“Talk to me.” There was so much pleading in those three words. So much vulnerability. He was too attached.
Anger flared to life in her chest. She could handle herself. If she got too attached, she was strong enough to walk away and deal with the fallout of her own emotions. But watching Marcus get his heart broken wasn’t something she felt she could handle. He wasn’t supposed to fall for her. He was supposed to accept what she’d offered. He’dagreed.
She brought up her hands and placed them on his chest. His eyes darkened with desire, but before he could lean in and kiss her, she gave him a gentle shove. “Stop, Marcus.”
Confusion flickered in his dark eyes. “Wynter?—”
“You…promised,” she rasped. Her frown turned into a scowl when nothing in his countenance changed. “You promised,”she repeated. “This isn’t supposed to be serious. There are no expectations.”
His eyes turned dangerous, and his lips curled with disgust. “You can’t still believe that,” he muttered.
Exasperated, she let out a harsh breath. “I’ve been nothing but honest with you from the start. I’ve told you over and over?—”
He closed in on her and her breath hitched. The low husky tone of his voice left no room for argument. “You’re lying to yourself. I can see it in the way you look at me. I could feel it in the way you clung to me. The way your breath hitches in your chest. The way your body reacts to my touch. You know we could be good together.”
What was she supposed to say to that? Her lips parted with surprise, and her mind scrambled for a response he’d accept.
But apparently Marcus wasn’t going to let her get that far. Not without asking the big question.
“Why?” he demanded.
“Why what?” she whispered, voice shaking.
“Why do you insist on standing in your own way?”
Fire burst to life in her chest once more. It was as if her heart could feel the danger she was in. She needed to get out from under his stare. Away from his touch. Inviting this friendship had been a mistake. She’d been a fool to allow things to get this far. “Don’t you dare.”
He blinked. No, it wasn’t an answer to his question. He wouldn’t be getting that.
Wynter poked him in the chest. “Don’t you dare assume anything about me. We might have been close once, but we’vechanged. Both of us. And if you think that spending time together for the last several weeks is enough to turn back time, you’re sorely mistaken.” She flinched when she saw the pain in his eyes, but he covered it up quickly.
Without warning, he framed her face with his hands and pressed a kiss to her lips. Desperation. Longing. Need. His heat threatened to consume her, and in that moment she allowed herself to give in to what he was offering. She moaned, her arms draping around the back of his neck.
Marcus could consume her with one touch. He was right about that. She was weak, and her resolve easily crumbled whenever he was in the vicinity. If things were different, she might have been able to risk it all for him. She might be able to believe in miracles.
She could have allowed herself to be happy even if it was short-lived.
But that wasn’t who she was.
With pained movements, she released him. Her hands trailed down to his chest again, and she turned her head to the side to break the kiss. With a gentle nudge, she pushed him backward. “I think you should go.”
“But—”
“I don’t want to fight, Marcus. Please… go.”
He didn’t move for a long moment. The tight ache in her chest had her wishing she could take it back and beg him to stay. But she was putting her foot down. Wynter wouldn’t allow Marcus to get hurt no matter what.
The longer he stared at her, the worse it became. She could sense that he was already too attached. Maybe it was too late. Maybe he was already going to be hurt, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Wynter turned away from him, unable to look him in the eye. She counted in her head, focusing on her breathing until she heard the shuffling of his footsteps. Then the sound of the door opening and closing. The woosh of cold air was nothing compared to the chill that swept through her body with his absence.
This was for the best. Marcus would learn to accept it. He had once before, and he could do it again. She just couldn’t risk giving her heart to him.
21
MARCUS
There was nothing like the déjà vu that seemed to be hitting Marcus over the head each time he left Wynter’s house.
