Page 94 of That Fake Feeling

“Well, yes.ButIdid want to take your clothes off too.Andyou weren’t wearing many.Yourtop was sticking to these perfect breasts.”Ireach up and trace my finger around the outline of one, then the other. “And,Christ, you have great legs in shorts.Andout of them.”

Idrop a kiss on each knee.

Themoonlight and the flickering flames dance in her eyes.Eyesthat see me like no one else ever has.

Sheleans forward and plays with the flop of hair that always falls across my forehead.

“Yourhair has so many different colors.Theway the light from the fire catches it, it looks light brown, dark brown, blond, auburn.Yourwhiskers are the same too.”

Shelooks at me like an artist assessing a painting.Herfocus and concentration are such a turn-on.

Shestrokes down the side of my face, traces my cheekbone, and runs her finger around my mouth.Sucha tiny action, such a delicate touch, but the reaction it sparks inside me is the exact opposite.It’san all-consuming wave of desire and admiration that sets my heart pounding and my dick twitching.

“Yourlips,” she says as she strokes them. “They’reall pink and warm and soft.”

It’sso easy to lose myself in her touch, to fill my mind with nothing but her, how she heightens all my senses, how she makes me a better man, and how good we are together.

Myheart might be about to short-circuit as she leans down and brushes her sweet mouth across mine.Shetastes of chocolate and marshmallow.Atremor ripples from my chest to my groin.

Sherests her cheek against mine.It’swarm from the fire.Herhair now smells more of woodsmoke than her fruity shampoo.

Ipress my lips to her ear. “Ilike you,RoseBellamore.Imean,reallylike you.”

Ipause for a second to see if her body might tense with fear or the desire to run away again.Butshe sinks slightly deeper against me.Myheart races with relief and possibilities.

“ThetimeIspend with you is different,”Iwhisper. “It’shappy.”

Shepulls back and looks at me with those big, soft, beautiful brown eyes. “Itmakes me happy too.”

Sherests her hands on my shoulders, then her gaze drops as she takes a deep breath. “Butsummer school’s about to wrap up, andI’llbe back to a full class load for the fall term in the blink of an eye.AndI’llneed to do more volunteer hours atTheLearningVillage.So…”Shelifts her shoulders to her ears, then drops them.

Isshe breaking up with me before we’ve barely even started?Mystomach rolls over asIstroke her soft, perfect thigh.The“Idon’t have enough time for a relationship” excuse is oneIusually give.Noone’s ever used it on me before.

Myheart starts a slow crawl up to my throat as she lifts her head, and her eyes follow her finger as she runs it around the neckline of my shirt.

“You’reright, though,” she says softly. “Whatyou said aboutMom.”

Asshe pauses and swallows,Ireach around and stroke her back.Whatevershe’s about to say looks difficult, andIwant to ease her pain as much as my own.

“Shewouldn’t want me to live the wayI’vebeen living,”Rosesays. “Shewouldn’t want me shunning life to reach my end goal.Nomatter how noble that goal is.”Shepauses again and chews her lip. “Orhow muchI’mdoing it for her.”

Hereyes meet mine as a single tear rolls down her cheek, and her brows knit with doubt. “CouldIfinish two more degrees and have you too?”

She’sdesperately unsure, like she’s asking for an impossibility, expecting too much from life, more than she deserves.Howcan she believe she doesn’t deserve more than an existence of constant work?

Butshe is saying she wants me.Andmy head spins with the excitement of what it could mean.HowdidIget lucky enough that she might want to find room for me in her life?

Icup her face in both hands and stroke the tear away with my thumb.

“Youdeserve everything that the world andIcan give you.”Iskim my lips over one side of her mouth. “AndI’mgoing to make fucking sure you get it all.”Thenthe other side of her mouth. “Everylast little bit of it.”Thenthe center.

Shewraps her arms around my neck and parts her lips to welcome me into the soft, delicious warmth of her mouth.

Myheart surges with hope that we might be the happiness neither of us thought we deserved.Andit pounds with desire as our tongues meet andRosestrokes the back of my neck.

Mydick throbs with an all-consuming need for her asIrun my fingers across her collarbone and over her breasts, grazing her nipples that are so hard they protrude through her bra andT-shirt, then continue my journey down to her thighs.

Iscoop my hands under her butt and am about to lift her out of the chair and carry her inside when there’s a buzz in my back pocket.