“Hey, Sawyer! Get in here. Charlie wants to show you the new trick I taught him!”
Sawyer blinks, visibly shaking himself out of whatever moment we were just sharing. He gives a small, almost apologetic smile, but the intensity in his eyes lingers.
“Guess I’m needed in there,” he says.
I try to mask the disappointment that hits me in a wave, but I know it’s written all over my face. This moment, whatever it was, was interrupted, and I don’t know if we’ll ever get it back.
“Yeah. Of course,” I say, forcing a smile, trying to act like everything’s fine. “I’ll just… go to the bathroom. That’s where I’m meant to be.”
He steps back, leaving me with the warmth of his touch on my skin. As he turns and heads back into the dining room, I stand there, trying to get my bearings.
What was that?
Before I can figure it out, I hear Charlie’s excited voice again, followed by Sawyer’s deep laugh, and I realize it doesn’t matter.Whatever just happened, whatever almost happened, it’s already slipping through my fingers.
It’s for the best. I already have to deal with the mess I’ve made of my life. And then there’s Clint. And Reid.
Still, a small part of me can’t help but wish this moment with Sawyer hadn’t ended so abruptly.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sawyer
The house fadesinto silence around us. The laughter from the dining room becomes distant, muffled by the pounding of my own pulse in my ears. All I can feel is the heat building between us, thick and charged.
Every breath she takes is calling to me, pulling me closer.
She’s standing there, close enough to touch but just out of reach. Her eyes are wide, lips parted, waiting for something. For me to make the first move.
I’ve never been good at holding back, especially not when she’s this close, this tempting.
I step forward, just a little, enough to make her heart race, enough to close that final gap. Her gaze flicks downward, and I see the way her body reacts before she can hide it. Shifting slightly toward me, the soft sway of her hips undeniable.
Her body wants this. I can feel it in my bones.
My hand grazes her arm, just a whisper of a touch, but it’s enough to make her inhale sharply, to make her pulse quicken. Her reaction sends a thrill through me.
She wants it. She wants me.
Without waiting for any more signs, I close the space between us. My hands find her waist, pulling her against me.
She gasps, feeling the heat of my body pressed so close to hers, and I can’t stop the low growl that escapes my chest. Her breath catches again, and that’s when I know.
This isn’t just desire. This is deeper.
“Dakota.” I see her eyes flick to my lips before I lean in, whispering against her ear. “I’ve wanted this for so long. Wanted you.”
Her body shivers at the words. And I’m done waiting.
I kiss her. When her hands slide up my chest, her fingers scraping over my skin, I lose all control. The kiss becomes more urgent, hungry.
I grip her tighter, my hands cupping the back of her head, and she moans, soft and needy.
Her mouth parts under mine, and I take advantage, slipping my tongue inside, tasting her, claiming her. She’s just as eager, her hands working at the button of my jeans, the action frantic, desperate.
I pull away for just a second, our breaths mingling.
“Take them off,” she whispers. “Now.”
