Page 40 of Wrecked
I could have her right there on the counter in my kitchen. I could get lost in the warmth of her body and drive us both to the brink of ecstasy. But that wasn't what I wanted.
I didn't want to screw Kenzie, I wanted tomake loveto her.
Moving up her body again, I cupped her cheeks and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. With a sigh, I dropped my forehead to hers. "Sweetheart, don't go home to him tonight, stay with me."
Chapter 20
Reality reached out and wrapped its cold fingers around my throat before squeezing. A bucket of ice over the head would have been less sobering than Brett's words. I pulled his hands from my face and held them in mine.
"You have no idea how much I want to," The heat of his touch still lingered, and I desperately needed him to do something about the throbbing ache still pulsing through me. But it would be wrong to have Brett make love to me under these circumstances. I swallowed down the cactus-like lump and sucked in a breath. "I can't."
Brett's gaze snapped to mine and all the hurt and confusion I saw in them lacerated my heart. He snatched his hands out of my grasp and started pacing. "Am I missing something here?" I knew the anger in his voice came from a place of deep-rooted pain. "A moment ago you had no reservations. You seemed perfectly fine with me having my way with you."
A moment ago I was caught up in a lust-bubble where reality didn't exist. His gaze momentarily dropped to my chest, and I was reminded of my state of undress. I slid off the counter and picked up my shirt.
"I need to sort things out with Dean," I pulled the cotton over my head and dragged my fingers through my tangled tresses.
Brett planted his hands on his hips and glared at me. "Was this your plan all along?" When I just stared at him, his rant continued, "You come here, looking likethat—" his hand swept over my body before returning to his hip. "—let me touch you, taste you and then turn around and tell me I can never have you."
I felt my own anger start to simmer to a boil. "It's not like that, and you know it."
"Apparently I don't know shit anymore."
Instead of acting like the lady my mother had raised, I stomped over to him and shoved his chest, hard. "Damn you, Brett!" Another shove. "When I'm with you I don't want anything between us, especially not guilt." My brows pulled together, and my tone softened. "Dean is a good man, he doesn't deserve this."
I thought understanding would dawn, I was sorely mistaken. The anger I'd just seen reached a new height when he roared, "What about whatIdeserve?" His breaths came in quick spurts, almost as if he was gasping for air. I reached out for him, but the ice in his stare had my arms dropping to my sides.
"You need to leave," he finally gritted out. "Get in your car and go back to your perfect little life where there is no space for someone like me."
All the anger I felt was replaced with sadness. "You're not even listening to me." With a shake of my head, I turned around and headed for the door. I took five steps and then glanced over my shoulder at the man still seething, the man I so desperately loved. "You need to stop living in the past, Brett; the future is passing you by."
I straightened my spine and walked out of his cabin with my head held high. He made no move to stop me, not that I thought he would. It was only when I couldn't see Willow Creek in my rearview mirror anymore that I allowed the tears to roll down my cheeks.
Chapter 21
The sound of gravel crunching beneath tiresmight as well have been a punch to the gut or a knife to my heart. I raced to the door and was just in time to see Kenzie's Mazda kick up a cloud of dust as she sped away.
"Shit!" I yelled and as I headed back inside the curses didn't stop coming. What the hell was wrong with me? Stomping into the kitchen, I tried to replay the conversation we'd had mere moments ago but to be honest, I didn't remember much past,'Dean is a good man, he doesn't deserve this.'
I both envied and hated the bastard. Somewhere in my brain, it registered that neither Kenzie nor I was to blame for what happened between us all those years ago. That didn't stop the feeling of betrayal or pang of jealousy eating at my gut. Dean, the asshole, had Kenzie's loyalty and her love too.
I looked down at my hands; I could still feel the smoothness of her skin. The taste of her still lingered on my tongue, and her scent filled my lungs with every breath I took.
My discarded beer caught my eye, and I moved to grab it, only it was empty. The volcano of anger inside me finally erupted as I hurled the bottle across the room. The shattering sound of glass barely registered.
Fueled by anger and high on hurt, I marched into the living room. As usual, the butterflies on the bookcase mocked me. They had no right to the space they were taking up, in my home and my heart.
I crossed the room, and with one swipe of my arm, I sent the delicate sculptures flying through the air. What was left of me broke into pieces right alongside them. One question remained as I sank to the floor.
Why is it so easy for her to leave me behind?
I was nervous and excited, but mostly nervous. Except for that brief time in court, I hadn't seen Kenzie in months. I had been writing to her like a fiend, sometimes twice a day because we never knew which one of the letters actually made it out.
Although she had yet to respond to any of my mail, I received word from one of the guards that I would be getting a visitor. These days were the absolute worst for me. It was tough to see that even the most horrendous criminals had someone who came to see them, while I had no one.
I could still remember that very first day, the anticipation of seeing Kenzie again had excitement bursting from my pores. Instead of my girl showing up, it was Axil sitting there. He didn't even need to say the words, I'd already known it was the first and last time I was going to see him.
Apparently, his reputation meant more than our friendship did.
