Chapter 14 Blake #2
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admits, biting down on that beautiful, full bottom lip.
My dick stirs in my pants, and I draw a deep breath to keep a handle on myself, because that’s not what I came here for. I shoot her a wry grin. “That makes two of us.”
She scoffs. “No need to lie to make me feel better, Blake. I know I’m pathetic.”
An irrational surge of anger jolts through me at hearing her talk about herself that way, but I fight to control it.
“You’re not pathetic, pixie. You’re selfless.” I move closer, playing with a strand of her hair. “And I’m not lying when I say I don’t know what I’m doing either.” My chest tightens at the thought of being vulnerable and laying everything bare. “I told you, I’ve never had a girlfriend.”
Her eyes widen. “You’ve never… Seriously?”
I shake my head. “I’ve never met anyone I felt this kind of connection with. Someone who I actually want to spend time getting to know.” Someone I would risk letting see the real me, darkness and all, even if it means losing her.
Juliet’s cheeks redden again, and I smile, rubbing my thumb over one.
“Your face is very expressive.”
She groans and buries her head in her hands. “Just what every woman wants to hear.”
I move closer and take her hands in mine, pulling them away from her face. “You don’t have to hide from me.”
“You make it sound so easy,” she says with a self-deprecating laugh.
“That’s what tonight’s about.” I shrug, feigning nonchalance. “Getting to know each other.”
Guilt weighs heavily in my stomach; as much as I want to know everything about her, I know I can’t give her the same. Not yet. I’m terrified to think what she’ll do when she finds out about me. But I know I have to give her something.
“Do I get to know the story behind ‘striker’?” she asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
I grin. This is something I can give her. “You haven’t figured it out by now?”
Her brows furrow. “No?”
A soft chuckle falls from my lips, and I trace a pattern over her knuckles with my thumb. “It’s my position on the team.”
“The team?”
My grin widens. She’s adorably clueless. “Beckford U’s soccer team. That’s how I know Everett.”
“Oh,” she says as awareness dawns. “Right. Yeah, of course.”
Something in her tone makes me pause, and I squeeze her hand. “Is it weird for you? That I’m friends with him?”
Her gaze locks on the pattern I’m tracing on her warm skin. “I’m not going to lie… it complicates things.”
My chest tightens. The guilt swirling around in my gut doubles. I’m lying to my housemate about where I am and who I’m with because I know she’s right. He wouldn’t be happy if he knew I was sneaking around with his stepmum.
“We’re figuring out what this is,” I say. “There’s nothing wrong with that. We don’t have to tell him anything until there’s something to tell.”
She hesitates, and I brace myself for her to pull away, to say it’s too messy and not worth the risk.
To my surprise, she leans forward and brushes my hair off my face.
“I guess we should explore this chemistry then, huh?”
The cheeky smirk she shoots me causes my heart to race.
“What are you saying, pixie?” My voice comes out gravelly.
“I’m saying kiss me, striker.”
Goddamn.
I close the distance between us, and when our mouths meet, that familiar jolt of electricity brings my whole body to life. She’s intoxicating. I’m greedy for her, and I part my lips, craving a taste. Her tongue grazes mine, and I moan, sliding my fingers into her hair and anchoring her to me.
When I kiss her, all the bad shit in my life fades away. She gives me hope that maybe everything I’ve been through has led me to her.
Without breaking the kiss, I shift on the couch, pulling her over to straddle my lap.
She comes willingly, wrapping her arms around my neck.
My hands settle on her hips, and I get lost in how perfectly her lips fuse to mine.
There’s no urgency, just a low simmering need to never let her go.
Our bodies are flush as her tongue dances against mine.
My heart feels like it’s about to explode. I’m tumbling down a dangerous slippery slope towards being completely addicted to this woman, and I’m powerless to stop it.
Juliet breaks the kiss, leaving us both breathless and panting as she pulls back to meet my lust-filled gaze.
She brushes my hair off my face before trailing her fingers down my cheek.
I shiver from her touch.
“Are you okay?” I ask when she doesn’t speak.
“I’m trying to work out if you’re real or just a fever dream,” she murmurs, her fingers continuing their exploration over my heated skin.
A chuckle slips past my lips. “Oh, pixie, I’m one hundred percent real.”
She shakes her head with a dazed smile. “I don’t believe you.”
I capture her wandering hand and place it on my chest, letting her feel the way my heart beats for her. “This is real.”
“This is crazy,” she says, her eyes dropping to her splayed hand.
“Maybe,” I agree. “But we’d be crazy not to see where this goes.”
“Yeah,” she breathes. “We would.”
I press my lips to her forehead, then shift her so we’re snuggled next to each other.
She tucks her legs underneath her, resting her head on my chest. My dick protests, straining against the confines of my pants, but this isn’t about sex for me.
It’s about her. In less than three months, this woman has turned my world on its axis and broken down nearly every wall I’ve ever built around me, and for the first time in my life, I’m not running scared.
Am I terrified?
Abso-fucking-lutely.
Juliet has this aura that draws you in without trying.
There’s a warmth and a gentleness to her that makes me want to protect her, even if it scares the shit out of me.
She’s been hurt, I know that much, and it has something to do with Everett’s father.
But she’s still putting herself out there, and for some reason, she’s choosing to pursue something with me.
We both have scars. I only hope mine aren’t what ruins this.
She’s the first thing I’ve allowed myself to want, the first person I’ve allowed myself to go after. If I lose her, it will fucking end me. But there’s no way I can walk away from her now without trying. Without knowing if happiness is ever on the cards for me.
I’m going all in, and I’ll deal with the consequences later.