Page 21 of The One for Me
Devney
Oh God.
Oh God, oh God, oh God.
The litany is on repeat through my head. He’s kissing me. For real, no drinking, no excuses, no lies-to-tell-ourselves-tomorrow kissing me.
And it is everything.
His lips are soft and coaxing. Each breath passing between us feels like a conversation.
Do you want me?
Yes.
Is this really happening?
Yes.
Should we stop?
Yes.
But I don’t. I can’t stop. I’ve wanted this every second for a little over two weeks. Now that I feel his warmth and strength, I never want it to end.
It proves I’m a total idiot.
My hands move up his chest and across his jawline. The coarse hairs prick the sensitive skin as I move to his neck. I tangle my fingers into his soft hair, loving the way they slip through it without resistance, and then he moans.
He moves me back against the side of the house where no one can see anything through the windows. His arms hold me securely, and I press closer to his chest.
Everything in my mind is centered on him. I’ve wanted this so bad, thought about nothing else, and now we’re kissing again. It’s as though the world I’ve always known has flipped upside down. This is Sean.
Sean.
He is not supposed to kiss me. I’m definitely not supposed to want him to do so much more.
And then, like ice dumped on my head after a hot day, I remember that Sean isn’t staying in Sugarloaf. Sean will go back to his fancy life, and I will stay here.
I turn my head and then he steps back. “We can’t do this,” I say once I’m able to catch my breath.
I can feel his gaze on me, and I meet it. “Devney, the last thing in the world I would ever do is hurt you.”
Oh, how wrong he is. “You’re the one man in the world who would destroy me.”
He runs his fingers through his hair and starts to pace. I know him so well. Right now, he’s figuring out all the ways to get what he wants. He’s forming a plan, creating backup plans, going over outcomes, and trying to attack the best way.
Only, the end result will always be the same.
He might think there are a million reasons he can give me to leave, but there’s one for me to stay that he can never compete with.
“Why?” Sean asks as he moves across the wooden floor.
“Because you know my entire heart and soul. I’ve given you more of myself than I ever gave anyone else. You know all my defenses, Sean, and if you wanted to use them, I wouldn’t be able to stop it.”
“That just means we could make things work.”
“Oh, please. Stop it. I know you and your romantic heart, but I also know that you stood at that grave with your brothers and saw what you didn’t have.”
