Chapter 4 #2
“Because you miss out on life,” I contend.
“But what kind of life is that? Pain of the flesh is durable. But pain of the heart…” She trails off, looking to the dozens of neatly shelved romance novels in front of her, her safe escape. “It’s excruciating.”
Who broke this woman so irrevocably that the only way she’s willing to experience the most amazing gift one human could give another is through fiction?
I will happily make their life a living hell.
I want the man who hurt Savannah to live the most excruciating pain every day for the rest of his life.
I want him to bleed. I want to watch the floor beneath him stain with red.
“Who hurt you?”
Savannah doesn’t face me as she answers, but the tears in her eyes are evident. “It doesn’t matter. He’s not here anymore.”
“Don’t let one person get in the way of living,” I plead.
She finally turns back to me, her face open and vulnerable. “Have you ever been in love?”
The question is a punch to the gut—more like a hit below the belt. It reminds me once again that I’m not supposed to like her. I’m supposed to hate her, but everything about this woman makes it impossible.
She’s innocent yet experienced. She’s soft yet tough. The juxtapositions of Savannah Foster are alluring.
Even though I saw her and Rory kiss yesterday, hating Savannah isn’t something I can do.
“Yes,” I answer honestly.
Her eyes tighten slightly with curiosity. “Did you ever tell them?”
“No.”
The corners of her mouth faintly curve down. “Do you regret it?”
“Every day,” I whisper.
The sincerity in her eyes is unmistakable. Seeing the sympathy she feels for me causes something to obliterate the carefully built walls guarding my heart.
My hand lightly grips her chin, bringing our faces closer together. “If you don’t want me to kiss you, tell me to stop.”
Her gaze briefly flickers to my lips, giving me all the confirmation I need. I guide our mouths together, and when they touch, the possessive monster inside me echoes one word.
Mine.
The kiss is soft but charged with lust. Her hands grip the front of my shirt, pulling me closer to her body.
My cock is rock hard, and all we’ve done is kiss.
I lick delicately across the seam of her lips, and she mewls, opening up to me. When I taste her, the groan that resounds in my chest is primal.
I need to know what every inch of her body tastes like.
Her tongue glides across mine, causing me to almost lose control and fuck her right here in a very public area.
My hands trail down her sides, landing on her hips as I drag her into my lap, and the book she was reading falls to the floor. Her knees drop to either side of my thighs, and she leans in.
A shadow to my left blocks the light shining on my eyelids. I slightly open my left eye, searching for the cause. The man I find standing there doesn’t surprise me. But what does surprise me is the raw desire in Rory’s eyes as he looks at not just Savannah, but me as well.
I shoot him a wink, stunning him, then return my attention to Savannah. My hands grip her hips, reveling in the way she moves on top of me.
Savannah jolts when the seam of her leggings brushes up against the hard length in my jeans.
A short buzz comes from my discarded coat. I ignore it, but it buzzes again.
And again. And again.
Savannah retreats, breaking our kiss. Her chest rises and falls as she tries to catch her breath. “You should get that.”
A glance to my side reveals that Rory has disappeared.
“It’s not important.” I shake my head.
Buzzzzzz.
Her eyes flicker to my coat. “I should go anyway.”
She hops up from my lap, snagging her own jacket and purse. She slips her coat on, slings the strap of her purse over her shoulder, and starts walking away without so much as a glimpse back.
It’s like she’s running away from a bomb that’s about to explode any second.
Is she embarrassed? Did I go too far?
I might be aging, but that doesn’t mean I can’t chase the woman who flipped my world upside down, although a boner may slow me down a bit.
Jumping to my feet, I copy her efficiency, put on my coat, and spring after her. Savannah makes it just outside the exit when I catch up to her.
My eyes squint from the sudden onslaught of light with the sun high in the afternoon sky. “Hold on a minute.” I grab her upper arm, stopping her getaway. “No goodbye?”
She spins back to face me, a rebuttal on her lips, but it’s replaced with a gasp as I seal our bodies together.
“What do I have to do to see you again? I’ll do anything.” I’m begging, and I don’t care how that makes me look.
Fuck. I’ll own it.
I’m a desperate man.
“I don’t know.” Her voice is husky.
“If this were a romance novel, what would the male character have to do to see his love interest again?” I ask earnestly.
My plea lightens her mood.
“I thought we were just friends?” She asks meekly.
“Humor me.”
“She’d tell him that if it was meant to be, he’d know how to find her.” Savannah’s smile is mischievous, and I mirror my own to match hers.
I place a quick kiss on her lips and let her go.
“Then let the games begin, Trouble.”
I’m tempted to haul her away to a more private location when the hunger returns to her eyes. But she wants to play, so let’s play.
I nod my head, instructing her to get going. She smirks, spinning on her heel, and takes off at a swift speed.
“Little do you know, Savannah Foster, you’re not getting away from me so easily,” I say to myself.
My phone buzzes again, and I aggressively whip it out, annoyed with the damn thing. I find a text from Hunter to Rory and me.
Hunter: Where the hell are you two? We’re in the middle of a crisis, remember? Get your asses to the penthouse.