Page 3 of Crazy Love

I turn to face her, my hands going to either side of her face, as I dip down, eyes level with hers. “Tell me what I have to do,” I say huskily.

She bites her lower lip to keep from laughing and I struggle to keep from laughing myself, but this close to her, barely a breath between us…it’s intoxicating.

“Give me a new memory,” she whispers.

The air between us is charged. I feel her warmth, her breath mingling with mine, the faintest scent of her perfume. She isn’t just beautiful, she’s magnetic—a force pulling me in until the distance becomes unbearable.

There’s nothing left to do but close the distance between us. It’s aneed.

My thumb trails the curve of her jaw and her eyes are steady and unflinching, like she can see straight into the part of me I don’t show anyone.

And just like that, I give in.

When our lips meet, it isn’t fireworks—it’s a detonation. A deep, bone-shaking, soul-rattling detonation that shatters me into pieces and rebuilds me in the same instant. Her lips are so soft, but the kiss isn’t. It’s raw, consuming. It’s a thousand unspoken words all pouring out at once.

Time stops. The noise in the bar falls away. There’s no past, no future, only this moment with her.

She kisses me back with the same abandon I feel. It’s intense, the way we crash into each other with everything in us.

When we finally break apart, my forehead rests against hers, both of us breathing hard.

“That was…the best thing I’ve ever felt,” I say.

“Yeah,” she says breathlessly.

Just then, an annoying sound erupts from my phone. Dammit. My alarm. I’d forgotten I’d even set it, but it’s a good thing or I think I would’ve remained in this stunned stupor for a while.

“I can’t believe this. I’ve gotta go. The rehearsal dinner. Come with me? My friends won’t mind.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Oh, no. I couldn’t.”

“Really, it’ll be okay.” My face falls when she shakes her head. “Okay, meet me afterward? Right here? I’ll be back by nine.”

She lifts her chin, eyes dancing with amusement. “You sure you can pull that off?”

I smile. “I’m determined.”

She studies me for a second before nodding. “Okay, I’ll be here.”

The second I walk in, I spot her. I’m conflicted about leaving Bowie’s rehearsal dinner until I see Addy sitting at a high-top table in a dark corner, twisting the stem of her martini glass between her fingers. She’s the kind of girl who owns the room without even trying.

I walk over, slipping onto the stool next to her. “Told you I’d be here, beautiful.”

She doesn’t look at me right away, just takes a slow sip of her drink. “Right on time too.”

“You thought I wouldn’t show?”

She tilts her head toward me, her lips curving up. “I considered it.”

“You wound me.”

“Do I?” she asks, playfully.

“Deeply.” I place a hand over my heart and lean in. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

I never ask women this because that’s a minefield waiting to explode, but I genuinely want to know with her.

Her eyes narrow.

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