Page 103 of Rewind It Back

“Yeah,” he chuckles without humor. “That’s what I spent the past six years trying to convince myself of too. But I’m tired of lying, Hallie. Aren’t you?”

“I don’t want to want you.”

“Yeah, baby.” He nudges his nose against mine. “That makes two of us.”

He doesn’t wait any longer before he leans forward and presses his mouth to mine, stealing any retort I might have.

Rio tightens my leg over his hip before gliding his palm up my thigh and over my ass again. He squeezes it at the same time he hums this satisfied growl against my lips. Then he continues on, slipping his hand under his sweatshirt I’m wearing, smoothing over my spine.

He quickly realizes I’m not wearing anything under his hoodie when he pulls his mouth away from mine.

“Fuck,” he drawls out, head tipped back, and Adam’s apple exposed. “Goddammit, Hallie.”

I chuckle, pushing my hips into his and rolling them once, but this time, it’s me who’s letting out a needy moan.

He slips his hand into my hair, cupping my face before he drops his forehead to mine. “Hal,” he exhales, already short of breath. “I want this. I want to give this another try. You and me.”

I don’t have an answer for him because it’s too soon. This is all happening too quickly, regardless of our years of history. There’s so much that he doesn’t know yet, so much of my heart that’s still broken that I can’t even think of putting myself in that position again.

But this, his body rocking against mine. I want this. I canhandlethis.

I kiss him again, harder and without patience, licking against his lower lip until his mouth parts and I find his tongue with my own.

Rio’s resounding growl is feral and hungry before he grabs my ass in one hand and flips us, rolling me onto my back. My legs open on instinct, and he settles his hips into the cradle of mine. His fingers slip between my own, pushing my hand into the mattress as he holds most of his weight up with his other arm.

He’s so big, so overwhelming. So much more deliciously wide than the last time he was on top of me. I lift my hips up while he grinds down and that has our mouths separating momentarily, the sensation almost blinding with how good it feels.

I throw my head back as he drops his to my chest and grinds himself on me again. His sweatpants slide against the seam of my shorts, causing this insane friction against my clit. It’s maddening, like it’s not quite enough, yet it’s more than I’ve had in such a long time.

“Yes,” I hiss. “More. Please.”

The desperate, needy sound that works its way up my throat is mirrored with Rio’s own noises. And he’s hard. God, he’s so fucking hard right now. I can feel every inch of him.

It’s been so long, this should almost feel foreign, yet my body moves, remembering exactly what to do.

Hooking my leg over his, I urge him to do it again.

Rio pushes my knee up to the mattress, grinding himself over me, the sound of our building breaths mingling in the otherwise silent room. He moves from my mouth to my neck, working a warm path down my throat.

I run my hands through his hair, holding on to him as he kisses and nips.

“I missed you,” I admit in a breathy whisper, close to his ear.

He drops his head to my chest, pausing his movements before he cups my face and leans up to kiss me again. Slowly. Deeply. Desperately.

“Say it again,” he pleads.

My lips turn up in a smile against his. “I missed you.”

He hums at the admission while I find the hem of his shirt, slipping a hand underneath. My palm connects with the hard planes of his stomach, my fingers graze the hair on his chest as I push his shirt up. Because I want it off. I want italloff.

“Wait,” he breathes, chest moving rapidly against mine as he settles his hand on my wrist to stop me. “Wait, baby.”

His eyes flick up to mine, this pleading, desperate expression on his face.

“Do you think that... I mean, could you ever see yourself giving us another shot?” he asks. “Without your brother around to hide it from, without our families in the way. Would you ever want to try again with me?”

My heart is physically cracking at his sweet words, at the soft way he says them.

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