Sound Proof (Save Me #5) by Katheryn Kiden, Wendi Temporado

I’m taking care of myself like I always have.”
    “You shouldn’t have to.” His eyes bore into me, holding me captive in a conversation that I know I shouldn’t be having, but am suddenly completely invested in. I want nothing more than to know where he’s going with this. The grape he pops into his mouth gets swirled around by his tongue and I have to force myself not to watch every move it makes until he swallows.
    “Then who the hell should? My soon-to-be ex-husband never really did. It’s always just been only me.”
    AJ stands and walks around to where I’m sitting. He drags the bowl with him and pops a piece of fruit into my mouth. I have no clue what it is because all my focus is on his thumb lingering on my bottom lip.
    “Me.” He shrugs, letting his thumb drift back and forth. One word rocks my entire world, hitting me so hard that I have to hold onto the counter and chair because I’m afraid I will fall over. “I’ve never chased a woman for an hour, let alone this long. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you, Payton. And I’ve never been willing to drop everything just to steal half a second with anyone. Until you. Until your girls.”
    One word may have rocked my world but everything he just said sent me spinning like a fucking tornado. My mouth is probably gaping like a fish out of water. I want to tell him yes, that I want him too, but I can’t get the words to come out of my mouth. Before I have a chance to say anything, he smashes me in the face with a whipped cream covered strawberry. His head falls back as he laughs and I grab the can, happy that he started this because the heavy subject was hurting my brain. I stand up, fill my hand with whipped cream and smash it in his face as fast as I can, running away while he wipes it out of his eyes.
    For the first time in months, I laugh. Actually laugh, and it feels good as I round the corner of the island. Turning around, I brace my hands against the countertop and watch him stalk me, his lips turned up in a cocky grin. He goes left, I go right, and I bolt into the living room.
    I don’t make it far before AJ’s arms circle around my stomach and he tackles me to the ground. He turns us just in time so he takes the brunt of the fall but it doesn’t take him long to get me pinned underneath him. He holds my wrists hostage next to my head and my legs automatically bend, encasing his hips. If I thought my heart was racing before, it was nothing compared to right now. Dropping his head, he licks some of the mess off my face like a dog. I shake my head to get away from him, trying hard not to laugh but fail miserably.
    Max never played like this .
    “AJ, what the hell are you doing to me?” I laugh as he laps at my face some more. My breath hitches in my chest when he pulls back because his eyes burn with an intensity that I’ve never seen there before.
    With emotion I’ve never seen there before.
    “I’m trying to make you fall for me. Is it working?” He flashes a bright smile before getting completely serious on me again. I want to say yes, that he’s had me falling for him slowly this entire time but I can’t because I know that would probably freak him out. Hell, that would probably freak me out if it came out of my mouth. “Please say something.”
    Honesty is the best policy, right?
    “Don’t break me anymore than I already am,” I whisper. “AJ, don’t make me fall in love with you and then break my heart because I don’t think I could handle the crash that comes after a fall like that again.”
    His eyebrows draw together and he stares intently at me, his eyes searching for something in mine. “I’m more worried about you breaking me, but trust me on this Payton, I’ll be right here to catch you.”
    The second his words are out, I stretch my neck until I can reach his lips to kiss him. He lets go of my hands and grabs the back of my neck. His tongue sweeps across the seam of my lips and I open to him, letting his