Page 64 of Protecting Love

She held her ground. His presence pressing into her space. Their chests almost touching.

She wasn’t backing down. Didn’t seem he was either.

“I’m far from comfortable.”

“You weren’t earlier. I saw it. And in order for you to be normal. Act normal. Pull off this ridiculous thing about us being a couple or on a date, you needed to not look as if I was scaring the shit out of you.”

She lifted her chin. She would have crossed her arms if they wouldn’t have brushed against him.

“So it was about me?” she asked.

“Isn’t that what you’re used to? Having it be all about you?”

“Oh,” she said, shaking her head, her hair flying everywhere. “Now you’re deflecting. You let your wall down and I called you out on it and you’re feeling vulnerable.”

Damn it. She jumped the gun thinking he was lying.

But it didn’t make sense.

“I rarely feel vulnerable about anything.”

“But you have?” she asked.

“Everyone does. If anyone says otherwise they are lying.”

“So... what you said about Lorraine, that was all true?”

“I don’t make a habit of lying,” he said, nudging closer. She stepped back and hit the wall. She hadn’t realized how close she was to it in her bedroom where he’d followed her after she’d put her shoes away.

“Then I’m sorry. I’m just... confused. You barely speak to me. And trust me, I’ve tried before. You give me nothing. Then tonight, you gave me more than I could have imagined. You even started it mentioning your son.”

“I did. I’m regretting that now.”

“No. Don’t do that. Don’t have regrets. It’s me. I’m so messed up right now I’m not thinking straight.”

“Maybe you’re not alone,” he said, his eyes searching hers.

There was heat there. A crazy amount of heat.

She’d made enough missteps tonight, what the hell was one more?

It wasn’t as if she couldn’t tell he was attracted to her.

She didn’t plan it. Didn’t weigh the consequences or talk herself into it or pretend it was anything other than what it was.

She just moved.

Her hand curled into the front of his shirt. Quick, like she needed something solid to anchor herself. Then she kissed him.

It was brief. Messy. Not careful at all.

Not like she lived her life.

His breath hitched, surprise flashing across his face for a fraction of a second before instinct took over. His mouth answered hers, firm and sure, heat flaring fast enough to make her toes curl into the cool wood she was standing on.

One heartbeat. Maybe two. Long enough for her to think, Oh. Oh no.

Then, oh yeah, give me more.