Page 44 of Ruger's Rage
We stand in silence, the sounds of the party muffled behind us.
When she shivers slightly in the cooling air, I shrug out of my cut, draping it over her shoulders before she can protest.
She tenses initially, then relaxes into its weight. "It’s heavy."
"Responsibility usually is."
Her fingers trace the President patch, the touch oddly intimate. "Thank you for inviting me tonight. For showing me this side of your life."
"Thank you for being brave enough to come."
Her eyes find mine, searching. "The man I met in that park yesterday—he's the same one here tonight. Real."
"Always will be with you." The promise slips out before I can think better of it. "No masks, no games."
She steps closer, close enough that I can feel her warmth. "I'm still scared, Ruger. Of what this might mean. Of how… vulnerable you make me."
"I know."
"But I'm more scared of running away from something that might be..." She trails off, searching for words.
"Worth the risk?" I suggest.
"Yeah."
I reach for her slowly, giving her time to pull away.
When she doesn't, I cup her cheek, thumb tracing her jawline. "One day at a time, Tildie. That's all I'm asking for."
Her hand comes up to cover mine, and the simple touch feels more intimate than the kiss we shared yesterday.
"One day," she agrees.
The party continues inside, but for this moment, the world narrows to just us.
"Ruger," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the muffled music from inside.
I step closer, eliminating what little space remains between us. "Tell me to stop, and I will."
But instead of pushing me away, she rises on her tiptoes, her fingers gripping the front of my shirt to pull me down to her.
When our lips meet, it's nothing like the hesitant kiss in the park.
This time, she knows what she wants.
I back her against the porch railing, one hand cupping her face while the other slides down to her waist.
She gasps against my mouth, the sound shooting straight to my groin.
I deepen the kiss, my tongue exploring hers as her hands tangle together behind my neck.
"You're driving me crazy," I murmur against her lips, letting my hands roam over her curves.
The soft swell of her hips fits perfectly in my palms as I pull her harder against me, letting her feel exactly what she's doing to me.
She arches into my touch, her body softer than I imagined.
When my thumb brushes the underside of her breast, her breath catches, and I swallow the sound with another kiss.
