Page 36 of Healing You
Putting his hands gently to her shoulders, he took a step back, moving himself to arm's length distance. “But when I got here, I saw that you already had a 'friend' to help you through this time. And I thought maybe my showing up was a little inappropriate.” He stared at her pointedly, waiting for her explanation. Not that she owed him one, but if she was back with Jonah, he had a right to know. Especially with how her hands kept sliding up his body like that. With how she wet her lips and looked up at him with a slick pout, and glossy eyes.
“Jonah's not a friend,” she said and Steve felt his muscles seize beneath her touch. Could feel his soul turning to concrete.
“If he's not a friend, then that means he's your—”
“My nothing,” she said. “He's now an acquaintance. One who happened to be in the neighborhood when I was trying to walk Gatsby. When Gatsby decided he couldn't go another step, Jonah helped me carry him home. That was all.”
“He's your nothing,” Steve repeated.
“My nothing. An ex... that's all.”
Steve inhaled a sharp breath at that, closing his eyes. “Is that all I am, too?” The question slipped out. If he'd been looking her in the eyes, he may have had the sense to stop it.
“No. Not anymore.”
He opened his eyes, meeting hers. “And yet, you said yourself that you have enough friends.”
“I did say that, didn't I?”
He made a noise that resembled a growl and bit down on his top lip to keep himself from crashing them down on hers. “Where the hell does that leave us then, Eve?”
She swallowed and he watched the delicate line of her throat as it went down. She was nervous, it seemed. But hell, so was he. “I'd say,” she whispered, “that it leaves us right about here.” Pushing even closer into his body, she tilted her head up until her nose was nearly level with his.
She brushed her nose against his cheek as she tilted her head, looking up at him with an expression that could only be described as sultry. “You should really consider stepping back. Unless...”
But instead of stepping back, she dragged her hand up his neck, cupping his jaw. Her thumb stroked his bottom lip as her mouth grazed his ear, her warm breath sending a shiver down his body. “Unless?”
He bit the tip of her thumb and she gave a little whimper as his teeth hit her skin. Before she could draw it back, he ran his tongue along the side to her knuckle before she slowly withdrew it from his lips.
Her hair fell in pieces around her face and Steve pinched a section, running his fingers through the silky strands. “You make the decision,” he said. She stared at his mouth, her tongue darting across her lips in a nervous lick, and his hands itched to skim across her hotter than hell curves. She didn't say a word, but her lips lifted into a seductive smile. “You didn't want to be pushed into anything,” he reminded her, “and I want to make sure that what I think you want right now is really what you're—”
Before he could finish what he was saying, she had pushed onto her toes, pressing her mouth against his. He gripped her waist, pulling her tighter against his body, and his groan escaped from between their lips as her tongue pierced into his mouth.
Yvonne gave a pleasure-filled gasp as she scraped her fingers behind his neck, holding him against her mouth. As if he were going to fucking pull away. As if she needed to hold him there.
Even in the haze of her lips on his, her body pressed against his—he knew. He wanted to stay. For as long as she'd have him.
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but that kiss? It was as good as she'd remembered it to be, with a bit more of a refined approach these Y vonne would swear in a confession booth that she had no idea how she ended up with her lips on Steve's. But God, did it feel right. Good and right. Her hands slid around his shoulders, clutching his tensed biceps. So much had changed since they were teenagers— days.
He lifted her effortlessly in his arms, her body soft and pliable against his chest. With tensed muscles, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the nearest tabletop a few feet away.
He went still and Yvonne whimpered as he pulled his lips from hers, dropping his forehead to the crook of her neck. “What's wrong?” she asked, the words coming out as a breathless pant.
“I need to know that you forgive me, Eve. I-I don't think I can do this if you haven't...” He lifted his head, capturing her gaze like she was a prisoner, unable to break free.
Her kitchen was suddenly far too hot. The open window with its slight breeze did nothing to cool her flushed skin. She had promised herself long ago to never make herself vulnerable to this man again. Never show the wounds because all he would do was pour salt on them. And yet—even though salt was painful as hell, it was also healing. Pain was healing. His eyes glittered with unshed tears and he didn't move. They were each barely breathing. If the last three weeks were any indication, he had changed. He'd proven that as best he could to her—he was caring, kind, thoughtful, responsible...
But there, itching at the base of her stomach was the doubt. And guilt. Always present. Yeah, Steve had walked away from her and she deserved an apology for that. But her part in the accident still gnawed at her. That guilt and doubt she would always feel with Steve bubbled up, ready to explode out of her at any moment. Could they ever both get past that?
Steve sighed, his eyes fluttering closed, and he pulled back from her. A cracking ache split in her chest and before he could move too far away, she stopped him, cupping his face with her palms and pulling him into her.
His bright blue gaze jerked back to hers, hopeful. “I forgive you,” she whispered. “But I can't promise that I entirely trust you yet. But I should apologize to you, too—”
He shook his head. “We've been over this, already. We don't have to discuss the lett—”
“The hell we don't. We both know why you walked away from me.” She tried to swallow, but her throat felt swollen as his gaze softened. He blamed her for the accident. Deep down, he must. It was the only explanation that made sense why both he and his sister had done their best to avoid her since the accident.
