“What are you thinking?”
Ronnie shakes her head and lets out a small and pitiful scoff. “We can’t, so I try not to think about it, Iz. Why make things complicated?” she murmurs as I cradle her face in my hands, our lips almost touching. “We can’t.”
She’s right, I shouldn’t do this to her, but I’m selfish and an asshole.
“Just because you say we can’t doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.”
My lips brush against hers, willing her to me, and when she does, my knees turn to jelly. The feeling is euphoric. Fuck, does she bend so beautifully.Her soft and pliable body fit into mine so perfectly that it’s almost a curse. I kiss her then. My tongue sweeps against the seams of her lips, seeking permission to enter. For a moment, I think she will let me in, only to be disappointed when the invasion is denied.
Ronnie keeps them firmly closed, rejecting me. My heart sinks at the gesture; however, I don’t give up. You gotta work hard for what you want. And my little sunflower is everything I ever fucking wanted. I nuzzle my nose against her cheek and breathe warmly on her skin.
“It doesn’t have to be hard,” I murmur against her skin. Her fingers grip my shirt, pulling me closer as she lets out a soft sigh.
“Fuck, Iz. I’m with Max. We just can’t.”
“Leave him. Make it easy?” I murmur, pressing my lips against hers gently before biting down lightly. “Stop fighting it. I want you, Ronnie. You want me. There’s no hiding that. We’re not kids anymore. Let me in. Fuck,mujer, just let me in.”
My words reach her and shock me when I feel her melt against me. I expected another wall, another reason why we couldn’t, but when her eyes flutter open, her stormy gaze meets mine. Her lips part slightly, and I can tell she’s on the verge of giving in—surrendering to the undeniable tension that has been building between us since we were kids. All I can think of are the reasons why we should. Then suddenly, her fingers uncurl from my shirt only to flatten out on my chest. Creating a physical border, my heart ricochets under her touch. “See what you do to me.”
A soft sigh escapes her lips as she looks at me intently. “Iz… people will get hurt if we pursue this. It can’t happen. I can’t hurt Alexa or Max… I just can’t.” With that, she ducks out of my grasp and runs into the safety of her house. Leaving me alone once again.
Chapter Ten
Isaac
Iwalk back inside the townhouse and plop beside Nixie, who is still sound asleep. From the corner of my eyes, I can see Ronnie, deep in her laptop as she works her little life away. Trying to pretend that I’m not here, even though I can see her stealing glances when she thinks I’m not paying attention. My phone vibrates, pulling my attention to the buzzing in my chest. Pulling the phone from my pocket, I look down at the screen—a message from Blondie.
Alexa:
My place or yours?
I roll my eyes and gently smack the phone on my forehead. Alexa can sometimes be clingy, and it becomes more evident on nights I hang out with Ronnie. One of the many things I dislike about our arrangement. As much as I wanted to feel bad for ignoring. I can’t. I’m too focused on the woman furiously typing away. I sigh and pocket my phone. I'm not in the mood for Alexa or anyone who isn’t Nixie or Ronnie. My eyes fix on the screen in front of me, watching Edward glitter on the screen as if it's the most interesting thing in the world. Using it as a distraction to keep my urges at bay, only for it to fail by the sound of her voice as she answers her phone.
“Hi, babe,” she chirps, her voice bright and sweet as honey.
A pang of jealousy shoots straight through my heart. My blood turns to ice, and I clench my fist.Fucking Max. Trying my best not to act like a complete freak, I pretend to be into the movie playing. If there is a man I hate just as much as Max, it’s fucking Edward Cullen. What kind of fucking vampire glitters and has nofangs? I grimace as I watch Edward’s painful interaction with Bella. I hear a small chuckle, a confirmation that her eyes are on me, and without a doubt noticed my reaction to the scene. It was always the same. Her voice drops at whatever Max tells her, making me look in her direction.
She smiles when our eyes connect, as she closes her computer and stands from the table. Walking away, her voice barely above a whisper, as she continues her conversation on the phone. I bite down the urge to follow her and try my best to focus on the movie.How long is this shit?My phone vibrates steadily inside my pocket, digging my phone back out to see Sledge's name on my screen.
“Brother,” I answer.
Sledge chuckles into the phone, doing very little to drown out the sound of skin slapping that fills the other end of the line. “I got you some serious cash and another fight. Tonight.”
Absentmindedly, my eyebrow arches as I scratch my chin. “Can’t do. Family time,” I answer. The one thing I never compromise on is time with family. My father has always been big on family time, especially since the death of my mother. Plus, this is the only time I get to spend with my girl without needing an excuse to be here or seek her out. No amount of money will make me leave her side.
“Tomorrow, I can push it till then, but nothing more.” He responds through his teeth. I glance over at Nixie, who stirs on the couch but remains asleep. Quickly, I give Sledge an answer just so I can end the call. “Tomorrow works. How much?”
Sledge groans. “Five thousand.”
“I can work with that. How much do you have for me now?” I ask as I rise to my feet.
“The fight, three. The bets, ten. We did well last night. Come grab the cash and have some fun,” he says.
“I’ll pass..” I chuckle. “I’ll get it all tomorrow.”
He groans once again, and I end the call. My attention goes to the small noises coming from the kitchen. I creep up to the kitchen, leaning into the wooden doorframe as I silently admire the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Her waves cascade down her body as Ronnie cuts up lettuce.
“Rabbit food for lunch?” I ask, stretching my arm above my head, my hand resting on the trim of the door. She glances over her shoulder, the knife pointing in my direction as she replies, “You don’t have to eat it, asshole.”
