He released my mouth just long enough to say, “I’ve tried to stay away… thought it was the best way to protect you. I thought I wasn’t good for you. I wanted you to have only the best, but I can’t do it anymore. I’m just too selfish.”
It was finally happening, the moment I’d been thinking about… dreaming about for all these months, and I wanted to remember every detail—the scent of his skin, the warmth of his touch, the taste of his mouth. My hands wound around his neck, and my fingers raked through his thick, dark hair as he deepened the kiss. I knew then that everything had changed. We both knew it. In true Cotton form, he had given me my answer—and what an answer it was.
For me, being with Cassidy was like that kick you get out of that first cup of coffee in the morning. I was always surprised by the charge I got whenever she walked into the room—a feeling that hit me deep down in my gut. I couldn’t get enough. Nothing had ever made me feel that way, not since I was a kid on Christmas morning. There was something about her that captivated me, like she knew something nobody else knew—some great secret you just wish to hell you could figure out. She was beautiful, so damn beautiful, but it was so much more than that. It was the way her smile would light up a room, the sexy sway of her hips when she danced, and even the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was nervous about something. It was the way she’d sing to herself as she worked behind the bar, completely unaware that the minute she opened her mouth, she’d cast a spell on everyone around her, captivating us all with the magic of her voice—especially me. She was strong and determined, but there was a soft side to her, almost fragile. The brothers respected her, knowing she’d do anything to make sure they had whatever they needed. It amazed me. In such a short time, she’d become invaluable to us all, always putting the needs of the club first.
There was so much about her I was drawn to, but it was her spark that got to me the most. I couldn’t end my day without getting that kick I got whenever I saw her, making me feel like the world wasn’t so bad after all. It gave me strength. It gave me hope. I knew my brothers thought I was trying to keep her for myself, but that wasn’t it. I couldn’t take the chance that one of them might hurt her… destroy her light. I had to protect her, even if that meant protecting her from me. I just couldn’t take it if something happened to that spark, and I was determined to make sure it stayed just the way it was. I’d done what I could to keep my distance, thinking I was protecting her, but I was done with that.
She stood there, looking like every man’s wet dream with the curls of her long, brown hair flowing loose around her shoulders. Her short skirt inched up her thigh, showing off her long, lean legs, and her dark blue sweater showed off her perfect curves, making me want her more than my next breath. Without warning, without permission… without thinking about the consequences, I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her with heat, and angst, and promise of what was to come. The beat of her heart next to mine calmed me, refueled me, and that’s when I knew. She wasn’t my first, but she would be my last. I pulled her closer as I continued to devour her mouth, claiming her in the only way I could in that moment. Damn. I loved how her body instantly responded to mine, but it made it damn near impossible to not take her over to my bed and finish what I’d started. I reluctantly pulled back and asked, “You still need the words?”
When she nodded, I continued, “The day you walked into my club, I knew there was something about you I had to have, but nothing could have prepared me for the first time I had you in my bed. After that, I was done. I can’t get you out of my head. You’re in my every thought. I can’t even escape you in my dreams. You keep drawing me in, and I am helpless to stop it.”
With her face flushed red, she answered, “I think I got it.” A small grin slowly spread across her face as she tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, letting me know I was getting to her.
I brought my hands up to her face, gently brushing my thumb across her cheek as I said, “You’re the favorite part of my day, Cass. Just one look at you, and the rest of the world just fades away.”
Her eyebrows furrowed when she asked, “I’ve waited so long for you to say something. I hoped there was something more between us, but I was beginning to think it was all in my head. But I’ve gotta ask… Why now? After all this time, why did you choose tonight to tell me all this?”