Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

“You knew that line from Hamlet,” he presses. “Every Shakespeare play
about a king.”
God, he’s such a dork. So kissable.
But I can’t do it. Not when he’s a virgin for Christ’s sake, someone waiting
faithfully for a woman to love and cherish and give everything to. He and I are
literally on opposite ends of the spectrum. I have no business kissing him.
Newsflash: you already have.
Okay, I have no business kissing him anymore.
I stare at our hands, tangled together. “‘Palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.’”
“Mhm,” he says blearily, his grip slackening in mine. “‘Let lips do what
hands do.’” Bringing our hands right over his heart, he knots our fingers tighter,
and sighs. “‘They pray.’”
His breathing steadies. His face grows slack. And I let myself steal the
faintest touch of his face. I smooth his beard, whisper my knuckles against his
cheek, up to his temple.
“What are you doing to me, Ren?” I whisper. “What am I going to do?”
His hand twitches in mine, but his features are smooth, clearly deep in sleep.
I stay, holding his hand, smoothing his hair. Longer than I should.
Much longer.
THIS IS WHY I’VE SPENT THE PAST FOUR YEARS OF MY LIFE LOCKED DOWN.
Because when I keep my heart and feelings and body closed off, I don’t find
myself waking up nauseously emotional, horny to the point of distraction, or
horribly slept. I don’t do stupid things like sit with a ginger giant for an hour,
until my eyes droop and my joints start screaming for their own bed to sleep in. I
don’t have dreams that I can’t remember except for what they made me feel.
Hot. Lonely. Hungry.
It’s all Ren’s fault.
I’m sore and tired as we stumble off the bus back in LA. My little Civic
flashes her lights as I unlock her from across the parking lot and hoist my carryon
bag higher up my shoulder.
“Frankie.” Ren jogs toward me, hauling all his shit. Really, when is the guy
going to let the minions be minions for him?
“Yes?” My stomach tightens, seeing him run my way. We spent the day
tacitly avoiding each other. Or maybe I avoided him.
Okay, I avoided him. Because this is what my stomach did every time I