Page 62 of Unexpected Hero

My tone comes out husky when I halt her retreat. “Wait.”

I want to make her happy again. Fuck that. I need to make her happy. But I don’t know how to fix it with words. They always make things worse, anyhow.

When words fail me, there’s one thing I know I’m good at. Aside from hacking.

Letting my hand glide from her shoulder to the side of her neck and chin, I lean in while pulling her close.

Her eyes flash wide at my sudden movement, but as soon as she realizes my intentions, they flutter closed. She raises her chin, offering her lips to me.

And I gladly take them, claiming her mouth.

Fire ignites in my veins, warming me and reaching into places long since frozen.

Her lips are as soft as they looked. Perhaps even more so.

Our kiss isn’t panicked or forceful. Something tells me to be gentle, and in matters like these, I trust my instincts. It’s always served me well.

She’s delicate. But not in a fragile way.

More like she’s priceless. A treasure.

As I tenderly move my lips over hers, her feminine scent engulfs me. It’s like walking through a garden in bloom. It’s subtle and understated, which is the opposite of her beauty.

Somehow, her arms have worked their way over my shoulders, and her hands rest at the nape of my neck, pulling me closer. I respond by tightening my grip on her and shifting my positioning until our upper bodies are as close as the vehicle console will allow.

The softest whimper escapes her. If I were a weaker man, it would have been my undoing, and I’d pull her on my lap and show her how that sound affected me.

But I manage to stay in control. Instead of ravishing her, I gingerly coax her lips open with mine. Our tongues caress, swirling and teasing. She lets me guide the kiss, following my direction perfectly. It’s as if she’s eager to please me.

Fuck. She’d be a perfect sub.

But she can’t be that.

And I need to stop this madness. Immediately.

With great reluctance, I break the kiss, retreating with an aching slowness. When my eyes open, hers remain closed. Like me, she didn’t want the kiss to end.

But it must.

She gradually withdraws, her grip on my neck weakening. Unable to look away from her beauty at this distance, I view her with rapt attention. Her lashes flutter, and her eyes open with an innocent tentativeness. She licks her lips, savoring the taste of our kiss the same way I am.

Her eyes lock on mine with a profound recognition shining back at me. My chest constricts, and my breath catches. It’s the first time I’ve ever thought someone might actually see me. Not just my eye color or expression. Not the emotionless persona I show to the world.

But me — the man inside.

I can’t explain it, but Lettie might be the only person who can see beyond my mask. Or maybe she’s merely capable of doing that.

Yet… I can’t let her in like I want to. I need to shut her out like I do everyone else.

Before I retreat behind my walls, I commit everything about this moment to memory. I never want to forget how she looks right now.

Despite not being able to have her the way I want her, I’ll always have this.

Chapter 12

Talk me down or tie me up

LETTIE

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