Page 78 of Hooked On Them

“Then why come over here repeating his ridiculous bullshit? Do you not realize you just hurt me as much as he hurts you?” I wiped at a traitorous tear that had escaped.

The look that crossed his face was a devastating mixture of fury, hurt, and something that looked almost like fear. For a moment, I thought he might truly leave. Instead, he crossed the room in three long strides, his hands coming up to frame my face.

“I’m sorry.”

And then his mouth was on mine, desperate and hungry. There was nothing gentle or tentative about the kiss. It was pure unleashed anger, need, and frustration all tangled together. His fingers threaded through my hair, cradling my head as he backed me against a wall.

I should have pushed him away. Should have demanded we talk this through more. Instead, I kissed him back just as fiercely, my hands fisting in his shirt to pull him closer.

Chapter25

Not Running

Dominic

Ipressed Nora against the wall, my mouth hungry for hers, her taste driving every coherent thought from my head. My father’s voice, which had been ricocheting through my skull all night like a pinball of disappointment, faded to blessed silence.

There was only Nora. Her soft lips. Her hands gripping my shirt. The little noise she made in the back of her throat when I tilted her head back to deepen the kiss.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured again, my lips brushing against hers as I spoke. “I shouldn’t have?—”

She pulled me back to her, cutting off my apology with another kiss, her tongue sliding against mine. My hands drifted down her sides, feeling the soft fabric of her oversized sweatshirt until they found her hips.

Something white-hot and primitive surged through me. Under these clothes, under my hands, was the woman carrying my child.

The reality of it struck like lightning, illuminating a truth so blindingly clear it nearly knocked me back. I wouldn’t let my father anywhere near this baby. I would not subject this tiny, innocent person to the endless criticism, the impossible standards, the constant feeling of never being good enough.

Nora’s fingers tangled in my hair, tugging just hard enough to send a current down my spine. I lifted her, hands cupping her ass, and she wrapped her legs around my waist, looking at me with eyes that saw too much.

“Bedroom,” she murmured against my lips.

I carried her into her room, trying not to trip over my own feet as she trailed slow, deliberate kisses along my jaw. Each touch of her lips sent sparks through my body, and when her teeth grazed my earlobe, my steps wobbled.

I set her down next to the bed, and for a moment, we just looked at each other. Some of her hair had escaped its messy bun, falling in waves around her flushed face. Her eyes were bright, and her lips swollen from our kisses.

She grabbed the hem of her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head in one fluid motion. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and my breath caught. Her breasts were fuller, her nipples pebbled.

I reached out, trailing my fingers along her collarbone, then lower, cupping the weight of her breast in my palm. She arched into my touch, a soft sound escaping her.

“I don’t have enough words to apologize,” I confessed, circling my thumb over her nipple as her eyes fluttered shut.

Her eyes opened at that, something fierce blazing in them. “Then show me.” She reached for me, fingers working the buttons of my shirt. I shrugged it off, letting it fall to the floor beside her discarded sweatshirt.

Her hands were on my chest immediately, her nails scraping lightly over my skin. I couldn’t suppress the shudder that ran through me as she continued down my abs to my pants.

“These need to be gone.” She tugged at my waistband, the command in her voice sending heat pooling low in my abdomen.

I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my socks. Her eyes never left mine as I unbuttoned my jeans and pushed them down, stepping out of them to stand before her in nothing but my boxer briefs.

The evidence of my desire for her was obvious, straining against the dark fabric. She made an appreciative noise in her throat before sitting on the bed and leaning back on her elbows.

“Your turn.” She held out a leg in invitation.

I quickly removed her socks and hooked my fingers in the waistband of her leggings, pulling them down slowly to reveal smooth skin inch by inch. She wasn’t wearing underwear either, and the sight of her completely bare before me nearly brought me to my knees.

“Fuck, Nora.” There were no adequate words for how beautiful she looked.

Her cheeks flushed deeper, spreading a rosy glow down her neck, and she reached for me with hungry determination in her eyes. Her fingers curled around my wrists, tugging me down with surprising strength until I settled my weight carefully above her.

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