The knock at the door startled Jenn, her hands still sudsy from the dishes she'd been cleaning. She dried them quickly on a towel, wiping her palms before pulling the door open. There stood Brad, all 6'3" 250 pounds of him, his shoulders broad and imposing in his red and black flannel, jeans, and work boots. His dark, unruly hair fell in loose waves over his forehead, and the scruff on his jaw made him look rugged, almost wild. Jenn couldn't help but smile. Her fiance Will had been roommates with him 5 years ago. Will, 5'10 and average every way physically had won her over with his charm and the fact he was a musician. Physically, they looked so different, but there personalities were very similar.
"Hey, Brad," she greeted, leaning against the doorframe. "Sorry, Will won't be off work for a couple more hours."
Brad nodded, his blue eyes scanning the apartment briefly before landing back on her. "No problem. I can wait if you don't mind. I'll just watch some TV."
"Of course," Jenn said, stepping aside to let him in. As he passed, the earthy scent of sweat, and cologne wafted over her, sending a strange shiver down her spine. What is that smell? she thought, inhaling deeply without realizing it. It was intoxicating, unlike anything she ever noticed on Will.
She closed the door and turned back to him, watching as he settled onto the couch. His posture was relaxed, but there was something commanding about his presence that made the room feel smaller, quieter. Jenn busied herself with the dishes again, trying to ignore the way her body seemed to hum in his proximity. Her small 5'3 cross country runner physique was so different than him. Manly is the word she always thought to herself when he was around.
"So... I like the scruff," she said casually, glancing over her shoulder at him. "It suits you. Goes great with that black mane of hair you've got."
Brad chuckled, brushing a hand through his hair self-consciously. "You think it makes me look more manly?" he teased, his voice low and warm.
Jenn froze for a moment, her pulse quickening. "Well... you are the definition of manly," she blurted out before she could stop herself. "I mean, look at you."
His lips curled into a smirk, and Jenn felt her stomach flip realizing she said out loud what she was thinking. "Oh, flattery will lead you everywhere, Jenn," he replied, his tone playful yet unmistakably flirty.
She turned away quickly, focusing on the sink of soapy water, but her mind was racing. Why did I say that? He's just Will's friend. Just Brad. Still, as she scrubbed a plate clean, her thoughts kept drifting back to him--his size, his strength, the way his flannel stretched taut over his muscles. She swallowed hard, feeling a dampness between her thighs that she usually only felt in bed.
This is wrong, she told herself firmly. He's just here to wait for Will. Nothing more.
But then Brad was behind her, his shadow looming over her in the kitchen. "Need any help?" he offered, his voice closer than she expected.
Jenn jumped slightly, her heart hammering in her chest. "Uh, sure," she stammered, handing him a sponge. "Thanks."
He took it from her, his fingers brushing hers briefly, and Jenn felt the contact like a spark, zinging through her body. They worked in silence for a moment, the sound of running water filling the space between them. But the longer they stood side by side, the harder it became to ignore how close he was, how impossibly big he felt next to her. His arm brushed hers as he reached for a dish, and Jenn sucked in a breath, her nipples tightening beneath her tank top.
"You're kind of quiet," Brad observed after a while, his voice low and smooth. "Everything okay?" He had hoped his physical appearance today would trigger something, but honestly had no idea if it would. He just remembered Will telling him she once had said, "Brad is like a lumberjack from a commercial"
Jenn cleared her throat, forcing a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, just... zoning out, I guess."
He glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her face. "You sure? You look a little flushed."
"I'm fine," she insisted, too quickly. Her cheeks burned hotter under his scrutiny, and she cursed herself for reacting this way. Brad isn't supposed to make me feel this way--not when I'm engaged to Will.
Brad then said, "Thanks for the compliment earlier, coming from a hottie like you that gives me confidence."
She blushed, "C'mon, it's true and you know it."
He said, "You saying it is what means the most to me..."
Her breath hitched. "Brad, I--"
"Jenn, I have to say something." Brad's voice was low, gravelly, and utterly unshakable. "I know everything about you from either you or Will. You know quite a bit about me too... and I've felt this strong attraction to you I can't deny. I don't want to be the guy standing at your wedding, watching you marry him, when I feel like I should be the one at the altar. I had to say this now. You can tell me to get the hell out. I understand."
Jenn stood there, frozen in place, her breath catching in her throat as if the air itself had turned solid. Her heart pounded like a drum in her chest, each beat echoing louder than the last. She could feel the heat of his body so close to hers, the way his presence seemed to fill the room, shrinking it until it was just the two of them. His hand was inches from her face, his fingers brushing against the edge of her cheek, and she wanted to move, to step back, to say something--anything--but her feet were rooted to the floor.
"Very funny, big guy," she said weakly, her voice cracking under the weight of his stare. "You almost had me."
But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't true. There was no teasing glint in his eyes, no playful smirk on his lips. His expression was raw, intense, and completely sincere. And that scared her more than anything else.
Brad stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and for a moment, Jenn thought she would pull away. But then his hand cupped her cheek, warm and calloused against her skin, and everything inside her seemed to melt. She should have pushed him away, should have told him to leave, but instead, she found herself tilting her head ever so slightly, leaning into his touch.
And then he kissed her.
It was soft at first, barely more than a press of lips against lips, but it was enough to send a jolt of electricity through her body. Her hands flew up to his chest, gripping the fabric of his flannel as if she needed something to hold onto, something to ground her. But as the kiss deepened, as his tongue traced the seam of her lips, asking for entrance, she didn't pull away. Instead, she opened for him, giving in to the inevitable.
His arms encircled her waist, pulling her flush against him, and Jenn let out a muffled sound that was part gasp, part moan. The feel of his hard chest against her softer curves, the way he pressed against her, made her knees weak. She hadn't realized how much she wanted this, how much she'd been denying herself, until now.
When they finally broke apart, both of them breathing heavily, Jenn stared up at him, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "Brad... what are we doing?" she whispered, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
He didn't respond right away, instead running his thumb across her lower lip, his gaze locked onto hers. "What do you think we're doing?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion. "We're finally acknowledging what's been between us for months."
Jenn swallowed hard, her mind racing. What's been between us? she wanted to ask, but the question died on her lips. Because deep down, she knew. She'd felt it too, every time he walked into the room, every time their eyes met, every time he laughed or teased or simply existed. It had been simmering beneath the surface, tempting her, taunting her, making her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her relationship with Will.
