Page 65 of The Rebel (Looking to Score 1)
“Former governor.” I swallow the sour taste in my mouth that always appears when this topic arises. “I was just starting middle school when he was removed from office. As if dealing with my parents’ divorce wasn’t enough, having his affair with his secretary be the talk of every news outlet wasn’t exactly fun. It was easy fodder for the bullies at my private school.”
“Kids can be cruel.”
“And adults. You know I’ve dealt with my fair share of grown-up bullies ever since I took on the team.”
Holt’s lips press firmly together as he draws in a deep breath through his nose. “I guess, in our own ways, neither of us have had it easy,” he says with a sigh.
“Don’t get me wrong. Your upbringing was way harder than mine. I don’t want to demean that. But just because my family has money doesn’t make us any less screwed up. Believe me.”
A small smile forms on his lips, his whole body relaxing as he pulls me back into his arms. “I guess we’re more similar than I thought.”
I nestle my head into his shoulder, breathing in his woodsy scent. “Twin flames.”
We sit like this for a long moment, watching the waves roll in as he strokes my knuckles with the pad of his thumb. When he breaks the silence, it’s in a voice so soft, yet so sure, it sends a wave of heat rolling through my system.
“I don’t know how I got lucky enough to find you again, Eden.”
Before I can respond, he lifts my face and presses his lips to mine in a warm, tender kiss that makes my whole body light up in response.
What he said is true. By some miracle, we found each other in this crazy world a second time. And I can’t say for sure, but something tells me we would find each other over and over again, in this lifetime or the next.
We stay tangled up together, cuddling and kissing until the sun has sunk low in the sky. As much as I wish we could stop time in this moment, the oncoming darkness has other plans.
With the sky burning orange, we pack up our picnic, loading up the blanket and remaining snacks, and make the trek back to Holt’s car. When he slides into the driver’s seat, he turns toward me, his gray eyes dark with want, and asks the question I’ve been desperately waiting for.
“Do you want to head back to my place?”
It’s the easiest, most enthusiastic yes I’ve ever given.
• • •
The drive back to Holt’s apartment is short, but each minute crawls past slower than the last, each second filled with the need to be close to him, to be gathered up in his big arms again. When we finally arrive, I sink into his soft gray couch while I wait for him to put away the snacks we didn’t finish.
“Can I get you anything?” he calls over his shoulder from the kitchen. “More wine? Something to eat?”
I shake my head, and moments later, he joins me on the couch, pulling me against his bulky frame, close enough that I can rest my head against his chest.
It’s far from the first time we’ve been close like this, but something about him feels different tonight, more at ease. While he toys with my hair, running his thick fingers through my wind-tousled waves, I tune in to his heartbeat. It’s a steady rhythm thrumming against my cheek, until his hand travels from my hair to my hip, then slowly begins stroking the curve of my ass. Suddenly, his pulse quickens, as does mine.
“Mmm. That’s nice,” I say, grinding my hips against his touch in approval.
Before long, his hand wanders to the button of my jeans, and I’m all too eager for him to help me out of them. When he spies the lacy purple thong I have on underneath, his mouth falls slack, his breath an uneven shudder.
“Fuck, honey.”
His tongue sweeps over his lower lip as he drinks me in, greedy hands reaching for the scrap of lace clinging to my hips. But I have other plans. This man had the courage to share his broken past with me today, and I want to show him just how grateful I am. When I sink to my knees in front of him, a low, tortured sound rumbles deep in his throat.
“Jesus, Eden. Too good to me.”
He shoves off his jeans, and a small bubble of pride forms in my chest when I see he’s already half hard for me. A few gentle caresses from base to tip and he’s ready, his stormy eyes pleading with mine. But he doesn’t have to plead. I want him just as much as he wants me. When I slide him into my mouth, a shiver rolls from him through me, a shared moment of pure adrenaline as we connect.
