Touch by Touch (Riggins Brothers #4) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,60
and pulls me down the hall and into the laundry room. “That was at the bakery. It’s been over a week since I’ve held you.”
“Conrad, we’re not together.” I say the words, but I don’t want them to be true.
“We are. You just haven’t admitted it yet. Come here.” He pulls me back into his arms, and I’m too weak to resist him. I let him hug me tightly and end up wrapping my arms around him in return. As soon as I do, he exhales and squeezes me a little tighter.
His warmth wraps around me, and it brings tears to my eyes. I’ve missed him more than I was willing to admit to myself. It’s been a week, and here I am, hidden in his parents’ laundry room, stealing hugs.
“Come on before they notice we’re missing.”
I hate that my heart sinks. I hate that I’m questioning if he’s hiding for my benefit or for his. I hate that I won’t take the risk of getting my heart smashed beyond repair to be with him. After watching what Aurora went through with her ex, I promised myself I wouldn’t settle. That I would hold out for a man who loved me. I want more than anything for Conrad to be that man. The problem is I’m too afraid to find out.
With his hand on the small of my back, Conrad leads me out of the laundry room, and we make our way to the kitchen. Just before we reach the door, he drops his hand, and I miss his touch. I miss the warmth of his touch and the comfort that it brings me.
“There she is.” Marshall cheers when we walk into the room.
“Hey.” I wave and offer him a smile.
“Thanks for these.” Stanley holds up a cookie from where he stands at the counter in front of the Warm Delights box.
“You’re welcome.”
“Everyone grab a plate. It’s ready,” Lena says, pulling the last of three large pans of baked spaghetti out of the oven.
I turn my head to find Conrad watching me. He shrugs, and I can’t help but wonder if he requested his mom make baked spaghetti. The same meal we had the first night in the cabin. Was that really just a week ago? It feels as if a lifetime has passed.
Everyone grabs a plate and lines up, leaving Conrad and me at the back of the line. His hand that’s closest to the counter rests on my hip, where no one can see. I want to turn and tell him to stop, that someone might see, but it’s him and me while the others fill their plates in front of us. It might also feel nice to have his hands on me. I crave his touch.
Lena and Stanley are the last to filter out of the room, leaving Conrad and me to fill our plates. “I love Mom’s spaghetti, but I wish we were back in the cabin, just the two of us,” Conrad says, keeping his voice low.
“I’m sure you can think of better things to do.” I keep my eyes on my plate as I add a scoop of spaghetti and begin to add salad.
“The only thing that would be better would be you being with me now. Here.”
His words cause me to freeze. Slowly, I turn to look at him. “You can’t say things like that.”
“I say what I mean, Aspen. Something happened in that cabin. I know you feel it.” He reaches out and places his hand on my cheek. “I miss you like fucking crazy,” he says huskily. “All I do is think about you.”
“Conrad—” I start but find myself freezing again when he leans in and places his lips on my forehead. “Let me show you, Aspen. Let me show you what I feel when it comes to you.”
“We need to go,” I say, turning and walking into the dining room. There are two empty seats right when you walk in. There are others around the table, but none of them are next to my sister, so it would appear odd if I were to take them. Instead, I sit, knowing Conrad will take the seat next to me.
I’ve barely got my chair pushed in when he indeed takes a seat next to me. I ignore him the best that I can, but having him so close and pretending he’s not there is almost impossible.
“Now, tell us all about it. How was the honeymoon?” Lena asks.