Page 8 of A Love That Broke Us
“Oh, we’re back to talking about my boner now?”
I shrug, meeting his gaze, a smile playing on my lips. “Seems like it’s a recurring theme.”
He chuckles, the sound deep and low, sending a shiver through me. “Careful, Alley, or I might end up with another one.”
I blink, startled, but try to stay cool because the idea of turning him on stirs something in me. “Yeah? What would you do about that?”
He shifts, stepping closer, his hands gripping the rail on either side of me. I’m caged in, his face inches from mine. “You wanna find out?” he murmurs, his voice teasing.
Yes. Hell yes.I meet his gaze. “Maybe,” I say softly.
His eyes flick to my lips, and I suck in a shaky breath as he leans in—slow, deliberate. It’s almost torture. When his mouth finally meets mine, I melt. The kiss is everything. Warm. Soft. Sexy.
I feel him smile against my lips before leaning in for more, deepening the kiss. I meet him with equal intensity, his tongue brushing softly against mine, like he’s asking for permission.
I give it.
My arms loop around his neck as his hands slide around my waist, pulling me flush against him. We kiss for seconds, or maybe minutes. I lose all sense of time. All I know is I don’t want it to end. My stomach flutters with excitement, heat pulsing through me. I’m turned on. In the middle of a public park.
Somewhere in the background, I hear a whistle and a loud, “Get it, bro!” I should care, but I don’t. Not when his lips feel this good on mine. Let them look. Let them comment. I’m not stopping.
I barely notice the rest of the crowd, the bustling walkway and the people passing by. I’ve never been one for making out in public, but right now? It’s the last thing I care about. This feeling of newness, of connection, of something just clicking… it’s intoxicating.
It’s also terrifying, because when it feels this good, this fast—all you can do is hope. Hope that it’s real. Hope that he feels the same. Hope he’s not secretly collecting toenail clippings or hiding a weird fetish.
Please be normal, Jensen.
And please, please don’t break my heart.
I pullout my phone to text my brother and sister-in-law.
Happy freaking birthday, bro! Hope you have the best day ever. Wishing you lots of birthday sex… and Stella, I hope you deliver a top-tier birthday beej.
The door to the break room swings open, making me jump.
“Hey, how’s my favorite boo?”
I turn, grinning. “Hey, stranger!” I rise from my chair and pull Zach into a hug. “How was Maui? You guys have fun?”
Zach squeezes me back before heading to the fridge. “Yeah, it was incredible. Joey’s sister drove me fucking crazy, but other than that, it was great.”
“Oh, no. I thought she wasn’t going. What did she do? Or do I even need to ask?” I scrunch my nose, already bracing for the answer. Joey is Zach’s boyfriend, and Zach can’t stand Joey’s high-maintenance little sister.
He lets out an exasperated sigh. “She bought a plane ticket last minute. Can you believe that? Literally made me want to vomit when I found out she was coming. She’s such a selfish, whiny little you-know-what. She complained about something everywhere we went. I swear, I can’t ever go on a trip with her again.”
Zach makes a dramatic face as he places his food in the microwave. He’s always been a little over the top, but that’s one of the things I love about him. He’s fun and never fails to make me laugh. Work is a hell of a lot more enjoyable when he’s here.
“God, I’m sorry. That’s so annoying.” I pause as the microwave beeps. “But I’m glad to have you back. It’s been dull here without you.”
He rolls his eyes, grabbing his food and sitting across from me. “Yeah, right. Someone toldmeyou went out with the blue-eyed hottie from a few weeks ago.” His lips curve into a mischievous grin. “Doesn’t sound like it was that dull while I was gone. Spill.” He drums his fingers on the table, milking the moment for all it’s worth.
“Who told you that?” I ask, laughing.
“Mm-mm. I never give up my sources.”
“It’s notthatbig of a deal,” I say, fighting to suppress a massive grin.
He leans back, smirking. “You’re such a bad liar.”
