Page 79 of Limbo

“Seriously, Callie…”

Whatever he prepared to say, he abandons when I breathe out his name. He runs his hands up my back, pulling me against him as he drives into me. We move faster, self-control lost.

I moan when the first wave of pleasure crashes over me. Everything falls away, and I clutch on to him, half-expecting to float away if I don’t. Jordan’s hold on me tightens. He keeps our rhythm, sliding in and out of me. I’m still trembling when his breathing grows erratic. He thrusts up, faster and deeper until he groans, pushing into me one more time.

As we both catch our breaths, he slouches back on the seat, bringing me with him. I close my eyes and melt into his chest. His heart hammers under my cheek, and my fingers trace the muscles in his arm. It’s a perfect moment that can stretch on forever.

At least it is until, out of nowhere, he says, “My birthday was endgame, and I thought you were lacrosse.”

Oh no. Is delirium a symptom of heat stroke?

Once again concerned I broke him, I sit up.

He smiles. “That’s why I didn’t want to tell you it was about more than sex.”

Still not convinced he doesn’t need medical attention, I swing my leg over him and get to my feet. “Elaborate?”

He takes care of the condom and yanks up his trunks. “Lacrosse was just a challenge to me. Another way for me to beat my brother. After I met my goal, I stopped caring and quit. I was afraid, if I told you I wanted to be with you before my stupid challenge was over, I wouldn’t want you anymore.”

I pull on my swim top. “What does that have to do with your birthday?”

“The night I followed you home from the party, I had no intentions of ever seeing you again. But then”—he grins, sauntering over—“you roped me back.”

I roll my eyes, delivering a mental,Told ya so, to my tits. Also, a quick,Thanks.

He clasps his hands behind me. “I closed my eyes and pointed to your calendar and gave myself until then to sleep with you. I just so happened to pick my birthday—twice.”

“So, you kept trying to put me off until Saturday after the challenge ended.” I smile, realizing we might be more alike than I want to admit. “I chose Friday as endgame, too.”

His head pulls back. “What?”

“Benji told me he thought you had real feelings for me, so I decided you had until Friday to tell me. Otherwise, I wasn’t going to see you when I came back.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Is that why you showed up at the bar instead of going to Graham’s?”

I nod, and everything goes in an unexpected, sideways, where-the-fuck-are-we direction.

He steps back as if I slapped him and rubs his forehead. “Everything that happened that weekend was because I wouldn’t tell you how I felt earlier?” He paces the short distance allowed in the steam-filled room. Bench to bench like a windup toy. “Why would you do something so stupid? Why would I do something so stupid? Damn it, we really are the most stubborn two people.”

I agree with the last part, but the rest? “Jordan, stop. Everything’s fine. We’re fine.”

“Fine?” He pauses and tosses his hands in the air. “Callie, you went on a bender. We stopped seeing each other because you were acting like a completely different person. You broke my fucking heart, and all I needed to do to prevent it from happening was tell you I wanted to be with you?”

A lot of information floods out in one furious rant. He looks lost inside, fighting with himself over something not his fault—out of his control—and the fact that he would ever blame himself destroys me. I fucked up. I hurt him. I’m the mess.

Without warning, he changes direction and runs straight into me. He grabs my face, and his mouth seeks mine like his life depends on the air I breathe. The kiss is mind-numbing and confounding, and the tighter he holds me against him, the more I need him to never let me go.

He pulls away, leaving me breathless, and cups my cheeks, resting his forehead on mine. “We’re going to start telling each other what we’re thinking. And I’m starting right now.”

The intensity in his gaze makes my head swim, and I worry he’ll say something he can’t take back. “Jordan…”

“Callie, I have to say it.” He takes a deep breath, a ghost of a smile forming. “I’m starving.”

Frustrating and … what was the word he used before?

Perfect.

Everything about him is frustrating and perfect.

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