The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,362

the cinnamon and chocolate on his breath. I breathe in lungfuls of the most delicious man I’ve ever tasted.

He cups my ass, and I cling to him, a mere handful of heartbeats away from begging him to please put himself inside me. I rally the last bits of my resolve and shove him away.

He looks bewildered, disheveled, and not even close to daunted.

I jump back and just manage to evade his attempt to grab me. I step behind the counter and glare at him. Angry at him and myself for the half of me that wants him to jump over the counter and kiss me again.

“I know you feel the same way,” he growls in frustration,

I gape, goggle-eyed at how savage his expression is. My heart thunders, not from fear, but from excitement. What is wrong with me?

“Less than a week ago, you told me you didn’t want anything more than sex. And now, you want me to throw away everything because you’ve changed your mind?” I demand.

“No, I want you to choose a life you actually want. And I want you to let me be part of it.” His eyes soften, and my resolve does, too.

Oh, dear Lord. Why am I being tested like this?

Discipline, Regan. My grandfather’s voice cracks like a whip in my mind.

“Did you see what happened at brunch? What makes you think we can keep this going, if you were in Houston?”

“No, I didn’t see what happened at brunch because I was too busy trying to understand why you wouldn’t even look at me.” The pain and accusation in his face makes my heart tremble.

But that’s as far as I allow myself to be pulled down. “I’m sorry for that. But, if I looked at you, everyone would have known. And Stone, no one can know about us. If Marcel knows I’ve been unfaithful, he’ll get the kids. It’s in our prenup. You have to understand. This has to be where we say goodbye. Like we planned.”

He glares at me, hands on his hips, and shakes his head, but the determination in his eyes fades, and he looks dejected.

“I’m sorry, Stone.” It feels inadequate, but it’s all I can manage.

He nods and doesn’t say anything, as I round the counter and walk over to my bags.

I take another breath and press on.

“Maybe next time we see each other, and if we’re both free, we can…see.”

He grabs me by the shoulders and spins me around, so fast, I scream. He pins me in place with a furious stare. “What if next time isn’t for another five years? What will I do without you for that long?” His voice is rough, and his eyes look so damn…pained. I almost believe him. Almost. I pull out of his grasp.

“There’ll be someone else. You’ll be fine.” The jealousy I have no right to, blazes my chest and makes a liar out of my casual voice.

His knowing laugh is unrepentant and infuriating.

“I’m trying to do the right thing, I’m glad you think it’s fun--"

He closes the space between us with one long ground eating stride, cups the back of my neck, and his lips cover my mine, in a hard, fast kiss that curls my toes and fries my senses.

He breaks the kiss as abruptly as he started it, his hold on my neck tightening, his eyes growing dark with need. “I’ll never be fine again, Regan. You’ve ruined me,” he whispers against my mouth.

“Why did you do that?” I ask, when I can speak again.

“You said you were trying to do the right thing. And kissing you…it’ll always be the right thing.”

The sincere hope in his eyes is a battering ram against the walls of my resistance. I groan in frustration and drop my forehead on his chest.

His other arm winds around my waist.

“Don’t leave today. Let’s go back to your room and spend this last night together. Let me say goodbye to you.”

I want to say yes.

And that’s why I have to say no.

I cup his face. He’s shaved again, but his stubble scrapes against the palm of my hand. I memorize the strong lines of his face, the flecks of gold in his eyes, the lush pink center of his bottom lip, and the way he makes me feel like I can touch the sky.

“Thank you so much for this week. It’s been one of the happiest of my life.”

“We can have more.” His face is so earnest. I know he thinks he means it. But life