Holding Her Close (Bits and Bytes, Book 0) (Bits & Bytes) by Allyson Lindt Page B

attention. Smiling, she closed the last few inches between them and kissed him again. His lips were soft and undemanding. Something whispered through her. A need for spark and passion instead of comfortable and safe. She pushed it aside. This was perfect.
    Her pulse increased when his tongue slid over her bottom lip, and then deeper, dancing with hers. She pressed against him, feeling his solid chest through their thin shirts. His fingers tangled in her hair, and he tugged her head back, scraping her throat with his teeth.
    Physically , every motion was perfect. If she pushed harder she’d find the fire she craved. The passion that had to be lurking just under the skin.
    She trailed her nails along the back of his neck. He was already h ard against her hip. She shifted her weight, rubbing against him. His mouth trailed along her jaw and to her throat, aggressive and hungry.
    Why couldn’t she find that last little connection? She broke away and tugged him toward the bedroom. She needed to be closer. To be a part of him. To forget there was anyone else in the world and make him do the same.
    Pushing him back on the bed, she straddled his legs. He stared back, eyes wide. She smiled and pulled her shirt over her head. He was rock hard between her legs. Was she moving too fast? No, their entire relationship had been leading up to this. It made perfect sense.
    His hands roamed up her bare stomach, thumbs brushing her nipples through the lace of her bra. She gasped and thrust her chest forward. He traced light circles over the fabric. It wasn't enough.
    “ Harder,” she whimpered. If it had been Zach the passion wouldn’t be missing. A dull ache thudded in her chest the moment the thought formed. This wasn’t working. Intellectually, she desperately wanted it to, but she couldn’t feel it. Her shoulders slumped and she pulled away.
    Scott studied her, confusion and hurt warring for dominance on his expression. “Not quite the response I was hoping for.”
    She tried to erase her reactions. It wasn't like he knew what she was thinking. She could just slide back into the moment and they could... What? Keep make-believing?
    She rolled onto her back with a sigh . The cool cotton of the comforter caressed her skin. She stared at the ceiling, not sure what to say. “I don't think this is a good idea.”
    His weight shook the mattress as he flopped back next to her. He intertwined his fingers with hers. “You're not having fun?”
    Damn it, why was he doing this? And why couldn’t she just accept it for what it was? The ache in her chest grew, regret mixing with a longing for something she knew she couldn't have. “I just... I don't want to lose our friendship over this.”
    His laugh filtered through clenched teeth. “Did you ever actually get over him? Or has he been the bar you’ve used to measure every guy since?”
    She didn’t have to ask who he was talking about. Of course she had gotten over Zach. Eons ago. Or had she? Was she really that transparent? Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Admitting she felt something for him opened her to even more pain. He didn’t feel the same. “That’s not fair. We barely even talked for years.”
    He exhaled loudly. “Long time for two people to hold a grudge who don’t care about each other.”
    She winced at the edge to his words. “He’s not my type.” It was true. He was so far from her ideal guy it wasn’t funny. “You are. I want security and comfort, not a one night stand.” So why had she picked in the other direction?
    “ Pretty words.” There was an underlying edge to his voice. “Besides, you wouldn’t be a one night stand to him.”
    “ Oh?” She had to force the hope to stay out of her question.
    “ You’re interesting enough you’d probably last a week.”
    His jab echoed every self -doubt she’d been trying to smother. She couldn’t ignore the ache in her chest. She forced herself to speak smoothly. “This isn’t about