Page 10 of Walk Off

At the time, the reasons had seemed valid, but now, looking back, she saw how selfish and wrong she’d been. She should have told him and let him make the decision himself.

“Come on,” Ruby said, holding out a hand. “You don’t have to tell him tonight, but you need to at least talk to him.”

Celia took her sister’s hand and followed her out of the room, through the reception, and outside to where Dallas and Kyle stood talking.

“Dallas, let’s go get a drink,” Ruby said, giving Celia’s hand one last squeeze and then leaving her completely alone with the man she once loved.

The man she still loved.

He looked good too. Better than he had at twenty-one. Back then, he’d been growing into his adult body. He’d had muscles but they weren’t fully developed. Even in a suit, she could see he’d filled out over the years. The one thing that hadn't changed were his eyes. Those soft brown eyes that always seemed to be able to look directly into her soul.

“Celia,” he said again softly, just like on the dance floor.

“Um, hi, Kyle.” Jesus, just saying his name out loud took her back in time.

He shifted from foot to foot, making her acutely aware that he was also nervous. “It’s really good to see you.”

“You look good,” she said, completely unsure what to say to him.

He gave her a little smile. “Is that why you ran away? Because I look good?”

This was the Kyle she knew. Humorous and not afraid to address the elephant in the room. She couldn't help but laugh. “You hit the nail on the head.”

He visibly relaxed. “Would it be weird if I ran now? Because this is so weird. Why is it weird?”

“I have no idea.” That was a complete lie. She knew why it was weird for her. For him? She had no clue.

“I had no idea you’d be here but I can’t say I’m sad to see you.” He shook his head. “It’s the opposite. I’ve wanted to see you again for eight years.”

Now, that was something she’d never thought he’d say. Not after the way she’d broken up with him. “Why?” It was the only question that ran through her mind.

“I never stopped thinking of you.” He stepped closer. “You were in my heart so deep, and nothing I did, nothing I tried, would let me forget you.”

Her breath caught. What was he saying? There was no way this man had pined for her for all these years. She’d seen pictures of him out with other women. Lots of other women. “That’s not true.”

He stepped even closer. “It is true. I thought of you all the time, wondering what you were up to, but mainly wondering, over and over again, why you broke up with me.”

She was going to hyperventilate. This couldn't be happening. Kyle Dulanay was standing in front of her telling her he’d never gotten over her. When the same was completely true for her. “I don’t know what to say to that.” She couldn’t look away from him as he continued to move closer until he was directly in front of her, his breath mixing with hers, his brown eyes burning into hers.

“You don’t have to say anything. I just needed to tell you.” His gaze held hers. “I never thought I’d get the chance to tell you, and seeing you again, I just knew I had to get it out or I’d regret it for another eight years.”

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “I hated breaking up with you.” Shit, shit, shit. Why had she said that?

He reached out, his fingers grazing hers. “Then why did you?”

Her heart was going to beat right out of her chest any second. She couldn’t tell him why, not yet. This was not the place to tell him about Jasmine and what she’d done.

“Celia,” he whispered her name, his lips so close to her skin that goosebumps covered her skin. “Tell me to stop. Tell me you don’t want this.”

She couldn’t because it was all she’d dreamed of for the last eight years. She’d never stopped wanting him and having him right in front of her, so close, was torture.

The best fucking kind.

“Kiss me.” She couldn’t even believe the words came from her mouth. But they might have been the first real honest thing she’d said in her life.

His eyes went darker, more intense, and his breathing sped up. “You drive me fucking crazy.” He hauled her against his body, and when his lips touched hers, it was like coming home. This was the only place she’d ever wanted to be. In Kyle’s arms with his mouth on hers.

She clung to him like a lifeline and let him devour her mouth. She knew these lips, knew what he tasted like and how he moved. She’d not forgotten a single thing about him.

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