Page 107 of Plus Size Player

He stepped back. “I don’t have beef with you. I have a lot of stuff to do before my flight. So, if you’ll excuse me.”

I was being dismissed.

I exhaled. “Wow.”

Embarrassment, hurt, and shock made my chest feel like it was caving in. My eyes stung unexpectedly, and I wanted to cuss him out for making me feel emotional.

I took a step back. “I didn’t realize that when you walked out of my place, you decided you couldn’t speak to me or look at me or even be in the same room with me anymore. But I get it. You don’t have to worry about it happening again. Fuck this.”

I turned on my heel and stormed to the door. As soon as my hand touched the handle and pulled it open, Russ grabbed my arm. Spinning me around, he pushed my back against the door, causing it to slam shut.

Breathing heavily, we stared at one another. Seconds ticked by and I got lost—lost in his eyes, lost in my desire, lost in the moment. With both hands flat against the wood, his arms caged my head between them. I was trapped.

My breath was coming in shallow bursts and my heart was racing. His lips parted and his gaze dipped to mine. His tongue ran from one corner of his mouth to the other. I didn’t know if he was going to kiss me, cuss me out, or kick me out. That uncertainty made me putty in his hands.

“Fuck me?” he asked in a raspy whisper.

“I said fuckthis,” I clarified.

“You’re the one with the boyfriend, but you’re saying fuck me?”

“I don’t have—”

“Just tell me it’s not that muthafucka that I’m paying to watch push up on you.”

“No!” My voice came out as an anxious burst of air. “You have this all wrong.” I searched his eyes and the longer I stared into them, the more out of sorts I felt. “I don’t have a boyfriend now. I didn’t have a boyfriend then. I haven’t had a boyfriend since high school. I brought a date with me to the ball and ended things with him before I even ran into you,” I explained to him in a rush. “And there’s nothing between me and Jonah.”

He didn’t say anything.

With every inhale, he sucked my breath from me. His presence pressed me against the door. His energy made my stomach flutter. His eyes bore into me.

My heart constricted.

“Is that why you’ve been keeping your distance from me?” I murmured.

His face twitched and his lips parted.

“Nina…” One of his hands left the door and relocated to the middle of my chest. “You really think that’s the reason I keep my distance?”

I sucked in a sharp breath. The heat from his hand seared through the material of the shirt and scorched my skin.

I swallowed hard. “If that’s not it, why?”

Sliding his hand up my chest, he wrapped his fingers around my neck. “Because every time I see you, I want to touch you.” His hand tightened around my throat. “If I look at you, I’m always looking over my shoulder to make sure no one caught me staring.If I’m around you, all I want to do is put my hands all over you.” He brought his forehead to mine. “When I’m in the same space as you, all I want is this…”

His lips crashed into mine and my entire body instantly caught on fire. When his tongue grazed mine, my knees went weak. As he deepened the kiss, my nipples hardened, my panties were soaked, and the desire that curled in my belly felt like I would instantly combust.

“Mmmm…” I moaned as I grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. Feeling his erection pressed against me made me dizzy with want as I moaned into his mouth for a second time.

Breaking the kiss abruptly, he dropped his hand from my neck and stepped back.

I could still feel his fingertips on my skin. I could still taste his kiss on my lips.

“This is why,” he uttered, adjusting himself and backing away from me. “I can’t be close to you. I can’t look at you. I can’t be alone in a room with you. I just…” He shook his head, taking another step back.

“Russ,” I whispered, stepping away from the door.

Even though he was about six feet away from me, when I moved forward, he moved back.

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