Page 39 of Peach

She couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Peach. He was so brave and strong. The dangers and pressures of his job had to be enormous. She wanted to hug him close and hold on to him. If something happened to him, she would be devastated.

“I couldn’t imagine something happening to you.”

He huffed out a laugh. “My job is dangerous, but I’m careful. And my team is excellent. We work hard to make sure we’re doing exactly what we need to do when we needto do it. They really are the best group of men I’ve ever known.”

She nodded. “It’s easy to see.”

“All of that to say that your mistake, if you want to call it that, is small. It’s not what you wanted, but to me, you seem to be making the most of the situation.”

Worry filled her, and she couldn't keep looking at him, so she turned away.

He put his hands on her shoulders, and she glanced back, surprised by the heat in his gaze. The words she wanted to say dried up like water spilled on hot concrete in the middle of August.

She had a decision to make. If she were wise, she would step away and go to bed. He couldn’t fault her for walking away. They hadn’t done anything other than talk about heavy subjects. But she wanted to turn in his arms and see what happened. It had been forever since someone had kissed her with love or touched her because they wanted to give her pleasure.

If Peach's gaze hadn't flicked to her lips, she might have walked away. But the thrill of desire shot through her, and she couldn't hold back.

Haisley slowly turned, and Peach kept his arms around her. His breathing had gotten deeper as his gaze searched hers. His hands came up and cupped her cheeks.

“If you don’t want me to kiss you, walk away.”

His words sent a shiver through her, and she clutched his shirt as if she wanted to make sure he didn't get away. Her lips were dry, so she licked them, loving how his eyes widened as he watched her tongue slip out between her lips.

The heat in his eyes urged her on, and she inched closer and lifted up on her toes, closing the distance between them.

“I want your kisses,” Haisley whispered.

His lips came down on hers, gentle at first, then demanding as his tongue slid over the seam, begging for entrance. No reason to hold back came to mind, so she opened and met his tongue swipe for swipe.

He moaned, and his hands slid from her face down to her shoulders and then around her back, pulling her closer. It had been forever since she'd kissed someone who cared about her—maybe she never had. It felt nice having him wrapped around her, but also a little weird with the pressure of the baby between them.

The thought pulled her out of the desire, and she froze. Peach noticed and pulled back, concern evident in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Haisley said as she stepped back. “I’m having someone else’s baby and you deserve more. I can’t drag you down.”

“You aren’t dragging me down.”

“But—“

Again, he was there cupping her face and staring into her eyes, something like love shining straight from his soul to hers.

“I know you aren’t using me.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not using you.”

His lips tipped up in a wobbly smile. "This may not be ideal, but there's something between us. You feel it, right? Tell me I'm imagining it, and I'll walk away."

“I should. I should protect you.”

“I don’t need protecting.”

“You are too good.”

"I'm not. I'm really not. I'm a guy, and I make mistakes. I let lust rule me, but this is more than lust. This is deeper and stronger. I think about you when I'm going to bed, in the middle of the night, while I'm at work. You're on my mind and in my soul. It's deeper than just wanting to touchyou and hold you and make love to you. I want you. I want the good days and the hard days. I want to help you through the difficult times and celebrate when good things happen."

"I'm a mess, though."

“We’re all our own messes. Life is messy.”

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