Page 36 of Finding Their Place

She put my jeans back to rights and settled into her seat before I could trust myself to look at her.

Even though she hadn’t sucked my dick for a long period of time, red flushed her lips, and those gorgeous eyes of hers had been overrun black by swollen pupils. Lust still ruled her body, but more resided in her dark orbs, a wanting, the same type of craving I felt for her in the deepest parts of me. It was as if my bone marrow thirsted for what only she could give—but I longed to give her what she needed even more.

“I think I more than like you,” I nearly groaned the words.

She huffed a laugh. “That’s the post coming-like-a-tidal-wave feels talking.”

“I’m serious, Haley.” I reached over to wind my fingers through hers, pulling our clasped hands atop my thigh. “Gotta hang onto you right now to make sure you’re real.”

“I know what you mean,” she murmured, and I wondered over the emotions inside her and whether they mirrored mine.

A little bit anxious, a whole lot of excited about the possibilities.

But I also had a strangling bit of fear. My real parents had abandoned me—and that shit fucked with my head and doubtless would for a long assed time. Would I ever be able to trust a relationship?

I’d fallen hard and fast for Haley.

I prayed like fuck she felt the same.

12

Garrett

Had Haley and Wyatt finished dinner?

I glanced at my ancient watch, barely making out the hands in the club’s dim corner I’d hidden myself in. Twisting my arm toward the dance floor allowed strobe lights to help me see the tiny numbers on the watch’s face.

Nine o’clock.

Surely they’d headed home already. Maybe Wyatt had already fucked my Haley. Jealousy over the thought of another man’s hands on her twisted my insides, and I downed the rest of my martini.

Would he hold her afterward, prove himself to be a Prince Charming by snuggling her how she loved, the way I always made her melt against me?

“Fuck.” I muttered a few more curses to myself while stretching my neck side to side in an attempt to ease the tension riding me.

I’d had no intention of scrolling an app for dick, but once I’d left the apartment early to get away from all things Happy Haley, I’d had nothing better to do.

Sitting on a bench near the beach had only made my scowl deepen.

Watching lovers and kids play in the sand while the sun sank on the horizon had sent a pang through my chest I didn’t know how to deal with.

So much for that dream about Haley dancing in the sand with flowers in her hair.

Loneliness had nagged at me like my grandmother used to about taking out the trash, and a shit ton of self-pity had sent me scrolling and clicking on the first guy in the area who was on the prowl for some action.

But he never showed, and I ended up in a corner all by myself while men made out on the dance floor, their groping hands and swiveling hips doing nothing but creating an even bigger pity party inside my head.

Could I catch a damn break already?

I pulled out my cell to check if Haley had texted to let me know her date was over, that I could come home without having to fear listening in to a fuck-fest I would want to break up.

Or join in.

The air fled from my lungs with a grunt.

Wyatt’s pic suggested the dude was hot as hell, a rugged pretty boy—yes, there was such a thing. He looked like a glass of ice water I would thirst for after a day on a sunny beach. While I had told myself I didn’t want dick again, a bi man had to be dead to not find the image of Haley’s date appealing.

Lips pursed, I pushed aside thoughts of how hot he and Haley would be together. I refused to linger on the images flashing in my head of Haley getting herself off riding him.

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