Page 173 of Texting Dr. Stalker

Poof. All gone.

He stepped even closer. “Tell me why you were heading toward my house, not yours.”

I gulped.

I couldn’t.

I wasn’t that brave.

“Tell me why I feel like I did something wrong. That I just missed an opportunity that I’ve been waiting for forever.” He crowded me against my front door, sheltering me from the rain but not the storm he caused in my blood. His gaze dropped to my mouth. “Tell me to go, and I’ll go.”

Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop.

Zander’s voice blended with X’s in my head. So similar. So deep.

I couldn’t breathe as his fingers captured my chin and tipped my head back. With my spine against the door and his hips millimetres from pressing into mine, I couldn’t move as he hovered over my lips.

Our eyes locked; his glasses caught the light I’d left on for Peng. His mouth hovered over mine with delicious drawn-out torture.

I quaked in my soaking shoes and waited and waited and…couldn’t wait anymore.

Soaring up on my tiptoes, I smashed my lips to his.

He shuddered and collapsed against me.

The door creaked as our weight slammed against it.

I cried out as the knocker caught me right in the shoulder blade. “Oww—”

“Shit.” Wrenching away, his eyes flared with panic. “Damn, I’m so sorry. I…I didn’t mean—”

“It’s fine. It was just the kno—”

“It’s not fine. I got carried away. I just…fuck, I don’t know what I was thinking. He hurt you because of me. It’s too soon. I should never have—”

“Zander, it’s okay—”

“I would never hurt you, Sailor. You know that, right?” His eyes gleamed with fear and stress and guilt. His glasses slid down his nose only for him to shove them back into place. The tic was so him, so full of nerves, that any hope of him being X dissolved with the last of the rain.

I slouched against my door.

A chill crept into my heart.

I accepted that Zander might want me, but he was far too shy to claim me.

And I wasn’t ready to be the brave one. Not yet.

Turning around, I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Dripping over the rug where I’d had my first panic attack, I looked back and forced a smile.

He hadn’t moved, keeping his hands balled at his sides as if he’d forgotten how to walk. “Sailor, I—” He wiped his mouth, removing any trace of our fleeting kiss. “There’s something I need to tell—”

“Not tonight.” I cursed the sting of tears. “We’ll both catch the flu if we don’t get dry. Look after yourself, okay, Zander? Sleep well.”

I closed the door and staggered back as the best kitten in the world leapt into my arms and attacked me with love.

Doing exactly what I’d hoped Zander would do but didn’t.

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