Page 32 of Where You Belong

She smiles as she rounds the corner and sees me standing there, waiting for her. It’s almost as if she had expected me to slip out, leaving her to tuck Huxton in, but was happy to find me still here.

“I don’t think he’ll be waking up anytime soon.”

“Yeah?” I ask, quirking my brow.

He was a big help while I was fixing the mower and took care of cleaning things up when we finished. Guess that means he’ll be sleeping well tonight.

Haelynn changed her clothes since earlier in the day, now dressed in a red silk tank top and shorts with a white sweater wrapped around her. The summer sky turned the air cooler when the sun disappeared behind the clouds, blowing a fresh breeze through the open windows.

There’s a softness to her features, a vulnerability seeing her dressed in her pajamas, standing in front of me in the quietness of her house. The kitchen is dim, the only light coming from the end of the hallway, bathing us in darkness.

She peers up at me through her long lashes. The look in her eye makes it difficult to contain the urge to pull her into my arms again.

“I bet you’re tired too.” She sighs, folding her arms at her waist. “You were so wonderful with Huxton today. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all your help.”

“I told you if you needed anything, I’d be here.”

She nods, a smile threatening to break across her face. “You did. I’m just not good at asking.”

“I figured, but you should know, Haelynn, I want to help. I want to hear from you, for you to lean on me if you need anything. I want to get to know you more and for you to trust me.”

Uncrossing my arms, I brace my hands against the counter behind me. Her eyes drop down to where my hands clench the granite. I notice a change in her breathing, the subtle rise and fall of her chest beneath the dull lighting.

Seeing how her body reacts to my words, I push off the counter and take a step toward her, then another, until only a foot remains between us.

“I’m not going anywhere, Haelynn. Not unless you tell me to go.”

In my mind, I’m talking about the future, but in a way, I’m also talking about tonight. I don’t want to leave. The thought has me nearly coming out of my skin with need.

“Good,” she whispers, glancing at the floor as if working up the courage. She drops her hands to her sides and straightens her shoulders. “I don’t want you to go either.”

It was all the permission I needed. My hands slip around her lower back and reach down to grip her thighs, lifting her to sit on the edge of the counter. Her arms wrap around my neck, holding on as my lips crash down on hers.

She moans subtly against my mouth, opening her legs to grant me better access. I want to be closer to her in every way possible.

I pull back, and her eyes flutter open, her lips swollen from mine. I swear, this woman makes me feel like a horny teenager with my cock pressed hard against the seam of my zipper.

“Haelynn,” I croak. “I’m sorry, maybe we should slow down tonight?”

She winces, and I reach my hand out to stop her.

“No, it’s okay. I get it. I understand,” she mutters and pushes my hand away from where they’re gripping her thighs, moving to slip off the counter.

“You understand what exactly?” I ask, stopping her from walking away from me.

“Listen, I’ve spent the past four years with a man who’s hardly touched me. I’ve gone to sleep at night wondering what it is about me, picking apart everything about myself, wondering why I wasn’t good enough for him anymore. When we’re together, one thing leads to another, and before I know it, I’m back in your arms. I don’t want to go down this road again only to feel like I’m not good enough, especially for a man.”

A part of me wants to pump the brakes, hating how she could so quickly push me away and think I’d ever not want her.

“How could you even think that?”

Her brows furrow. “Well”—she sighs—“why did you stop then?”

“Stop?” I rake my hand over my face and through my hair. “I don’t want to stop. Hell, if I had it my way, I’d carry you down the hallway to your bedroom. That’s the point I’m trying to make. Look at me right now.” I blink slowly, motioning to the obvious bulge in my shorts.

“My body can’t help but want you. Don’t you get it? I know what an asshole your ex was. He mistreated you and took for granted what an amazing fuckin’ woman he had in front of him. I just don’t want to ruin this before we have a real chance to see what this could be.”

She looks past me, her eyes growing distant for a moment before they find mine again. She reaches out toward me, her hand turning into a fist as she stops midway before dropping it against my chest and releasing a heavy exhale.

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