Page 16 of Severed Rivalry
Not one woman has tried to undress me since that I haven’t thought about her and how I’d rather be dressed with Sariah fiddling with my buttons or my zipper than where I was at that time.
I release a huge breath and whisper into her hair. “I wish it had been me. I wish I was the reason you left and why you stayed away instead of that.”
Her voice is barely audible when she says, “You were never the danger. You were the shelter from it.”
I lift her chin and stare into her eyes as my head dips at a glacial pace. I’m watching and waiting, asking permission. Last time I charged; this time is a tiptoe.
She doesn’t close her eyes. She darts her eyes to my lips before returning her gaze to mine. It’s the almost smile on her lips that draws the same from me. My lips meet hers and fire ignites… that glimmer before the roar, the flicker that could burn down a whole forest if left unchecked, the spark that tells me this is not over.
Her fingers trail my jaw as she moans into my mouth. I can’t stop my instinct to consume her. I deepen the kiss, desperate to be closer.
With all the discipline I have, I pull back and rest my forehead against hers. Our breaths mingle. When I open my eyes, she’s staring at me. “What now, Angel?”
“Now I want to hear about you.”
I shake my head. “There’s time. I’m not withholding, but there’s time. I want to hold you.” My voice is quiet and, for the first time with her, I’m unsure. “May I?”
“What would you call this?” She looks down at her body enveloped in mine.
“I’d say I can’t get close enough to you, but after your story, I’d like to—no, I need to—holdyou. Please.”
Her face goes serious, and she nods once as if comprehending how essential it is that I protect her.
I twist us and collapse into the sofa, my back to the room, hers to the cushions, our arms between us as we face each other. I can’t help the whoosh of air as I finagle us into place. I was younger the last time I attempted that, and it hadn’t required strategy.
I kick off my shoes, and thread my legs through hers, staring at her and those mesmerizing eyes. As I study her face, I can’t argue that she’s matured into a beautiful woman.
The girl in her is still in her expressions, but her face is all woman. She’s stunning.
She toys with the button just under my Adam’s apple and averts her gaze, as if she needs her eyes on her fingers to keep her busy. “What were the chances of running into you at a bar in Denver? It’s got to be a million to one. Maybe five million to one.”
“My brother-in-law owns the bar, the restaurant, and half the block, and I’ve only been there twice, make that ten million to one.”
Her eyes spring to mine. “Ayla’s married?”
“To an overly protective, über-rich bazillionaire who dotes on her. She’s a professional photographer and owns Aspen & Evergreen Gallery in Larimer Square. They’re a Denver power couple at this point.”
“Wow. I always expected her to go into the family business. And Liam?”
“Liam is a whole other story. He’s… Liam. He’s also how I knew your number and address. I wasn’t stalking you.” I look away, but eventually return my gaze. “I would have, of course, had I known your name, but not in a creepy way. In an I-never-wanted-to-let-you-go kind of way. Shit, that still sounds creepy. Missing you and wanting you and not sounding toxic shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.”
She laughs, and her eyes crinkle right at that beauty mark that has always been a tractor beam to my dick. “You’re stunning,” I whisper.
She buries her head in my pec as if the compliment has made her shy. She breathes deeply.
“Earlier tonight.” I whisper, trying to shove down the pain evident in my voice. “I heard Renée say ‘Mom’ through the phone, and I thought…”
Sariah
“You thought… what?” My head snaps up.
“I thought she was mine, and you hid her from me.”
My body goes rigid beneath his arm, and my legs might as well have rigor mortis. “I would never.” It comes out as a hiss.
“Angel, I mean this as a compliment, you’ve proven to be incredibly strong and more resilient than you should have ever had to be.” The admiration in his tone shows his approval.
“I wouldn’t do that to you. And I wouldn’t do that to her.” My girl deserves a dad, not just a sperm donor.
