I gripped the phone tighter as I got to my feet, grabbed my keys, and strode into the garage. Driven to be closer to her in case she needed me for more than a phone call.
“I got so good at it that I stopped noticing I was doing it.”
I climbed into the car. “You should never have had to do that.”
A quiet sob came through the line. I listened to her cry the entire drive over, feeling completely helpless.
When I pulled into her driveway, she whispered, “Hold on a second. Someone’s here.”
“It’s just me, baby.” I killed the car’s engine but didn’t get out. “You don’t have to let me in, but I wanted to be here in case you needed me.”
“You’re here?”
I glanced up and saw her looking out the front window as I answered, “Yeah.”
The door opened, and every coherent thought in my head disappeared. She was letting me in, and I couldn’t afford to fuck this chance up.
I climbed out of the car and walked into her home. We stood there staring at each other after she closed the door, until I reached for her hand. When she didn’t pull away, I led her over to the couch.
We sat next to each other, and all I could do was look at her. Her hazel eyes were still wet from her tears, but they were soft in a way they hadn’t been since I broke her heart.
Pulling her closer, she buried her face in my chest while she worked through her pain and frustration. I just held her, stroking her back and pressing soft kisses to her hair. But somewhere in the quiet, comfort slowly shifted into something heated.
She tilted her head back, and the distance between us suddenly felt unbearable. My gaze dropped briefly to her mouth before returning to her eyes again. She licked her lips, but I didn’t move. The choice of what happened next needed to be hers.
For one terrible second, I thought she was going to pull away. Even though it was what I wanted more than anything, I was surprised when she leaned forward.
The first brush of her lips against mine was tentative. Almost cautious. Like she was still figuring out whether this was really happening.
My hand tightened around hers as a rush of longing and gratitude slammed into me. I’d missed her so fucking much.
When she kissed me again, the hesitation faded. Years of loving her and weeks of missing her crashed together, making it impossible to think about anything except her lips on mine.
I lifted my free hand and gently cupped her cheek. “Lila.”
She made a soft sound and shifted closer. The movement shattered what little control I had left.
I kissed her this time, trying to pour every ounce of love I still carried for her into the press of our mouths. I was terrified this would be the last time I ever got to hold her like this.
For a few precious moments, the rest of the world disappeared while I enjoyed the feeling of finally being close to her again.
But when she climbed into my lap, I sucked in a sharp breath. My forehead dropped against hers. “Baby.”
Her eyes met mine, beautiful and vulnerable. Shining with trust I hadn’t earned back yet. But I was terrified of taking advantage of her pain.
“We don’t have to do this.” My hands settled carefully at her waist as confusion flickered across her face. “You’ve had a rough morning. After everything I’ve put you through, the last thing I want is for you to do something you’re not ready for because you’re hurting. I want you so damn much, but I need to know you’re sure.”
“I am.” She covered my hands with hers as she took a shaky breath. “I know this doesn’t fix everything, but I think I need it.”
If she needed me, then that was exactly what she was gonna get.
I captured her mouth in a deep kiss and didn’t stop as we stood and stumbled toward the hallway. My hands slid under her shirt, and we bumped into the wall, then the side table, neither of us willing to break the kiss long enough to see wherewe were going. The little desperate sounds she made against my mouth went straight to my head. And my dick.
We barely made it to her bedroom. When we crossed the threshold, I pressed her against the wall, devouring her like I’d been dying without her. She kissed me back just as fiercely, her fingers digging into my shoulders, and her body arching into mine.
Weeks of frustration and fear exploded between us in the best way possible.
I walked her backward until her legs hit the edge of the bed, then eased her down onto the mattress. My heart pounded so hard I could barely think straight. I wanted to be gentle with her. To show her how sorry I was with every single touch. But when she grabbed the hem of her sweater and yanked it over her head, revealing a peach lace bra that barely contained her breasts, all my good intentions burned away.
