Page 114 of Boost

“Are you going to askme?”

“No.”

The effort to keep her away from my most vulnerable spots was agonizing, and with every inch closer she drew closer, the more I weakened. I couldn’t stand to hear her say she loved me. Not when I needed to distance myself from her for her own good.

She arched a brow. “You don’t want to hear me say that I love you?”

I swallowed thickly. “No.”

“I don’t believe you.”

In a split-second reaction, my hand caught hers before her fingers contacted my arm. “No touching.”

What I saw in her beautiful eyes scared the ever-loving fuck out of me.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Hissing a curse, I clenched my teeth so hard they ached. “Youdon’tlove me, Greer. You justcan’t.”

She was only meant to be a bit of fun. A challenge. I never anticipated falling for her so damn hard it hurt almost as much as the thought of losing her.

Her chin lifted in a challenge. “I can love whoever the hell I want, and that person is you. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but it did and I won’t take it back. All I’maskingis that you quit running.” She took a step back yet didn’t tug her hand out of my grasp. “How many people can stand before you and tell you that they accept you for who you are? Past and all? Mistakes and all?”

I bowed my head. I could count on one hand; my mother, grandparents, Colt, and now Greer. Even my own sister still hadn’t come to terms with what I did for her and mamá.

“Me!I’mdoing that,” Greer cried.

With a sharp tug that made her gasp, I pulled her against my chest and locked her in place with one hand on the small of her back. My breath punched in and out of my lungs as if I’d been running from the cops. I was torn between continuing my fight to push her away and becoming consumed by her accepting me for who I was.

The moment Greer took my face in her hands cut me down. My resolve faltered, and I dropped my forehead to hers.

“We shouldn’t,” I murmured, despite my soul burning for her to own me.

“We already did.”

I rolled my forehead against hers as I tried to deny myself. “Not anymore, mamacita.”

During the pause, she swallowed. “I really am sorry about what I said. It’s not like me to be such a bitch.”

I tilted my head back and deadpanned, “Believe me, I’ve encountered worse.”

“Still, that’s no excuse for what I said. It was so out of line-”

“It’s fine.”

“Is it though?” The raw heartache in her gaze had me melting.

I shook my head in disbelief. “Baby, I should have walked out the door five minutes ago, but couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

Greer’s hand connected with the side of my head and initiated a fierce kiss fueled by hasty decisions and all-consuming need.

I hummed against her mouth, and my hands were on her body without further invitation. Tangling my fingers in her long hair, I tugged to the side to angle her mouth. Fingernails raking over my scalp urged me on, and I kissed her as if she was the air my life depended on.

Her deathly-high stilettos gave her enough height that wrapping her leg around my waist was effortless, just like boosting her into my arms was. I stalked the few steps to the kitchen island and pressed against her while devouring all she gave me. Kissing with hunger that left us equally breathless.

My cock ached painfully with the anticipation of sinking into Greer’s tight heat. The thought alone had me groaning aloud as I peeled her skin-tight pants down her long legs. The wait was agonizing, and the longer it took, the more impatient I became.

“Fucking fuck, I can’t wait for these to come off. Elbows and knees, baby girl. Knees wide.”

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