Page 95 of Burn for You

“Are you sure? I'm giving you an out here as much as it kills me to do so.”

I shake my head again. “I want this. I want you,needyou.” His lips meet mine in between my words. “I can’t distract myself from you. I can’t distance myself from you as much as I try.”

I pull away so he can see the truth in my eyes. “There’s been no one else. How could there be? I wanted to get my mind off of you tonight, but…I can’t, and I’m tired of trying to. As soon as I saw Dean, I knew it was a mistake. I don’t have an excuse but,” I tighten my grip on his hair. “Please, Rafael, I needyou.”

That does it. He picks me up and smashes his lips back onto mine. I can feel every word he just spoke with every swipe of his tongue. Every breath shared is like a secret language, and I just hope he can decipher what I’m saying. He didn’t want to sleep with me until I asked him to. But he also didn’t want to sleep with me again until he knew this is what I want, thathe’swhat I want. I don’t know how to trust him, but god do I want to. It goes against everything that I was taught, everything that I know, but I feel safe in his arms. I don’t feel like he’d drop me.

But I’m sure that’s what my mom thought about my dad. I thought that about Owen, and where did that get me? I don’t want to end up there again.

“Hey,” Rafael says softly, bringing me back into the moment.

I was so in my head I didn’t realize where he brought us. We are standing in Olive&Vine. I reallywasin my head if I barely registered him unlocking the door and getting us in here.

“Hey,” he says again. With more urgency this time. I look up into his dark eyes and all I can see is understanding. “I knowyou’re scared of this, of that feeling in there,” he pokes my chest. “We don’t have to do this now. I want you to trust me.” He rubs his thumb across my cheekbone, and I lean into his touch.

“Can I trust you?” I ask. It’s a stupid question, but I want to hear him say it. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. That fire in my belly he spoke about…it’s never been there before, but it sparked the day I met him.

“I can’t force you to feel a certain way. All I can do is tell you how I feel. I don’t expect you to give me everything, only as much as you want to give me. But I can promise you I won’t disappear on you. I will do everything in my power to never make you feel the way you’re so scared of feeling again.” Here come those tears again. Why does this man make me cry so much?

“I know you might not believe it right now, but give me a chance to prove it to you. Please.”

I kiss him. “I hate you so much.”

He just smiles against my lips. “Oh, I hate you too.” He kisses me harder.

Anyone would think we are crazy, but we both know those words are a promise. A promise to stop pretending like we don’t feel anything other than hate towards each other. To finally give in to one another, whatever that looks like.

Rafael’s hands grip my waist, pulling me closer to him as we continue to kiss like our lives depend on it.

Our hot breaths mingle in the air between our open mouths. He tastes like beer and fire, and I can’t get enough. I pull on his hair and he palms my ass as he walks us backwards until the backs of my legs hit a table. Rafael lifts me up, sitting me on the table without letting his lips leave mine. Or maybe I’m the one who doesn’t let him. I’m desperate, starving for his touch.

I wrap my legs around his waist and use my heels to push his hips into me so I can feel the hardness under his jeans. “I need you,” I say. “Now.”

“Are you going to let me take the reins this time?” He asks, unbuttoning my denim shorts.

“You’re acting like you didn’t have control last time,” I pant. “You could do anything to me, Rafael. In this, I trust you a hundred percent.”

His eyes turn molten as he looks down at me. “Lay down.”

I don’t hesitate before laying back on the table. Tonight I’ll relent all my control. I want to give Rafael any trust that I can, and this is one way I know how to do that.

He pushes the hem of my shirt up, trailing warm kisses up my stomach after it. A shiver runs up my spine and he lets out a low chuckle that sends heat straight to my core. He kisses back down my stomach and under the waistline of my shorts. My leg involuntarily jerks up as his lips press against my abdomen, but he pushes it back down.

I huff in frustration, but then he’s yanking my shorts down my legs and taking my panties with them.

“Dio, quanto sei bella.”He pushes my knees up so my legs are pressed against my stomach, baring me to him. “E deliziosa.”

“What are you going on abo—” he runs a finger along my hot center. I shut up.

“You’re perfect,” he says, before he pushes a finger inside of me.

“Oh, Rafael,” I moan.

“Yeah, baby?” He curls his finger, pressing against my sensitive spot.

“Oh,” I breathe. He touches me in a way that makes me feel a way no one else has ever been able to make me feel before.

I move my hips against him as he adds another finger, my shameless moans echoing against the walls of the empty restaurant.

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