Page 259 of Branded
All I knew was that time seemed to have stood still. Every molecule in the air arrested, settling over us in a quiet sort of peace that shouldn’t have been possible.
We were in a bar.
I was at work.
But in that instant, it was only me and Cas and my body wrapped in his warmth, his scent in my nose. Longing and need and all those dreams that I allowed myself to have in the deep of night. The fantasies that I would never allow myself to have in my real life.
Except my fantasy was standing right in front of me.
And it was better than anything I could have imagined.
Which was saying something because I’d imagined a lot.
“Why are you shivering, gorgeous?” he pressed.
My heart thudded hard against my rib cage. I should stop this, should pocket the money, turn around, and go back to my life.
But…
I couldn’t make myself turn away from him.
My chin came up. I leaned a little closer and let myself get lost in the fantasy—for just one moment. “You know why.” A whisper. A challenge. Almost a taunt.
One second, his body was separated by mine, a few careful inches between us. The next, he had me pinned against the wall, his torso pressed to mine, palms flat on the wall. “Why?” he rasped, body bending, head dropping, nose to my throat, not shy about the fact that he was inhaling deeply.
Jealousy coiled in my belly. He got to smell. I didn’t.
Of course, I was wrapped in his sweatshirt that I’d decided I was never giving back, covered in his scent?—
Teeth on my skin.
I sucked in a breath.
He flicked out his tongue. “Why?” he asked again.
My mind threatened to short out, but I liked this, liked his hold, his body close, his mouth. Stupid, but…I liked it, and suddenly, I didn’t care about all the very logical reasons I should keep my distance and?—
Ethan.
I thought about my son.
Cold water on my desire.
And somehow Cas sensed it.
Because the next instance he was straightening, his body separating from mine. Now, I shivered for real, and yeah, part of it was from missing the heat of him, but the rest was a result of the chill from reality washing over me. From risking doing something that would put Ethan in harm’s way.
“Bye, gorgeous,” he murmured. “Sleep tonight, yeah?”
I nodded.
Then he was pushing out through the door.
Then…he was gone.
But even though that stung—him leaving, what I couldn’t permit myself to have—I allowed myself a small smile.
Because when he’d been close, I’d slipped the hundred in the pocket of his jeans.
