Page 85 of Class Act

He leaned down to press a kiss against my forehead. “Let me finish. I told you the other night that I’m not sure I’m ready to be in a relationship again.” I nodded, feeling his lips feather light against my skin. He put his hands on my outer arms and stood there, gathering his thoughts. “I’ve been scared for a long time.”

Of course he had. He may be a confident and gregarious man, but he also loved deeply, and I knew that. “I know you were hurt. I don’t blame you for not wanting to possibly be hurt again.”

“It’s hard to trust or to take that leap of faith again. Especially with kids involved. I’m the only parent they have, their only stability.”

His forehead remained resting against mine, and I lifted my hands to rest on his waist. I needed to touch him; I loved touching him.

“I’m not asking you for anything, only to know that you can trust me.”

Some of the strange tension left his body, and his shoulders shifted down even as his head lifted to see me better.

“You may not be asking me for anything, but there are important things that you make me want to give you, and they’re the biggest risk of all.”

I understood exactly what he meant. The heart was a much harder thing to hand over.

“In the interest of full disclosure, I can think of a few reasons that you should be wary of me,” I said.

His hands left my arms and landed on my hips, shifting underneath his jacket as it hung over my back. “Like what?”

“I’m pretty introverted, especially with strangers or in big groups. I might be too quiet for you,” I said.

“I like that about you.” His thumb coasted up to the bottom of my rib cage and back, raising goosebumps on my spine. “You’re peaceful.”

“I internet stalked you for months and made up stories about you in my head.”

He pulled back, keeping hold of my waist, to look me full in the face. “You did?” A grin lifted his mouth. “Tell me more about that.”

I shook my head and blushed. “Another time. For today all I’m going to say is that Fake Ford was pretty great, and you’ve managed to surpass him.”

“Oh my gosh, you are a schemer after all,” he laughed. “How flattering.”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he leaned down and kissed me, deep and slow, until heat gathered under the coat I was wearing. He kissed me like he’d been thirsting after me, and I bunched his shirt in my hands, leaning up, wanting closer contact. After a few more kisses, he pulled away again, his eyes tracing my face.

“What else do I need to know about you, Miss Thomas?”

“I wore that sparkly wrap dress to your birthday party and talked to all your friends I knew just to prove to you that you’d been wrong about me.”

His eyebrows rose. “Really?”

“I didn’t want to sit by you at Hillary’s dance recital. I was lying through my teeth.”

At this he laughed, and I could feel the vibrations against my hands. He moved his hands from my waist and tucked them against my lower back, pulling me in tighter.

“I knew it. Whenever those dimples appear I think ‘there’s no way I’m not being played right now,’” he said warmly.

I turned my head and pressed my cheek against his collarbone. “It terrifies me to say all these things, you know. You’re not the only one who’s vulnerable here.”

“Should I return the favor?” he asked. I nodded, urging him on without saying the words. “You scared me to death the first time I saw you. I already told you how badly I felt for accusing you of anything, but it was because I’d taken one look at you and something got knocked loose in my chest, something I didn’t think could ever move again.”

“Your heart?” I joked.

He lightly pinched my back, and my squeak turned into a giggle. “Yes, probably. Hillary was already head-over-heels for you, and it was an involuntary defense mechanism to push you away and make it count.”

“It was kind of mean.”

“It was a failure. After that, you were everywhere. And every time I saw you, I only wanted to see you more. I should know better than to fight with myself. I always lose.”

I leaned up and pressed my lips against his throat, feeling his pulse there and the way his hands tightened on my back. “It was the same for me. Only I was busy beating myself up for ever having daydreamed about you. I was so humiliated by my behavior and how I was practically already half in love with you . . .” I hurried to cut off my words, but his sudden stillness told me he’d heard my confession.

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