Chapter 5 - Just One Kiss

EVADIENE

Ambrose looked panicked, but more towards my leaving than anything else. “I’m not worried about you breaking my heart Evadiene. You are allowed to not feel for me as I do for you…”

Of course that was the jump he would make, it was the logical definition of ‘hurt’ in this context, but neither of us expected him to say what he added at the end. His eyes grew wider as he realized what he had admitted and we locked eyes for an impossibly long moment. My heart was racing the same way it had inside when he admitted to trying to flirt. I felt like my head was full of helium but I tried, and failed, to think.

“You like me?” I asked, and that was my first mistake.

The correct response was to admit you were referencing physical pain and then say nothing else. You dummy

“More with every minute,” he breathed, stepping closer and I stepped backwards. “What are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid that you’ll become someone important in my life, and I won’t be able to let you go.” My voice was smaller than I’d ever allowed it before but I knew he heard me when he spoke back.

“Would that be so terrible?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t stay anywhere too long, and I don’t let people get too closed, because people close to me always meet bad fortune, and I couldn’t bare to see you hurt,” I blurted out, disappointment searing my cheeks bright red that these were the words I was actually able to say.

I had expected to see disappointment, shock, confusion, or just a general uncomfortable look in his eyes, but I didn’t see any of them. Instead a smile grew across his face and he squeezed my fingers.

I squeezed his fingers back and closed my eyes, knowing I shouldn’t have stopped.

“I’d gladly take the risk,-“ I turned away but a finger on my cheek pulled me back, “-wait no, listen. If she was my moon then you are my sun, because my days are brighter with you in them. I need you.”

My heart froze in my chest. People always needed me, because if I didn’t know how to do what needed to be done I would learn. Those people often had a certain look in their eyes as they looked passed me into a realm of possibility, but that look wasn’t in what I saw from Ambrose. He didn’t want me for what I could do, he was looking atme, fumbling for words over secrets he could see existed within me.

“I can’t put you in danger, your life is already a gift,” I whispered, thinking of the woman who sacrificed herself for him. “I’m around a lot of cruel people who would see you as a threat.”

He had secrets too, and whether she gave him a kidney or our secrets were the same in danger, I couldn’t risk him.

I pulled my hands free and felt the tear in my chest well up to strangle me. “You...”

“One kiss,” he burted out quickly.

---

SPENCER/AMBROSE

I watched her eyes open wider and her words halt in her mouth. “Wha..?”

“One kiss,” I said again, softer this time. “You kiss me and tell me you feel absolutely nothing, and I’ll go. I’ll be content just seeing you in traffic, until this job ends and I stopped coming into the city.”

She looked like she might cry, like she had made herself believe seeing me was enough but knowing that would end was a second blow.

She swallowed hard. “One kiss?”

I nodded. “Just one.”

She took a step towards me, and then another. When I could reach her I ran my hand up behind her ear into her hair, cupping my hand around her head.

She licked her lips nervously, and I heard her take in and release an unsteady breath.

She gave me one quick nod. “Ok.”

Her hand reached out and held the front of my shirt like she wasn’t sure where to put her hands, but where mine touched her all I could feel was the static charge between us. I leaned in slowly, closing my eyes and trusting her lips to meet mine.

I felt her hand clench before I felt her lips against mine. They were soft and brushed over my bottom lip before they moved to centre themselves like two opposites of a whole. Her lips parted slightly, wrapping themselves around mine,- and she tasted so sweet.

When she pulled away I let her. I would never force her to do anything she didn’t want to.

She took a step back even as I asked, “well?”

She shook her head, eyes welling, and turned around to leave. Every step felt like a nail through my coffin.

How so I tell her she needs to formally reject me so the ache can eventually end.

She took two steps, then four, and I heard her breath hitch.

In an instant she turned on the ball of her boot, tears streaming over her cheeks, and whispered, “I can’t.”

She dropped her bag and ran at me, jumping into my arms and wrapping her legs around my waist. Her lips rejoined mine and she kissed me eagerly, her tongue meeting mine in my mouth as I wrapped my arms around her ass to support her against me.

From behind us I could hear the ladies in the diner cheering but despite me doing the same thing in my head I was glad Evadiene couldn’t hear them.She bit at my lip, arms wrapped around my head to tangle her fingers in my hair.

When we were both breathless we only pulled back enough to rest our forehead together. Our warm breath in the cold air left snakes of fog swirling up between us.

“What have I done,” she whispered, and I wasn’t all that sure that she meant to say it out loud.

I moved one of my hands up to pet the hair back from her face. “You have made me the most grateful man in the world, there’s only one problem-,” she stiffened instantly but I wouldn’t her dwell on her anxieties any longer, “- now that I have you in my arms, how am I ever going to let you go?”

She relaxed, and nuzzled her face into my neck. “But you have to, it’s cold and four in the morning... and I do need to take care of my cat.”

I kissed the side of her neck several times, my wolf begging me to bite her and claim her as ours.

Soon, I reassured,but first we will show her everything we have to offer her.

She moved her hands to my shoulders, and slowly unwrapped each leg from me. When she was standing in front of me again, I leant down to kiss her forehead and she wrapped her hand around my head like I had to her and brought me in to kiss her again.

“Can I have your number?” I asked awkwardly, breathless from just the taste and smell of her so close to me.

She giggle and wrote it in the dirt on the front of my car with her finger. I quickly grabbed her hand and wiped the dirt off onto my jeans.

“Is this your real number, or are you planning on giving me the slip?” I asked, meaning to tease her but her face twitched to an emotion I didn’t catch.

“That would have been the responsible idea.” Her palm flashed up to wipe the number away but I caught it again.

I twisted her hand around in mine so our fingers were laced together. “I can see that you are truly worried, but I am accepting whatever danger there is to be around you. If it’s my feelings I’ll see a therapist,..-“I squeezed her hand feeling something more from her, “-but if it’s something much more, remember I am a well-trained fighter, and part of a large group of such fighters. I am not worried.”

She nodded, and I could see the trust and worry in her eyes, my heart leaping to know they were both for me.

“Text me?” She asked wearily, shivering. “I really can’t stay out here any longer.”

I pulled her in again and kissed her head. “Yes, I know, just one more minute.” I took in a deep breath of her hair and squeezed her again. “Okay, get home and get warm.”

I bit my tongue against saying I would miss her, which I would, or telling her I loved her, which I did. There would be time for all of that. Getting her to just give me her number and agree to see me as romantics potential had been hard enough, and I wasn’t about to risk overwhelming her with too much at once. She bent to pick up her bag and I quickly texted the number, relief filling my heart to hear her phone beeping in her bag.

“Text me, let me know you got home safe?” I asked, watching her open her drivers door as I did the same.

She nodded, and a small smile crept over her face. “I will.”

“That’s my girl.”