He’s giving me the perfect opportunity to be with him. All I have to do is be brave enough to say yes. But what if it doesn’t work out? What if it does? My heart battles it out with my head.

“Elle,” he whispers my name. Staring into his light green eyes, might have me agreeing with anything he wants. I have no control when he’s near.

“What?” I question, my voice hoarse with all the emotions he’s pulling out of me. No matter how much I want to shove them back in, I don’t think I can. I want this too much. Whatever it is he’s offering me, I’m not going to refuse.

“Are you and Johnny together?” He holds his breath, waiting for my answer.

“No.” I shake my head. “We never have been. Are you and Liberty?” I brace myself for his answer, prepared for the yes, he’ll more than likely utter. What that will mean for us, I’m not sure.

“No. She’s just a friend. There’s never been anything between us.”

My eyebrows rise as high as they can on my forehead. “Really?” I ask, afraid to be hopeful.

“Really.” He smiles and I echo one back at him. “I couldn’t get you out of my head, no matter how hard I tried.” He rubs the tip of his nose against mine. “But you know what’s even better?”

“What?”

“You’re in my heart too and I never want you to leave.”

My eyes fill with tears at his sweet words. No one has ever made me feel so special before. He’s the only person who’s ever delved beneath the surface layer everyone else gets from me. He’s the first person I’ve allowed to. I don’t like to be vulnerable. Avoiding it at all costs has become a defense mechanism for me. It’s only with Josh, I’m willing to be in this position. Only he can make me brave enough to open myself and hope for the best.

“Don’t cry,” he soothes, catching the tear slipping down my cheek with the tip of his index finger.

“These are happy tears. I thought I’d ruined any chance of us being together. I’m sorry for running out on you that morning.”

“It’s over and done with, Elle. None of that matters now.”

I place my index finger over his mouth to stop his words. Sliding it back and forth, I enjoy the sensation of his full bottom lip against my fingertip. Cupping his cheek with the same hand, I stare up into his intense eyes. “Please let me explain. I was so scared of my feelings for you. I wanted to let you in. I wanted to stay with you more than anything, but I was afraid to get hurt. I still am. I’m petrified.”

His arms wrap around me, tugging me closer between his legs and my hands rest on his chest. “Elle, I promise I’ll never hurt you on purpose. Will there be times when we fight or have hurt feelings? I’m sure there will be. It’s unavoidable, but I think the risk is worth it. I want whatever time I can have with you. If it means a week or the next ten years, I’ll be grateful for whatever we get.”

I’m ecstatic at his words. I never imagined this opportunity. “I want the same.” I smile through my tears.

“Are you sure? I’m not letting you go once you say yes.” His smile is crooked.

“I’m sure. I’ve wanted this for a long time. Unfortunately, I let my own fears stop me from telling you. I’m sorry I wasn’t braver, Josh.” My hands caress over his muscular chest. “Are you sure you want this? I can’t promise being with me will be easy.”

His hands slip into my hair, holding my head still. He lowers down, bringing his face closer to mine. “I already told you how I feel, Elle. If I have to tell you one hundred times a day before you believe it, then I will.”

“Maybe you can convince me with some silent communication.” I smile up at him.

“I like the way you think. Silent communication is what we do best,” he says, his lips capturing mine. My stomach flutters uncontrollably with the contact, as we lose ourselves in each stroke of our tongues. I’ve never experienced such a powerful connection with someone before. All awareness of time disappears as we show each other how we feel in the most convincing way. His hot, commanding kisses remind me of our night together. I moan when his hands slip down to cup my ass, pressing me against his hard cock. I rock against him lost in the endless hunger he stirs in me.

He groans into my mouth when my heels dig into his ass urging him closer. Tearing his mouth from mine, he struggles for breath. “God, I want you. So fucking bad, but I don’t want to rush. I want to show you what you mean to me over and over.” His voice is a deep, husky whisper against my neck. I shiver when he skims his lips behind my ear and all the way down to my shoulder. Placing a slick line of hot, wet kisses along the front of my neck, he climbs higher until he catches my bottom lip between his teeth. Playfully tugging on it, he sucks it between his lips. His tongue is a warm caress as it glides from one corner to the other, before slipping between my lips, reminding me of when it was buried in my pussy four months ago.

When one of my hands slip under his t-shirt to stroke the lean muscles of his stomach, he catches it with his and wraps my arm behind my back. “Are you trying to drive me fucking insane?” he growls the question against my mouth.

“Maybe,” I answer, smiling, our lips still touching.

“We need to stop now, before I can’t. I don’t want to fuck you in the bar break room, Elle.”

“Does it really matter where it happens?”

He studies my face, not answering immediately. “Yeah, it does. We need to go slow and if we’re going to give having a relationship a shot, then I want to do things right.”

“What does that even mean? It’s not like there’s some manual we can refer to.”

Isn’t every person’s opinion of what’s right and wrong in a relationship different?

“It means we’re going to get to know each other all over again and not have sex until the time is right.” He says, his expression serious.

“How will we know when the time is right?” Pressing my pelvis into his, I rock against his hard cock. “Because now feels like the perfect time to me.”

His hands grip my hips, holding me still. “What am I going to do with you? You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

“What makes you think anything to do with us will be easy?” I question, my eyebrows raised.

“Easy or hard, makes no difference, Elle. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I’ve wanted you for so long.” His fingers tense on my hips. “Now we have this chance and I’m not letting anything get in the way.”

His confident words have my heart racing. Does he mean them? It’s difficult for me to place my faith in another person, especially a man. There’s never been a male figure in my life who’s really cared for me. My own father has no interest in spending time with me and he helped create me. Sure, he’ll pay for anything I want, but he doesn’t really know me. Why would someone like Josh who has everything going for him want a future with someone like me?