Page 41 of Give Me Redemption

I want him to kiss me.

I want him to so badly, I can feel it in my stomach. I haven’t wanted anyone to kiss me in a long time.

He studies me for a moment before slowly backing away. “I’ll call you, okay?”

I swallow. “Okay.”

He looks me over one last time before turning and heading down to the only other car parked here. It’s a truck.

I release my disappointment with a hard exhale. Shaking my head, I climb into my car and head home.

It’s a short drive. I was telling the truth about living close to Hudson’s. Just a few blocks away. My mind replays the evening, and I think about how many times I almost messed up.

When Jace called me Michelle and I didn’t answer.

I almost spilled that the boys from the Bureau come here and hang out. I covered that quickly, though, acting like I was talking about my dad’s friends.

I wasn’t prepared when he asked me my last name.

I came up with the librarian job because I’d just talked to Monroe and he mentioned the library. It was fresh on my mind.

I need to go home and get my story together. If I’m going to be spending a lot of time with that man, I need be prepared to tell him about myself.

I don’t have to lie about everything, though. I can talk about my family, just leave out a few key details.

I can show him where I live. I just need to clean up a bit. I can still tell him I went to college, and we can talk about how I grew up.

Maybe I can do this.

Maybe it won’t be so hard.

I climb out of my car and head inside. After I step off the elevator, I walk to my door, my mind still on Jace and still wishing he would have kissed me. I wonder what his lips taste like, how his hands would feel as he touched me.

Am I not supposed to sleep with him?

I’m sure that’s something I don’t need to do. I already know I like the guy, so sleeping with him would complicate things. I lean back against my door after I shut it.

One night.

One long evening talking and laughing, that’s all it was.

Then why do I feel like it was something more?

I hit my head on the door and look down at my phone.

I might not be able to sleep with Jace, but I’ve got to do something to ease this ache I now have.

I unlock my phone and shoot Malcom a text.

Busy?

I push away from the door and walk to the bathroom as I wait for his response. Removing my ball cap, I gather my hair and put it into a messy bun before brushing my teeth. My phone chimes.

I look over at it.

Nope. Be there in a minute.

I spit and rinse my mouth before unbuttoning my jeans and removing them along with my panties. Lifting my shirt, I toss it onto the chair and unclasp my bra because this is what it is, and there’s no need to pretend like it’s anything else.

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