We stepped into the Colorado sunshine, a brisk chill in the air, but all I felt was heat rolling off Monroe. Or rather, the heat she’d stirred in me when I almost kissed the fuck out of her a moment ago. Maybe if it weren’t for her busted lip, I might have, or maybe I would’ve been brave enough to whisk her away into a janitor’s closet. For fuck’s sake. I wanted this woman more than I wanted to fly again.
What the hell? Flying was my soul, but I was finding that Monroe gave me the exact same feeling I had when I was streaking across the clear blue sky.
“The football field is this way,” she said.
I had to think for a second as to where we were going. She was making me forget where I was. Hell, who I was. Like we were back in high school again—all hormones, high libidos, and reckless hearts.
“Should we talk about what happened inside?” My voice didn’t sound like my own, but I needed to address the elephant in the room. I needed to know how she felt. If she was feeling that pull, that need, that want that drove two people to do crazy, sexy, and downright mind-blowing things together.
“Nothing happened,” she fired like a damn missile, her words hitting me in the chest.
“Seriously, Monroe? You didn’t feel a thing in that hallway? I know you felt what I felt.”
“And what was that, Captain Callahan?” The question stammered out of her, showing her nerves.
“Do you want me to spell it out?”
Shouts and whistles sounded in the distance from the football field.
She gave me a long glance as we walked in step. “I would love to hear it.”
I chuckled at the mere fact that she was going to make me work for her answer. Though I would go out on a limb and bet she would shy away when she heard how I felt about our heated encounter.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I grabbed her hand as we both came to a halt. The pulse at her wrist thudded against my thumb. “Look at me.” I wanted her full attention and to see her expression.
She straightened her spine, puffing out her chest, then raised her eyebrows. “I’m not a fragile person.”
“And I’m not one to pull punches. So let me be clear. I felt the way you melted into me. I felt you shiver when I dragged my fingers along your cheek. You were a second away from letting me kiss you until the sound of the door made you jump. But what I really wanted to do was shove you up against the wall and kiss you like you’ve never been kissed before.”
She barely shivered. “Is that so? Anything else I should prepare for?”
“Prepare? Do you plan on letting me have my way with you, Teach?”
She poked me in the chest. “Now, it’s my turn. Don’t think for a second you can get in my pants so easily. Or kiss me like you’rethe only guy on the planet. Are you that cocky to assume that you can get any woman you want? Because I’m not any woman. I have standards. Morals.”
I leaned in, my mouth at her ear. “You also have needs, Monroe. Tell me you’re not wet under that dress. Tell me you don’t want my tongue teasing you, my body pressed against you, or dare I say, me inside you.”
Her breathing ramped up as she nuzzled her nose into my neck. “I don’t want those things.” Her voice was weak at best.
Fuck, I was so ready to do all those things to her that blood was pooling in my groin.
“You’re lying to yourself, Monroe. There’s a strong connection between us.” I nibbled on her ear. “You feel it just like I do. Just know?—”
“Monroe,” a male voice called out.
She froze, stiff and solid, breath catching as she tried to push me away. “Shit.”
I created distance between us as a brown-haired guy strutted toward us as though he thought he owned the world.
“Be nice,” she said to me or maybe herself. “Ryan, what are you doing here so early?”
The light bulb flashed on. “Ex?”
She subtly nodded, appearing to be digging for the courage to confront him.
I would guess that the divorce had been volatile.
He assessed me then her then me again. “I came to watch our son practice. Who’s the flyboy?”
