Page 71 of Ride or Die

He laughs. “Trust me, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry about, baby, I promise you.”

“I don’t know if I believe you,” I admit, narrowing one eye. “But… I trust you.”

Cole’s grin fades to a barely-there ghost a of smile as he says, “That’s all I want, darlin’. For you to trust me.”

Taken aback by his unexpected words, I feel my heart tug on something unfamiliar in my chest. “Cole,” I say on a breath, lost for words.

“You’re so pretty, Clara,” he whispers, interrupting whatever it was I was going to say.

I never know what to respond with when someone mentions my looks. Whenever I’m complimented, I find myself cowering in on myself, my insides clenching with awkwardness, my mind wondering if they’re being serious.

“You are,” Cole says after a moment of silence, ducking down so his forehead is touching mine. “I need you to know that but I feel like you don’t believe me.”

“It’s alwayspretty, orbeautiful… but then suddenly it’sdisgusting,” I admit quietly, noticing the way Cole’s body bristles, his arm around me tightening a touch. “Or messy. Or useless. Or… pathetic.” I shake my head at myself and meet his hard stare with a forced smile. “But… thank you… I guess?”

“You’re goddamn beautiful, Clara,” Cole says after a tension-filled pause, his words practically gritted through clenched teeth. “And you take my fuckin’ breath away. You have ever since the first moment I laid my eyes on you.”

I duck my chin, the awkwardness getting the better of me, but he stops me, dropping my hand and tucking his finger beneath my chin, forcing my eyes back to his.

“Say it.”

My brow furrows as I look between his eyes, searching. “Say what?”

“I’m beautiful.”

I hesitate, rolling my lips together, the words burning like acid on the tip of my tongue.

“Please, Clara,” Cole begs after a few seconds, his voice laced with an edge of torment, as if my inability to voice the words he needs me to say is physically painful. “Ineedto hear you say it, baby.”

I swallow around the lump of trepidation stuck in my throat, licking my lips. “I’m… b-beautiful.”

“Good girl,” he whispers, so softly I almost miss it, the words causing a swirl of want to twine inside of me.

Cole cups my cheek then, the calloused pad of his thumb stroking my warm skin, his smile barely there as he stares deep into my eyes before dipping to my lips, returning to my gaze only to ask, “Can I kiss you?”

I release the breath I’ve been holding, my body sagging with the weight of relief. “Yes,” I practically pant out.

Cole rears back a touch, lips twitching. “Sounds like you’ve been hopin’ I’d ask, baby?”

“I have,” I admit shamelessly. “Desperately.”

“Yeah?” His voice is suddenly lower, deeper, his gaze dipping to my lips again.

“Yes. Please kiss me,” I beg on a trembling whimper.

“Fuuuuck.” Cole groans under his breath. And suddenly it’s as if whatever restraint had been tethering his resolve together snaps, and his lips crash to mine in a kiss so full of desperation it steals every last part of my breath.

CHAPTER 27

COLE

Fuck, I’m in trouble. My mind is telling me to go slow, to ease up, to calm down before I push too far and screw it all up, but my dick is beggin’ me to do whatever it takes to keep going. As I cup Clara’s face so gently, I’m contradicting in the way I’m practically fuckin’ her mouth with my tongue, lapping up her sweet taste and her sexy fuckin’ sounds as she kisses me back with just as much need. She’s like a goddamn drug. I can’t get enough. Perfection, just like I knew she would be.

Standing high on her tiptoes, Clara wraps her arms around my neck, whimpering when my tongue slides against hers, and before I can stop myself, I reach down, cupping her under her ass and lifting her off her feet. Instinctively, her legs lock around my waist and I’m forced to swallow my own groan at the feel of her pussy rubbing up against me as I carry her back to the bed of my truck without breaking our kiss even once.

I lower myself, sitting on the edge of the tailgate, Clara straddling me. Reluctantly I break our kiss only to pepper her lips with mine three more times before pulling back just enough to meet her eyes, gauging her. And holy fuck. Heavy-lidded stormy gaze, kiss-swollen lips, heavin’ tits, she is a fuckin’ masterpiece.

“Why’d you stop?” she asks through a shuddered breath, and I swear, when I see a hint of worry flash in her eyes, it just about breaks my damn heart.