Read Blaine, Destiny - Roping in Forever [Forever 1] (Siren Publishing Allure) for Free Online Page A

she was right then?
    “Bella, what do you remember?”
    She closed her eyes and tried to think. After some consideration, she said, “I remember talking to you and walking toward the club. As soon as we were inside, I knew you were right. I didn’t belong there. Benson led me to the dance floor, and we started dancing.”
    “How many songs?”
    “I don’t know—two, maybe three. Then, I…oh God, Corbin, I remember changing into the outfit.”
    He nodded. “And Benson helped you.”
    She stilled against him. Her eyes watered.
    “It’s all right, Bella. Tell me what happened next.”
    “He groped me, told me something stupid like I was meant for his bed, but he was gonna make me wait and only give it to me if I acted like a good girl. Then, he led me back outside, and that’s when I saw you and Travis.”
    Corbin released a huge sigh of relief. “Are you sure that’s what happened? You’re sure you remember everything?”
    “Until I saw you and then I don’t recall anything at all. How’d I get here? How’d you know something was wrong?”
    Corbin lifted her hair from her shoulder, locking a curl around his finger and then admiring the way the strands parted and fell. Their eyes met. “Because I know you, Bella.”
    “You do know me, Corbin,” she whispered.
    “Maybe not as well as I should,” he said, tilting her chin toward his. “As much as I hate to admit it, Travis noticed something wasn’t quite right.”
    “Travis?”
    “Yeah, he’s downstairs talking to your mom, or he was. I didn’t hear the truck leave, so he’s probably on the couch sawing logs by now.”
    A somewhat uncomfortable silence passed between them before Corbin said, “Are you feeling okay now?”
    “I’m good,” she assured him.
    “I’d like to test that out for myself,” he said, giving her a light peck on the lips.

    * * * *

    When she responded to his kiss, he bracketed his arms around her waist and drew her to him, kissing her like he’d wanted to kiss her all night, holding her against him until the swell of her breasts rising and falling alerted Corbin to the obvious—things were going mighty well for them, all things considered. Lapping at her lips, he moaned and forced himself to move away. He’d thought he could kiss her and that would be that.
    He was wrong.
    Backing away, he paced the floor, running his fingers through his hair.
    “What’s the matter?”
    Outside of a hard-on, not a damn thing, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate the obvious being brought to the forefront of their conversation. Besides, if she glanced down, she could judge his dilemma for herself. He redirected his focus, pointing to the easel. “I saw the pictures. You’re very talented.”
    She blushed. “I had inspiration.”
    A smile tugged at his lips. He’d like to give her some more. He was still a man after all. And Bella was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
    “The first drawing—the sketch—that’s the first day we met, isn’t it?”
    Her eyes held the distant memory. “After my father’s funeral.”
    He remembered. He recalled seeing Bella with her mother, walking right outside the cemetery. He’d given them a lift home, wondering at the time why they’d been walking in the rain. Later, he’d discovered Bella’s mother had been too drunk to drive. Bella was fourteen, and he just happened on them at the right time, in the middle of a downpour.
    “I look young there,” he said, returning to the easel and finding the drawing.
    “That sketch is my favorite,” she remarked, joining him there and taking a seat on the stool. “And you were young. You were—”
    “Twenty-one,” they said in unison.
    Again, the silence separated them, but at the same time, brought them together.
    “I’ve waited a lot of years for that kiss,” she finally said.
    He moistened his lips. “I’ve been waiting, too, Bella.”
    “No, you haven’t. But I understand.”
    He was overcome with guilt,