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Skylar rolls her eyes, but I catch the hint of a smile. "Smooth talker."
"Only for you," I say, meaning it more than she'll ever know.
She leans in, and for a heart-stopping moment, I think she might kiss me. But she stops just short, her breath warm on my lips. "You know the rules, Theo."
I nod, even as my heart aches. "I know." I'd give anything to close that distance, to feel her lips on mine again after all these years. She let me that first time. I think it was the shock, honestly. Because she hasn’t even considered it since. No matter how desperately I want that connection with her. But I won't push. I can't risk losing what little of her I have.
Instead, I pull her closer, savoring the feel of her body against mine. These stolen moments are all I have, and I'll take whatever she's willing to give.
As I hold Skylar close, the familiar gnawing sensation in my gut intensifies. This isn't healthy, this desperate addiction to a woman who keeps me at arm's length. But how can I blame her? Our parents may have torn us apart, but I didn't exactly fight for us, did I? I accepted our fate, let the distance grow between us.
And, while I was building my world, Skylar’s was falling apart piece by piece. She lost her grandmother, the one person who truly cared for her, not as a trophy or a prop, but as a person. Then her mother. And just when it seemed like she didn’t have anything else to lose, her father remarried some gold-digging bitch who swept in and took everything. Suddenly, Skylar wentfrom a promising college student with a future to a broke, disinherited outsider, cast aside like she never mattered at all.
My pretty little Skylark was never meant to be caged, yet life has clipped her wings at every turn.
"What are you thinking about?" Skylar's voice breaks through my reverie.
I look down at her, drinking in every detail. The way she bites her lower lip, a habit I've noticed she does when she's concentrating. "Just...us," I admit softly.
She tenses slightly, but doesn't pull away. "Theo..."
"I know, I know," I say quickly. "No strings, no expectations. But can you blame a guy for reminiscing?"
Her laugh is brief but genuine, softening the edges of my world. "I suppose not. We did have some good times, didn't we?"
I nod, remembering stolen kisses and whispered promises. "The best."
She falls silent, her gaze darting away from mine. It's something I've noticed she does often, never lingering too long in anyone's gaze, as if afraid of what they might see.
"Hey," I say gently, tipping her chin up. "You okay?"
For a moment, I see a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes. But then it's gone. "I'm naked in bed with a billionaire tech genius. Why wouldn't I be okay?"
I can't help but laugh. "Well, when you put it like that..."
"You know," I start casually, "I think I heard a strange noise coming from your bathroom sink earlier. Want me to take a look?"
Skylar arches an eyebrow, her lips curving into a knowing smirk. "My sink is fine, Theo."
"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty handy with a wrench," I insist, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on her arm. "Or maybe your Wi-Fi needs an upgrade? I could boost your signal."
She laughs, the sound warming me from the inside out. "My Wi-Fi is perfect, as you well know. You set it up yourself last week, remember?"
I shrug, feigning innocence. "Just being thorough."
Skylar sits up, pulling the sheet around her. "You don't need excuses to be here, you know."
Her words should be reassuring, but I catch the hint of unease in her tone. Because it’s not the truth. I do need excuses. She only lets me in here for late-night trysts, and I want so, so much more.
I watch as she subtly puts more distance between us, her walls going up brick by brick.
"Don't I?" I ask softly, unable to keep the longing from my voice.
She looks away, that telltale lip bite making an appearance. "Theo, we talked about this. It's just—"
"Complicated," I finish for her. "I know."
I reach out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She flinches slightly, and it's like a dagger to my heart. But it only makes me want to push harder, to break through those defenses she's built so carefully.