Page 65 of The Enemy: Extended Edition

Never once in my life have I felt this safe. This . . . cherished.

Ryan lays quiet kisses on my neck, and a tear falls down my cheek. I think I accidentally sniff, because Ryan stands back up and examines my face. I turn my eyes away, but he pulls my chin back and wipes away the streak my tear left behind.

“Tears?” he asks.

I nibble my bottom lip and try to keep more tears from releasing. “Ryan, I . . . Well, I . . .” I can’t get the words out. I feel them, but I can’t say them.

His face is soft as his mouth tilts into a smile, and he pushes the hair back from my face. “I know. You don’t have to say it yet.” Again, such compassion. It disarms me.

I nod, and he lays another chaste kiss on my lips. “Want some coffee?”

I chuckle. “Not really. My mind is in other places right now.”

His grin says he likes this answer, but he shakes his head. “I think we need to figure some things out first.” He gives me a whisper of a kiss. “I’m not rushing you, June. We’ve got time.”

Yeah, but the problem is his tender answer makes me want to rush right into it.

But he’s right . . .

“Fine. You make a compelling argument,” I say as he picks up my hand and lays a soft kiss against my wrist and then my palm. His warm kisses spread to each of my fingers. “Okay, but now your argument is confusing.”

He chuckles against my skin. “This is one of those instances where I know what I should do, but it’s completely opposite of what I want to. Basically, this is me teetering.”

I eye his soft lips pressing against my thumb. “So you’re leaving it up to me to say no right now? Dangerous decision.”

His dark eyes shift to my hand as he raises his own, placing our palms together like two high school kids examining the differences in proportions. I wonder if this is something he dreamed of doing in high school with me? Something innocent and sweet, standing by our lockers.

His lips curl up softly as he surveys our hands pressed together before he slowly folds his fingers down between mine. “I want to get this right with you, June.”

He finally looks back up, and when his gaze settles intently over my face, I melt. I’m gone. Done for. I nod my agreement because I want nothing more than to get this right with him.

We stare at each other a little longer, his hands still holding tight to mine, thumb rubbing slowly up and down mine. It’s a settling moment where we let the charged air sink back to normal.

The final break of the spell is when Ryan says, “Do you think you can make do without me for an hour or so?”

I try not to frown because I’m not that girl who needs her man glued to her every second of every day. But for some reason, I feel pouty. “Sure. What do you have to do?”

“I need to go into work and check on a few things.”

The vagueness of his answer pricks me. It feels familiar because I’ve heard it before. “Oh, okay. Yeah.” I slide off the counter. “Sure thing. I’ll get ready while you’re gone.” I’m an easy-breezy CoverGirl now. So chipper.

Ryan catches my arm before I step out of the bathroom and hauls me back to him. I turn my eyes away from him and pretend a smile. “C’mon, let’s go get some coffee.”

He shakes his head slowly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I force myself to meet his eyes and grin. Grinny-grin-grin.

“June, say it. We both know I’ll douse you under cold water until you do.”

“Rude.”

“Tell me.”

“Ben used to tell me that same line all the time. Now I realize he was always giving me that vague work line before he’d go . . . ya know.” I shrug. “It’s nothing. I was just disappointed for a minute. No big deal, though.”

He dips his head so I’m forced to make eye contact again. “I’m not Ben. You can trust me.”

I nod and allow my stiff posture to soften. “Okay. I’ll try to remember that.”

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