Page 93 of Hound Dog
She’d always known how to pluck at the strings of my heart. And she did so unintentionally but with wild abandon.
With a shake of her head, her dark curls danced around her neck. “Ben and I weren’t right for each other. I think I’ve known for a while, but him canceling his visit this weekend was the last straw.”
“He canceled his visit again? On your birthday?”
She nodded.
This guy was an idiot. I wasn’t exactly a relationship expert or anything, but evenIknew not to dothat.
And I knew he didn’t deserve her.
Hell, maybe I didn’t deserve her either, but unlike Ben, I was willing to try. And I would never take her for granted.
I brushed my fingers across her flushed cheek. “Are you okay?”
Please say yes.
Another nod. “I am. Ireallyam. I was dreading this for months, really. Agonizing over whether or not Ben and I should be together. And now? It’s so obvious. I should have done this a long time ago.”
She stared at me for another quick moment before slowly pushing onto her toes. Unlike the kiss before, this time she slowly brought her lips to mine and softly, tentatively, captured my mouth.
As if dipping a toe in the water versus the cannonball from moments ago.
Her kiss washome. It was warm apple pie. A crackling fire pit.
Every molecule in my body ached for her. I wanted her so damn badly.
The only problem was, I didn’t know how to be a boyfriend. And I sure as hell didn’t know how to be a husband to someone as perfect as Haylee.
I’d never had a role model for how to be a good partner. Then again, if my brothers could figure it out despite our shitty dad, then so could I, right?
Besides, I wanted to try.
I wanted to try with Haylee.
I sank into her soft kisses, swallowing her moans. Drinking them in. Then, slowly, I pulled away once more.
Her whimper made me smile.
“Why do you keep stopping?” she whined and playfully jutted out her bottom lip in a pout.
“Because before we go further, I need you to know something.”
The silly pout she sported melted into an apprehensive smile. Her fingers twitched against the back of my neck as she shifted her weight nervously.
I might have been pretty dumb when it came to relationships, but there was one thing I knew for sure; communication and honesty were key. If I stuck to that, maybe I’d be okay.
“I accidentally took away your choice once, years ago, thinking I was being chivalrous. I don’t want to make that mistake again. But you need to know… I’m in this, Haylee. I’m all in. This isn’t a one-night stand thing for me. But I also want to respect that you just got out of a relationship. I don’t want to fuck this up before we’ve even started. So, if you need time, just say so.”
With a sigh, she rocked back, her hands sliding down my neck to my biceps. “Luckily, I’m not a one-night stand kind of girl. I can’t say I’m ready to be in a relationship literally five minutes after my breakup, but I’ve been wanting to do this since the moment I arrived in Maple Grove. And I don’t mean two weeks ago. So, emotionally, can we take things slowly?”
“Of course,” I said, desperately trying to keep my voice even and composed. “And… physically?”
Her gaze fell to my mouth and remained there as she repeated, “Physically. Physically, I… um. Well…”
I smiled at her adorable stammering and lowered my mouth to her neck, tracing a line up her throat with my tongue. I landed with a nip at the base of her ear, then whispered, “Say it, Haylee. Say what you want.”
She blinked her eyes, and with the sunlight streaming in, they looked lighter in color than usual. A warmer, milk-chocolate color.
