I shouldn’t be doing this. I didn’t come here for sex.I was going to break up with him. But his lips felt so good on mine.
Fuck it.
I kissed him back, sucking his tongue into my mouth. He let out a moan and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he brought me over to his bed, laying me down. I removed my jacket and kicked off my shoes. Connor did the same, his eyes never leaving mine. I could see the hunger within him.
With a silent invitation, he lowered himself on me, his lips trailing kisses along my jaw, moving lower to my neck, then my shoulder. His teeth grazed my shirt collar, sending a thrill through me, and I eagerly removed my shirt, exposing my skin to his touch. I reached for Connor's shirt, removing it to reveal his toned physique. My hands roamed over the contours of his muscles, tracing the lines of his stomach down to the waist of his jeans.
As I reached his zipper, he looked at me through the curtain of his dark lashes. “Not yet.” With a soft push, he guided me to lie back on the bed. Connor’s kisses travelled lower, leaving a trail of fire along my skin, and I arched my back in response, craving more of his touch. His hands roamed freely, teasing every inch of my exposed flesh. When he returned to kiss me, his lips were gentle and tender, leaving me breathless. He lay there holding me. I could feel him hesitate.
“I think you’re it for me,” slipped from his lips.
I froze as his words hung in the air, the weight of their meaning crashing down on me like a tidal wave. His eyes, filled with raw emotion, bore into mine, pleaded for a response. My heart ached as I looked into his earnest gaze, my own feelings waging a battle within me.
“Don’t say things like that,” I whispered, the words escaping my trembling lips before I had the chance to think. Irolled over, pushing his body off mine as I sat up, needing distance to gather my thoughts.
Connor reached out, his fingers catching my own, and his gaze caught mine. “Rose, I’m sorry if that’s too much for you, but it’s true. I’ve thought that from the moment I saw you at the lake. It slipped out in the moment, but I'm not sorry I said it.”
I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed, and stood up abruptly, pulling my shirt back over my head and hastily gathering my shoes and jacket. “We barely know each other,” I muttered as I moved toward the door, but he caught me, spinning me around to face him.
“Don’t walk away from me.” Connor’s voice was firm, a hint of desperation lacing his words. I saw a flicker of something I saw the other night in the forest. A killer in front of me. Though his voice wasn’t edged with anger, it was filled with a raw sense of pain.
“I can’t. I have to go,” I told him.
“Rose, give in to this,” he urged, taking my hand and placing it on his chest. I could feel his human heart beating rapidly beneath his skin. “Can’t you feel what you do to me?” His blood rushed through his veins, and his heartbeat was fast. I struggled to push down the instinct roaring within me.
Vail was right; she had been right this whole time. How could I possibly think that I could be with a human when a battle raged within me every time I touched him?
I hesitated for a moment, almost giving in to his touch, but my mind went cloudy with the weight of my past. “I can’t be with you, Connor,” I confessed, my voice barely a whisper, and I couldn’t stop the tear from rolling down my cheek.
“Why not? Is this about Vail or your husband? Why could you be with them but not me?”
“It’s not about them! It’s about me. I can’t open myself up to someone again. I won’t let myself. I’ve been hurt too many times.” My voice cracked with vulnerability.
Connor wiped away my tears. I hated how easily my emotions were shown on my face. I didn’t want to cry.
“I won’t hurt you, Rose.” Connor’s voice was a whisper as he moved closer to me. His lips were now barely an inch away from my own as I looked up at him. I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in his touch. “Is this about last night? That’s not who I am, Rose. I was protecting my friends. I was protecting you.”
“Not who you are?” I said, my voice tinged with doubt. “You had stakes hidden in your guitar.”
“They are always in there, just in case. I always have weapons on me,” he explained.
I backed up a step, feeling a surge of unease. “Do you have any on you now?” I scanned his body.
“No, but I have them hidden all over my apartment,” he admitted.
I glanced around, my breath coming in rapid bursts as my eyes searched for hidden weapons meant to kill creatures like me.
“It’s for protection,” he continued. “To protect me, my family, and you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me,” I told him sternly.
“I know that, and that’s what I like about you,” he said softly and stepped forward, closing the gap between us. His hands brushed my arms and pulled me close to his warmth. “I will never hurt you,” he assured me.
“But I might hurt you,” I whispered, brushing my lips against his.
“Rose, you won’t hurt me. I know there’s more to you than meets the eye, but I’m not afraid. I can see the strugglewithin you, and I want to be here for you.” Connor’s voice was gentle, his touch reassuring.
I pulled away slightly, unable to meet his gaze as I spoke. “You don’t understand, Connor. It’s not just about last night. It’s about who I am. And I know that if you truly knew me, you would hate me.”
