AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re awfully cocky.”
A slow smirk spread across his handsome face. “You didn’t seem to mind.”
My laugh burst out into the night sky. “Definitely not. I’ll be lucky if I can walk.”
When I looked at Lee, he grinned and winked. “Don’t worry. I can carry you.”
I sighed and leaned into him, letting my head rest against his muscular shoulder. For once, I let myself enjoy the quiet solitude of our water tower. Finally, when I couldn’t take the questions swirling in my mind, I sighed. “So it’s you and me, huh?”
His lips pressed into my hair. “Glad you’re finally catching up.”
I tilted my head to grin at him. My stomach swooped at the soft way Lee looked at me.
He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “It’s always been you, baby.”
TWENTY-TWO
LEE
I smelled her bright,sunshine scent before even opening my eyes. Tightening my arms, I held Annie’s body against mine. Draped across my chest was a riot of auburn curls. I buried my nose in her hair and stilled.
I wanted to live in that moment forever.
Memorize every detail. The way her nose tipped up at the end. The freckles that danced across the bridge of her nose. The soft arm that draped across my abs and how her thighs caged my leg as if she were afraid I’d disappear somewhere in the middle of the night.
As if I could ever leave.
Annie’s breathing was steady and even. We’d stayed up well past midnight, exploring this new aspect of our friendship. Before we’d even made it through the door of my apartment, I was hoisting Annie over my shoulder and grabbing another handful of her ass. I headed straight for my bedroom, and we never came up for air.
I was all too happy to drown in her.
Annie shifted and let out an adorable little morning moan.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
She groaned and stretched before looking up at me. “You’re still here.”
I chuckled and looked down at her sleepy face. “It’s my apartment. Where was I gonna go?”
Annie smiled and buried herself deeper into the nook of my arm. My bruised ribs protested against her embrace, but I bundled her closer.
For years I’d done impressive work of avoiding this very scenario. Waking up with my latest hookup in tangled sheets was a strictno fucking way. Usually after my dates got their fill, they were eager to pack up their shit and leave to tell their friends all about it.
But this was different.Shewas radically different.
Nothing about Annie could be compared to any other woman I’d ever been with. With them, I was careful not to reveal too much of myself or ever be vulnerable. I was good for a fun time—always the happiest guy in the room.
But Annie knew damn near everything about me. Over the years I’d given pieces of my true self to her, and she’d never turned away. Not once.
A sharp sting dug into my side.
It was inevitable that I was going to fuck this up, and it was going to hurt like hell to lose her.
Not. Fucking. Happening.
I had no clue how I was going to ever be enough for her, but I refused to go down without a fight.
“What’s with this?” Annie peered up at me and pressed her index finger between my eyebrows, massaging out the furrow that had settled there.
