“Stop doingthat. It’s really freaking annoy?—”
Then his face is in mine, blue eyes blazing. “You want the truth?”
“I…” My throat is tight but I manage to squeeze out, “What do you mean?”
He leans closer, one hand lifting, pressing lightly to my cheek. “Do you want the truth of why I’ve always avoided this?”
“Avoided what?”
His eyes grow hotter. His impatience grows. “Avoidedbeing alone with you, avoided anything that wasn’t professional, avoided anything that would bring me closer to you.”
My lungs spasm. “Why do you mean?”
“I know you want me,” he murmurs. “I’ve seen it in your eyes, felt it in your body, and part of the reason it’s so damned hard to keep my distance.
“But you’ve come over to my house,” I whisper.
“The other coaches were there,” he says. “And when they weren’t, there was always something I had to get back to, most often Kylie, who I wouldn’t blow off.”
No, he wouldn’t.
“I stayed away because I didn’t trust myself. Because I knew I couldn’t be open to something with you. It’s irresponsible. It pushes boundaries I shouldn’t push. And I knew I couldn’t be the man you deserved, the man you needed. I’m too broken, too damaged, too closed down, too dangerous?—”
“Damon—”
“But from the first time I saw you,” he says, talking over me, “I wanted you. Then I got to know you and I wanted you more. And yeah I told myself what you needed was anyone but me, yeah I know I’m not good for you. But then you told me you were empty, baby?—”
I inhale sharply.
His fingers flex on my jaw. “You shared what you shared and you told me you wereempty.”
My exhale is just as sharp.
“And so…everything changed.”
EIGHTEEN
Damon
Christ,I’ve been delusional.
Thinking I could stay away.
Thinking I could somehow fix all this shit for her and keep my distance.
Could stay just friends.
When I dream about her most every night. When I think about her far too often during the day. When I?—
“Damon,” she whispers then asks when my eyes come to hers, “What changed?”
“You gave me you.”
Her eyes go wide. “No, I didn’t. I shared some shit that happened to me because you’re a pushy asshole?—”
I shake my head. “That’s not the right story, Red.”
Her eyes go even wider. “Damon?—”
