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“She’s your daughter and she needed you. I’m always going to understand that. And you didn’t pick her over me, you picked her emergency over taking my dad to a baseball game. If you were supposed to take Maddy to a baseball game and you found out I’d been in a car accident, what would you do?”
I squeezed her tighter, hating this hypothetical. “I’d break every traffic law in existence to get to you.”
“There you go.”
My hands found their way to her face. “I don’t ever want to hurt you.”
“I know that.”
“Do you?” I was so used to being doubted I found it hard to believe.
She answered by kissing me. My whole body breathed out in relief as her petal-soft lips pressed against mine. Fiercely enough to let me know she meant it, even though her mouth stayed closed because we were in public and already attracting curious glances.
“Come on.” I grabbed Tess’s hand and marched her toward the elevators, needing to get her alone ASAP.
I punched the up button and pulled her into my arms again, unwilling to let even a few inches separate us while we waited.
We must have looked pretty intense, because when the elevator came, the guy who’d been waiting for it with us gestured for us to go on without him. “You take it,” he said with a faint smile. “I’ll catch the next one.”
“Thanks, man.” I gave him a grateful nod as I punched the number for my floor.
As soon as the doors finished closing, I pulled Tess into my arms and brushed my lips over hers. “Tell me you don’t hate me.”
“Iloveyou.” Her fingers slid into my hair, her body pressing hard against mine as our mouths slid together.
My hands fumbled over her hips, her hair, her throat, her face. Needing to touch her everywhere. None of it enough.
Hunger surged in my blood when her tongue parted my lips and stroked over mine. I let out a growl and pressed her back against the wall of the elevator, kissing her like my life depended on it. Telling her without words all the things I wanted her to know.I love you. I need you. I can’t stand the thought of my life without you. Please don’t ever fucking leave me, because I might actually die if I have to give you up a second time.
When my hand pushed under her shirt, she grabbed my wrist and tore her mouth away from mine. “Security camera. Someone’s probably watching.”
“Shit.” We didn’t need to be giving my building’s security guys a free peep show. The last thing I wanted was some creepy rent-a-cop getting off on the sight of Tess. Only I was allowed to do that.
Setting my hands safely on her waist, I eased my hips back enough that I wasn’t so obviously dry humping her. “Sorry. I got carried away.”
“Me too.” Her fingers brushed over the makeup smears on my shirt as her gaze wandered down my body. “You’re barefoot,” she said as if she’d just now noticed.
“I was in too much of a hurry to get to you to put on shoes.”
Her smile made the air taste sweeter, like it had been touched by sunlight, rainbows, and ocean breezes.
When the elevator doors slid open on my floor, I steered her into the hall. We held hands all the way to my apartment, our fingers laced so tightly it felt like they were fused together. Only once we were inside did I let go in order to throw the bolt behind us.
While Tess toed her shoes off, I sagged back against the front door with a groan. “What a fucking day, huh?”
Her smile faded as she looked at me. “I should have had more faith in you. I shouldn’t have assumed the worst.”
“Tess,” I said softly, moving to take her in my arms. Her breath hitched as I pulled her close. “I shouldn’t have given you a reason to assume the worst.”
“You didn’t. That’s the thing.” Her eyes closed as our noses rubbed together. “I keep trying to protect myself because you scare me so much.”
I went still, my chest growing tight. “I scare you?”
“My feelings for you scare me. They’re too big. It’s overwhelming sometimes, how much I need you. And terrifying, because what happens if I lose you?”
A mixture of relief and elation flooded through me. She needed me. This strong, brilliant,capablewoman needed me and wanted me in her life. I was the luckiest guy on the planet.
“You’re not going to lose me. I love you.” I took her face in my hands, then sucked in a breath because she was so beautiful she made my head spin. “I’m not going anywhere. You can trust me on that.”
