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My palms were sweaty as I looked at her, taking in her perfectly manicured eyebrows, the neatly put-together blonde hair with not a strand out of place, and her lightly colored lips.
Her blouse and pencil skirt were wickedly sexy, hugging the lines of her body in ways that left nothing to the imagination and had me wanting more all at once.
“Riley?” She said softly, her accent thick as she took a step toward me.
“Look, I don’t know how to do this but I told myself I would jump today and never look back.” I started, her look of confusion frustrating me.
“I want you, Katerina. I have wanted you since the day I met you.” The words tumbled from my mouth in a rushed, breathless way and I cursed myself for sounding like a bumbling fool.
“Riley… I don’t understand.” She said and I watched as her eyes hardened, that familiar look of a closed-off businesswoman surfacing every time I tried to talk about something personal with her.
“I’m in love with you, Kat. I have been for years, and I can’t keep going on like this without you knowing. I need to know if there is even a tiny chance that you might feel the same.” I said, holding my breath as I watched her.
Emotions clouded her eyes as she swallowed, looking away from me.
“You don’t know me, Riley. Not the real me so how can you say you love me?” She whispered and frustration rode me.
“Because you won’t let me in. But that doesn’t matter. I don’t care what secrets you hide from me, Kat. I know you, the parts of you that are important. I know what makes you happy, I know when you are sad, I know the sound of your laugh when something really lights you up and I know how you make me feel every time you are near. I want to get to know the other partsof you as well, but I know you, Katerina.” I said, taking a step toward her.
She looked at me with a pained expression, and I knew then that she was going to try and shut me down quickly.
“Don’t. I can see it in your eyes. Why won’t you let me in?” I asked as I stood in front of her, so close that the warmth of her body was like a beacon calling for me.
“Because I am not a good person, Riley. I do bad things and anyone who gets close gets hurt. You are a good guy, you deserve a woman who will treat you right, and keep you safe and loved. I couldn’t offer you what you are looking for.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and I would have believed her if it wasn’t for the unshed tears in her eyes.
“Tell me the truth. Why can Leo get close to you, but I can’t? That man is just as infatuated with you. I’m not some little boy that needs sheltering and protection, you would see that if you let me in.” I said, reaching out to take her hand.
“Riley…” She went to protest but I stopped her with a kiss.
If she slapped me, I didn’t care. This might be the only time I get to kiss her, and I wasn’t going to give it up.
I wanted her to see that I wasn’t a boy, I was a man, I was a man desperately in love with this woman.
She gasped as my lips touched hers and I took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, cupping her cheeks and caressing my tongue with hers, tasting the sweetness of her coffee and the donut she ate.
I threaded my fingers through her hair, tugging slightly until she was angled up for me to kiss her deeper, harder.
Her body pressed against mine and for a moment, she lost herself to the kiss, her hands fisted in my shirt as she met me with just as much passion.
I pulled back, resting my forehead against hers, and gulped the air, feeling alive with desire and something more.
“I have craved your touch since the moment you smiled at me. I have longed to taste you since you first said my name and I have thought of no one else since the minute you entered my life. Give me a chance, Kat. Let me show you that you can be loved again.” I whispered and felt her go still.
“Again? Why would you say that?” she asked, her voice breaking.
“Because only a woman who has been heartbroken once before would be so terrified of letting another man into her heart. I’m asking you to trust me, I would rather rip out my own heart before hurting yours.” I said before I pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Think about it. My cards are out on the table now, the next move is yours.” I said before I slowly stepped back, looking at her slightly swollen lips and the slight smear of her lipstick.
She looked damn sexy like that, and I knew she would look even more sexy after screaming my name from all the pleasure I would wring from her.
I wonder if she would be okay with my kinks.
I shook my head slightly. I was getting ahead of myself. Katerina took a long, steady breath, smoothed her hand over her hair, and stood taller.
“I need to go.” She said, closing off to whatever she was feeling.
“I know.” I opened the door and as she walked past me, I grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop in front of me and leaned in and whispered.
