Tristan
Iwaited until Millie hopped off Kate’s lap and hurried to the kitchen. Kate hadn’t noticed me yet, so I snuck closer. When she pushed off the couch and spun around, I was right there.
Her pretty little mouth popped open to yelp, to curse... Whatever it was, I was faster.
“We need to have a serious talk about these walls you keep putting up.”
Her glare was scary as fuck. “I thought you left.”
“Not going anywhere, baby.”
“You should.”
Maybe she didn’t want me in her space right now, but that fire burning in her eyes told me she didn’t want me gone either.
“Well,” I said, eradicating the distance between us. “I’m not ready to leave.”
We were so close, a puff of hot breath hit my chest with her sharp exhale.
Snaking my arm around her waist, I whispered against her ear, “Don’t pretend I don’t know what you feel like from the inside.” My mouth ghosted over her skin. “That it wasn’t my name on those pretty lips when you came all over my hand.”
Another shaky breath left her body.
My hold on her tightened, mercilessly digging my fingers into her skin. “Don’t you fucking dare pretend none of it happened.”
For one, two heartbeats, she didn’t speak, didn’t even move. Then in the blink of a damn eye, she shoved me away. “I thought that’s what we were doing?” Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and those walls grew a few bricks taller. “Pretending.”
“Fuck.” I swiped a hand over my face. “You’re the most fucking confusing woman I’ve ever met. Why don’t you just use your damn words and tell me what the fuck I did wrong so I can fix it?”
When my stupid rant was out, I immediately wished to take it back. She didn’t deserve it. Even if she was the one driving me in-fucking-sane.
I opened my mouth. “I’m sor—”
“Go.”
“Fine.”
This time I didn’t argue. Simply grabbed my boots from her bedroom and got the hell out of there like she wanted me to. But when the elevator doors swung open, I couldn’t step inside.
“Fuck this.”
Spinning on my heel, I stomped straight back to her apartment.
The door wasn’t locked and later we’d have a talk about the dangers of leaving it open. Later. After I’d done what I came to do.
Molars grinding, I swept my gaze across the living room. Empty. Next stop was the kitchen. Only Kate was there, busy working the coffeemachine. Not really working, more like staring at the bag of beans in her hand.
I wasted no time crossing the room. Clamping both hands down on her shoulders, I spun her around. My mouth crashed to hers before she even registered what was happening.
Slipping my fingers into her hair, I angled her head to the side. My tongue eagerly swept over the seem of her lips, begging for entry. One time, two times until she opened on a sweet, sweet sigh and let me in.
The beans clattered to the floor and her hands shot to my waist, her fingers doing some digging of their own. My groan was deep and rough, pulled from somewhere only this woman could reach.
If I’d had my tongue in anyone else’s mouth, it would have been just a kiss. But with Kate, there was nothingjustabout it. When her lips touched mine, she didn’tjust kissme, she reached behind walls I didn’t know were there and touched places I had no idea existed.
She made me fucking feel.
With that realization, I broke the kiss and stepped back.
