Page 90 of Memphis

“But look at you now.” I smiled. “No walker. No cane. You’re walking great, and now, you’re riding again.”

“And I have you to thank for that.”

“No, that was all you.” I took a step towards him. “You were just stubborn enough to do what needed to be done.”

“Stubborn, huh?”

“Stubborn isn’t always a bad thing.” I wound my arms around his neck. “In fact, it can be a good thing. A very good thing.”

Before he had a chance to respond, I rested the palms of my hands on his chest and lifted up on my tiptoes as I pressed my mouth against his, kissing him softly. A light whimper escaped my lips when his grip around my waist tightened. His tongue delved deeper, and what started out as a soft and tender kiss quickly turned heated.

His hands were strong and demanding as they pulled me closer, flooding my entire body with an all-consuming desire. I wanted him more than I thought possible. I was hanging on by a thread when he pulled back, quickly breaking our embrace. His green eyes danced with lust as they locked on mine. He lifted his hand up to my mouth, gently brushing the pad of his thumb against my bottom lip as he said, “We still have things we need to talk about.”

“About?”

“No, let’s wait until we get home.”

“But...”

“Let’s just enjoy our ride back, and then, we’ll talk.”

“Okay.”

After another brief kiss, Wes put his helmet back on and got back on his bike. I was curious what he wanted to talk about, so I wasted no time getting behind him. Once I had my helmet secured, he started the engine, and we were off. This time,I wasn’t nervous about the ride. Instead, I just sat back and enjoyed the moment.

When we got back to his house, Wes led me into the living room, and there was a notable shift in his mood as he sat down next to me on the sofa. It was clear something heavy was on his mind, so I asked, “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Before we start, I want you to know that none of this changes anything. At least, not for me.”

“Oh, this doesn’t sound good.”

“I know aboutyour dealwith my father.”

“He told you?”

“I pieced it together, and he confirmed.”

“I need you to know that him offering to help my father might’ve been why I came, but it wasn’t why I stayed.”

“I know that, and like I said before, knowing about the deal doesn’t change anything.” His voice was calm and sincere as he told me, “I still want this. I still want you and what we have here. But there’s more.”

“Oh?”

“It’s about your father.”

“What about him?”

“He wasn’t just stealing from Vittorio. There were others, and they are just as dangerous, if not more so.”

“I wish I could say that I’m surprised, but I’m not.” My throat tightened, making it difficult to talk as I said, “Dad clearly isn’t the man I thought he was.”

“He’s definitely made some poor decisions.”

“That’s an understatement if I ever heard one.”

“Dad and I talked to him last night.”

“What?” I gasped. “When? Why?”

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