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“Addy, it’s not up for debate.”
He brought me into him. My breasts to his solid chest, he was immovable, his frame as unbendable as his resolve. Holding me, his expression softened, and so did I with his body pressed into mine.
“I love saying your name,” he said softly. “Love holding you like this.”
Barry pressed his lips into my hair. His woodsy scent washed over me, along with that certainty I always used to feel when he held me.
He drew back. “Ready to move on?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, though I felt like there was more to that question than just our current walk.
“Good.” He took my hand and threaded our fingers together. “Because we’re here.”
Turning the corner, we came around the other side of the warehouse where rows of temporary booths were set up. More than a few people were already milling about, checking out the fresh vegetables and fruit.
Barry kept my hand as we strolled. He held me looser than before, but he remained watchful and protective at my side.
He selected the items he needed, and I carried them. Fingers intertwined, we went back the way we came. We chatted about this and that effortlessly, as if the span of time we’d been apart was merely a day. Technically, it was, but we still had years to catch up on with each other.
When he asked about Claire and Footit’s, I told him I thought my niece was doing better having a friend, and that I expected the weekend to be busy at the bar.
I asked him if it was as stressful starting a new business as I remembered. He admitted that it was, but that he was more concerned about Tommy making friends and adjusting to his new school than he was about the restaurant.
Everything Barry shared, I liked learning about him. The more time I spent with him, the more time I wanted. Talking to him now was as enjoyable as it had been back then.
This reconnection had to be temporary, but it didn’t feel temporary. It felt just right, like being with him always did.
Addy
When we were done shopping, Barry and I took the bags from the market into his work kitchen.
It was small, but tidy, and well laid out with standing coolers within easy reach of a butcher-block prep island. The pots and pans on open shelves were clean, but their surface showed wear like the larger equipment. It was obvious everything was secondhand, which was smart.
“It’s not much to look at.” He shrugged. “But it’s functional.”
Approving, I nodded. “Secondhand and worn means they’ve already proven they can handle the test of time.”
“I believe that’s true.” He narrowed his gaze, his increased intensity palpable. “You and I have proven that as well. That this is a second chance for me and you. That what we learned wasn’t wasted time. That what we got wrong, we can now make right.”
Whoa.My brows rose. “What’s going on?” I asked, backing away as he moved toward me with intent.
“You and me. Right now. I’m claiming you for my own. Finally.”
He swept me into his arms, and I gasped. Apparently, this was one of those moments when he was in charge, and we were going fast.
Quickly, I clasped my hands together around his strong neck. I held on as he strode through the swing door out into his restaurant. Moving between the quiet rows of vacant seating, he passed through the curtain and carried me up the stairs. Like the first time, he didn’t seem taxed by the effort.
Once inside his apartment, he set me down and punched in the code to turn off the alarm. The hot look he gave me made me shiver.
“I’m taking you to my bedroom, and I’m going to fuck you. Are you okay with that? I need your verbal consent.”
“Yes, absolutely yes.”
I understood why he asked, but there wasn’t a question in my mind. This was what I wanted. Barry was sexy. I trusted him. The attraction had always been there, but he was irresistible to me because he was my friend, and I knew his heart.
His eyes flaring brilliant brown, fiery copper, and gray-green smoke, he lifted me again, and I laid my cheek against his hard chest. His intensity didn’t intimidate me. It only made the certainty inside me burn brighter.
In his bedroom, he set me on my feet. I savored the way our bodies fit together. My curves conformed to his hard edges like puzzle pieces. He shrugged out of his jacket, throwing it on the leather ottoman at the foot of the bed. He then removed mine.
