Page 66 of Love Lies Bleeding

She’s standing in the doorway like some bouncer ready to throw down with me. It’s hot as fuck, but I still need to get inside and see if she took my warning seriously. Pushing past her, I walk into her home for the first time and take it in.

“Hey, asshole, I didn’t invite you into my home.”

I turn to give her a smirk. “Lucky I’m not a vampire then.”

“No, just a jerk.”

I feel her at my back as I walk through the hallway that leads to an open-plan kitchen diner at the back. It’s all whites and greys, with touches of her signature pink in the details. Double doors lead out onto a small garden that has a deck, with pots of flowers and cute string lights hung over the pergola above.

“Nice place, Blossom. It suits you.”

“Gee, I can die happy now I’ve had the seal of approval from the design police.”

I give her a smirk. “You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”

Hands on her hips, she doesn’t realize how enticing she looks. All fire and fury, but her nipples are peaked and her skin is flushed a delicious pink that wasn’t there when I arrived.

“That is none of your business.”

I ignore that because it doesn’t warrant a response. She’ll always be my business. “You don’t have to answer, I already know.”

She steps closer and angles her chin up to me, and all I want to do is take those pouty lips in mine.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Two reasons. The first is that if he was here, he wouldn’t let you talk to the man who wants to fuck you with his come still inside you. The second is you’re still snarky, and I distinctly remember that when I fucked you, Blossom, you never had the energy to move afterward.”

“Arrogant prick.”

I shrug but I know I’m right. “Truth.”

“So is that why you’re here? You want to stamp your authority on me or do you just like annoying me?”

I snatch her around her waist and haul her forward so fast her hands fall on my chest to brace herself. Her touch sears my skin like a brand and I want to wear it all over my body. Being touched by her is addictive.

“I’m here because no matter how much you deny it, or hate it, there’s still something between us.”

“That’s just chemistry, Jake.”

I was expecting her to fight me and deny it, but she isn’t, and it gives me a tiny bit of hope. “So you admit you want me?”

“It doesn’t matter. How can we come back from what you did? You betrayed me. You stole my dream.”

I hang my head as shame washes over me. I did do that, and she has every right to feel the way she does. I’m not sure I’d forgive someone for doing that to me, even knowing the circumstances but I have to try.

“I know. Give me some time, and I’ll explain all of that. I’ll tell you everything but in the meantime, what will it take for you to spend some time getting to know me now?”

“Jake, we didn’t break up because what we had wasn’t good for me. You were perfect. I just didn’t know it was all an act.” Her head drops as she says the words.

I grip her chin, forcing her eyes back up to mine, letting my fingertips stroke her throat. “None of what I felt for you, or the way I was with you, was a lie. Let me show you, please?”

“To what end, Jake? I won’t let you hurt me again.”

“Closure? Friendship? Whatever reason you need. Just name your price.”

Her lips twitch as she shakes her head and pulls out of my arms. I let her go, hating how empty my arms feel without her in them.

“Jake, if you gave me a thousand dollars for every beat of my heart to spend time with you, I’d get on a treadmill and run until I dropped.”

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