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"Yeah, so I’ve heard," he murmured

"I want to feel loved and special I don’t want to ever know the feeling of being discarded ever again, like I did over and over with the families ere happy to have overner suited their life anymore You hear stories of kids who are abused in the systelect and lack of love fucks you up, too So, after a couple of one-night-stands when I was younger, I decided they weren’t for , and uy leaves without a second glance" Shit, this was dredging up feelings I usually did s I buried so deep I didn’t even knohere to look for the every word I’d said by the thoughtful look on his face Ghosts of the past filled the rooet, but couldn’t And I sensed they weren’t only hosts the way most people carried happy ht I did Fuck, I thought I had so about love – how do you knohen the other person feels the sa bets between you and soain," he said, and I watched hione through I wanted to slap the woman who’d done that to him, because she’d taken a man as open to love, andlove had to offer

"We’re not all like that," I said softly

"Neither are the ht only," he replied, watching ing to e needed, neither willing to bend

Not sure where to take the conversation now, I sat in silence, and then Griff stood abruptly He looked down at me with an expression I couldn’t pick, but if I were to try, I’d say he seeet to bed," he said before leaving lass into the kitchen

I followed hi every moment I could have to watch him Even the way he moved was a turn-on His body moved with a sense of authority and power, and I’d always found ainst the kitchen counter, I waited while he rinsed his glass and placed it next to the sink When he faced ain, the desire I saw in his eyes made my core clench

He closed the distance between us and stepped into id in the way I was grasping was Griff’s way, and although he kept his e out loud and clear

He wantshi

Want and denial see we had in common

He surprised the hell out of me when he reached out, cupped my cheek, and traced his thuentle and yet so firaze from my lips to my eyes "Beautiful," he murmured, and my heart beat faster at that word "Don’t doubt yourself, sweetheart," he added before lettingdown o after hiht-stands And I wanted to let hiardless of the fact he’d get up and walk out when he was finished And, da

But I didn’t

I stood rooted to the spot and watched hih my front door

I let him leave, and I let our want and denial swirl in the air like a memory of a moment that you wanted to be so much more than aSophia’s house The bartender jerked his chin in greeting and placed a drink in front of me a moment later I sucked the alcohol down, and hissed at the burn, but, fuck, I needed it

Sophia was stuck in my mind, parts of our conversation on repeat

We’re not all like that

Fuck, I believed everything that caot stuck on this, unable to believe it, but at the same time, unable to move past it And yet, even if I accepted it to be true fro withthrough eous," a voice ca at me "Wanna buy ht places, and the look of a wo often, she would be perfect to takeI wanted to want to buy her a drink Hell, I wanted a lot of fucking things – and it had been so fucking long for me that I needed theht"

She shrugged "How about I buy you a drink then?" Her gaze travelled overin her eyes And Jesus, that should have gotten hty year old

"Another tiret ste someone else who I’d never allow myself to have