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His leg rests between mine, and I find myself shamelessly rocking against him in an attempt to dull the ache that’s building. As Sawyer’s lips brush around my jaw and down my neck, I moan, his teeth nipping against my skin. My entire body feels like it’s on fire, and I’ve never experienced anything like it. Even when I’ve given myself an orgasm, it’s never felt half this good.
“Oh God, Sawyer,” I mumble, my hands reaching underneath his T-shirt. My fingers stroke his skin when he suddenly stops and sits up. Opening my eyes, my heart sinks as I wait for him to tell me it was a mistake again.
“Do you smell burning?” he asks, breathless from our kissing. I frown, wondering what he’s talking about when I remember the pizza.
“Shit! I put a pizza in the oven while you were talking to Logan.”
He jumps off the bed and runs out of the room. Scrambling after him, I race downstairs. As I enter the kitchen, he’s opening the oven door. Smoke billows out, and he steps back, waving his hand to clear the smoke. Using a cloth, he pulls the blackened pizza from the oven, dropping it on the counter. I quickly move to the window, opening it wide to clear the burning smell from the area.
“Remind me never to let you cook.” He looks at me and bursts out laughing.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, relieved he’s not pissed at me for nearly burning down his parents’ place. “In my defense, I was a little…preoccupied.” My cheeks heat as I acknowledge what we were doing. He doesn’t respond but takes another pizza from the freezer. After removing the packaging, he places it in the oven.
“Sawyer, what are we doing?” My voice wobbles, and I say a silent prayer I don’t burst into tears. He’s got his back to me, and he sighs, his shoulders dropping. He runs a hand through his hair before turning to face me. I drop my eyes to my clasped hands, not wanting to see the same tortured look on his face from yesterday.
“I’m a selfish bastard.” His voice is low, and I’m taken aback by his reply. My eyes shoot up to meet his. Seeing the confusion on my face, he takes a step toward me. “You were upset. I took advantage.”
“Yes, I was upset. You’d told me my apartment, the place where I felt safe, had been broken into. You didn’t take advantage, Sawyer. I’m a grown woman. If I didn’t want you to kiss me, I’d have said no.”
He shakes his head. “I’ve crossed the line again. My job is to protect you.”
“What line? This line you keep talking about is something only you can see. Why can’t you kiss me and protect me?” I try not to sound pissed, but I’m not sure I succeed. I am pissed. It’s obvious there’s something between us. I’ll be damned if I’m going to beg him to want it. “I’m going to lie down. I’ve got a headache.”
I don’t wait for him to reply as I turn on my heel, almost running from the room. I can’t deal with all this shit. With everything that’s happened over the past twenty-four hours, it’s a wonder I haven’t gone crazy. I can’t go home because of that asshole, Matt, and even if I could, he’s managed to turn one of the only places I felt safe into somewhere I’m scared to return.
I hate everything to do with that asshole.
And I detest him with every fiber of my being.
ChapterTwenty
Sawyer
While standing in the kitchen, I watch her walk out. I want to go after her, but I’m paralyzed. She sounds hurt and upset, and I can’t say I blame her. After kissing her at the motel yesterday, I knew what I’d felt developing between us was something real. I also knew a relationship seemed impossible. I can’t pretend I am able to keep it professional anymore, though. I hate seeing her cry, and the need to hold her won over.
Kissing her again felt right.
And as much as I argue with myself, I want her.
I can’t deny it any longer.
Maybe she is right, and the line I thought I’d crossed isn’t an issue. Maybe we can give whatever this is between us a chance.
I need to talk to her.
Once the pizza’s cooked, I fix us both a drink and head upstairs, balancing everything on a tray. I’m apprehensive. I hurt her yesterday, and I don’t want to hurt her again. As I walk along the hallway, I can see the door to the guest room is slightly ajar. I frown when I hear Hallie talking to someone. Pushing open the door with my foot, she’s standing at the side of the bed, her phone at her ear. When she hears me, she spins around.
“I’ve got to go, Mom… no, really, I’m okay.” Her eyes fix on mine, and I can see she’s been crying again.
Dammit! I feel like the biggest jerk knowing I most likely added to those tears.
“I love you too. I’ll call you soon. Bye.” She whispers the word ‘bye’ before ending the call and putting the phone on the nightstand.
Placing the tray on the dresser, I push down the desire to pull her into my arms. “You need to turn your phone off, Hallie. I don’t imagine Bryant has the knowledge or ability to track your phone, but I’d rather not risk it.”
“Track my phone? Is that why you didn’t want me contacting anyone?” I nod, and she reaches over, powering down the phone. “I found a charger in the nightstand drawer… I wanted to speak to my mom.”
“You can speak to your mom anytime you want. But you must use my phone.” She sighs. “You okay?” I can see she’s upset, but something is different. She’s put up a barrier.
