“Tristan.” Her shoulders slumped. “We…Ican’t. There’s too much at stake.”
Nothing I said would change her mind.
“Okay.” Closing the distance between us, I took her face in my hands. Our gazes locked, and I swear, I saw my future swirling in those hazel irises. “Call your sister. Tell her to meet me at Millie’s school.”
“What?”
Unable to resist, I kissed the tip of her nose. “Call your sister,” I said again.
“Why?”
“How else am I going to sign our girl out?”
Her brows knitted together. “You’re not signing her out. Izzy can pick her up and meet me at my place after you’ve dropped me off.”
“Not happening. You’re staying here. You and Millie. Right here under my roof where I can take care of you both.”
“Tristan.” Her eyes grew big with bewilderment. “We talked about this. Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, baby, I heard you loud and clear.” Ducking my head, I met that pretty stare head-on. “You don’t think my feelings are real. So, I’m going to prove to you they are.”
“Just like that?”
The slow curve of my lips couldn’t be helped. “Just like that.”
She shook her head. “You’re unbelievable.”
There was no malice in her tone, only a whole fucking heap of doubt. I’d erase it. No matter how long it took, I’d convince her she’d pulled the miracle of all miracles.
That she was the one to thaw decades of ice around my heart. She was the only one it belonged to. The only one it would ever belong to.
“I know asking you to trust me is asking a lot right now,” I told her. “I won’t ask for that. Please… Please give me the opportunity to earn it.” She opened her mouth, and I already knew what her protest would be.
I quickly shook my head.
“This isn’t about sex, Kate. Do I want to fuck you?” I let out a groan. “Desperately. And not because you’re the first woman to say no to me. None of this has ever been about that. I want to learn the curves of your body as much as I want to eat ice cream with you or hear about your favorite shows and who else gets to have their name stretched across your chest.”
She tried to look away, but I captured her chin before she could. “I want to know everything about you. About Millie. Your hopes, your dreams. Your fears. All of it.” Gaze boring into hers, I lowered my voice. “Will you let me do that?”
For a few long, long moments, she didn’t say a damn thing. Simply studied me with a questioning expression etched on her face. The longer the silence stretched, the faster my heart thumped inside my chest.
Because if she told me no, I’d respect it and walk away. It would hurt like nothing I’d experienced before, but I’d do it. For her, I’d do it.
“I’m scared.”
“I know, baby,” I breathed. “So am I. I’m terrified of what I feel. Scared out of my mind that I’ll screw it up.”
Smoothing my fingers into her silky hair, I tilted her head back. My descent was slow, giving her every opportunity to push me away before my mouth touched hers. She didn’t, allowing me to invade her mouth and have my fill.
“That’s the last time I’ll kiss you,” I breathed, my mouth still touching hers. “From here on out, you decide. I won’t kiss you until you tell me to. Won’t put a finger on you until you ask for it. And.” Dragging my lips along her jaw, I whispered next to her ear. “I won’t fuck you until you beg me to.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her nibbling on her lip while the bumps I loved popped up all over her skin. I didn’t even have to look to know her nipples strained against her dress.
Hell, she was probably dripping wet too.
Because my girl fucking loved it when I talked to her like this. She loved it almost as much as I loved hearing her say please. Just thinking about it had me back in her bathroom and the way her pulse fluttered against my fingertips when she said the word so sweetly.
The thought alone had my dick hard.
