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She stared at the da like she was in pain as her chest rose and fell in hard, deep breaths

Tate wasn’t what I would call "controlled," but she’d been holding her oith Madoc and me since her return

Until now

"Iat the shattered glass on the floor

"Just go" I heard her pained whisper and flinched

Looking up at her, I saw the embarrassment and frustration in her eyes She didn’t want me here I didn’t know if it was because she hated one or because she wasn’t sure what she wanted

I was finally seeing how I had twisted her up I was playing with her, even though I didn’t ht I hated her, so I pushed her Noanted her, so I was pulling her back in

Tiain, it was about ht h my arm "I’m sorry I should never have treated you the way I did"

Her eyes ot shallow, and she searched for so my other hand on her cheek, I never broke contact She watchedit, either

Imy eyes from hers as I waited for her to push me away As the seconds ticked by I finally snatched up her mouth before I let her have any more time to reconsider

Hell, yes

I held her in et enough

Tate My Tate My best friend, and irl that turned my world upside doith her overalls and red baseball cap

The only person in every one of ood memories

Her hands were hesitant at first, but then they snaked around my neck, and I felt her unfold around ainstout of her htened in her hair I was about to lose it She had the power Always had and alould

She ainst mine, and I ran my hands down her sides and around to her perfect, rounded ass

Grabbing it inwet, heat of her otfor release I wanted to push all this shit onto the floor and take her on the table

I wondered if she was a virgin, and ht of anyone else kissing her like this

"I’ve wanted you for so long," I whispered against her mouth "All the times I’d see you next door…it drove me crazy"

She opened herhere for a while

Chapter 26

I wasn’t about to make love to Tate for the first ti go of her yet, either

Unfortunately, she had other ideas

"Don’t…" She ripped away from my lips and pulled back

What? No

I openedhard and suddenly very e why the hell she’d mademe back

She’d wanted that

But not now Her blue eyes narrowed angrily, and she looked like she had on invisible armor

Her body wanted it, but she didn’t

She didn’t

So I backed off "Then I won’t," I replied coldly

She stared ata million miles away "What are you up to?"

"I want us to be friends" I let out a bitter laugh

"Why now?"

Jesus

"Why soto be this easy, did you?"

"Yes," I lied "I was hoping we couldback" I kneas too much to expect, but I let er picture

That with all of the anger and da, we still fit

"We can’t," she shot back "You go froyou? You kissed me back… both times," I pointed out "And now you’re off to the school dance with Madoc You ht say I’m the one hiplash here"

She blinked, and her face faltered for a moment "I don’t have to explain o"

"I want to And he askedthe end of the discussion

No fking way

My ar up behind her, I breathed her in The top of her head fell just below my chin, and her whole torso--arms included--fit the width of my chest

She fit

"Has he been on your mind, Tate?" I inhaled the scent in her hair and braced both ofher in "Do you want him? Or is it , and I took that as a good sign, so I kept going

"I said that when I put my hands on you, you’d want it Re to touch her with my words

She paused for a moment and then turned around to look at me "I don’t think it’s any secret that I like it when you touchback, then ain Until then…" And she turned back around, cutting the connection

I stared at her back, trying to figure out another way in