Page 44 of Exposed

She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, smearing dirt across her face. “This is my house.”

“No, this ismyhouse.” And why the hell was she in it?

“What?”

I looked over at the planters she’d dug up. And the tree that she’d repotted in a pot that was too heavy for her to move herself. Why was she here? Why was she messing up my yard? Why hadn’t she shown up during the last 16 years when I’d wanted her to? And why had she started showing up now when I just needed one second to myself?

I looked over my shoulder.Fuck.Had she seen the paintings of her? I felt like I was going to throw up. I didn’t want her to see them and think I was sick in the head. Tanner called it my serial killer lair for a reason.

“You weren’t supposed to see this,” I said.

“See what?”

“Any of this.” The family house I built for her without realizing it. This wasn’t for her now. This was for who she used to be. It was for a ghost. She wouldn’t even fucking want this now. She wanted Miller. Not me.

“I’m sorry, Tanner said it was available…” her voice trailed off.

Fucking Tanner.I’d forgotten that he bought Bill’s real estate company. That’s how he’d gotten Kennedy back to New York City. So he’d set this all up to… Put a family that didn’t need me into my house? Was this some kind of cruel joke? I was going to kill him.

“Did you see it?” I asked.

“See what?”

“Don’t play dumb, Brooklyn.” It was like something snapped inside of me. She couldn’t be here. Not here. This was the one place I didn’t want her. She was going to think I’d lost my mind. And hadn’t I? I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless. But I also wanted to lift her over my shoulder and carry her out ofmydamn house.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why are you so upset?”

“Because you robbed me of half my life, Brooklyn!”

She glared at me. “What exactly didIrobyouof? Because I didn’t get to finish high school in person. I never got to go to prom. Or graduation. I never went to college. I never got any of those experiences. You got all of it.”

“And you think I enjoyed any of that without you? You’re making me out to be a monster. But that’s you, Brooklyn. You chose a kidnapper over me. You’re the fucking monster here.”

She slapped me. I should have expected it. She’d done that earlier. But now that we weren’t in the middle of Central Park, my reaction to it was a lot different. My dick stirred from the heat on my cheek. I couldn’t even help it. I’d obsessed over her for years. And now she was here.

I was pretty sure she felt the way the air had just shifted between us too. Because instead of hurling more insults at me, her eyes fell to my lips.

I pushed her backward, caging her in against the side of the house. “Hit me again. I dare you.” I wanted her to. I just liked when she touched me. Her skin on my skin made me feel alive.

“Matt…” her voice sounded as broken as I felt.

I slammed my lips against hers. I was so fucking mad at her for everything she’d done. And this was the only way I knew how to make it better. To feel closer to her. I bit down on her lip hard, but she just kissed me back. Like she wanted to feel my pain.

I palmed one of her breasts through her sweatshirt. Probably a little too hard. But I just needed to touch her.

She didn’t seem to mind though. She just stood up on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss.

I needed this. I needed her. But there was a nagging thought in the back of my head. What if this was the only way we fit now? Hurting each other and then fucking that hurt out of our systems. I didn’t know how to stop hurting. I’d meant what I’d told her the other day. She’d ruined my fucking life. And a part of me just wanted to ruin her back. I found her nipple through the fabric and tugged it. So hard it probably hurt her. She should have been begging me for forgiveness. Not fucking torturing me.

She moaned as she hit her fist against my chest. Like she wanted to hurt me too.

Didn’t she realize she’d already done enough of that? But she could hit me as much as she wanted. She could slap me a thousand times if that’s what she needed. Hell, I wanted her to hurt too. To make her feel as badly as I felt. But that wouldn’t make it better. Only this would.

I grabbed the waistband of her leggings to pull them down, but I ended up ripping the material.

She gasped as I grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up.

We’d fought a lot back in high school. And this was always how we made up. Well, not exactly like this. I was gentle with her back in high school. But she wasn’t the same girl. And I was done treating her like she was perfect. I’d put her on a pedestal for half my life. But she didn’t belong there. She belonged right here with me. And I was done showing restraint with her.

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