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“You’re such a complication,” I whispered against his lips, and felt him smile in response.
“You’re a dream inside a living nightmare, and I’m a bastard for pulling you in.”
I looked up to see him watching me, anguish filling his eyes.
“A selfless man would have let you walk away.”
Everything he said was as if it was taken from my own mind. Dare had no idea just how terrified I was for him, and yet, I would fail if I tried to stay away from him.
“If I was selfless, I would’ve never set foot in this café. I would’ve never looked at you or thought of you. I would’ve never let you kiss me.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “I wouldn’t be considering impossible things that terrify me for so many reasons.”
He dipped his head, brushing his mouth along my jaw, back to my ear. “Don’t be afraid.”
My knees weakened and heart raced, and all I wanted was to let him continue the slow tortuous dance his lips were making down my neck.
I wanted so, so much.
But one of those terrifying reasons was Teagan, and I knew she was waiting for me—knew we’d been in the office for longer than five minutes.
“I need to get back to my friend before she comes looking for me,” I managed to whisper when he lightly nipped at my neck.
Dare stilled for a second, then breathed a low, “Shit.” He stepped back enough to look at me, but didn’t release me. “When will I see you again?”
“I don’t know. Next Monday?” I offered, making the words sound like a question that he didn’t find amusing. “I don’t have a phone. I don’t know when I’ll be anywhere or where I’ll be except for here.”
He stared at the door for a few seconds, then nodded grudgingly. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to be around, but I can’t promise anything,” I said as I opened the door and took a step back.
“How am I supposed to find you?”
“Wait for me to light up the dark,” I teased as I slipped out of the office.
“Truth or dare,” he called out just as I rounded the hall to take me back into the main part of the café.
I paused, a smile pulling at my lips as I turned to face him. “Don’t you know what I’ll choose?”
“I can’t read your mind, Firefly. I only know what you’ll choose when you’re afraid.”
“Then dare.”
Surprise flickered in his eyes and that carefree grin lit up his face. But his voice held a hint of hesitation and worry when he pled, “Give me you.”
“I already have. I could deny and fight my feelings for you for the rest of my life, but I can see it was never a choice with you. But our lives . . . they aren’t ready for the fallout of this.”
And I hate every obstacle preventing us.
His brow pinched in confusion, but before he could question me, I turned and hurried back to a silently fuming Teagan.
Minutes passed as we watched each other. I opened my mouth at least a dozen times tell her about Conor being sent away and running into Ethan at the street fair, but it never seemed right.
Because this had started two years ago.
And Teagan knew that.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she finally hissed when I failed to speak. “You’re not just ruining your life and a lifelong relationship, you’re destroying the hope of an entire family’s future. That includes mine.” Her tone was bitter and harsh, but her eyes filled with sadness. “And your ogling guy? What was his name, Darren? You’ve just ordered his death from a guy he’ll never see coming.”
I woke a couple nights later to a touch so familiar, it was as if it was my own.
