Stealing Home (Beyond the Play #3)

by Grace Reilly

“But I do want to know you.” The words burst out of me like a punch. “I want to be in your life, and for you to be in mine.” He lurches forward, pulling me into a kiss. As his lips press against mine, my brain short-circuits, but once it’s up and running again, I can’t help but kiss him back. After a long moment, my chest burns for air. I break off, gasping. “But this isn’t what you wanted.” “I want to know you, whatever form that takes.” “If we go back to the way things were before—” “Yes,” he murmurs roughly. “Yes, fuck, that’s fine. Just stop shutting me out. And stay here. It’s better than a dorm, and you can have all the space you need to work.” He kisses me again, his hands cradling my face, effectively cutting off any lingering protests. He’s right, this is better than a dorm—and even if it’s a bad idea to stay and let myself get attached even further, it’s too tempting to pass up. I’ll just . . . figure something out. I’ll find a new way to keep Project GOSMC going. “Fine,” I bite out. He pulls back to smile at me, tugging on my hair. “I’ll pack you lunches for the week,” he says. “No protein bars unless they’re snacks.”