But our eyes clung a moment too long.
And then another moment.
And another.
My feet stayed planted. Her breathing grew ragged. My eyes found her parted lips. Waiting for me. And then I was done. At my limit. A man holding everything in his arms could only take so much.
And she was definitely my everything. That much I knew for certain. I didn’t deserve her, but I wanted her. I wanted to be good enough for her. Dropping her feet to the ground, I kept her wrapped tightly in my arms. Closing the distance, I let my forehead fall against hers.
For as much as she was barbs and nettles, her lips were soft and pliable. Welcoming. She let out a soft gasp as my mouth covered hers. For the longest time, we stood together, locked in a simple embrace while our mouths held close. Touching and tasting, each of us giving a little bit more in the exchange. A little more opening, a little more tasting, a little more pressure until we were finally one.
33
Tessa
Itried to gain control of my slippery emotions, which was hard to do with his lips trailing across my cheek, his hand in my hair, and his arm pulling me snug against him. He felt so good. He was everything I wanted. He had been so close to being mine, but he wasn’t. And still I kissed him, even as my heart was breaking. I pulled away from him and out of his arms.
We shouldn’t have kissed. I was still so confused. The only thing I knew was that I was half-delirious in my exhaustion, and even though Logan might have saved our lives last night, I still couldn’t let go of the betrayal I felt toward him.
He moved beside me quickly, reaching a hand out to grasp my elbow. But I didn’t want him to be nice anymore. It pushed too hard against the wall I had built.
“Just stop,” I said, flinching as I said the words—the war in my heart spilling out of my lips.
Pulling my arm out of Logan’s grasp, I took my backpack from him and lifted my foot gingerly, beginning my slow descent down the trail, hobbling like an old woman.
“Tess,” Logan’s voice called behind me. “Let’s talk.”
I kept walking, head held high.
“You want to know what’s terrifying, Tess?” His voice was louder. “You’re not the kind of girl a guy can go on a date with and be done. You’re not casual-dating material.”
“What? What do you think I’ve been doing the past twelve months?”
“Hiding out. Same as me.”
“Hiding out? Excuse me, but I don’t have flavors of the week. I don’t even have flavors of the year!”Great. Yes. You tell him, Tess.“Or was it a day for you? I don’t even know.”
“Yeah, and then they’re done. It’s the same thing you’re doing. Hiding out. You just took a different approach. But you came along and scared the living crap out of me because you’re NOT that. You’re the girl you take home to meet your family.”
“I already know your family.”
“Even worse. There’s history. You’re best friends with my sister. If we ever broke up, they’d kick me out and keep you.”
“Is this an apology? If so, you suck.”
“It’s not an apology.”
“Great. I’ll see you down the mountain.”
“Tessa…”
I ignored him and hobbled off, my chin up and my dignity restored with each swear word I muttered when my foot made contact with the ground.
“Tessa, I swear…”
I kept walking. I was all heart and heat and fire coming out in tiny indignant gasps. We weren’t anything. Nothing had been defined, but I had let my stupid heart get attached to him. Re-attached. My face twisted in ugly formations, trying to keep the tears at bay. The pathway before me became blurry.
“I’m so freaking in love with you, Tess.”
