Page 49 of Let You Love Me

When was the last time I felt this carefree?

“Thanks for tonight. You’re . . .” I shake my head, at a loss for words.

“Sexy? Charming? Irresistible?”

I roll my eyes, and I’m rewarded with a peek of his dimples. For a minute I forgot what flirting feels like.

“I was gonna say easy to be around, but whatever makes you happy.”

He scrunches his nose. “Not exactly sexy, but I’ll take it.”

“It’s a compliment. Trust me. You’re surprising, Teagan Nichols, in the best of ways.” He bites his lip, drawing my gaze and making it hard to focus. “And, I’m, uh, sorry about Chance.”

I tear my gaze from his mouth to see him staring at me. “Yeah,” he says softly. “He’s kind of a”—he steps forward to whisper in my ear so Sophie can’t hear—“dick.”

Heat washes over me, flushing my skin, before his words register and I take a step back, surprised. I’m so used to everyone worshipping Chance that the notion someone might not like him has never crossed my mind.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“I'm tired. Can we go?” Sophie’s soft voice fills my ear, and her eyes droop sleepily.

“Sure.” I lean down and buckle her in before I brush my thumb over the side of her face, whispering, “Just one more minute.”

I straighten and close the door, leaving it cracked for some air.

When I turn back to Teagan, he scratches the back of his head and chuckles under his breath.

“What?” I ask, realizing I’m dragging this goodbye out. I should be gone already, headed home to put Sophie to bed. She’s half asleep as it is.

“Nothing. It’s just . . .” His lips quirk. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a girlfriend.” He shrugs. “I don’t know how to end anight out like this. I know exactly how Iwantit to end, but it’s not a date, so I’m at a loss here. . .”

“You do?” I swallow. I imagine he’d kiss me if I let him, if Sophie weren’t here.

The thought sends a flurry of butterflies floating through my stomach.

He nods, his gaze dropping to my mouth. “I do.”

He takes a step closer before softly cursing and glancing in Sophie’s direction. I follow his gaze only to find she’s fallen asleep.

Teagan advances once more and I shuffle back, heart hammering in my chest.

Another step, and my back hits the side of the car as he leans into me, placing his arms on either side of my head, pinning me in place.

The soft rumble of his voice finds my ear. “If this were a date, I woulddefinitelybe kissing you right now.”

I suck in a breath as he leans back far enough for me to meet his eyes, but my gaze homes in on his mouth instead.

Desire claws in my chest, a shocking sensation after four years of lying dormant.

I wonder what it would be like to kiss him. How soft his lips are. How his curls would feel between my fingers and whether he tastes as good as he smells.

What the hell am I doing?

I shift my eyes to his, only to find him searching for a green light I know I can’t give. The small aqua flecks leave me stoned as I struggle to find my voice. “Friends definitely don’t kiss,” I say.

He exhales, tilting his head to the side, regret evident in those jewel-flecked orbs. “No, they don’t, do they?”

I inhale, filling my lungs for the first time in what feels like minutes. Any moment, I expect him to retreat, but instead, hedrops his arms around me, wrapping me in his warm embrace and smothering me in his citrus-cinnamon scent.