Page 45 of Cold as Stone
“Yeah?”
He looks at me—really looks at me—with an intensity that makes my breath catch. “Let me correct that. I’ve been thinking aboutyouall day.”
My heart and stomach do simultaneous flips.
“What’s going on between us isn’t just heat-of-the-moment stuff for me, Kya. I mean, it started like that, but it was also…” He pauses, searching for words. “I think maybe I never really saw you before.”
“Lee—”
“No, let me say this.” His voice is rough, honest. “I’ve been fighting this since the day I knew you were back in town. But I can’t anymore. I don’t want to.”
Relief floods through me at his admission, but it’s quickly followed by fear. “But it scares me,” I whisper.
“Why?” His hand reaches out, fingers barely grazing mine on the couch between us.
I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Where do I start? You’re Emma’s brother. You’re a biker. I’m only supposed to be here for six months. We have history that’s… complicated. And I have a track record of making spectacularly bad decisions when it comes to men.”
He turns to face me fully. “What kind of bad decisions?”
Heat rises in my cheeks. “The kind where I fall for guys who are emotionally unavailable, or controlling, or just plain wrong for me. I’m so screwed up I ignore every red flag because I think I can fix them.”
“You think I need fixing?”
“No,” I say quickly. “That’s not… God, this is coming out all wrong.” I tap my fingers on my knee, frustrated. “I just mean that my judgment when it comes to relationships is questionable at best. And this—whatever this is—it feels big.”
Not to mention I’ve had a crush on the guy since I was a tween. If this goes sideways, I’m not sure I’ll recover.
Lee is quiet for a long moment, studying me. “What if we don’t screw it up?”
“What if we do?”
“Then we deal with it.” He reaches over, taking my hand in his. His fingers are warm, callused from work and riding. “Kya, I’m not some kid with commitment issues. I know what I want.”
“And that is?”
His thumb traces over my knuckles. “You. I’m not saying we’ll be together forever, it’s too early for us to know that. But I want a relationship with you. I wanna see where this might lead.”
“I want that too,” I admit. “But I’m terrified.”
“Of what?”
“Of staying. Of leaving. Of caring too much and getting hurt.” I look down at our joined hands. “Of being happy and having it ripped away.”
Understanding flickers in his eyes. “Like with your mom.”
I nod, throat tight. “She was the only family I had. And even though our relationship was complicated and painful, losing her… it reminded me how alone I am.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Kya.”
“You say that now?—”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he repeats, firmer this time. “This is my town. My family. My life.”
I set my glass down, suddenly restless. “This feels too easy. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“What other shoe?”
I gesture between us. “This. You being here, saying everything I’ve ever wanted to hear. It feels too good to be real.”
