“I want you, too,” I said. “But you don’t respect me.”
“That was the wrong word. I think you’re an incredible woman from a family of incredible people. Were your brothers really in gangs?”
I laughed. “Well, if you can call eight-year-old kids gang members. It was really their older brothers who were involved, but social services intervened before things got bad.” I flushed with pride. “And now instead of stealing cars, Trevor’s becoming a mechanical engineer and Jackson wants to be a pharmacist. But Bailey’s the really smart one. She’s going to be a surgeon someday. I think it’s because we’ve watched way too muchGrey’s Anatomy,but if anyone can do it, it’ll be her.”
He took a step closer, his eyes that dark mysterious gray I loved. “And today’s your birthday.”
“Adoption Day. That’s when I was really born.”
He nodded. “Happy Adoption Day.”
“Thank you. And thanks for coming. It’s good for you to get some one-on-one time with Cassie. I mean, it’s important that you two talk because—”
My words stopped as he touched my cheek. God, the feel of his calloused fingers turned me to jelly. I knew his heat, and I knew where this was going—a kiss that would make my toes curl and my logic short circuit. I could see the need and the question in his eyes, and damned if my whole body wasn’t straining forward. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted a birthday kiss to end all kisses, and all the hot sexy times that would come with it.
But my brain was screaming about how nothing had changed between us. He still thought I was a lying sack of shit. And yeah, he hadn’t said those words, but that’s what I’d heard.
So I held up my hand. “If you respect me—”
“I do.”
“Then what did you really mean to say before?”
He sighed, and I could feel the defeat expand outward, filling the sauna until it was hard to breathe. And I knew now that he’d meant exactly what he’d said—he didn’t respect me or my career.
“Now who’s the liar?” I taunted.
I went to move past him, but he gripped my arm.
“I said that you confuse me. That I want you so much, I can’t think. I like your family, and I respect what they’ve done with their lives, you included.”
Well, as long as we were being truthful, I might as well put it all on the line. “But do you think you could love me?”
It was an incredibly hard question to voice aloud. Because once I asked it, I had to face it myself. Could I love him? Was it already too late? Was I already in love?
I didn’t have an answer. Especially when he responded without words. In less than a second, he jerked me tight to his body and pressed his mouth to mine. My body had been primed. It wanted him like it wanted to breathe. So while my mind was busy grappling with the question of love, my body was already trying to make babies.
He plunged his tongue into my mouth, and I wrapped mine around his. His hands slid to my bottom, and while my legs were trying to climb his, he gripped me tight against his groin. I felt him hot and hard against my belly, and then he lifted me off the floor. My hands gripped his shoulders, pulling myself against him.
I was busy kissing him as he moved me toward one of the cedar seats. Then a second later, he tipped me sideways, pushed up my skirt, and was tugging at my panties. It was sudden, and my heart was slamming against my ribs, but God I wanted this.
I’d kept myself away from him for weeks. I’d acted painfully professional around him, while inside, I just wanted to wrap myself in his arms. I’d sneaked peeks at him at practice, watched around corners as he talked to the coaches. And at night, I’d replayed our times together. I wanted him to want me. I thought I’d finally found a guy worth my heart, only to discover that he didn’t respect mine.
It had been hell, but it wouldn’t help to spread my legs for him now. That would be like answering a question about love with sex. The two weren’t the same. And yet, I couldn’t get the words out fast enough. My body was all about letting him do whatever he wanted. His mouth was on my sex before I could convince myself this was a bad idea. His tongue was stroking my clit while my mind was fighting to remember that this was just a distraction.
And when my first orgasm ripped through me, I lost all sense of decency. I spread my legs and offered myself to him like a banquet, growling, “You better have a condom.”
He did. And I helped him put it on. Then I levered myself up onto him and helped him thrust inside.
Deep. Hard. His penis was thick and made to fill me. I kissed him while he thrust into me. And when I could feel his breath grow ragged, I held on tight and whispered into his ear.
“Fuck me, Connor. Please God, fuck me.”
And so he did.
Hard. Fast.
Orgasms for two.
