Page 76 of Bring me Back

“So tell me, Dan,” she breathed out, puffing away a strand of hair that fell over her eyes. “What does your bedroom look like?”

“Hallie…” I shook my head, tipping forward as I rested on her shoulder.

I wanted nothing but to fuck Hallie Delos Santos.

Since Camp Nightfall, I was almost certain that if I didn’t fuck Hallie within the inch of her life, I was going to die of want. But I also knew she was a virgin. And more than that, her relationship with people was always stilted. She was difficult to trust, my Hallie, and I needed to take that into consideration.

“What’s wrong?” she asked when I didn’t promptly drag her to my bedroom.

I turned her in my arms, placing my hands over her soft cheeks, a thumb caressing her bottom lip. She had trust issues for a goddamn good reason, and I refused to be someone who abused her trust.

I wanted to prove to Hallie that good people existed in Bluehaven, but this wasn’t the way. It didn’t matter how deeply I felt about her; it didn’t matter how much I thought we were perfect together.

Hallie deserved better.

And I gathered all my might to tell her so. To tell her all the words I carried around.

“Dan?” Her eyes traced my features, her hands clutched my shirt. “What’s wrong?”

The edge in her voice was palpable. I opened my mouth to speak, but she was faster.

“We don’t need…” she flinched. “We can just have dinner.”

I laughed a humorless laugh. “Hallie… Being with you is everything I’ve ever wanted.”

She licked her lips, encouraged by my words. “So be with me.”

I groaned, kissing her gently.

“Is it because…” she cleared her throat. “Because you know… I never…?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. That means nothing.”

“So… If you want to have me, you can have me.” Her hold on me intensified. Literally and figuratively. Her little fingers held me in place; her eyes haunted me in dark wonder. Going on her tiptoes, she kissed my jaw. Nipped it and then my earlobe.

I wished to be stronger. I knew I could.

But I grabbed her and hoisted her up; her legs closed around my waist like she belonged on top of me. I suspected she did. I took her mouth; she grabbed the hair in the back of my neck, and I turned us around, going for the bedroom.

We kissed as I crossed the kitchen with the forgotten lasagna that I now planned to eatafter. She was relentless, even when I warned her I was about to damn us both if she kept licking my skin that way as I climbed the stairs. But this was the best version of Hallie. She laughed carefree, teased me and kissed me with such freedom, I never wanted to stop her.

And it was her laugh that I used as an excuse. All I wanted was for her to be happy, and I told myself I made her happy.

I brought her to my room, and I dropped her onto my bed. I took her boots off and threw them somewhere in the corner, grabbed her feet and kissed her ankle. Her jet-black hair fanned across my white sheets. And then she raised her body on her knees, looked me directly in the eyes and took her dress off.

And I died a thousand deaths.

His bedroom was spacious and simple. An enormous bed, an obscenely sexy dark wood headboard and soft white sheets.

It smelled like him; it felt like him.

I tossed my dress to the corner where my boots went. I knew Dan found me attractive. He said it before, and he acted like it. I could spot the proof straining his jeans right now, but I was still Hallie, and my fears were still mine. I always averted my gaze when I looked in the mirror, scared to find the same faults Katie pointed out all those years ago. And now, I was baring myself to him. To the one I wanted to like me the most.

He kneeled on the bed, his hand in my hair, on my cheek and then tipping my chin up. “You’re going to kill me, Cricket.” His voice was husky.

I shivered all over, my body going soft as his other hand took my waist, held me upright. I felt the scratch of his beard on my neck and then the hot, wet swirl of his tongue. It was always like that with Dan, like he was tasting his favorite meal. My heart thumped when I realized I was it. I was Daniel Miller’s favorite meal.

We kissed, my hands hung over his shoulder, his palm chased my breast, and the calloused thumbs played with my nipple. I arched my back, a moan running free from my lips, and Dan devoured it. My whimpers, my tongue, my nipples. He wanted to eat me whole.

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