Page 46 of The One for Me
“Nope.”
I hear his footsteps nearing closer, and my body goes rigid. “Not even when I do this?”
His hands move from my wrist up my arms, leaving goose bumps in their wake. A shiver runs through me, and his low chuckle is right in my ear. Every part of me wants to turn in his arms, kiss him senseless, and get lost in his touch.
There is seriously something wrong with me.
I do not want that.
No. No. No. I want him to step back and go back to being my sarcastic asshole guy friend who I didn’t have feelings for.
It’s the no shirt thing. That’s what it has to be. I’m struck down by abs.
Instead of sinking into his touch, I straighten my back and remind myself of the bet.
I will not cave with only five days remaining.
“Excuse me,” I say with as much detachment as I can manage. “I believe that we need additional rules regarding this bet of yours.”
The warmth of his breath slides against my neck, causing the hairs to prick. “What rules?”
I turn, pushing his chest to gain some space. “None of this. You can’t just come up behind me and start to touch me. It’s not fair.”
Sean’s lips turn into a cheeky smile. “I never said I’d fight fair.”
“We’re not fighting!”
“No, sweetheart, we aren’t . . . you are. You’re fighting this and me and what we could be.”
I huff and shake my head. “No, I’m fightingforour friendship.”
“And I’m fighting formore.”
This is impossible. I can’t do this with him because it will end in disaster and I’ve had enough of those.
“You don’t know that we can be more. This could be . . . the end of us. It could be the nail in our coffin, and I’d rather never have that.”
He takes a step back, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know that any more than you do, but I’m not going to be afraid either.”
I laugh once. “You have never loved a woman enough to know the fear of losing them.”
Anger sparks in his eyes. “You think I don’t know loss?”
“That’s not what I said. You have lost people you love, but it’s different when you give your heart away. Losing your mother isn’t the same thing, and you know it.”
“No, but I know what not having the courage to try feels like. When you told me that Oliver was going to propose, I thought I was going to fucking lose it. It was as if all the things in my life that I was so sure of suddenly weren’t the same. I saw it all, Dev. I watched our entire lives play out like some movie.” He steps closer. “You were there, in a white dress, on the arm of your daddy, but it wasn’t me at the end of that damn aisle. No, it was Oliver, and I couldn’t let it happen.”
“Why not?”
Sean’s hand lifts, pushing aside the strand of hair that fell from my ponytail. “Because it should be me waiting for you. It should be me on a beach, standing there with the ocean at my back as you walk toward me.”
My eyes widen. “Why are we on a beach?”
He leans in, presses a soft kiss to my cheek as my entire body tingles. “Because that’s the dream, right? It’s what you told me a long time ago, and I’ve never forgotten. There are no rules in this because I’m not playing a game with you, and I’ll use whatever means necessary to win your heart.”
“And what if my heart isn’t ready?”
“Then I’ll wait for you, Devney. I’ll wait until you realize that this isn’t about a bet or anything other than us belonging together. I want us and you and everything that comes with that. I want to kiss you good night, wake up with you beside me, and love you the way you deserve. So, I’ll wait for your heart to be ready because mine is ready enough for the both of us.”
