Free A Moment by Marie Hall Page A

and I want to curse myself for pushing too hard. I have my own damn demons, why am I picking at hers? Crossing her arms over her chest, she inhales deeply.
     
    “I ruined his life. I was smart, really smart and he had plans…”
     
    Jaw clenching tight, I tell myself to just shut the hell up, but I was never really any good at listening to advice, even if it’s my own.
     
    “You’re a mom now, you can’t live vicariously through your kids. It’s not right, and only leads to disappointment.”
     
    “Speaking from personal experience?” She lifts a brow and now it’s my turn to squirm.
     
    Wiping my hand down my jeans, I say, “That wasn’t ever my problem with them.”
     
    “Well? You heard my sob story, maybe it’s time you tell me yours.”
     
    I know why she’s asking, know she’s remembering that night and my pulse speeds. I’m not giving her time to ask me why I did it. Routing the words I know are ready to spring from her tongue I shake my head.
     
    “I gave my parents hell. Wore black, listened to death metal.”
     
    “You?”
     
    She giggles and eyes me up and down, making my blood hot and my skin cold wondering what it would feel like if she ever actually touched me.
     
    “I can’t picture it, you’re all clean cut…”
     
    “Thanks to the Marines. They kind of beat it out of me.”
     
    “I thought you said you were a fighter.” She relaxes, uncrosses her arms, and I almost sigh with relief.
     
    I love it when she touches me. And I know she knows she is, I feel it in the tremors coursing through her back. From what little I know about her, she isn’t used to this, seven years out of practice. And maybe, but some act of God, she’s just as curious about me as I am about her.
     
    “Now I am. I separated three years ago. Marines teach you this thing called Marine Corp martial arts. I was hooked, took some fights while I was still in. Once I got out, I found a trainer and,” I shrug, “haven’t looked back since.”
     
    “When do you train?”
     
    “Six nights a week. At the gym across from the sushi bar.”
     
    She smiles, a full on sexy one too, showing teeth and gums and I can’t help but respond.
     
    “No wonder you knew where that hole in the wall was. Though I gotta say, that coffee was definitely not the world’s best.”
     
    Laughing, I lick my lips. “Hey, whatever it took to get you out of Chai Time.”
     
    “Hmm.” She bops her leg faster, “You’re a liar, that’s what you are, Ryan Cosgrove. I had caffeine withdrawal the whole day.”
     
    “And I told you,” I lean in, forgetting the non-date rules, “I had to apologize.”
     
    Her lips are plump and luscious, beckoning me to take a taste. She doesn’t move, but her eyes dart across my face, panic flares white and hot in them.
     
    “Liliana,” my voice breaks, save me .
     
    I kiss her.
     
    And for a second I think she’s kissing me back. Her mouth is pliant and soft and a guttural groan spills from my lips as my hands slide slowly up her arms. I want her tongue, want it twined with mine, want to taste her and feel hers sliding with my own.
     
    But before I can seek permission, her hands are pushing on my chest and her body is stiff.
     
    Shocked, I snap out my haze. My cock is so damn hard, my balls aching and heavy. What the hell have I done?
     
    She has a hand over her mouth. “That’s not okay, Ryan. It’s not okay.”
     
    Fuck me.
     

 
    Chapter 9
     
    Liliana
     

     
    The car ride back is torture. Why did he have to kiss me, why? Everything had been so perfect, so natural… for the first time in so long I couldn’t even remember when, I was having the most absolute, perfect day.
     
    I pinch my brow.
     
    Ryan is quiet, all the easiness we’d shared is gone. He’s silent and tense, not glancing at me. Dammit. I should have known better. I was flirting. I knew it, but I couldn’t seem to stop it.
     
    It wasn’t fair, the first guy I meet in ages that does something