Page 41 of Handsome
“You have a library?”
We walked back into the main room and stayed quiet to let the baby sleep uninterrupted. Then he walked me to a small room and opened the door.
His closeness peppered my skin with zaps of energy. I tried to avoid his gaze as he said, “Most of the options are digital now, so I can give you a reader, but we also have some regular books.”
I walked along, touching the book spines because I wasn’t sure what else to do. Then he straightened and said, “I… I’ll leave you alone.”
Fuck. The gleam in his eyes might be pain. I reached for his arm. Sparks raced through me as I asked, “What's wrong? Are you upset?”
He then looked down at me and asked, “How can you pretend nothing happened last night?”
My pulse pounded. He had no idea. I reached for my pendant—I forgot it! And wished with all my heart that I’d worn it while I said, “How can I… I can’t. I’m not thinking about anything but.”
He edged closer, and goose bumps flooded my skin when he said, “It doesn’t seem that way.”
My legs were like spaghetti, and I hoped he would understand what I meant when I said, “I can’t offer you more than just temporary.”
He put his hands on his hips and stared down at my lips when he shook his head and said, “I want the real thing.”
When he found out what I was really on the inside, he wouldn't say that.
But I couldn’t wait another second. Need blasted through me, so I pressed my lips to his.
He was all I’d ever want, and his kiss made me forget everything, including my good intentions.
20
Cyrus
My mind raced. This morning she pretended nothing had happened. Now she wanted a physical relationship.
Maybe I shouldn’t have followed her into the library. I might have been pushing too hard. So I backed up and opened the door.
She probably needed a minute, though she held me tighter in her embrace.
Leaving was harder every second.
Her special smell, the touch of her hands and lips, the feel of her skin, stormed my senses and made me hard as fuck.
But I refused to take what she hadn't offered willingly. So I held up my hand, creating distance from our last kiss, and said, “Come.”
Her eyes widened and seemed a bit teary-eyed when she asked, “We’re not?”
Heat rushed in my face and I squeezed her hand to reassure her as I said, “I want to make sure that you’re sure.”
She took a step to go with me.
Space was the only way to be sure, even though my hard-on still hurt a little.
We made it to the hall when she asked, “Where are we going?”
“To the solarium,sheereen-am,” I said as I walked her to a room below where we danced last night.
My skin prickled with nerves warring with desires while we walked down the small flight of stairs, and she said, “Okay, but remember, Joshua’s sleeping.”
Maybe that was the reason for her initial decision to not.
I’d have to understand and go take a cold shower if she said no, but I opened the door and said, “We’ll be close enough if he wakes up, and we have a 360-degree view of the ocean… and a couch.”
