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The last time he’d seen her, he’d bared his soul to her. Confessing his love, then walking away had to have been the hardest thing he had ever done—a fact made ten times worse when she refused to see him for a few days.
Now she was here. He needed her to say something—to give him any indication that what he’d said had resonated with her. There were so many words he could say to her.Say something. “Bri, I—”
She charged forward, closing the distance between them. Her hands came up to frame his face and pull him closer to her. For a split second, she met his gaze as if questioning whether he was on board with what she was clearly going to do. Then she crushed her lips over his, stealing his breath and the last of the brain cells he had left.
Her kiss was scorching, demanding, and full of desperation. She clung to him in a way that dwarfed their previous kiss. Wade’s initial confusion melted away and his own instincts kicked in with a viciousness he hadn’t expected. He grabbed her closer, breathing every part of her in, from the mild, sweet scent of her hair to the tantalizing taste of her. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but this was Brielle’s way of giving herself completely to him.
She was going to be his.
Her hands rose upward, her fingers digging into his hair as his hat dropped to the ground behind him. Their kiss deepened, their breathing ragged. Brielle’s touch was entirely too electrifying, and it took everything in his power to pull back to give them each a chance to collect themselves.
Wade pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed and willing his heart to slow its erratic pace. Brielle’s soft exhale caused him to pull back entirely while keeping his hold on her waist. She wasn’t meeting his gaze and her face appeared more flushed than usual. “Bri…”
She worried her lower lip, closing her eyes briefly before she let out a soft laugh. “I want you to know that I have feelings for you, too.”
“You havefeelings…” Was it selfish of him to wish she would have used a different word? Immediately the euphoria he felt wrapped around him dimmed somewhat.
Brielle nodded. “I do. But everything is still so complicated. I don’t expect you to understand why I still have to let Tad stay.”
Wade released her as if she were hot to the touch. He turned away from her, his eyes searching for something to focus on that wasn’t Brielle. Hands clenched tightly at his sides, grounding him to this moment.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft, far away, like it came from another dimension. “I don’t think he would be willing to end our agreement early, and he knows how much I want to keep this out of the spotlight.”
He whirled around. “Would that be so bad? Anyone who would willingly cause you discomfort isn’t worth it.”
“And what about you?” she said.
His head reared back.
“Didn’t you do the same thing? You told me you weren’t willing to walk away and you were going to wait as long as it took.” Her eyes hardened as she lifted her chin to challenge him. “You two are more alike than you might want to admit. And if you aren’t willing to let me finish this the way I need to, then there’s no future for us.”
Heart twisting angrily, Wade tore his gaze away from Brielle. He didn’t want to admit that she’d hit the nail on the head. She was right. He’d pestered her until she was ready to accept his advances. Tad had merely put an expiration date on how long he was going to stick around.
Wade took a deep breath and released it. The frustration that had been building diffused into a smoking ember. “Fine.”
“Fine?” she repeated.
“Yeah. I don’t like any of this.” He swooped low to pick up his hat and then he moved toward her. “But you’ve known that from the beginning. I guess I can keep waiting until the month is over if it means we get to be together.” He placed his hat on her head. His voice lowered, and he tilted his head slightly to the side. “I meant what I said, one hundred percent. I’m in love with you, and I would do anything to make you happy.”
Oh, how he wished she’d repeat those words to him. What wouldn’t he give to hear her tell him that she loved him back? But based on the flitter of emotions he saw dance behind her eyes, he knew that wasn’t going to happen. At least not yet.
“I don’t suppose you’d admit to me whether or not you’ve kissed him… like the way you kissed me?”
She flushed and her eyes lowered. “I’ve never kissed anyone like I’ve kissed you,” she rasped. Her cheeks bloomed with color, and she let out a soft laugh. “And no. I’ve not kissed him at all.”
Hope, elation, and pure joy sprang to life in his chest. That which the two of them shared was just between them. It could be his more jealous side that was reacting to her response, but he didn’t care. He’d put in the work, and he’d finally advanced in the battle of winning her heart.
He ducked lower, brushing another kiss to her lips. “So, did you come all the way out here to distract me? Or is there another reason?”
One side of her mouth quirked upward. “I figured we were due for another date.”
Wade cocked one brow. “Is that so?”
She stepped away from him slowly, tantalizingly. “Unless you think I should spend some additional time with Tad… you know… since he doesn’t have the upper hand.”
He lunged toward her, grasping her hand and pulling her back with enough force that a gasp slipped from her lips. “You most certainly shouldn’t dothat.”
“Well, I don’t know how you’re going to top our last date. I think stargazing with you has been my favorite by far.”
