pushed Alyssa away after she revealed her feelings for me. I know what it’s like to love someone completely. To have them walk away and not bother with you again is soul-crushing. I’ve gone to great lengths never to experience that kind of pain again.
Until this tiny female insisted on clawing her way inside me and burrowing deep.
And now she wants to walk away?
Move on without me?
Forget I ever existed?
No way. I refuse to allow that to happen.
It’s only when she turns soft and pliant that I take the kiss deeper, so deep I have no idea where she ends, and I begin. When I finally lift my mouth away, we’re both breathing hard. I rest my forehead against hers. The only time I feel sane is when she’s in my arms.
Unfortunately, I’m the last person she wants touching her.
“Who’s the guy?” I ask gruffly, unable to forget about him.
As if waking from a dream, she blinks away the thick haze clouding her eyes. “Just someone from class.”
“Was it a date that I interrupted?” It better not have been.
Her body stiffens. Just when I think she’ll refuse to answer, she admits in a clipped tone, “We were grabbing a coffee.”
“Do you like him?” Unable to hold back, I can’t stop myself from bombarding her with a spray of questions. Honestly, I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s developed feelings for the guy. How can I combat that?
“We’re just friends.”
A puff of relief escapes from me.
Even though I have no right to tell her what to do, the words burst free before I can rein them back in again. “I don’t want you with anyone else. And I sure as shit don’t want any other guys touching you.”
“Colton...” Emotion flickers in her eyes before she glances away.
“Look at me,” I growl.
Her widened gaze slices to mine as I repeat, “I don’t want anyone else touching you.” When she remains silent, I run the tip of my nose along the curve of her jaw. “I don’t want anyone else inside your body.”
“Please,” she whispers. Not only is she intent on fighting me, but herself as well. I hear the struggle in her voice. And I get it. Truly, I do, but still...
“Give me another chance, Lys.” Before she can shoot me down, I add, “That’s all I need to prove that I’ve changed. That I’m not the same guy you left behind.”
A rush of air escapes as her body wilts against mine. “I don’t know.”
Her wrists are still pinned against the brick wall as I ghost my mouth over hers. “Just one.”
When I make another pass, never quite touching her lips, she groans and tilts her head as if silently offering them up to me.
“You’ve got my word that I won’t fuck it up this time.”
“I can’t go through that again, Colton. I just can’t.”
Thick emotion bleeds through her voice, and it nearly breaks my heart. I’m the one who did this to her. And I’ll have to live with that knowledge for the rest of my life. “I’m sorry, baby.”
I hold my breath as indecision flickers across her features.
“Okay,” she finally says, giving in. “But it’s one chance. After that, if I want to walk away, if I want you to leave me alone, you do it. No questions asked.”
Even though the thought of that happening is terrifying, it’s all I have to work with.
“One chance,” I vow, “is all I need.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Alyssa
I can’t believe I’m actually going through with this.
How did I let Colton persuade me into giving him another shot?
Persuade...ha!
If I’ve come to realize anything, it’s that I have no resistance when it comes to the blond, blue-eyed football player. All he has to do is lay his hands on me, and my brain leaks right out of my ear. It’s disconcerting.
For the hundredth time today, I pick up my phone and stare at it. I should cancel. That would be the smartest thing to do. Just as I type out a message, there’s a knock on the apartment door. My head snaps up as my belly crashes to my toes. I place my palm against my lower abdomen as if that will keep it in place.
It’s too late. He’s already here.
I straighten my shoulders. Fine, I can do this. It’s one date. One single chance. That’s all I agreed to. If he fucks it up, I can walk away with a clear conscience. When my heart clenches at the idea of us really being over, I brush