Page 103 of The Close-Up
A long moment passes before he says anything.
“Naomi. Why do you do this? Why are you hell-bent on sabotaging a good thing?”
He tugs at his hair, shaking his head, like he’s mustering the last bit of patience to talk to me.
“We aren’t your aunt and uncle. I’m sorry things ended for them, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to end for us.” His chest heaves as he breathes. “And newsflash: I know you think your parents have some perfect marriage, but I can guarantee that they don’t. I’m sure they’ve had problems. I’m sure they’ve had times when they fought and couldn’t stand each other. Every couple does. You just figure out a way to work through it together.”
He reaches for me, but I jerk away before he can touch me. “That’s just it, Simon. I’ve tried. So many times I’ve tried, with every relationship I’ve had. And I’ve never, ever gotten through it. No matter who I’ve been with, no matter how many times we try to talk it out or work it out, it’s never happened. No matter what I do, it’s always wrong. It always ends up a disaster. And I don’t... I don’t want that to happen with you and me.”
My voice shakes at the end. I swallow hard, willing the tears that are pooling in my eyes not to fall.
“Naomi.”
My name is a whisper on his lips. It’s so soft, so loving. I have to close my eyes and breathe, it’s too overwhelming.
When I feel his hand on my face, I hesitate for a second. But then I lean into the warmth of his palm. I almost moan, it feels so damn good.
“This is different.Weare different. Don’t you feel that?”
I relish the growl of his whisper before opening my eyes. My heart skips at the look in his golden brown gaze. Raw and open, just for me.
“I feel it,” I say. “Of course I feel it.”
He presses his lips against my forehead and every muscle in my body loosens. He always feels so good against me.
“I’m not saying that we’ll never have to work through anything difficult,” he whispers against my skin.
He slips his arms around my waist and I fall into him completely.
“I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. But I want to at least try. Don’t you?”
Again I press my eyes shut, so hard my eye sockets begin to ache. I don’t know if I can give him the answer he wants, and that kills me.
“I... I don’t know.”
I feel his body tense against me and I lean back so I can look at him. “I want you, Simon. More than anything. I just... I hate the thought that this could all end and we could end up hating each other.”
Just saying those words hurts. Like I’ve just bitten my tongue.
“Naomi.” My name is a soft growl on his breath. “I don’t hate you right now. Do you hate me?”
I shake my head.
“How do you feel about me? Right here, right now. Tell me.” He holds my gaze, refusing to blink.
I can feel his heart beat against me as it thuds in his chest. That familiar ache hits once again, starting from my core and gliding like heat between my thighs. I’m practically shaking.
I grip him tighter as I struggle to steady my breath. “I want you. Right here, right now.”
Our mouths crash together. It’s like we haven’t seen each other in months. We claw at our clothes like they’re on fire. I don’t remember moving or walking, but the next thing I know we’re in Simon’s bedroom, a trail of our clothes behind us.
He breaks our kiss to hold me by the waist and gaze at me. Every inch of my skin feels like it’s on fire. We’ve seen each other naked so many times up to this point, but never like this. Never with our hearts bursting out of our chests, never after laying bare all of our feelings.
“Naomi. I...”
He bites the tip of his tongue between his teeth. But instead of saying anything more, he kisses me. It’s so hard and deep I can barely breathe. But I love it. He’s never kissed me like this before.
“I want you too,” he says through pants, resting his forehead against mine. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”
