can’t tell if he’s just scared or if he really doesn’t want to do this.
“Dance with me, Kolan. It soothes the soul,” I whisper, praying the extra push works.
It does. Ever so slowly, we begin swaying back and forth. His steps are stiff and awkward but it doesn’t matter. I’m pretty sure I’ve never loved dancing with another person so much in my life as I do right now.
“Listen.” Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back slightly. “Let the music move your body, feel the beat and match it.”
I wait for him to follow the instruction but a low growl penetrates through the air instead. My eyes spring open, a gasp parting my lips as he yanks me against his hard body. My heart thrums with speed when I feel his very large erection pressing into my stomach.
His hand coasts up my spine, grabbing a fistful of my hair before tugging my head back. The sting sends heat creeping down my thighs, racing all the way to my toes, curling the ends ruthlessly.
“If you don’t want this, Lia, say something now.”
I try to figure out what this is. A kiss? More? Does it matter?
No, it doesn’t.
“I want it,” I whisper, my voice shaky. It may be a mistake, but I have a feeling he will be the best mistake I ever make.
“I tried,” he says, just before lowering his mouth to mine.
My eyes fall closed as I wait with bated breath, knowing this man’s touch is going to change my lonely existence forever.
A loud bang breaks us of our moment.
With a yelp, I cling to Kolan in fear and look at the door to see a little boy charging in with tears streaming down his face.
“Please, you have to help me!” he pleads.
Kolan springs into action. Jumping out of the ring, he kneels in front of him, grabbing his small shoulders. “Benny, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
The hysterical little boy shakes his head. “No, it’s my mom. She won’t wake up. She passed out, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Why didn’t you call 9-1-1?”
“Because we don’t have any money for the doctor,” he explains, his harsh sobs breaking my heart. “Please. I don’t have anyone else. Will you come look at her and see if you can wake her up?”
Kolan scoops him up into his arms and grabs his keys from the front counter before looking at me. “Come on.”
“No, don’t worry about me. Go. I can close up.”
“Lia, now,” he snaps the order.
Knowing now is not the time to argue, I hurry to climb out of the ring and grab my bag before following them out the door.
“How did you get here?” Kolan asks as he deposits the boy in the back seat of his SUV.
“I ran. I live that way.” He points down the street, off to the left.
Closing the door, Kolan opens the passenger one for me before running to his side. We climb in at the same time. I barely have my door shut before he peels away.
As Benny gives him directions, he tosses me his phone. “When we get to his place, call 9-1-1 with the address.”
I nod then glance back at Benny whose eyes are wide and terrified, tears streaming down his face. I reach out to touch his leg, hoping to offer some comfort. It takes about five minutes before we arrive at the run-down apartment building. I call 9-1-1 as we race into the building, giving the operator the address and remain on the line as she instructs.
Kolan bursts into the apartment with Benny in his arms. There on the kitchen floor, lies a woman in a waitress uniform, unconscious. Placing the boy to his feet, he rushes to her side and drops down next to her. “She has a pulse.”
After I repeat that to the operator, my attention draws to Benny as he sobs, looking down at his mother. I kneel next to him and wrap an arm around his small body. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way.”
He nods but doesn’t look convinced. Thankfully, the paramedics arrive quickly, then the three of us follow behind them to the hospital.
Forty-five minutes later, we’re sitting in the waiting room with
“Dance with me, Kolan. It soothes the soul,” I whisper, praying the extra push works.
It does. Ever so slowly, we begin swaying back and forth. His steps are stiff and awkward but it doesn’t matter. I’m pretty sure I’ve never loved dancing with another person so much in my life as I do right now.
“Listen.” Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back slightly. “Let the music move your body, feel the beat and match it.”
I wait for him to follow the instruction but a low growl penetrates through the air instead. My eyes spring open, a gasp parting my lips as he yanks me against his hard body. My heart thrums with speed when I feel his very large erection pressing into my stomach.
His hand coasts up my spine, grabbing a fistful of my hair before tugging my head back. The sting sends heat creeping down my thighs, racing all the way to my toes, curling the ends ruthlessly.
“If you don’t want this, Lia, say something now.”
I try to figure out what this is. A kiss? More? Does it matter?
No, it doesn’t.
“I want it,” I whisper, my voice shaky. It may be a mistake, but I have a feeling he will be the best mistake I ever make.
“I tried,” he says, just before lowering his mouth to mine.
My eyes fall closed as I wait with bated breath, knowing this man’s touch is going to change my lonely existence forever.
A loud bang breaks us of our moment.
With a yelp, I cling to Kolan in fear and look at the door to see a little boy charging in with tears streaming down his face.
“Please, you have to help me!” he pleads.
Kolan springs into action. Jumping out of the ring, he kneels in front of him, grabbing his small shoulders. “Benny, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
The hysterical little boy shakes his head. “No, it’s my mom. She won’t wake up. She passed out, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Why didn’t you call 9-1-1?”
“Because we don’t have any money for the doctor,” he explains, his harsh sobs breaking my heart. “Please. I don’t have anyone else. Will you come look at her and see if you can wake her up?”
Kolan scoops him up into his arms and grabs his keys from the front counter before looking at me. “Come on.”
“No, don’t worry about me. Go. I can close up.”
“Lia, now,” he snaps the order.
Knowing now is not the time to argue, I hurry to climb out of the ring and grab my bag before following them out the door.
“How did you get here?” Kolan asks as he deposits the boy in the back seat of his SUV.
“I ran. I live that way.” He points down the street, off to the left.
Closing the door, Kolan opens the passenger one for me before running to his side. We climb in at the same time. I barely have my door shut before he peels away.
As Benny gives him directions, he tosses me his phone. “When we get to his place, call 9-1-1 with the address.”
I nod then glance back at Benny whose eyes are wide and terrified, tears streaming down his face. I reach out to touch his leg, hoping to offer some comfort. It takes about five minutes before we arrive at the run-down apartment building. I call 9-1-1 as we race into the building, giving the operator the address and remain on the line as she instructs.
Kolan bursts into the apartment with Benny in his arms. There on the kitchen floor, lies a woman in a waitress uniform, unconscious. Placing the boy to his feet, he rushes to her side and drops down next to her. “She has a pulse.”
After I repeat that to the operator, my attention draws to Benny as he sobs, looking down at his mother. I kneel next to him and wrap an arm around his small body. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way.”
He nods but doesn’t look convinced. Thankfully, the paramedics arrive quickly, then the three of us follow behind them to the hospital.
Forty-five minutes later, we’re sitting in the waiting room with
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