Page 52 of Stolen Kiss

Emilia

I watchedJensen from the passenger side of black Aston Martin. It wasn’t exactly the kind of car I’d pictured Jensen, a single father, to drive.

But Jensen the playboy… I knew he would turn thirty-seven this year, but he looked so carefree now. All I wanted to do was hold on to this moment and hold on to him and never let go.

He pulled to a stoplight before turning to me. I shot him a smile, and he gave me one back. The white of his teeth reflected red from the light.

I had the urge to kiss him then.

But I had to steal our first kiss. I didn’t want our second one to be the same. I wanted him to kiss me.

I wanted him to take control.

I wanted him, period.

His hand moved down to my left thigh, and I worked hard to keep the relaxed posture. A few inches down, and he would feel the gel liner before getting to the socket of my prosthesis. I knew he was aware of my missing limb, but he hadn’t made a single comment about it since the moment he came back into my life, and though only a small part of me really believed this bothered him, that small part was quite insistent and annoying to shake off.

I wasn’t less than for not having all my limbs. I knew that.

But I was limited in what I could do, and something about showing that vulnerability to a man as capable and strong as Jensen…

I wasn’t ready.

The light turned green, and he moved the car forward, but he kept one hand on my thigh when he wasn’t shifting gears.

He didn’t move it down.

He didn’t move it up either, and I wasn’t sure if I would have objected if he did. Just the thought had my core aching with need.

It was the longest ten minutes of my life, and when we finally pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building, I was feeling too hot. I climbed out of the car quickly and took in a deep breath of the cold winter air. I turned when I heard his door close behind, and I walked to the hood and met him there.

He held out one hand for me. I hesitated, but only for a moment, before I placed my much smaller hand in his, letting him wrap his warm palm fully around it, bringing all sorts of warmth into my body.

I peeked up at him, suddenly feeling shy and not knowing why that was. He didn’t smile at me. He kept those piercing gray eyes intently on me just as he pulled me in closer to him.

I was tucked securely in his body just as he led us inside the building.

We didn’t talk. Not on the elevator ride up, not on our brief trek to the apartment door, and not when we stopped directly at my front door.

I turned to him.

The look in his eyes said it all.

He knew I wasn’t going to invite him in.

Not tonight.

“Thank you.”

He tucked in a strand of my dark blond hair behind my ear. “For what?”

“For a wonderful night.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

He moved his hands down my waist. I didn’t stop him. My breathing grew more labored, the flush on my skin was probably more noticeable.

Jensen moved closer to me. I didn’t say anything.

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