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“I know what I saw, and you didn’t look like a reluctant participant, Antonio. And even if you did, it’s none of my damn business.” That’s what the photos had highlighted for me, that he didn’t give me a heads up that his meeting with his ex might become public, was because I didn’t need to know.
“Stop saying that!”
I shrugged. “The truth hurts, believe me I know. But now that I do, I get it. I understand.” I leaned into him, into his heat, for only a moment, just long enough for his grip to slacken. With a pat to his hard chest, I took a step back and shook my head. “No hard feelings.” I walked away, because I had to. I needed to get away from the weight of his stare on me. I needed to get away from the expectations at the table. It was impossible not to feel for Antonio, but I refused to be the bad guy in this situation.
There was no good or bad guy, just two people who’s time together had expired.
The chilly night air hit my skin and I let out a long, slow breath. Confrontation wasn’t my strong suit except at work. In my scrubs, I would defend a child’s treatment plan until I was breathless, no matter how many parents were offended or angry. In my personal life, I found it easier to just walk away. Experience had thought me that. When it had become clear that Dad wouldn’t stop drinking, not for anything, I’d had to save myself.
“No hard feelings? What in the hell is that supposed to mean?” Antonio’s angry growl hit me right in the back and that moment of relaxation felt like a lifetime ago.
I stopped and dropped my head and shoulders in resignation. This conversation would happen whether I wanted it to or not. Again. “It means that I have no hard feelings about being with you or how things ended.”
“Then things don’t have to end between us.” The plea in his voice almost got to me. Almost.
“They already have ended, Antonio, if there was anything to end.”
“There was,” he growled and suddenly he was at my side, his hand gripped the upper part of my arm and spun me towards him. “We have something, dammit. It might be casual, but it is something, something important, at least to me.”
“If that were true, you would have been honest about what happened in New York. You kept it to yourself, you hid it for a reason.”
“I didn’t hide it. I didn’t bring it up because I didn’t sign a release form which means they can’t use the footage for the show.”
“Right. Or maybe you were hedging your bets, Antonio. Maybe you want your ex more than you care to admit. Or maybe you just don’t want to admit the truth, that you didn’t tell me because I didn’t need to know. You never promised me anything and I never asked you to, so why are you making this so damn difficult?”
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly, his tone barely above a whisper. “I just want you to know, that what you saw online was nothing.”
“Duly noted.” I turned to walk away, but his grip remained firm. Tight. “Antonio,” I growled, because I needed to get away. The urge to run was strong, almost overwhelming.
“Augusta,” he growled back and crushed his mouth to mine. The kiss wasn’t just any old kiss, not even from the start. His mouth was strong and demanding, his tongue slicked back and forth across my top lip, my bottom lip, teasing the seam of my mouth until it opened up and allowed him entry.
Antonio’s kiss was like a drug, no matter how bad it was, how addictive, how destructive, you couldn’t deny it. Couldn’t stay away. My body melted into his, right in the middle of The Outpost parking lot. He accepted my weight, one hand gripped my hip while the other cupped my face. He held me like I mattered, like I was truly important to him and he kissed me with a wild, feverish abandon that spoke of pure lust.
White hot, fiery lust that pulled me closer and closer to the flame until it surrounded us. The heat licked at my skin, or maybe that was just the impact of being in Antonio’s arms, being the sole target of his mouth and his hands.
I clawed at him and he gripped me tighter, pulled me closer. If we didn’t slow down soon, we would be naked and writhing, panting and pleasing each other. In public.
The kiss was hot as hell and I couldn’t deny the effect it had on me. I was hot and bothered, turned on and ready to make another mistake. Another mistake that might put my heart, my well-being, in danger.
