Small-Town Sweetheart (The Spring Grove Series Book 2) Read online

  My heart tumbles around in my chest, and I’m breathless as he comes to a stop in front of me. I look up at him, and jeez, I’m so stupid. I am. But damn it, I love him. His eyes search mine as his lips part but then press back together. My heart doesn’t know what to do. His chest rises and falls with mine as the townspeople move around us, but really, they’re not there. I want to reach out, touch him, beg him not to leave, but I have no right to do so. He never asked me to be his. Even though I am.

  He clears his throat, biting his bottom lip. My body is vibrating for his. When Jason Aldean’s “You Make it Easy” blares from the speakers, my heart can’t take it.

  We speak at the same time.

  I ask, “Wanna dance?”

  He says, “I’m sorry.”

  I try to smile, but it looks more like a frown as he looks stricken. He holds out his hand, and I take it. He walks backward toward the dance floor before pulling me in closely. My chin comes to the middle of his chest as he slides his hands down my back. His hands hold me right at the small of my back, but his fingers lie against my ass. His favorite thing about me. He leans his head on mine, and I close my eyes as the music plays around us. There is chatter, laughter, and everything else, but all I hear is the racing of his heart. We stay like that for most of the song. I feel people staring at us, some smiling and some talking, but neither of us cares.

  Reed’s hand moves up my back, to my neck, and up into my hair before he tips my head back. I gaze into his troubled eyes, and tears suddenly flood mine. He drops his mouth to mine, and my eyes squeeze shut, feeling every ounce of my soul falling for him over and over again. He draws out the kisses, his tongue moving slowly and carefully with mine. I want to cry and laugh at the same time. There was a time when he cared about people seeing us touch and kiss, but now, it’s different. Is it because he is leaving that he doesn’t care? Or is it because he has fallen for me?

  A sob bubbles in my throat as he pulls back. His other hand comes up, cupping my jaw as he breathes me in. I open my eyes to see that his eyes are still clenched shut and his lips are trembling. I don’t understand. All he has to do is ask me to be his, and I’ll scream yes. Wholeheartedly. Even though I just had one hell of a party, dammit, I would leave this town in a heartbeat. Just for him. All he has to do is ask. My fingers caress his jaw as his eyes open slowly, and I see such despair in his gaze.

  “I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry.”

  “Reed—”

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  He doesn’t give me time to answer before he threads his fingers through mine and pulls me with him, out of the crowd.

  “Reed.”

  Reed stops at the sound of Dr. Ross’s voice and turns around. “Hey, Dr. Ross.”

  “Hey, son,” he says, stopping in front of us. “We need to discuss you leaving. You’ve been putting me off.”

  Reed nods, and I look away. “We can talk tomorrow.”

  “Fine, breakfast with me and the old lady.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “And you’re welcome, Delaney, of course.”

  I give him a strained smile. “Thank you, Dr. Ross.”

  “Of course. See you two tomorrow.”

  Neither of us answers him as he walks away. Reed kisses my temple and then whispers against it, “Come on.”

  He pulls me with him toward my house. I know I should stop him, but I can’t. If we go into that house, I know we’ll end up in my room, and then we won’t talk. In a way, I don’t want to talk, because I’m pretty sure he’s already gone. I know Reed cares for me, that’s a given, but he had one foot out of this town the moment he stepped in. I couldn’t bring that foot back in; I’m not enough.

  Once we’re in the house, the door slams behind us, and Reed leads me up the stairs. Inside my room, I shut the door, and he turns, pulling me to him. His mouth takes mine in a heated and hurried embrace. He grips my dress in his fist at my waist as we eat at each other’s mouths. My heart hurts, dammit, it does, but I refuse to stop kissing him.

  When he pulls back, it’s to lift my dress off me, and then his gaze slides like honey all over my body. I unbutton his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders and down his arms. Our gazes stay locked as I unfasten his pants, and they drop to the floor from the weight of his wallet, I assume. Next is my bra and then my panties before he pushes his boxers down his legs. He’s hard, delectable, and I don’t want to say goodbye.

  But I think that’s what we’re doing.

  Reed moves his hands very slowly up my ribs to cup my breasts. I tremble in his hold as his lips take mine once more. When he picks me up, I wrap my legs around his waist as he walks us to my bed. Reed lays me down slowly, his body covering mine as he falls between my legs. His cock rests against my wet center, and my body hums at the feel of him. He’s so hard, throbbing against me as he draws the kisses from me. From my heart, my soul. Our bodies tremble together, and our hearts beat as one as we stare into each other’s eyes. His are so stricken, so sad, and I wonder if I mirror him. I don’t want to say goodbye, and his body tells me he doesn’t either. So why is he?

  When he pushes into me, I arch up into him. He kisses down my throat as he thrusts up into me, and tears fill my eyes. They slide down the sides of my face, and I dig my nails into his biceps as he moves into me. His hair brushes against my jaw as he thrusts into me more forcefully with each stroke. His body is strong and thick against mine, and my tears just keep falling. I move my lips along his forehead, my sobs choking me as he continues to push into me like he was meant to. This is goodbye, plain and simple, and I don’t know what to think.

  When his lips glide over my chin and along my jaw, he meets my gaze and freezes. I press my lips together, and I slowly move my fingers over his jaw. “Don’t leave.”

  He searches my eyes, and I can see the struggle in his expression. “Delaney—”

  I shake my head. “Yes or no.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “It is.”

  “I have a life there—”

  Not the answer I wanted. “Fine,” I say, pulling his head down to mine. “It’s fine.”

  I try to kiss him, but he doesn’t let me. “You have to understand, I think you’re amazing—”

  “But I’m not enough to stay for.”

  He drops his forehead to my chin, placing a kiss to the middle of my chest. “It’s not that at all, Del. Please don’t think that.”

  “Then, what is it?”

  He lifts his head to look down at me. “I have a whole different life in Lexington. I can’t give that up.”

  “Then why don’t you ask me to come with you?”

  He shakes his head as he groans. “Del, you are rooted here.”

  “And I would uproot myself this second for you.”

  He looks pained as he inhales harshly. “Baby, I wouldn’t ask you to.”

  “But I would,” I say, my tears streaming down my face. “I love you, Reed.” His eyes widen, and I refuse to keep all these feelings inside myself anymore. I’ve done it long enough. “I know we said we were just having fun—dating, if you will. But I have loved you for almost my whole life, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving you. I love your face, your body, your laugh, everything, Reed. I love you. All of you.”

  “Don’t.”

  No. No. No. He’s supposed to say, “I love you too!”

  “Don’t,” I repeat, and then I push him off me as he says my name once more. I reach for my blanket to wrap around myself as I turn to him. “You honestly don’t love me?”

  His dumb ass shrugs as he gets to his feet. “I don’t know. I’m feeling all kinds of things, but I just don’t see the point.”

  “The point is telling me how you feel!”

  “Why? So this can hurt more? I’m leaving, and you’re staying. We have two separate lives, Delaney. Don’t you see that?”

  “I do, but I’m willing to merge them!” I thread my fingers together, shaking my hands at him.