THE CRAZY GOOD SERIES - Rachel Robinson Page 0,181

left. But that’s because I just want you to run around in the rain hunting it down. And…and…you can’t seriously be upset with me for telling the truth.”

He takes one large stride toward me. His warm breath hits my face. “Your truth was horseshit…darlin’.” I close my eyes and turn away. I feel one wet finger underneath my chin, turning me back to face him. “Look at me.” I do. “Right now. Tell me I’m your friend. Tell me what you want when I’m standing right here in front of you. When I can see your face. When you can see mine. When I can call your bluff.”

Eyes I know as well as my own blaze into mine. I don’t scare easily, if at all, but right now I’m terrified of speaking the truth. I’m terrified because this man has asserted so much control over my body and mind without my consent. He’s seeped in—he’s infiltrated the only place that has belonged to Stone. It’s been a gradual descent, sinking, falling, into an unfamiliar helplessness.

I do the only thing I can think of to take the reins out of Steven’s hands while still obtaining what I need. “I’m going to take exactly what I want from you right now. It doesn’t change anything.” I shake my head to drive the point home. “And tomorrow will be the same as any other day before this.” He smiles with his eyes and reaches up to turn his baseball cap backwards. I’d think he was a trying to be a college-aged crony if I didn’t know what the tattered hat meant to him.

“Your move, darlin’,” he says, folding his arms behind his back, like a child being told not to touch the glass figurines.

Running my fingers up his slick arms, I watch my hands glide over corded muscles that are still hot from his boxing workout. When I meet his eyes, there’s an anticipation there I’ve never seen before. He waggles his brows. I laugh, but it does nothing to kill the desire coursing through my veins. I slide my fingers under his shirt and drag my nails across his rippling abs. I feel him blow out a breath and I smile, but only to myself. These muscles, this stomach and chest and arms, aren’t like Alex’s. The similarities give me pause. Laying my forehead into his thick chest, I sigh.

“You’re him.”

“I’m not him.”

“But you could be.”

“Just pretend I’m not. Play pretend.” As expected, he’s given me exactly what I need to get through this moment. I look up at him and I see…Steven. His humor that blazes through his smile. His life. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I place my lips on his and kiss that man like I’ve dreamed about for years. I feel his hands on my lower back pulling me in and up for a better angle. I open my mouth and breathe his scent in to memorize it. He tastes exactly like I imagined he would. Mint flavored gum and man. Sweat mingles with the leftover cologne on his shirt and I pull his wet body tighter against me, hoping I smell like he does when I pull away.

He takes off his hat and drops it to the floor by his feet, and cradles my head, my face in between his hands. He kisses me with his eyes slightly open. I like it. It turns me on even more to know that he wants to see me kiss, so I keep mine open to watch him. Steven drags his fingertips down the sides of my neck and I can’t help it, a moan escapes. I feel his smile against my mouth. He’s mighty full of himself right now. His mouth slides against mine, slowly and then more frantically. It’s then that I know I need to end our fevered hunger before it goes any further.

With a lot of effort, I break the kiss, but keep my body pressed against his, my cheek against his rain-soaked shirt, his heart pounding beneath my palm.

“Fuck! Hot with a capital H, M. Hot. Make that sound again?” Steven exclaims, folding his arms around me. I couldn’t escape his clutches even if I wanted to. The things I want from him have compounded. His erection throbs against me. “Now can I have something I want?” he asks.

I’m already shaking my head, but he merely shakes his head too, and pecks me on the lips while pushing me back to arms’ length, keeping