Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 139259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
She meets me halfway, her hands gripping the front of my shirt like she needs something to hold on to. The second her lips part, I deepen the kiss, tasting her, swallowing the small sound she makes as her tongue moves with mine.
We kiss like the moment might disappear.
Like we’re afraid to let go.
It’s urgent and messy and all-consuming, a fire neither of us can put out.
My hands find her waist, pulling her closer until nothing is between us, just the heat of her body pressed against mine. Her fingers move to my neck, threading through my hair and bringing me in deeper.
I’m completely lost in her. Lost in the way she kisses me like she’s been waiting for this as long as I have.
Like we’re both making up for wasted time.
I don’t know how long we stay like that, tangled up in each other, but eventually, we slow, the desperate edge easing just slightly. My lips linger against hers, softer now, savoring her.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard, the silence between us thick and electric. She takes a small step back, her hands sliding away, her gaze darting downward like she’s suddenly unsure of herself.
I stay still, watching her, trying to catch my breath. My heart continues to hammer, and I can feel the ghost of her kiss everywhere—on my lips, on my skin.
She steps back; her gaze darting downward.
“We shouldn’t . . .” Her voice is shaky.
“Bullshit.” I shake my head, resolute. “We should.”
“My brother . . .” Her words are barely above a whisper.
“What about him?” I lean closer, searching her face for answers.
“He can’t know.”
“Molly, you’re a grown woman. He—”
“He can’t know,” she repeats sharply, stepping farther away, her hands wrapping protectively around herself.
I reach out instinctively, but she’s already out of my reach.
“I have to go.” Her voice is distant, her eyes avoiding mine.
I open my mouth to say something, to stop her, but before I can, she’s already moving toward the door.
Then she’s gone.
A mirage fading into the distance, leaving nothing but silence in her wake.
Like she never happened.
37
Molly
There is no way I’ll be able to avoid Hudson today.
We’re back in the practice arena, which means more chances to bump into him.
If it weren’t for our next fundraiser we are already planning, I would have told Dane I needed to take a few days off. But with the event looming, I can’t afford not to be present.
The worst part? Hudson will be here.
Because, of course, Hudson wants to be more involved in team philanthropy.
To drive me crazy.
Stop.
Just because he makes my brain mush doesn’t mean he’s a bad person.
I put Hudson in a box that he doesn’t belong in.
I know this.
He knows this.
But in my defense—
Oh, shut it, Molly. You fucked up. Just admit it.
Fine.
I fucked up.
I shouldn’t have judged Hudson before I got to know him, I shouldn’t have taken out my personal issues on him, and I shouldn’t have lied all those years ago because I’m a chicken who’s too afraid to tell her brother about what happened during that period he wasn’t in my life.
I speed walk through the doors of the arena and head straight for the back office I’ve been using to coordinate Dane’s donations to the event.
“Molly,” one of the staff greets me before leaving me alone in here, a box of empty balloons tucked under her arm.
The medium-sized room is bigger than a closet but smaller than a conference room.
But somehow, even its extra square footage feels suffocating.
The walls are painted a dull beige, the kind that absorbs light instead of reflecting it. A small, cluttered desk is shoved into one corner, a filing cabinet in the other, and a long granite counter stretches across the back wall.
It’s not cramped, not really.
At least, I tell myself that.
Still, the air feels thick, like the walls are slowly creeping closer with every second I stand here. I leave the door open, needing the illusion of space—of an escape route. Closing it would feel like letting the past swallow me whole.
I didn’t lie when I told Hudson it’s storming back with a vengeance.
I can’t help but groan, heading to the table and gripping its edge. “Why are you like this, Molly?”
My thoughts are a mess. Tangled up tightly like a web of yarn that can’t be unknotted.
What the hell am I going to do?
And not just about my annoying attraction to Hudson.
But also with Dane.
It’s obvious that my role needs to change.
Working for him is no longer necessary.
He’s okay.
And doesn’t need me.
And that’s okay.
Then why does it hurt so badly?
“It wouldn’t be abandoning your brother,” I try to convince myself. “You’ll still be in his life to bug him. He would never let you out of his sight anyway.”
My eyes well with tears.
Why does everything have to be so damn complicated?