Page 41 of When I Found You

“I’m not asking you to do anything against your will.” He steps aside. “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. If that’s what you want.”

“Suddenly you care what I want?” Heat bubbles inside my chest, and I can’t tell whether it’s fury or passion.

“Marcy set me straight.” He rests his hand on the table. “I understand why you felt you had to keep up the amnesia premise.”

The amnesia...oh, God. The wine. I will never again. I pinch my eyes closed and my lapse in judgement rushes back in vivid shades of mortification. The alcohol loosened my inhibitions all right. It completely blew my cover. Shit. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out, no matter how convoluted this version is.

“I had a feeling you weren’t being honest with me.” Arthur watches me, his expression since. “But I misunderstood your intentions. I apologize.”

I clear my throat unsure if I should rip off the bandage now and reveal the truth. But the longer the moment stretches, the more I lose my nerve.

“I apologize as well. I shouldn’t have lied.” The half-truth slips from my tongue in a rush. “It was selfish of me to take advantage of your kindness.”

Arthur scoffs. “Kindness?” He shakes his head and laughs. “If we’re being honest here, then I should confess I also had selfish reasons for my actions.”

He’s five feet away, but I can feel the heat pulsing between us.

“When I hit you with the door, an accident, I swear, I panicked.” He swipes his hand over his face and groans. “I lied to the guards and carried you home because I was too fucking scared to call the cops and admit I injured you.”

“I know.” My words are soft. “I’m glad you didn’t call the cops, honestly.”

“It was stupid. You could have been permanently injured or died.”

“You called Rob. That’s almost as good as a trip to the ER in my opinion.” I chuckle. “He’s a very attentive physician.”

Arthur growls and his eyes darken. Possessive and jealous, he stalks closer.

I back up until the cold glass stops me. Arthur crowds me, placing his hands against the glass, caging me between his heat and the frosted pane. His eyes shift from mine, down to my mouth, and back as he studies me intently.

“That kiss haunts me, Kate.” He licks his lips. “All week. I couldn’t think of anything else except how much I wanted another taste.”

My pulse echoes in my ears rushing like a waterfall. “Me too.”

I rise up on my tip toes and end both our misery.

Chapter Eighteen

Arthur

The memory of her kiss is nothing to the reality. I grip her waist, lifting her closer and angling my head. I want to devour her completely. Not a sample, not a taste. She’s heady and a fizzy type of magic infuses the moment. I’m drunk on her with one kiss.

I should be terrified, but I’m not. I want more.

She arches her body against me, and I seize the invitation without hesitation. My hands slide beneath the cotton fabric. A moan breaks from deep in my throat when my fingers brush her bare skin.

There have been women over the years, but none of them seem to entice me, burrowing beneath my conscience, like Kate. I worship her curves molding them with my palms, kneading and pulling. I curse the oversized pajamas she stole from my closet.

They’re my favorites. Seeing her wearing them when I walked into the apartment nearly threw my composure out the window. I’ve dreamed of ripping those cotton pajamas from her body every night since she arrived. It’s about time I make my fantasy a reality.

Her palm slides down my chest and over my stomach. I suck in a breath when it comes to rest on my cock. Even through the fabric, the heat of her touch stokes the fire hotter.

As much as I want to strip her down and take her up against the glass in view of the whole city, I refrain. We have all the time in the world to christen each surface of my apartment. Right now, I need her sprawled beneath me while I memorize her glorious, bare skin with my mouth.

Without warning, I scoop her into my arms. She squeals and clings to me.

“What are you doing?” She laughs as I carry her into the bedroom.

“I intended to take you up against those windows at some point.” I whisper against her temple. “But right now, I have other plans for you.”

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