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“What do you mean?”
&n
bsp; “I said our heads were screwed up because of the pregnancy scare. I said I liked you, but didn’t want a relationship. I lied.” She lifted her gaze, finding his. “Yes, my head was screwed up with the pregnancy scare, but my heart wasn’t. I fell in love with you before we ever got to the broken condom, Pike. I’ve been falling for you since the day I met you. And I pushed you away because I was fucking terrified of how powerful it all felt.”
His breath stopped, the words seeming to hover and hum between them. She loved him? She loved him. He got up, planting a booted foot on the coffee table and climbing over it, not wanting to waste time walking around it.
“Baby …” He went to his knee in front of her, taking her hands, wanting to let her finish saying what she needed to.
She gave a wavering smile, her eyes going shiny, and she gave a self-conscious little headshake, like she was embarrassed she was being so emotional. “I know it may be too little too late. I’ve wanted to come find you since you walked out, but I needed to give us both time. Our relationship happened in this vacuum. Things were so intense and fast with us from the beginning that I wanted to make sure they weren’t feelings that would fade just as fast. I wanted you to go on tour and remind yourself of that life, of who you were before we met. I needed to get back to my normal life and do the same.”
He rubbed his thumbs over her cold hands, fighting hard not to just grab her and take her in his arms.
“But I realized I couldn’t get back to my normal life because you’ve permanently altered it, altered me. All I felt was this giant hole in my life that hadn’t been there before but now seemed to be all I could think about.”
The air sagged out of Pike, and he put his forehead to her knee. He knew exactly how that felt. It’d been his story every night on the road so far. The world was the same. He was different. An alien on a formerly familiar planet.
Oakley’s hands flexed in his. “But I know it’s been almost six weeks since you left and just because I feel this way doesn’t mean I expect the same from you. If how you feel about me has changed, I understand. I just didn’t want to leave things how they were. You deserved to know the truth.”
Pike raised his head. “If my feelings have changed?”
She rolled her lips inward and nodded.
He laughed, his body feeling lighter. “Are you kidding? I’ve been a fucking mess since the day I left. I’m surprised the band hasn’t fired me yet for being so goddamned lame.”
Her lips curved. “Really?”
He reached up, taking her face in his hands. “Yes. Christ, Oakley. I fucking love you. Like completely over-the-top love you. I wanted to say it the night I proposed and chickened out, but it was there the whole time. It’s been there for a while. I can’t even believe you’re here right now. I’ve imagined you so many times that I’m not fully convinced I’m not going to wake up on the bus here in a second.”
“You love me?”
He laughed. “Yes, goddammit. You have cotton in your ears, woman? I’m in love with you. Want me to tattoo it across my chest? Because I will.”
Her smile went full throttle at that. “I’m in love with you, too. But I won’t be tattooing it anywhere. Tattoos are dumb.”
At that, he couldn’t stop himself any longer. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
“This is a good plan.”
She barely had the words out before he leaned forward and claimed that lush mouth for himself. Oakley, his Oakley, was here. She loved him.
All his need and desperation surged in him at once, and she surrendered the instant they connected. Her hands gathered in his T-shirt like she was afraid that he was an illusion, too, like it’d all be ripped away. He groaned when her lips parted and finally, finally they were joined again—tongues stroking and breath mingling. His fingers slid into her hair and he angled her back against the couch, lifting himself and climbing onto the couch with her. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to devour her in one swift gulp, all the weeks apart making him feel wild and possessive.
She moaned softly into his mouth and settled against the arm of the couch as he braced himself over her. Already, he could feel himself go hard behind his fly. Shit, he was acting like a horny, clumsy teenager. But then she grabbed his ass and dragged him forward until he was straddling her.
Hell, yeah. Maybe they could be clumsy and desperate together.
“Tell me to stop, mama,” he said, trailing kisses along her throat. “Tell me to stop so we can finish talking.”
She grabbed his hair and tipped her head back to give him better access to her throat. “We can talk later.”
“Fuck yes, we can,” he said, shoving the bottom of her dress to her waist and finding her heat. He pressed against the soft satin of her panties and rubbed. God, she was soaked already. “Talking later is an excellent idea.”
He tugged off her panties and tossed them to the side and then lowered himself farther down the couch. He grabbed the backs of her thighs and draped her legs over his shoulders. For a moment, he let himself enjoy the view. Oakley breathless, face flushed, and body open to him like the sexiest, most tempting meal.
He ran a finger along her slick flesh, enjoying the way she quivered and gasped at his touch. He would never get tired of exploring every secret inch of her, of tasting her need. He lowered himself between her legs and replaced the touch of his finger with that of his mouth.
She groaned and her thighs tightened around him. She wouldn’t last long. He could feel the tension in her, like a bowstring pulled tight. But he was going to take his time. He’d lost hours in the last month, torturing himself with scenes just like this, remembering her taste and the eager way she responded to his touch—so open and honestly sexual. Oakley was real in a way he’d never experienced with anyone else. Nothing was put on for his benefit. She was in this with him as much as he was with her.
