I placed my hand on my chest and I could feel my heart pounding beneath it. My entire body was tingling, either from being so close to him or not having enough oxygen because of his hotness. “You think I’m perfect?”
His only response was a barely perceptible nod.
I let out a forced laugh. “I’m not perfect. I’m not even close to perfect.”
“To me, you are.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” I pointed accusatorily at him. “You can’t keep saying things like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you don’t mean it.”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” he stated with conviction.
“If I’m so ‘perfect’…”—I made air quotes—“…then why did you stop talking to me in middle school? Why have you barely said two words to me all these years? Why do you pretend you’re not home when I knock on your door? And why did you act like you didn’t even know me when I messaged you on Insta?”
“You messaged me?”
I couldn’t tell if he was playing dumb and messing with me or if he really didn’t know I had. “Yes. Several times.” Probably a half dozen or so over the years.
“My manager set up that account and has people run it. I’ve never even logged in on my own. I don’t check my DMs.”
That actually made me feel oddly better, but it still didn’t answer any of my other questions.
“Okay, fine. What about the rest?”
He didn’t say anything for a minute, and then his shoulders dropped and he sighed. “I’m tired.”
His arm reached out for the door, but I swatted his hand down. “No. I’m not leaving. You are going to talk to me.”
He winced as his arm dropped back down to his side.
“I’m so sorry,” I quickly apologized and reached out and touched him. My hand landed on his chest. Through the cotton barrier of his T-shirt, I could feel heat radiating off of him and his heart beating wildly beneath my palm.
“Are you okay?” My question came out much breathier than my apology had.
Our eyes met and I knew, at that moment, something was going to happen between us tonight. I didn’t know what it would mean, or if it would change our relationship, but I knew that there was no way I was leaving without knowing what his lips felt like against mine.
Chapter 17
Holden
“Broken crayons still color.”
~ Maggie Calhoun
As I stared down into Olivia’s eyes, all I could think was that it was too much.
I took a step back and her hand fell. “I’m fine.”
It wasn’t just her physical touch, it was her tenderness, her care, that was too much. It made me feel too much. She’d always done that to me—or undone me, I should say. It was something that drew me to her and also something that made me powerless to resist her.
“Holden.” She took another step toward me, and I took another step back. “How much pain are you in?”
“Right now?” My voice was raspy with need.
“Yes.”
“None.” It was the truth. Her closeness was more of a pain killer than any pills the doctors had given me.
She stood less than a foot in front of me and my back was against the wall. The energy between us crackled with intensity. The look in her eyes was different than I’d ever seen before. There was a light in them, a flame of determination. Something in our dynamic had shifted. If I didn’t say something…if I didn’t ask her to leave, a line would be crossed. A line that I knew I couldn’t come back from.
“Olivia, I think—”
“I really want to kiss you,” she interrupted.
“What?” My response was a knee-jerk reaction. I knew exactly what she’d said but I’d still asked the question as my eyes dropped to her mouth.
She licked her lips and my dick jumped behind my sweats. “I really want to kiss you.”
I closed my eyes as I fisted my hands at my sides. I was doing everything I could to think about anything other than how soft her lips would feel or how sweet her tongue would taste. I tried not to think about all the times I’d fantasized about crushing my mouth to hers and claiming her as my own. I tried not to think about how soft her curves would be pressed against my body.
“Do you want to kiss me?”
Her question sounded so innocent, harmless, and straightforward. My answer was obvious. Yes, I wanted to kiss her. But there was more on the line than just what I wanted. Unfortunately, I was