Page 46 of Hungry Hearts

“What’s wrong?” She was into the kiss as much as I was, then it was like someone dumped a bucket of ice on her. Is it my erection? It isn’t anything she hasn’t felt before, and I didn’t even grind it into her.

“You, um, smell different.” She scurries off my lap and stands on the other side of the room.

Pulling my shirt away from my skin, I take a whiff. Should’ve showered at the penthouse. “I went on a drinking binge last night and haven’t showered yet.”

She looks anywhere but at me, curls her lips into her mouth, and nods. Her body language is back to how it was when I first saw her outside my door. Nervous. Upset.

“I’m good at a lot of things, Maia, but reading isn’t one of them. What’s wrong?”

Rolling her shoulders back, she still doesn’t look my way and huffs out a deep breath. “You smell like a bar and...perfume. And there’s lipstick on your ear.”

“Fuck.” I rub my ear and wipe my hand on my jeans. “It’s not what you think.” Hell, this is new. Defending myself to a woman. Fighting for a woman.

“It...it doesn’t matter.” Her shrug is anything but convincing. “It’s not like we’re...together. And after yesterday morning...”

“Christ, Maia.” I jump to my feet and cross the living room to her. I fucking hate how she takes two steps away from me. Thankfully, the wall is there to stop her retreat. I slap my hands to the wall on either side of her head. “I haven’t so much as looked at another woman since I laid eyes on you at my bar. Last night, yeah, I was fucking furious. I planned on getting stupid drunk and sticking my dick in the first willing woman.”

She flinches and closes her eyes. Fuck.Filter. There’s honesty and there’s TMI. She’s fragile right now. Hell,I’mfragile right now. I take a few calming breaths and soften my words.

“I thought being with someone would erase the pain. Would erase you. When the first offer came around, I declined. Then Kayla showed up and helped herself to my lap. She and I have a history.” When she flattens herself into the wall and shrinks away from me, I tip her chin up. “She propositioned me, but I didn’t even contemplate it. Not even for a second. Even with her rubbing herself on me, it had no effect. None. Whatsoever. But all I have to do is picture these whiskey eyes and I’m hard as stone.”

I kiss the corner of each eye and use my tongue to catch a lone tear.

“I turned her away and went up to the penthouse. Alone. I didn’t touch her, Maia. Swear to God. I thought I wanted to, but there’s no replacing you.” I wait for her to look at me before brushing my lips across hers.

When her body relaxes and she blinks the last of her tears away, I pull back, giving us both the space we need.

“I’m going to shower and change, then take you to breakfast.”

“I can’t.”

I close my eyes and now I’m the one who lowers their head in guilt. If I’d caught her in the same compromising position that Kayla and I were in, it wouldn’t be something I could unsee and forget so easily.

“Okay.” I’ll fight for her, but I’ll give her space first.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. I have to get back to work. I moved around my morning appointments so I could come here. I didn’t want to do this on the phone.”

Relief fills my chest. “Did you drive here?”

“I wasn’t comfortable with rush hour, so I took the subway.”

“You’ll get back faster if I drive you. Give me five minutes to shower and change. Make yourself something to eat and drink in the kitchen.”

I leave her in the living room while I get ready, and five minutes later, when I no longer stink like filth, I hold onto her hips and drag her into me, giving her a fresh start kiss.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Since our almost break-up—if you can call it that since we’re not technically in a relationship—and my confession to Ryder last week, life has been nothing but busy. I’m always shuffling between hair appointments, managing the salon, Ruby, and spending time with my parents, but now I’m also trying to find time to be with Ryder.

It figures this week I’m booked solid with a dentist appointment, brunch with my sister, and a meeting with my accountant. I haven’t even been able to manage morning coffee time with Ryder. Our daily texts filled the gap for a few days, but I miss him.

He texts me Sunday night in the middle of his dinner rush, and my heart does a little flutter.

RYDER:Are your eyes blue or green?

ME:I believe you refer to them as whiskey brown.

RYDER:Oh, that’s right. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you it’s hard to remember.

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