“Gray—”
I kiss him. His lips are soft under mine, his body relaxing into me before he suddenly pulls away.
“Wait, let me brush my teeth first,” he protests, a hand on my chest. “I must taste disgusting.”
“I don’t give a fuck.” I kiss him again, harder, letting him feel how much I want him regardless of morning breath or bedhead or anything else. His resistance melts away as my tongue slides against his, my hand coming up to cup his jaw.
When we finally break apart, he’s breathless, eyes wide. But the playfulness fades from his expression as reality sets in.
“Gray, you need to go,” he says softly. “If my dad finds out about this, your job—”
“I’m not taking the job.”
The words hang in the air between us. Wyatt stares at me.
“What?”
“I’m not taking your father’s offer,” I repeat, my voice steady though my heart is hammering against my ribs. “I’m going to call him today and decline.”
Wyatt pushes himself up on his elbow, brow furrowed. “But why? It’s an amazing opportunity. Head of security for Kingsley Industries is—”
“Is not what I want.”
“Then what do you want?” His voice is barely above a whisper.
There’s vulnerability in his eyes, the fear hiding behind the question.
“You,” I say simply. “I want you. If you’ll have me.”
Tears well in his eyes so suddenly it takes me by surprise. One spills over, sliding down his cheek before he can swipe it away.
“Hey,” I say, alarmed, and reach to cup his face. “What’s wrong?”
He shakes his head, another tear escaping. “No one’s ever…” He stops, swallowing hard. “No one’s ever picked me over something else.”
“Wyatt—”
“My friends hang out with me because I’m rich and fun. Alyssa dated me for my name and my connections. But no one’s ever looked at something they wanted and said, ‘No, I pick Wyatt instead.’”
I wipe away a tear with my thumb, my chest aching for him. “Your parents love you.”
“They do,” he admits. “But not enough to put me before the company. Not enough to choose me over their legacy.” He looks up at me with wet eyelashes. “No one’s ever done anything selfless for me. Until you.”
I lean down, pressing my lips to his damp cheek, tasting salt. “It’s not selfless,” I murmur against his skin. “Trust me. It’s the most selfish decision I’ve ever made.”
He pulls back to look at me, confusion clear on his face.
“I have feelings for you,” I admit, the words feeling strange and vulnerable in my mouth. “Real feelings. I want to see where this goes more than I want that job. That’s not selfless. That’s me choosing my own happiness for once.”
A smile breaks across his face, so bright it’s like watching the sun rise. He surges up to kiss me, arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me down on top of him.
“Say it again,” he whispers against my lips.
“I have feelings for you, Wyatt Kingsley.”
He kisses me deeper, hands sliding into my still-damp hair. “I have feelings for you too.”
We lose ourselves in the kiss, hands roaming, bodies pressing together with growing urgency. I trail my lips down his neck, pausing to suck lightly at his pulse point, making him gasp. His skin is warm and slightly salty under my tongue as I work my way down to his chest.
