The Game Changer(32)

“I’m sorry for lying to you that morning. I’m sorry for cheating on you that night. I’m sorry for not being the person you knew I could be.”

Her lips pursed and I was desperate to kiss them, so I leaned in, kissing her bottom lip lightly. “And I don’t know if you can ever forgive me, but I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t at least ask you to try.”

Please fucking forgive me.

“And I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. She was fighting the annulment and it took months to get it processed and finalized. I refused to fight for you while I was still carrying all that baggage. But it took a lot longer than I had expected. I should have called you. And I’m so sorry I didn’t.”

Please don’t let it be too late.

“I thought you hated me,” she whispered, her eyes avoiding mine, and I swear my fucking heart split into pieces.

She thought I hated her.

I’m such a dick.

Instinctively I reached for her chin, tilting her head up toward mine. “I could never hate you. I thought I was going to have to come before the annulment was complete when I’d heard about you and the guy from your work.” I forced my clenched stomach muscles to loosen their grip on me.

“How’d you know who he was?”

“Dean. I kept tabs on you, Kitten. Not in a creepy way, I swear. Just in a making-sure-I-wasn’t-going-to-lose-you-all-over-again way. See, you’ve always been able to see past the front I put up. I never thought I’d be able to find someone who would know the real me and still want to stick around. And then I saw you at that frat party and my life was never the same.” I spilled my guts to her, hoping that something I told her would click and she wouldn’t kick my ass to the curb.

A single tear ran down her cheek as I continued. “I know I don’t deserve you, but I need you.” I reached for her face, wiping the tear from her gorgeous face, finding myself lost in the green of her eyes.

“I need you too. I hate feeling vulnerable, and I want to pretend like I don’t, but it would be a lie.”

“Then don’t pretend. Tell me you’ll try to forgive me so we can move on from our past.”

Please forgive me.

“I already have,” she said, and I was torn between collapsing at her feet on the floor and jumping into the air like a pussy.

I leaned my head against hers, “I’ll earn your trust again. I promise.” I emphasized the word trust, hoping she knew just how much I meant everything I was saying to her.

With her face buried into my shoulder, I breathed in the smell of her shampoo, her soap, her skin. Her arms wrapped around my waist and her breath was hot against my neck as she inched closer toward my face. I was already turned on and excited from her nearness. “Prove it,” she whispered suggestively into my ear.

“Oh, I plan to,” I answered confidently, before giving her a chance to change her mind, or even think at all.

I lifted her into my arms, my hands firmly cupping her ass. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I pressed her back to the wall, rubbing my growing hardness against her. She moaned, and I grew even harder as my tongue traced the curves of her neck, her salty skin familiar and enticing. I licked and nipped my way toward her jawline, where her mouth waited, slightly parted.

Another breathy sound from her, and I thrust my tongue into her mouth. The feel of her tongue against mine caused my body to shudder uncontrollably. I pulled my mouth away, burying my head into her neck once more. I licked and sucked at her, her hips pressing against me as I continued grinding her into the wall.

“I’ve missed you,” I whispered into her ear.

“I’ve missed you too.” Her voice hitched, causing me to hesitate.

Against my better judgment, I pulled my head away from hers and looked into her eyes. “Do you want to stop? Is it too soon?” I considered momentarily that having sex might not be the best idea. No matter how badly my body craved it.

“I could lie and tell you I think we should wait. But honestly, I’ve waited long enough. I’ve been without you for too long already. I want you, Jack,” she insisted, her fingers digging into the muscles in my back.

“I’m so sorry for everything, Kitten.”

“I know. No more apologies. Tomorrow you can start again, but not right now.” She touched the side of my face, and I half wondered if it was all a dream.

Cupping her ass, I walked us into her bedroom, her tongue running along my bottom lip before entering my mouth with ravenous intent. I wove my fingers into her hair, pulling lightly as she released a quick gasp.

“If you don’t stop making those fucking sexy noises, I’m going to lose it right here.”