Page 41 of Stay
Feeling foolish, I give my head a little shake. “No, it’s fine.” I reemphasize, “I’mfine with this.” I don’t want him to think I’m some weird chick who constantly loses her shit.
We move at the same time, lifting the covers before settling on our respective sides. When we’re both settled, Cole snaps off the light on his bedside table, plunging the room into darkness. There’s a low hum of activity from the first floor, but for the most part, it has calmed considerably.
After a couple of minutes of holding myself perfectly rigid, I turn toward him. He does the same until we’re face-to-face. There’s about twelve inches of space separating us and I’m good with that. It feelssafe. Even though I’m tempted to run my fingers over the sharp angles and planes of his face, I don’t dare.
He remains still, not making a move toward me. Maybe it’s foolish to trust him so soon, but I can’t deny that I do.
I like Cole. I desperately want to believe he’s a good guy.
He makes me feel things I’ve never experienced before. Sometimes that scares me, tempting me to retreat, but it also excites me, which is confusing.
“What are you thinking about?” His hushes voice slides over me in the darkness like warmed honey.
I draw in a breath before gradually forcing it out again. “That I don’t want to make any more mistakes.”
“Do you think this is a mistake?” He doesn’t sound offended, just curious. As if he’s willing to prove that trusting him isn’t one.
Tension settles in my shoulders as I shrug. “I don’t know.” I hope not. “I screwed up last year. I don’t want to continue down that path.” I’m trying to be as truthful as I can without vomiting the whole sordid story.
“This isn’t a mistake.”
His confidence is a turn-on.
What I’ve discovered about Cole is that there is no end to his sexiness. It’s so much more than his good looks. He’s such a nice guy and so completely self-assured in who he is. It’s almost enough to make me believe, that whatever this is between us, can’t be misconstrued as anything other than right.
I want, almost desperately, to believe him.
To believeinhim.
I want that more than I’ve wanted anything in a long time. I suddenly crave the intimacy he’s making me believe I can have with him.
“You sound so sure,” I whisper.
“That’s because I am.” There’s a pause. “I’m going to touch your face, okay?”
I draw in a quick breath before nodding just once. In the darkness that has settled around us, it’s enough.
Almost as if in slow-motion, his hand rises before carefully stroking over my cheek. That’s all it takes for my eyelids to drift shut.
His touch feels so good.
Right.
The way he caresses my face sends a million shivers galloping across my skin.
“Cassidy.”
My eyelids flutter open before my gaze locks on his.
“If you can’t believe in you, then believe in me. Because Iamsure about this. You just have to trust me not to hurt you. Tonight I have the only girl I want in my bed and I’m not going to mess that up. I’m not going to rush you into something you’re not ready for. You’re the one in control here. It’s all up to you.”
A soft sigh escapes as his touch awakens so many dormant emotions within me. I’ve never had a guy say something like that to me. There are times when Cole seems almost too good to be true.
Our gazes stay locked as he inches closer. My breathing stays even as I enjoy the sensation of his fingers stealing over my flesh. When I don’t protest, he scoots just a fraction closer until I can feel his minty breath feathering across my lips.
My attention falls to the perfect bow-shaped curve of his mouth. Memories of what it felt like to have his lips sliding over mine flood through me.
Even in the darkness that swirls around us, it’s like he can read my mind.
