Page 59 of Fall Hard

“I already caved,” I admitted and she snorted before hesitantly walking over to peer at Ky.

I bit my lip against the laugh that wanted to bubble out. I’d never seen her look so unsure of herself.

“Can I touch her?”

“Sure, but she’s a little shy.”

Jamie stroked a hand over Ky’s dark head and her eyes flew wide. “She’s sosoft.”

“Yep,” I said smugly. Jamie wasn’t going to have a problem with her, so that meant… “She’s mine.”

“What’s her name?”

“Ky,” I said, tickling under her chin and beaming when she tilted her head back for more.

“Pretty,” Jamie murmured and then balked when I lifted the kitten up and handed her over. “What are you—”

“I need to talk to Bryn, and someone needs to watch her.”

Jamie glanced back down at Ky and a small smile appeared on her face. “Okay, fine.”

I took Bryn’s hand in mine and tugged her into my room. She looked bemused when I shut the door and then stepped in front of it.

“Are you avoiding me?”

She sucked in a breath. “I’ve just been busy sorting things out with my new place. Why would I avoid you?”

“Because we kissed, and it meant something to me, but then you ran off and haven’t spoken to me since.” The words fell out of my mouth so fast they practically blurred together and Bryn’s mouth dropped open.

“You said we should slow down—”

“I’d had kind of a crazy day! I meant that maybe we could just go to bed and pick things up tomorrow, not that I never wanted you to touch me again.”

Bryn folded her arms across her chest as she watched me, a smirk curling her mouth. “Youdidlike it.”

I shook my head and disappointment filled her expression until I strode forward and cupped her face in my hands. “You’re an idiot,” I said, and kissed her.

She gasped against my mouth and her back hit my closet as her body molded to mine. I tugged on her lip with my teeth and smiled wickedly at the way she groaned.

“Wait, wait,” she said and I pulled back, searching her face for any signs of regret and instead found only surprise. “What isthat?”

Her eyes had found the painting I’d shown to Kit and I picked it up and handed it to her carefully, trying not to let my sweaty hands touch it too much. “I know you were upset about your photo being ruined, so I recreated it as best I could.”

“This is for me?” she said wonderingly as she looked over the photo of her and Kit as lanky teenagers, smiling as they ate ice cream. “Youmade it?”

“Yep,” I said proudly. “I mean, Kit helped a little but… Not too bad, right?”

Her eyes were wide as she looked at me. “Why?”

I shrugged. “Thought it would make you happy.”

She set it down on the desk again almost reverently, and this time it was her who kissed me.

My breath caught in my chest at the first touch of her mouth and then it felt like everything was a rush—to get closer, to touch and taste more until we were both breathless.

“Do you want me to slow down?” I mumbled between kisses and Bryn laughed as she reached forward and cupped my breast through my top.

“Slow down? I feel like I’ve been waiting forever.”

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