"Is that right?"
I tip up my chin, "Don’t make the mistake of underestimating me." I lean in close enough for our breaths to mingle. "Don’t mistake me for a wilting flower, because I am not."
He rakes his gaze across my features before meeting my eyes again. There’s a flash of interest in the depths of his eyes, something I hadn’t noticed before. It’s as if he’s seeing me properly for the first time.Asshole.
"When I make up my mind that I want something, I go after it. I can be very persistent." I stare at his mouth and something hot unfurls in my chest. My core clenches and my pulse rate ratchets up. I draw in his breath and that musky, sweaty scent of his pours through my veins. I touch my lips to his, and the next moment, I am pulled into his chest. I lose my balance, fall on him, and he groans.
"Oh hell, sorry, sorry, sorry," I try to push away, but even in his weakened state, his arm around me holds me in place.
The color drains from his face, but he doesn’t release me.
"I thought you still weren’t able to use your arms and legs properly?"
"Turns out, I only need the right motivation." He smirks. "You were saying?"
"What?" I frown, unable to turn my gaze away from that gorgeous mouth of his. The hard planes of his body dig into my chest. Damn, he may need rehab to get back on his feet, but lying horizontal like this, with every inch of my body plastered to his, I feel smaller, softer, and overwhelmed by his masculinity. Every dip and ridge of his muscles, every indentation of his tendons, every hard plane of his body hints at the power coiled under his skin. Something only temporarily leashed by the position he is in now. It won’t be long before he’s back on his feet and then…
He’ll leave. I know he will. He’ll walk away and I… I won’t have anything left to show. Again. And that…that I can’t bear. Not again. I am not going to lose this man… No, he is not Xander… I know, but something about him pulls me in a way that Xander never did. My head spins. I don’t know this man at all…but no way, am I letting him leave me. This time, I am going to stake my claim. This time, I am going to make sure that I don’t commit the mistakes of my past.
"You said something about being persistent?" His smile widens, "Let’s see how—"
I lower my head and smash my mouth to his. I must take him by surprise because he parts his lips, and I thrust my tongue inside his mouth. A groan rips up his chest. The next moment, he grips my hair and tugs, so I have no choice but to jerk my chin up.
"That’s not how this works, Sunshine," he murmurs. "Just because I am not one-hundred percent functional doesn’t mean that you can take control."
"And here I was, thinking you didn’t want anything to do with me," I say lightly.
"Oh, I still don’t," he retorts.
"Um…excuse me, but are you living in a parallel reality? From where I am," I push my pelvis into the hard column between his legs that tents the hospital gown, "it seems you want me a lot."
"I am never one to turn down free pussy."
I gape at him, "You’re an asshole."
"So you keep saying, and yet you keep throwing yourself at me."
"I am not—" I close my mouth.
"You aren’t?" He smirks. The bastard smirks as he takes in my flushed features.
"Okay, I admit, I’m the one who made the first move. From the moment you stepped in front of me and that bullet hit you, I haven’t been the same." I swallow. "You remind me of Xander and I know you are not the same, but tell that to my heart, which can’t seem to tell the difference. I lost Xander and I don’t want to lose you as well."
"You never had me to lose me," he points out.
"You think I don’t know that? All the time you were in a coma, I kept watch over you, and I kept telling myself that you were not Xander, but a part of me refused to believe… I still can’t get my head around how similar the two of you are."
"Put it down to being a coincidence," he offers. "I understand that it must be difficult for you to see him every time you look at me, but I promise you, I am not him."
"I know..." I close my eyes. "Please, can you release me now?"
"No."
I glance down at him, "What do you mean, no?"
"You set out to kiss me; you may as well as do it properly."
"I don’t want to kiss you anymore." I scowl.