Page 76 of The Last Time

“Can I do anything?” she asks.

“Do you know anything about boats?” I ask.

She chuckles. “I’m an Ohio girl. I don’t know anything other than I love watching them and being on them.”

“You’re such a mid-western girl.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

I smile, then lean down and give her a kiss. “It’s cute.”

“Saying it’s cute doesn’t make that comment any less annoying,” she says as she stands.

Before she can get another word out, I place my hand on the small of her back and pull her body against mine, claiming her mouth.

I move my lips along hers, tasting her vanilla lip gloss that has made her lips perfect for kissing. Our lips slide against each other’s, and I groan when she pushes her hips into me.

I pull her away from me, not meaning to feel so affected by our kiss.

“Does that make it less annoying?” I ask breathlessly.

She smiles. “That’s cheating.”

I shrug my shoulder. “I never claimed to be a gentleman.”

The look in her eyes tells me she’s thinking something right now that could get us both in trouble.

“Keep looking at me like that, and we’ll have another repeat like the other night. I’ll take you as rough as I can right here. No matter who’s watching.”

I reach for the rope and pull it off the dock then take a seat and turn the key. The boat fires up, and my body instantly starts to feel free of stress.

This has been my happy place since Lauren died. I bought it six months after she passed. The only one who’s ever been on it with me is Brie—until today.

My family keeps giving me shit about it, but it’s been the one place I can go to quiet my brain. Without it, I don’t think I would’ve survived.

I didn’t want it to become a loud party boat and ruin it for me.

The sun is slowly making its way down. I think we have about ninety minutes until it’s dark.

It’s the perfect time to take Charlotte out.

Once I have the boat pulled out and we are wading through the water, I take a second to steal a glance at her in the seat at the front of the boat.

She is facing the water, her back toward me, but it’s the best view I’ve ever had on this boat. The sun is painted with pinks and oranges behind her, the perfect backdrop for the star of the scene—Charlotte.

She turns around with a big smile on her face.

“It’s beautiful,” she says. “Just…breathtaking.”

“I agree,” I tell her, not talking about the water or the sky.

We’re just about out of the wading zone.

“You ready to fly, baby?” I ask.

“Are you kidding me? I’m born ready,” she says, then throws her head back laughing as I push the lever forward.

We start to pick up speed instantly.

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