Silently, he scrutinizes me, his attention lingering on the bouquet in my hands.
The way he scowls at me sends a shiver down my spine. What’s gotten into him?
“Hade?” I ask, my heart in my throat. “Is everything okay?”
“Where did you get the flowers?”
I blink, confusion swirling in my mind. “I bought them.”
His lips curl up on one side, but his expression remains flat. “For yourself?”
“Yeah. I always keep fresh flowers at home. I’ve been thinking about buying them for your place but haven’t had the time.”
He stands and prowls closer. His movements are slow, calculated, strange. It causes my anxiety to spike. I take a step back.
“Are you sure they aren’t from Nick? Or some other guy?”
Mouth open, I gape. First, I had to deal with the asshole who cheated on his wife and lied to me, and now, I’m being interrogated out of the blue by a guy who’s never even noticed me? I fucking hate it here.
I move around him and trudge toward the kitchen.
“Riley!” he barks, hot on my heels.
It takes all my willpower not to slap him across the face with the gorgeous flowers I’m clutching. I set the bouquet on the kitchen counter and turn, hands on my hips. “What do you want?”
“I asked you a question.”
“And I gave you an answer!” I throw my hands in the air. “I bought them for myself becauseIdeserve them. Sofuck off. You have no right to be possessive like this.”
He searches my face, his emerald eyes full of heat. “Fuck it,” he murmurs.
He steps into me, snakes an arm around my waist, and pulls me against him. My breath hitches as our chests collide. Lips parted, I gawk at him, but before I can ask him what the hell he’s doing, his mouth is on mine.
18
just once
HAYDEN
The kiss isdeep and passionate from the moment our lips meet. I hold her tightly, her warmth radiating into my bare chest. Arms draped around my neck, Riley eagerly kisses me back. Her tongue slips into my mouth, curling around mine in a frenzy.
I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her. It felt like I’d fall apart if I didn’t.
She clings to me, her fingers in my hair as she tilts her head to deepen the connection. I might have been the one to initiate it, but she instantly took control. And I fucking love it.
We break apart to catch our breaths. Then, I press my lips to her cheek and kiss down her neck. She throws her head back, giving me better access, moaning as I suck on the delicate skin of her throat.
“I’m so tired,” I whisper against her skin. “Tired of pretending there’s nothing between us. That I don’t want you. That I don’t think about you all the time.” I rear back, searching her face. “Ry baby, what are you doing to me?”
“Pretty much the same thing you’re doing to me,” she murmurs, her lips puffy. She grinds against me, and my vision cuts in and out. Jesus Christ.
“This will complicate everything,” I tell her. “Our lives are too connected. Ourfamilies?—”
She pinches my nipple and tugs, effectively silencing me.
“You can’t seriously tell me you think of me as family.” She twists harder, sending bolts of pain and pleasure through me.
I groan, head thrown back. “Fuck no…not anymore. I haven’t thought of you as family for a while now.”
