Page 58 of Kortlek

He takes my chin between his fingers and forces me to look at him. “No, no, you’re not getting out of this, little bunny.’’

“Alright, fine,’’ I cave in. “Yes, I went there. No, it wasn’t smart. No, I don’t regret it.’’

His fingers tighten on my chin slightly. It’s not enough to hurt or bruise my skin, just enough to show he’s very angry. His eyes narrow to slits,his jaw clenches, and he doesn’t let go. Instead, he pulls me closer to him, staring into my eyes.

“Very reckless, very stupid.’’

“I know,’’ I mumble.

It feels like I’m a petulant child being scolded for misbehaving. His other hand wraps around my waist. I didn’t see it at first, but now it’s crystal clear — there’s an immense amount of fear behind the anger in Cove’s eyes.

Cove’s scared.

He’s scared he’ll lose me.

And he doesn’t know how to convey it into words.

My heart flutters in my chest, and guilt threatens to eat me alive. Slowly, I put my hands on each side of his neck, watching as his muscles slowly start to relax under my touch. With soft strokes, I give him a soft smile.

“I’m okay, Cove.’’

“You are,’’ he agrees. “But there are a million things that could’ve gone wrong.’’

I place my forehead against his, closing my eyes. This proximity, the intimacy of the moment, makes me feel at ease. It makes me feel safe. Basking in Cove’s scent, with his arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly, is one of the best feelings in the world.

“I’m sorry,’’ I whisper. “I know it was stupid. But sitting and waiting for Wyatt to show himself is eating me alive. I feel useless.’’

“You’re far from it, bunny,’’ he murmurs, inching a bit closer until our lips were slightly grazing. “You’re one of the most capable women I’ve ever met. But you need help with this. You can’t do it alone. It doesn’t make you weak or useless. It makes you smart. You shouldn’t do this on your own. And you won’t, because I won’t let you. I’m with you through all of this.’’

I close the distance and kiss him. Cove’s response is immediate, one of his hands going to the nape of my neck, pulling me as close as possible. His mouth moves with mine, though it’s not hard to figure out he dominates the kiss with ease.

The sweet taste of whiskey and nicotine lingers on his tongue, and it’s one of the most consuming tastes. It tastes so raw, so deliberate, so Cove. It’s him, in all of his coarse, wonderful glory, and the three words nearly slip out of my mouth.

My heart can’t handle all of this. Not once have I felt like this. Cove wakes up something in me. A side I never knew existed. All I want is to be with him. He’s no stranger to shit life; his was definitely far worse than mine.

Seeing him express even an ounce of affection, love, and softness toward me just makes me want to take care of him. But I won’t be able to do that until I learn how to take care of myself.

I need to do this right, for Cove and for me.

Even the slightest thought of losing Cove sends me to a dark place. I’m not sure when it happened, but I became addicted to him. I became dependent on his presence, and I don’t want it to change.

If I lose everything, I pray that it won’t include him.

I won’t survive it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The moment Cove suggested having a little weekend getaway back to his cottage, I agreed. Within ten minutes, I packed the essentials in my backpack and was out the door. He came to my parent’s house on his bike, and I hopped on mine.

The ride lasted around an hour before we stopped a little to rest.

Right now, we’re parked at the side of the highway, resting against our bikes. We’re in the middle of nowhere, halfway to the cabin. My leather jacket feels tight on my body, probably because I snatched Mom’s by accident.

My eyes flicker to Cove.

He sips on his water, looking up at the sky.

From the side, he looks mesmerizing. His sharp jawline, the vein on the side of his neck stands out as he takes a big gulp of the water. His eyes seem to shine under the bright light, the fall wind blowing his black hair back.

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