Page 72 of The Forever Rule

“Really?”

“I don’t know if I should be hearing about other pretty women while you’re in my kitchen.”

He leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair from my face. “But she didn’t make me lose my mind.”

I swallowed hard at the low growl of his voice.

“She didn’t make me forget that I’m in a fucking meeting and all I wanted to do was text you.”

“Oh,” I whispered.

He smiled then, the heat in his gaze intoxicating. “Yeah. Oh.”

And then he lowered his mouth to mine, and everything went blank. His hands were gentle on my face, but his kiss was anything but. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think—and I didn’t want to.

Instead, I kissed him back with the same ferocity, all doubts about what could be firmly pushed out of the window.

And then he was gone—standing two feet away from me, chest heaving.

“That’s why I can’t think,” he growled.

“I know the feeling.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

“I’m going to go. Not because I don’t want more. But because I don’t want to fuck this up. And I tend to fuck these things up.”

Frowning, I moved forward. “Aston…”

“I already screwed things up with us once, so I’m going to go. Not forever, but just so I don’t fuck you against that counter and lose my damn mind.”

I pressed my thighs together, my eyes wide. “That’s…that’s a picture.”

“Yes it is. One that I want. Sometime. But first? First we take the time so I don’t screw it up.” And before I could say anything to that and dig deeper into the whys of it, he left me with one more bruising kiss…and then he was gone.

Out of my kitchen. Out of my home.

But definitely not out of my memories.

And I hoped…not out of my life.

Chapter Nine

ASTON

Rule #1: There is no such thing as forever.

As the eldestof the family, it was time for me to take charge. At least in the essence of trying to move forward. Speaking with Blakely as I had, knowing that I was making moves that I normally wouldn’t, reminded me that I at least needed to try.

That was how I found myself on the other side of the table with Isabella.

I had opted for a small diner that served comfort food, and a place that I liked to relax. It wasn’t a fancy overbearing place, and it wasn’t a loud place with children running up and down the aisles. I figured Isabella wouldn’t mind it, but the problem was I didn’t know her. I didn’t want to alienate my new sister, and I had been afraid to even ask Blakely where I should take Isabella for lunch, because that felt as if I were getting insiderinformation. Then again, I needed that insider information. So I had texted her.

Me:

Where should I take Isabella for lunch?

Blakely:

That’s an odd way to say hello.

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