Page 68 of Illicit

“They only wanted to help you.”

I turn us in half a circle and exhale. “I didn’t care. Brax tried countless times to get me to talk about shit, but it wasn’t going to happen. Landyn never pushed. Years later, when times weren’t as weird as they were in the beginning, I asked her why she never pushed me to talk.”

“Why didn’t she?” Teagan slides her hand up the sleeve of my T-shirt. Skin on skin, the way we were when we woke up this morning. Blood rushes to my dick, and I don’t try to stop it. This time, I enjoy it.

“She did what she still does so often—she got in my space and wrapped her arms around me like she hasn’t seen me for a lifetime. Her only answer was, ‘Because I love you, and it doesn’t matter.’ That was it. Unconditional. Just like it has been since the day I met her.”

A ghost of a smile touches her lips, and my eyes drop to her mouth. Her feet stop, and we’re rooted in the middle of her minuscule studio. When my gaze jumps back to her dark eyes, she asks, “Why did you tell me that when you’ve never told anyone?”

I tip my head and brush the hair from her face. “If you really have to ask me that, I need to up my game.”

Her eyes fall shut, and she leans in to press her cheek to my chest. I let my hand snake up her back and into her hair to hold her to me.

“You deserve unconditional, Rocco. You deserve everything. I hope someday you realize it.”

My chest seizes, but I don’t answer.

I’m good at giving. That’s easy.

Receiving makes me uncomfortable.

But unconditional?

That makes me itch in my own skin.

It’s like she realizes it and lets me off the hook when she changes the subject. “Are you staying here tonight?”

My grip on her tightens. “I dare you to try to kick me out, Teagan. I’m not going anywhere.”

She turns silent.

She doesn’t argue.

And she doesn’t beg me to kiss her.

All she does is nod and press into me tighter.

I have a feeling this will get harder before it gets easier.

But one thing is for sure, it’ll be messy.

15

THE SECRET

Teagan

When my eyes flutter open, familiar and strange emotions hit me all at once.

I’m tangled up in Rocco.

Again.

Only this morning, I’m not wearing his clothes.

Though, I probably should have. My pajamas are thinner and smaller, which means less of a barrier between us than yesterday since Rocco is down to his boxers again.

But unlike yesterday morning, Rocco isn’t pinning me to the bed. This time it’s me, even though with our size difference, I doubt I’m pinning him to anything. He’s a willing participant and has his hand on my ass to prove it.

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