“Is that what you think I’m doing?Playing games?”He looked shocked and a little hurt.
“I don’t know what you’re doing.All I know is I enjoyed kissing you, and then you didn’t show up.And I haven’t seen you in two weeks, and the first time I see you, you pretend we don’t know each other.I got the hint.”
“And what hint do you think I was giving you?”
“To back off.It’s fine.I know you don’t date.After seeing you with your ex, twice, I guess it’s because you’re still in love with her.”
“What?”he snarled.“You think I’m in love with Hannah?”
I scoffed.“I don’t know.And it’s none of my business.You don’t owe me an explanation.”
“She runs off every female I talk to.I didn’t want her to see us talking and know there was something going on.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing there’s nothing going on.”
“That’s not what I want, Reegan.”
“What do you want?”
“You.”
“You have a messed-up way of showing me that.”
He sighed.“I know.After graduation, I was dealing with some things.I didn’t come out here because I wasn’t up early enough to see you.I didn’t want to interrupt your evenings with Ashlyn, and it’s obvious that was a good decision since she doesn’t know anything about us.”
My cheeks warmed with his accusation.
“I like talking to you, Reegan.And I really like kissing you.And I’m sorry for not being out here in the mornings and for pretending I didn’t know you yesterday.But I’m not sorry for keeping you off Hannah’s radar.”
“That seems like half an apology.”
“You don’t know Hannah.”
“No, I don’t.”
“She is why I don’t date much, but not because I’m in love with her.I don’t date because she scares off all the women I try to date.She… I don’t know why she does it.All I know is she’s made it impossible for me to get to know anyone well enough to give anything a shot.I didn’t want that to happen with us.”
I leaned across the table between us.“What are you saying, Josh?”
He closed the gap between us without a word, capturing my lips and my hand.His other hand dove into my hair and tilted my head as his teeth clashed with mine.
Damn, the man could kiss.And I had no resistance against him.
At all.
Nine
Josh
She didn’t pushme away.She didn’t stop me.She leaned in and met me halfway and kissed me back.
I poured my relief and pleasure into kissing her, hoping it conveyed all the things I wanted to say to her.I wasn’t lying about wanting Hannah to stay away from her.It didn’t matter that Reegan was only there for a few months.Hannah would make sure Reegan never came back if she knew I was spending my mornings making out with the pretty teacher.
Reegan gentled our kiss with a flat hand against my chest.She didn’t shove, so I took it as a signal to ease up, not back the hell up.Slowly.
“I don’t need declarations or romance, Josh, but I do deserve respect.”
I nodded, putting more space between us but keeping hold of her hand.“You’re right.My daughter is with me this week, so my mornings are going to be quick.She’s working at the hospital for the summer.She’s old enough that we let her choose where she wants to be, but if she spends too much time here, her mother gets nasty.”
