Every time I think about the need to go home, I want to shove the thought right out again. I want to call Michelle and tell her I’ll be late, though I’m wishing I could say I’m never coming home again. I want to stay in the library with Daryl and pretend the life outside doesn’t exist.
But I can’t do any of that without arousing suspicion, and now that I know how good it feels to be loved by Daryl, there’s no way I’m going to risk losing him. I wipe my eyes and sniff back any more tears threatening to fall. I need dry eyes and a rock-solid facade to show the world if I’m going to have my cake and eat it too.
Daryl notices the change in my posture and comes to stand in front of me. He gives me a nod, sets my brush back into my purse, and offers me his hand.
I take it, and he pulls me to my feet. Both of his big hands cup my face, and he bows his forehead to mine. “You are so fucking strong, and I love your sweet, sassy guts.”
I smile and tilt my chin enough to give him a quick, shy kiss. He gives a low moan and seals his mouth over mine in a kiss unlike any I could imagine. There is no sweetness to it, just raw desire — a glimpse into another, more carnal layer of things he feels for me. Things I’m immediately drawn to explore.
I respond as such, and he intensifies the kiss before pulling back with a warning growl.Not now, he seems to say without words, while I’m still trying to recover. The deep stroking of his tongue has left me breathless and dizzy and in awe of both his abilities and his enviable control.
He searches my face, mutters a few curse words, and pulls me back toward the bathroom, where he sits me on the closedtoilet and makes me hold cold, damp paper towels over my eyes and mouth, to make the swelling go down.
“All that kissing and crying has you looking like I fucked your mouth and made it hurt,” he grumbles, before splashing water at the sink.
I think about that while I listen to him scrub at his beard, and then I have to see what that mouth-fucked looking face is like in the mirror.
The puffy eyes aren’t ideal, but I like the lips. Rouged and plumped, they’re kind of sexy.
Daryl stands behind me, watching me in the mirror as I angle my face differently while I purse my lips, to plump them more. I meet his eyes and blush at the look on his face. He swallows visibly and clears his throat. “You’re a very beautiful woman, Cadence Malone. It’s an honor to love you.”
My face flushes even more, and I quickly busy myself by holding the cool towels before my eyes. I know I’m not ugly, but I haven’t really had any practice at taking compliments. It always takes an extra effort to believe anyone means them, but Daryl’s so sincere when he speaks, it feels wrong to presume he’s lying. I don’t know about the honor thing, but I like knowing that he thinks I’m beautiful, so I let myself feel a respectable amount of delighted. “I think you’re beautiful too,” I admit quietly as I try to keep from grinning.
He ducks his head and shrugs, but I still see the cute smile he’s trying to hide, and it only makes him even more appealing. He’s obviously stoked that I like the look of him. He clears his throat and puffs his chest a bit, before he runs his hands through his hair and check himself in the mirror.
I frown. “I wanted to do that.”
“Do what?” he asks, pushing at his hair to achieve scruffy perfection.
I pull the children’s step stool out from under the sink, stand on it, and weave my fingers into his hair. I drag my nails over his scalp, and his eyelids flutter closed as he moans.
“Mmm. You’re making it very hard for me to leave you alone, pretty girl. I’m seriously considering stowing away in the trunk of your car so I can spend a few more moments with you; maybe pretend you’re serenading me when you sing along to the radio.”
A snort of laughter escapes me, and then I pause. “Why don’t you?” I ask. “Dad never comes home till late, and Mom’s not going to tell anybody about it.” Did I just invite him to my place? Is it too much too soon? He was only joking about hiding in my trunk, right? I need to calm my shit down before my inexperience can mess this up.
“You probably have things to do,” I say, shaking my head at myself. “Forget I said?—”
Daryl’s presses his finger against my lips. “I’d love to,” he says. “I will never have anything better to do than being with you, so don’t ever think that again. Give me about three minutes to carefully break into your car unnoticed and then leave the library as you normally would.”
I grab his shirt as he makes for the door, and he spins back around. I stare at him. “Seriously?” I squeak.
The twinkle in his eye fades with his smile, and he studies my face. “Not if you don’t want me to…” he says, viewing me side-on. “It’s too much? You want to change your mind? Because you can. I meant what I said about doing whatever you want. No pressure, Cady. Ever.”
I take a big breath and check my eyes. The puffiness has gone, and although I look a little terrified about the choice I want to make, I still want to make it.
“Don’t you dare break into my fucking car.” I give him a shove toward the door. “There’s a set of spare keys in my desk drawer.”
Daryl turns on a dime, one side of his mouth snagging upward in a sexy smirk. “This,” he says, pointing his finger right in my face. “This right here. If we ever needed to make a list,thisis one of the many reasons I love you, Cadence Malone.”
I wrap my fingers around his pointer and lower his hand, so I can step in close to him. “Under what circumstances would we ever need to make that list, Daryl Winters?”
He grins. “I could think of a few, given half a minute.”
“I bet. But I’d rather you spent that time sneaking into my car without being seen, because I need to get home before any more of Dad’s spies let him know my routine movements are off by half a minute or some other garbage thing. How do I look?” I hold my arms out and twirl for him. “Tidy and virginal?”
He appraises me carefully, tilts his head in close and makes a minor adjustment to my collar, before he scuffs my ear with his beard and whispers, “Not for long.”
8
