I was half hypnotized as he lifted the hem of my top. I still wasn’t supposed to put my left arm above my head too much, but the fabric was stretchy and easy to get off.
Now I was in my bra and baggy sweats, and his calloused fingertips were tracing lazy patterns from one freckle to the next.
“So pretty.”
Not the scars, though, I thought, fighting the urge to cover the mangled skin on the left side of my chest. But Dean wasn’t looking at the scars at all. Maybe he was choosing not to see the ugly parts of me, and that was fine. I was thankful.
I wasn’t ready when his mouth dipped to suck one of my nipples through the cotton of my bra.
With a breathy whimper, my hands clapped onto his shoulders. Smiling, he went to suck the other. There was something so blatantly sexual about the feeling of it. We’d kissed before because of our fake relationship cover story. And he’d touched me before as a friend. Even held me close.
Butthis. Dean’s lips sucking and teasing until the white cotton over my breasts was wet and translucent… I felt a pulse of lust between my legs. He could do anything to me, and I’d let him. I would beg for it.
Then he pressed his face between my breasts and inhaled, hugging me around the waist. I rubbed my fingers over his newly short hair.
Raising his head, he pulled me down into another kiss. “I’ve been waiting a long damn time for this.”
“How long?”
“Since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
I took a shaky breath. “Really? I can’t believe I never knew.”
Dean tugged me by the hips and eased me onto his lap, straddling him. The tip of his nose bumped my temple affectionately. “Did my best to hide it.”
He’d already explained his reasons, but it was still difficult to accept. How could Dean not see how wonderful he was? I didn’t care about his past. He’d been so good to me throughout our friendship, at least until he left town. That was why I’d fallen for him.
I couldn’t help but fall for him.
When I shifted in his lap, I felt his erection under my behind. His hips moved to thrust against me. That wasn’t what had my thighs clenching though. It was the way he stared at me. Like he wanted to wrap himself around me until the lines between us lost any meaning.
“Keira, I haven’t been with anyone else since I met you. Haven’t slept with anyone. Haven’t even kissed anyone.”
I went completely still.
“Wait,seriously?”
He laughed softly. “It’s true.”
“You haven’t been with anyone in that long? We met years ago. Like, four years!”
“I know.” He drew his thumb down my chin. “Trust me, I know. Probably shouldn’t be admitting that, but just in case I last all of two seconds…”
Oh, no. I wasn’t letting him distract me from this subject. I was surprised, but also, my inner possessiveness liked the sound of it a lot.
“There hasn’t been anyone else for me either. There’sneverbeen anyone else for me but you.”
“No one?” he rasped. “Even after I left, and you hated me?”
“I could never hate you.”
I’m in love with you, I almost said, but that would without a doubt scare him away. Dean had just barely convinced himself to be here with me.
Maybe this was just for tonight. He’d told me over and over that he would leave Hart County again when this was finished. But I didn’t care.
Okay, now it was my turn to crack a joke.
“You’re way too good-looking for me to hate you,” I said with a small smile.
