Page 23 of Not Like Christmas At All
Lincoln’s lips part for a moment before he swallows thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I track the motion, making me mirrorthe nervous reflex. The air sizzles between us, feeling charged in a way I can’t explain, but it’s not unwelcome.
Stepping closer, he reaches out and pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, smoothing the tendril between his fingers until he reaches the end.
“It’s a thin line between love and hate, Genesis.”
Chapter Ten
Gen’s cheeks turn a deep shade of crimson at my words, shocked and flustered at my near admission. But where part of me feels like I’ve said too much, the other part wants to continue to admit my feelings for her.
As my fingers run to the end of her silky, curly hair, I let them fall back to my side, not allowing me to reach out and kiss her like I long to do. Instead I admire her for a moment, taking in every bit of her beauty—the ethereal glow of sun-kissed skin, the vibrancy of her sky-blue eyes.
Thereisa thin line between love and hate, but I’ve never once hated her. Not for a second. No one has ever captured my attention like she has, even if she’s driving me crazy ninety-nine point nine percent of the time.
And pretending like I’m not completely infatuated with the woman in front of me is exhausting.
“I don’t hate you, Gen. I could never hate you.”
Her lips part. Questions swirl in the reflection of her eyes right before she squeezes them shut. “Why are you here, Lincoln?”
I stop denying the contact I’ve been craving, and I take her hand in mine. A small gasp catches in my throat, and it sends a spike of arousal through me. “You scared me. When I saw you hit the floor… Dammit, Gen.”
Fear slithers down my spine as the image flashes through my memory.
Gen shakes her head. “I’m so confused.”
“I’m not expecting anything. I only stayed because I wanted to make sure you were okay. I can leave.” Slowly, I withdraw my hand from hers.
She surprises me when she catches it, tightening her grip. “No. Stay.”
We’re both held captive by the moment, eyes searching as our gazes stay locked. So many things are on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t want to overwhelm her, not when she has a concussion, but I refuse to live in a lie any longer.
There’s a million reasons why I should keep my distance like I have been, or why I should put a stop to this before it even begins, but between watching her fall, and witnessing her on a date not too long ago, I’m done.
I wanther.
For the first time in a long time, I feel nervous to speak to a woman. “Gen, I?—“
“There she is!” Doctor Kelley glides into the room, breaking the tension in the air and interrupting what I was about to say. “It’s so good to see you awake, Nurse Nikolaou. How are you feeling?”
With my hypothetical tail tucked between my legs, I back away from Genesis. As her hand falls from mine and hits the side of her hospital bed, she looks at me in disarray rather than greeting her doctor.
I try to reassure her with a smile. “I’ll give you a minute. I’m going to give Miller and Zee an update."
“My family!” she gasps.
“Are waiting for their update as well.”
Doctor Kelley buzzes around the monitors, inputting updates into her tablet. My eyes wander to her, knowing she’s purposely making herself productive right now, then back to Gen.
“You spoke to my parents?” She pushes herself more upright, then starts patting the space around her while frantically looking around. “Where’s my phone? I have to call them.”
“Your mother.” I turn around and grab her phone off the windowsill, where it was charging, and hand it to her. “I’ll call them too. Let Doctor Kelley go over things with you. I’ll be back.”
Slipping out into the hallway, I call my cousin as I lean against the wall, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“I screwed up,” I groan the moment he answers.
Ignoring my juvenile call for attention, he asks, “How’s Genesis?”
