Page 65 of Hesi-Dating
"I hate that you got hurt then and now."
He shrugged. "Casualty of the job."
I wiped hair away from his face. "You're a lot braver than me."
Inches from his face, the lightness faded from his gaze. He released a ragged breath. He must feel it, too. This whatever-it-was that tied us together. So much stood between us.
Isiah warned me away from him. My siblings told me to stay away. Nosh threatened me with a gun an hour ago. Yet here I was, ignoring everyone because I was weak for this man. I craved his belief in me. And his strength.
The whisper of our bodies together was like a match near gasoline. Its rapid burn spread fire through me, consuming everything in its path.
"You feel it too?" Seth teased the hair at my nape with his breath. "Please tell me you still feel it. Tell me I'm not fooling myself."
A rough sigh escaped me beyond my control when he traced a single finger along my shoulder. "You're not fooling yourself."
Goosebumps covered my arms where his gentle touch slid over them.
He framed my face with his hands and touched my lips with a finger.
My mouth fell open, eager for his lips to be on mine.
He whispered, "I've been desperate for you since the moment I first met you. Even more so since you left that night."
"You didn't come after me."
"You were spooked. I didn't want to push and scare you more. I worried I'd hurt you."
"No. It was me. I panicked."
He leaned in but didn't kiss me. His hands slid around to caress my ass and pull me to straddle him. I felt his dick, long and hard against my center. "I couldn't stop thinking of you even when I was pissed you left without talking to me about why you felt you needed to run."
I caught his lower lip between mine and sucked hard. He tilted his head but didn't return the favor as if waiting for something.
I kissed along the roughness of his jaw.
His voice came out strained. "If we start this again, I won't be able to stop."
"Kiss me." I circled my arms around his neck, careful of his shoulder. "I shouldn't be here for so many reasons, but I want this right now. I'm still not sure about…no, I can't commit to anything beyond the moment. Are you okay with that?"
He studied me. A complex mixture of emotions passed through his eyes.
Please, choose me tonight. Please.
He leaned in and devoured my lips like a dying man. His fingers gripped my head. Our tongues tangled in the wet heat of our mouths, biting, licking and begging. Each stroke of our tongues was more desperate than the previous, hot and urgent.
I was panting, practically choking on my need for Seth.
He ran his nose along my cheek while incoherent words tumbled out of me. His hand teased across my shirt and my nipples strained for him. "I refuse to push you into this, Joley. I don't want to terrify you into running again."
"My running isn't about fear of whatyoumight do. Being with you makes me feel safe, which I don't feel very often. I want to be with you, Seth. It's my choice. But I can't make this into a thing…a relationship. I can't give you more right now."
"Someday, though?"
I wanted to say yes, but hadn't I just realized Nosh would never let me have something real? "My demons might never let me go. I'm sorry."
"Let's not make this complicated. How about you stay a while tonight before you run? I was watching a movie. Want to have a beer and watch it with me?"
I smiled. "I'd like that."
