His flannel is open and the long sleeve t-shirt under it is hugging his chest, showcasing the rugged masculinity that is making my insides flutter. Even in the low light, I can see the silhouette of his large forearms from the rolled cuffs of his shirt, and I remember how good it felt to be held in those arms earlier today.
I’ve only known this man less than a week. I need to get my shit together and stop looking for something that’s never going to happen. It was nice to stand in the warmth of his attention for a minute, but I’m deluding myself if I think too much about the attachment I feel to him.
“Marley, can I have a minute with Elly, please?” His voice is soft, I’ve noticed he and his dad have a tone that is reserved only for Marley, and it’s had me wondering why.
Quickly standing up, she chirps, “Sure.”
When she walks by him through the doorway, he steps into the room and closes the door behind him. Feeling some kind of weird tension from him, I stand and toss the throw onto the bed. His eyes sparkle in the silver light in the room as he looks at me.
“I’m sorry about downstairs earlier.” The fingers of one hand are tapping against his thigh.
Trying to control the burning, I feel even more like I’msinking into a deep, black hole. I blink a few times and paste on my signature smile. I wave my hand in front of my face. “Don’t worry about it, the whole situation is unusual.”
He takes a step towards me. “Don’t do that.”
Confusion sweeps over me. “Do what?”
His eyes volley between mine. “Don’t pretend it didn’t bother you. You may think that smile fools everyone, but it doesn’t fool me. I see you.”
My heart jumps into my throat. No one notices my mask. No one’s cared to. Taking a shaky breath, I say on the exhale, “Habit. It makes things easier.”
He cocks his head a little. “Would you rather have easy or real?”
It’s like he’s reaching out and warming parts of me, pieces of my soul I didn’t know existed. It feels good. He feels so honest and sincere. But at the same time, it points out just how pitiful my upbringing was. It’s also a warning not to let myself get addicted to something that is going to be gone in a matter of days.
This can only go one way, and I don’t think I can take losing the normal of my lifeandthe heartbreak of losing him at the same time. I need to put space between us.
Say something to make him leave, Elly. Tell him easy is always better, he won’t like it.
“Real.” I whisper.
My inner eye roll because of my weakness for him makes my head spin. Good job…
Getting a taste of what ‘real’ feels like won’t kill me, right? Just a taste.
“I know you skipped dinner because you wanted to be alone, and I tried to give you that. But as I’m sitting down there, all my thoughts keep going back to you, and I know this sounds crazy.” He holds his hands up insurrender in front of his chest. “I don’t like the thought of you feeling bad because of me.” He takes another step toward me and drops his hands. He’s just a few steps away from me and I can smell the smoky sandalwood scent that hangs on him like some kind of pheromone.
Butterflies are fluttering in my stomach as I think of how soft his lips were against mine. “You were doing what you had to do for your daughter. I admire and respect that.”With everything in me. She has no idea how lucky she is.
He takes another step towards me. I can feel the heat from his body wrapping around me, anchoring me to him, touching my skin like a caress. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
He reaches for me, his rough palm slides over my cheek, making me suck in a breath. Who knew such warmth and tenderness can be found in something so rough, something so strong? In my next breath, his fingers are looped around the nape of my neck and his lips are on mine, hungry and demanding.
Sliding my hands up his arms, he lets go of my neck and squats down some to wind both arms around my body, pulling me flush to him, his hand sliding up my back to my nape, the fingers of his other hand bite into the skin on my side. His hard angles pressing against my softness pushes every bother in my mind to another place and slams the door with a satisfying click of a lock.
When my toes start to leave the ground, I lift my legs and wrap them around his hips. His kisses started tender, his tongue sliding across my lips before gently tangling with mine, but become urgent as he nips and sucks my bottom lip before spearing his tongue into my mouth again.
The flames of desire dancing around my core are spreading across my skin, scorching me, and my nipples pebble against his chest pressed to mine. “Gray,” I mumble into his mouth. It’s a plea laced with desperation, begging tobe touched.
He swings us around and slowly lowers me to the bed as he stretches his body over mine, taking care not to put all his weight on me. He flings his hat onto the floor and the hot breath from his nose tickles my cheek when his lips find mine again.
“Gray.” I whisper into his mouth again.
“Hmm?” The small moan doesn’t pull his lips from mine.
Pressing my hips to his, I feel his hardness through his jeans. “I need you.”
He suddenly freezes and presses his forehead to mine, his eyes closed.
