Pulling my hand back, I place it in my pocket and finally look at him.
He looks drained. Sad, even. I’d like to believe him. That he misses me. But the memory as to why he’s here groveling sets me straight.
“You look tired. Late night with Sienna?” I cock my head to the side with a condescending smirk.
There’s a slight twinge of guilt on his face before he rounds the table that separates us. He steps into me, pushing me back and crowding my space. I take one more step back and he follows, standing flush against me; my back is now pressed into the leg pillar of the canopy that shades us.
“I told you, that was a mistake, a one-time thing that will never happen again.” He leans in closer, and I can’t help but press my palms into his chest, attempting to push him back, but he’s rooted to the ground, trapping me.
“Stop it Sam, let me out.” Craning my head to the side, I seek more space between us but it just gives him access to the side of my neck and allows him to dip even closer.
“She doesn’t mean anything to me. What do I need to do to prove that to you?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, painfully, because it hurts when I want to believe him. But I’m met with a flashback of their naked bodies rolling around inmybed and Sam’s voice telling Sienna how desperate he was for her. How he only pretended to be with me so he could grow his following for himself and for her, too. I hate it. I hate how used I felt, how used I still feel because he never really wanted me.
The saddest part of all of it, is now everybody I talk to gets the repercussions of his actions and I hate that he stole my ability to trust people.
Before I can re-open my eyes, a hand wraps around my wrist pulling me out of the trap and my chest is now flush with another.
A light aroma of cedar and sage engulf my senses before I peel my eyes open. It takes a moment for my sight to adjust and as it does, the vision that comes into view is breathtaking.
A man with bright blue eyes and a sharp, smooth jawline stares back at me. A mound of dirty blonde hair surrounds his gorgeous face and I’m suddenly speechless.
He wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer, then uses the other to cup my cheek.
His eyes bounce between mine before a sexy smirk appears and his buttery voice dances in my ear. “Hey, pumpkin.”
My eyes widen at the use of the foreign nickname, then he leans down and kisses me.
He. Is. Kissing. Me.
Fireworks erupt in my belly as I moan into his mouth.
It’s all-consuming and completely intoxicating.
By instinct, my hands roam up his chest and over his broad shoulders. I’m drowning in sensory overload as his lips continue to explore mine. Goosebumps erupt over my skin and everything feels so natural, so perfect.
Just then, he pulls away slowly, his forehead resting on mine and we echo each other in a breathy, “Wow.”
His smile mirrors mine as we both open our eyes, recognizing the power behind whatever the hell that was.
“What the hell?” Sam’s voice screeches between us like rubber on a blacktop road.
I blink back into reality and pull away as I turn around to face Sam. Instead of letting me get away, my beautiful stranger wraps his arm around the top of my chest, pulling me back into him.
“You can go,” he says simply to Sam, like it’s a fact.
My eyes are still bewildered but I manage a tight smile and a wave as Sam looks around like this might be a joke before he takes a few steps backwards then retreats fully. Power walking like I’ve never seen.
I can understand his stress. The man with his arm wrapped around me is at least six feet tall with a landscape of muscle.
Intimidating is an understatement.
After he disappears from sight, I release a long breath and turn around, stepping out of the arms of my handsome savior.
My eyes trail up his body and now that I’ve gotten a moment to take him in more clearly, he’s utterly mouthwatering.
His stonewashed dark denim jeans fit snugly against his body, his basic white tee fits perfectly, displaying the wordsLettuce Turnip The Beetin a column down the middle of it, and that makes me giggle.
