READ AN EXCERPT BELOW
She’s been in love with her best friend’s bossy older brother for years. Tonight, the rules change. Will the man who once crushed her dreams be the same one who makes them all come true?
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“Princess,” Cyrus says, his voice a soft growl that touches me in the same place it always does. Deep in my womb. I love his voice. It’s sexy as hell. Which is a waste since he uses it to piss me off more often than not.
“Before you insult me, you should know I’m wearing stilettos,” I say, my voice sugary-sweet. Last time he complained about my clothes while I was wearing heels, he limped for a week. He’s what Jessa calls a bossy pants man. But I’m not his sister, and he doesn’t get to make rules about my clothing choices.
Honestly, I pick half of what I wear just to drive him crazy. It’s childish and bratty, but it’s true. I can’t help it! Every time he’s near me, I turn into someone I barely recognize. He makes me want to be a brat and push his buttons and piss him off just to see how he’ll react. And God help us both, but part of me loves it just as much as he does. I like knowing I can make him crazy. He may not want me the way I want him, but I make him just as crazy as he does me. Sometimes, I let myself believe that’ll be enough for me.
But it won’t. I’ll always want more of him. All of him.
“Why would I insult you?” he asks, swallowing hard as his eyes sweep up and down my body. He’s looking at me that way again…like he wants to back me up against the wall and devour me. “You look ravishing, princess.”
“You always insult me,” I mutter, caught off guard by the compliment and the heat with which he utters it. He almost sounds like he genuinely means it.
“You hear what you want to hear.”
“I’m not arguing with you tonight,” I warn him, throwing up a hand. “If that’s why you’re here, you can just go right back to base.”
He stares at me for a minute and then takes a step closer to me. I feel the heat coming off his body and have to lock my legs in place to keep from swaying toward him. He’s so flipping gorgeous to me. I don’t understand why God had to craft him exactly the way I like.
“That’s not why I’m here, princess,” he says, tipping his head forward and getting all up in my personal space. His voice rakes across my senses, setting me on fire with need. It trembles in my belly, makes my core clench.
God, I want this man inside me so badly. When I touch myself, it’s always, always Cyrus I think about. It’s been him for so damn long. But he’s had years to make a move, years to learn to love me back. I’ve given up on it ever happening.
“You know that’s not why I’m here,” he growls, his breath tickling along the side of my face. He smells like mint and brandy. And even though there are hundreds of people around us, I feel like we’re in our own little world.
“I know,” I whisper. He has no idea how much that admission cost me.
His soft exhale lets me know that maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe he does know just how much it took for me to give him that much. He seems…different tonight. Less frustrated than usual. I’m not sure why, but I like it.
He takes another step toward me, invading what’s left of my personal space. His nose drifts along the side of my face. My entire body trembles as desire spikes to an all-time high. And then he wrecks me by placing a soft kiss on my cheek.
“You’re beautiful, Gwen. Every fucking day since I met you,” he whispers.
“Cyrus.” My body quivers again, a flock of birds kicking into flight in my belly.
“Can we call a truce for one night, princess? Please?”
I think he’s actually pleading with me to give him this. I say yes. Of course I do. With him, it’s the only answer I know. Which is precisely why he’s so dangerous to me. I would have given up everything for him. When he came back from Iraq after I kissed him, I was prepared to do exactly that. Forget my dreams and my pride and be with him. Had he given any hint that he wanted me like I want him, I wouldn’t have regretted doing it.
But that was then, and this is now. It’s been four years and he’s made no move to change the way things are between us, and I can’t wait for him forever. So I’m going to Nashville and I’m going to pursue my dreams until I catch them. And maybe, someday, being in love with someone who can’t love me back won’t hurt so damn much.
He presses his lips to my cheek again and then holds his arm out to me. I hesitate for a split second before I slip mine through his, putting our feud on the back burner. If tonight is all I get with him, it’ll be enough.
Right?
