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I’m reviewingthe details of the gala again while I wait for Max to arrive. Committing them to memory. Making a list of the most important topics we need to cover today and another of things I want to get started on as soon as I return from Chicago. I’m assuming he’s going home for the holiday, and we won’t meet again until after the new year. Which is fine as long as we get a few details worked out before we part ways today.
Cleo’s done a good chunk of the work for us. She’s secured the venue and caterers, arranged for the photobooth, and even collected some donations for raffle baskets. I’m sure this was to avoid spending time with Max. Still, I’m thankful for it.
When I hear the door open and close, I look up from my notes, my heart stopping in my chest at the sight of him. Tall and lean. Broad shoulders. Sun-kissed skin.
But it’s not Max walking toward me.
Nope. It’s the man I’ve been secretly in love with for years. The same man who pretends to barely know me. Who kissed me the first time we met and has basically ignored me ever since.
Colt Goodman.
Lead singer for Fade Into Nothing.
Gorgeous. Strong. With steel blue eyes that hold me captive. Every time. Like I’m in a trance.
I can’t look away as his long stride carries him toward me. And when he finally reaches me, I clasp my hands in my lap to hide the way my body is vibrating with him this close.
The sexual tension between us builds as we establish the setup by our respective presidents. I’m not surprised they both had the same idea. Their story will come out eventually, and I can’t wait to laugh at how juvenile it more than likely is.
There has been speculation over the years based on their interactions. Max shot Cleo down and vice versa. They were secretly together until someone cheated. But my personal favorite… a drunken one-night stand that Cleo is trying to keep under wraps and Max is holding over her head. It’s the one that makes the most sense to me. Cleo’s reputation is important to her. And that’s something I can see her not wanting to get out.
Forcing myself to look away from Colt so I can catch my breath, I stare at my hands in my lap and send up a silent prayer that Cleo will let me out of our agreement. I can’t work with Colt for the next two months. I won’t be able to focus on anything other than the way I felt when he kissed me.
Not that Cleo knows what happened between me and Colt. No one does. I’ve never said a word about that night. There was no point.
And since Max isn’t working on the gala anymore, Cleo can have her project back. She has no excuse not to take care of it now, right?
When I feel his hand graze my jaw, his fingertips pinching my chin, my head snaps up. His eyes are locked on mine, and I can see the storm brewing inside him. Those beautiful blues darken, causing me to suck in a breath just as his lips capture mine.
Soft. His lips are so soft.
That’s all I can think as he gently coaxes my lips open, his tongue tangling with mine. One hand cups my face, tilting it to the right to deepen the kiss, while the other snakes around the back of my neck, tangling with my hair to pull me closer. He’s leading the dance, in complete control, but he’s also holding back. The tight grip he has on my hair is a complete contradiction to the sweet kiss we’re sharing.
A kiss that shouldn’t be happening.
The same way it shouldn’t have happened the first time three years ago. As we were hidden in the shadows. The air between us buzzing from the energy of the crowd. My skin on fire from his touch as he wrapped his large hands around my waist, pulling my body against his. My heart racing as he leaned in, his eyes locked on mine.
It felt like it took hours for his lips to meet mine and at the same time, only seconds.
So much has changed since that night, but there’s one thing that hasn’t.
The fire he lights inside me whenever he’s around. One look is all it takes.
I’ve always been attracted to Colt. Felt a magnetic pull toward him. Craved his touch.
And since that first night, freshman year, when the wind was whipping through the trees, I’ve fought against all those feelings. For my sanity. To try to let go of the only man who’s ever made me feel so much with just a kiss.
That was both the beginning of my infatuation with Colt but also the end of everything. Before things even had a chance to get started.
Because we haven’t spoken since that night.
Haven’t been this close.
I’ve avoided him as much as I could. Not because I didn’t want to see him, but because the first time I saw him afterthe kiss, he acted like he had no idea who I was.
To him, I was probably just another groupie. A random girl he made out with for a few minutes between sets. A means to release all the pent-up energy from being on stage.
Unfortunately, for me, I haven’t been able to stop my feelings from blossoming over the years. I feel like a stupid girl chasing a boy who doesn’t even know she exists.
