Tension crackles across the scant inches between us like a coming storm. Like a charge, daring him to take what he wants—what we both want.
“I’m done,” he says.
“With me?”
“With fighting this.” Gripping my hips, he pulls me flush against him, my cell phone tumbling to the floor.
His mouth meets mine in a hard kiss. The sheer bruising force of it ripples waves of pleasure through me. Each press drinks up everything I give, and right now, I want to give this man everything. The years of growing desire for him. My here and now with its swirls of emotions about and for him. Above all, my future wrapped up tight in the hope that this may be our first kiss and not our only one.
My fingers curl into his T-shirt, anchoring me to him—to this moment. I’m terrified if I let go, he’ll float away.
“Garrett.” Head tipped back, I moan as his teeth scrape down my neck before he sucks at the base of my throat.
“You taste so sweet,” he groans with pleasure.
“Thank…you…” I breathe.
“Only you would thank a man for a compliment at a moment like this.” His chuckle is dark.
“What can I say, I have manners.” I slide my hands beneath his T-shirt, delighting in the clench of his muscles as I trace the cut ridges of his stomach.
It’s a momentary respite from the emotional and sexually charged headiness enveloping us. This feels like us. The playful banter. The comfortability. It’s a glimpse of what this all couldbe like if we unshackled the chains keeping us in the friends-only box. We could be friends, and so much more.
“Are we doing this? Likereallydoing this?” I bite my lip, my gaze drops to where my hands skim along the top of his jeans. “Or is this just tonight?”
He places his thumb on my chin, guiding my gaze to him. “It could never be just one night with you.”
The corners of my mouth lift in a small smile. “Then, we’re doing this… Like a real couple?”
“Yes.” His deep timbre is laced with pain.
“Don’t sound so excited.” A furrow dips my brow.
“I am, but I’m also scared. I won’t pretend I’m not.” The pads of his fingers skate over my jawline and soothe against my cheeks. “I don’t know what will happen, but what I do know is that being terrified with you is far better than any sense of safety without you. Walking away from you today is a mistake I don’t want to make ever again.”
“Is that why you’re here? Is that why you were calling?”
“No.” He combs his fingers into my hair. “I was at the hospital checking on things when the outage happened. All I could think about is you. I texted, and you didn’t respond. When my calls went to voicemail, I panicked and headed straight here. I could have called Anker, but I couldn’t think straight. All I could think about was getting to you.”
“I’m sorry,” I say softly.
He kisses the center of my forehead. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This is my issue… Even if I didn’t technically have the job, I always think about you. Your happiness. Your wants. Your safety.”
“I’m safe.” I press into him, hoping that settles the worry radiating from him.
He lets out a shaky breath. “Losing Val broke me, and my pieces are barely back together, and I’m scared they’ll break—that I’ll break—if I open my heart to someone again. It’s why I pulled away… But you gave me no choice.” He places my hand on his chest. “You’re already burrowed so deep here.”
“You’re not broken,” I murmur.
“I want you. I want to be with you. But I also know that I have issues that might get in the way of us, and I don’t want them—for me—to hurt you.”
“You want me?”
“Yes.”
“And you want to be with me?”
“Yes.” He presses my hand tighter against him.
