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She panted, more focused on the sound of his voice and his closeness rather than the stars. She turned towards him, her face only centimeters from his. “Like a second chance? Like, if the bird wanted to become someone different, someone better than its father, it could?” she asked.
Kiss me.
He swallowed. “Remy,” he said, his voice husky. Maybe he was feeling the same need that coiled tightly inside her, winding her body, threatening to unravel life as she knew it. “We can’t do this.”
“We can’t be friends?” she asked, hoping to lighten the intensity of her silent plea.
“You don’t know what you’re asking of me,” he said, his eyes flicking to her mouth.
She licked her lips. Her body trembled as fear of missing her chance gripped her. Terrified of the consequences of not at least trying. He’d never make the first move.
Despite what he thought, he was a good man. He respected her brother’s friendship and her, but he somehow had this twisted belief that he was never going to be worthy of her. It was the opposite. If anyone was the lucky one, it would be her.
“Please?” Begging wasn’t beneath her, not for this man.
“I don’t think I could ever just be your friend. I’m nothing but trouble. I’m darkness and you’re pure light. We don’t belong together.”
His words reverberated through her, shaking her to her core. Compassion for his broken pieces and love for the strength of what it took to live through hell and come out the other side overwhelmed her. He wanted her. Mikel Evans wanted her. Her heart swelled and pounded in her chest as she inhaled a shaky breath. Mustering every ounce of courage she had, she said, “You can’t have light without the darkness. The stars and the moon are only beautiful because of the night.”
The mask fell, his expression once again vulnerable. A lifetime of untold pain flickered to the surface, visible in flashes. He bit his lip, looking towards the sky as if deep in thought.
Something inside her propelled her forward, tugging her in his direction. He needed to hear the words that tumbled into her mind, dancing and weaving into her spirit in whispers. His need to be loved overrode her hesitation and uncertainty. A primal force to care for the man and give him whatever he needed controlled her actions.
She climbed onto his lap, taking his face in her hands as she gazed into the windows of his soul. “I have cared for you all my life, Mikel Evans. I just never thought you would look my way. Everyone deserves to be loved, especially those who don’t think they’re worthy of it. They need it the most. Give me a chance. I’ll be whatever you need me to be, as long as I get to be with you.”
His body trembled, and his jaw clenched before his mouth crashed onto hers, hungry and seeking. Unhinged and uncontrolled. He drank from her as if she was his fountain of life. She gave everything to him, open and willing to let him take whatever he needed. His tongue invaded her mouth, meeting hers as his hands slid to her waist, pulling her tighter against him. He tasted like vanilla cupcakes. Sweet and mild. He trailed tender kisses along her neck, spinning her in a knot of passion and awareness.
He kissed her collarbone before saying, “You’re so beautiful. If I was a better man, I would leave you alone.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his statement. She’d had a lifetime of watching him from the sidelines as he cared for his sister, protecting and providing for her when he had only been a child. This was the man who had saved her from bullies. He was her fantasy come to life. “You are a better man. That’s why I chose you.”
He kissed her lips again, this time tender and reverent. As if he was cherishing every moment they were tangled together as much as she was. His hands kneaded into her hips possessively, sending a rush of desire through her. Fire bloomed in her center.
Mikel is kissing me.
He was touching her. After a lifetime of shooting stars and birthday candles, her wishes were coming true. His palm skated over her thigh, blistering her bare skin with lust. Her body burned white-hot. Emotions and yearnings she had never felt before sent her tumbling and spinning into a boiling frenzy. She’d not felt as alive and empowered in all her life as she did kissing Mikel under the canopy of the stars.
