Page 11 of Prudence (Balfe Family #1)

“It has,” I agreed, still gazing down at her.

“Thank you for the invite.”

“It was Nuala’s suggestion,” I answered, and her face fell a little. “But I hoped you’d come,” I was quick to add. “To be honest, me and the lads were supposed to stay at Aidan’s tonight, but I couldn’t keep away knowing you were here.”

“Oh,” she breathed as I levelled a hand above her head against the wall. “Can I tell you a secret?” she went on, whispering.

“Sure.”

“I was hoping you’d turn up. I’ve missed you.”

Her words had my pulse spiking. “You know you don’t ever have to miss me, right? All you have to do is call, and I’ll be there.”

She peered up at me, her eyes wide and almost disbelieving. “Really?”

Unable to resist, I sank my other hand into her hair. It was still a little wet after the pool, and I noticed a tremble shudder through her at my touch. This was it. My chance to finally taste her like I’d been imagining for what seemed like forever.

“Yes, really,” I whispered in response before I lowered my mouth to hers.

Milly hitched a surprised breath when our lips touched, and I kissed her very softly at first. She seemed to flounder for a moment, but then her hands came to my shoulders, and she kissed me back, a small, pleasured noise escaping her that had me lifting her up.

My hands went to her thighs as I encouraged her to lock them around my waist. My breathing was ragged as I sank my tongue past her lips, her drugging taste seeping into my bloodstream.

My erection pressed against her stomach, and a vibration rumbled through me when she wound her arms around my neck, tugging me closer.

I deepened the kiss, my tongue taking on a mind of its own as it skated along hers.

She was shy in the way she kissed, but I encouraged her to open up, so full of need I almost lost control.

I held her against the wall as I finally broke the kiss and dropped my mouth to her neck, pressing my lips to her soft skin.

Fuck, I was already addicted.

The kiss was better than any I’d had before. I was pretty sure I never wanted to do this with anyone but her ever again.

My fingers slipped under the hem of her top, meeting the bare flesh of her hip before I heard footsteps approach.

Footsteps that were suddenly dangerously close to the closet door.

I had just enough time to break away and set Milly back on her feet before the door swung open, and Aidan declared, “Found you!”

Milly stared at the floor, clearly mortified, when my friend glanced between the two of us and sighed. “Not you two as well. Is everyone using this game as an excuse to hook up?”

“What are you talking about?” I questioned grouchily, annoyed that the most blissful few moments of my life had been cut short by Aidan bloody Finnegan.

“Rhys and your cousin. I found them hiding behind the couch in the den smooching away.”

So, it was happening. My best friend and my cousin. If I weren’t so worried about Rhys getting his heart broken, I’d almost be proud of him. He must’ve really liked Charli because I’d never seen him take a chance on a girl like that before.

Aidan left to go search for the others, and I turned back to Milly, who was in the process of fixing the hem of her top that I’d so eagerly shoved up.

“So,” I said, my heart going haywire just looking at her. She was so beautiful I could hardly stand it.

“So,” she repeated, flushing as she lifted her eyes to mine.

A short beat of silence fell before I blurted, “Want to be my girlfriend?”

Milly’s eyelids fluttered, her pretty mouth forming a surprised ‘O’ as she gazed up at me. The question seemed to bring her pleasure before something else crept in, something that looked oddly like guilt. What the hell?

“I can’t,” she said at last, and like a pin sticking in a balloon, everything within me deflated.

I stepped closer to her. “Why not? Are you already seeing someone?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, my goodness, no, of course not. I never would’ve kissed you if I already had a boyfriend, Derek.”

“Then why?” I pushed, hating feeling so pathetic, but I had to know. Milly hadn’t kissed me reluctantly. She might’ve been a little shy at first, perhaps taken off guard, but once she got into it, she’d enjoyed kissing me as much I’d enjoyed kissing her.

Her gaze lowered. “It’s complicated.”

I lifted a hand and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, needing to touch her in whatever small way she might allow. “Try me.”

She sucked in a sharp breath then let it out, lifting her eyes to mine again.

“I like you, Derek. I mean, I really like you. But I just …” She faltered, as though searching for the right words.

“I have too much going on in my life. School starts back up in a couple weeks, and I’m literally not going to have time for anything other than studying if I want to get enough points for medicine.

Plus, you’ll be heading off to college soon. ”

“I’m going to DCU. It’s a twenty-minute commute. It’s not like I’ll be moving across the country.”

“Right, but you’ll be busy, too. We won’t have time for each other.”

“Why don’t we cross that hurdle when we come to it?” I suggested, but she was already shaking her head.

“I’m sorry. I can’t. I’ve worked too hard, and I can’t let anything jeopardise my goal.”

There was something odd in her expression, something that made me feel like there was more to this, more to her reasoning she wasn’t willing to say.

But then she levelled me with a pleading look, and I couldn’t bring myself to push the matter.

The idea of being my girlfriend was obviously stressing her out in a big way, and I didn’t want to upset her.

I mean, I didn’t agree that us being together would distract her from her goal of getting enough points for medicine.

If anything, I’d go out of my way to ensure she got into the college course she was aiming for.

I’d drive her places, buy her books, help her research and study, give her orgasms to relieve her stress.

But I could tell by her expression that I wasn’t going to convince her of how right we were for each other, how amazing we could be. Not tonight, at least.

That didn’t mean I didn’t have every intention of changing her mind.

“Friends, then?” I asked, and the relief in her eyes told me it was the right thing to say.

“Friends,” Milly agreed.

I threw my arm around her shoulders. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”