Read Online Tony: Alvarez Security Series by Maryann Jordan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maryann Jordan
Ads: Link
“Why did you come exactly, Tony?”
“Jennifer called Gabe to say that you were traveling alone toward a snow storm. And I just jumped up to come find you. I needed to make sure you were safe. I needed to make sure…nothing bad was happening.”
“You feel the need to rescue me all the time?” she asked, needing to understand his motives.
“Yes. No. Not really.” Running his hand over his face, he started over. “When I first saw you almost a year ago, I thought you were beautiful. But I assumed I’d never see you again. Then, when we had the same friends, I got to know you. You’re smart. Loyal. And dauntless when you’re trying to right a wrong.”
He looked down at their hands again, noticing that this time she was rubbing circles on his hands.
“I thought you didn’t like me,” she said shyly.
Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he shook his head. “No, my problem was that I didn’t want to like you.”
He saw the look of confusion cross her beautiful face, and he struggled for the right words again. “There are things in my past…things that…well, made me not want to feel again. So whenever I saw you, I tried to force myself to not think about you. Stay away from you. I figured I was too fucked up for you, anyway.
“When you leaned into me when we found Charisse, as bad as that was for you…it felt right to me. You being in my arms. Leaning on me. Trusting in me. That felt right. I made a dumbass comment to Matt and Shane that I know you overheard and when I realized you had gone, I knew I hurt you. When you pushed me away after the funeral, I figured that I needed to stay away.
“But when Jennifer called, I didn’t over-think for once. I knew this was the place I wanted to be. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I wanted to be here in case you needed something. Or needed me. But what happened there?” he nodded toward the wall behind her. “That should have never happened. Not like that.”
Silence filled the room except for the crackling of the logs burning in the fireplace. Licking her lips, she pondered his words. Such a contradiction, I hardly know what to think. He acted like he didn’t like me, but he does. So what now? Just friends? Or more?
He watched her pink tongue moisten her lips and it was all he could do to not lean over and capture them, but he refused to lose control once again. He lifted his gaze to her eyes and once again saw uncertainty.
“I’m still fuckin’ this up, aren’t I?”
“I want to understand, Tony. Please help me understand why it was a mistake. Is it because you just want to be friends? Because you don’t want to want me?”
“Sherrie, you were a virgin. You should have had your first time in a bed with candlelight and someone taking their time to make sure you were ready and then have them go slow and easy.”
He focused on her eyes, cupping her face with his free hand, feeling the soft skin against his rough. “I wanted you. I’ve wanted you for a long time. I’m used to controlling everything about myself but one look at you, standing in your pajamas arguing with me had me lose control. I just went on emotion and took you against the wall.”
She lifted her hand as well and caressed his cheek, trusting the caramel eyes that had captured her a year ago.
“In a bed or up against a wall…I’ve wanted you,” she said.
“Can I ask you something really personal?”
“Tony, I think we’re way into something personal already,” she grinned.
“How is it that you are…were still a virgin? I mean someone like you?”
At that, the humor left her face and he wondered what he had said wrong.
“Someone like me?” she asked, pulling back from him. “What do you mean, Tony? A poor girl from the foster system? Or a cocktail waitress in a strip joint? Or just because my sister was a—”
“No,” he interjected. “No, none of that. I just meant… you know. Someone as beautiful as you. I can’t imagine that you haven’t had men
“Jennifer called Gabe to say that you were traveling alone toward a snow storm. And I just jumped up to come find you. I needed to make sure you were safe. I needed to make sure…nothing bad was happening.”
“You feel the need to rescue me all the time?” she asked, needing to understand his motives.
“Yes. No. Not really.” Running his hand over his face, he started over. “When I first saw you almost a year ago, I thought you were beautiful. But I assumed I’d never see you again. Then, when we had the same friends, I got to know you. You’re smart. Loyal. And dauntless when you’re trying to right a wrong.”
He looked down at their hands again, noticing that this time she was rubbing circles on his hands.
“I thought you didn’t like me,” she said shyly.
Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he shook his head. “No, my problem was that I didn’t want to like you.”
He saw the look of confusion cross her beautiful face, and he struggled for the right words again. “There are things in my past…things that…well, made me not want to feel again. So whenever I saw you, I tried to force myself to not think about you. Stay away from you. I figured I was too fucked up for you, anyway.
“When you leaned into me when we found Charisse, as bad as that was for you…it felt right to me. You being in my arms. Leaning on me. Trusting in me. That felt right. I made a dumbass comment to Matt and Shane that I know you overheard and when I realized you had gone, I knew I hurt you. When you pushed me away after the funeral, I figured that I needed to stay away.
“But when Jennifer called, I didn’t over-think for once. I knew this was the place I wanted to be. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I wanted to be here in case you needed something. Or needed me. But what happened there?” he nodded toward the wall behind her. “That should have never happened. Not like that.”
Silence filled the room except for the crackling of the logs burning in the fireplace. Licking her lips, she pondered his words. Such a contradiction, I hardly know what to think. He acted like he didn’t like me, but he does. So what now? Just friends? Or more?
He watched her pink tongue moisten her lips and it was all he could do to not lean over and capture them, but he refused to lose control once again. He lifted his gaze to her eyes and once again saw uncertainty.
“I’m still fuckin’ this up, aren’t I?”
“I want to understand, Tony. Please help me understand why it was a mistake. Is it because you just want to be friends? Because you don’t want to want me?”
“Sherrie, you were a virgin. You should have had your first time in a bed with candlelight and someone taking their time to make sure you were ready and then have them go slow and easy.”
He focused on her eyes, cupping her face with his free hand, feeling the soft skin against his rough. “I wanted you. I’ve wanted you for a long time. I’m used to controlling everything about myself but one look at you, standing in your pajamas arguing with me had me lose control. I just went on emotion and took you against the wall.”
She lifted her hand as well and caressed his cheek, trusting the caramel eyes that had captured her a year ago.
“In a bed or up against a wall…I’ve wanted you,” she said.
“Can I ask you something really personal?”
“Tony, I think we’re way into something personal already,” she grinned.
“How is it that you are…were still a virgin? I mean someone like you?”
At that, the humor left her face and he wondered what he had said wrong.
“Someone like me?” she asked, pulling back from him. “What do you mean, Tony? A poor girl from the foster system? Or a cocktail waitress in a strip joint? Or just because my sister was a—”
“No,” he interjected. “No, none of that. I just meant… you know. Someone as beautiful as you. I can’t imagine that you haven’t had men
Similar Books
