Becca couldn’t believe what he admitted. It shocked her more to know he’d wanted to kiss her when they’d met than it did that he’d actually kissed her.

She’d wanted him to kiss her almost as long as he wanted to, and if she hadn’t thrown him out of her life… She didn’t want to think about that.

“How is that possible?”

Charles shrugged, irritatingly casual about his confession. “You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Now, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Becca ducked her head, not comfortable accepting a compliment from him. She wanted to believe him, but the most beautiful he’d ever seen? She knew he was giving her a line.

His hand cupped her jaw and rose her face up to look at him. “I’m serious, Bex. I’ve always wanted you. Jeff never knew, but I’d like to think he would have been okay with it. He always asked me to watch out for you, to help him make sure you were safe. I don’t know if he knew he wasn’t going to be around long enough to see you grow up or what, but he always wanted me to look after you.”

Tears filled Becca’s eyes. She hated the thought of her brother believing he would die young. It broke her heart to imagine him thinking he wouldn’t be there, and hated even more that he wasn’t there. She knew he’d have loved to see her end up with Charles. Jeff was Charles’s biggest fan.

“He would have been thrilled to see us together. He loved you.” Charles swallowed hard and Becca could see how much he was still beating himself up. “I forgive you, you know. I was hurt and emotional back then, but I’ve come to realize throwing you out of my life wasn’t fair.”

“I was never really out of your life. I’ve always tried to find out everything I could about you. I was surprised when you showed up here, but I shouldn’t be surprised. You always knew how to find me.”

Becca nodded. “I guess we were meant to be in each other’s lives. Even if we end up as just friends.”

Charles growled. “I’ve got you. I’m not letting you go. It’s going to take an act of God to get me to let you go ever again. I’m in this, Bex, I’m in this for good.”

Becca smiled and leaned in to kiss Charles again. When she pulled back she looked up at him through her lashes and said, “I hope you live close by.”

“Jesus,” Charles said, dragging his lips from Becca. He wanted to kiss her forever, but he couldn’t continue much longer without needing to get his hands on her too. And even though he wasn’t being very respectful with the way he was kissing her, he couldn’t do anything beyond kiss her in public.

He wasn’t going to share her, or the hot noises she made, with anyone else.

Charles rested his forehead against hers, not letting her move away from him. He struggled to catch his breath, finding it harder to do breathe when her saw her chest heaving with her attempt to slow her own breathing. His fingers itched to touch her and started to work toward her. He stopped himself, but it was a struggle to not touch her.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”

“Like hell,” she argued, fire blazing in her eyes. “You should have kissed me like that the second you saw me.”

Charles grinned. He couldn’t help it. He leaned back in, anxious for another taste of her lips. Becca didn’t hesitate to kiss him back. He felt himself growing harder, to the point of being almost painful. He knew she felt it too, but he didn’t say anything.

Then she rolled her ass against him, nudging the side of his erection with her hip.

He groaned. Then gripped her harder. His one hand pulled tighter on her hair, tight enough that he knew it had to be hurting her. He forced his grip to loosen so he didn’t hurt her, then lost his control again when her hand left his neck and trailed over his front, drifting lower and lower until she reached the barrier of his waistband.

They broke apart again, chests heaving, eyes blazing. “What are we doing?”

Charles didn’t know the answer to the question any more than Becca did. He wanted to tell her something, but he didn’t know what to say. All he did know was he had to do the last thing he actually wanted to do.

He slowly peeled his hands from her and gently eased her back into her own chair. His erection still reached out to her, but he ignored it, knowing they needed to talk before they did anything else.

“I can’t stop myself any longer. I’ve wanted to do that ever since the first time I saw you-”

“Yesterday?” Becca squeaked.

Had it really only been a day since their lives collided again? Charles shook his head, trying to clear the fog. He couldn’t believe it was only a day, but it was. One day since she’d spotted him in the diner. One day since she’d yelled at him to leave. One day since he’d ambushed her at the bar with her friend. One day since she invited him back into her life.

But Charles knew one day ago wasn’t what he meant. And he owed it to her to know it too.

“No. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day we met. Since the first time Jeff brought me to your house. Since the day I first saw you, when you were far too young and innocent for the dirty thoughts I had about my friend’s little sister.”

She gasped, and he nearly dragged her off to his bed. But first, he had to know what that noise meant.

Charles’s kiss was tentative at first. His lips were soft, gentle, but he was kissing Becca. She wanted to reach up and grab his shirt, crushing him to her, but the sounds around them echoed in her ears and she stopped herself.

Then Charles parted his lips ever so slightly and brushed his tongue against the seam of her lips. Becca couldn’t stop the groan that escaped her lips, or the eager way they opened to allow him in. Her arms circled his neck, encouraging him to keep going.

Charles didn’t disappoint her. He plunged his tongue into her vacant mouth, seeking hers. His hands circled her waist, pulling her closer. The chair she was sitting on prevented them from getting close enough. Becca wanted to climb into his lap, to cradle him between her thighs, but those damn customers surrounding them stopped her again.

She settled for pulling him as close as they could get, smiling when he nipped her lower lip and pulled it into his mouth. Her fingers dug into his hair, keeping him from moving too far from her. He released her lip and slid his tongue back between her lips.

This time he slowed their kiss. He sipped her mouth, tasting her like he would a piece of fine chocolate. Becca enjoyed the slow, sensual kiss that shot her temperature high. She’d never been kissed like that before. Like she was the only person in the whole world he wanted to kiss, like he’d be content to sit there all day sampling her lips.

Then his hand slid up her back and paused at her neck, then continued, his fingers tunneling into her hair. He closed his fingers and tugged her hair gently to tilt her head up to him. And devoured her.

He tugged her forward, sliding her legs onto his lap so she sat sideways on his legs. His arm was clamped around her back, holding her close to him. Close enough that she could feel him growing hard against her hip, making her want to feel him against the rest of her.

Charles wanted to kick himself. He almost kissed her. He wanted to. So badly. She’d leaned into him, her eyes closed, and he almost kissed her.

At the last minute he stopped himself.

But when she said she wanted his friendship there was something in her eyes, something that made him wonder. Something that gave him hope.

“Are you sure friendship is all you want? I saw the way that other guy kissed you. Are you looking for more than a friend?”

Becca sucked in a quick breath and her eyes widened. His did too as her chest inflated and reached toward him. God, Charles wanted to touch her. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted her to be his.

And if he wasn’t mistaken, she wanted the same thing.

Becca shrugged. “I’ve definitely considered the possibility of more, but none of the guys I’ve been with held my interest for too long. There’s always something…”

“Missing,” they finished together.

“Yeah. It’s strange, you know. I want someone who knows me, but no one really does. I pretty much keep to myself. I don’t go out much and I don’t share a whole lot with new people. It’s hard to open up sometimes.”

“I know you,” Charles said, taking a chance she would understand the underlying implication.

Becca grinned. “Yes, you do.”

“What does that mean, Bex?”

“You’re the only one who’s ever called me that, you know. Most people call me Becca or Bec, but you always call me Bex.”

“Is that okay?” Charles asked, leaning slightly toward her.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and Charles’s eyes went there. She nodded and he licked his lips, imaging his teeth holding her lip.

She got just a little closer, her body drawn to his. Charles couldn’t stop himself, he leaned forward, then paused, wanting it to be her decision to kiss him. Needing to know she wanted it as much as he did.

Her eyes met his, shining with desire that he felt all the way to his toes. He couldn’t stop if he wanted to, but he didn’t want to. He had to know what she tasted like, how soft her lips were. And he wasn’t waiting another second to find out.

Becca melted into Charles. She’d never imagined she’d be lucky enough to feel his arms around her. He’d hugged her before, but it was always a friendly, you’re-my-best-friend’s-sister kind of hug. As he held her in the coffee shop though, she knew he was comforting her.

And she was going to enjoy every last second of it.

When Charles finally eased back, he cupped her jaw and looked into her eyes. Becca’s heart sped up and her eyes drifted closed, waiting for Charles to kiss her.

And waited.

And waited.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” Charles said, making Becca’s eyes snap open. “I wish I’d been there for you.”

Becca shrugged and tucked her chin away, pulling free of his grasp. She immediately felt the loss of his touch, but she couldn’t torture herself. He still saw her as Jeff’s little sister. Not someone who would see her as the woman she’d become.

“It’s all done now. It sucks, but I’ll deal with it. You just push forward and move on, you know.”

Charles watched her closely then shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to. You’ve been through enough. I still just don’t know if I-”

“Please don’t tell me again that you think you should vanish. That you don’t believe you should be here. I don’t think I can handle losing you again.”

“Losing me?” Charles asked. “What do you mean?”

Becca couldn’t believe she’d said that. How could she be so careless with her words. Of course Charles would pick up on it. She might as well have told him she was in love with him.

“I just meant your friendship. I could use a friend, one who knows my past and accepts it without questioning.”

Charles held her gaze for a moment, then finally nodded.

Becca wanted to believe she saw something more than friendship in his eyes, longing, hope, desire even. But she knew she had to be lying to herself. Projecting what she wanted onto him. Charles didn’t want her. He couldn’t.

Could he?

Charles felt his heart expand. For a minute he thought she meant she wanted him, like in her life, in her heart, maybe even in her bed. But it was Becca. Sweet, innocent, beautiful Becca.

She’d never want him.

“What happened to your parents? Where are they?”

Becca shrugged and her lower lip trembled. “They’re not around. After Jeff…” She shook her head. “Mom couldn’t handle being around anymore so she took off. Dad… well, dad and I were never close. You know how he is. We’ve barely spoken in years.”

Charles wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her. It took everything within him not to. He knew she wouldn’t want him to touch her though. And he couldn’t bear to have her pull away from him.

“I’m sorry, Bex. That’s why I need to stay away from you. If it weren’t for me-”

“Don’t,” Becca threatened. “Don’t you dare tell me everything is your fault. That you’re to blame. Dammit, Charles, you need to let go of all that. I was shocked when I saw you. All the pain of losing Jeff, and my mom, and my dad, came back, but so did all the love. Please don’t push that away.”

Charles didn’t know what to do. He stared up at her, willing Becca to make a move to tell him what she wanted from him.

Then she lowered herself into the chair next to his and looked up at him through her dark lashes. “I need to feel loved again, Charles,” she whispered.

His heart cracked for the young woman she was, for the pained woman she’d become. He wanted to hold her, to help her, so he did. He pulled her into his arms and held tight.

And prayed she wouldn’t push away.