.” He leaned forward for a sweet kiss that lingered.
“Remember earlier when I said there were other things I wanted to talk to you about?” She asked.
He took a second to think. “Yeah.”
“I’d like to do that now.” Along with the all-consuming love that filled her heart was the fear that everything they had become would be torn apart in an instant. She braced herself as she prepared to tell Drake about the impact Leo had on her life.
All Mixed Up Part 6: Now It’s Morning But Last Night’s On My Mind
Thank you to @mskaneko, who spoils and honors me, for bringing my babies to life with the edit of Lyss and Damien (!!!!), the banner I hid at the bottom of this moodboard, and finding that gif!!!!
Book: Perfect Match x The Royal Romance (AU)
Pairing: Damien Nazario x TRR MC (Alyssa Devereaux) and Drake Walker x PM MC (Victoria Park)
A/N: I am participating in @emceesynonymroll ’s Wacky Drabble prompts. Prompt #38 is “Please don’t leave” and will appear in bold.
I’m still trying to use those Friends prompts wherever I can, so this includes @zaffrenotes’ Chandler prompt 36: “I’m a horrible person. (silence from other(s)) No you’re not, we still love you” and a special sentence prompt from @ao719: “Sorry, little Walkers. My bad.” for Drake to say….😆😂🤣”
Thanks to my snippet reader @emceesynonymroll!
Catch Up: All Mixed Up Masterlist
Series Song Inspiration (and where all the chapter titles will come from): “All Mixed Up” by 311
All characters - except my best girl Alyssa Devereaux - belong to Pixelberry Studios.
Warnings: language, mild suggestiveness, a little squick
Word count: 1000 (12 weeks and counting)
Alyssa lay in Damien’s arms in the heavy silence following her “don’t worry” edict.
You’re literally the cliche who just told her boyfriend she loved him after sex. She decided to take the initiative and head home for a good cry. And assuming he ever wants to see me again, I’ll be fine by the next time he wants to hang out.
The morning after....this was SO good! God, I love this series. Okay... Victoria... I started out hating this pushy bitch, but at the end of this part, she’s back in my good graces because she has now removed herself from Drake’s dick. So, we’re cool V!
And poor Alyssa girl. I just wanted to give her a giant hug here. And then Drake stops her to talk!
One Rainy Day in Valtoria Part 16: Our Lips Are Sealed
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Alyssa Devereaux Walker)
A/N: I am participating in @emceesynonymroll ’s Wacky Drabble prompts. Prompt #37 is “How bad does it look?” and will appear in bold.
I am also trying to get rid of some of my many prompts (hahahahaha) and so the following prompts will feature in this fic thanks to @bobasheebaby and @loveellamae:
Crap bag prompt list (you didn’t reblog it but I love you 😘) 6. “Name, I love you. There’s no one else in the world I would ask to marry me three times.” Drakey to Lyss
25. “Hell is filled with people like you” Lyssa to Maddie
Joey prompt list 1. “If he doesn’t like you, this is all a moo point.” “A moo point?” “Yeah. It’s like a cow’s opinion. It just doesn’t matter. It’s moo.” Maxwell 😂😂😂
They will also appear in bold.
Here’s a recipe for bacon/chocolate shot glasses! Thank you to @bobasheebaby for happening to share these in chat and saying “I bet Drake would like these …”
If you want to catch up on Parts 1-15 …
One Rainy Day in Valtoria Masterlist
You can read these as stand-alones, though. For this chapter, you just need to know that Alyssa is 14 weeks pregnant; no one knows but her American cousins and Drake.
Thank you to @mskaneko for the beautiful edit in the moodboard and the moodboard that closes this fic!
Warnings: Language, suggestiveness
Words: 1000 exactly (11 rule-abiding weeks)
During the next six weeks, Alyssa’s morning sickness moves from all-day nausea and vomiting down to occasional occurrences. She and Drake take daily walks around Valtoria, and Drake even gets her back into the gym.
This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.
Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)
Alternate Universe Theme: Senior Year of College for Drake, Leo, Bragnae and Madeleine in the United States
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC / Leo Reese x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)
Warnings for this series: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sex
Series Description: Bragnae Bennett sought adventure when she first went off to college. Now, navigating through her senior year, she finds herself befriending two gorgeous guys, Drake Walker and Leo Reese, who engage in a seemingly innocent bet with her during a game of pool that leads to a surprising threesome.
Their intimate evening prompts deeper feelings than they all expected to arise, and Bragnae is suddenly swept up in both of their charms, unique to each man himself. Through the pressures of college, work and maintaining a social life, which man will prevail and win Bragnae's heart?
Master List
A/N: This chapter gets a little intense. Please heed the warnings if you’re sensitive to those things.
Warnings for this chapter: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, harassment, violence
Word Count for this chapter: 5282
Setting for this chapter: As Bragnae continues to wait for Drake’s return, she takes on a shift at the pizza parlor that turns into a night she’ll never forget.
Seeing Drake on Saturday did help the next week to go by quicker than the first. It was Thursday – only a few more days until he would return from the hockey camp. Bragnae traded hours with a co-worker to have off on Sunday, so she could meet Drake as soon as he came back.
Thursdays weren’t so bad to work. The shifts usually went by quickly because a lot of college students didn’t have class on Fridays, or they were just eager to get the weekend started despite one more day of classes in the week. Either way, Thursdays were good nights for tips, and Bragnae was happy to take this night knowing Drake would appreciate spending more time with her when he returned.
Even though she still had access to Drake’s truck, she decided to take her own car to work tonight. She wasn’t insured with his vehicle, and didn’t want to risk damaging it in any way while he was gone. Luckily, her car had started up just fine, so Bragnae was able to drive it the few blocks to Mikey’s.
The first two hours of her shift went by fast. She had gotten into a groove of taking orders, filling drinks and boxing up leftovers that helped her turn over her tables more quickly. She was about to take a fifteen minute break when Leo walked through the front door. They made eye contact immediately.
Bragnae hadn’t seen him since the day she picked up Drake’s keys. She hoped he was there as a customer, but when he made a B-line for her, she knew he wanted to talk again.
“Hey, how’s it going?” He asked, standing close enough to be heard over the crowd.
“Good,” she said. “Do you want a table?” She gestured towards the busy room.
Leo shook his head. “No, I was wondering if there was a place we could talk? It’ll only take a few minutes.”
His timing was uncanny. If she hadn’t been about to take a break, she could easily tell him to shove off, but knowing his determination, even if she said it now he’d find out that she was available anyway. She looked into his bright blue eyes, and exhaled a deep breath. “I was just about to take my break. Come on, we can go out back.”
Relief crossed over his face. “Lead the way.”
Bragnae led Leo to the back entrance where the staff would come in and out for their shifts. A co-worker was smoking a cigarette at the small round table where she would have wanted to sit down. Instead she walked over to her car, and sat lightly on the hood to face Leo.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
“I want to talk about us, Bragnae. About that night at the club – about you.” He kept his gaze trained on her, and spoke with more confidence than the last time she saw him.
“We already talked about this. Why do you need to bring it up again?” She couldn’t deny that the memory still pained her, and talking or thinking about it only made the wound reopen more.
“We talked about it, yes, but we didn’t get to finish. I’ve tried to give you some space, but I just can’t anymore.” He looked at the ground briefly, taking in a breath. “What I did to you was exactly what my ex did to me. I hate myself because I know how it feels to be hurt like that – to not have a say in the matter. I hate that I hurt you, and I’m sorry.”
His words started to fill the holes of pain he left in her heart, but it just wasn’t enough. “You can say you’re sorry all you want, but it won’t change what you did to me.”
“I know, but that’s why I want to make it up to you. I want to fix this.”
“For what purpose? To be friends again? Or are you hoping I’ll be with you instead of Drake?” She admired his persistence, but to what end?
He took a step closer to her with a confident stare. “All of it. Bragnae, I want you back in my life. I want to see you smile at me like you used to. I don’t want to see the pain on your face every time I get near you. I want you to heal. I want us to get over this.”
She wanted to heal from it too especially with Leo being Drake’s roommate and friend. She wanted to be able to see Leo in passing when she hung out with Drake, and not want to harden her heart because of the memories he left her with.
“I know why you’re having a hard time moving on from this. You’re even with Drake now, and yet you still can’t heal. I know why.” His voice grew softer with every word, but the tenacity of his message didn’t falter. “You cared about me then, and you care about me now.”
He was right. Somewhere along their friendship and the intimate moments they shared, she had developed feelings for him than ran deeper than the surface. “So, what? Are you going to use that knowledge to exploit me to get what you want?”
“No, never.” Leo took another step forward. “I will never use you again. I just wanted to see if I was right. I wanted you to see that you still have feelings for me. And just now, you didn’t deny it.”
Bragnae felt her eyes start to water. She looked to the sky to keep any tears from falling. “Leo, I don’t want to talk about this.”
“We can’t move past this unless we do.” He moved closer again, but this time he reached a hand out to gently stroke her cheek. “I know I hurt you very badly, but you never told me how much.”
She shook her head. The wound was already opening back up, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t want him to have the satisfaction of knowing what he did to her.
“Bragnae, please,” he coaxed gently as he towered over her.
Leo stood so close that she could smell his intoxicating fresh cologne, and the smell immediately jogged her memory of the night at the club. All the feelings she had, both pleasant and lousy, came rushing back to her. Bragnae felt anger surge through her body prompting her to shove Leo back as she stood from the hood of the car.
“You ruined everything! We had a beautiful moment together, and you ruined it. I felt so cheap and used and unworthy. You spent the majority of that day making me feel amazing with your kindness and appreciating looks in my direction. But then, when you started to push me away, I felt useless. My confidence was shot. You made me feel like I did something wrong. I was mind fucked for days while I waited for you to call me. And you never did. You avoided me like I was the plague.”
She was helpless to stop the tears that streamed down her cheeks. “You know, what your ex did to you was awful, but at least you had closure with her. At least she told you openly that she wanted to end the relationship. I did not receive the same curtesy from you. Granted, we weren’t in a relationship, but we were friends, Leo, and you could have at least told me all you wanted was sex and that whatever we had was over.”
Leo closed the gap between them again, gently grabbing both of her arms to keep her attention. “But I didn’t want it to be over, Bragnae. I was just protecting myself, but deep down, I knew I wanted you. I wanted more than the amazing sex we had, but I didn’t have big enough balls to stand up to my fear. I know that was my mistake. I’m just hoping that if I acknowledge all of this and tell you how god damn sorry I am that you’ll forgive me.”
Bragnae angrily wiped the tears off her face. “Drake treats me like every girl should be treated. He’s amazing in every way. Even if I wanted to ends things with him to be with you, how could I be sure that you wouldn’t let your past interfere with your future again? How could I be sure that you wouldn’t just run away or push me out when you thought you might get hurt?”
“I wouldn’t do that, Bragnae. I’ve grown up a lot in the past few weeks. I realized just how much you mean to me, and there’s no way I’d ever intentionally hurt you again. I’m done running from my past. It leads to nothing but emptiness. I know that because being with you makes me feel whole again. And I can’t live without that… not when I know how much better it feels to embrace happiness over being bitter and letting pain run my life.”
“Why don’t I believe you?” She really wanted to, but something told her to keep him at a distance so he could never make her feel this way again.
“Because I misplaced your trust in me, and I regret that more than you know. But I’m trying to get it back, baby, I really am.”
His voice was laced with sincerity, but hearing him call her ‘baby’ just now made her think she could easily be replaced by someone else. Sure, she could’ve been the one that revived his broken heart from the past, but maybe that’s all she was good for. Maybe who he became since then, a man searching endlessly for different women to satisfy his lust, would still remain. The trust was gone – that was for certain – and the idea of him trying to earn it back seemed pointless.
“Leo, I’d love to go back to how things were between us before all of this, but I just don’t think we can.” She felt herself start to tremble, and knew she hated having to say that to him as much as he did having to hear it.
He looked into her eyes for a long moment. The realization that she wouldn’t change her mind dawned on his face. “Bragnae,” he pleaded softly as one last ditch effort to sway her.
"I have to get back to work.”
Leo reluctantly dropped his hands, and stepped aside to let her pass. She gave him one last look, and then headed inside. Before stepping back into the dining area, she dashed into the ladies room to remove the evidence that she was crying. Luckily, her face hadn’t gotten too red, and she was able to touch up her eyes without affecting her make-up.
She was mad at Leo for doing this to her at work, but she knew deep down it needed to be said. All of it. And now, hopefully, they both could move on. Bragnae left the bathroom, and returned to her duties.
A little while later, she headed over to a table of three guys that needed their check. They were a bit rowdy, and had been sitting there drinking beer and eating pizza almost since the start of her shift.
“Here’s the check, guys. Just pay me whenever you’re ready,” she told them, placing the white receipt down on the wooden surface.
“Oh, hey. Wait a minute. I’ve got that now,” one of the guys said. He was the most rowdy out of the three, and hadn’t been shy about trying to flirt with her either. After looking at the bill, the man retrieved cash out of his wallet, and handed it to Bragnae. “Keep the change, gorgeous.”
“Thank you very much. I hope you guys have a great rest of the evening. Come back, and see us again.” She smiled and turned to walk away when she felt a pinch on her backside.
Bragnae immediately spun around to face the arrogant prick that copped a field after handing her what he assumed was a big enough tip to give him the freedom to do that. The man was thick and had an athletic build like a football player. His curly black hair made his face look full, and his crooked, cocky smile did nothing for his looks. She glared at him. “You have some nerve.”
“You sure got her attention, Ralph,” one of his idiot friends commented in between laughs.
“I sure did,” he said, looking up at her triumphantly. “You got a nice ass, honey. Don’t let this pizza be the only thing I’m taking home tonight.”
Furious, she thought back to her training with Leo, and decided she wouldn’t let this asshole get away with it. Since she had lost the moment to catch him off guard when she first turned around, she chose a different approach. A wicked smirk transformed her lips as she leaned in towards him.
Ralph and his friends chuckled as she flirtatiously ran her hand across his meaty shoulder and over to the collar of his t-shirt, gripping the fabric tightly in her fist. Just when he thought she’d bend over to give him a smooch, Bragnae cocked her fist back and slammed it against his eye making him fall hard onto his giggling friend.
“The only thing you’ll be taking home besides your pizza is a black eye. Don’t ever fucking touch me again, asshole." She turned on her heel, hearing a roaring laughter coming from his friends, and Ralph murmuring insults in her direction.
The punch hurt her hand, but Bragnae felt great. For a brief moment, she knew she had Leo to thank for instilling that confidence in her, but it was still a feat she accomplished. She allowed herself a moment of internal celebration before getting back to work.
As she made her rounds, she kept a careful eye on Ralph and his friends, happy to see they left without any further retribution. The rest of her shift went smoothly – something she needed after the talk with Leo and dealing with an entitled, disrespectful asshole.
After leaving through the back door, she got in her car and turned the key to start it. The engine wouldn’t turn. She tried several more times with no luck. She knew it wasn’t the battery because she just replaced it. It had to be something more. The ‘check engine’ light had been on lately, but she hadn’t gotten around to inspecting it yet.
“Damn it. I should have just taking Drake’s truck tonight,” she said aloud to herself.
Not wanting to spend money on an Uber, Bragnae grabbed her purse, and left the car. She’d walk home. It was only a few blocks, and the clear night with a slightly cool breeze was actually comfortable after running around the restaurant all night.
Before she began her trek down the street, she popped her head in the back door to tell the manager she was leaving her car behind and walking home. She’d have to call a tow truck tomorrow.
She crossed the street, and began following the sidewalk that would eventually lead to her apartment. After walking a few minutes, she heard someone call out behind her.
“Hey! Hey you, pizza bitch.”
An eerie feeling shot down her spine. Bragnae looked over her shoulder to see Ralph and his two friends slowly following behind her. She kept walking, but hastened her steps.
“I know you can hear me, pizza bitch. Why don’t you slow down, and let me talk to you?” Ralph shouted.
Bragnae wanted to ignore him, but felt words coming out of her mouth anyway. “Go home! You’re drunk!” She kept up her pace while digging in her purse for her phone. She dialed the police to have it on standby if she needed it.
Looking behind her again, she saw they were closer. She wanted to avoid running as to not show her fear, but they were gaining on her. So, she bolted. Her apartment was only another block away. She glanced over her shoulder seeing Ralph and his friends running too. Even as drunk as they appeared to be, somehow they were catching up to her.
Her heart thumped in her chest, her breathing was heavy. Her eyes darted everywhere for a place to escape. The street lights illuminated her path. Cars passed on the road, but no one seemed to notice that she was being chased. As she came up to the last intersection she’d have to cross to get to her apartment, she halted nervously as she waited for a car to pass in front of her. Grabbing for her phone again, she had her thumb over the call button when it was suddenly knocked out of her hand.
Bragnae turned around just to catch a heavy open hand swat across her mouth. The force knocked her to the ground. In a flurry, she heard a loud roar from the street, and the footsteps of the three men quickly surrounding her. The two friends encircled her as Ralph lowered himself to the ground, grabbing Bragnae’s ponytail in anger.
“You stupid bitch. I’ll teach you never to embarrass me again,” he snarled as he pulled her hair and unsteadily began ripping at her shirt. He reeked of beer and even began spitting as his words left his mouth. She was both disgusted and frightened.
“Get off me!” She screamed with all her might. “Help, please!” Bragnae kicked with a fury, but Ralph laid his heavy weight on top of her once flailing legs.
“What the fuck?” She heard one of his friends say. There was a commotion around them that she couldn’t see because of Ralph’s massive body. That and she was focused on trying to survive.
Ralph uncoordinatedly tried to untuck her shirt from her jeans, but was failing. He became frustrated and literally growled in her face before attempting to stand up. “Come on. I’m taking you back to my place.”
Bragnae knew that was her chance to run, but as soon as Ralph tried to hoist her up, she saw Leo throw him to the pavement away from her. She watched, stunned, as Leo bent to one knee and punched Ralph repeatedly in the face. Her eyes darted to Ralph’s two friends lying on the sidewalk. One looked unconscious while the other slowly crawled on his stomach, groaning with each movement.
Her attention was brought back to Ralph when she saw Leo stand up out of the corner of her eye.
“Pathetic piece of shit!” Leo shouted as he kicked Ralph on the side. “If you ever fucking touch her again, I’ll cut your dick off, and shove it down your goddamn throat. Got it?” Ralph groaned again before passing out.
Bragnae was still lying on the sidewalk, but had propped herself up on her elbows to watch the scene unfold. Leo turned to her suddenly. His chest heaving deep breaths as he crouched down beside her.
“Are you okay, Bragnae?” His eyes, filled with worry, scanned her body frantically. His hand gently cupped the side of her face as his gaze focused on her lips. “Oh, God.”
“Leo,” her voice creaked out as tears pooled in her eyes.
“I’ve got you. You’re safe,” he told her, pulling her to his chest. She clung to him desperately.
After a few seconds, he drew back. “Can you stand up?”
She nodded while he helped her to her feet.
“Let’s get you home.” Leo picked up her purse and threw an arm around her waist as they walked across the street.
The shock of everything still hung in the air around her. Tears were streaming down her face, but she hadn’t allowed herself to fully break down and cry yet. Her mouth and jaw ached, and so did the backside of her body where she collided with the hard concrete.
Fortunately, her apartment wasn’t that much farther than where the scuffle took place. Leo took her keys to unlock the door, and guided her inside.
“Come here,” he told her, taking her hand gently and leading her to the bathroom connected to her bedroom. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
When he flipped the light on, more tears flooded her eyes as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her bottom lip was bleeding, and there was some redness across her cheek and jaw where Ralph had hit her. Her black hair was a mess. Still half in its ponytail, there were tendrils of hair out of place all over her head. The black and orange t-shirt she wore with the pizza parlor’s logo on it was ripped in the front. She whimpered at the sight and pain she felt.
“It’s okay, Bragnae. Come here and sit down.” He helped her to sit on the covered toilet, and then grabbed a wash cloth. He ran it under the cold water, wringing it out before kneeling in front of her. Leo draped the cloth over his hand and cupped her bruised cheek.
Bragnae closed her eyes in relief. The cold cloth felt good against her irritated skin. When she opened her eyes again, there was Leo’s staring back at her. “Thank you. That feels nice.”
He gave her a sympathetic look before softly wiping the blood away from the corner of her mouth. “What happened with those guys anyway? Why were they chasing you?”
She sniffled and took in a deep breath. “They were at the restaurant, and I was their server. When I brought the check, Ralph – the guy that was on top of me, paid the bill and when I turned to leave, he pinched my ass. So, I punched him in the eye.”
“Using those self-defense skills we practiced, eh?” Leo asked while he continued to clean her face.
“Yeah, but Leo, he waited for me to exact his revenge for making him look bad in front of his friends. What good does it do to defend myself one minute when I’m putting myself in more danger later?” The thought of it made a fresh batch of tears swell in her eyes.
Leo put the rag down to give her his full attention. “It’s not always going to be that way, Bragnae. You did the right thing tonight. Just because you pissed off some asshole jock who had something to prove, doesn’t mean they’re all going to try this. But it is better to fight than to just let it happen – no matter the consequences. And besides, that’s not who you are. There’s no way Bragnae Bennett would let anyone get away with that crap. You’re tough and you know it.”
A brief smile appeared on her lips. “Thanks.”
He picked up the cloth again and dabbed at her bottom lip. “So, why were you walking home anyway? I thought you had a car… and Drake’s truck for that matter.”
“I took my car tonight, but it wouldn’t start when I was trying to leave. It’s normally a rule of mine to avoid walking to and from work during night shifts, for this very reason, but I thought I’d be fine. It was only a short walk.” She shook her head at her bad decision. Her eyes drifted over him, from his face to his chest, to his tender hands caring for her injuries. “How did you know I needed help? I mean, you were there at the right time.”
He blew out a breath. “After our conversation, I didn’t leave. I couldn’t. I walked around to a couple of the stores next to Mikey’s, but I just didn’t feel like going home. Something told me to stick around. I was sitting on my bike just watching the street lights change when I saw you walking. Call me a creep if you want, but I just sat there and watched you. I thought it was weird that you were walking home, and I guess my protective instinct kicked in, so I needed to make sure you got home okay. I held back a good distance, so you wouldn’t know I was there, but I followed behind as sort of an escort for you.”
The muscles in Leo’s jaw tensed. “And then I saw those three guys start to follow you. And when they started to run, I knew it wasn’t good. So, I hauled ass on my bike to where you stopped, and took them down one by one. I hated them, Bragnae. I wanted to rip them to shreds. But I knew I needed to do the bare minimum to neutralize them long enough to get to you. I couldn’t let them hurt you.”
A lump of emotion caught in her throat as she listened to him share his side of the story. She shuddered to think what could have happened if Leo wasn’t there to save her tonight. If he hadn’t waited around after their conversation, if he hadn’t decided to make sure she got home safe… she’d be in much worse shape now.
Bragnae placed a quivering hand against his face. Even after denying his persistence, and basically guaranteeing they couldn’t even be friends earlier in the night, Leo stepped in to help her out of a dire situation. He was there for her with nothing waiting for him in return. He didn’t do it to push his own agenda with her. He did it because he cared about her and wanted to protect her. That meant something.
“Thank you for saving me.” Without a second thought, she pulled him into a warm embrace. When his chest crashed against hers, she felt safe and comfortable.
His long arms tightened around her back. “You don’t need to thank me for that. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, allowing the built up tears to finally fall. Clutching his back, at last, she allowed herself to give into the trauma of the night. Leo held her steady, rubbing a soothing hand across her back as she cried.
After a few moments, he gently drew back from her. “Why don’t you take a moment to yourself, and get into some comfy clothes? I’m going to go move my bike out of the street, and when I get back, I’ll grab you some ice for that lip.” He reached a hand up to pull the rest of her hair out of the disheveled ponytail it was still in. His gentle fingers glided through her hair allowing it to frame her face.
She nodded. “Okay, thank you.”
Leo patted her knee before standing up. When he left the bathroom, Bragnae turned to the mirror again. She looked a fright. Her make-up had run, her lip was busted open – although not enough that stitches were required, and her face was starting to swell.
After she removed the rest of her make-up, she washed her face, and ran a brush through her hair. Then, she changed into flannel pajama pants and a fresh t-shirt. It was near her bed time anyway, so she completed the rest of her nightly routine before going to sit on the edge of her bed.
The night had been horrendous. When she thought the only thing that would have disturbed her was the hard conversation with Leo earlier, three guys tried to assault her. And to her surprise, Leo – of all people, was there to defend her. As she waited for the sound of her front door to open again, she found herself wanting to see Leo walk through it. What an unexpected turn of events.
A minute or so later, Leo came back into the apartment, and she felt a sense of peace again. His presence meant she was safe and cared for. It was an amazing feeling. Bragnae heard him walk into the kitchen and take ice cubes out of the freezer. She smiled at the thought of him tending to her this way. Before tonight, there was no way she could have ever imagined him doing that.
Leo stepped into her bedroom with a bundle of ice wrapped in a hand towel. He sat down on the bed next to her, and lightly applied the ice to her mouth. “Here, hold this on your lip for a while. It will help with the swelling.” She took the bundle from him as he fished an object out of his pocket. “I found your phone on the sidewalk too. Thought you’d like to have it back.”
Amidst the commotion, she had forgotten that it was knocked out of her hand. She took it from him noticing the screen was still intact. “Thanks. And look at that – not a scratch on it.”
Leo lightly chuckled. “That’s one good thing to come out of this at least.” He looked at her for a moment before sighing. “I should probably get going. I’m sure you want to get some sleep.”
Just as he was about to stand up, Bragnae put a hand on his leg. “Will you stay with me tonight? I’m still a little shaken up about everything, and I’d feel better if you did.”
His eyes bore into hers as he contemplated his options. “Yeah, of course. I can go sleep on the couch.” He stood from the bed. “I’m sure I’ll scare the shit out of Madeleine when she comes home. With my luck, she’ll plop down on me thinking I’m the couch.”
“No, Leo,” she said as he started to walk out of the room. When he turned to face her, she used her head to point beside her. “I meant in the bed with me.”
“Oh,” he replied, looking from her to the bed. He swallowed before took a step towards her. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”
She nodded, and scooted back towards the pillows, climbing into the sheets.
He watched her for another moment. “Just let me clean myself up a bit.” He held up his bloodied fists from the repeated punches he threw tonight. “I’ll be right back.”
Bragnae relaxed her sore body on the comfortable mattress, keeping the ice stationed on her lip. The coldness felt good. Already the night was looking up.
A couple minutes later, Leo walked back into the bedroom. He stepped out of his shoes, and put his wallet, keys and phone on the bedside table before climbing into the sheets next to her. He kept his t-shirt and jeans on presumably to not encourage other actions to occur. Or maybe he was nervous. Bragnae would never mistake Leo for being nervous, especially around a woman, but it was possible. As he settled in, his body was still rigid.
He was most likely waiting on a cue from her since this was something he hadn’t expected her to ask of him. In that moment, Bragnae acted on her instinct. After the drama filled night, she scooted over to Leo and curled up by his side to feel his warmth. Immediately, she felt at ease.
Situating herself to a comfortable position, she rested an arm on his chest to help keep the ice on her lip. “As I fall asleep, I might drop this ice, and it might startle you with its coldness.”
Leo laughed. “That’s alright. I can handle it. Just rest.”
“You too.” She looked up at him so he would know she meant it. She waited for him to take a deep breath, and then felt his body sink more into the mattress. “Goodnight, Leo.”
The One With the Competition - Happy Birthday, mskaneko!!: an UnBEARable fic
Book: The Royal Romance
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Alyssa Devereaux), King Liam x OC (Ella Brooks Rhys)
A/N: Though it is now April 11 both where the birthday girl lives and where I live, I say there is nothing wrong with extending a birthday celebration, especially when the birthday girl is as wonderful as @mskaneko! Happy birthweekend! I love you so much, and you deserve everything good and fine and perfect!
This second fic is @mskaneko’s request. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, and she asked for a competition between Drake and Alyssa that ends with smut. I am so very hopeful it’s what you wanted!
Usually you get pretty used to the idea that no one will love your OTP like you do … but @mskaneko does love my OTP as her own, which fills my heart with rainbows. She has made so many of the most beautiful edits of my babies, including the one above in the moodboard, and she cares for them like … well, I can’t even explain how awesome it is.
Additional A/N: This story is set in the UnBEARable AU, but it can be read without reading that series or knowing anything except that Alyssa and Drake fell in love during the social season, and she dropped out before Applewood. Liam is married to Queen Ella, the florist employee who brought Alyssa’s roses from Drake on the night of their first date. If you have read this series, this story fits between the proposal (BEARy Christmas, Baby)/NYE drabble and the epilogue; this is Alyssa and Drake’s wedding shower.
Sunshine and Whiskey cocktails
Mint to Be Mojitos
I used 14 prompts! so. many. prompts, all from @loveellamae for the UnBEARable AU:
They will be in bold.
Thank you soooo much to my prereaders @addictedtodrakefanfic , @loveellamae, @bbrandy2002 and @sirbeepsalot !!!
All characters belong to Pixelberry except my best girl Alyssa Devereaux and Queen Ella Brooks Rhys, who belongs to @loveellamae and is used with loving permission.
Warnings: Lemons!! 🍋🍋 NSFW, language
Word count: 6017
May 2019
Despite Alyssa’s protests of “We’re not fancy people” and “Drake absolutely will not wear a tie,” Queen Ella insisted on throwing Alyssa and Drake a wedding shower at the palace. She admired Hana’s creative ideas and had recruited her to help plan the soiree.
It was SO fun to see the Unbearable crew back! The friends game was SO AWESOME! As always I love how you make me laugh! That smut though. 🤭🌟🍆🔥🚨 LOVED IT!
This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.
Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)
Alternate Universe Theme: Senior Year of College for Drake, Leo, Bragnae and Madeleine in the United States
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC / Leo Reese x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)
Warnings for this series: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sexual content
Series Description: Bragnae Bennett sought adventure when she first went off to college. Now, navigating through her senior year, she finds herself befriending two gorgeous guys, Drake Walker and Leo Reese, who engage in a seemingly innocent bet with her during a game of pool that leads to a surprising threesome.
Their intimate evening prompts deeper feelings than they all expected to arise, and Bragnae is suddenly swept up in both of their charms, unique to each man himself. Through the pressures of college, work and maintaining a social life, which man will prevail and win Bragnae's heart?
Master List
A/N: Another chapter that just flowed… wow. But things are starting to heat up now. I guess that’s why I can’t stop writing this! It’s too exciting for me! I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks for reading!
Warnings for this chapter: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sexual content
Word Count for this chapter: 4582
Setting for this chapter: Bragnae arrives at Drake’s hockey camp and gets to spend a little time heating up the ice with him.
Bragnae arrived at the practice arena fifteen minutes before Drake’s practice was supposed to be over. The drive up went fast with her mind being as occupied as it was. She went over everything Leo told her again and again. It was such a shame he had to endure such heartache before, but he could have turned it around for himself. He could have made a vow not to hurt women the way he was, but for some reason, he felt using them for his needs would be the easiest way around his pain.
Even though he knew he hurt her for what he did, Leo still didn’t know the magnitude in which she suffered from his actions. She was glad she didn’t have time to tell him that earlier, and maybe he never needed to know. But, the fact remained that he hurt her very deeply and ruined his own chance at being happy again.
She turned off the engine of Drake’s truck, grabbed her purse, and headed up the sidewalk to the building. When she walked in, the cool air immediately hit her. It was a small arena, but the ice rink was designed in full regulation. There was only six rows of spectator seats that stretched the length of the rink. It was only on one side of the ice. The other side had two benched areas for the team to fill in, a Gatorade stand and a hallway leading to what Bragnae presumed was the locker room.
There was a flurry of guys fighting for the puck at the far end of the rink. Half were dressed in black jerseys, the others in neon green. The Pit Vipers’ colors were royal purple with a black and green logo of the intimating snake, so their practice jerseys reflected that theme as well.
Bragnae found a seat in the second row at center ice, scanning the bench of players. From what she could tell, none of them were Drake, which meant he had to be on the ice. She didn’t know which color he sported yet, but she did know he was a Defenseman. Somehow, protecting the goalie and helping to block shots from the opposing team fit Drake’s personality.
Finally, the puck broke away as a player sent it sailing down the ice toward the opposite goal. The players hustled down the rink as two guys from each of the teams scrambled to take control of it. The one wearing the black jersey slammed the green jersey player into the boards. They dug in and fought vigorously for the puck until the black jersey player took it, and passed the puck to a fellow teammate.
She caught a glimpse of the back of the black jersey attached to the tall player, and saw the number 22. That was Drake’s number. Their practice jerseys didn’t have their names on it, just their assigned player numbers. Now, she knew where he was.
As the forwards on his team passed the puck between them towards the other net, Drake skated in that direction, but held back in case the other team got ahold of the puck again. Bragnae watched one of Drake’s teammates shoot the puck into the net with ease, and then a whistle sounded.
The players vacated the ice and sat on their respective benches, hydrating themselves as they listened to the coach talk about their performance. Bragnae couldn’t make out his exact words, but that was okay. She kept her eyes on Drake anyway. He leaned his stick against his shoulder as he removed his helmet. His dark hair was completely saturated with sweat. He rubbed a hand over his head before bringing the green Gatorade bottle up to take in more fluids.
Bragnae grew up a hockey fan. Her dad had played when he was younger, so it was engrained in their family. She had fond memories of watching their state’s professional team sitting next to him on those cold winter nights. Her father taught her a lot about the game, which made it easier to watch Drake play and listen to him tell her about his practices and games.
After another minute, the teams rose and starting filing out towards the locker room. She stood and walked over to the boards in front of the first row. Drake noticed her immediately. Even though he was 85 feet away from her – the width of the regulation rink – she could see him smile in her direction. Instead of following his team, he skated back onto the ice and headed towards her.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he observed, smiling brightly at her. There wasn’t any acrylic shielding walls where they stood, unlike a true hockey rink that was surrounded in it, so it was easier to see and hear him.
“Hey, stud. You looked good out there.” She leaned her legs against the polyethylene dasher boards, gripping the top of it as she admired Drake in his gear. His shoulder pads and chest protector made him look even more bulky than he was, and his skates gave him an inch or two of extra height. With sweat beads rolling down his somewhat flushed face, he looked like he’d just been in an intense battle. Technically, that wasn’t far off.
“Thanks. Glad to be done for the day, though.” Drake skated to the edge of the board bringing his stick around Bragnae’s back to guide her to him.
She giggled as she fell forward a bit, bracing herself on his protected shoulders. He smiled as her mouth dropped to his. She could taste the saltiness of the sweat on his lips, and even though his athletic scent filled her nose, she was happy to kiss him in that moment. Drake, showered or un-showered, was irresistible.
A teasing whistle sounded from the opposite side of the rink. Drake laughed as he pulled away to look behind him. “Hey, fuck off!” He shouted playfully before returning his attention to Bragnae. “That’s just my buddy, Chuck. He’s on the same defensive line as me, and I think he’s a little jealous that I get to kiss such a beautiful woman right now.”
“Poor Chuck.”
“Yeah, bad for him, but good for me.” With his hands on the hockey stick that still held her in place, he pulled her towards him for another sweet kiss. “Wanna skate for a little bit? Maybe play a little one-on-one?”
“I didn’t bring any skates.”
“Not a problem.” He dropped his stick from around her, and pointed to the upper far corner of the room. “Go through that door, and there will be a place you can grab some skates. A nice lady named Carla will give you a pair to borrow.”
She patted Drake on the shoulder. “Okay, I’ll be right back.” She grabbed her purse and walked in the direction Drake told her. She wore a long-sleeved lavender sweater and a jean mini skirt. As she walked to the skate rental counter, she wondered how easily she’d be able to move on the ice in her outfit.
Carla had given her the size skates she needed with no charge, but she needed to grab the pair of socks in her tote bag to put them on. She was grateful she thought ahead to bring extra items. A few minutes later, while she laced up her skates, Drake was gliding around the ice casually flipping a puck into the net every so often.
When the skates were secured, she stood and walked over to the boards. Drake joined her in a flash, skidding his skates at an angle on the ice to stop himself.
“I don’t know how well I’ll be able to skate in this outfit, or hop the boards for that matter,” she told him, looking skeptical.
“I’d be happy to help a lady out.” He pulled her closer to the boards and reached over to scoop her into his arms, placing her down on the iced part of the rink.
“Well, that settles that,” she giggled, straightening her clothes.
“We’ve got about thirty minutes before the Zamboni needs to clear the ice. So, let’s skate a little bit and maybe get you a stick to hold.”
Naughty thoughts filled her mind. “Would I get to hold your stick? Because if so, we may want to find somewhere more private for that.”
He glanced at her from the side, shaking his head with that sexy smirk of his. “You have a dirty mind today, Miss Bennett.”
“You know you like it,” she flirted with a wink. “Plus, you kind of set me up with that one.”
He laughed. “So I did. Come on.” He took her hand, and the two of them began skating casually around the rink.
Bragnae couldn’t move too swiftly because the denim skirt restricted her a bit, but she was still able to catch up.
“You’re pretty good on the ice. Did I know that about you?” Drake asked.
She thought for a moment trying to recall if she’d ever skated with him when she visited Drake at his work. “No, I guess you didn’t. I’ve been leisurely skating my whole life. My dad took me skating a lot growing up. He played hockey too.”
“No kidding. What position did he play?”
“He was a defenseman like you. From the stories I’ve heard, he was pretty good. Taught me all I know about hockey.” Bragnae concentrated on crossing her skates over one another to turn with the rink. Drake glided gracefully along with her. It was second nature to him at this point. That was evident by the way he spent most of the time looking at her rather than what was in front of him.
“That’s awesome. If I ever get to meet him, I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about.” Drake slowed them down and pulled her over to the bench where the team once sat.
Bragnae smiled at the thought of Drake meeting her father. She knew they’d get along great, and that they’d have a lot in common. They were both a little rough around the edges, but kind when it was needed.
Drake procured a shorter hockey stick from the other side of the boards, and handed it to Bragnae. Then, he tossed a few more pucks on the ice for them to play with. She gripped the black hockey stick like her dad taught her to do years ago, and skated out to center ice, dragging a puck with her.
Sliding the rest of the pucks with his stick to the center, Drake dashed off to the net to stand in front of it. “Go ahead, Bragnae. Show me what you can do.”
She scoffed. “You’ll just block all of them. I am way out of my league here.”
He chuckled. “Just give it a try. And keep the shots low. Coach will kill me if I get hit in the head when I should have been wearing a helmet.”
Bragnae pulled a puck in front of her with the stick, and pushed it forward, handling it back and forth until she was closer to the goal. She shot it towards Drake who just stood in place letting it hit the net.
“That was good. Try it again.”
Bragnae skated back to center ice, and retrieved another puck. Taking her time so she wouldn’t stumble, she eventually made her way back to Drake. This time, he took a more defensive stance, bending his knees and bobbing back and forth, as she prepared to shoot the puck. She held firm in front of the net trying to gauge which ‘hole’ she should shoot it towards. There were five distinct gaps a player could shoot the puck through that the goalie’s body couldn’t always protect.
Putting weight on her stick, Bragnae bent forward locking her eyes with Drake. “Where am I going to shoot it, Walker?” She taunted.
He smirked at her. “Why don’t you go for the five-hole – right between my legs?”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” She propelled the puck forward, trying to send it flying through the upper right corner of the net, but Drake blocked it. She didn’t have the power behind the shot to challenge his reflexes. “You’re just too quick for me.”
Drake skated forward to pull her into him. “I think you’re doing just fine. And you look very sexy skating around in a skirt, handling the stick and puck like you are. I could watch you do this all day.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.” She gripped the fabric of his jersey and pulled him into a slightly unsteady kiss thanks to the ice below.
His hands slid down to her thighs just below her skirt. “Are you getting cold?”
“A little.” She didn’t anticipate spending a long time in the arena, which made her decide the mini skirt was okay, but now being directly over the ice, she was starting to get chilly.
“How about this? I’ll clean up the pucks and then head to the locker room to take a shower. After you return your skates, you can meet me in there and wait by my locker.”
“Okay, but won’t there be other guys in there getting dressed?” Not that she’d ever turn away from seeing hockey players in any capacity, but she wanted to be respectful of their space.
“Don’t worry about that. You’re a hot female, and they won’t mind. Besides, most of them are probably gone by now anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in there in a few minutes.” Bragnae skated off to the side of the rink she came from, and threw her legs over the boards. After taking off her skates, she gathered her things and went to return them.
She didn’t know an alternative path to the locker rooms, so she walked carefully across the ice in her sandals to get to get to it. After sauntering down the long hallway, she saw a sign for the locker room to the left.
Bragnae hoped the rest of the team had gone so she wouldn’t embarrass them or herself. She wondered why Drake wanted her in the locker room anyway. It just felt wrong for her to be there. If she were on an all-female team, she wouldn’t want some random guy hanging out while the rest of the team got dressed.
Carefully stepping through the spacious locker room, she heard the shower to her right, but couldn’t see anything as she glanced quickly in that direction. Walking into another room, she saw open cubbies that lined the wall. Each of them had a thin dry erase board above with their names written on them. As she made her way over to his locker, she noticed a tall, muscular guy with short auburn hair throw a t-shirt over his chiseled torso. He looked over at her and politely smiled.
She waved nervously at him. “Sorry. Don’t mean to intrude. I’m just waiting for Drake.”
“You’re good,” he told her as he walked in her direction with an arm extended. “I’m Chuck Mulligan. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” she said, accepting his greeting. “Bragnae Bennett.”
“Drake talks about you all the time.” His eyes quickly scanned down her body trying to be discreet, but she noticed anyway. “I can see why.”
“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks,” she smiled.
“It definitely is.” He walked back over to his gear, and slung a duffle bag over his shoulder. “Drake should be done soon. Take care, Bragnae.” She waved at him again as he left the locker room.
After a quick glance around, she took a seat on the bench in front of Drake’s locker. The room definitely had the smell of men in it. It wasn’t unpleasant, rather it was sort of comforting. It was a mixture of hard work, sweat, and cologne – the way any man that was worth a damn should smell.
Just as she was about to pull out her phone to pass the time, Drake started walking towards her… wearing just a white towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still soaked, but this time it was clean. A tendril of his wet hair curled over his forehead, but the rest was combed back. Residual water from the shower made parts of his upper body glisten. He made her heart skip a beat.
Drake walked right up to her, bent down with his fingers tilting her chin up, and captured her lips in a solid kiss. “You look cute sitting here by my locker,” he said before walking around the bench to get to his clothes.
Bragnae spun around on the wooden bench to face him. Just as she did that, Drake removed the towel from his waist and began drying off the few wet spots left on his chest. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Her jaw dropped as she was faced with the side profile of Drake’s very nice looking dick and the curves of his butt. She had only been privy to his nakedness once before during the threesome with Leo, but everything happened so fast that night that she didn’t have time to really indulge in his magnificent features.
“Oh my,” she blushed, but didn’t look away. In fact, her eyes feasted on his physique with absolute hunger. There wasn’t anything about this man she didn’t crave.
Drake gave her a side smirk before handing her the towel. “Here, I think you’re drooling a little.”
Giggling, she snatched the towel from him, and snapped it against his perfectly formed ass. He chuckled reaching for his cologne.
“You really know how to grab a girl’s attention, don’t you mister?” Even now she couldn’t peel her eyes off of him. Her heart thumped in her chest while heat pooled between her legs.
“Am I making you wet?” He asked without hesitation still standing stark naked in front of her.
Excited by his sudden candor, her lips automatically transformed into a salacious smile. “Uh-huh.” She loved how honest they could be with each other. “To be fair, you already kind of got me started watching you play hockey.”
He cheerfully nodded at her response. She bit her lip desperately wanting to touch him all over. From where she sat, she’d be able to take him in her mouth easily as he towered over her with his scrumptious bod. “Why don’t you come a little closer, and let me drag my tongue around that big guy.” His dick twitched at her comment, and she loved it.
Drake exhaled a slow breath, and stepped into a dark green pair of boxer briefs. Bragnae playfully pouted her lips making him laugh when he turned to her again. “Don’t be too disappointed, Bennett.” Then, he threw on a t-shirt and pulled on a pair of light-washed jeans.
Grabbing his hockey stick, he straddled the bench and held it over Bragnae’s head. “Face me on the bench, and then grab this with both hands.”
She was a little confused but did as he said. As soon as she had a comfortable grip on the stick, Drake pushed on it making Bragnae lean back with it. He followed through until her back was flush with the bench. “What are you doing?”
“Stay like that, and just relax.” He kissed her briefly on the lips. The stick rested perpendicular on the bench, and Bragnae let her arms relax while she continued to grip the hockey stick.
Drake brought her legs together again just so he could push up her tight jean skirt. A tingle shot down her spine, not only from his touch, but from the anticipation of what was to come. With the denim pushed up to her waist, Drake hooked his fingers around the straps of her red satin panties and pulled them off. He sat down on the bench, and threw her legs over his denim clad thighs while positioning her just right.
“Now, it’s my turn to use my tongue.” He winked at her before diving his face down to her pussy.
A moan immediately left her body while she slowly twisted her torso, feeling his tongue work wonders against her sensitive skin. Her breathing quickened, and she tightened her calves against his legs. The tension in her body elevated the pleasure she was receiving. Her grip on the hockey stick constricted as he continued.
Drake used his hands to tilt her pelvis up to give himself a better angle. His skillful tongue rounded her clit in slow concentric circles before moving to rapidly flick her swollen bud.
Bragnae arched her back in approval. “Ohmigod, Drake. Don’t stop.” She felt the pressure build quickly leading to what she knew was to be a fantastic explosion of pleasure. Like the trooper he was, Drake kept up that same pace for a few more moments until heaven rippled throughout her body. She sent a flood of cries into the room as he continued to coax more of the orgasm from her depths.
Drake dragged his tongue around her skin, even dipping down to lap at her entrance. She was at complete peace in that moment reveling in the pleasure high he put her in. When Drake sat up, he wiped his mouth and took a deep breath followed by a triumphant smile.
“How was that?” He asked knowing the answer.
She nodded her head still trying to regain her breath. “Amazing. So amazing.”
He patted the side of her leg smiling down at her. “You are so beautiful, and you taste so nice.”
“You always make me feel so good about myself, Drake.” She let go of the hockey stick, and stretched her tensed arms above her head. “Thank you for this.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Now, will you let me return the favor?” She asked still lying flat against the bench. He had slayed her with his tongue, and she was utterly spent.
“I appreciate the offer, but this was all about you today. Plus, it’s better for my training if you don’t.”
“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to release the built up tension?”
“That’s exactly why I shouldn’t. Not having that release helps me to focus on my training more, making me more aggressive on the ice. Being hot and bothered makes for a better hockey player than a happy guy that just got off.”
Her eyes widened as she thought about what he said. “You’re not saying we can’t do this and have sex for the entire hockey season are you?”
Drake laughed. “No, thank God. The coach is deciding the first line for the upcoming season based on our performance here. The guys that get it will see the most time on the ice during the games. To make it fair for everyone, the coach put these rules in place to motivate us while we’re at this camp.” He gently massaged her thighs as he continued. “So, by not giving into my desires, I can train harder and play better during the practice games. I’m not even touching myself.”
Bragnae’s mouth gaped open in surprise. “Wow. It makes a lot of sense when you put it that way, but didn’t this torture you a little bit?”
He looked down at her still widened legs longingly. “Yes. Yes it did.” He sighed before meeting her eyes again. “But seeing you like this now and remembering the taste of you in my mouth will fuel me even more when I’m on the ice this week. Hell, I shouldn’t have even allowed you to visit me, but I wanted to see you.”
Bragnae used what core strength she could find to sit up amidst the incapacitating pleasure that still radiated in her body. She framed his face with her hands as he looped his arms around her back for support. “Did you miss me as much as I missed you?”
“Mmhmm,” he grinned, looking down at her affectionately. “I sure did.”
She smiled up at him. “Will the coach tell everyone who gets the first line by the end of the camp?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Then, when you come back to the university, we’ll have to celebrate because I know you’re going to get it.” She let a hand slide down the muscles of his chest. “And celebrate we will.” She looked up at him through her eyelashes being extra flirtatious.
“I can’t wait.” Drake leaned forward to kiss her. “Wanna grab some dinner?”
“Yeah, I bet you’re famished.” Drake scooted back, so she could more easily untangle herself from him. “Just let me put my panties back on, and we can go.”
Drake chuckled, retrieving them from the floor and tossing her the discarded thong.
Later, after they finished a couple of delicious burgers, they drove back to Drake’s hotel. They got out of the truck, so they could say their proper goodbyes.
“Thanks for letting me come up to see you. It will make this next week a little easier to get through.” Bragnae leaned back against the driver side of Drake’s truck, and he leaned into her.
“I’m glad you did. I needed this little reboot, too.”
“Do you want me to drop off your keys with Leo before you get back?” She needed to mentally prepare for it again if he wanted that.
“Nah, you can hold onto them. The team gets back next Sunday morning, and I’m sure we’ll see each other that day at some point. At least I’m hoping we will.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his finger.
“I’m pretty sure I work the lunch shift that day, but as soon as I’m finished I’ll be coming to see you.”
“Sounds good.” He leaned in for a deep lingering kiss. The cool breeze of the night perfectly complemented the heat between them. “Let me know when you get back tonight.”
“I will.” She pulled him in again, needing to feel his soft lips one more time before she left. “Good luck with the rest of the camp. I know you’ll kick ass and get the first line.”
“I hope so. Thanks, Bennett.” He opened the truck’s door for her, and watched her climb in. She started the engine, and rolled the window down. He looked her over with a smile on his face. “You look pretty good behind the wheel of my truck.”
She gave him a flirty shrug. “Bye, handsome.”
“See ya. And drive safe.” He tapped the door, and stepped back so she could pull out of the parking space.
Bragnae waved once more before driving away. A day that started off more stressful than anything else ended with lovely time spent with Drake. She really liked him, and felt their bond growing with each passing day. When he returned from his camp, it was highly likely they’d have sex. And she was more than ready for that because she wanted to be closer to him now more than ever before. She loved the idea of being his and only his. And she knew it was just a matter of time before they made their relationship status official.
But that also meant she needed to tell Drake about Leo. He needed to know before things turned more serious. Being roommates, would that complicate things for them? Would it somehow make Drake not want to be with her? Only time would tell.
This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.
Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)
Alternate Universe Theme: Senior Year of College for Drake, Leo, Bragnae and Madeleine in the United States
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC / Leo Reese x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)
Warnings for this series: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, sex
Series Description: Bragnae Bennett sought adventure when she first went off to college. Now, navigating through her senior year, she finds herself befriending two gorgeous guys, Drake Walker and Leo Reese, who engage in a seemingly innocent bet with her during a game of pool that leads to a surprising threesome.
Their intimate evening prompts deeper feelings than they all expected to arise, and Bragnae is suddenly swept up in both of their charms, unique to each man himself. Through the pressures of college, work and maintaining a social life, which man will prevail and win Bragnae's heart?
Master List
A/N: This chapter flowed out of me! It needed to be told. I hope you enjoy this.
Warnings for this chapter: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language
Word Count for this chapter: 3691
Setting for this chapter: Drake leaves for the hockey camp, and Bragnae is faced with a persistent Leo.
“Do you have everything you need? Did you get all of your assignments from your professors?” Bragnae asked while Drake zipped up his big duffle bag. It was the night before he was supposed to leave for the hockey camp. She took the night off from work so they could spend time together after school before he had to leave the next day.
“Yep. I got it all,” he said, walking over to kiss her on the forehead. “Thanks for double checking.”
“Well, you don’t want to fall behind with school. You’re so close to graduating.” She looped her arms around his neck.
His hands were immediately drawn to her hips keeping her close. “I’ll be fine, Miss Goodie Two-Shoes.” Drake smirked as she rolled her eyes at him. Bending down, he captured her lips in a playful kiss.
Two weeks without being able to see Drake in person would be tough, especially in the beginning of their blossoming relationship. He was constantly on her mind, and they didn’t get much time to spend with each other over the past few days because of Bragnae’s work schedule. She was pleasantly surprised when Drake showed up at Mikey’s on Tuesday night with a friend. She liked the effort he put into seeing her even while she was working.
“I’m going to miss you.” Damn it. She didn’t want to say that, thinking it was too soon in the relationship to mention.
He brushed a wisp of hair out of her face. “I’ll miss you, too.” He smiled. “Believe me, I don’t want to leave you for two weeks. But I’ll call you tomorrow night when I get there, and we’ll find ways to talk while I’m gone.”
Bragnae rose up to kiss him again. “I can’t believe you’re making me go two weeks without these lips.”
“I’ll be back before you know it, kissing you all night long.” They melted into another deep kiss that heightened her senses. She knew he was giving her something to remember him by.
~
It was Wednesday, and Drake had already spent a few days away at the hockey camp. He called her like he promised, and they had a few good conversations that brought them closer. They weren’t just the superficial things any two people could discuss. Their talks would lead deeper and more meaningful with each one. It was nice to get to know him better, and perhaps having him out of her reach allowed them to do so. Being physically apart, they could focus on their personalities instead of getting distracted by how well they could kiss or touch one another.
Bragnae finished reading a text from Drake. He said he had finished one practice already, but now was in the gym working out with still another practice before the day was over. She sent him a cute, go-get-‘em type of reply, and plopped her phone back into her purse. In between classes, she had taken a seat on a concrete bench outside to eat a quick lunch and to enjoy the fresh air.
Looking at her watch, she decided it was time to head to her next class. She got up to take her trash to a garbage can nearby. When she turned to face it, she saw Leo standing there. Her feet halted her in place. He was looking at her with an almost pleading expression.
Bragnae didn’t have time for his games. Her class begun in twenty minutes, and plus, she didn’t want him to detect an ounce of hurt on her face. Seeing him last Sunday didn’t help the wound that still tore her apart. She had chosen to take a fun risk when she agreed to the threesome with him and Drake. That she could accept as a one-nighter with no attached feelings or expectations. But when he pursued her and said all those wonderful things… when he made her feel beautiful and cared about, she took that intimate moment to mean more. And it hurt her so much to realize he didn’t feel the same way about it.
Keeping her eyes on the trash can, she hurried her steps to look as if she was in a rush in hopes that he’d leave her alone.
“Hi, Bragnae.” His voice was soft and cautious.
“Hi,” she said dismissively, throwing her garbage away. Immediately following, she turned in the opposite direction, but then he spoke again.
“Can we talk?” He asked from behind her. She could hear his footsteps trying to keep up with hers.
“I’ve got to get to class.” She said firmly, keeping her head straight forward.
Leo must have taken bigger strides because he was suddenly in front of her causing her to stop walking. “I want to talk about what happened between us.”
Bragnae scoffed. “Oh, now you want to talk about it? Is it, perhaps, because you saw that I’m with Drake now? And that you lost the opportunity to be with me? Is that it?” Her eyes narrowed at him as she waited for his response.
He sighed, looking down at the ground briefly before returning his attention to her. “That’s not exactly the reason, but it has something to do with it.”
Her eyes scanned his face. He had the nerve to look sad – sad like a lost puppy. She wasn’t buying it. All of the hurt and anger inside her bubbled to the surface. Bragnae took a step closer to him. “I was wrong about you, Leo. You’re not the sexy bad boy I thought you were.” She paused, seeing a hint of hope in his eyes. “You’re just a bad guy. You had your chance to talk to me, and you blew it.”
His face falling was the last thing she saw before pivoting towards the direction of the building that housed her next class. Her body shook and her heart raced from the confrontation. She’d be lying if she told herself she wasn’t curious about what he had to say to her, but he had ample opportunities before now to do it. And that infuriated her. Was she just supposed to wait around for him to finally make a decision as to when he wanted to talk to her? She deserved better, and she had better now that she was with Drake.
Luckily, he hadn’t followed her, but he had done enough. Even with that short conversation, Leo had warped her mind for the rest of the day.
~
Later that evening, Bragnae was finishing up some homework when Drake called her. She remembered he had that extra practice, so she had texted him earlier to call her when he was free. She couldn’t wait to talk to him, plus she needed him to lift her spirits after seeing Leo.
“Hey, you,” she said gleefully as she answered the phone.
“Hey, Bennett. How’s it going?”
She exhaled a breath. “Just peachy.” Now definitely wasn’t the time to tell him about Leo. She didn’t want to have that conversation over the phone, and didn’t want to distract him while he was at his camp. “How was practice today?”
“Intense. Our coach is really pushing us hard to get ready for the season.” She could hear him sigh. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. Wish you were here right now.”
Almost a week since she’d last seen him, she really missed him. “I wish I was too.” An idea immediately dawned on her. “Hey, Drake?”
“Yeah?”
“I have Saturday off work. Maybe I could drive up to see you. You know, only if you wanted me to.” She hoped she wasn’t being too forward.
“Bragnae, I’d love it if you did.” She heard a rustling of papers on the other end. “I have practice sessions until three o’clock on Saturday, but then I’m free for the rest of the night. Want to meet me at the arena around that time?”
She smiled brightly. It felt wonderful to know he wasn’t opposed to the idea. A few of her past boyfriends would have taken her suggestion as moving too fast, but not Drake. She loved that. “Of course!”
“Awesome. I can’t fucking wait.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “You should take my truck instead of your car, though. I didn’t get a chance to look at it yet, and you’ll need something reliable to get here.”
Feeling a bit stunned by his offer, she took an extra moment to think about it. “That’s… a great idea. I hadn’t thought about my car not making it.” Thoughts raced in her mind. “Oh, how am I going to get your keys?”
“Easy,” he told her. “I’ll just ask Leo when he’ll be home, and he can give them to you sometime before you leave.”
Her eyes closed in disappointment. That meant she’d have to face him again, and she knew he’d try to talk with her. She wondered if this trip to see Drake was worth another confrontation with Leo. He had worked her up into a frazzled mess with the little she allowed him to say to her today. She could just imagine how she’d handle it again, which was to say poorly. Deciding Drake was, indeed, worth another round of being mentally fucked over, she agreed.
“Sounds good. I work tomorrow and Friday, but I could pick it up on Saturday around 10:00am if that works for him.” Bragnae gritted her teeth. This was yet another thing she’d have to rely on Leo for that could backfire on her, and she hated it.
“Alright. I’ll let you know what he says.”
~
With a new paper to work on and two shifts at Mikey’s, the rest of the week went by fast. It was Saturday morning, and she was freshly showered, and had a small bag of just-in-case items packed for the trip. Drake told her he was rooming with a fellow hockey player at their hotel, so she couldn’t stay with him overnight – and that was fine by her. Staying the night could have led to them having sex, and she still felt they should wait – at least until he came back home where they could take their time and make it special.
Bragnae was both looking forward to and dreading this day. When her brain ran down the list of her to-do tasks before she had to leave, nervous butterflies would flutter in her stomach. In order to get to Drake, she’d have to go through Leo first. She didn’t sleep soundly last night because of the thought of having to see him again.
She had arranged an Uber to pick her up and take her to Drake and Leo’s apartment. With a purse and small tote bag in tow, she climbed in and was chauffeured to her destination.
Taking a few deep breaths, Bragnae walked up to their apartment and knocked three times. As she waited, her hands fidgeted with the handle of her tote bag. Soon, she heard the locks being turned, and straightened her posture to prepare herself to see him.
Leo opened the door, flashing a bright smile at her forgetting himself. Her stony expression must have reminded him she wasn’t equally happy to see him. “Hi, Bragnae. Come on in.”
Her leg twitched in the forward motion, but her brain took over before it could act. “Actually, I’m just here for Drake’s keys. I can wait here.”
“I know. It will only take a second. Just come in.” His insistence was casual. It wasn’t the pleading tone he had earlier in the week when they were at school.
Against her better judgment, she sighed before walking into the apartment. He shut the door behind her, and then disappeared into Drake’s room. Her grip on the bag’s handle grew tighter while her body became tense as well. He was gone just long enough for her to regret her decision to be there.
“Here they are,” he said walking towards her at a deliberately slower pace.
“Thank you,” she said reaching out for them, only to be surprised when he pulled them back with hesitation. “Leo, what are you doing? May I have the keys, please?”
He looked at her trying to decide something before he slipped the keys in the front pocket of his jeans. She sighed again, shaking her head as her eyes shifted away from him. “Bragnae, I really need to talk to you.”
“I knew you were going to do this.” She turned to him again. Her tone was full of disappointment and frustration, but it did lack the anger that fueled her words during their first confrontation. “Please, just give me the keys. I have somewhere to be.”
He took a step closer to her. “Come on. You’ve got a few minutes to spare, don’t you? Just hear me out, and then I’ll give you the keys.”
It irked her to have to admit that she did have spare time. Drake was only two hours away, but she wanted to give herself extra time to fill the truck up with gas, if needed, and take her time finding the arena he practiced in since she’d never been there before. Her damned curiosity piqued again, and she felt herself warming up to the idea of hearing what he wanted to tell her.
“Okay, fine.”
“Can we take a seat in the living room?” He held out a hand for her to join him, but she just brushed past him instead. She dropped her bags by the side of the couch and sat down. He followed a few seconds later.
Not wanting to waste any more time there, or worse, letting him dredge up her feelings for him, exposing all of her weaknesses, she decided to speak first. “So, enlighten me, Leo.” She turned to him coldly. “Tell me your version of what happened between us. Because from where I’m sitting, I can already tell you it’s a completely different story.”
Leo adjusted on the cushion to face her more. He inhaled a deep breath before he spoke. “I know what I did to you was wrong. It felt wrong… and I didn’t mean to hurt you that way.”
She glared at him. “How could you say you didn’t mean to hurt me when you knew it was wrong to just ditch me after we had sex? I mean, for God’s sake, it was like a freaking switch had been turned off inside you.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but took another moment to think of a response. “Bragnae, I want to explain this to you, but I need you to hear me out. I’m going to sound like a real asshole, but I just need the chance to say it without you dissecting everything in between.”
She narrowed her eyes, but sat back against the arm of the sofa. He wasn’t really in the position to make demands of the conversation, but if she wanted to get this over with, she’d let him say his peace. She waved an impatient hand in front of her to get him to continue.
“Thank you.” He visibly relaxed. “The night we had at the club was unforgettable. I really enjoyed being with you.” He swallowed to give himself a moment. “Look, it’s no secret that I don’t really do relationships. I’ve conditioned myself to just… have a good time, and then move on. I can’t say that wasn’t my intention with you in the beginning, but then we became friends. We got to know each other. And that was different for me. I don’t have friends who are girls. Not like you.”
He looked to the sofa cushion for courage. “After the night of the bet, I thought I’d be satisfied that I was finally able to be with you. But I wasn’t. Even though Drake was there too, I felt something spark between us. And when I took you to the club, and we had sex,” he paused to reflect on the memory. “It shook me. That whole day was amazing with you. And then watching you fall apart in my arms, I felt drawn to you. Like I wanted to keep seeing you day after day, making you come, making you smile. I… wanted more than just that night. And it scared me.”
“Why would being with me be so bad? Why would it scare you?” Leo was revealing raw emotions with her for the first time. She had never seen him like that.
He exhaled another breath, cracking his knuckles as he prepared to speak. “When I was a senior in high school, I had been dating this one girl for about a year. We were very close, and I even told her that I loved her. We had talked about going to the same college, and being together forever. And then one day, she broke up with me. She told me she was going to a different college and thought it was best that we break it off, so we could start fresh somewhere else.”
Bragnae felt empathy towards him. Break ups were hard, especially when a lot of time and feelings were invested.
“That devastated me. It just made me feel like I meant nothing to her. All those talks, all of our plans. I had no idea what I did to make her change her mind, but she didn’t let me in on it. She broke up with me with ease. Not a single tear was shed. I didn’t even get a goodbye hug from her.” He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced as he seemingly fought back the rush of painful memories.
“So, I decided then that I wouldn’t allow myself to get hurt like that again. Before any girl could pull me into an emotional trap, I’d have my fun and then I’d leave her. It was the only way I knew how to protect myself. It took a good year and a lot of different women to help me get over my ex. I didn’t ever want to go through that pain again.”
She understood him better now. Not that she condoned his actions, but she understood.
“And the night at the club with you, right after I came harder than I’ve ever come before, I looked into your eyes and felt the same feelings I had for my ex before she ended things. Only this time, it was much more. I really like you, Bragnae, but having that familiar feeling creep back into my life made me want to run. If I allowed you to pull me in – even more than you’d already done – there was a chance I’d get hurt again. So, I shamefully pushed you away.”
Bragnae hated his ex for hurting him this way, but in the end it was Leo who could make the choice to move on from it instead of letting the past dictate his life.
“Leo, how many women are needed to get you to take a risk with your heart again? You are missing out on so much because you’re afraid of being hurt. If you would have just allowed yourself to feel what your heart was telling you that night at the club,” she paused, feeling emotion creep into her throat. “Things could have been very different.”
He moved closer to her on the sofa. “I know.” He picked up her hand, sandwiching it between his. “And when I saw you kissing Drake the other night, all I could think about was how mad I was at myself for missing the chance to be with you. I’ve thought of you every day since we were together. I can’t deny my feelings for you, Bragnae. Not when they’re this strong.”
His ocean blue eyes peered deep within her. They looked at each other in silence for another moment as he brought her hand up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. “I was an idiot. You didn’t deserve that."
Her eyes glistened. “No, I didn’t,” she whispered.
Seeing the effect his words had on her, Leo slowly shifted towards her again. He extended a cautious arm so he could cup her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Bragnae.”
Her breath had quickened during his speech. She believed every word he said. There was nothing on his face that implied he was lying or making excuses. And she could feel their shared pain weighing heavily on her heart.
“What can I do to make this right for you?” The pleading look was back in his eyes.
“I really needed to hear this, Leo. It makes complete sense, and I’m sorry that you were hurt so deeply in the past.” She pulled her hand gently out of his grip. “I wish you would have told me about this that night at the club. I could have helped you through it. But you chose fear over your desire to be with me, and I am no one’s second choice.” She stood to gather her bags. As she blinked her eyes, rogue tears fell down her cheeks.
“Bragnae, please don’t go. Wait.” He grabbed for her arm, but she moved out of his grip.
“Thank you for finally telling me this, but I have to go. May I please have Drake’s keys?” She held her arm out with an open hand.
He sighed, fishing in his pocket for the keys. He pulled them out and dropped them into her hand. Leo quickly covered her hand with his, looking at her with a regretful and hurt expression.
Another moment went by before he released her. She gripped the keys, slung her purse and tote bag over her shoulder and turned to leave the apartment. Somehow, with the truth laid out before her, Bragnae still didn’t feel better. She thought knowing why he treated her so badly would make up for the pain she felt, but it didn’t. All of the ‘why’s’ she asked herself before now turned into the “what if’s”, and she had a two hour drive ahead of her to contemplate them all.
