Page 75 of Burden to Bear

And that right there told me everything I needed to know. “I can live with that.”

He shook his head, clearly disgusted, and stormed out of the house.

My eyes went to Brock as Todd moved past him, and the second his eyes landed on mine and his features softened, I did what I’d wanted to do for longer than I could remember. I ran toward him, threw my arms over his shoulders, and threaded my fingers through his hair, so I could urge his head down and touch my lips to his.

TWENTY-ONE

Brock

Was I dreaming?

The disappointment I was going to feel if I woke up at any minute was going to be immeasurable.

Months.

God, this had been months in the making.

Months of listening to her laugh or hearing her talk.

Months of looking forward to seeing her and spending time with her.

Months of longing and attraction.

Months of sexual frustration and pent-up feelings.

It all had me on the verge of losing control at this very moment.

Because for the first time in all these months, I was kissing Mia. She was kissing me. Our bodies were pressed close together, her hands were in my hair, and our mouths were connected. And considering the way her fingers were pressing into the back of my head, it was evident that Mia wanted me to stay right where I was.

I didn’t mind. I had no intention of pulling away from her. Not when I’d just experienced the last several minutes of undeniable tension and worry.

When I stepped into the open doorway and saw Mia standing opposite of her ex with an engagement ring in her hand, I thought I’d screwed up. I was convinced I was too late, that holding myself back from her for so long was going to be the biggest regret of my life.

Even if I knew deep down that her ex wasn’t good enough for her, the reality was that he was her baby’s father, and I couldn’t say I wouldn’t have understood why Mia might have been tempted to try to reconcile with him.

It left me feeling sick, questioning what I’d do if she got back together with him, and I lost her in the process. I’d put in the time, remaining patient and wanting her to see that I was a man she’d be able to depend on to be there for her, to care for her. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d ever felt as nervous as I felt tonight.

Standing there as it all unfolded, a determination I’d never felt before in my life flourished inside me. I was prepared and willing to fight for her. And that’s why, despite having intended to share my feelings with her over ice cream on her deck, I spilled it all when I did. Before she was going to make that decision, before she made a mistake and took her ex back, I needed her to know my heart had gotten involved, that I was ready to give her everything.

Thankfully, it hadn’t gotten too ugly, because Mia knew she was worth so much more. She understood she deserved better than her ex had given her. It was a shame for him he’d learned his lesson too late.

I had a chance now, and there wasn’t a possibility I was going to screw it up.

Especially not when I’d gotten all that I’d already gotten from her and combined that with what I was getting now.

There was the kissing, yes. But there were the whimpers that started almost immediately after our lips had touched. And once my tongue ran along the seam of her soft lips and demanded access to her mouth, those whimpers turned to moans.

I’d never heard anything better in my whole life. My body was buzzing, the blood rushing in my veins, as I explored every inch of her mouth.

I kicked the door shut behind me, my hands finding their way to her hips. One hand remained there as the other drifted back to palm and squeeze her ass.

Mia rewarded me with another moan.

I lifted one hand to the back of her head, fisted her hair, and gave a gentle tug, forcing us to break the connection between our lips.

Mia was breathing hard, her eyes burning with desire. “Was it true?”

My brows knit together. “Was what true?”

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