Page 51 of Give In

Dropping a quick kiss to my lips, he turned and walked from the room, seemingly unfazed by the sudden change in direction our relationship had taken.

We were a dysfunctional pendulum—a wrecking ball swinging between bitter animosity and unrelenting desire.

Both had the power to hurt.

Only one would inevitably destroy me.

I sat in his bed for a moment, my fingers pressed to my lips. There was a lot for me to wrap my brain around, but in that moment of crushing exhaustion and weightless happiness, I just wanted to stay still a little longer and enjoy the rare moment of blissful quiet inside my head.

Pulling myself together, I headed to the bathroom. I was able to clean the morning funk from my mouth with the unopened toothbrush he’d left on the sink, but anything beyond that was a lost cause. I’d removed my makeup at the club the night before, but the stubborn residue remained. My high, messy bun was more mess than bun.

I hadn’t been an alert night owl before, nor was I a chipper early bird right then.

I was a perpetually exhausted raccoon.

After trudging down the stairs, I paused in the foyer and surreptitiously scoped out the bit of his living room I could see. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but it was... normal. Tidy, but not meticulous. There were books sitting out and a couple empty beer bottles on the coffee table. A large TV hung from the wall, a massive couch positioned in front of it.

Everything looked comfortable and lived-in, not showy or ostentatious. It was a home, not a crash pad. Although there was nothing that screamedwomanin the masculine space, I found myself wondering if he’d been married at one point.

There was a lot I didn’t know about him.

“You sure you don’t want to stay and rest?” he asked, coming around the corner.

I gave a self-conscious laugh. “Do I look that awful?”

“Never.” He handed me a travel mug before using his free hand to cup my cheek. “You’re always beautiful.” His eyes dropped to my mouth, and I thought he was going to kiss me.

And I thought I was going to let him.

Rather than add more tangles to the knot that was my life, I awkwardly launched my arm up between us, nearly burning myself when some of the coffee splattered from the small opening in the cup. I forgot it’d just been a ploy for distance when the seductively rich scent hit my nose.

He dropped his hand and backed away so as not to stand between me and my true love, coffee.

Smart man.

I took a hesitant sip before closing my eyes and giving a small hum. “How’d you know how I like my coffee? This is heavenly.”

“I’ve been in line when you’ve ordered at the shop on campus. It’s an incredibly fussy order.”

My eyes shot open, indignation making me snap, “It isnot. It just has to have the right amount of milk and sugar.”

“So I’ve heard.” His smile turned teasing as he threw my frequently used phrase back at me. “‘It has to be the perfect beige. Not too light, not too dark.’”

“It’s very scientific.” I couldn’t keep my expression serious and grinned up at him, conceding, “Okay, fine, it’s a little fussy.”

His gaze dropped to my mouth again. I barely had time to lower the cup when his hand came up to palm the back of my head and his lips covered mine. Hard and demanding, his kiss woke me more than the coffee could.

“Now I’m thinking we’ll both play hooky,” he murmured against my lips.

“We have to go,” I whispered back, though I was having trouble remembering why.

He stepped away and opened the door, gesturing out. “Then after you, Miss Wilder.”

The car ride was so enjoyable, I could almost forget he was the same man who’d been making me an anxious mess and a ticking temper-bomb. The sharp edge of danger still resonated off him, but I also got to see a different side of him. One that was sweet and playful.

One I liked.

But in the dark corners of my mind, locked away in an area I didn’t dare open, a thought began to form.

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