Page 93 of Give Me Love

“You don’t think this is hard for me also?” she says with a small smile.

“Why is this hard foryou?” I ask. I know why I’m the way I am, but I need her to tell me something… anything to help me see why she’s the way she is. She hesitates, and uneasiness rolls off of her.

“I had a bad upbringing,” she says. “My mom left when I was a kid, so relationships are hard for me. I don’t open up easily, Bryce, and I’m going to need you to understand that. You say you’re not always going to be a breeze.” She shrugs. “Neither am I.”

I’m honestly shocked she told me that. I can give her time to open up to me. I want to know everything about her, but I can wait. Hell, I’ve waited this long.

“So, we’ll take it slow, right?” I ask. “We’ll get to know each other as we go.”

She gives me a small smile. “I’m good with that.”

“Okay then,” I murmur. I look at her lip-glossed lips. “Now I want to kiss you.”

She drops the box as I reach for her neck, bringing her to me. I taste vanilla lip-gloss before my tongue begs to twist with hers. Her hand snakes around my lower back, lifting my shirt up, and I feel her nails run across my skin.

My world spins.

Everything makes sense, and nothing has ever felt so right. Want turns to need, and I bring my other hand to the side of her face as I grip the back of her neck. She’s the joy I’ve never found in life. She’s the excitement I’ve never experienced.

Why has it taken me so long to do this?

I pull back as she opens her eyes. She blinks and folds her lips. My heart beats out of rhythm, and I do something I hardly ever do outside of my family. I smile, because damn, this woman knocks me off my feet.

I just hope she can handle me. Shit, I hope I can handle her. I believe I’ve met my match. No two people can be more alike. Both of us are closed-off, and neither likes to talk about why.

I think I want to talk about it with her, though. She’s got me caught up. Hell, I just agreed to make this thing official. I’m waiting for the panic to sink in, but right now, looking into her blue-gray eyes, I feel nothing but happiness.

Someone clears their throat, and both of our heads snap to the left.

“Well, I assume you told her then,” Karen says with a smile. I lose mine.

“Told me what?” Kat asks. My eyes bounce between the two women.

Fuck.

I clear my throat and lift my hat up.

Karen puts her hand over her mouth. “Oh dear,” she says. “Well, I guess I’ve spilled the beans. I’ll leave you two to talk.” She heads toward the front door, and Kat narrows her eyes.

“What was that about?”

I slide my hands back into my pockets. “I bought the place.”

“You did what?” she says, stepping away from me, which pisses me off.

“Don’t do that, Kat.”

She looks down, and I can see her mind spinning. The bell dings above the door, and a few people walk in. She gives me a look that saysthis isn’t over, and just like that, she switches from pissed off to happy as shit. Damn, that woman and her walls.

“How can I help you?” She smiles as she rounds the counter. I step to the side as my phone vibrates in my pocket. I see it’s Lou. I look back at Kat, who’s busy talking to the customers, so I walk outside.

“Lou,” I answer.

“Bryson. The doctor you paid to come check on your mom just left. She tried to make a run for it.”

“How?” I ask, rubbing my forehead.

“He left her bedroom door open and she took off running down the stairs.”

---