“I want you, okay?” She chokes out a laugh and tries to yank back her hand. When I hold on, she stops pulling away. “I am insanely, stupidly attracted to you, and I hate it.”
“Okay.” I need to tread carefully here. She’s not meeting my eyes, her gaze darting anywhere but here. “That’s a bad thing?”
“It’s a horrible thing.”
“Right.”
“It’s just stupid chemistry, okay?”
“Okay.” I’m not sure it’s so simple. “Would it make you feel any better to know I’m insanely, stupidly, ridiculously, tripping-over-my-own-dick attracted to you, too?”
“No.” Another harsh laugh bubbles out as her gaze swings to mine. “That makes it worse.”
“Gotcha.” I mean, I don’t totally get it, but?—
“I know I just told you I was happily raised by a single dad. That’s true, but it’s also true that I cried myself to sleep for years over my mother not wanting me. How could she just walk away?”
“I don’t know, honey.” I stroke my thumb over her knuckles again. “I really don’t.”
Hazel looks down at our hands. Her shimmery eyes follow the path of my thumb bumping over her knuckles. There’s a rasp in her voice when she speaks. “If we got romantically involved and then we split up, we’ll break our kids’ hearts. At least if we keep things platonic, we won’t disappoint them.”
I can’t fault her logic, and yet— “What if we didn’t split up?”
She laughs. “We can’t be in the same room for more than ten minutes without arguing. I hardly think that’s a setup for a strong relationship.”
I remember the words she just shared from her mother. The only thing opposites attract is heartache.
I still want to kiss her. “Hazel?—”
“Don’t say it.” She whips her free hand to my mouth, suppressing my words with the tips of her fingers. “When you look at me like that—when you say sweet things to me—it makes me want to rip off your clothes.”
“Mmhm.” I’m not seeing the downside here. Just enjoying the pads of her fingers pressing my lips. “Don’t let me stop you.”
The tip of one finger dips into my mouth when I speak. I can’t resist wrapping my lips around that delicate digit.
“Oh.” She gasps as I suck and her eyes flutter shut. “Why does that feel so good?”
Beats me, but that’s all the encouragement I need. I suckle her sweetly, tasting salt and potato and her own honeyed heat. A crimson flush flows from her throat to her cheeks as she lets out a low sigh of pleasure. Caressing her fingertip with my tongue, I catalogue everything. The silk of her skin, the hitch in her breath, the gritty-soft moan that erupts from her.
“How can I want you this much?” Her eyes flutter open and sear into mine.
“I feel the same.” Releasing her finger, I capture her wrist. “Kiss me, Hazel.”
“I—we—I shouldn’t.” But she does. Her mouth melds with mine, fiery tongues tangling. For a moment I’m lost in her sweetness. In the haze of desire, the feathery strands of her hair sifting through my fingers.
I want her so much I’m insane with it. But somehow I manage to rein myself in and draw back. Looking into her eyes, I take a breath. “I’m going to shower now.”
“Okay.”
“You’re welcome to join me.”
She hesitates. “I want to. You don’t know how badly I want to, but?—”
“I think I might have a clue.” Dropping her hand, I release the connection between us. “But I won’t push it. If you’re determined to keep things platonic, I respect that.”
“Right.” She watches me stand up and walk to the bathroom. I’m approaching the door when she speaks again. “Luke?”
“Yeah?” I turn back around, and the need in her eyes takes me out at the knees.
