Page 121 of Micah

My thumbs brush lightly against the soft fabric covering her hips.

“But I don't know what I'm supposed to say to a woman who's been living in my head for months.”

Her breath catches.

“Months?”

I nod.

“Since the first time I walked into your bar,” I continue, unable to stop now that I've started. “I kept finding reasons to come back.”

“You don’t just show up for the burgers?”

I shake my head.

“The beer?”

Another shake.

“What about the music?”

“No.”

A smile begins to bloom across her face.

“Then why?”

I hold her gaze.

Because she deserves the truth.

“You.”

The single word hangs between us.

“I show up and I stay because of you. I can't seem to stay away.” I let out a slow breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “I changed the filters because I couldn't stand listening to you cough every time you drove away. I knew your asthma was acting up, and it drove me fucking crazy knowing I could fix it but hadn't.”

Her lips part.

“I kissed you because I'd wanted to for so damn long that saying no to myself stopped being an option.”

The confession settles between us.

It's the most honest thing I've said to another human being in years.

“And tonight...”

Fuck.

My grip on her hips tightens almost imperceptibly.

“When I saw that man put his hands on you…”

I squeeze my eyes shut for the briefest second.

The image flashes through my head all over again.

His filthy hands.