Read One to Keep (One to Hold) for Free Online Page A

since I’d had a good lay, and damn if this didn’t feel like heaven. Her thighs were around my waist, and I didn’t care if we were just supposed to be making out or sobering up or whatever the fuck we were doing. It was worth it.
    Her trembling gradually subsided as did my thrusting, and my hands went lightly to her hips, sliding over her ass and up until I was resting on my forearms, my face hovering over hers. I kissed her cheek where that dimple hid, I kissed her chin, then I went back to her lips. Little by little, our breathing slowed. Her eyes blinked open, but she didn’t speak. For a moment, she only studied my face. Then she lifted a finger and traced a light line from my forehead, down my cheek to my mouth.
    That’s when I saw the tears.
    “Whoa, hey,” I whispered, sitting up and pulling her with me, wrapping my arms around her and holding her against my chest. Her forehead dropped to my shoulder and I felt her jerking with sobs.
    My chest tightened. I didn’t know what to do with this. Why was she crying? “Did I hurt you?” I was still whispering. “I’m sorry, it’s been a while. I was too rough—”
    “No.” She sniffed, shaking her head. Another jerky breath. “You were great. It was amazing.” Then she broke again with a sob.
    I was totally confused. “Then what?”
    Her face lifted to mine, and the black eyeliner was running with the tears under her blue eyes. I cupped her cheeks in my hands and pushed the ugly tracks away with my thumbs. How could I make this stop?
    She blinked and turned her face from mine. “It’s nothing.”
    “Hell it isn’t.” My arms tightened around her, pulling her back. “Tell me.”
    “Oh, god, Patrick. You don’t want to know.”
    “I do.”
    She paused a moment, still not looking at me, as if she were choosing her words. “It was,” she hesitated. “It was the first time… The first time I’ve been with anyone. Since Blake.”
    Fuck. Okay, maybe I did want to know why she was crying, but shit. Now I didn’t know what to do. We were quiet a moment, and I held her until her tears subsided. Then I tried a neutral approach.
    “It was your first time in almost a year?”
    She pulled off my lap and slid to the other side of the car, bending her knees to her chest. I looked to the windows, and the realization of where we were hit me fast.
    “Let’s go back to my place. We can’t talk here.”
    She shook her head, looking out the glass. “I’d better go home.”
    Reaching for my shirt, I slipped it over her head. “You’re spending the night with me.”
    “No,” she tried to fight. “It’s too much. I’m leaving next week, and I just… I had too much to drink is all.”
    “Fuck that. You’re sleeping at my place.” I pulled my jeans up. “No strings, fine. But you’re not sleeping alone tonight.”
    She crossed her arms over her waist, and I reached for the seatbelt, pulling it across her shoulder and lap, and fastening it before climbing back to the front seat. We didn’t speak the whole drive, but I glanced in the rearview mirror a few times. She continued gazing out the window, and I couldn’t think of anything to say to make her feel better.
    Finally, I had us in my parking garage. Helping her out, I gathered her shirt, tank, and bra all wadded into a roll, thanks to the way I’d removed them. She picked up her shoes and purse, still wearing my shirt over her jeans. Without her shoes, she seemed so small. Fragile.
    “Come on,” I said quietly, leading her to my door.
    Inside, I dropped everything on the couch. I caught her swaying a few times, and took her hand. “Take your jeans off and just sleep in that shirt.”
    She nodded and bent down to remove her pants. I left her to go brush my teeth and find a shirt for me to sleep in. Moments later, we were in bed.
    The idea of sex or making out was definitely off the table at this point, and all I knew to do was pull her to me. She didn’t fight it, putting her cheek on my