Page 62 of Cloudless
I can’t kiss her.
Four.
Damn it. I can’t kiss her.
“Kam?”
I close my eyes and take one more deep breath to prepare for coming face to face with my greatest temptation.
The reflection of the streetlamps in the parking lot shine brightly in her eyes as she searches my face. “Are you okay?”
The level of pain in my voice is surprising as I grit my teeth. “No. I’m not okay.”
Her eyes flash with concern as she takes a step toward me. “What’s wrong? What can I do to help?”
I take a step away from her to maintain the distance I have no choice but to put between us. “I need you to go back inside.”
Her concern is replaced by hurt that I immediately regret putting there. Her voice is small and timid in the abandoned parking lot. “Why?”
I hope she can see the desperation on my face as I beg her with my eyes to listen to me. “I’m just feeling a bit off. It’s nothing you need to worry about.”
Her eyes narrow. “I saw the outline of your wallet in your pants, Kam. I know you didn’t forget it in your car.” Her eyes and voice soften. “Be honest with me.”
I spread my arms out to my sides with my palms up as I lay myself bare before her. “Because I’m not strong enough to stay away from you when you have my name written on your back. I’m just not.” My voice falls to a whisper as realization andsomething that looks suspiciously like relief dawns in her eyes. “I’m just not strong enough.”
A fire erupts in her eyes as she takes a defiant step toward me. “Maybe you don’t have to be.”
I nearly groan with the sudden rush of hope that I can’t allow to take root in my chest. I shake my head as I take a retreating step away from her. “Don’t tease me, Sunshine. My heart can’t take it.”
The fire in her eyes morphs into a raging storm as she closes the distance between us. I clench my hands at my sides to keep myself from reaching for her. “I’m not teasing, Trouble.”
I stand like a statue, ready to cut my hopes down by the roots, if necessary. “I need you to say what you mean.”
A small smile pulls at her lips as she skims her fingers down my arm and intertwines our fingers with a steady hand. “I want you, Kam.” Her smile grows as my heart warms in my chest. “As more than friends.” Her eyes turn mischievous as her smile turns into a grin. “Did you start a fight for me tonight, Trouble?”
My heart races with the memory of the satisfying crush of Colt’s nose. “No.” Her eyes flash with confusion and a hint of disappointment before I continue. “But I orchestrated one.”
The disappointment lifts from her eyes like a storm cloud being burned away by the sun. “Why did you do that?”
My grip tightens on her hand as flashes of the redness around her wrist fly through my mind. “Because no one gets to lay a hand on you and not answer for it.” I let out a shaky breath as I use our joined hands to close the last few inches between us. “If you don’t want me to kiss you, I need you to walk away, Lila. My restraint is on its last leg.”
Her cloudless eyes roam over my face. “Then kiss me already.”
I let out a groan of relief as my lipsfinallyconnect with hers. Her mango scent becomes a part of my soul as I breathe her in.
Relief flows through me with such intensity my fingertips tingle as I grasp the sides of her face with a gentleness I’m not sure how I possess.
The softness of her lips molding to mine feels like coming home as I pour weeks of built up frustration into one kiss.
With every sharp intake of breath I feel her take, bricks from my walls crumble to the ground to lay at her feet. Like an offering to a goddess, the crumbled stones piece together to offer shelter for her heart that I hope to one day possess.
Our lips move in a long overdue dance as I wind my arm around her waist. Her front molds to my chest like she was made just for me.
I pull away from her lips and glide my fingers through her hair as I search her eyes for any sign of regret. I let out a relieved breath when I don’t find any.
A smirk forms on my face as I grasp the end of the silky ribbon in her hair and pull until the tension releases. Her hair falls freely around her face as I tuck the ribbon in my pocket. “This is my new good luck charm.”
Her eyebrows crinkle with confusion as she watches the ribbon disappear into my pocket. “You can’t just take my ribbon.”
