Page 35 of Dare to Fall

Another headache started to form behind my eyes. I needed to give the thinking a break for now. It was too much, and nothing was going to get solved today. I made a mental note to call Connor later so I could finally figure out what the hell was going on with him. I wasn’t going to let him evade my questions this time. If something was going on, I was going to get to the bottom of it. I also wanted to reach out to Dr. Nickolson about a career path in photography. I knew it wasn’t a likely path I could take at this point, but I wanted to talk to someone who could tell me for sure if I was crazy or not.

My stomach growled. I was making a habit of getting so wrapped up in my thoughts that I forgot to eat. I grabbed the lens cap from the side pocket of my yoga pants and placed it over the lens. This morning was a wash for getting some decent photos, but I never regretted the process.

Another growl rumbled from my stomach as I made my way around the lake to the downtown streets for a bite to eat. More and more people were venturing out onto the streets of downtown Orlando. I craned my neck backward as I took in the towering skyscrapers that launched into the clear blue sky.

As I rounded a corner, something big and broad slammed right into me. Before I knew it, I was staggering backward, tripping over my own feet. A choked scream flew out of my mouth as I watched myself fall in slow motion. Just as my body was halfway to meeting the hard concrete sidewalk, strong arms wrapped around my waist and shoulders, hoisting me back up.

My breath came out in rapid bursts as I leaned into the warmth of the person whose arms were wrapped around me. A familiar scent of sandalwood wafted in the air around me. Crisp white cotton felt soft under my fingertips as I gripped his muscular biceps for stability. My heart thudded in my chest as I peered up at the face I knew I would see.

Garth’s bright hazel eyes were wide with concern.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

I melted into his touch, completely unaware of the world that blurred by us. Everything about him was intoxicating, and it made it hard to focus on the words that came out of his mouth. A strand of his obsidian hair fell down over his brow. My fingers twitched with the desire to reach up and run them through his thick hair. The sensitive skin between my thighs began to pulse as his biceps flexed beneath my palms. I moved a fraction closer to his lips, my mind swimming with the need to feel every inch of him against me. His lips parted, a hint of his bright-white smile peering through.

My gaze flicked back up to his eyes, my own desire reflected back as he pulled me in closer. A low growl rumbled through his chest as though he were trying to fight against the urge to do everything I desperately wanted him to do.

In a flash, the image of Connor’s face played before my mind.What the hell was I doing?I pushed back against Garth’s arms, trying to break free from his grasp. A flicker of pain washed over his face as he let me go, gently releasing me to stand on my own.

“I’m fine,” I huffed, pulling down on my tank top that had risen up from him catching my waist.

I couldn’t handle this right now. There was too much for me to figure out, and Garth was nothing but a distraction, tugging my focus in the wrong direction. The relationship I had was on thin ice, and the last thing I needed was for some random man to make everything more complicated. It didn’t matter that in the short periods of time I had interacted with Garth, he made me feel things I’d never felt before. It didn’t matter that every time I looked into his eyes or felt his touch, I came completely unhinged, lost in a rage of lust.

None of it mattered at all.

Garth

Those deep-brown eyes with swirls of golden honey invaded my mind again as I walked aimlessly down the street. Never in my life had I been so affected by a woman. It didn’t matter the time of day or where I was, her presence was always with me, taunting me like a whisper of a promise of something I could never have. I was drawn to her like my paint brushes were drawn to a blank canvas. In spite of all the shit I had going on, thoughts of her still managed to consume me.

As if those thoughts were powerful enough to manifest her, Eva Barnes barreled around the corner and ran right into me. My heart dropped as I watched her slowly fall backward, her face stricken with shock and fear. Without hesitation, I reached out for her. Grasping onto her waist, I pulled her into me, our chests rising and falling together. For a moment, I just held her in my arms, unwilling to let her go for fear that I’d never get the chance to hold her again.

“Are you okay?” I asked, scanning her for any sign of injury or upset.

Her body was soft and strong in all the right places. It was difficult to refrain from letting my body react to the feel of her against me. As those brown eyes fell to my lips, I could sense the craving she was trying to suppress. Her gaze flitted to mine, and I silently urged her to give in. Ineededfor her to give in, to let go of everything that was holding her back from me. Her body shifted closer, just an inch, and I thought she might actually do it, give me permission to show her what I was feeling.

Instead, her entire demeanor changed in an instant. She pushed away from me, wobbling a bit as she tried to steady herself. With a gentle hold, I kept her upright until she was sturdy on her feet again. The absence of her warmth against me was almost painful. I wanted nothing more than for her to be back in my arms again. But it was clear to me that we wanted different things as she continued to back away from me. I tried to hide my torment as I watched the conflict graze over her beautiful features. There was something electric between us, something I craved for all hours of every day. Judging by the look on her face, she could feel it too.

“I’m fine,” she ground out, eyes darting between mine.

So hesitant. So resistant to the feelings that bubbled just below the surface. I cocked my head to the side as I assessed the fiery woman in front of me. There was so much I wanted to ask her. Why did it always seem like she was keeping her true self hidden from the world? What made her fall for such a douchebag guy? How did she come to love photography? Question after question buzzed through my mind, but the only thing I wanted to think of was how to make her stay as I watched her backing away.

“Eva,” I called out to her. “Would you like to go to breakfast with me?” The question hung in the air between us, a fragile tether that could be broken in a moment’s notice.

She stopped moving, and her brows knitted together as she contemplated her answer. In my mind, I was pleading with her to say yes. I clung to her every movement like the very air I breathed was dependent upon her answer. The world went silent, my rapid heartbeat the only sound in my ears. It was all so foreign to me. The magnetic pull I felt toward her. The incessant need to keep her close to me. How every moment of my existence was laced with want since the first time I saw her standing in my brother’s classroom.

Her lips parted slightly, and my body went rigid.

“Okay,” she breathed out. “But only because I’m really,reallyhungry.” A coy smile spread over her rosy lips, and it was my undoing.

I knew in that moment that it would be impossible for me to stay away from Eva Barnes. I didn’t care if I couldn’t have her in the way I wanted, as long as I could get to know her in some capacity. That was all that mattered. Like a honeybee drawn to nectar, an innate force was calling me to her.

I smiled back at her and said, “I know the perfect place.”

19

The waitress scribbled ferociouslyon her notepad as Eva rattled off her order. I couldn’t recall ever seeing a woman order so much food in my entire life. As my gaze raked over her athletic frame, I could only imagine how hard she must work out. For a moment, an image of her in tight running shorts and a sports bra played in my mind. I immediately shut it out before the thought ran away with my composure. She was off limits, and if I wanted to be in her company, I would have to refrain from picturing her in minimal clothing—no matter how tempting the image was.

Eva handed the waitress her menu as she peeked at me through thick lashes. When she realized I was staring at her, her lips pulled down at the corners.

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