Page 55 of A Place Like You

“In theory, he’s my nephew,” I mumble. “My sister died soon after he was born. She was involved with the wrong people. When I brought her here, I also dragged in undesirable company. Finn took care of the trash, but I couldn’t save her.”

I close my eyes briefly, still feeling the weight of the loss. My sister’s memory lingers, and I miss her dearly.

“All the attention that you give me scares me. A part of me is waiting for the switch to flick and for you to . . .” I shrug, unable to articulate my fear completely.

He scrubs his face, and I see a ghostly smile illuminating it.

“What’s funny?”

“I mean, nothing of what you say is funny. It’s tragic and painful, and I want to beat the shit out of every man who hurt you,” he states with a mixture of protectiveness and anger. “I just thought that maybe I’m too defective to have a real relationship.”

“I mean, you’re not perfect, Drake Kershaw. You’re arrogant and bossy, but also kind and gentlemanly, and I don’t think I have all night to tell you how amazing you are even when sometimes you drive me crazy.”

“So you like me?” he probes, his arrogance surfacing.

“See, there’s the arrogance right there,” I quip, trying to lighten the mood.

He grins in response, extending his hand. I walk toward him willingly, drawn to his presence. He takes me into his arms, and our mouths meet once again. This time, I allow it to happen.

His embrace is secure, holding me close. His scent, a mix of sandalwood, musk, and spices, envelops me, and I feel the warmth radiating from his skin.

Electricity courses between us as our lips move together, exploring every inch of one another. There’s no fear, no hesitation. All that exists is our mutual desire, which grows as we explore each other.

He holds me as if I’m the most precious thing in the world, and I respond in kind, wrapping my arms around his neck, my fingers playing in his hair. My body trembles with pleasure, the warmth spreading through me almost too much to bear.

The kiss deepens, and I feel his tongue caressing mine. I respond with equal fervor, our tongues intertwining as one. Our breathing becomes labored, and our hearts beat faster and faster.

Finally, he pulls away, his eyes mirroring the wonder I felt when we first met. He smiles at me, his eyes twinkling, and I smile back.

I find myself looking into his eyes, realizing how much I love him. I smile, feeling a warm glow spreading through me.

“I mean it,” I whisper. “You’re amazing, Drake, but you also scare me.”

He grins, pressing his forehead against mine. “You’re pretty amazing yourself,” he murmurs, kissing the tip of my nose. “Frightening, and you make me feel all kinds of emotions that are foreign to me. However, I want to take the leap. Jump with me.”

Can I take a leap with him?

We stand there, gazing into each other’s eyes, both of us lost in this perfect moment.

But the question remains there. Am I brave enough?

Chapter Thirty

Drake

Wren’s gaze darts away as she fidgets, rubbing her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger. I resist the urge to stop her nervous gesture with a kiss, instead I ask gently, “So, where do we go from here?”

She gives a half-hearted shrug. “I’m not sure. I want this to work out for the three of us, but . . .” She drags her teeth over her swollen lip, brow furrowing. “There’s just so much uncertainty.”

Reaching out, I lift her chin until our eyes meet. “When this is over, I don’t care about reclaiming my old life. I just want to keep being with you and Milo, however and wherever that is.”

Wren sighs heavily, eyelids fluttering closed. My chest squeezes with apprehension. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“What if you leave?” she mumbles.

Before I can say anything, Wren opens her eyes but immediately glances away. “Before I left the house, Regina told me . . .” She pauses, fiddling with the hem of her sweater. “That I need to work on my abandonment issues. I’m so scared of people leaving that I push them away first.”

I understand it, but instead of pushing people away, I just never let anyone into my life. We’re no different from each other until she came into my life. From the beginning, I not only let the door open for her but fought my way into her inner circle. What she needs from me is to know that I won’t let her do to me what she’s been doing to everyone else.

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