Page 65 of Say You Remember Me
A life.
Responsibilities I never had to consider before.
And though she was strong—man, she was stronger than anyone I’d ever met—I could sense the fragility in her, too. She was tough, yes, but there was a softness, a delicate thread woven through her that I knew I couldn’t risk breaking.
And she deserved so much better than a fling or a meaningless night. She deserved the world.
I felt her fingers against my neck, threading into my hair, pulling me closer, and my resolve nearly crumbled all over again.
I wanted her so badly, wanted to let go and forget everything that made this complicated. The ache was almost unbearable.
But I knew I couldn’t.
Or rather, Ishouldn’t.
So instead of deepening the kiss further and taking her down the path I was so tempted to travel, I slowed the kiss. Letting the intensity between us simmer down to something sweet, something that I hoped told her what I couldn’t say aloud yet—that I cared about her, that I wanted to be more for her than I’d ever been for anyone else.
That I was so scared that I was going to screw everything up.
My thumb traced gentle circles along her waist, easing the both of us out of the whirlwind.
I forced myself to break the kiss, leaning my forehead against hers, my breathing still unsteady. For a moment, neither of us moved, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.
“Maddie,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. “You… That was…” But I couldn’t finish the thought since words couldn’t explain how I felt in that moment. So overwhelmed by the strength of the feelings I was having right then.
I didn’t think anyone had ever made me feel the way Maddie did.
But she seemed to understand what I was trying to say because she just looked up at me, her eyes soft and full of something that made my heart twist as she whispered, “I know…”
And I suddenly wanted to tell her everything. Tell her that she was changing me, that I didn’t want this to be just for show.
But I held back, afraid that if I went there now, I’d never be able to hold back again.
So I pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there, hoping she felt everything I wasn’t ready to say.
Because this wasn’t just a fake weekend fling. Not for me, at least.
Not anymore.
And that scared me more than anything.
22
MADDIE
I wokeup to sunlight streaming through the curtains of my hotel suite, the memory of Ian’s kiss from the night before blooming in my mind like the first rays of dawn. Turning onto my side, I clutched the pillow, a soft smile spreading across my lips as fragments of the night replayed in my mind.
The way his hands had held me, like I was something precious.
How his lips had moved with mine, stealing my breath with every kiss.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been kissed like that.
Like I was beautiful.
Like I was special.
Like I mattered.
