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I was afraid to knohat his expression would say when he looked up at me, I was afraid to knohat he would think

My shirt was h up on my stomach before my hand was pried from my face

Deacon’s eyes were still dark with lust and need despite the questions that hid there, but his face was full of patience "Don’t apologize You can say ‘wait’ at the last second, and I’ll fucking wait You understand?"

I nodded quickly as I tried to figure out what to say to hiine fro why I had stopped us since there was a three and a half year old asleep in his rooin

"I just, I’You don’t have to, and you don’t have to explain yourself" His eyes searchedit hard to believe that he didn’t want to knohy His voice dropped, and his tone turned cautious "Charlie, as the last guy to touch you?"

My heart stuttered and skipped a beat before settling into a too-fast rhyth heartache echoed in my chest no matter how I tried to push it away I opened ht in h it always hurt Saying his naainst the action

Deacon’s head dipped in acknowledgment, the faintest look of surprise on his handsouy you kissed?"

I looked at him hopelessly because I couldn’t answer, and prayed he would understand exactly what Ben had meant toDeacon into my life and my heart meant now

He buried his face into my stomach ando of ainst my stomach before he lifted his head, but he wouldn’t look at me "I shouldn’t have pushed you I’h bubbled up my throat, and I let my hands move from his hair to his face so I could force him to look at me "Push me?"

Didn’t he realize that Ben hadn’t even waited tenme he wanted inity?

Not that I’d asked hi true But for a shy eighteen-year-old who had never been kissed, it had been too much too fast Unfortunately, I hadn’t realized that I’d needed slow until it was far too late

"You didn’t push me, and you wouldn’t have been if you continued I justI prolanced atcheeks, then back to my eyes "I said you didn’t need to explain, but if there’s a proonna have to"

Noas my turn to look away "The next tiirl, or just an option," I admitted quietly "I want to be the only option I want to know that whoever I’ainst lance at hi vacantly at my stomach "What word?"

"Love," he said after a few seconds, then shook his head "Charlie, I don’tI don’t even knohat that is I don’t kno to love someone; I’ether as I listened to him His words so familiar that it made my heart race as confusion filled er and Deacon had different nuht then and waited to see if Deacon’s phone went off

Deacon’s expression fell as he misinterpreted mine, and he hurried to say, "You have to understand, Charlie My --not that he didn’t deserve it--and you know he’s still single My grandpa was such a dick that randma left him and started over here in Thatch and never reed "It’s just not soive you"