She stared back at him, her expression set.Distant.And the truth hit him in the face like a bucket of cold water.
“But you don’t trust me.”
She swallowed.“I trust you more than I’ve trusted anyone in a long time.”
And that scared her too.Because deep down, she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.“What do I have to do to prove myself to you?”
She ran a hand through her hair, agitated.“Look, we crossed the line, and it was my fault.”
“We crossed it together.”
She pressed her lips together, looked away.“I’ll talk to Ryder.Ask him not to assign us together anymore.”
“Don’t you dare,” he said sharply.Maybe too sharply given the way her gaze jerked up to his.He softened his tone.“We’re both adults.What happens between us is our business.No one else’s.”
She gave him a searching look, then groaned softly, her gaze dropping to his mouth.“This is so dangerous,” she whispered.“You have no idea...”
“No idea what?”he said, dying to kiss her again.To make her need him as much as he needed her.To rip down the rest of her fucking walls right here and now, because he couldn’t stand them a moment longer.
“No idea how much I...”She groaned again, leaned forward to kiss him.With firm, lingering pressure, the way she had before they’d caught fire together.
All too soon, she stopped and eased back a few inches.But she was still staring at his mouth.Came back for another kiss.And another.
He moved to deepen it, but she made a negative sound and set a hand flat in the middle of his chest to push him away.“You have to go,” she whispered, sounding breathless.“One of us needs to stop this.”
He didn’t budge, his whole body rigid with denial.Walk away from her when she obviously needed him?Fuck, no.
She licked her lips, closed her eyes in tormented defeat.“Please, Tristan, you need to leave before I—”
“Lose control?Oh, hell yes, sweetheart, go ahead.I’m dying for it.”
Her eyes flew open, and she let out a soft, surprised laugh.“Oh, Jesus, just stop talking.”She put a hand over his mouth to keep him from saying anything else.
He caught her wrist.Nipped her palm gently, then cradled her hand in his and pressed a warm, tender kiss to the center, staring deep into her eyes.
Let me in.Let me all the way in.
“No.”She pulled her hand free and backed up a step.“Please, I need you to be strong for both of us right now, and go.Please.”
It was the second please, the plea in her voice and eyes that did it.Even though every cell in his body was screaming at him to stay.To break through her rapidly weakening defenses right now, because once he did, he knew he would have her naked and coming under him soon after.
But the sinking in his gut told him it would be a hollow victory.And as soon as it was over, she would reinforce her walls, piling them higher and thicker than before.So high and thick he might never get through them again.
Fuck.
“All right, I’ll go,” he finally said, and he didn’t miss the flare of mingled relief and surprise in her eyes.“But not before I make something crystal clear.”
“Okay,” she said, her expression and tone wary.
He stared into her eyes for several heartbeats.Felt that bone-deep connection with her that went way beyond the hunger still pulsing through him.“I’m only leaving because I’m not willing to risk losing you if I stay.”
His words seemed to knock the breath out of her.Her lips parted slightly, her expression going soft with yearning.“Tristan...”
Biting back a frustrated, territorial growl, he bent his head and stole one last kiss before looking deep into her eyes.“Change your alarm code once I go.But Cass, never doubt for a single moment that you’re already mine.”
Her eyes flared slightly in surprise.Turning and walking away from her was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.It was like peeling off his own skin with a dull knife.Even if he knew it had to be done.
Sometimes doing the right thing felt like shit.
