I stare at him. I’ve never had anyone ask me that before. “It’s true that taking care of the people of this town makes me happy,” I admit.
“I know. And I’m so glad you have that. But you know you don’t have to keep paying them back, right?”
“I don’t know what that means.” But I think I do.
“You take care of them because they took care of you. Your mom left you here. This town raised you. You’re grateful.”
“Of course, I am. They gave me an amazing life. Tons of love. Wonderful memories. I am safe, secure, loved, and taken care of here.”
“But you don’t have to keep paying them back for all of that,” he repeats. “They would still love you if there were fewer clubs. If you took a day or two off.” He pauses then says, “If you left.”
I step back. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t want to leave this town. I understand your life is here. All the people you love. But do you want to stay or are you afraid of leaving?”
My heart is pounding now, and I’m not sure why. “I’ve never had a better reason to leave than I have for staying,” I say honestly.
He watches me for a long moment. Then he nods. “Okay.”
I don’t move. My heart is still racing, and I don’t want him to stop touching me, but I feel like he’s seeing things no one else sees when he looks at me.
This makes no sense. He just got here two days ago. He doesn’t know this town. This town confuses him. It makes him shake his head and roll his eyes. But now he’s asking me if I’m here because I’m afraid to leave. Why? Why does he care if I stay?
My heart gives an extra hard thump in my chest.
He’sleaving. Is he wondering about what I might be open to when that time comes?
I take a deep breath. I have tostopthose kinds of thoughts. All of the other guys have left Rebel, and I’ve chosen to stay. It’s the reason my relationships haven’t lasted anyway. And Alex knows this. So he shouldn’t be asking me these things. I cannot let my heart get involved here.
Then he does something that makes me think simplyuh-oh.
He cups my face in both hands, says, “Fuck, I like you so much,” and kisses me.
CHAPTER 18
NORA
I lean into him,suddenlyneedingto have my body against his as fully as possible.
His tongue is demanding, and I moan as I open for him to taste me completely, hungrily. He walks me back as he kisses me, and just as my knees feel like they’re melting, he lifts me up onto Sutton’s desk.
I part my knees and he steps close. He’s too tall to press the part of him against the part of me that Ireallywant to be against, but I still rub against him like a cat against a pillar of catnip.
He runs his hands up my arms, resting one heavy palm on either side of my neck, making me feel held captive and at his mercy.
And I love every second of it.
Heat swirls through my body, pooling heavy and thick in my lower stomach, making my pussy ache.
I so want to press against him. No,grindagainst him.
I wiggle, shrugging out of the light flannel I’m wearing, leaving me in only a black tank top.
“Alex,” I breathe as I squirm on the desk, moving back, thinking I’ll pull him down on top of me, where I can get his full weight against me. “I?—”
Suddenly, there’s a loud clatter, and I jump, pulling away.
We both look at where Sutton’s pen holder hit the floor and pens scattered across the floor. She has a round woven rug under her desk, but the plastic cylinder hit, bounced, and clattered against the linoleum, throwing pens everywhere.
