Page 110 of What Started In Deception

“We’re not a lie, Lyd. What we have is different, but it’s not a lie.”

She sighed again, hating that any of this was happening. “I want them to be okay. More than anything, I want that for them.”

“They’re struggling. There’s no doubt about it. But it seems like there’s still plenty of love there. We’ve seen that for ourselves over the last few days.”

She nodded, letting her hands settle on his shoulders. “Thank you.”

His brow furrowed again. “For what?”

“For listening,” she said as she moved to caress her fingers along the nape of his neck. “For always being a shoulder for me to lean on.”

“I like our talks.”

She nodded as her gaze wandered to his mouth before it locked on his again, seeing the desire in his eyes—like she had last night when the fireworks exploded in the sky. “Me, too.”

He clenched his jaw as his hands stopped their gentle slide against her back. “Lyd.”

“Hmm?”

“We can’t.” But even as he said so, he pulled her closer.

She nodded again, knowing that there were rules—lines that were not to be crossed—but currently, she didn’t care as she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his.

He stiffened as his fingers tensed against her skin.

“Let me kiss you,” she murmured against his mouth as she stared into his blurry gaze. “I want to kiss you.”

And then he groaned as he dove in, sliding his tongue against hers.

She moaned, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck as he cupped her cheeks, taking the kiss deeper.

Tongues tangled greedily as mouths came back together time and again—as his hands wandered under her cami top—first along her back and then her front, cupping her breasts in his palms.

She gasped as she arched, not wanting him to stop touching her.

“Lyd,” he whispered as his lips moved in a trail down her neck, then along her shoulders as he pulled her cami straps down her arms, exposing her breasts.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” he murmured as he teased her nipples with gentle slides of his thumbs before he took turns pulling her into his mouth, bathing her sensitive skin with soft strokes of his tongue.

“Mmm,” she whimpered as he clutched at her butt—as she rocked herself against him, feeling his erection through the barrier of his underwear and her shorts.

His mouth found hers again for another deep kiss before he let out a painful groan and pulled away, staring into her eyes as his breath steamed out in torrents. “This can’t happen. It can’t happen, Lyd.”

She nodded, breathing just as hard as he was. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “I promise you that there’s no one sorrier than me.”

She pulled her cami straps back up her arms and got up.

“Hey,” he said as he snagged her by the hand. “Are you okay? Are we okay?”

She nodded. “We’ll chalk the whole thing up to a messy night.”

He kept her fingers clutched in his. “If this were any other situation…”

She nodded again.

“Me saying that we can’t isn’t me saying that I don’t want to.”