Page 47 of Heartfelt Goals

"Can we talk?"

There was something in his tone—an edge she couldn’t quite place. She nodded automatically. "Of course."

"No, I mean,reallytalk—no more filters or tiptoeing around things."

Her fingers curled against the desk. Her pulse stuttered. "I’m not?—"

"I am," he admitted, his voice lower now, almost vulnerable. A pause stretched between them, thick with tension. "We need to talk about us."

A hollow ache bloomed in her chest. Her crush—her impossible, foolish, secret crush—felt like it was about to be dragged into the light, placed on an altar, and torn apart between them.

"What’s wrong?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.Dustin took a step forward, his expression unreadable.

"Dustin, what is wrong?"

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out, palm up. "Give me your hand."

Her breath hitched as she placed her trembling hand in his. His grip was warm, steady, his thumb brushing slow, mesmerizing circles over the back of her hand. She swallowedhard. This was the kind of moment she read about, the kind she dreamed about—when the hero would turn the heroine’s hand over, lift it to his lips?—

Her thoughts shattered when Dustin did exactly that. His lips were soft as they brushed against her palm, lingering just long enough to send shivers racing down her spine.

She gasped, her knees going weak as he pulled her hand to his chest, pressing it against the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat. His other hand reached for hers, encasing it in his warmth, and she felt utterly weightless, as if she were floating in the space between them.

"Um, hi…" she barely managed to whisper.

"Hi," he murmured back, his voice rich with something unspoken. His eyes—those bright, soul-searching eyes—held hers as he spoke again, his words dropping between them like an unguarded confession. "I know this must feel weird, but I really liked you wearing my uniform tonight at the event. You looked hot wearing my name across your back."

The air in her lungs turned to vapor. She could only stare, utterly and completely speechless.

Dustin’s gaze darkened with amusement as her lips parted, but nothing—no words, no witty reply—came out. She made a sound, a helpless, squeaky kind of noise, but that was it.

"So hot…" he breathed, his grip on her hand tightening for half a second before everything shifted.

It happened in slow motion.

One moment, she was standing there, stunned. The next—he was guiding her arm up, stretching it above her head. His other hand left hers, sliding down to her lower back just before he nudged her backward. Her wrist met the wall, pinned in place, and before she could process it, his knee was between her legs, pressing?—

"Oh gosh!" she yelped, her heart slamming against her ribs. The sheer force of him, the masculine energy radiating from his frame—it was unlike anything she’d ever known.

Dustin was breathing just as erratically as she was, his chest rising and falling in uneven bursts. His closeness overwhelmed her, his body heat wrapping around her like a cocoon, and yet, all she could think about was the way her hand still pressed against his chest—grounding her, anchoring her.

"Things have changed," he murmured, his lips dangerously close to hers. "So we’re gonna have to change too… adjust …"

She nodded, dazed, barely able to function, and?—

Oh, that smile. That slow, devastating half-smile that haunted her daydreams. It tugged at his lips, lazy and confident, as his head dipped lower, his eyelids heavy.

"I’m going to smudge up your glasses," he teased, his voice so tender, it made her knees weak.

"Please do," she whispered breathlessly, willing to let him do anything at this point. “I meant, ‘go ahead’ because they are dirty anyhow.”

A soft chuckle rumbled in his chest. He reached up, sliding her glasses off her nose, and with a flick of his wrist, tossed them onto the desk.

"I am so grateful that I’m nearsighted right now."

"I’m grateful that the door is locked and Kendall went to bed—because I think I want to kiss my wife."

The wordwifesent an electric jolt through her. She swallowed, nodding again.

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