He pushed his food around his plate with angry scrapes. "I still can't believe she actually played the blackmail card. Unbelievable." He stabbed at the bacon with his fork. "She was smart enough not to dial my number. I will ru-"
The sound of the word hanging unfinished was a stamp of approval. I'd slid onto the table, giving him my best 'come hither'. When I had his full attention, I pushed his plate out of the way, and took its place. The last thing I wanted to talk about was the gall of Rachel Laraby.
I leaned forward, fitting my mouth over his. His lips were warm and malleable and the groan he breathed as I drew him closer brought a smile to my lips. I stroked his cheek, waiting for him to make the next move.
He gaped at me. "Why Miss Montgomery, are you hungry for something else?"
Feeling bold and so horny I couldn't sit still, I eased back forward, gripping his curve through his dark wash jeans. “Absolutely.”
"Well," he said with a husky edge, "If you want it, then take it."
I practically spilled into his lap. I tore at his jeans, tugged at his shirt. He was up, his mouth against mine with urgency, breaking only to remove my shirt. He moved to my zipper but I just hiked my skirt up, chiffon billowing all around me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and drew him in.
"I need you," I panted. "Right now. Just like this."
He pressed his mouth against mine and I pushed back as we breathed in and out together. When he thrust inside, he filled me so completely that I cried out. He studied me, slowing his thrusts.
"Are you ok?" he asked tenderly. There were no orders, no power plays now. His slow strokes turned the flash of discomfort into something molten. I looked up into his face, strained and taut with passion. I wanted to tell him that I was better than okay. That I'd never felt so free, so wild. I was the personification of every sappy love song. But every new thrust was making talking difficult. There were only grunts. Boisterous moans until I exploded around him and he in me.
Lying on the table with bits of egg in my hair and a grin that said he could go another round, the words just came out.
"I love you."
The grin dropped from his face immediately and all of the color rushed from his face. His mouth opened and closed and in his eyes I saw the absolute last thing a woman wanted to see in the eyes of a man she'd just poured her heart out to.
Horror.
Oh God.
I kicked my legs over the edge of the table, the thud of my landing the only audible sound. Inside, my heart was breaking.
I knew the next few moments were crucial. I could go with the overwhelming desire to scream and flip the table WWE style or the equally strong pull to sink to the floor and ball my eyes out. Both reactions would ensure that the awkward would zip off the charts. But the other option, pretending like his silence wasn’t a big deal, would be just as devastating.
I was so certain he’d say it back—and now I felt the delicious breakfast he prepared rise in my throat like some bitter souffle. If he didn’t love me...the thought was too much to bear. I felt like my throat was closing...like the walls were slowly creeping in on me.
I heard him behind me, buttoning up. Still quiet.
I wanted to whirl around and take him by the shoulders, shake him until it was impossible for him to keep up the damning self-restraint and all that would be left was the truth. But what if his silence was the truth? What if I’d been projecting this whole time and now those words were out there and he wasn’t going to repeat them to me?
I breathed in and forced a smile that was like a punch to the stomach. “Um...” Um? Um?! “About what I just said. It was really dumb.” I let out a laugh that sounded more like a cat choking. “Mostly just word vomit because our sex was like, Amazing. Like, amazing enough for me to say that I love you.” His expression soured. “Not that I’m saying I would say something like that because the sex was good. Because I’ve had good sex. Lots of good sex.” And now I sounded like a skank. I tried another laugh, trying to alleviate the weirdness, but I couldn’t stop talking. Trying to explain. Trying to take back my declaration. “So what I said is not a big deal. And you don’t have to say it back or anything.” I swallowed. “I wasn’t expecting you to say it back. At least not with me na**d and splayed out on the table with a bacon headdress. Maybe over a glass of wine at some ridiculously romantic restaurant. Or never. Because I just-”
“Leila, just stop.”
So he could speak.
I looked at Jacob, the golden good looks, the hair perfectly coifed, abs rippling beneath his t-shirt, jeans fitting him just right. It wasn’t fair that my body instantly responded to his. My heart rate was elevated. My skin hummed as I took him in. My lips trembled. It wasn’t fair that even though he’d just ripped my heart from my chest that the rest of me went on without it. I stood there with some half assed smile on my face, waiting for him to twist the knife a little deeper.
“I just told you that you didn’t have to worry about it," I said hoarsely.
"You just told me you loved me, Leila." His face was still pale, but at least he no longer looked like he was staring down the barrel of a .45. "I'd like to talk about that."
Dread shot through me as I glared at him. It wasn't enough to embarrass me--now he wanted to talk it out? Psycho analyze why me falling in love with him was the dumbest possible thing I could do? "I don't think we have anything to talk about.”
He took a step closer and there was no mistaking the look on his face. Pity. "Leila-"
I moved further away, anger gobbling up my embarrassment. "Just forget I said anything." I turned my back, gripping the counter, needing something to ground me.
"I don't want to forget."
I tilted my head to the right. He said...did that mean..."You don't want to forget?"
"No, I don’t,” he replied. He looked me dead on. “I love you too, Leila.”
I must have swayed a bit because he rushed to my side, steadying me. I slumped against him, smiling like a fool.
“Are you okay?” he asked, taking my face between his hands. “Do you need to sit down?”
“No,” I said quickly, putting my hands over his. “You just…” I took a breath to keep from rambling all over again. “It just feels like Christmas hearing you say those words.”
He gave me a playful smirk that made me beam from head to toe. “Well, I didn’t say I was done.” He led me back to the table and waited for me to sit down before he continued. “I loved you long before you crashed into me in the lobby. I love you because I wished for you. Someone strong willed who could tell me when I was being an ass and capture my heart in one fell swoop. I love you because you’re amazing. Because you’re beautiful. I love you because you make every new day better than the last.”