what to say next. Instead of speaking, he stood and reached for her hand. "Come with me, I want to show you something," he said, pulling her along behind him. He grabbed her coat from the sofa. "You might want to put this on."
He neared the rear of his apartment, dropped her hand, and popped open the window. What in the hell is he thinking, opening the window as cold as it is outside ? When he started to climb through, she believed that he'd truly lost his mind. "What are you doing?" she gasped, and reached for the back of his sweatshirt.
He peeked over his shoulder at her. "Relax. I promise I'm not suicidal." He laughed as he disappeared through the opening. She stepped forward and put her hands on the sill, gaping out at him. "Join me?"
She realized he was standing on a narrow ledge. She shook her head and said, "You're crazy. You know that, right?" She sat on the window frame before climbing out, one leg at a time.
He was hunched over, already working to focus a very large telescope. "It's not Neptune, but have a look," he said, beaming proudly.
She inched closer, and peered through the viewfinder up at the night sky. "Venus," she marveled, and pressed her eye to the eyepiece again. "The sky is so clear. The view out here is incredible."
"I know," he agreed.
She turned toward him, and he stared at her uncomplicated beauty through hooded eyes. She pointed toward the cloudless sky above them. "I'm talking about the view up there."
"That too," he breathed. As he stepped closer to her, she visibly tensed. He ran his hand through his long blonde hair and whispered, "What are you afraid of, Blue?"
"Are we back to the twenty-one questions game?" she asked. "Because if we are, I think I'll skip that one for now." She turned to crawl back through the window.
"Star, wait." Shane sighed. Instinctively, he reached for her, but when she flinched, he withdrew. Her sad brown eyes shone in the moonlight. He held up his hands in surrender. "I'll never hurt you, Blue."
"No, it's okay. I really should be going. It's late." She smiled halfheartedly before climbing back into his apartment.
He followed her inside and said, "Look, we all have skeletons in our closet we'd rather not deal with. I get that. Talk to me. Please?"
She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him. To open up and let another man into her heart was something she wasn't sure she could handle. She blinked at him and pulled her lips between her teeth. She didn't want to cry, but she lost the fight as one hot tear after another slid down her cheeks. He pulled her against him and she didn't resist.
They stood wrapped in one another's arms. He ran his hand up and down her back while she silently wept. After several minutes, when she felt as though she'd exhausted all of her tears, she drew away to look at him. Wordlessly, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for letting me ruin your shirt," she sniffled.
He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her, just a light brush of his lips across hers at first. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped closer to him, pressing her body against the length of his. The passion she felt for him was real and made her knees go weak.
His tongue found its way between her lips, and she sucked it deeper as her hands fisted in the front of his sweatshirt. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she imagined his tongue making love to her mouth.
It was Shane who broke their kiss first. He rested his forehead against hers. "I'm pretty sure I just saw stars," he panted.
She inhaled deeply and held it before sighing noisily. "I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened."
He studied her face curiously. "What do you mean? That was only the most amazing kiss I've ever had. Like I said, I saw stars, my toes curled. The whole nine yards." He was trying to make light of the tension between them.
She playfully swatted his chest. "I never said I didn't like it. I just think it would be better for us both, especially you, if we
He neared the rear of his apartment, dropped her hand, and popped open the window. What in the hell is he thinking, opening the window as cold as it is outside ? When he started to climb through, she believed that he'd truly lost his mind. "What are you doing?" she gasped, and reached for the back of his sweatshirt.
He peeked over his shoulder at her. "Relax. I promise I'm not suicidal." He laughed as he disappeared through the opening. She stepped forward and put her hands on the sill, gaping out at him. "Join me?"
She realized he was standing on a narrow ledge. She shook her head and said, "You're crazy. You know that, right?" She sat on the window frame before climbing out, one leg at a time.
He was hunched over, already working to focus a very large telescope. "It's not Neptune, but have a look," he said, beaming proudly.
She inched closer, and peered through the viewfinder up at the night sky. "Venus," she marveled, and pressed her eye to the eyepiece again. "The sky is so clear. The view out here is incredible."
"I know," he agreed.
She turned toward him, and he stared at her uncomplicated beauty through hooded eyes. She pointed toward the cloudless sky above them. "I'm talking about the view up there."
"That too," he breathed. As he stepped closer to her, she visibly tensed. He ran his hand through his long blonde hair and whispered, "What are you afraid of, Blue?"
"Are we back to the twenty-one questions game?" she asked. "Because if we are, I think I'll skip that one for now." She turned to crawl back through the window.
"Star, wait." Shane sighed. Instinctively, he reached for her, but when she flinched, he withdrew. Her sad brown eyes shone in the moonlight. He held up his hands in surrender. "I'll never hurt you, Blue."
"No, it's okay. I really should be going. It's late." She smiled halfheartedly before climbing back into his apartment.
He followed her inside and said, "Look, we all have skeletons in our closet we'd rather not deal with. I get that. Talk to me. Please?"
She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him. To open up and let another man into her heart was something she wasn't sure she could handle. She blinked at him and pulled her lips between her teeth. She didn't want to cry, but she lost the fight as one hot tear after another slid down her cheeks. He pulled her against him and she didn't resist.
They stood wrapped in one another's arms. He ran his hand up and down her back while she silently wept. After several minutes, when she felt as though she'd exhausted all of her tears, she drew away to look at him. Wordlessly, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for letting me ruin your shirt," she sniffled.
He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her, just a light brush of his lips across hers at first. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped closer to him, pressing her body against the length of his. The passion she felt for him was real and made her knees go weak.
His tongue found its way between her lips, and she sucked it deeper as her hands fisted in the front of his sweatshirt. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she imagined his tongue making love to her mouth.
It was Shane who broke their kiss first. He rested his forehead against hers. "I'm pretty sure I just saw stars," he panted.
She inhaled deeply and held it before sighing noisily. "I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened."
He studied her face curiously. "What do you mean? That was only the most amazing kiss I've ever had. Like I said, I saw stars, my toes curled. The whole nine yards." He was trying to make light of the tension between them.
She playfully swatted his chest. "I never said I didn't like it. I just think it would be better for us both, especially you, if we
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