Page 69

She’d been quieter recently, working more, dodging my eyes when I tried to hold her gaze too long. Her body still curled into mine at night, though. We still fucked—but it’d changed, more intense, more tender, chasing something lost in the shadows, like we were craving a deeper connection for each other. But when the kisses ended, and the world went still, she disappeared somewhere I couldn’t follow.

Like I’d stolen the sun from her morning.

We couldn’t keep living like this. I missed her. I needed to break the ice.

I stepped behind her, pressing my palms on either side of her at the edge of the counter. I bent my head and kissed the nape of her neck.

“I know the other day you were upset. I was too. I made a horrible joke about breaking up. Then you followed it, mentioning divorce. It got out of hand more than it should have.”

“Yes, it did. I’m sorry, too. But Keaton, Melanie is on her way back to film soon. She’s going to want to see cracks in the surface, and create drama between us. I guess we don’t have to fabricate it.”

“But what if I don’t want us to end, Soph?” Her body melted back against me. My chest swelled with hope. “What if I want more out of this with you?”

“Can you be specific? What do you want, Keaton?”

“You.” I threaded my fingers through hers and turned her slowly to face me. “All I know is, the thought of a day without you in my life is like a day without oxygen. If you left me, I’d perish. You don’t want that.” I tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m betting that you feel the same way I do. Neither of us has admitted what’s really happening here.”

A fragile smile tugged at her lips. “Which is?”

“We’re in love.”

I let the words hang, waiting for her to prove I’m not crazy.

Her brown eyes were warm on me for the first time since Richard’s. “Is that what you think?”

“I’m man enough to call it what it is and not walk away. Love, Soph. That’s what this is. Now, are you going to boss-lady up and tell me I’m right?” I arched a brow with a cocky grin and challenged her to prove me wrong.

Her palms ran up my chest and circled my neck. “Okay. Let’s say this is love. What would be your next move, Mr. Kingston?”

Her phone buzzed in the living room. She tried to slip free, but I caught her wrist.

“Hey—my little stalker isn’t escaping that fast. What happened to my number one fan? Who couldn’t get enough of me?”

Her lips curled, and those pretty eyelashes fluttered at me. “She’s still here.”

“Then show me.” I closed the gap, one hand at her neck, my thumb at her racing pulse. In this possessive hold, I pressed my mouth to hers, needing her to be mine in every possible way. She heated up to me, our lips pleading without words.

The spark between us flared, alive and well, daring me to fight for it.

Her thigh lifted on mine, and my hands dipped under her sweatshirt, and yanked it overhead, exposing her bare breasts. I captured one pink peak in my mouth, palming the other.

“Mm. Keaton.” She gathered my Hops sweatshirt up my back, and soon that joined hers on the floor. I caressed a hand down her torso, inside her leggings, and parted her seam. Taking pleasure at her, ready, willing, already wet.

“Do you know how much you turn me on?” My voice was low and gravely.

“I think,” she panted as I strummed her clit, “you better show me again.”

I wasted no time. I tugged her leggings off, shed my pants, then lifted her so she could sink onto my hard shaft. In the middle of the kitchen, her gasp and my groan collided, jolting straight through my spine.

“I’m home inside of you, Soph.” Her hot, tight walls clenched around me like her body agreed, welcoming me.

I gripped her hips, standing there, setting a relentless pace, each stroke harder, deeper, the sound of skin on skin echoing off tile and cabinets. I shifted her over to the counter for leverageand it creaked with each thrust, her moans growing louder, messier.

“Keaton,” she whimpered, her knuckles white on the edge of the tile.

“Yeah, baby,” I rasped into her ear, curled over her, driving us both higher. “You love me? Then come for me.”

She answered with a muffled cry in my neck, her whole body trembling in my hold. I followed, burying my seed deep, every pulse of our release shaking loose the truth between us.