“You got something you want to say?” he asked with a low, raspy voice.
I took in a deep breath, letting the scent of his cologne surround me as I tried to think of something clever to say, but it was no use. I hadn’t talked to him in days and being so close to him had my brain turning to mush. It didn’t help that under his cut he was wearing my favorite gray t-shirt that showed off the definition of his perfect damn chest, and those faded jeans that made me want to reach out and grab his ass. Shit. My eyes dropped to his perfect, full lips, and I couldn’t stop myself from remembering all the wicked things that he could do with his mouth. Just thinking about kissing him made me want to run my fingers through his salt and pepper hair. Damn. It was too much. I needed to touch him, to feel his body pressed against mine again, and act on all those crazy feelings I’d been having for him. I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me, but I couldn’t cross that imaginary line we’d drawn so many months ago. He’d kept things simple, never letting me know for certain that he felt the same way about me. But I wasn’t blind. I could see the way he looked at me, the longing behind those beautiful, dark eyes. But he’d never said the words. He’d never made any declaration of how he felt about me whatsofreakingever. I wasn’t the kind of girl who threw herself at any man, no matter how desperately I might want him. Nothing real was going to happen with us until he took that first step.
With all the sarcasm I could muster, I said, “Nope. All good here.”
When he sat there, silently staring at me, I turned my back to him and started to leave, only to stop dead in my tracks when his fingers wrapped around my elbow, pulling me over to him. When I looked up at him and noticed the intense expression on his face, I froze. I could only stand there silently staring at him.
“I think you have something to say,” he pushed. He was right. I did have something to say… hell, I had plenty to say, but I couldn’t. Maybe I was too proud. Maybe I was just a coward, but I just couldn’t take the chance. When I didn’t answer him, he stood up, towering over me with a disapproving look.
“What exactly do you want from me, Cotton?” I snapped. “What is it that you want me to say?” I could’ve said a thousand things, but as usual, I said the wrong damn thing at the wrong damn time. He quickly stood up and walked over to me. Without saying a word, he took my hand and pulled me down the hall. When we got to his room, he opened the door and led me inside. After he finally released me, I was left standing in the middle of the room while he stood several feet away from me with his arms crossed and a curious look on his face. The silence was deafening as we stood there, staring at one another, and when I couldn’t take it any longer, I cocked my head to the side and asked, “You got something you want to say?”
I watched with apprehension as he took a step toward me, staring at me like a predator studying its prey. My heart started pounding against my chest, and without me even realizing it, I began backing away from him, only stopping when my back hit the wall. In just a blink, he was there, hovering over me in all his glory, and seeing the look of lust in his eyes made all of my angst about his feelings quickly fade away.
“I can’t do this anymore,” he said softly.
“Can’t do what?” When he didn’t answer, I asked again. “What can’t you do anymore, Cotton?” At that moment, it was if I was watching all of his walls fall down right there in front of me, leaving me with a Cotton I almost didn’t recognize. He looked so vulnerable standing there, making me want to wrap my arms around him.
“This thing between you and me. Cass, you know… you’ve always known,” he whispered, the warmth of his breath caressing my cheek. I could see the longing in his eyes, and I couldn’t imagine wanting him any more than I did at that moment, but it just wasn’t enough.
“I’ve waited, Cotton… all this time, but all I’ve gotten is silence from you. So, now I need the words. I need you to tell me,” I pushed, but he said nothing, not with words, yet the burning in his eyes continued to lure me in.
“Cotton?”
Still no answer. Instead, his hand slipped behind me, pulling me closer to him, and when he looked down at me with those dark, piercing eyes, my world stopped turning. The only thing left between us was the anticipation of our lips meeting once again, filling the air around us with want and need. When he finally lowered his mouth to mine, the anticipation didn’t end, it was just the beginning. His tongue brushed against mine, and I felt an electric shock shoot up my spine, setting off an explosion of desire that couldn’t be contained. It was all I could do not to completely unravel in his arms.