in us?” I throw my arms out, motioning to our surroundings. “This is the most real thing I’ve ever experienced in my whole life. I thought you felt the same way. Guess I’m a fucking idiot.”
“No! Shaw, that’s not what I meant.” Her face is pale when she finally meets my gaze.
“I suggest you fucking explain really fucking quick because I’m lost.”
“We left Miami as friends, great friends. To everyone else, I tagged along on a work trip. How’s it going to look when we return as lovers? How do we even explain it?”
“We don’t because it’s no one’s Goddamn business.”
“You know that’s not how it’ll work!” She stands, squaring off with me. Her eyes start to shine, but she pushes on. “We have too much at stake here. Friends, family… everything.”
“You think I don’t know that? For fucks sake, thought I handled this shit on Friday night. I’m not fucking around. I came here not knowing if I’d ever have a chance with you, and I accepted that. But with that first taste of you, that first kiss, I was done. I’m crazy about you. Thought we were in this together, Bizzy. Thought you understood.
“I’m thirty fucking years old. I’ve been around the block a few times, so it’s not like this is some fling. You always meant something to me, but I was too blind to see. Now, you don’t mean just something to me… you mean everything. Am I alone here? Going too fast? Pushing too hard? Did I read the signals wrong because I’m in love with you, and if you don’t feel the same way, now’s the time to say it.”
She draws in an audible breath and wraps her arms around her stomach, staring at me as my chest heaves. Tears start to fall right before she lunges at me, curling her whole body around mine. My hands catch her as I take a step back to steady us both.
Warm drops fall on my cheeks as she cups my face and crashes her mouth to mine.
“In.” Kiss.
“Love.” Kiss.
“With.” Kiss.
“You.” Kiss .
“Too.” Kiss.
Her lips linger on mine longer as she slips her tongue through, touching mine lightly then leaning back too soon. “I do feel the same,” she whispers.
Warmth floods through my body and the anger disappears. “Jesus Christ, baby.” I squeeze tight. “Don’t ever do that shit to me again.”
Her head drops to my shoulder, and she sniffs a few times, trembling against me. “I’m sorry, Shaw, but please, understand where I’m coming from. I’m so scared.”
“Scared of what? Tell me and you’ll never be scared again.” There’s so much truth to the statement, me pleading with her to tell me everything.
“Most people don’t go away on a weekend trip and come back in love.”
“We’re not most people.”
She leans back, her eyes shining bright, the tears almost dried. “I don’t want to hide. But can we wait until the next monthly dinner night and explain it to the guys?”
“Mathis already knows my feelings. He called me out before we left. And obviously, Gail knows something.”
She narrows her eyes then starts to laugh, throwing her head back. “Claire will know the minute she sees me.”
“So it’s just Nick?”
“And our parents.”
“Why wait, Bizzy?”
“Nicky is a bit protective. I think we need to ease him into this.”
“He’s almost twenty-five. He’s a big boy.”
She gives me a skeptical look and puts her forehead against mine. “You may not understand. You may never understand, but I need to plant the seeds with him. He may be a big, tough football player, and even more of a macho ass with the guys, but he’s very protective of me. I’d like to do this my way. It means a lot.”
Well, shit. When she looks at me with such love and concern, I falter. To me, Nick is a powerhouse. But in reality, the woman in my arms, the woman I love, is also his best friend, the one woman he’d die for, so understanding starts to sink in.
“I’m not happy about this, but we’ll do it your way. Next MDN, everyone
“No! Shaw, that’s not what I meant.” Her face is pale when she finally meets my gaze.
“I suggest you fucking explain really fucking quick because I’m lost.”
“We left Miami as friends, great friends. To everyone else, I tagged along on a work trip. How’s it going to look when we return as lovers? How do we even explain it?”
“We don’t because it’s no one’s Goddamn business.”
“You know that’s not how it’ll work!” She stands, squaring off with me. Her eyes start to shine, but she pushes on. “We have too much at stake here. Friends, family… everything.”
“You think I don’t know that? For fucks sake, thought I handled this shit on Friday night. I’m not fucking around. I came here not knowing if I’d ever have a chance with you, and I accepted that. But with that first taste of you, that first kiss, I was done. I’m crazy about you. Thought we were in this together, Bizzy. Thought you understood.
“I’m thirty fucking years old. I’ve been around the block a few times, so it’s not like this is some fling. You always meant something to me, but I was too blind to see. Now, you don’t mean just something to me… you mean everything. Am I alone here? Going too fast? Pushing too hard? Did I read the signals wrong because I’m in love with you, and if you don’t feel the same way, now’s the time to say it.”
She draws in an audible breath and wraps her arms around her stomach, staring at me as my chest heaves. Tears start to fall right before she lunges at me, curling her whole body around mine. My hands catch her as I take a step back to steady us both.
Warm drops fall on my cheeks as she cups my face and crashes her mouth to mine.
“In.” Kiss.
“Love.” Kiss.
“With.” Kiss.
“You.” Kiss .
“Too.” Kiss.
Her lips linger on mine longer as she slips her tongue through, touching mine lightly then leaning back too soon. “I do feel the same,” she whispers.
Warmth floods through my body and the anger disappears. “Jesus Christ, baby.” I squeeze tight. “Don’t ever do that shit to me again.”
Her head drops to my shoulder, and she sniffs a few times, trembling against me. “I’m sorry, Shaw, but please, understand where I’m coming from. I’m so scared.”
“Scared of what? Tell me and you’ll never be scared again.” There’s so much truth to the statement, me pleading with her to tell me everything.
“Most people don’t go away on a weekend trip and come back in love.”
“We’re not most people.”
She leans back, her eyes shining bright, the tears almost dried. “I don’t want to hide. But can we wait until the next monthly dinner night and explain it to the guys?”
“Mathis already knows my feelings. He called me out before we left. And obviously, Gail knows something.”
She narrows her eyes then starts to laugh, throwing her head back. “Claire will know the minute she sees me.”
“So it’s just Nick?”
“And our parents.”
“Why wait, Bizzy?”
“Nicky is a bit protective. I think we need to ease him into this.”
“He’s almost twenty-five. He’s a big boy.”
She gives me a skeptical look and puts her forehead against mine. “You may not understand. You may never understand, but I need to plant the seeds with him. He may be a big, tough football player, and even more of a macho ass with the guys, but he’s very protective of me. I’d like to do this my way. It means a lot.”
Well, shit. When she looks at me with such love and concern, I falter. To me, Nick is a powerhouse. But in reality, the woman in my arms, the woman I love, is also his best friend, the one woman he’d die for, so understanding starts to sink in.
“I’m not happy about this, but we’ll do it your way. Next MDN, everyone
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