“I don’t know if I can trust this.”
I frown down at her. “Trust what, exactly?”
“This.” She swallows hard and looks down at my chest. “That you’ll still feel this way in a few days. That it’s not just happening because we’ve been sort of forced together here and there, and you’ve let your guard down, but when you remember everything that happened, you won’t hate me again, and make me leave, and?—”
I rest my lips over hers, kissing her softly, nibbling those perfect lips. And when I pull back, I tip my forehead to hers.
“I. Don’t. Hate you.” I drag my fingertips down her soft cheek, to her neck, and hold her there. Hold her gaze. “I never hated you. I was hurt and angry, but we already said that we’re going to let the past stay behind us and work on something new.”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “Still scares me. Aren’t you scared?”
“Fucking terrified.” Her eyes soften with my admission, and it sets me at ease, too. “But I want you more than I’m scared of it.”
“Okay.” She nods, then leans in and rests her forehead on my chest. “One day at a time. Can I use your super beautiful shower?”
“You can use whatever you want.” I kiss the top of her head and help her off the counter, then lead her down the hallway.
This afternoon, Jules went up to the apartment and packed up the rest of what she could salvage from the flood, and I brought it back here. She finds what she wants to change into and gathers it into her arms.
“You should have everything you need in there,” I tell her, gesturing to the bathroom.
“I’ll be ready to go in about twenty,” she replies.
With a nod, I back out of the bedroom. I’ll shower down the hall. I would prefer to be in there with her, but once we start, I won’t want to let her go any time soon, and my girl wants ice cream for dinner.
She can have anything she damn well wants.
And when I’m inside her again, it’s not going to be a quick, angry fuck in my garage.
Not that there’s not a time and place for that, and I look forward to it happening again, when she doesn’t run out on me after.
This time, it’ll be in my bed, where I can fucking devour her.
Thirty minutes later, I’m pulling the bike out of the garage. I pass the helmet I bought for Jules to her, and her eyes go big.
“This fits me.”
Suddenly, as I’m tying the chin strap, her eyes narrow and go sapphire blue.
“Wait.” Her hands cover mine, stopping my movements. “Who the fuck did you buy this woman-sized helmet for? Idon’t want to wear something that you bought for someone else, Brooks?—”
“Stop.” I hold the chin guard of the helmet and make her look me in the eyes. She’s glaring at me, and fuck if it doesn’t make me hard.
There’s my wildfire.
“Number one, I’ve never had another woman on my bike. Not once, Juliet.”
Those eyes widen, her jaw goes slack, and I keep talking.
“Two, I bought this foryoulast week.”
“B-before you knew I’d be staying here.”
“Yeah. After I had you on the back, I knew I needed something for you.” At the time, I considered it to be a weak moment because I wanted to hang on to my anger.
“Three, and I want you to listen really carefully to this one.”
She bites her lower lip, watching me with those wide eyes.
