“No,” I admit reluctantly.
“Is that how you think about yourself, in your own head?”
“Sometimes.”
Hawk is quiet for what feels like ten minutes.
“If you want to bring Cole over here, you can,” he says in a strained voice.
“No!” I twitch in his arms, trying to show him my frown and my look of disbelief, but he doesn’t loosen his hold on me. “I don’t want Cole, I want…”
I bury my face in his chest, too exhausted and too much of a coward to continue.
Hawk bows his head to whisper in my ear, “Is there someone else you do want?”
I nod against his chest. Hawk walks me back until my ass hits the door. I look up, and his eyes are burning.
“When I said I shouldn’t have listened… I’ve been holding off on making my move with you. I was trying to give you time and space to heal, because everyone told me you needed it. It’s been killing me, baby. Being so close to you every day, but not being with you.”
He caresses my cheek with the back of his fingers, and I lean my face into his touch. My eyelids flutter shut.
“Can I kiss you, Marissa?”
I think I open my mouth instead of my eyes, but my brain soon catches up, and I realize I can see him again.
A wave of tenderness and affection rises up inside my chest as I watch Hawk stand in front of me with all the patience in the world, his palms still on my hips, not making his move without my say-so.
There's no other answer than putting my hands on his chest and saying, “Please do.”
Hawk isn’t afraid to show how happy my permission makes him. He puts his forehead on mine and closes his eyes in relief.
I can’t look away.
The love and ownership I feel over the strong line of his jaw and the laugh lines around his eyes turn my bones into jello before our lips even touch. And when they do…
It starts with his nose gently gliding up mine. Then a soft press of his lips, and my mouth immediately opens in response. His head draws back slightly, so he can gauge my reaction, but my face follows him, hungry for more.
Hawk seems taken aback at first, like he can’t believe that I’m as desperate for this as he is, but he quickly puts one hand on the small of my back and the other in my hair and kisses me again.
I’ve had it with the patience at this point, so my tongue boldly deepens the kiss, and I moan my relief at the wonderful cool taste of his mouth.
Hawk presses my lower half into his, and the substantial erection that greets me through my thin leggings drives me wild with lust, pride, and wonderful, warm joy.
I put my arms around his neck and press my chest against him. Both of us become frantic in our kissing, licking, heavy petting, until Hawk suddenly bookends our makeout session by putting his forehead to mine again.
I look down at him through heavy-lidded eyes, confused. His hands are on my ass, and my legs are around his hips.
He must have lifted me up at some point.
Startled by my newfound position, I squeeze him with my legs, and he groans as he puts his face into the crook of my neck.
“Marissa,” he pleads. “One of us has to go get DJ.”
“Shit,” I say as I scramble to be let down. “Shit shit shit. What time is it?” I ask, trying to smooth my hair.
What has this man been doing with it?!
Hawk is amused even though his zipper is dangerously close to popping. “We still have about 10 minutes. I’ll take the car.”
