I swallowed hard. “You do?” I whispered, barely loud enough to hear myself.
He lifted his hand and brushed a piece of my hair back from my face. When he tucked it behind my ear, I was pretty sure I sighed at the feel of his fingers touching me again.
“I do,” he softly replied while the corners of his mouth lifted into a sexy grin.
“What happens after you kiss me?” I asked while my eyes searched his face.
“Well, I’m hoping like hell you like the kiss and want to kiss me back. A lot.”
I giggled and rolled my eyes.
“To be honest, I don’t know what’s going to happen, Saryn. I hope the kiss leads to more, when you’re ready.”
I chewed on my lip for a moment before meeting his intense gaze.
“I used to have a crush on you, Truitt. Back in high school. When all the other boys used to flirt with me, I remember wishing you weren’t friends with Ryan because you never so much as glanced my way.”
That made him lift his brows in surprise. “You had a crush on me?”
With a nod, I went on. “I knew things were over between me and Tim long before I finally admitted it. I vowed I wasn’t going to get into another relationship until I had time to just be me. Be a mom to Liliana, find the girl who seemed to slowly disappear as the months and years went by. Then you showed back up in my life and I feel something here.” I pressed my hand to my chest. “It’s a feeling I have never felt before, and I’ll be honest with you, that scares me a little bit. I can’t risk Liliana getting hurt. I won’t risk it. When I do commit to someone, I want to go slow, I need it to be more than just sex, Truitt.”
He smiled bigger. “I want that, too.”
With a tilt of my head, I regarded him for a moment. This man whom everyone said was one of the most sought-after man in Boerne. Why had he not settled down yet? What was he looking for in a woman, and did he really want to be tied down to one who had a kid already?
“What exactly do you want, Truitt? I mean, with me who has a ready-made family?”
He drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He shook his head, almost as if he was debating how much to tell me. Then his eyes met mine and I felt the energy pulse between us. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my life, and I knew by the look in his eyes, he felt it, too.
“I want to get to know you better. Spend time with you and Liliana. I want to kiss you. Take you out for ice cream. Hear Liliana laugh when I attempt to sing one of her silly songs. I don’t want to just have sex with you, Saryn. It’s always been more with you.”
My heart felt like it jumped in my chest. What did he mean, it had always been more? Before I could ask, he went on.
“I also want someone to kiss goodnight every evening and make love to every morning. I want a best friend I can share all my dreams and fears with. I want to be a husband and a dad someday. I want to have someone whom I can trust and who can trust me.”
Truitt looked away and let out a slight laugh. “Okay, I might have shared a bit too much of what I want.”
I shook my head and placed my hand on the side of his cheek. Oh, where had this man been all my life? The fact that he could be so open and honest made the emotions inside of me feel raw and new.
“No, what you shared with me was perfect. How should we do this, Truitt? I’ve only ever been with Tim, well, with the exception of a terrible one-night stand.”
Another brilliant smile appeared on his face, and I felt my knees wobble slightly.
He winked and said, “I think we should start with a kiss.”
“That sounds like a solid plan.”
Truitt cupped my face in his hands and looked at my mouth, then into my eyes. I had longed for this moment longer than I remembered. Needed it more than I ever dreamed. I needed this man’s mouth on mine. Now.
“Kiss me, Truitt,” I whispered.
He leaned down and did just that, and Lord help me. It was soft and slow. His lips felt like the softest things I’d ever felt in my life. And just like that, with one kiss, I’d let Truitt in and I had zero regrets.
Truitt
WHEN MY LIPS pressed against Saryn’s, I knew I was in trouble. One kiss and my body felt like it was tumbling over an edge, and nothing would ever be the same again. I didn’t want it to be the same.