Page 67 of Forget Me Not

“Fuck, Nova,” he growls against my lips. “We have to stop before this goes too far.”

I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to not upset me again. I understand, but right now, all I want is to give myself to someone—no—him. I want to give myself to him.

The man that makes me feel safe, despite his rough exterior. The man who takes me whale watching and buys me cat food for the local stray cats of the village. Who fixes the inn without accepting payment and stitches me up with more care than a seasoned nurse.

The one who said I drive him fucking crazy.

“I’m ready, Reid. Touch me,” I breathe against his lips, chancing another kiss.

“Nova,” he warns when I shift on his lap again.

“Please?”

His hand slides down my front, his thumb absentmindedly rolling in circles around the button of my shorts.

“You’re sure? If I touch you, there’s no erasing me.”

I nod, hoping he can’t tell how nervous I am.

I’ve only been with one man. I don’t know how dating works or how to seduce a guy. Reid’s been all over the world. He probably wrote the book on seduction.

Reid hisses out through clenched teeth, his eyes wild like a man on the edge of control when I reach between us and grip him in my palm. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but this me—Port Nova Nova—she’s dangerous.

I feel the moment he gives in.

Fisting my hair and pulling my face back his, he presses his lips against mine and groans deeply.

“You’ll be the fucking death of me.”

Goddamn her. Goddamn this boat and goddamn the fucking whales for being out tonight.

It wasn’t my intention to bring Nova out here to fuck her. I’m not even sure what I wanted; I just knew she’d like the whales and I wanted to see her after this afternoon when I found her mid-panic attack.

Getting her onto the boat was the easiest part. Talking myself out of touching her since she stepped into my cabin? That’s a different story.

Today, while I was fixing the air conditioning at the inn, I resigned myself to the knowledge that taking Nova to bed is the worst possible idea. She’s too fucking sweet, too perfect for her own good. She’ll get attached and when I leave on September first, she’ll hate me. She’ll hate me and even though it won’t matter because I’ll be thousands of miles away on the Bering Sea, it’ll gut me to know it.

This obsession is starting to run too deep. Finding her like that this afternoon confirmed it. For the first time in my life, I wanted to wipe her tears away. I wanted to gut whoever did this to her because no one gets to break her but me. She’s mine in the most barbaric sense of the word . . . even if she’s not supposed to be.

I’m leaving September first. She knows it. I know it. It doesn’t stop the feeling of violence I get when I see her cry like she did.

I had planned to slow down. My self-control only goes so far and as much as I want to sink inside her, fuck away her demons until they’re replaced by me and me alone, I know Nova’s not that kind of girl. She loves too hard and I’m not the one that deserves it. I won’t be around for the long haul, no matter if she wants me or not.

Unfortunately, with her on my lap, begging me to touch her . . . I don’t think my plan to slow down is going to work.

Flicking the button of her shorts, I peel them back from her cool, silky skin and slip my hand inside.

The first touch of my fingers on her cunt has my skin burning like a fucking branding iron. “Fuck, Nova,” I bite, rolling my thumb over the wetness coating her panties. “Are you this wet for me, little bird?”

“Mmhmm . . .” She shivers, biting her lip and fuck if I don’t want to bite it for her.

Fuck me.

My other hand slips up her stomach, fisting in her hair to tug her face back to mine. I feast on her lips, drinking her in and tasting the sweetness on her. I love her mouth, more than I thought possible.

I’ve never cared much about kissing before, but now, she’s ruined me. I can’t get enough.

Her tongue slips between my teeth, tasting of cherries. My favorite fruit, of all things. She rolls it against mine, flicking and sucking the tip in a way that drives me fucking crazy.

---