Page 78 of The Version You Hide

I bring a palm to his chest, absorbing the thrumming of his heart beneath it. He inhales sharply as my fingers trace along the length of his collarbone before gliding upward to his neck. He swallows, pressing his forehead to mine, his chest rising and falling with every breath.

When he pulls me tighter against him with strong arms, it’s all-consuming. Then the world falls away completely as his lips crush softly against mine.

This kiss isn’t like the last. It’s patient. It’s comfort and protection. And about a hundred other things I could never put into words. It’s more. It’s a promise.

I’ve never really known what home feels like, but if I had to guess, I’d say this is it. It’s him. He feels like everything I’ve waited for, but that seed of doubt is planted too deep.

Good things like this just don’t happen.

Trust is not something I have to give.

My body goes rigid as Ethan’s face flashes through my mind, and Dylan being so completely in tune with what I need pulls back almost immediately, scanning my face for a reaction.

I drop my hands down into my lap, the anguish and despair I’m experiencing no doubt written on my face. I can barely look him in the eye.

I’d forgotten. For a moment I’d let myself forget how easy it is for someone to insert themselves into your life, for one kiss to change everything. Dylan makes it easy to forget, but sooner or later, one way or another, those fragmented reminders find me. They always find me.

“Kenz, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” He launches himself off the couch, walking to the back door with his fingers thrust into his hair.

Pressure builds in my chest, knowing that once again, I’ve given him a reason to feel that he needs to be careful with me. Like I’m some fragile thing that might break.

“No, it’s me.” I shake my head, my wavy hair bouncing around my shoulders. “It was my fault.”

His hands fall to his sides as he turns his gaze on me. “Don’t say that, Mackenzie,” he pleads with me. “It’s never your fault. Never.”

It’s jarring to hear him use my full name for once and it stills me in place. I nod, understanding the undertones in his words. I know what he’s really saying. That this situation is completely different.

That he isn’t like Ethan.

But Dylan is still dangerous, for an entirely different reason.

I push myself up from the couch and follow him to the french doors, reaching up and pulling his left hand down from his face where he anxiously pinches the bridge of his nose. His hand is warm as I take it in mine, pressing my body up against his, my cheek against his chest. I curl my arms around his waist and breathe him in. The scent of sunscreen invades my senses, coconut with a hint of vanilla.

It might not seem like a grand gesture, but this is me letting him know that I want this too. I want to be close to him. My heart just isn’t ready.

He doesn’t react for a few seconds but then his arms find their way around me, encasing me in his warmth. “Kenz, you need to tell me what you’re thinking,” he says as he drops his chin to rest on my head.

“I was thinking that being around you is dangerous for me,” I murmur into his golden skin.

His chest rises with a sharp breath beneath my cheek. “Why?”

“Because you make me feel safe.”

With a hand on my chin, he tilts my face to his, his eyes swirling with emotion, his expression one of hurt. “What does that mean? What’s wrong with safe?”

“You give me a false sense of security. There’s no such thing as safe.”

His jaw hardens, his eyes still searching mine and I worry I’ve upset him, but then he threads his fingers through my hair, gently cupping the back of my head. “You’re safe when you’re with me, Kenzie. Always.”

I don’t know what surprises me more. The way my words have affected him or the fact that I believe his. Still, whatever this thing is between us, it can’t go anywhere. Not yet.

I unfurl my arms from his waist, pushing against his bare skin, my fingers finding the tattooed script on his ribs, lingering there for longer than they should. “I should go.”

“Stay,” he pleads, reaching for my hand. “I mean, of course I’ll drive you home if that’s what you want. But I really wish you would stay.”

I look up at him hesitantly. “You do?”

“Yeah.” At that moment, Chance comes leaping through the back door, his paws finding my upper thighs. Dylan smirks as he gently pushes him away. “And it looks like I’m not the only one.”

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