Page 10 of Don't Let Your Mind Go There

I furrowed my brows. “I’m not trying to manipulate you. I would never do that.”

“Don’t.” His eyes darkened, and the grip around my neck tightened. I could still breathe, and I felt a thrill rushing through my body at the way he was touching me. “I told you before, Tate, we can’t go there.”

“Not just yet. That’s what you said,” I told him. I wasn’t able to keep my eyes on his. My gaze dropped to his mouth, and I took in his lips, wishing I could finally taste them. My desires were dark and twisted. I knew that much. But his weren’t much different.

He muttered a cursed and leaned in closer, resting his forehead against mine. I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes, fully taking in this moment.

“Tate, you’re not making it easy for me here.”

“I don’t want to,” I whispered. “I want you.”

He took a deep breath, and I felt his lips graze mine. “I want you too.” He sounded defeated, yet hopeful. “But you know it’s complicated. We can’t go there. We can’t—”

“Let our minds go there. I know,” I said quietly. Lifting my hand, I placed it on his stomach, feeling the hard muscles under his knit sweater. “I just wish we could.”

“I know, sweetheart.”

We were both silent for a while, and when I opened my eyes again, I caught him looking at my lips. He had to deny this. Whatever we had, it wasn’t simple. Still…I wished he would just let me get close in moments like this.

“We have to go. Let’s catch up to Mom and Ronan.”

I wanted to stay here, but I couldn’t keep him here forever. His grip around my throat loosened, and as he took a step back, he smiled gently. “Come on, we don’t wanna lose them.”

I needed a second to gather my thoughts and get my feet to work again, but I followed him shortly after, not wanting to get lost in this forest.

Whatever just happened between us was something I wanted to happen more often. For that, we’d have to be alone again.

I was certain that we’d soon enough find time to ourselves, and maybe then, we could continue what we started.

5

TATE

“It’s a shame we were unsuccessful. I was hoping we could eat mushroom’s tonight. I haven’t had them in a while.” Mom was disappointed.

Ronan, on the other hand, couldn’t have cared less about Mom’s lack of mushrooms in her basket. “I heard there’s a place where you’ll definitely find mushrooms. Lots of them, actually.”

Mom turned to him and put the empty basket on the table in front of her. “Why didn’t you tell me before? What place?”

“The grocery store.”

Dad and I laughed, and Mom rolled her eyes at Ronan’s joke. “You’re so not funny, Ro.”

“Sure am. So, what’s for dinner?”

“Pasta.”

Ronan and I groaned at Mom’s response.

“Kids.” Dad’s voice was serious, and his expression hard. “We told you we can’t eat dinner at the restaurant every night. We eat what your mother cooks.”

“Hey, weren’t you the one talking about cooking in this kitchen since we now have one instead of a small grill? Why don’t you cook tonight?” Mom challenged.

Dad raised a brow, and with a sigh, he ran his hand through his brown hair. “I don’t have enough things to put together a nice dinner for us.”

“Then go get them at the store in town.”

Ronan and I watched them closely as they stood there, shooting each other looks that told us just how annoyed they both were. Not with each other, but with themselves.

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