Page 91 of Between Hate and Desire

“Lennon.” He grits through his teeth.

“Fine!” I raise my arms and drop them to my sides.

He inhales deeply, then steps back slightly. “I’m sorry I kissed you that way. I shouldn’t have let myself go that far. It’ll never happen again, I promise.” He sincerely rests a hand on his chest over his heart as if he needs to stop it from bursting out of his chest.

Never?

I swallow at his words, hating that he feels the need to say them in the first place. I’m the one who brought it up, after all.

“Alright, apology accepted.” I tell him what he wants to hear. “But we might want to practice again tomorrow.”

Hunter raises his brows.

“Practicenormalkissing,” I reiterate. “Without the possibility of giving my parents a show. Or a heart attack.” I shrug, all dignity going out the fucking window at this point.

Slowly nodding, he grins, then moves away from the counter toward me. “Like this?”

He doesn’t give me a second to answer before his lips are back on mine.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

HUNTER

All the oxygenescapes my lungs as I push off the counter and lunge for Lennon like an animal. She gasps in my mouth as I bring our lips together, colliding in a desperate battle of wanting more but not letting myself get carried away again.

I’m pretty certain my heart stopped beating the moment she asked me to kiss her. Hell, I think I blacked out for a second. My head knows this is fake—it’s all show, an act,notreal—but fuck, my heart doesn’t care. Tasting her, a desire I’ve craved for over two years, brings back the memories of the night we first met.

Her flirtatious smile, seductive voice, and lingering eyes were on me as I moved behind the bar to mix her drink. Goddamn, it makes me hard.

Then the reality of what I’m doing—what we’re doing—hits me like a ton of bricks, and I beat myself up all over again. I saw her first. But it didn’t matter because she chose him, and Brandon was my best friend. I’d never take what wasn’t mine, and she clearly made her decision that night. However, that didn’t stop the way I’ve felt about her, and when our mouths press together in a soft, sensual kiss, it takes all the fucking self-control in the world not to go any further.

My lips brush against hers, light and sweet with just enough pressure to nearly steal her breath away. We have to make it believable that we’re in love. Then as quickly as I grabbed her, I pull back.

“Was that better?” I ask above a whisper.

“No,” she says, then pops her eyes open. “I mean, yes. Yes. Sorry.”

My brows arch. “You’re sure?”

Lennon chuckles, which has become my favorite sound in the world, and swats at my chest. “You know what I mean. That was…perfect.”

A blush on her cheeks indicates she liked it way more than she wants to admit. I felt every fiber of her body press into mine when I kissed her the first time. She was begging for and needing more, taking everything I’d given her.

But I know she got lost in the make-believe of it all. She probably wishes it were Brandon and not me, and the fact that I’m jealous of my dead best friend rips me away from her.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna head to bed. Or take a shower. Probably a cold one.” I walk backward, and she laughs at my expense. “We have a busy day tomorrow, so you should probably get some sleep too.”

“I’ll get right on that,” she mocks.

Lennon pretends to hate how much I take care of her, making sure she’s eating enough for two, drinking water, and not stressing, but I think deep down she appreciates it. She nearly gave me a stroke when I saw her doing yoga last week with her body bent in half. After the panic subsided, she reassured me it was perfectly safe for the baby.

Doesn’t mean I didn’t have to drink a beer after that to calm down.

If I thought Lennon was gorgeous before, seeing her swollen belly grow is beyond anything I ever imagined. She’s glowing, completely stunning, and beautiful. I can’t stop looking at her, watching her, appreciating every inch of her tempting body. Her shirts have grown a tad snug, showing off her breasts. Since her body is changing, she’ll need bigger clothes soon, but she’s being stubborn about it.

There will be more doctor appointments too, which I’ve already reassured her I’d go to. I don’t want her being alone through this, and even though I say it’s for Brandon, I’m not too selfish to admit I want to be there for me too. This kid is going to be in my life, and I want to support Lennon every step of the way. Knowing my best friend is missing one of the greatest moments of his life has my emotions in overdrive.

As I step into the cool shower, I speak to him. Tell him how amazing Lennon has handled everything so far. Tell him how much we both miss him. Lastly, I tell him how sorry I am for kissing his girlfriend. For being inlovewith his girlfriend.

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