Page 82 of Colton On Guard

“I know you’ve been through a lot,” he said. “And I’m aware you’re not looking for anything serious. But I kind of like having you around.”

She suppressed a smile. “Kind of? I’m touched.”

Clearly frustrated, he dragged his hand through his hair. “Damn it, Genna. I don’t want to scare you away.”

Not sure how to respond to that, she simply waited.

“Do you think you might want to extend this living together thing?” he asked, his casual voice at odds with the intensity in his gaze. “No pressure. Just hanging out with each other and seeing where this might go?”

Looking up at him from her wheelchair, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh or to cry. While she’d been fully prepared to tell him how she felt about him, now she’d begun to realize she might have been premature. Her heart ached and she could barely swallow past the lump in her throat, but she had toknow the truth. If he only wanted to continue the “friends with benefits” situation they had going, this would crush her. Because she wanted more.

And if he didn’t, it was definitely time to move on.

“Why?” she asked. “I need you to be honest with me.”

Instead of answering, he leaned over and kissed her. Not on the cheek this time, but full on the lips. As always, his kiss made her melt.

When he finally stopped, she could easily have dissolved into a puddle.

“Is that enough of a reason?” he asked, smiling slightly.

“No. We have great chemistry together, as you’re fully aware.” She smiled back, hating that she already felt as if her heart were breaking. Bracing herself, she continued. “But what if I want more?”

“Do you?” His expression sharpened, a warm glow making his eyes appear even more blue. “Want more? Because I do, too. I’ve been afraid to ask you, thinking I might scare you away.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m not afraid. Not of you. Never of you.”

Taking a deep breath, she decided the time had come to tell him the truth. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Parker Colton. Actually, I know I am. I love you.”

Keeping her gaze locked on his, she wished she could have taken a step forward. “There, I’ve said it. I love you.”

Heart pounding, she waited for him to respond.

He could have done several things. Walked away. Kissed her again. Or returned her declaration of love.

Instead, he only bowed his head and took several deep, shuddering breaths.

She sat frozen, unsure of what to say or what to do next. The urge to flee was strong, but since she couldn’t, she stiffened her spine and tried to brace herself for whatever Parker would say.No matter how much it might hurt, she refused to regret giving him her truth.

Finally, he raised his head. Were thosetearsshe saw shining in his amazing blue eyes? But then he smiled, his face so full of joy that her heart began to sing.

“I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you,” he said. “That night a year or so ago when we met in that bar. I kicked myself for losing your number. And then you moved back.”

Moving closer, he knelt down beside her chair and cupped her face with his hands. “And in the time since, working with you, living with you, I’ve gotten to know you. My feelings have only deepened.”

He kissed her, a slow and sensual movement of his lips over hers. Blissful, she let herself lean into the sensations—warmth, desire and love.

When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve been wanting to tell you how I felt for a long time. But I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear me, especially considering everything you were going through.”

“I might not have been,” she admitted. “It took me a while to see that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“The best thing?” he asked, one brow arched. “What about June Bug?”

As if on cue, the little dog barked in agreement.

They both laughed.

“We’re quite the little family now,” Genna mused.

“Yes we are,” he agreed.

And then he kissed her again.