Page 225 of Heart of Frost and Scars

“Have you seen him?” I ask. “Talked to him?”

“We talk over text.”

“About?”

“Your safety. The investigation. The search for the cabin.”

The guards keep me updated on that. There’s been no progress. No contact from my stalker or The Ghost. With Sirena’s disappearance, the scouting mission in the Arctic has been put on hold.

“I’m sorry for what I said that night.” He turns his head, pressing a kiss to my brow. “I know you haven’t been fucking around with him. I know what we walked in on was an unintentional moment. Your hands were at your sides. Your back was to the wall. Your lips were closed. You weren’t pursuing him. He was pursuing you.”

“Don’t villainize him. He never forced me, and I wanted to kiss him back.”

“I know. He loves you. Who can blame him?”

I lift my head, my eyes achy with tears as I search his face.

“I’m lost without you, Frankie.”

“And I’m lost without you. At least you have Kody. Monty’s completely alone.”

“So are you.”

My mouth trembles. I don’t want to cry. I need to be strong. Strong enough to support them through this.

But I’m not strong enough to stop his lips from lifting to mine. Not with his hand cradling my skull so lovingly.

It’s not a kiss. There’s no movement, no deepening. I hold still, giving him the same response I gave Monty. Just a touch of lips. An intimate moment of affection. A breath of love.

Then I pull back.

His hands fall away, and I feel an instant, harrowing sense of loss.

I want him closer. Of course I do. The tension in my thighs and the tightening in my core signal a unified craving, demanding I give in.

That’s a problem.

I made a decision. I won’t choose between them, and I won’t waver.

Steeling my spine, I climb off the bed and meet his eyes.

He’s breathless, angry, and staring back at me. “This isn’t forever.”

Forever without him?

The thought buckles my knees.

I grip the bed for support. “Family is forever. Find your way back to Monty. Talk to someone about your childhood abuse. Then come back to me.”

“Those are your terms?”

“Yes.”

His neck stiffens, and he looks away.

“Promise me, Leo. Promise me you’ll take care of one another.”

“I’ll try.” Standing, he leans in and presses a gentle kiss on my forehead.

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