your head." His lips brushed my earlobe and I felt his warm breath against my neck. "You think you're not worth nothin'. I don't know who told you that Emmy, but it's total bullshit, you hear me? You're fuckin' gorgeous, you need to know that."
I lifted my face to protest. But before I could open my mouth, his lips were on mine. The world slid sideways as he folded me into his arms and pressed me backward. His lips were soft, but his kiss was not. The hard, insistent pressure overwhelmed my hesitation and I yielded to him with a sigh. Holding my hair in his fist, he walked us backward until my back was pressed against the sun-warmed brick wall that ran along the steps. Sandwiched between the brick and the hard granite of his chest, I had nowhere to go.
A small sound escaped my throat and J. seized the opportunity to part my lips with a rough stab of his tongue. My mouth was suddenly filled with the taste of him. He swirled his tongue around mine, tasting me deeply, exploring every inch of my mouth. My stomach dropped and the slow fire for him that had been burning since I first lay eyes on him roared to brilliant life. I pressed closer, snaking my hands down to his waist and pulling him into me. I felt the hardness of his desire press into my stomach, telling me more about how beautiful he thought I was than his words ever could.
A pack of teenagers hooted and catcalled as they ran past us up the steps. Reluctantly, I pulled back, pressing my hands against his chest. My engagement ring sparkled in the summer sun, chastising me.
He pulled back, his breath ragged. "There are people," I whispered.
The emerald shards in his eyes blazed fiercely. "I don't actually give a fuck," he growled. But he stepped back and gave me a hand, pulling me away from the wall. He sighed and shifted uncomfortably. His grip on my hand was suddenly painfully tight. I squeaked in fear and tried to pull away.
Then the moment past. He chuckled softly. "Sorry. That wasn't very friendly of me. You don't need that."
Yes! Yes I do need that! I've never needed anything more! My heart screamed at me to correct him, but when he continued talking it sank slowly.
"I don't need it either." He looked at me quickly and explained. "Complications, that is. I'm trying to get on my feet here."
I nodded slowly. "Right. Your graduation."
I saw him startle then recover himself quickly. "Right. Gotta get on with life and all that."
I chuckled lightly, willing my heart rate to slow down. "First maybe we should get on with climbing these stairs."
He laughed, but there was no mirth. He was still holding my hand, but limply, as if he wanted to let me go but couldn't. We trudged up the steps to the plaza in front of the Museum. All around us tourists jumped up and down in imitation of the famous movie scene, but there was no joy for me in reaching the top. I wanted to be back down at the bottom, pressed between the wall and his body.
Chapter 16
J.
He had no idea why he was here.
The peace of this morning's ride had been shattered by the knowledge of where it would end up. He was nearly jumping out of his skin the whole time the doctor asked him questions about the custom chopper. The longer he spent in front of Emmy's building, the greater the risk he would stay until he saw her.
And he didn't have to wait long. She had surprised him on the sidewalk, all smiles and sun-kissed hair. The anger that had driven him home in a rage last night dissipated the moment she greeted him. He hadn't noticed how bright her eyes were until that moment.
As hard as he tried to keep the wall up around his heart, she kept doing little things to knock it back down. Her vulnerability, her hesitation, the way she flicked her eyes across his face as if he were a book she wanted to understand. It beguiled him. So much so that he found himself agreeing to being her friend, agreeing to spending the day with her, agreeing to set foot inside a cage when there was no snow on the ground, and
I lifted my face to protest. But before I could open my mouth, his lips were on mine. The world slid sideways as he folded me into his arms and pressed me backward. His lips were soft, but his kiss was not. The hard, insistent pressure overwhelmed my hesitation and I yielded to him with a sigh. Holding my hair in his fist, he walked us backward until my back was pressed against the sun-warmed brick wall that ran along the steps. Sandwiched between the brick and the hard granite of his chest, I had nowhere to go.
A small sound escaped my throat and J. seized the opportunity to part my lips with a rough stab of his tongue. My mouth was suddenly filled with the taste of him. He swirled his tongue around mine, tasting me deeply, exploring every inch of my mouth. My stomach dropped and the slow fire for him that had been burning since I first lay eyes on him roared to brilliant life. I pressed closer, snaking my hands down to his waist and pulling him into me. I felt the hardness of his desire press into my stomach, telling me more about how beautiful he thought I was than his words ever could.
A pack of teenagers hooted and catcalled as they ran past us up the steps. Reluctantly, I pulled back, pressing my hands against his chest. My engagement ring sparkled in the summer sun, chastising me.
He pulled back, his breath ragged. "There are people," I whispered.
The emerald shards in his eyes blazed fiercely. "I don't actually give a fuck," he growled. But he stepped back and gave me a hand, pulling me away from the wall. He sighed and shifted uncomfortably. His grip on my hand was suddenly painfully tight. I squeaked in fear and tried to pull away.
Then the moment past. He chuckled softly. "Sorry. That wasn't very friendly of me. You don't need that."
Yes! Yes I do need that! I've never needed anything more! My heart screamed at me to correct him, but when he continued talking it sank slowly.
"I don't need it either." He looked at me quickly and explained. "Complications, that is. I'm trying to get on my feet here."
I nodded slowly. "Right. Your graduation."
I saw him startle then recover himself quickly. "Right. Gotta get on with life and all that."
I chuckled lightly, willing my heart rate to slow down. "First maybe we should get on with climbing these stairs."
He laughed, but there was no mirth. He was still holding my hand, but limply, as if he wanted to let me go but couldn't. We trudged up the steps to the plaza in front of the Museum. All around us tourists jumped up and down in imitation of the famous movie scene, but there was no joy for me in reaching the top. I wanted to be back down at the bottom, pressed between the wall and his body.
Chapter 16
J.
He had no idea why he was here.
The peace of this morning's ride had been shattered by the knowledge of where it would end up. He was nearly jumping out of his skin the whole time the doctor asked him questions about the custom chopper. The longer he spent in front of Emmy's building, the greater the risk he would stay until he saw her.
And he didn't have to wait long. She had surprised him on the sidewalk, all smiles and sun-kissed hair. The anger that had driven him home in a rage last night dissipated the moment she greeted him. He hadn't noticed how bright her eyes were until that moment.
As hard as he tried to keep the wall up around his heart, she kept doing little things to knock it back down. Her vulnerability, her hesitation, the way she flicked her eyes across his face as if he were a book she wanted to understand. It beguiled him. So much so that he found himself agreeing to being her friend, agreeing to spending the day with her, agreeing to set foot inside a cage when there was no snow on the ground, and
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