Read Online Always Conall (Bitterroot #2) by Sibylla Matilde - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sibylla Matilde
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little as she gave a slight shake of her head.
Her clear blue eyes were wrought with concern. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me and holding her tightly. With her face planted against my chest, I wanted to feed her some of my strength. I wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay. But how did I know it would? How did I know what the future had in store for any of us? I didn’t even know Mattie existed until just a few days ago. And now… what the fuck did I know about being a dad?
I felt her hands slide around my waist and she leaned against me. For a moment, I just held her, loving the feel of her in my arms. Nothing else had ever felt quite as right. She pulled back to look up at me again, so close. Her lips so tempting. So sweet.
Just one little kiss , I thought. That longing swirled around in my head until I was unable to deny the craving and lowered my head. One little kiss. That’s all I wanted. Just one little taste.
“Conall, wait,” she whispered, pulling back at the last second, just as my lips came just a hair’s breadth from hers, and her words fluttered against my mouth. “I can’t do this. I have a boyfriend.”
I lifted my head and looked down at her heavy-lidded expression. Her lips slightly open, her breathing stilted.
“I asked you before if it was serious,” I said. “You didn’t answer. I’m asking again, Sage.”
“Maybe,” she quietly said as she dropped her focus to the buttons on my shirt.
Almost against my will, I pressed a little closer, brushing my lips against the softness of her bangs. “How long have you been seeing this guy? A couple months, right?”
Sage nodded, and, with the faint movement, the fresh, clean scent of her hair rose around me. I inhaled deeply and allowed the fragrance to tease my senses.
“Yet,” I murmured against her ear as I smoothly tightened my embrace, “Mattie doesn’t even know he exists.”
Warily, she looked back up at me, studying me closely before she spoke again. “So?” she whispered.
“So, honey…” I responded, “ that tells me it’s not serious.”
For an instant, her body froze… a split second where I could feel how badly she wanted me. Her sensitivity to my close proximity was palpable.
“It doesn’t matter,” she finally breathed. “She doesn’t know him because I don’t want her to get attached. I don’t want her to think that we’re going to make some happy little family just to have it all fall apart. She needs stability. So I can’t get involved emotionally. Even with you. Especially with you.” Her hands rose to lay flat against my chest. Almost like she wanted to push me away, but couldn’t. I felt a fractional movement of her fingertips and a hint of a shiver run through her as she stared at her hands. “Not that you ever wanted me anyway,” she added sadly.
I pulled back, one of my hands tipping her chin up to me, forcing her gaze to meet mine. “Wait a minute, what makes you think—”
“It doesn’t matter, Conall. Because being her mother,” she interrupted, “I need to think of her before myself. So truly dating someone, introducing them to her and adding all those variables, letting someone else take control when there’s so much in the air… I can’t risk it. And I don’t have the time or the energy to put into any kind of real relationship right now, anyway. So things with Jeff… ”
His name was Jeff. Fucker . I hated that name. I wasn’t sure why, but I really hated that name. I wanted to kick his ass.
“…they’re just kind of… informal.”
I narrowed my eyes at her as she continued.
“It’s more of an… arrangement than a relationship.”
“He’s a fuck buddy,” I growled with the realization of what she was telling me.
Her blue eyes became stormy with animosity and she pulled her face away from my hand. “You don’t understand.”
“No, I think I do understand. He’s a lay. Someone to scratch your itch.”
“It’s not
Her clear blue eyes were wrought with concern. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me and holding her tightly. With her face planted against my chest, I wanted to feed her some of my strength. I wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay. But how did I know it would? How did I know what the future had in store for any of us? I didn’t even know Mattie existed until just a few days ago. And now… what the fuck did I know about being a dad?
I felt her hands slide around my waist and she leaned against me. For a moment, I just held her, loving the feel of her in my arms. Nothing else had ever felt quite as right. She pulled back to look up at me again, so close. Her lips so tempting. So sweet.
Just one little kiss , I thought. That longing swirled around in my head until I was unable to deny the craving and lowered my head. One little kiss. That’s all I wanted. Just one little taste.
“Conall, wait,” she whispered, pulling back at the last second, just as my lips came just a hair’s breadth from hers, and her words fluttered against my mouth. “I can’t do this. I have a boyfriend.”
I lifted my head and looked down at her heavy-lidded expression. Her lips slightly open, her breathing stilted.
“I asked you before if it was serious,” I said. “You didn’t answer. I’m asking again, Sage.”
“Maybe,” she quietly said as she dropped her focus to the buttons on my shirt.
Almost against my will, I pressed a little closer, brushing my lips against the softness of her bangs. “How long have you been seeing this guy? A couple months, right?”
Sage nodded, and, with the faint movement, the fresh, clean scent of her hair rose around me. I inhaled deeply and allowed the fragrance to tease my senses.
“Yet,” I murmured against her ear as I smoothly tightened my embrace, “Mattie doesn’t even know he exists.”
Warily, she looked back up at me, studying me closely before she spoke again. “So?” she whispered.
“So, honey…” I responded, “ that tells me it’s not serious.”
For an instant, her body froze… a split second where I could feel how badly she wanted me. Her sensitivity to my close proximity was palpable.
“It doesn’t matter,” she finally breathed. “She doesn’t know him because I don’t want her to get attached. I don’t want her to think that we’re going to make some happy little family just to have it all fall apart. She needs stability. So I can’t get involved emotionally. Even with you. Especially with you.” Her hands rose to lay flat against my chest. Almost like she wanted to push me away, but couldn’t. I felt a fractional movement of her fingertips and a hint of a shiver run through her as she stared at her hands. “Not that you ever wanted me anyway,” she added sadly.
I pulled back, one of my hands tipping her chin up to me, forcing her gaze to meet mine. “Wait a minute, what makes you think—”
“It doesn’t matter, Conall. Because being her mother,” she interrupted, “I need to think of her before myself. So truly dating someone, introducing them to her and adding all those variables, letting someone else take control when there’s so much in the air… I can’t risk it. And I don’t have the time or the energy to put into any kind of real relationship right now, anyway. So things with Jeff… ”
His name was Jeff. Fucker . I hated that name. I wasn’t sure why, but I really hated that name. I wanted to kick his ass.
“…they’re just kind of… informal.”
I narrowed my eyes at her as she continued.
“It’s more of an… arrangement than a relationship.”
“He’s a fuck buddy,” I growled with the realization of what she was telling me.
Her blue eyes became stormy with animosity and she pulled her face away from my hand. “You don’t understand.”
“No, I think I do understand. He’s a lay. Someone to scratch your itch.”
“It’s not
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