Page 137 of Rise Above

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My cheeks heated up a bit. I sometimes hated that

Aife was a watcher. She analyzed people, and she truly listened when people spoke. Aife made people feel heard and seen. Her abilities and talents as a social worker helped her easily find strengths and weaknesses. As mesmerized as she was by me, she deeply intrigued me. The woman was an enigma. A delightful enigma.

“Well, thank you, darling. You’ve got to be

mentally tough to do pro sports. I imagine it’s similar to the mental fortitude a social worker needs.”

“I mean, social work just requires good

boundaries,” Aife said softly. “It’s something I really used to struggle with and sometimes still do. Boundaries are hard to establish and maintain. It takes a lot of hard work. Yeah, you need a little mental toughness. We see some difficult things, but it’s about taking care of yourself. That’s all.”

“You really love what you do.” It was clear in the

way her entire demeanor lit up when she spoke about her career.

She smiled. “I do. The beauty of social work is how

many different avenues you can take with it.”

Our conversation continued to flow as we ate our

meals. We could seemingly talk about anything, and we always did. She was so well-spoken and intelligent. Aife was the easiest person in the world to talk to.

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The stars filtered through my balcony windows as I

guided Aife into my apartment. My hand felt so right resting on her waist. She graced me with a huge smile before kicking her heels off. Sticking her tongue out at me, she raced to my balcony. Aife hadn’t been drinking, but she just seemed so at ease.

I watched her as she took in the view out of my

windows. The light illuminated her curves. Her outfit just showcased her beautiful body. Her hair flowed down her back, making me want to wrap my hands in it. Aife made me want to do all kinds of nefarious things to her. It had been far too long since I’d tasted her lips, and there was so much more of her I wanted to taste. Since meeting Aife, I hadn’t had sex. I wanted to do very dirty things to her.

“Come here,” I growled from my couch. Watching

her was torture. I needed to feel her lips on mine.

Turning, she looked at me and licked her lips. She

slowly walked over to me before I tugged her down onto my lap. Gently, I cupped her face and stared into her big eyes.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes.” Aife’s voice came out breathy. “Please.”

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Smirking, I leaned down and pressed my lips to

hers. Our lips molded together as we worked our mouths. I pushed my tongue into her mouth, savoring her taste. My hands made their way into her hair as our kiss deepened. Our tongues tangled, not in a fight but in a dance. She placed her hands on my chest as her legs straddled my waist. Her skirt rode up on her legs, distracting me. A growl broke through my chest as our lips parted. My hands clamped down on her thighs, massaging them.