Page 59 of Fair Catch

“I know,” he mutters, eyes falling to the floor again. “Believe me, I don’t understand what is happening inside my head any more than you do.”

Silence falls over us, lingering in the air like smog over the city. It slowly becomes more suffocating, and while I don’t know what to say to him at this moment, I know if one of us doesn’t break it soon…

I don’t know.

I don’t know fucking anything right now other than Hayes kissed me back at that restaurant, and I really want him to do it again.

Unfortunately, Hayes currently looks like he’d rather jump out a ten-story window than even look at me, so I have the feeling a repeat is the last thing on his mind.

“Look, we can forget about it if that’s what you want. It’s not gonna hurt my feelings or whatever. And if you’re not comfortable living here anymore because of this…” He trails off, gaze lifting to the ceiling like the answers he needs are etched in the drywall there. “I dunno. I guess we’ll figure something out if that’s the case.”

My brows collide, wondering why the hell he’d ever think I’d want to move out or forget about what happened.

And that’s when I realize he must think this is one-sided.

That I’m not feeling what he’s feeling.

God, could this be any more ironic?

Here I was, working my ass off to ignore his pervy jokes and how dangerously attracted to him I was so we could be friends. Hell, I did my best to play off my horrifying slip-up a few weeks ago by lying straight to his face, telling him any attraction I felt was gone now.

And yet the entire time I was shoving these feelings down, our building friendship was making his own attraction grow for me.

“Can you say something, please?” he asks, eyes taking on a softness I’ve yet to see from him.

“I—” I clear my throat and take a step forward before starting over. “I’d like to know what you wanna do. Do you want me to move out? To forget it ever happened?”

Each question falls from my lips as I take another step, leaving only a couple feet between us. My approach pulls his attention back to me, his gaze boring into mine with the same heat I’d seen back at the restaurant. The same desire licking at me like an open flame before he slammed his mouth to mine.

But there’s more lingering in those irises, and I wouldn’t have to know Hayes Lancaster one bit to realize he’s also shutting down. Closing off before he opens up enough to get hurt. It’s obvious from the bite in his tone when he speaks.

“I don’t think that’s really up to me here, considering I’m the one who mauled you without prompting.”

Oh, you beautiful fucking fool.

“Then let me return the favor,” I murmur before cupping the back of his neck and reeling his mouth to mine.

While Hayes might not’ve expected me to kiss him, he recovers a helluva lot quicker than I did earlier. It’s maybe half a second before his lips start moving beneath mine, his hands slipping up my chest before gripping the collar of my shirt.

My free hand grabs his hip, anchoring his body so tightly against mine, a piece of paper wouldn’t fit between us, and I lose myself in the way he’s kissing me. With the same hunger and ferocity as at the restaurant.

This time, though, there’s no reason for it to end.

Well, other than oxygen, and it’s the only reason I’m the first one to break away.

“There. We’re even.”

“Not even fucking close,” he growls before dragging my mouth back to his.

My fingers grip at the collar of his shirt, holding on for dear fucking life as he kisses me fiercely and without a second thought.

His tongue spears between my lips, finding mine and coaxing it to life, and it’s like every atom in my body has been tossed into an inferno. But I’m more than happy to bask in the flames, because this is exactly what I’ve wanted.

What I’ve been waiting for.

What I’ve been missing until this very moment.

Hayes breaks away first, ripping his mouth from mine and panting against my mouth.

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