Page 109 of Bronco

My lips twitch. “You think?”

She moves closer, her hand reaches for me and presses over my heart. “I don’t want you to think I’m just saying what I’m about to say because I want you to tell me what’s really going on, but somewhere along the lines, everything has become blurry.”

I don’t move a muscle. The heat from her palm is steady against the material of my shirt.

“I think I always knew, deep down, but I pushed it away. I was so scared of being hurt again. Of giving myself over tosomeone, not really realizing that I’ve been holding back, and for a long time that worked. But that doesn’t work anymore.”

I can’t help it. I cup her face with one hand, the soft swell of her cheek as warm as her palm. “I don’t want you to hold back. Say what you need to say.”

“But you don’t want to hear about the way the room spins whenever you’re in it. How I’m breathy and needy when I don’t see you for a day, and I’m counting down the minutes when I’ll see you again.” She grips my cut, and I let her. I need to hear this. “You don’t understand how it felt being in your arms, and you being inside me for the first time. How well we fit, how much I want you to stay every night,allthe fucking nights, forever?—”

“What are you sayin’?” My heart is racing in my chest so loudly, I swear she can hear it.

“I don’t know how or when it happened, maybe it was the kiss-cam, or it could’ve been before, but I love you, Bronco. I’ve always loved you, and I don’t want you to run away?—”

I bend my head, closing the distance as our lips meet and we kiss with a newfound purpose. Hearing her say those words is like music to my ears. My heart feels like a bird that’s just been set free from a cage, soaring high.

“I’d never run away,Princess,”I mutter in between kisses. “I love you, too. I’ve loved you for so fuckin’ long that it feels like a lifetime.”

She moans breathily when I cup her face, deepening the kiss as our tongues meet. She presses her body against mine, groaning when my dick pushes into her hip.

“I love what I do to you,” she whispers.

“I love what you do to me, too. I’ll never hurt you. And trust me, I understand all of those things, because I’ve known it for a while.”

“You have?”

I press my forehead against hers. “Yep, not afraid to admit it. I guess we were right about one thing, though.”

“What’s that?” She smiles, pursing her lips.

“Fuck buddies just doesn’t work.”

She slaps me on the arm. “Friends with benefits, remember?”

“Same thing.”

“Jesus, are we really going to do this thing?”

“You know you can’t stay away from me.”

“More like I don’t want to.” She kisses me again, her hands roaming my chest as I grow harder with every movement.

“Glad to hear it. You know if you keep touchin’ me like that, we’re gonna fuck on Jas’s desk.”

“I think fucking on Jas’s desk is a rite of passage for most of the members,” she laughs.

I snort a laugh, too. “Can be quick.”

“Nope. You’re getting out of telling me what really went on.”

I sigh. I thought she’d lay off after our confessional, but I guess not. “There was a guy at the house last night, I’m sure it was when Titan barked and spooked him.”

She bites her lip, her face startled. “Really?”

“Yes. And he was with Cut City Boys doin’ their dirty work, followin’ the ol’ ladies just like that last time, tryin’ to find a way to get back at us.”

“Holy shit.”

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