AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She framed his face in her hands. And then she simply took him in.
His was a face she’d known her entire life. But unlike Quinn, she’d never seen Joe as a brother. He was her confidant, protector, tormentor, partner in crime, and best friend, all wrapped up in one. If she were being honest with herself, he’d been her first love. She just hadn’t known it.
As a child, she’d envisioned them living happily ever after with a couple of kids, a dog, and a house with the proverbial white picket fence. As she’d grown older, remnants of her crush had lingered, but she’d never thought they would ever toe that line.
And here they were. With the line begging to be crossed.
Roxie knew they were teetering on the edge of something that could be wonderful... or absolutely devastating.
“We have to be sure,” she said, tracing his bottom lip with her thumb. “The past few years without you were so damn hard.”
She didn’t like giving voice to her pain, but she needed him to know. Their bickering over the years had left a wound in her heart that was still raw and aching. It would be a while before it healed.
Sighing, she dropped her gaze to her lap. “Now that we’re getting our friendship back on track, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize it.”
“Roxanne, look at me,” he murmured.
She obliged. His blue eyes were dark now, and they burned with an intensity that left her breathless.
“I can’t go back to the way things were,” he said, catching her hand and placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist. “I treasure our friendship, Rox. You have to know that. But I want to be more than just your friend, baby. I want to be your partner, your lover, your... everything. And I think deep down, I always have.”
* * *
Joe held his breath.Shit. Say something. Anything. Please.
He prayed he hadn’t just pushed her too far. His timing was shit. He knew this. But he’d waited for the right moment all his life and it had never arrived. There neverwouldbe a perfect moment. There was only the here and now.
Yes, he was also concerned about ruining their friendship, but he’d meant what he’d told her. He could never go back to how things had been. He couldn’t. No way. Not when this amazing woman fit so damn perfectly in his arms. The mere idea of her being with someone else—likethis—had the caveman in him howling.
She wasn’t his. He had no right to feel possessive of her. But he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t deny how he felt. He was going to do everything he could to prove his worth. To make herwantto be his.
But first, she had to give him some kind of response. The silence coming from her was deafening. Had he shown his hand too soon? Maybe. His stomach turned at the thought.Damn.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, and fear clutched his heart. Gently wiping the wetness away with his thumb, he drew her into his chest. “Rox, baby. Please tell me I didn’t just screw everything up.”
She shook her head against him. The tension in his muscles eased. But only a little.
“No,” she said with a watery laugh. She pulled back to look at him, and her big green eyes were shiny and rimmed with tears. “I’m just overwhelmed by everything. The photos, work, you...”
Two more tears broke free, each a punch to his gut.
He released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. If he could kick himself in the nuts, he would. He was an asshole. “I’m so damn sorry, Rox. I didn’t mean to make things more confusing for you.”
She shook her head, and the tears came faster, forming a steady stream. “Ignore the tears, Joe.”
Yeah, right.
“And don’t apologize.” She sniffed. “I cry in times of confusion, you know that. But you’re not the one making this confusing. I’m doing all that on my own.”
His eyes narrowed in question. He’d thought he was fluent in Roxie-speak. Apparently, he’d been wrong.
“This?” She waved her hand between the two of them. “This feels good. It feels right. And instead of going with it and trusting it, I’m being crazy and overanalyzing it.”
“No, Roxanne, you’re not being crazy. Your feelings are real. They’re valid. It’smyfault you’re overwhelmed right now.”
“Did you send me those photos?”
His lips pressed together. Stubborn, stubborn woman. “Fine, but I’mpartiallyresponsible for your confusion.”
