Page 75 of Far From Sherwood Forest

“Well,” I mutter as I release the air caught in my lungs, “you sure have a funny way of showing it. Goodbye, Henry.”

I turn my back on him, having every intention of leaving without another word because I know if I stay, I’ll go back to being even more pathetically desperate for him than I’ve already been.

But when he speaks, reversing our usual roles, I snap.

“Robin, wait.”

“No!” I spin back around too fast, and the world seems to tilt. But maybe the wave of dizziness is from the rush of blood, my heart racing so hard it’s throwing everything off balance. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to stop me from walking away from you when you’ve walked away from me time and time again.”

His expression falters, and an ache similar to mine tugs at the corners of his mouth.

“I don’t know why the fuck I even still try with you. But I’m done. I’m done trying, Henry. You’re nothing but walls and locked doors, and I’m tired of being trapped in that maze.”

He takes a step forward. Then another. He doesn’t try to interrupt me, just slowly stalks in my direction while I finally unleash months of irritation and disappointment.

“I wanted things to be different. I hoped so fucking badly that they could be. But I guess that’s what I get for thinking hope could actually be enough.”

I’m so overwhelmed by this storm churning in my chest that I barely register how close he’s getting.

“And if you think I have absolutely no reason to go back, then you don’t know me at all.”

He’s right in front of me now, but I don’t stop. The dam isbroken, and I’m full of cracks, everything spilling out.

“So Iamgoing because it’s the right fucking thing to do. But maybe I don’t have any reasons to ever come ba—”

Henry crashes his mouth to mine, and my words die on a last breath.

Whatever thoughts I was just having die too because the only thing consuming me now is this kiss, the touch of Henry’s lips on mine. I only realize now how deeply I’ve been craving it. Our mouths mold perfectly together as his lips press hard against mine.

His hands go to my waist, gripping me tight as he pushes me backward until my back hits the door. The moment my lips part on a gasp, his tongue dives inside my mouth, and the taste of him bursts on my tongue—a little minty with a hint of watermelon.

He tastes so fucking good.

He pulls back, giving me a chance to breathe. Of course, when I see the gorgeous fucking grin on his face, I find that air is in short supply.

“I guess I found another way to shut you up.”

“So don’t fucking stop.”

Placing both my hands on the sides of his face, I pull his mouth back to mine.

Our kiss is vicious, a brutal, breathless tangle of tongues, a desperate grazing of teeth. My hands slip lower, fingers trailing through the dark hair on his chest. A low sound escapes him at my touch—a half sigh, half growl, like distant thunder that rocks my bones. He pulls me deeper into the kiss, his mouth claiming, devouring, like he’s trying to drink something out of me. Hungry. Relentless. Beneath my palms, his skin is fire, his heartbeat a frantic drum.

When his hips grind against mine, I’m not at all surprised to feel that we’re both hard.

Fuckingaching.

Henry’s hands go to the front of my jeans, and he pops the button open. My hands follow his lead, going to the zipper of his own jeans, ready for us to fucking tear each other’s clothes off. Before I’m able to get that far, he stops what he’s doing and grabs both my wrists. Raising my hands above my head, he presses them against the door. I whine as he holds them there with one hand, his other returning to his previous task.

I’m already mourning the loss of his skin beneath my fingers.

“Henry, please,” I beg. “I want to touch you.”

Something almost pained flashes across his face as he gets my jeans open. “Not right now. This is just for you.”

I frown, but any hurt I feel vanishes the moment Henry wraps his big, warm hand around my hard cock. His lips return to mine, just as hot as his hand, burning me until Iwantto catch fire.

He continues holding my hands above my head as he strokes my length, his thumb occasionally swiping up the precum from my tip. I moan into his mouth and buck into his fist, the heat in my spine flaring. Our kiss goes on and on and on until I’m dizzy from stolen breaths and his rough grip.