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With rigid muscles, I back up to put distance between us, but it’s futile. Remi chases me at a snail’s pace, until the marble countertop digs into my back and I’m left with no place to go. Not that I’m in a hurry to get out of here. He pulls my glass out of my hand and sets it next to his beer behind me.
His teeth graze across his lip as he studies me like I’m the most fascinating piece of art he’s ever encountered. The thirst building in his gaze tells me I’m examining him the same way. Because he’s everything wonderful carved into a beautiful specimen of a man, which makes him virtually irresistible. Though, I must find the strength to resist.
Cold fingers tuck a lock of hair behind my ear, and I shiver.
I place my hand on his hard chest to keep him from getting any closer, though all it does is make me more aware of the heat emanating from him. “We can’t.”
Remi swallows hard, his mouth ghosting over mine. “You want to.”
His words are whispered seduction, trailing over my lips and trickling down my clavicle, painting a vivid picture of what his soft kisses would feel like there.
My heartbeat pulses in my neck, wrists, and core. “I didn’t say that.”
He shakes his head and cages me in with his arms. “You didn’t have to.” His minty breath is laced with malt.
I’m dying to fucking taste him. My traitorous body sways closer, and the pulsing turns into an agonized throbbing. “I’m serious. We can’t do this.” My voice cracks with desperation—to give in and to flee. “You’ll lose your job. And I’ll—” Everything in me aches for him. “I mean, we’ll lose you.”
He rubs his nose against mine, the simple touch an aphrodisiac so potent I nearly drop to the ground. He’s fucking crack cocaine, and I’m jonsing for a hit. I’ve never experienced such a visceral reaction to other men. This is more than mere desire—it’s longing, sanctuary, and affinity. My heart rattles against my ribcage, screaming his name.
“I know this could get messy, but we don’t have to let it. We can keep it between us.” Remi’s voice is soft and sexy, uttering syllables to seduce or reassure. Maybe both.
“I’ve done the casual thing, and I lost. I can’t do this to Isabel.” I search his eyes to see if he gets it. “My daughter has to come first.” The tone of my voice is desperate.
The manny covers my hand still resting on his chest, his thumb brushing soft circles across my knuckles. “She does, always. But for me, you do too.”
“Remi, listen to me, please.” My eyes are burning with tears. I want him so badly, but it’s not right. It will lead to nowhere except him out of our lives, and I can’t bear it. “Do you like Mandy? She seems really nice.”
Remi’s features pinch and tighten as he steps back. My hand falls away, bereft.
“She is nice. Yeah, I mean…” Blowing out a breath, he rakes his fingers through his hair. His stare shifts up as he chews on his cheek in rumination. It’s only a few seconds, but it feels like an eternity before he comes to a conclusion in his head.
I’m hoping he came to his senses, but it’s clear all rationality has left the vicinity as he encroaches my space again. The manny brushes his fingers along my neck, and it takes micro control of every nerve of my body to not dive in.
“I see the way you look at me.” His other hand falls to my waist and squeezes.
A shiver runs through me.
“I feel it.” His Adam’s apple ripples down his throat. “I want it,” he purrs.
It’s been so long since someone has wanted me like this. With Remi, it’s not just about a physical need but so much more—a bond. Something so significant I’m not sure I’ll heal if it breaks. That smacks me out of this seductive trance.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.” This isn’t me. I do not crack under persuasion. I push him back, but he doesn’t go far.
His frustration simmers in his ticking jaw. “I know exactly what I’m saying.”
“We’ve been in close proximity. We’re good friends, Remi. That’s it. We have Isabel in common.”
“Do you think I’d come and put my career on the line on a whim? Do you think I’d jeopardize my responsibility with Isabel?” Dropping his arms, he leans back. Cool air tempers the heat between us. “I love that little girl.”
“I know you do.” I raise my hands in a placating manner. “I just think you’re getting caught up in something that’s not—”
“Don’t you dare.” He points a finger in my direction. “Don’t patronize me, Mae.” Umber eyes turn desperate, pleading, and Remi’s face contorts in torment. “I can’t stop it.”
All air leaves my lungs and seeps out of the room. The walls are closing in, and electricity snaps off the shrinking space, charging the air between us. Our breaths mingle, turning into magnetic vapors pulling us closer.
If I don’t do something, we’ll be fucking on this counter and I’ll be tied to him in more ways than one. There will come a day when he’ll break that tether and I’ll be the one hurtling to the ground, taking my daughter with me. That. Can. Not. Happen.
“Go home, Remi. Call Mandy and ask her out again.”
