Page 34 of Forget Me Not

“Nova!” someone calls and Reid releases me, dragging his teeth over my bottom lip as I spring away from him, landing flat on my ass on the floor just as Katelyn steps into the room. “Why are you on the floor?”

Then, she notices the bloody rag in the sink.

“Nova Leigh, what the hell did you do?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. See, this is why I told you, you shouldn’t be up here messing with stuff. You need someone to do it who knows what they’re doing.”

“She does,” Reid bites, before I can say anything. He stands and Katelyn takes a step back as if he’d actually hurt her. He holds a hand out to me and carefully, I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. “She’s learning. She doesn’t need scolding.”

Katelyn falters for a moment, looking back and forth between the two of us. I should yell at him for being rude to Katelyn, but honestly, hearing him stick up for me is kind of . . . hot.

Something in my chest stirs, but I force it back down before it can gain any merit.

“Well, when did you two get to be two peas in a pod?”

“We’re not,” I interject, but Reid cuts me off.

“I’ll finish up tonight. Go.”

I swallow, hoping Katelyn won’t see the heat in my cheeks as Reid turns away from us.

Whatever just happened is gone and that cold mask of indifference has slipped back into place.

And just like that, I’m dismissed.

“Come on, Katelyn,” I murmur, rejection burning in my core. “I’ve got things to do.”

I let her lead me out of the room, but I don’t miss the dark look in Reid’s eyes before I go, as if he’s reminding me, he’s a monster—

—And I’m nothing but a sweet and innocent victim, just asking to be taken.

“Well, it’s going to take five weeks.”

“Five weeks?”

“It’s an old boat. Part’s got to come all the way from California.”

“Jesus Christ,” I grumble under my breath. That’s an extra two weeks on top of what I had already not planned to spend here in Port Nova. “There’s no way to get it here faster?”

Al snorts. “If you can make the United States Postal Service work any faster, you go right ahead. I’m sure the country would name you a damned saint.”

Goddamnit. I can’t leave traps out that long. There’s no telling the bullshit mess I’d come back to. “I’ve got to get to Alaska in September.”

“Well, I guess you better hope it gets here on time, then.”

Fucking prick. “Alright. I may be back to rent a boat.”

Al nods. “I’d suggest that.”

I bet he would. Al’s nice and all—well, not really, but he’s also a greedy old bastard. Just to look at my engine, he’s charging double what the shops in Portland would.

Unfortunately, for me, though, I’m stuck paying it if I want to get back on the water anytime soon.

I leave the shop pissed off at myself for not having a spare of every single part for Hope’s Grace, stored below. Not that I’d be able to float. Fucker would probably sink right to the bottom, but at least then, I wouldn’t be stuck on this island, evading a little blonde tyrant.

Last night . . . Last night was interesting. I laid awake for a couple hours, like I always do, but instead of Alaska and all the shit I need to get done, my mind wandered to Nova and what she was doing. The way she moaned my name, so sweet and soft. If I could make her scream it if I tried hard enough. The way her legs would feel on either side of my face while I made her scream my name.

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