Page 17 of Edge of Forever

And I don’t want to burst her bubble.

Not tonight.

Not after what we just shared.

“We don’t have to decide now, do we?” I ask gently. “Let’s go take a shower and then cuddle. I have a bottle of champagne chilling.”

“You do?” Her eyes widen. “Why didn’t we open it before?”

“Because I wanted to make sure you were stone cold sober before we made love.”

“You really are the best guy I know,” she whispers, dropping her head and pressing her lips to mine.

Despite having just made love, I feel my cock stir as we kiss and kiss and kiss.

Being her first makes me want to make her mine.

Forever.

Permanently.

Wife her up.

But I can’t.

She’s legal but still only eighteen.

Two months ago she was still seventeen.

I can’t forget that.

Legal, mature, successful, and essentially independently wealthy—but still young. No matter what else is going on, she’s still a teenager who hasn’t quite graduated from high school yet.

The thought is fleeting but snaps me out of the romantic fantasy I was momentarily indulging. Instead, I wrap my arms around her and just hold on.

She collapses against my chest again.

Warm and sweet and soft.

Andmine.

I don’t know for how long, but for tonight at the very least.

SEVEN

Kirsten

I wake up to a warm,strong body pressed against my back, one arm draped over my waist.

I’ve never spent the night with a guy, and certainly haven’t woken up with one before, but this is nice. Comfortable.

After we made love last night, we showered and ordered a late-night room service snack. Then we talked. About anything and everything. Music, his upcoming tour, moving to New York to go to college, and everything in between.

It was the best night of my life and I don’t know how I’ll move forward without him in it. He seemed reluctant to talk about making a plan for the future, and I’m not sure whether or not I should bring it up again.

Am I just being a clingy teenager?

I don’t think of myself that way because I have a full life. My career is successful even though it’s on hold now because I’m going to college. I have a supportive family, great friends, and a bright future. I don’t need a man in my life.